Vikings Get The NY Teams, Pats

The Vikings will open the 2010 season against the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, September 9th at the site of last year's disappointment, the Louisiana Superdome. It is also the first NFL game of the regular season. (Have you noticed that both ESPN and NBC must have the previous year's champions in both baseball and football respectively for the very first game of the year?)

They will also play both New York teams in 2010. The Jets first at the new Meadowlands stadium (whatever it will be called, I guess after whatever corporation ponies up the most cash for the name) on October 11, a Monday night game. They play the Giants for the third straight September at the Metrodome, on December 12th.

I was very curious to see that the Vikes take on the New England Patriots on October 31st at Foxboro. It will be the only time I will call Professor Thom's hostile territory.

The Vikings open their home schedule against Miami on September 19th, and close the season on January 2nd in Detroit. (The NFL is scheduling nothing but divisional games that final week of the season. Interesting idea.) They will also have an early bye this year, in Week 4.

They will also play one other game on Monday night, against Chicago on December 20th, and one Sunday night game, October 24th in Green Bay.

Here is the complete Vikings schedule:

Wk	Date	Game	Stadium	Time (ET)		Network
1	Sep 09	MIN @ NO	Superdome	8:30 PM		NBC
2	Sep 19	MIA @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		CBS
3	Sep 26	DET @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		FOX
4	Bye
5	Oct 11	MIN @ NYJ	New Meadowlands Stadium	8:30 PM		ESPN
6	Oct 17	DAL @ MIN	Mall of America Field	4:15 PM		FOX
7	Oct 24	MIN @ GB	Lambeau Field	8:20 PM		NBC
8	Oct 31	MIN @ NE	Gillette Stadium	4:15 PM		FOX
9	Nov 07	ARI @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		FOX
10	Nov 14	MIN @ CHI	Soldier Field	1:00 PM		FOX
11	Nov 21	GB @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		FOX
12	Nov 28	MIN @ WAS	FedEx Field	1:00 PM		FOX
13	Dec 05	BUF @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		CBS
14	Dec 12	NYG @ MIN	Mall of America Field	1:00 PM		FOX
15	Dec 20	CHI @ MIN	Mall of America Field	8:30 PM		ESPN
16	Dec 26	MIN @ PHI	Lincoln Financial Field	1:00 PM		FOX
17	Jan 02	MIN @ DET	Ford Field	1:00 PM		FOX

Hallelujah: A Memorable 98th Anniversary

It sure didn't look like it would be the Red Sox night on Tuesday, which was the 98th anniversary of Fenway Park's opening in 1912.

Tim Wakefield was getting hit, giving up six runs and putting the Red Sox in a 6-1 hole by the fourth inning. The Texas Rangers ran wild on Victor Martinez, and stole nine bases on the night.

All I could think to myself was, "Can't anyone on this team pitch anymore?"

Well, after Wakefield left after 5, the pen shut Texas down and gave the offense a chance to get back in the game. Jeremy Hermida hit a home run, and in the sixth, Josh Reddick hit a ball in left that Josh Hamilton overran as he headed to the left field seats and it bounced in, and appeared to hit a fan in the head. But the umps missed it, and allowed a second run to score to make it 6-4.

It stayed that way until Darnell McDonald, just called up earlier in the day to replace Jacoby Ellsbury, who went on the DL, blasted a pitch into the Monster Seats with one on to tie it up at 6. He was the first Sox player since Orlando Cabrera in 2004 to homer in his first Red Sox at-bat. It looked like McDonald's homer might just be a footnote, as the Red Sox reverted to their usual ways by leaving the bases loaded to finish the inning.

The Red Sox had first and third and one out in the ninth and Adrian Beltre popped up to keep the runners where they were. (Oh no, not another wasted opportunity.) Jason Varitek walked to bring up that man again: McDonald. He hit a pitch that I first thought was heading into the seats, but instead Hamilton just missed catching it to give the Red Sox an extremely needed big-time win, 7-6. (I didn't mind the wild celebration in the infield, as you know I'm a critic of those inane "walkoff" things. But the Sox needed to let out the frustration. I just glad they didn't kill McDonald.)

To paraphrase Warner Wolf, who would say this whenever a struggling team won: "Hey, the Red Sox won a ballgame tonight!"

The five-game losing streak is over and now the Red Sox have to build on this to get the ship righted.

And my buddy Eric pointed out after the game that the combination of Darnell McDonald and Josh Reddick, with just one game this season between them, have 5 RBI in 5 at-bats. The combo of Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron, in 60 at-bats, have a grand total of: 1 RBI.

And Mike Lowell pinch-hit for David Ortiz (two more strikeouts last night) in the 8th inning with a lefty in the game and walked. I have a feeling that won't be the last time we see that happen this year.

Trivia Q&A: April 20

We had 17 teams in for Trivia Night, and a nice crowd in to watch the Celtics playoff game and the Red Sox-Rangers game. We got going just after the scheduled time, and the scores in the first categories were rather strong, especially in "Lexigraphic Trivia." I guess most folks know their lexigraphy. (And the bar was hopping at the Celtics blowout win, and even more when the Sox came from behind and won.)

We had just six teams get all five points in All or Nothing Trivia, and after some good scores in General Knowledge, it was close heading into IQ Trivia. But the team of Suck It, Bjork ran the table in that round and pulled out a two-point win. It was only just the second time in our Trivia Night's history that a team who missed the first round won it all in just four rounds. Nice job to Matt and his friends.

And a tip of the cap to the team of Bob Eyjajallajokull's Law Blog for helping me pronounce that name. I was calling it "That Volcano in Iceland" until they wrote the correct pronounciation for me, and that gave everyone a good laugh. And I rewarded them by giving them the prize for Best Team Name (which was a pitcher of beer).

Current Events
1. This TV personality filed for divorce from his wife of 13 years last week, and it will be his eighth overall divorce.
2. Volcanic ash from an eruption of a volcano on this island nation disrupted air traffic across northern and western Europe this week.
3. First Lady Michelle Obama made her first overseas visit without the president last week. Name 1 of the 2 countries she visited.
4. This prestigious American newspaper was awarded four Pulitzer Prizes last week, the most any newspaper received for its work in 2009.
5. Conan O'Brien announced his return to television recently, and it will be with this network beginning this coming November.
6. This state selected "an official microbe" last week, Lactococcus Lactis, which is bacterium used to make cheddar, Colby and Monterey Jack cheese.
7. Ubaldo Jimenez, a pitcher on this NL team, threw the first no-hitter in the team's history, a 4-0 whitewash over the Atlanta Braves last Saturday night.

Answers: 1. Larry King; 2. Iceland; 3. Haiti and Mexico; 4. Washington Post; 5. TBS; 6. Wisconsin; 7. Colorado Rockies.

Lexigraphic Trivia
1. At Symbol
2. Caret
3. Asterisk
4. Pound Key
5. Ampersand
6. Semi Colon
7. Tilde
8. Copyright Symbol
9. Backslash
10. Elipses

Answers: 1. @; 2. ^; 3. *; 4. #; 5. &; 6. ;; 7. ~; 8. (c inside of a circle); 9. \; 10. ...

All or Nothing Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. This is the largest continent in the world in area.
2. CNN was launched in 1980 by what man?
3. What is America's longest river?
4. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in 1863 in what state?
5. The Hundred Years War was actually more than 100 years long. True or false?
6. What state is known as the Hoosier state?
7. What Shakespeare play begins with the line, "Who's there?"
8. Gingivitis affects what part of the body?
9. The Baseball Hall of Fame is located in what state?
10. Adam West portrayed what superhero on TV in the 1960s?

Answers: 1. Asia; 2. Ted Turner; 3. Mississippi; 4. Pennsylvania; 5. true (116 years); 6. Indiana; 7. "Hamlet;" 8. gums; 9. New York; 10. Batman.

