Fight Cancer & Win a Cool Jersey

My friend Ian O'Malley, who is a popular disc jockey on radio station Q104.3 here in New York City, informed me of a cool auction now going on at eBay.

The auction is a "Team Staal" jersey from the NHL All-Star Game from earlier this year, and it is autographed by every player who was part of the game. The proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the "Hockey Fights Cancer" program run by the league.

Not only does the winner get this cool keepsake, but will also receive four tickets to any NHL game for next season (in any US team's market).

The auction is currently happening at eBay, and the highest bid as I write this is nearly $1,000. If you would like to check out the jersey and place a bid on this one-of-a-kind item, go here. It is all part of Ian's 10-week cancer research charity campaign.

The auction concludes on April 20th, so you have six days to make a bid, and do a nice thing to help those who are battling cancer.

Good or Bad Thing? You Tell Me.

Tiger Blood himself thinks things will be fine with the Red Sox:

"I'd tell everybody to shut up, that they'll bounce back. It's a long season and there's a ton of talent there and a really bitchin' hitter's park they play in. Relax."

When the Red Sox are back in first, Charlie, the drinks are on me.

Time to Get Up, Go To My Window, Open It, Stick My Head Out...

I think I speak for every Boston Red Sox fan when I say: I'm sick and tired of watching bad baseball.

When the score became 3-1 Tampa Bay in the fifth, I turned to my friend Jim and said, "It feels more like 13-1 right now." He agreed with me. It just felt like the game was lost at that point. And as it turned out, it was.

After 11 games, the Red Sox now own baseball's worst record.

Embarrassing. Pathetic. And totally unacceptable.

Jon Lester pitched well enough to win. And naturally, almost no one showed up to support him.

Take a good long look in the mirror, boys. You have no one to blame but yourselves for the mess you're in right now. You can't play the injury card on this one. You are embarrassing your loyalest fans with this display of rotten baseball.

Ignore the press clippings. You have a lot to a prove, guys. A LOT.

Granted, there's not a lot the front office or Terry Francona can do now. They won't and shouldn't make panic moves. But it is totally in the players' hands to right this ship.

And now the only thing that stands between a Tampa Bay Rays sweep at Fenway on Wednesday is John Lackey.

God help us all.

I'm going to bed. I've done enough ranting for one night.

Trivia Q&A: April 12

We had another huge crowd turn out for Trivia Night, with 24 teams taking part. It rained a good part of the night, but it sure didn't keep the crowds away.

We had some strong scores for General Knowledge, but they were just so-so for Civil War Trivia and Who's Older Trivia. It was very close going into IQ Trivia, with two teams tied heading in. The questions were tougher than usual for the round, but three teams managed to get at least 3 correct. And one of them was The John Wilkes Booth (an appropriate name for Civil War Trivia), who managed to enter the Winner's Circle with a four point victory and 41 points. Nice job, guys.

Second place went to Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead! Good Riddance Cathie Black! and third place went to The Next Round Is On The House with 34 points.

Best Team Name: I'm Not a Street Hooker, I'm a Roadside Massage Therapist

An important message about next week: the Boston Celtics will be playing a playoff series next week and the NBA has not announced the playoff schedule yet. There is a possibility that there will be a game next Tuesday night. If there is one scheduled that night, we will NOT be doing Trivia Night next Tuesday. We will have it Monday night at 9 PM should that happen. If there is no playoff game scheduled for Tuesday, Trivia will go on as scheduled that night. Please stay tuned to this blog for more details when they become available. The NBA season ends on Wednesday, so the playoff schedule should be made public by Thursday.

Current Events
1. What TV host lost a bet with Jimmy Fallon that Fallon couldn't raise more than $25,000 for charity, and was forced to sing Rebecca Black's "Friday" on his show?
2. In the latest survey by the blog Journalistics, which US newspaper is the only one with more than one million followers on Twitter?
3. What famous independent politician recently said he would consider a return to politics and be Ron Paul's running mate should he run for president?
4. What country has banned movies and TV shows about time travel, calling them "disrespectful to history"?
5. The President and First Lady of what Central American country divorced last week so that she could run for president after her husband steps down later this year?
6. Manny Ramirez failed a second drug test, it was announced last Friday, and he opted to retire rather than serve a 100-game ban. What AL team did he play five games in 2011 when he quit?
7. Sidney Lumet, who directed over 50 films in a distinguished career, died last Saturday at age of 86. He never won an Oscar, but was nominated four times for Best Director. Name 2 of the 4 films.

