Bench Guys 5, Other Team's Stars 3

It was good to see the Red Sox playing for the first time last night, against the Yankees at Tampa. 2011 baseball is finally under way.

I watched it at Professor Thom's with many of my comrades in Red Sox Nation-New York. But this being New York City, the NESN feed was naturally blacked out, so we had to deal with YES and their notorious Yankee shill, Michael Kay.

They got off to a dubious beginning, as the first game action they showed was Ryan Kalish up at-bat with one out already. So, what did Darnell McDonald, the lead-off hitter do in that at-bat? I had no idea until my friend Dan sent me a message on Facebook later that he grounded out. Terrific.

My friend Joe also told me that Kay was whining on his radio show earlier in the day about the fact the Red Sox left just about all their stars back in Ft. Myers. He thought they were somehow "cheating" those fans who had come out for last night's game. Listen, I'm sure when the Yankees play the Sox later this month, they will leave most of their star players back in Tampa. That's just a fact of life in spring training. Kay needs to get a life.

And to round out this night with the Yankee Shill, in the fourth inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a deep fly ball to left that appeared it might go out. Naturally, it was a big moment for Kay, and you could hear him start his annoying "See Ya" home run call with "Ssss..." when the ball fell short of the left field wall and Slappy pulled in with a double. He never ceases to be a total ass. (Talking here about Kay, not Slappy. Well, Slappy too.)

Fortunately, by the fifth inning, the bar had the good sense to turn the sound off and but on some music. Thank goodness. A night in hell with Michael Kay came to a merciful end.

In the end it was Red Sox B-Team 5, Yankee Stars 3. I don't get too excited about spring training games, but a Red Sox win any time of the year over The Evil Empire is a nice thing. Nobody got hurt, so we move along.