General Knowledge
1. In which century did George Washington begin his first term as president? ( 1 pt)
2. How man US states contain the word "new" in them? ( 1 pt)
3. What one-time Michigan-based record label recently celebrated its 50th anniversary? ( 1 pt)
4. Name 1 of Canada's 2 national sports. ( 2 pt)
5. What current US state is the site of the only World War II land battle fought on US soil? ( 2 pt)
6. "Meerschaum" and "corncob" are two popular types of what? ( 2 pt)
7. A framboise beer is fermented using what kind of fruit? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. 18th century; 2. four (NY, NJ, NM, NH); 3. Motown; 4. hockey and lacrosse; 5. Alaska; 6. pipes; 7. raspberry.

IQ Trivia
1. Which US state was its own republic from 1777-1791? ( 3 points)
2. The Hemlock Society, an American right-to-die organization, took its name to honor what philosopher? ( 5 points)
3. What comedian did rocker Iggy Pop phone in 1968, seeking approval for his band's new name? ( 4 points)
4. Who's last book, "Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium" was a posthumous bestseller in 1997? ( 4 points)
5. Who was the only filmmaker to win two Best Director Oscars during the 1980s? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. Vermont; 2. Socrates; 3. Moe Howard; 4. Carl Sagan; 5. Oliver Stone.

Cameron to the DL; Ellsbury Next?

The Red Sox received some bad news as far as Mike Cameron's health goes. Turns out he has a hernia, this diagnosis coming after he passed kidney stones last Friday. He's now been put on the disabled list, and may very well be there longer than just 15 days.

He has an abdominal tear, and the Sox are not sure if he'll need surgery for it yet. Josh Reddick was called up today to replace him on the roster. Here's more from Amalie Benjamin.

Jacoby Ellsbury will test his sore ribs today, and the Red Sox will make a determination on whether or not to put him on the DL retroactive to April 11th, the day he collided with Adrian Beltre and suffered the injury.

The Hole Deepens

An embarrassing four games against the Tampa Bay Rays concluded with the Red Sox get whacked again, 8-2, before a sellout crowd on Patriot's Day, ending a six-game winning streak they had on this holiday.

Once again, the Sox couldn't get a hit with men in scoring position, and John Lackey got raked over the coals, as he surrendered all eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.

They are 4-9, and now 6 games back of the Rays in fourth place. They've lost five straight.

On Patriot's Day, April 19th.

Unacceptable.

How embarrassing was this weekend? The Red Sox never had a lead in the series, and after blowing that bases loaded opportunity in the first game on Saturday night, I had a feeling this would be a weekend to forget. (The last time the Red Sox led in any game was the win in Minnesota last Wednesday.) The last three games were blowouts. (Despite the 6-5 score in Game 2, Tampa Bay was comfortably ahead most of the way.)

The Red Sox are now an absymal 0-for-their-last-32 with runners in scoring position.

One thing is for certain: the Sox won't win with Bill Hall playing center field. (Pictured, as B.J. Upton hits a three run home run in the third.) He finally got his first hit of the year, and now he needs just one more to match his error total for 2010.

In the words of Dustin Pedroia (from Amalie Benjamin) after the sweep:
When you don't show up to play, you're going to get beat. Doesn't matter if you play the Rays or [bleepin'] Brookline High School.

Damn straight.

So, is this an aberration, or a portend of things to come?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Gagne's Back!

No, not really. This was actor Jonah Hill throwing out the first ball at Fenway on Sunday. (BTW, is he available to pitch? After what I've seen the last three days, he couldn't be any worse.)

Sorry if I frightened any of you with that title.

With thanks to Sully Baseball for the photo.

On the subject of The Ring Thief, he officially retired yesterday after not making it back with the Dodgers this spring.

Know Your QWERTY

We have an unusual Special Category this week for Tuesday Night Trivia. We will have "Lexigraphic Trivia" and that will be ten symbols of the English language you will have to identify when I give you their names. This should be an interesting category to see how well it goes.

The Q Train lightning round will be "All or Nothing Trivia."

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What one-time Michigan-based record label recently celebrated its' 50th anniversary?

There will be a Celtics playoff game on Tuesday night at 8 PM, but we are planning to start Trivia Night at the regularly scheduled time of 9 PM. So I hope to see many of you on Tuesday.

Hauls of Shame

A new book is coming out shortly called "Hauls of Shame." It deals with the fraud and corruption in the baseball memorabilia business, especially those very rare items that were stolen from the libraries in Boston and New York, and from the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

And a new web site of the same name has been created, that focuses on those stolen items, the FBI's investigations, and many other things connected to the seedier side of the collectibles business in baseball. The site and book are by Pete Nash, who has been front and center in bringing the fraud to the public's attention.

It's definitely worth your time to check out the site: http://haulsofshame.com/index.php

In Plain, Easy-to-Understand Language

The Boston Red Sox look like shit right now.

Sorry. No other way to state it now.

They aren't hitting, they aren't pitching. They aren't catching the ball well. And dropping home games to one of your division rivals isn't helping matters any, and it doesn't matter what the calendar says. They are now 1-5 at home against New York and Tampa Bay.

I'm not going to sum up the latest disastrous team performance on Sunday, other than I thought last Thursday afternoon in Minnesota was bad, but what they did today was in front of their home fans who paid good money to witness it.

The Rays are hungry, no doubt about it. And they are showing why many think they are a playoff team this weekend. They pitch, hit and run very well.

The Red Sox look old, slow, lethargic. Almost like a team playing out the string in late September. They can't buy a hit when it matters. They are digging themselves an early season hole they may have a lot of trouble climbing out of.

Sorry if I sound like one of those fans who thinks the sky is falling, but seeing another embarrassing performance on Sunday really makes me question this team right now. And I don't care if there's 150 games still to play. I pray that the first dozen games are not a portend of things to come. Can the Red Sox turn this around? Of course they can. (They have gotten off to slow starts the last decade, and made the playoffs. So it's far from done.)

It just feels like it's getting late. In the middle of April.

Waste is a Terrible Thing to Mind

Waste, waste, waste.

The Red Sox really seem to know how to do that well. On an awful night in Boston not really fit for man nor beast, they had a golden opportunity to win the completion of the suspended game in the 11th, as they loaded the bases with no outs. (I saw Manny Delcarmen warming for a possible 12th inning, so I thought they BETTER win it here.)

But David Ortiz was coming up. And the bad feelings hit me. Come on, Papi, just a fly ball. Instead, he hit a bouncer to first and a force at home. Then Adrian Beltre grounds into a DP to send it to the 12th. (Extra Bases noted tonight that since Opening Night, the Red Sox have gone 12-for-81 with runners in scoring position, a pitiful .148 average, and they are averaging 3.8 runs per game. They are also winless at home since that night. Yikes.)

The End looms.

MDC gives up a two-run blast to Pat Burrell, a DH who hasn't been hitting his hat size. (Sound familiar?) Say it plain and simple: Delcarmen is a stiff, and maybe playing on another team soon.

It was an historic night, as Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter in Atlanta and the Mets won a 20-inning marathon in St. Louis. But the Red Sox were determined to make my life miserable.

Game 2. Mike Cameron muffs a routine fly to center in the first inning that leads to four unearned runs against Clay Buchholz. Should have been a third out and no runs scoring. They also allowed another unearned run on Marco Scutaro's error. (So where exactly is this World's Greatest Defense we've been assured this team has?) Granted the weather was awful, but the Rays played in it too, and didn't make any miscues.

They looked like Dead Team Walking until a pair of two-run shots in the seventh by Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis made it 6-5, Tampa Bay. But the Red Sox went back to their wasteful ways by getting two men on in the eighth with one out and left them there. They went 1-2-3 in the ninth to conclude it.

End of a truly decrepit night at the Fens. The Sox are 4-7. And the Nation is grumbling.

"Red Sox By The Numbers"

If you are a Red Sox fan who enjoys knowing who wore what number and when, then the book for you is "Red Sox By The Numbers."

The Sox have been wearing uniform numbers since 1931 (so the answer to the question, "What number did Babe Ruth wear with the Red Sox?" is "none.") and the book covers each man who wore a number, and the chapters breaks down by every number.