Civil War Trivia
1. The Civil War began 150 years ago today when Fort Sumter, located in what city's harbor, was fired upon by Confederate forces?
2. What 1862 Civil War battle featured over 23,000 casualties in one day, the single deadliest day in American history?
3. Over 12,000 Union soldiers died in the prisoner of war camp at Andersonville Prison. What southern state was Andersonville located in?
4. What number amendment ended slavery when it became law in 1865?
5. What was the first capital of the Confederacy, before Richmond, VA?
6. What city was the site of the famous Draft Riots of 1863?
7. The Battle of Little Round Top was fought at what famous Civil War battle site?

Who's Older Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Oprah Winfrey or Whoopi Goldberg?
2. David Letterman or Jay Leno?
3. Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter?
4. Stephen King or John Grisham?
5. Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro?
6. Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger?
7. George W, Bush or Bill Clinton?
8. Jay Z or P. Diddy?
9. Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears?
10. Madonna or Sharon Stone?

General Knowledge
1. What actor portrayed Cliff Huxtable on TV? ( 1 pt)
2. How many centimeters are in one meter? ( 1 pt)
3. What country in the world has the most nuclear reactors? ( 1 pt)
4. On what day of the week did Christopher Columbus discover the island of Dominica? ( 2 pt)
5. Lake Titicaca is located on the border of Peru and what other country? ( 2 pt)
6. What singer had her first Top 10 hit in eight years in 2011 with the single "On The Floor?" ( 2 pt)
7. Gort is the name of the robot from what classic science fiction film? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Nine of the ten top producing coal mines in the US are located in what western state? ( 4 points)
2. "Operation Overlord" was the code name for what famous battle attack? ( 3 points)
3. What Paul McCartney song was the all-time best single in UK history when it was released in 1977, but barely made a dent on the US charts? ( 4 points)
4. "The Cod Wars" was a series of confrontations in the 1950s and 1970s involving the UK and what other country over fishing rights? ( 4 points)
5. What singer and movie star of the 1930s, 40s and 50s is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? ( 5 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Stephen Colbert; 2. New York Times; 3. Jesse Ventura; 4. China; 5. Guatemala; 6. Tampa Bay Rays; 7. "12 Angry Men;" "Dog Day Afternoon;" "Network;" "The Verdict."

Civil War Trivia
1. Charleston, SC; 2. Battle of Antietam; 3. Georgia; 4. thirteenth; 5. Montgomery, AL; 6. New York City; 7. Gettysburg.

Who's Older Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. Oprah Winfrey; 2. David Letterman; 3. Derek Jeter; 4. Stephen King; 5. Al Pacino; 6. Paul McCartney; 7. George W. Bush; 8. P. Diddy; 9. Christina Aguilera; 10. Sharon Stone.

General Knowledge
1. Bill Cosby; 2. one hundred; 3. United States; 4. Sunday; 5. Bolivia; 6. Jennifer Lopez; 7. "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

IQ Trivia
1. Wyoming; 2. D-Day Invasion of Normandy; 3. "Mull of Kintyre;" 4. Iceland; 5. Gene Autry.

Take My Fifth Starter. Please.

Right now, I'd trade Daisuke Matsuzaka for a used ball bag and a few broken bats.

And I'd consider it an upgrade.

The team with the worst offense in baseball after nine games, the Tampa Bay Rays, gets healthy in a hurry against the onetime phenom, nailing him for seven runs in the first two innings. As the great Warner Wolf used to say, "You could turn your sets off there." I'm sure many did.

16-5. Totally embarrassing, in a season that has had too many embarrassments already.

Why do I have the feeling the Red Sox now have TWO starting pitchers they are stuck with and couldn't give away at a yard sale?

2-8 now. It's getting late awfully early in Boston.