The book is written by Bill Nowlin and Matthew Silverman. I've had the pleasure of meeting Bill at Fenway Park last year, and he has written many terrific books about the team. 17 to be exact. (He is also a founder of Rounder Records, the great roots label.) Matthew Silverman also wrote the book "Mets By The Numbers."

The research for the book was very thorough, as the authors used many resources to get even the most obscure Red Sox players nailed down. Each chapter has a a section called "the most obscure Red Sox player" to wear that particular number.

The book also has a lot of good humor, and it also lists every player to wear that number, including managers and coaches. And it will have many facts you've probably never known. Such as: "Who were Johnny Peacock and Lou Finney?" They were the two players who wore number 9 in 1944 while Ted Williams was away in World War II. (I'm still amazed the Sox gave away the numbers for players, especially Ted, who away fighting in the war.) Or: "Who wore number 8 before Carl Yastrzemski?" That would be the immortal Ed Sadowski. (Yep, him.)

There's an interesting interview with Joe Cochran, the clubhouse man who gives out the Red Sox numbers. And the authors also chatted with every player from the 2009 Sox about why they wear the numbers they do.

The Sox have issued 74 numbers to over 1,500 players. And just about all of them are covered. Bill Nowlin and Matthew Silverman have done a tremendous job bringing even the most obscure Red Sox players some fame in a very interesting book. (It is currently available. Click the following link to go to amazon.com.)

I highly recommend "Red Sox By The Numbers." I also enjoyed the first line from the press release the publishing company, Skyhorse Publishing, who sent me with the book: "If you hate the Yankees and your favorite number is 2004, then this book is for you!"

It sure was for me.

Continuation

When I was a kid playing punchball and stickball in Brooklyn, we'd play for hours on end, until our parents would call us in for dinner. When we had to stop in the middle of a game, someone would call out, "continuation." We'd get together again and pick it up from where we left off.

It was Mother Nature who called out "continuation" at Fenway Park last night, as the rain came down and wouldn't let up. By the ninth inning the tarp rolled out as the game was tied 1-1, and you knew they wouldn't get it going again.

So they will pick up from where they left off at 7 PM tonight in the bottom of the ninth.

The game really should have ended with a Red Sox win. Red Sox fans now know the name of third base coach Tim Bogar, because for whatever reason, he sent in Kevin Youkilis all the way from first on David Ortiz' double in the fifth with nobody out, and the Rays gunned him down. And naturally, the Red Sox didn't score in that inning.

Their only run of the night was an opposite field home run by Jason Varitek.

Josh Beckett was terrific and deserved a win. He went seven strong innings, struck out eight and was victimized by some shoddy defense that allowed Tampa Bay's only run. A Marco Scutaro error and Adrian Beltre losing a chopper in the lights (you don't see that every night) got them their run in the third.

Last night's suspended game was the first one for the Red Sox since 1996, and the first ever for Tampa Bay. They will try to finish the game tonight before the regularly scheduled one, but the forecast is for even more rain.

Lots of Pain

Physical for Mike Cameron (possible kidney stone), and Jacoby Ellsbury (rib injury); and for David Ortiz (being sued by rapper Jay-Z). The Red Sox may have to make a roster move today, and either Ellsbury or Cameron might be looking at a trip to the DL.

At least Daisuke Matsuzaka is making progress at AAA.

Congratulations to former Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills on his first win as a manager with the Houston Astros. Glad to see a good baseball man like him get his shot as a manager. They are now 1-8. Good luck, Brad.

Josh Beckett vs. Wade Davis at 7:05 PM. Hopefully the weather holds at Fenway.

Think Positive: It Was a 3-3 Road Trip

Well, the best thing that can be said for Thursday afternoon's matinee was that it won't be a game you'll look back on and say the Red Sox should have won.

The Sox threatened in the first two innings against Francisco Liriano and came away with nothing. I had a feeling it was going to be a long day. (Actually the game finished in a little more than 2 1/2 hours.)

Tim Wakefield looked pretty decent for the first four innings before the wheels fell off in the fifth and he allowed three runs, and it was 4-0 Twins.

Red Sox didn't hit, didn't pitch well, and looked sloppy in the field. (Why does Victor Martinez insist on throwing down to second base to try and nail a runner when there is a fast man on third who then practically walked in and scored? He's now done that twice this year.)

A garbage can game for sure, an uninspiring 8-0 loss. Move on. Bring on the Rays.

An Odd Coincidence

I heard last night that Pete Steele, the lead singer of the bands Type O Negative and Carnivore, died of heart failure at the age of 48.

I can't say I ever really been a fan of the bands, or goth rock or hardcore in general. But I was shocked to see he was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 4, 1962.

That's because I was born on the same day in the same place.

My sister remembers he lived in my neighborhood years ago, and that drove a crazy-looking purple and black car. I think would have remembered that, and the fact that he was 6'7'' as well.

No, I can't recall Pete Steele and I meeting. But it would have been something if he and I had crossed paths. We definitely had something in common.

He also once turned up on "The Jerry Springer Show" back in the mid-1990s on a show about groupies:



I close this post with a quote from Mr. Steele from his Wikipedia page, on his recent return to his Roman Catholic roots:

“There are no atheists in foxholes, they say, and I was a foxhole atheist for a long time. But after going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly, it made me realize my mortality. And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what’s after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it’s a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can’t believe that people like Stalin and Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa.”

My sympathies to his family, friends and fans.

Park Talks About The Runs (And It Has Nothing To Do With His ERA)

This is destined to be a YouTube classic, courtesy of Chan Ho Park:



Brought back memories of Eddie Lee "Trots" Whitson, who once begged out of a game at the Toilet (pun intended) years ago because of some tummy trouble.

First Sox Win Outdoors in MN in 29 Years

John Lackey went six solid innings, allowing just two runs in getting his first win in a Red Sox uniform, as the Sox rolled, 6-3. It was their first outdoor win in the state of Minnesota since 1981.

Jeremy Hermida had the key hit, a three-run double with two outs in the eighth that put the game away at 6-2. (Daniel Bard gave up a homer to Michael Cuddyer leading off the bottom of the eighth.) Jonathan Papelbon walked two in the ninth and made it interesting, but got his third save.

Dustin Pedroia belted his fourth home run of the year. Permit me a rant here, if you don't mind. As Pedroia was running around the bases, the knucklehead fan who caught it threw it back on the field, to the brief applause of the Twins faithful.

Do any of these fans have any sense of history? It was just the second home run hit at the new Target Field, and the first opposition blast. I know it's become chic to throw back when an enemy hits one out (thankfully, you can't do that at Fenway, as you will be ejected from America's Most Beloved Ballpark if you do it). It was also the first opposition one hit. I'm not thinking about money here, but it is something you can show to the grandkids one day: "I caught the second home run hit at Target Field. Here's the ball." No, that guys would rather get some cheap applause that lasted just fleeting seconds. You can thank those Cubs fans for starting that moronic trend.

It also reminds me of that fan who threw back Grady Sizemore's grand slam at the opener of the new Yankee Stadium last year. First granny at the new joint and the guy didn't want it. Dumbass.

I've been going to games for over 40 years, and I've never gotten a ball, fair or foul. Before I die, I want one, and it won't matter who hits it.

Rant over. Thank you for your indulgence.

The Red Sox are now 4-4, and complete their series and road trip Thursday at Target Field, with Tim Wakefield and his dancing knucklers taking center stage.

Big Man With A Heart of Gold

David Ortiz may have gotten off to a rough start this season, and let off steam recently to an assemblage of sportswriters with lots of colorful language.

But despite the pressure on him to produce, he is still a gentle soul, as this story sent in by a Red Sox fan to writer Pete Abraham can attest to. The fan met Papi in Kansas City after a game with his young daughter.

It's definitely worth reading, from the Extra Bases Blog.

And interesting take on Papi's early season struggles, from Alex Speier.