Playoff Teams That Started April Slowly

My friend Adam sent me a good email today about good MLB teams that started slowly to begin a season that actually finished strong and made the playoffs in the last decade. Check this out:

The two teams that swept the Sox to start the season--Texas and Cleveland--are a combined 15-3. Maybe those teams are just hot right now. Also, the Sox may be 2-7, but they're only 4 games out of 1st place (with 153 games to go). Some teams start slowly. Here's a list of AL teams since 2001 that have started slowly and made the playoffs:

2009 Angels – April record 9-12; final record 97-65
2007 MFY – April record 9-14; final record 94-68
2006 Twins – April record 9-15; final record 96-66
2005 MFY – April record 10-14; final record 96-67 (they were even 8-11 against TB, the last-place team)
2002 A’s – 25-28 after May; final record 103-59
2002 Angels – 11-14 after April; final record 99-63

2001 A’s – April record 8-17; final record 102-60

Here's the Red Sox' remaining games in April: 3 v. TB; 4 v. Toronto; 2 @ Oakland; 4 @ LA; 3 @ Baltimore; 2 v. Seattle. The Sox should be around .500--give or take a game or two--by the end of the month.

My friend Chris Jaffe at The Hardball Times has an interesting article today on his site about a number of anniversaries happening today, including the 50th anniversary of the debut of Carl Yastrzemski.

And a Happy 39th birthday to another Red Sox Captain, Jason Varitek, as well.

Chris also has another good article about the rise of retired numbers. Definitely worth a read.

Sesquicentennial Trivia On Tuesday

The Special Category for this week's Trivia Night is "Civil War Trivia." This Tuesday marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the war with the firing on Fort Sumter (pictured). So we will do seven questions connected to one of the worst calamities in our country's history.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Who's Older Trivia," the category we didn't do last week because of the late start. I will give you two celebrities (most of whom are connected in some way) and you tell which one has been on this planet longer.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What actor portrayed Cliff Huxtable on TV?

We will get rolling at 9 PM this week, and we will only have a Red Sox game on (against the Rays), but no Celtics game like last week. We shouldn't be delayed again, and I hope to see many of you on Tuesday night.

Buzzsawed

Nice to see the Josh Beckett of the 2007 postseason pitching Sunday night, and he held New York to just 2 hits and no runs over eight innings. He retired the last 14 New York hitters, and brought back pleasant memories of both the 2003 and 2007 playoffs.

Always nice to take a series off the Yankees, especially when Joba Chamberlain proves to be the scrub pitcher he really is and gives up key runs.

The Sox left runners absolutely everywhere and continue to struggle to get the big hit, but you can just sense an offensive bust-out is about to happen throughout this lineup.

Now if we can get more performances like Beckett's tonight on a consistent basis, this opening week horror show of a losing streak will be a distant memory.

I like the fact the Red Sox locked up Clay Buchholz earlier today to a four-year deal worth a total of $29.7 million. Despite the slow start, he is one of the AL's best pitchers and in the long run this will prove to be a wise move.

Saw this commercial with Alec Baldwin for New Era tonight for the first time. Pretty cool actually, but I do have one question.

Who exactly is John Krasinski? He looks familiar to me. (My friend Ken informs me he is on the TV show "The Office." Don't really watch that show, and I know I'm one of the few folks who doesn't.)

Pitch Better

Another ugly Red Sox loss on Saturday, and thankfully, another one I did not witness.

I went to the Statue of Liberty with my British friends, sightseeing once again. (Boy, the security to get on the boat is enormous, like going through airport security. Did everything but take off my shoes. It had been nearly 20 years since I saw the great statue up close.) So I am glad I was once again away from my TV set, and checked the cell all game.

The news was rotten most of the day. The Sox pitching continues to be atrocious, and they gave up four New York home runs, and lead the AL with 19 allowed. They have had one terrific start (Jon Lester's last Thursday), and seven that have left a whole lot to be desired. The starters team ERA is now over 9.00 not counting Lester's gem. Stinko.

1-7 now, and I saw a great stat the other day. With all the worrying about the team's putrid beginning of 2011, a friend of mine pointed out that the 2001 Oakland A's began that year 2-10, and finished the season at 102-60, winning the Wild Card. (They settled for the Wild Card because the Seattle Mariners won an AL record 116 games that year. A record that will forever be a footnote, as they lost to New York in the ALCS that year.)

Sure it's a rotten way to begin a campaign, but don't listen to the so-called experts who talk incessantly about "how no team has ever won a World Series starting off 0-6." That's because the overwhelming number of teams beginning that way were putrid teams. This Sox team is many things, but certainly not putrid. Do you really think either Baltimore or Toronto will have a better record than the Sox in September? New York is really the only team in the AL East the Red Sox will be challenged by this year, and they haven't put up any kind of insurmountable lead.

Just pitch better, baby.

So Long, Manny

I was surprised. And I wasn't surprised.

I heard the other day that Manny Ramirez had a "personal issue" to deal with and miss the Rays game in Chicago on Thursday. And as I was checking the scores on my cell on Friday afternoon and the Red Sox were about to clinch their first win of 2011, I saw a blurb that said that Manny was retiring, because of a "drug issue."

Yes, Manny failed yet another drug test, and he was going to have to serve a 100-game suspension, due to fact he got nailed on one in 2009.

So the best way for Manny to avoid it was to hang it up. (Should he ever try a comeback, Ramirez would have to serve the 100-game suspension first. So I have to believe this is it for him.)

Over the next few days, there will be a plethora of articles about Manny, everything from his great accomplishments, crazy excesses to the real lowlights of what should have been a stellar career.

For me, I'll remember him being an integral part of the 2004 season and two Red Sox championships. High-fiving the fan in Baltimore. Carrying an American flag on the field at Fenway with him when he became an American citizen in 2004. Disappearing into the Green Monster and almost missing a pitch. Cutting off a Johnny Damon relay throw in the outfield in 2004. The great catch in Yankee Stadium in 2004, stealing a homer from Miguel Cairo, and the look on Cairo's face after he did it. The way he and David Ortiz terrorized Yankee pitching during the two championship years. Hitting a bomb off Francisco Rodriguez to win Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS. Hitting the first pitch he saw in a Sox uniform in 2001 at Fenway for a home run.

He leaves with an incredibly mixed legacy. Picking a fight with Kevin Youkilis in the dugout one night, and with the team traveling secretary over tickets. Deliberately striking out against Mariano Rivera in a critical game against New York. The many times he never hustled.

I can't help but think Manny has totally blown what should have been a Hall of Fame career with these two failed drug tests. But I wonder if the Hall of Fame really means anything to him.

Whatever. He's still One of The 25.

Thanks for 2004, Manny. And 2007.

And ten million other memories.

Undefeated At Home

Never has a "W" looked so good in April. Great to hear the crowd was fully behind the Sox during pregame introductions. (As if there was really any doubt about that.)

Here's a streak to be proud of: The Red Sox have now won seven straight home openers.

So now is there any way we can get John Lackey off this team?

1-6. Now sweep the bastards.

From The Sage Second Baseman

Dustin Pedroia:

"It'll be good to have someone cheering for us for a change. You're either two feet in now or you're two feet out. Let us know now, because we're coming."

The Mighty Dustin always makes me feel better.

The Red Sox made some bullpen changes, as they brought up Felix Doubront and Alfredo Aceves today, and put Matt Albers on the disabled list and designated Dennys Reyes for assignment.

Yep, hitting two batters and walking another in the same inning is a sure sign your walking papers are not far behind.

I Wanted To Jump

OK, let me get the facts straight.

The Boston Red Sox were just swept by the awful Cleveland Indians, the finale in a game that was their best pitched game so far. But the offense didn't show up yet again, and they managed just four hits against a pitcher that gave up TEN runs on Opening Day in less than four innings. And they couldn't score a single run against this guy?

0-6. Good God. It's now the worst start since World War II. They managed just five runs in three games against one of the AL's weaker pitching staffs. They are hitting .181 for the season.

I was with some British friends today, on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building when I got the news of loss number six. I thought that jumping could end a lot of misery right now.

This is simply beyond embarrassing now. The albatross gets bigger, the awful start becomes more and more of a story, and now New York comes to town, and who do they face first? John Lackey.

I'm heading back to the Empire State Building.

Another lackluster effort tomorrow like the three we saw in Cleveland, and you may see something you don't see often at Fenway: the home side getting roundly booed, whether they deserve it or not.

I really pray that scenario doesn't happen.

My friend Don, a devoted Sox fan from Canada, wrote this on Facebook after the Texas sweep:

Bill Lee was on the radio Friday night saying that he had spent a couple of weeks around the Red Sox camp in Florida and felt that too many of the players were more interested in the tee times than in preparing for the season. He didn't have a lot of good things to say about Papelbon either. Maybe they shouldn't have been reading the press clippings.

Didn't think much of it at the time, but now it makes me wonder.

It Hasn't Killed Us, So We Must Be Stronger

In the immortal words of one Archie Bunker, "Patience is a virgin."