Trivia Q&A: April 13

We had a big crowd in for Trivia on Tuesday night, and 18 teams took part. The crowds are definitely increasing as the weather gets better, and hopefully it's a sign of things to come. (Nice to see my old friend Keith and a few of his pals in last night. The rotating phone numbers as the team name was really funny.)

The scores for the night overall were rather good. Our second edition of "Q Tip Trivia" went really well. I had to explain the rules many times, but I think overall the players enjoyed the category. It is now a rotating category that will be back in May. We actually had a small controversy in the category, too. It was pointed out to me that the Bee Gees had recorded "If I Can't Have You," which they turned over to Yvonne Elliman to sing on "Saturday Night Fever." We originally had them as no, but made the change when one of our regulars had the song on his iPod.

It was a close night all night, and it was exceptionally close going into IQ Trivia, with three teams tied for second, all one point behind the leaders. But the team in first, The Death Panelists, got 4 of 5 correct to hold one for a one point victory. It was their first time taking part in Tuesday Night Trivia, and congratulations to them on their win.

Current Events
1. Malcolm McLaren, the famous English impresario who founded and managed this legendary English punk band of the 1970s, died last week at the age of 64.
2. This former presidential candidate was chosen by the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in a vote last Saturday as their favorite for the 2012 presidential election and won by a single vote.
3. British Airways merged with this European-based airline last week to create the third largest airline in the world by revenue.
4. Dixie Carter, an Emmy-nominated actress best known for her role on this 1980s/90s CBS series, died last week at the age of 70.
5. This golfer won The Masters at Augusta this past Sunday, his third Masters title and fourth majors title of his career.
6. The former home of this NFL team was imploded this past Sunday, and the fans held tailgate parties near the stadium to mark the event.
7. Actor Dick Van Dyke did some rapping on the latest online album, a children's album, with Chad Smith, the drummer from this rock band.

Answers: 1. The Sex Pistols; 2. Mitt Romney; 3. Iberia; 4. "Designing Women;" 5. Phil Mickelson; 6. Dallas Cowboys; 7. Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Pop Music Q Tip Trivia
1. Which of the following one-initialed 80s singers had a Billboard #1 single? a. Stevie B; b. Heavy D; c. Sheila E; d. Kenny G.
2. Which of the following are brothers of Michael Jackson? a. Brandon; b. Randy; c. Rebbie; d. Marcus.
3. Which of the following were original names that became The Beatles? a. The Quarrymen; b. The Crickets; c. Johnny and the Moondogs; d. The Silver Beatles.
4. Which of the following musical acts appeared at Woodstock? a. Neil Diamond; b. The Who; c. Sha Na Na; d. Sly and The Family Stone.
5. Which of the following are rap songs from '80s? a. Roxanne, Roxanne; b. Roxanne's Revenge; c. Roxanne's Doctor; d. The Parents of Roxanne.
6. Which of the following songs were recorded by The Bee Gees? a. To Love Somebody; b. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing; c. New York Mining Disaster 1941; d. If I Can't Have You.
7. Which of the following artists sang on the original "We Are The World" single? a. Chevy Chase; b. Bonnie Raitt; c. Peter Wolf; d. Diana Ross.

Answers: 1. none; 2. a, b; 3. a,c,d; 4. b,c,d; 5. all; 6. a,c,d; 7. d.

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Leonardo daVinci's "Mona Lisa" painting has no eyebrows or eyelashes.
2. If a cockroach's head has been cut off, it can still live for about a week.
3. Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded on charges of witchcraft.
4. A toilet seat has more germs than a car steering wheel.
5. Lansing is the capital of Michigan.
6. Sapphire is the birthstone for September.
7. The actor George Burns lived to the age of 100.
8. St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, was actually born in Ireland.
9. The Lumbar Curve is located in the leg of the human body.
10. Harper Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Answers: 1. true; 2. true; 3. false, adultery; 4. false; 5. true; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, Britain; 9. false, back; 10. true.

General Knowledge
1. What planet is called Earth's "sister planet?" ( 1 pt)
2. In which state is the NCAA basketball runners-up, Butler University, located? ( 1 pt)
3. Which word, placed at the end of each of these words describes a popular game: duck, candle, five, ten? ( 1 pt)
4. The island nation of Mauritius can be found in what ocean? ( 2 pt)
5. Pleurisy is a disease that affects what organ in the body? ( 2 pt)
6. Who wrote the opera "Don Giovanni?" ( 2 pt)
7. In the game of billiards, what color is the number 5 ball? ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. Venus; 2. Indiana; 3. pin; 4. Indian Ocean; 5. lungs; 6. W.A. Mozart; 7. orange.

IQ Trivia
1. The Luzon Strait separates The Philippines from what other nation? ( 4 points)
2. What two airlines flew the Concorde from 1976-2003? ( 4 points)
3. Divers can get the bends due to bubbles from what type of gas? ( 3 points)
4. Who was the first US president who was born an American citizen and the only president whose second language was English? ( 4 points)
5. The Leatherstocking Tales were a series of novels by what 19th century author? ( 5 points)

Answers: 1. Taiwan; 2. British Airways and Air France; 3. nitrogen; 4. Martin Van Buren; 5. James Fenimore Cooper.

Couldn't Spoil The Party

The Minnesota Twins opened their brand new stadium yesterday, Target Field, and it looks like a beauty. (Hey, Minneapolis, can we get the Vikings a new ballpark, too? That's a discussion for another time.) And they celebrated it with a 5-2 win over the Red Sox. (It was also the first time the Red Sox opened any brand new ballpark since 1923, when they opened Toilet Bowl Uno.)

Jon Lester gave another subpar performance, and looked like the young rookie who always seemed to give the Sox a 5 inning, 100-pitch game. And yesterday it was 107 in five innings. He gave up two in the first and left the bases loaded, and gave up four of the five runs. He simply had no command, and seemed to go to three balls on most hitters.

The Red Sox could manage only one run off Carl Pavano in the six innings he pitched. Back-to-back doubles by Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz in the fourth inning put the Sox on the board. But it was another forgettable day for Papi, as he struck out two more times.

Dustin Pedroia's sacrifice fly in the eighth accounted for the other Red Sox run.

Jacoby Ellsbury sat out with the rib injury. He is questionable for tomorrow's afternoon game, and may even sit out the entire series. Jeremy Hermida played left field yesterday in his place.

CHB Tosses Papi Under The Bus. What a Shock.

Dan Shaughnessy thinks that David Ortiz is the biggest problem with the Red Sox. My friend Adam thinks otherwise, and sent me a very good analysis last night of the first week of Sox games so far:

No surprise here, I tend to disagree with CHB. Ortiz is hardly the Sox' biggest problem right now.

Looking at this team, the biggest problem is the bullpen. The Sox seemingly have little depth in their pen. I don't care whether or not Paps is as good as Rivera because the closer role is overrated. Having a dominant 60-70 IP is pretty meaningless unless the rest of the pen--the pitchers who throw the other 350+ relief innings--are good at their jobs.

Papelbon is a very good relief pitcher. Bard has a great arm. Oki is a good, not great, reliever. After that, the Sox have lots of questions. MDC's velocity is down. If he can return to his 2007/2008 form, the Sox are in good shape because MDC is a righty who is very tough on left-handed hitters. The bottom three pitchers in the pen--Ramirez, Atchison, and Schoeneweis--are nothing special. Even worse, Boston's pen lacks pitchers capable of consistently throwing multiple innings. This is very important. The MFY have at least three long relievers: Aceves, Mitre, and Park.

The lack of length and depth in the Sox' bullpen will have to be addressed. If it isn't, Sox fans better hope the starters go deep in games on a regular basis and/or the offense pounds other teams. Unless the Sox' pen improves or the FO makes a move, there will be a lot of pressure on the starters and the offense.

But, let's get back to CHB, a writer who has a singular inability to analyze baseball. While Shaughnessy has a rudimentary understanding of the game, he is very good at tearing down star players and making dire predictions. (Remember when Beckett wouldn't be re-signed?) The Sox have played 7 games and the season is 8 days old. While it's true Ortiz has struggled so far (.436 OPS), he isn't the only one. JD Drew (.536 OPS) and VMart (.650 OPS) haven't done much offensively so far. One could argue that both of these players are more important to the Sox' offense than Ortiz.

I'd prefer that the Sox started the season 7-0 and that the pitching and offense were flawless. Still, it's way too early to panic. CHB disagrees:

For starters, let's dismiss the notion that it's unfair to question Ortiz' place in the lineup after only one week. This is not a five-game sample, folks. It's a three-year trend.

By a "three-year trend," I'm assuming CHB really means the last two seasons and the first week of this season because Ortiz's best year was 2007. Considering the fact that Ortiz was hurt in 2008 and started slowly in 2009 because of the injury, panicking after Papi's bad first 6 games is dumb. In 2008, despite a wrist injury, Ortiz hit .264 AVG/.369 OBP/.507 SLG (.877 OPS) in 109 games. Ortiz hit .264 AVG/.356 OBP/.548 SLG (.904 OPS) in 104 games after June 1st last year. Anyone see a trend?

According to CHB, the Ortiz problem, coupled with the loss of Bay and Francona's loyalty to his veteran players is a huge problem for the Sox. CHB notes: "Tito stayed with Mike Timlin and Jason Varitek long after they stopped contributing and it's not going to be easy to tell Ortiz to sit." This is just stupid.

First, Timlin's results were good in 2007. He wasn't good in 2008. However, he was OK from July 5th to August 29th, a 17-game stretch where he gave up 6 ER in 20 IP (2.70 ERA). A review of the game logs indicates that Timlin was only used in two non-garbage-time situations. Both times he pitched well, earning a win in a 12-inning game and pitching a scoreless 8th inning in a 2-1 loss. Timlin only appeared in 6 games after August 29, 2008, mostly in low-leverage situations. And he only pitched 2.2 post-season innings. By the end of the season Mike Timlin was the 6th option out of the pen, after MDC, Paps, Oki, J-Lo, and Masterson. Does CHB even watch the games?

As for Tek, I have been very critical of the decision to keep him around. But that's Theo's fault, not Tito's. Francona's other options at catcher since 2006, when Tek started sucking, were Mirabelli, the other Javy Lopez, Kevin Cash, and George Kottaras. Is it any wonder why Tek got lots of playing time? Someone should explain to CHB the difference between a manager's job and that of a GM. Once the Sox obtained VMart, Tek's days as a starter were over.

Finally, and just for the sake of argument, let's look at Jason Bay so far this year. In his first 6 games for the Mets, he has hit .261 AVG/.370 OBP/.391 SLG (.762 OPS). Those aren't exactly stellar numbers, especially when you consider the fact that Bay has 0 HR and 2 fewer RBI (a stat that CHB thinks is important) than David Ortiz.

"I don't want David looking over his shoulder a game and a half into the season,'' the manager said after Ortiz's outburst with the media during the Yankee series. "I want him to walk up there and feel comfortable ... He's done a lot of good things here and I think he thinks some people bailed on him last year. Being reactionary isn't my job.''

It's strange that CHB uses this quote from Tito because the Sox' manager is 100% right. CHB disagrees:

It's time to react. Mike Lowell and Jeremy Hermida are on the Boston bench, waiting for a chance to hit.

Since CHB bases his decisions on small sample sizes and Hermida has been better than Ortiz so far this season, let's compare the two players since the beginning of the 2008 season:

Hermida – .255 AVG/.335 OBP/.403 SLG (.738 OPS) 30.16 AB/HR
Ortiz – .248 AVG/.346 OBP/.478 SLG (.824 OPS) 19.04 AB/HR

Hermida isn't better. Also, playing Hermida at DH weakens the Sox' OF depth. If there's an in-game injury, Hall would have to play the OF. If Hermida move from DH to OF, the pitcher would have to hit. The Lowell argument has some merit, when you consider how well he hits left-handed pitching. So a platoon situation may be necessary in the future. But it's way too early to sit Ortiz--especially since the stats show that Ortiz has been a far better hitter than Mike Lowell over long stretches of 2008 and 2009. Even if a Lowell/Ortiz platoon becomes necessary, Papi will get the bulk of the playing time.

As usual, CHB offers little in the way of analysis. This is his usual knee-jerk bullshit. CHB lives to trash Boston icons. Ortiz isn't a "big" problem. If he sucks, he'll be replaced. Ortiz's contract ends after this season.

Hot and Cold

Hot. That describes Dustin Pedroia, who hit his third home run of the young season, and in the exact same fashion: an inside fastball that he hit down the left field line. He went 4-for-5 in the Red Sox' 8-6 win over Kansas City yesterday.

Another big day for Victor Martinez, who had two hits, drove in a run and scored one. Jeremy Hermida has his second straight start (in place of J. D. Drew) and had a two-run single in the first, when the Sox put up four runs.

It was a mediocre start for Clay Buchholz, who labored through five innings, allowing three runs. The bullpen was good with the exception of Ramon Ramirez, who faced three batters in the eighth and they all scored, on a three-run shot by Jose Guillen. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save. The Red Sox are now 3-3 in 2010.

Cold. That describes David Ortiz, who struck out four times (and walked) in five at-bats yesterday. He is now 2-for-18 and 9 Ks in this first week. He was called out looking twice yesterday, but both were dubious calls.

Jacoby Ellsbury collided with Adrian Beltre going after a foul ball in the ninth and left the game with bruised ribs. He will probably sit out today's game in Minnesota and will get another day off on Tuesday, as the Sox and Twins have a day off, with both teams opening Target Field today at 4 PM. Jon Lester and former Yankeeography star Carl Pavano take the mound.

The Q Tip Returns

This Tuesday night, we will have another round of "Q Tip Trivia." That is the one where you will be given seven questions, and you have to decide which of the four choices of answers is correct. It could be one, two, three, four or none correct. You will get a point for each correct answer, but if you give any incorrect answers, it will negate all right answers and you'll get no points for the question. This time it will be "Pop Music Q Tip Trivia," seven questions about the wonderful world of pop music. We had a good response to the inaugural "Q Tip Trivia" last month, and hopefully for this one, too.

The Q Train lightning round will be "True or False Trivia."

The Sneak Peek for this week is:
What planet is called Earth's "sister planet?"

We will get rolling at 9 PM, and I again thank all of you who turned out last Thursday for that special night of Trivia. See you all on Tuesday night.

Whole Lotta Dong Going On

The Red Sox pulled out the whoopin' sticks last night, and on a night when three of the regulars were sitting. And one of the "irregulars" banged out two of the five hit last night: Jason Varitek.

It was Tek's first start, the day before his 38th birthday, catching Josh Beckett. On his second at-bat, he took Zach Greinke (yes, the Cy Young winner last year) deep on a curve ball, after Greinke had left a hanger to Jeremy Hermida (his first start, too), who hit a bomb to right for his first Red Sox home run.

Kansas City opened the game with a run off Beckett in the first, and the Sox started hitting homers in the fourth. They added two more in the seventh, and Kevin Youkilis hitting the third solo shot of the game in the eighth. The Royals answered back with two in the seventh, with one that really shouldn't have scored. (And a single that nearly took Beckett's head off.) Home plate ump Gary Darling, who has a strike zone the size of a postage stamp, squeezed Beckett on a called third strike that should have ended the inning. Both pitchers were being squeezed last night, and Darling is Example #1 of why baseball games take so long. (Are you listening Joe West?)

Varitek and Dustin Pedroia iced the game in the ninth with two more homers to make it an 8-3 final. Beckett went seven, allowed three runs and struck out four in getting his first win of the year.

Clay Buchholz takes the hill for the first time this season to close the series in Kansas City today.