And my patience is being sorely tested right now.

0-5. Dropping series to lowly also-rans like the Cleveland Indians at ANY time of year is galling, but doing it when your win column still says zero really makes me want to puke.

File this under "Keeping the Troops' Morale Up":

With the poor Sox hitting lately, my friend Adam pointed this out to me today. The 2003 Red Sox, the best offensive Red Sox team in our lifetime, was shut out 5 times, held to 1 run 12 times, and were held to 2 runs 12 times, and still managed to score 961 runs. They also made some lousy pitchers such as Brett Myers, Doug Davis, John Thomson, Rodrigo Lopez, and Victor Zambrano look like Cy Young. They also lost 5 straight in one stretch; 4 straight in another, and had more than one 3-game losing streak and still managed 95 wins. And missed the World Series by just one stupid managerial decision.

We got a long road to haul guys. Hell, we can still go 157-5.

But stay away from bridges and sharp objects for the time being.

Sorry Colonel, I'm Strapped

Got this in my email this morning. Guess who's asking me for money? (BTW, didn't I hear Pineapple Face has like $30 billion hidden away somewhere? And he's asking ME to help him get $98 million?)


I'm Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the embattled Libyan President. Due to the inspired revolts in my country which led to the intervention of the International community on the 18th of March 2011, I have decided to proceed on political exile. Thus, I have a very desperate need for your assistance to help me receive the sum of US$98,000,000 to enable me leave the country immediately. Please respond ASAP for details. Email: presm.gaddafi@yahoo.com.hk

Yours Sincerely, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi

Spring Training's Over, Guys

0-4. First time since 1996. (I'm seeing that awful year more and more lately with regard to the Red Sox. That has to stop.)

It's one thing to lose a series to a team flying the "2010 American League Champions" banner. It's another to lose to the Immortal Josh Tomlin, and the Cleveland Indians, who won't be flying a championship banner over Jacobs Field (I still call it that) after this season.

Next to nobody witnessed last night's win, 3-1, by the Tribe. (It sure reminded me of the bad old days during the Mistake By The Lake years.) I'm glad my Trivia Night kept me away from watching most of it. Josh Beckett wasn't awful, but he wasn't great either, going five innings, throwing 108 pitches on a cold night.

Four bloody hits as well. I'll take the optimistic route and say that someone shortly will get the wrath of the Red Sox lineup.

And hopefully quite soon.

Like starting tonight, maybe?

Trivia Q&A: April 5

We had one of the biggest crowds of the year on Tuesday night, as there was both a Red Sox and Celtics game on. (And the Sox melted against the Immortal Josh Tomlin. More on that in the next post.) 22 teams came in, and because of the crowd size, we had to wait until about 9:30 PM to start, so we bumped The Q Train for this week, but it should return next week.

Nice to see old friends Andrea, Chris and Dave back for Trivia Night. Haven't seen either in a very long time. Informed everyone of Chris Wertz' departure from Thom's at the start of the night. Many already knew, and he would have been proud of the smattering of applause he received.

The scores on General Knowledge were a little bit lower, as I did include a few tougher questions in there. (The high score was 9, as I can't remember the last time the high score was below double figures.)

But we did have two perfect scores in IQ Trivia, and one of them, the team of Schiff Is The Pitcher came from third place to win by three points with 38. Second place went to If The Balls Don't Shrink, You Must Acquit, with third place to We'd Like "Good Luck, Emily" for 1600, Alex.

Best Team Name: My Girlfriend's a Midget, and I'm Nuts Over Her

Current Events
1. What famous music legend settled his recent legal troubles by pleading guilty to a charge of marijuana possession by paying a fine and agreeing to play a song in court?
2. What onetime sports star tried to fool everyone connected to a celebrity boxing match he was part of last week by sending his twin brother in his place, but the difference in their tattoos gave it away?
3. What western state executed a man last week by lethal injection after he was convicted of murdering two people in a convenience store in 1989?
4. MLB last week opened "The MLB Fan Cave" with two fans watching every MLB game in 2011 there and getting paid to do it. On the site of what onetime legendary NYC music store is the MLB Fan Cave located?
5. What pop/rock star suddenly canceled publication of his memoirs that was scheduled to be published in June after he completed writing them?
6. What US state is considering lowering the drinking age for US troops to 18?
7. What longtime TV actress will host a reality show on NBC next season featuring hidden cameras that shows senior citizens pulling pranks on younger people?