I Hope Sammy Puts a Curse On Sterling For This

An absolute new low in Yankee broadcasting was reached last Wednesday night when Curtis Granderson hit his game-winning home run, John Sterling broke into an impromptu (or did he plan it?) version of "The Candy Man." Here's a cool mashup of Sterling and the legendary Sammy Davis, Jr.:



With thanks to my friend Chris for pointing it out to me and the web site It is High, It is Far, It is Caught . I never thought I'd write this (or even think it), but Sterling actually makes me miss Phil Rizzuto.

Lowell Calling It Quits?

A report on NESN.com today says that Mike Lowell will call it a career after the 2010 season is over.

Amalie Benjamin reported today on Twitter:

Lowell said today that he will almost certainly be done with baseball at the end of his deal, which would make this his final season.

It must be very frustrating for Lowell, who is currently occupying a seat on the Red Sox bench. I thought he'd get into last night's game after David Ortiz got tossed in the sixth inning, but Terry Francona sent in Jeremy Hermida instead (who got his first hit of the year). Tito did say that Lowell would play in one of the games in Kansas City this weekend.

No matter how it turns out, Lowell has always handled himself with nothing but total professionalism. He's won two World Series, a Gold Glove, a World Series MVP, and the total respect of Red Sox fans everywhere.

I've Seen This Act Before

Tim Wakefield needs just 17 wins to tie the immortal Cy Young and the Texas Con Man for the record for wins in a Red Sox career with 192. And tonight it looked like he took a step toward that goal with seven solid innings, allowing just two solo homers to the Kansas City Royals.

But the bullpen, which has been a horror movie so far (9 walks in 13+ innings), gave up two runs in the eighth to give Kansas City a 4-3 comeback win. Tonight's culprits were Hideki Okajima and Daniel Bard, with Bard taking the loss. They aren't inspiring a lot of confidence right now.

KC? Come on. Wake deserved so much better, and he can't afford to get no-decisions against rotten teams like this, especially after pitching so well.

Wakefield also became the oldest pitcher ever to start a game in Red Sox history, at the age of 43 years and 250 days, breaking David Wells' record set in 2006.

It was also a night of blowing opportunities to score runs and add to the lead, as the Sox had the bases loaded on walks in the seventh, and two on in the eighth and came away with nothing.

J.D. Drew hit a two-run home run in the three-run fourth. Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits, but David Ortiz was tossed out in the sixth on a very questionable third strike call.

I know, I know. It's just four games. They won't be two under .500 for very long.

Trivia Q&A: April 8

I had no idea what to expect for our special night of Trivia on Thursday night. Changing days can be rather problematic, as many people who know about our Trivia Night change can't make it, and with just a few minutes before our start time, the bar was far from crowded. But I was really pleased to see so many of the regulars come in, and we had 13 teams in total. Once again, I thank you so much for your loyalty and altering your schedules to come out.

We had a good reaction to the Special Category of "Baseball Movie Lines Trivia", with the seven answers already given and you had to match them up. We will definitely be bringing back that format in the future. The scores were strong throughout the night, and they were especially big for the Q Train lightning round. We had three teams separated by only two points as we went into IQ Trivia, and the team in second place, Tom Watson Can Still Work On His One-Wood, was one of two teams to get all five correct and wound up winning by seven points. Nice job by Matt and his team getting back to the winner's circle.

We return to our regular night of Trivia next Tuesday night, April 13th, at 9 PM.

Current Events
1. Jerald TerHorst, the press secretary for this US president, who famously resigned in protest after his boss made an extremely controversial decision that may have cost him his presidency, died last week at the age of 92.
2. Which two R&B legends were inducted into Apollo Theater's Hall of Fame last week?
3. What 1993 Oscar-winning actress admitted she was a bisexual last week, and caused a gay rights organization's web site that she supports to crash?
4. The Boston Phoenix named this controversial athlete "The Unsexiest Man of the Year," beating out such men as John Mayer and John Edwards.
5. This rock legend canceled the remainder of his Asian tour after Chinese officials banned two concerts he planned to have in Beijing and Shanghai.
6. President Obama threw out the first ball at the Phillies-Nationals game last Monday, but surprised everyone by putting on the hat of this MLB team, one he has been a longtime fan of.
7. 25 miners were killed earlier this week when an explosion occurred in a mine in this eastern state, the worst mining tragedy in over 25 years.

Answers: 1. Gerald Ford; 2. Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin; 3. Anna Paquin; 4. Tiger Woods; 5. Bob Dylan; 6. Chicago White Sox; 7. West Virginia.

Baseball Movie Lines Trivia
1. "Just a bit outside. Tried the corner and missed."
2. "Say it ain't so, Joe."
3. "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
4. "Is this Heaven?" "No, it's Iowa."
5. "From here on in, I rag nobody."
6. "I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your Christmas presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."
7. "Pick me out a winner, Bobby."

Answers: 1. Major League; 2. Eight Men Out; 3. Pride of the Yankees; 4. Field of Dreams; 5. Bang the Drum Slowly; 6. Bull Durham; 7. The Natural.

1-10 Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. In American football, this many points are scored when the ball crosses the goal line via run or pass after a team scores a touchdown.
2. The famous 1954 film by Akira Kurosawa had this number of samurai in the title.
3. October is this number month of the year.
4. The Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell wore this number.
5. An ABC show from the 1970s was called "what number is enough?"
6. The President's plane has the number in its title.
7. In hockey, a regulation game consists of this number of periods.
8. In baseball, the second baseman is represented by this number.
9. The Olympic Games symbol has this number of interlocking rings.
10. The square root of this number is 3.

Answers: 1. two; 2. seven; 3. ten; 4. six; 5. eight; 6. one; 7. three; 8. four; 9. five; 10. nine.

General Knowledge
1. "Mork and Mindy," which starred Robin Williams, was a spinoff of what hit show? ( 1 pt)
2. What symbol will you get when you press "shift" and "8" on a standard keyboard? (1 pt)
3. What early US president appears on the $2 bill? ( 1 pt)
4. Jazz great Dave Brubeck plays what musical instrument? ( 2 pt)
5. What New Yorker was Walter Mondale's vice-presidential running mate in his failed 1984 bid for the White House? ( 2 pt)
6. Basketball great Julius Erving had a cameo appearance in what Tom Hanks film? ( 2 pt)
7. What fruit did Andy Warhol design for the cover of the rock album "The Velvet Underground and Nico?" ( 3 pt)

Answers: 1. "Happy Days;" 2. asterisk; 3. Thomas Jefferson; 4. piano; 5. Geraldine Ferraro; 6. "Philadelphia;" 7. banana.

IQ Trivia
1. What historical event was led from 1483-1498 by Tomas de Torquemada? ( 3 points)
2. Klondike is the specific name for the most popular form of what card game? ( 4 points)
3. Who was the only US president to appoint more than one Chief Justice to the Supreme Court? ( 4 points)
4. What 19th century US senator had his US citizenship restored by President Jimmy Carter in 1978? ( 5 points)
5. The Painted Lady, Blue Morpho and Mallow Skipper are all types of what? ( 4 points)

Answers: 1. The Spanish Inquisition; 2. solitaire; 3. George Washington; 4. Jefferson Davis; 5. butterflies.

Look In The Mirror, Joe (If You Can Find One Big Enough)

Before yesterday's Red Sox-Yankees game, umpire Joe West lashed out at the games the Sox and Yankees play, saying they were "a disgrace to baseball" and "pathetic and embarrassing" because they take so long to play.

Boy, a guy from his profession calling anyone "pathetic and embarrassing." Now that's pathetic.

The state of umpiring in MLB is an outright disaster. There are too many umps who have no business being in the majors. It's the worst I've ever seen it in all of my time as a baseball fan. Sure, the Sox and Yankees play long games. They take a lot of pitches, there's tons of pitching changes, etc. There always seems to be a lot on the line no matter when these two teams take the field.

Did you see Angel Hernandez, who is the worst umpire I've ever seen and shouldn't even be umping Little League games, not grant a number of players on both teams time last night at Fenway? It's MLB's way of speeding up games. Another joke. MLB could easily speed up games by calling higher strikes, if most of these pathetic umps had any clue what the real strike zone looked like. Call higher strikes, players will know they can't take those pitches, and the games will move quicker.

And MLB allows the TV networks too much in-between innings, especially during the playoffs. Why do you think most postseason games run nearly four hours, even if it's not a Red Sox-Yankees game?

West has his nerve. Too many umps have hidden agendas, huge egos and are just outright incompetent. Get some better umpires, especially those who know the strike zone, and the games will move along better. And of course, you can't criticize them if you are associated with an MLB team, otherwise you'll be fined. But West can say what he likes. What's wrong with this picture?

Yep, you can rip the President of the United States, but say something negative about Joe West and the Incompetent Boys in Blue, and your wallet will feel it.

Never Should Have Gone to Extra Innings

See what happens when you waste opportunities early? Two on, none out in the first, Red Sox don't score. Two on in the second, they don't score. They are hitting under .200 so far through the first three games with runners in scoring position.

I knew it would come back to bite them. They lose two of three to New York in the first of the latest War to End All Wars.

John Lackey was terrific. Six shutout innings. But Daniel Bard throws an 0-2 fastball over the plate to Nick Swisher for a single and New York ties it. Ungood. (The Sox pitching has allowed 17 walks in the three games to New York. VERY ungood.)

They do nothing tonight against newest Yankeeography subject Chan Ho Park, and Jonathan Papelbon loses it by throwing a meatball that Curtis Granderson kills.

David Ortiz drove in the lone Red Sox run with an RBI single in the third. He also struck out twice, once against Park. The pressure on him is going to continue to mount unless he really steps up and starts to look something like the Papi of recent vintage. You may have heard he gave reporters a piece of his mind on Tuesday night. It went something like this:

"You guys wait 'til s**t happens, then you can talk s**t. Two f*****g games, and already you a******s are going crazy. What's up with that, man? A******s. 160 games left. That's a crock of s**t. One of you f*****s got to go ahead and hit for me."

I understand Papi's frustration with these reporters, some of which I consider lower than pond scum. But saying something like this is almost a declaration of war to these guys.

I sure hope Papi gets it rolling, otherwise they'll have their knives out waiting for him.

And I can hear the birdbrains on sportsradio (actually I can't because I avoid it as it's a haven for imbeciles) wanting the Sox to dump Ortiz, Papelbon, Drew and Ellsbury. Do yourself a favor and find something more constructive to do on the off day tomorrow.

Now on to Kansas City. 159 more games to go.

There Goes The Undefeated Season

Tough loss to New York on Tuesday night (which postponed my Trivia Night to Thursday this week, thanks ESPN). Jon Lester didn't look sharp, going five innings and allowing four runs.

Victor Martinez hit a bomb to right center off A.J. Burnett (who wasn't sharp either) that made it 3-1, but New York answered with three to take the lead. The Red Sox tied it and it turned into the battle of the pens.

Looked like the Red Sox were getting out of the eighth unscathed, but Marco Scutaro hurried a throw to first that bounced to Kevin Youkilis and allowed the inning to continue. I fear he some rash fans have put Marco deep in the doghouse already. (Give him a chance, guys.) Hideki Okajima walked Nick Johnson with the bases full to give the Yankees the lead. (Why does it seem like everyone's afraid to pitch to this guy?)

David Ortiz took the collar again and is now 0-for-7 to begin the season. And you know what that means. Calls in some circles to pinch-hit or even bench him for Mike Lowell are rising. Papi needed a good start, and this certainly doesn't help his cause.

And speaking of Mr. Lowell, my buddy Jere took some video of his intro on Sunday night, and he tipped his hat to the crowd as they gave him a terrific welcome to 2010. Sox fans never cease to make me proud:



Rubber game of the series with New York tonight as John Lackey makes his Red Sox debut.

To Celebrate This New Baseball Season

Trivia Night is on a special Thursday night this week, due to the Red Sox games with the Yankees this week. So, to mark the beginning of the new season that started this past Sunday night, we will have "Baseball Movie Lines Trivia." I will give you the names of the seven films involved beforehand, and you have to match up the film with the famous line in question. So brush up on your baseball films!

The Q Train lightning round will be "1-10 Trivia." Every answer in that round will be a number between 1 and 10, with no numbers repeating themselves.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What early US president appears on the $2 bill?

We will get going at 9 PM. I really appreciate all of you who enjoy our Trivia Night and readjust your schedules and come out on the nights we are forced to move our Trivia. We will return to Tuesday night next week, April 13th, at 9 PM.

I look forward to seeing all of you Thursday night!

Serves Him Right

Apple released its iPad yesterday to the world, and I had a feeling a certain person would be the first in line at the store in midtown Manhattan.

But as it turns out, the infamous publicity hound, Greg Packer, got bumped out of the first position because he didn't reserve a copy ahead of time, and a guy from Germany went ahead of him. Packer had been in line since last Thursday, and wasn't happy about getting bounced back. He was first in line when the iPhone went on sale a few years back, and of course, made a big deal about it. He is such a media whore that the Associated Press has even gone as far as told their reporters NOT to quote him any more at any event he turns up at. (There wasn't a real need for anyone to stand in line for the iPad, as all you had to do is pre-order it and go pick it up or have it delivered to you.)

I've talked about Packer before on this blog. He's the guy who tries to be first at everything, just so he talk to reporters and get his name in the papers. In the previous link, I talked about how this guy, a Yankee fan, posed as a Red Sox fan at the Riviera Cafe at the start of Game 4 of the 2004 World Series so he could get on TV, and I saw him again at Professor Thom's during the Red Sox games in Japan in March 2008. Haven't seen him at anything else connected to the Red Sox.

He's even gone as far as to claim his wife lost a friend at the World Trade Center in 2001 so he could get into the 9/11 remembrances at Ground Zero. Packer really angered my friend who is the head of the WTC group I belong to by pulling such crap. He was also first in line when the viewing platform to the site opened in December 2001. The guy does anything for publicity, and using the World Trade Center disaster for it is really sick.

Well, Apple turned the tables on Mr. Publicity Whore. Good for them.

Trivia Night Reminder

To all the Tuesday Night Trivia players:

Just a reminder that our Trivia Night is being moved to Thursday, April 8th at 9 PM, due to the Red Sox-Yankees game tomorrow night. We're expecting a big crowd at Thom's for it, so Trivia has to be moved because of the game.

The Sneak Peek will be posted on my blog on Wednesday morning.

We will be returning to Tuesday night, next week, April 13th at 9 PM.

See you Thursday night!

So Good

Here's Neil Diamond doing "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park last night:

Beckett's In For Four More

Josh Beckett didn't have a good night at Fenway last night, but today is a much better day, as he and the Red Sox agreed to a four-year, $68 million deal. It will be announced at a press conference this afternoon. More from on the deal from Extra Bases.

One less free agent for the Red Sox to worry about next winter.

And boy, what a rock solid rotation they have through 2014: Beckett, Lester, Lackey and Buchholz...

Red Sox Win the First Game of the '10s

There are simply fewer things in this life I enjoy more than watching the Red Sox come from four runs down to win, especially when it happens in the home opener, in a new decade, against the New York Yankees.

And I'm there in person to witness it.

I attended my first opener at Fenway Park and I simply had a blast. I went up with the BLOHARDS on their famous Opening Day bus trip and it was great. (My thanks to Ray Duffy for coordinating a great time for all of us who were able to sacrifice our Easter Sunday to go.) We got to Fenway shortly before 7 PM, and the crowd was already large in number. There was a good number of Yankee fans where I was, in section 4 in the grandstand. I turned to one of my friends sitting next to me when a number of them came in and said, "I can smell the obnoxiousness in the air." Fortunately, the crowd was generally pretty well-behaved. There was some back and forth needling and a few rowdies were tossed out, but nothing of any sheer violence occurred.