MLB Trivia
1. What MLB team plays its home games at Citizens Bank Park? a. Philadelphia Phillies; b. Pittsburgh Pirates; c. San Francisco Giants; d. Cleveland Indians.
2. Which NL team has won the most World Series, with 10 total? a. Los Angeles Dodgers; b. San Francisco Giants; c. St. Louis Cardinals; d. Cincinnati Reds.
3. What MLB player's jersey was the number one seller overall in 2010? a. Albert Pujols; b. David Ortiz; c. Joe Mauer; d. Derek Jeter.
4. What MLB player won a record 12 batting titles? a. Ty Cobb; b. Ted Williams; c. Tony Gwynn; d. Pete Rose.
5. Which team has gone the longest without winning the World Series? a. Cleveland Indians; b. Chicago Cubs; c. Chicago White Sox; d. Houston Astros.
6. Number one on a baseball diamond represents what position? a. pitcher; b. catcher; c. first base; d. left field.
7. Vin Scully is a legendary broadcaster for what MLB team? a. New York Yankees; b. Boston Red Sox; c. Los Angeles Dodgers; d. San Francisco Giants.

General Knowledge
1. What legendary rock band featured Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir as members? ( 1 pt)
2. What US state is called The Volunteer State? ( 1 pt)
3. In the film "2001: A Space Odyssey," the astronauts and the murderous computer HAL 9000 are on a mission to what planet? ( 1 pt)
4. Po is the longest river in what European country? ( 2 pt)
5. Which US president had a seven-seat hot tub installed on the White House lawn? ( 2 pt)
6. What is the largest city in population in the world that ends with the letter "I"? ( 2 pt)
7. Dragoon, Tumbler and Antwerp are all types of what? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Butler University is located in what major midwestern US city? ( 4 points)
2. In 1997, who was the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize? ( 4 points)
3. What actress accepted a Razzie Award for Worst Actress in 2005 while clutching her previously won Best Actress Oscar? ( 3 points)
4. In the 19th century, who was the last member of the House of Representatives elected President of the United States? ( 5 points)
5. What 20th century toy is based on a weapon used by 16th century Filipino hunters? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Willie Nelson; 2. Jose Canseco; 3. Arizona; 4. Tower Records; 5. Billy Joel; 6. Alaska; 7. Betty White.

MLB Trivia
1. a; 2. c; 3. d; 4. a; 5. b; 6. a; 7. c.

General Knowledge
1. The Grateful Dead; 2. Tennessee; 3. Jupiter; 4. Italy; 5. Bill Clinton; 6. Shanghai; 7. pigeons.

IQ Trivia
1. Indianapolis; 2. Wynton Marsalis; 3. Halle Berry; 4. James Garfield; 5. yo-yo.

The Governor Has Left The Building

My buddy and Governor of Red Sox Nation for New York State, Chris Wertz, has officially left Professor Thom's to pursue other goals in his life, as of last Friday.

I'm going to miss him on Trivia Nights and during Red Sox games at Thom's, as Chris always made them more special.

Chris, who is still governor, talked about his departure on his blog today.

Your Lt. Governor will still be the Tuesday Night Trivia Maven.

Good luck, Chris.

America's Grand Old Game Featured This Week

This Tuesday night, we will feature as our Special Category, "Baseball Trivia," seven questions about America's Pastime in honor of the start of the 2011 season this past weekend. And for those of you not big baseball fans, the questions will all be multiple choice.

The Q Train lightning round will be "Who's Older Trivia." I will give you two current celebrities (many of whom are connected in some way) and you will tell me which one is the older of the two.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"What legendary rock band featured Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir as members?"

We will get going at 9 PM on Tuesday night. I will have two special friends of mine from England, who are on vacation here in New York, with me as my assistants this week, and I hope you will make them feel at home at Thom's on Tuesday. There will also be the first Red Sox game of 2011 on the screens as well, but we should get going at the regular time. I hope to see many of you tomorrow night.

We've Been In 0-3 Holes Before

I'll do my best to forget this lost weekend in Texas.

Before I do:

9 home runs allowed by Red Sox starters (4 by Clay Buchholz in Sunday's 5-1 loss), 11 homers by the staff, almost no clutch hitting, Jonathan Papelbon up to his old tricks in the 8th, allowing a run and loading the bases with no outs before striking out the side.