Mike Lowell got one of the loudest ovations in the player intros, and tipped his cap to the crowd. Very classy. Pedro Martinez came in from the scoreboard to throw out the first ball, and Fenway gave him a thunderous ovation. Pedro was ever the showman and played up to the crowd, who was enjoying it as well. The Opening Night ceremonies were very well done, with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith sang "God Bless America" at the seventh inning stretch, and in a real surprise, Neil Diamond popped on to the field after the top of the eighth to do a rendition of "Sweet Caroline." The crowd was charged up both times, especially seeing Mr. Diamond. (He was wearing a jacket with the words "Keep the Dodgers In Brooklyn" on the back. I guess that was his tribute to his home NYC borough, which also happens to be mine.) The night's festivities had all the earmarks of the handiwork of Dr. Charles Steinberg, the former Red Sox head of PR. Could he be returning?)

As for the game, it looked like a night when Josh Beckett didn't have it and the Sox could do little with C.C. Sabathia. But fortunately, that was just for the first four innings. After Beckett left, Scott Schoeneweis made his Red Sox debut and I felt doom was coming. But he made a good accounting of himself, as did the entire bullpen (with the exception of Ramon Ramirez), allowing just two runs after Beckett allowed five.

Sabathia began to tire in the fifth, as the Sox got to him for a second run, and then two in the sixth. Once the game was finally tied at 5-5, it turned into a battle of attrition, with New York scoring two and then the Sox matched it to make it 7-7, on Dustin Pedroia's two-run blast to left. And the Sox grabbed the lead for the first time on a passed ball on Jorge Posada that scored Kevin Youkilis. Some valuable insurance was added in the eighth when the Sox tacked on another run on the overrated and overexposed Joba Chamberlain to make it 9-7. (That was sweet.)

Jonathan Papelbon looked strong in the ninth, allowing just one hit in getting save number one. It was night I didn't think early on we'd be hearing "Dirty Water" as the game concluded. But it was good to get the first win, especially considering who was in the enemy dugout.

And there was one other special guest last night, one five-year-old Joshua Sacco, who became a YouTube star earlier this year doing the Herb Brooks speech from the film, "Miracle." But last night it was the Red Sox he was urging home to victory. Nice job young man:

Happy Easter/Opening Day (Night)

First off, a very Happy Easter to all of you out there. Hope all of you enjoy the day.

I will be spending my very first Easter Sunday in Fenway Park, as the Red Sox open up the 2010 season and play the very first game of the '10s against Those Guys Just to the South of New England. (Or is it "teens?" We have to make a decision about this.)

It will be my first opener at Fenway, and my fifth Opening Day game I've been to. I've been to two openers at Shea Stadium, in 1969 and 1987. (Mets lost in 1969 and won in 1987.) And yes, I saw the 1986 World Series championship banner raised live and in person. Talk about mixed emotions.

I've been to two Yankee Stadium openers in my life, in 1992, with New York against the Red Sox and 2003 against the Twins. The Red Sox lost (and finished last that season, and God-willing, for the last time) and New York won in 2003. I remember that day well not for Hideki Matsui's grand slam in his first MLB game, but for how bloody cold it was that day. It never got above 39 degrees, and it's the only baseball game I have ever worn a parka to.

Thankfully, it will be in the 70s in Boston in Sunday.

I will be going up to Boston with the BLOHARDS, the group of loyal New York-based Red Sox fans, of which I am proud to call myself one. I'll be going up on their famous Opening Day bus trip. I was supposed to go up last year, but the rainout on Opening Day canceled it for me, and I had to my Trivia Night the next day. I'm glad I'm getting the opportunity this year.

I'll have a full report on the game on Monday. I won't be home until after 5 AM, as thanks to MLB and their ever-increasing need for greed, ESPN is showing the opener at 8 PM on Sunday.

A blessed Easter to all of you.

Wear Blue

It's a special day today. It is World Autism Awareness Day, a day when we focus on those who have been affected by this disease, and those who support and love them. Two of my nephews, Matt and Joe, are affected by it. They are wonderful kids.

This is also Autism Awareness Month. Hopefully one day in my lifetime, we will find a cure for this disorder.

So in support of them, please wear blue. Any kind of blue will do. Thank you so much.

The 2010 Opening Day Roster

It now appears that the Red Sox roster for Sunday's opener is now set, as Scott Atchison and Scott Schoeneweis have both claimed the last bullpen slots over Joe Nelson and Alan Embree.

So here it is, courtesy of Extra Bases:

LINEUP: Jacoby Ellsbury LF; Dustin Pedroia 2B; Victor Martinez C; Kevin Youkilis 1B; David Ortiz DH; J.D. Drew RF; Adrian Beltre 3B; Mike Cameron CF; Marco Scutaro SS.

BENCH: Jason Varitek C; Jeremy Hermida LF, RF; Bill Hall 3B, 2B, SS, RF, LF; Mike Lowell 3B, 1B.

ROTATION: RHP Josh Beckett; LHP Jon Lester; RHP John Lackey; RHP Tim Wakefield; RHP Clay Buchholz.

BULLPEN: RHP Jonathan Papelbon; RHP Daniel Bard; LHP Hideki Okajima; RHP Ramon Ramirez; RHP Manny Delcarmen; RHP Scott Atchison; LHP Scott Schoeneweis.

DISABLED LIST: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (back); RHP Boof Bonser (groin); INF Jed Lowrie (illness); RHP Junichi Tazawa (elbow).

A Great Sunday Doubleheader This Weekend

The good folks at Celebrity Marketing and NetRaffle.org have a great promotion that I thought I'd bring to your attention.

A cool raffle is happening this weekend for Boston fans to two great games. One will be a raffle of two Loge section seats in Section 24 at Fenway Park for this Sunday's opener with the New York Yankees, with the game time at 8:05 PM. (I'll be at the game, so you might get the chance to meet me, too!)

And the second part of the raffle will be for two Courtside seats, in the third row from the floor, to the Celtics-Cavaliers game, also this Sunday at TD Garden, which tips off at 1 PM.

The raffle benefits the Celtics Foundation and Fisher House, which does a lot of work for the benefit of our veterans. The raffle tickets are $2 each, with a minimum of five tickets. If you'd like more information or would like to get raffle tickets, please follow this link: https://www.celebritiesforcharity.org/raffles/celtics_doubleheader.cfm

Reason #6541 Why I Hate Sportswriters

Today was one of those rare days when I actually looked at a New York newspaper, and it just happened to be the day the New York Daily News had their 2010 baseball preview.

I was actually surprised that three of their writers are picking the Red Sox to win the World Series this year. But they also had them picking things like who will win the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in both leagues.

Two of them picked Stephen Strasburg, three picked Jason Hayward and two picked Dexter Fowler of Colorado to win the Rookie of the Year in the National League. There's only one problem with that. Fowler is NOT a rookie: he batted .266 last year in 135 games, and finished eighth in the voting for the 2009 Rookie of the Year award.

I love these writers who don't do their homework. The writers are Anthony McCarron and Roger Rubin. They should be ashamed of themselves, as well as who ever edits this baseball edition, for not catching it. Not one, but two of them made that mistake. Unbelievable, and very shoddy.

Just another reason why I don't bother with the New York tabloids anymore.

I Wouldn't Bet On Any Standing Ovations

Julio Lugo looks like he's making the tour, as the Cardinals traded him to the Baltimore Orioles today for a bag of used balls, er, a player to be named later.

I would bet the only fans who be rising when he makes his first at-bat back at Fenway this year will be the ones who'll be heading for the bathrooms.

The Red Sox also put Boof Bonser on the disabled list to begin the season with a groin injury and Jed Lowrie, who if he had any worse luck he'd be dead by now, also on the DL with mononucleosis. Junichi Tazawa needs Tommy John surgery and is done for 2010, and will have it next week.

Also, reports have it that the Red Sox and Josh Beckett are closing in on a four-year, $68 million deal, and it maybe announced as soon as Monday.

BTW, is Beckett's agent, Michael Moye, the same Michael Moye who created "Married With Children?" Found nothing about it on the creator's Wikipedia page...