Take nothing away from the Texas Rangers. They outscored the Sox, 26-11, and outplayed them in all facets of the game all weekend and lived up to their defending American League Champions title.

We've been in 0-3 holes before as you know. (Last time in the regular season: 1996. Postseason: 2004.)

Hopefully the Red Sox show up in Cleveland against the Indians on Tuesday night.

They sure as hell didn't in Arlington this past weekend.

Strange Logic

Mohammed Al-Fayed, owner of Fulham of the English Premiership League, has erected a statue of Michael Jackson at Craven Cottage in London, Fulham's home park.

Jackson was buddies with the owner, and attended one match there in 1999.

That was his complete resume with the team. Nothing else. Didn't own the team. Wasn't any type of benefactor. Nothing.

So, let's build a statue for him. And Al-Fayed's not happy with Fulham fans who are critical of it. Here's the story from The New York Times.

By that logic, shouldn't George Steinbrenner have erected a statue of Richard Nixon in front of Yankee Stadium?

Stealing The Red Sox Money

No, I'm not talking about Ben Affleck and his cohorts did in "The Town."

Tonight's start by John Lackey: 3 2/3 innings, nine earned runs. Can't describe Lackey's Red Sox career so far any better than the title of this post.

0-2. And another crappy start to begin 2011. (I'm not worried about Jon Lester. April is never his month. He'll be fine.)

I'd really like to know what Terry Francona was thinking making this stiff the number two starter. I don't mean to second-guess Tito (actually I am), but isn't Clay Buchholz higher on the depth chart right now than Lackey?

The Red Sox are stuck with Lackey for this year and three more seasons, through 2014. (He's bringing back bad memories of Matt Clement.)

And Lackey's next start: the home opener against New York next Friday.

Wonderful.

Today Is World Autism Awareness Day

April is Autism Awareness Month, and today is World Autism Awareness Day.

I have two beautiful nephews, Joe and Matt, who are afflicted with this condition.

Wear blue today in honor of those who afflicted and those who care for them.

The Empire State Building and many other buildings will be lit up with blue to show their support.

Here's more from Autism Speaks.

There Goes Another Undefeated Season

Well, Jon Lester always does start out slow.

I caught the first three inning of yesterday's 2011 opener in Texas with my compadres at Professor Thom's before having to go to work last night, and followed the rest on my cell phone. I saw the best of the Red Sox before I left.

Adrian Gonzalez had two hits and three RBI in his two at-bats. And for those of you who had him in the "Who Will Steal the First Red Sox Base of 2011" pool, you won. (And it was his first theft since April 2009, and second in his career). But it was a forgettable start for Carl Crawford, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, and left runners in scoring position each time.

Lester was staked to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but gave up a home run to Ian Kinsler, the first batter he faced, and I had a feeling it wouldn't be his day. He gave up three home runs in 5 1/3 innings, the first time he has ever given up three in a game. He walked one and didn't strike out a batter. April has never been Lester's month in his career so far.

David Ortiz hit a home run in the eighth to tie the game at 5, but Daniel Bard got torched in the bottom of the inning, giving up a cheap RBI double to David Murphy, and back-to-back RBI doubles to Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton. That made it the final, 9-5.

It was the first time the Red Sox have lost their opener since 2007. And I think we all know how that season finished.

Lou Gorman: 1929-2011

My deepest sympathies to family and friends of Lou Gorman, the former Red Sox general manager who passed away today at the age of 82.

He will long be remembered as the architect of the team that came within one out of the World Series championship in 1986. He had previously worked with the Mets, Orioles, Royals and Mariners before becoming Red Sox as GM in 1984, a post he held until 1993, when he was succeeded by Dan Duquette.

He was also a gentleman, and was a beloved figure around the Red Sox long after he left as GM.

On a personal note, I had the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Gorman by phone a few years ago in an interview about his book "One Pitch From Glory: A Decade of Running the Red Sox." He was a very amiable man to talk with. But boy was he animated when I brought up the Jeff Bagwell trade! He laid out in vivid detail why he made it, and would do it again. (BTW, the book is very good, and he has some eye-opening things to say about the 1986 World Series loss. Definitely pick it up if you get the chance.)

Thanks for the memories, Mr. Gorman.

Everyone Has Hope Today

It's Opening Day today, ladies and gentlemen. Hope you all enjoy the day. I'll stop in at Professor Thom's with my Red Sox friends to usher in the 2011 season. Unfortunately, I have to leave after the first three innings or so, as I have a background acting gig in a movie tonight in Times Square.

Thankfully, I'll have my cell phone to follow the conclusion of the Red Sox game in Texas.

Let's do it!

Old Hoss Wishes You a Happy Opening Day

My buddy Pete Nash has a great retrospective of Opening Day pictures, including a great one of Old Hoss Radbourn flipping the bird to the camera (top row, far left) on Opening Day, 1886.

Check it out at Deadspin.

Bill Madden is a Big Fat Idiot

Most baseball pundits are picking the Red Sox in 2011 to win the World Series, AL Pennant or AL East (or some combination of the three). I am as optimistic as just about any of them.

But of course, you'll always have your doubters, and in that category is one Bill Madden of the New York Daily News. (I also realized I hadn't added anyone to my "Big Fat Idiot" series in nearly two years. Welcome to the club, Billy.)

I have never been a fan of this writer. He's been a professional Red Sox basher since the 1980s. He's gone out of his way to rip the club, whether they have deserved it or not. And for some reason beyond my comprehension, they actually inducted this guy into the Hall of Fame last year in the writer's wing. (Wonder who he paid off to make that happen?)

But Madden has taken his Sox bashing to a new level this spring.

He is actually picking the Red Sox to finish third in the AL East, behind even Tampa Bay.

Yes, the Tampa Bay Rays, who got slaughtered in the free agent market last year, losing Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and their whole bullpen, and were forced to trade Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, and they will finish ahead of the Red Sox, according to this guy.

Madden has the Red Sox winning just 88 games, and that's one game less than they won in their injury-riddled 2010 season. (Most pundits have the Red Sox in the 95-102 games won area.)

So let me get this straight, Billy boy. The Sox add Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Bobby Jenks and Dan Wheeler, and get back Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury from a year lost to injuries, and they will win one less game?

What the hell has Madden been smoking? Nothing probably. He just likes going against the Red Sox. I don't say that every New York sportswriter is biased against the Red Sox, but Madden has shown over the years he has no use for the team. For whatever reason.

So, you want a good laugh? Read this.

I can't wait to see the Red Sox stick it to this asshole come October.

Your 2011 Opening Day Lineup

For tomorrow afternoon at Texas. Courtesy of Extra Bases:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Carl Crawford LF
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
David Ortiz DH
Mike Cameron RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
Marco Scutaro SS
Jon Lester P

J.D. Drew sits with C.J. Wilson on the mound, as he is particularly tough on lefties.

Lineup's still pretty damned good.

My Old Stomping Grounds Is Now...

The home of the MLB Fan Cave.

The former site of Tower Records Greenwich Village on the corner of East 4th Street and Broadway is now the new home of the "MLB Fan Cave."

You may have heard that two people would be picked to watch every single MLB game in 2011 (2,430 in all plus the playoffs), and be paid to do it, too. It's called "MLB Dreamjob." I had more than a few people encouraging me to enter it, but I would have to give up my Trivia Night and background acting jobs in order to do it, so I passed.

Mike O'Hara and Ryan Wagner were selected, and will be watching the games on 15 TVs at the former Tower store. It will include a pool table, bar, '50s diner, memorabilia museum, fantasy baseball counter, and pitch-speed tester.

Well, at least they are putting the old Tower site to good use. I'll have to stop by and check it out.

That location is also where I watched Dave Henderson hit the home run in the 9th inning of Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS, and it's also where I was when the Red Sox took a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series two weeks later. (Sure doesn't seem like 25 years ago.)

Good luck, gentlemen.

As The Bell Is About To Ring For 2011

My friend Adam, who I have quoted many times on this blog, sent me his thoughts on the Red Sox for 2011 today, and I thought I'd pass them along to you.

I still see the AL East as a close three-team race. A lot will depend on injuries.

The Sox look good on paper. But they still have question marks (all teams do). Here are a few:

(1) Boston's line-up is overwhelmingly left-handed. While this is not generally a problem (most pitchers are right-handed), the AL East is home to some of the better lefties in the AL: Cash Cow, Price, Romero, Cecil, and Matusz. Also, it makes the Sox susceptible to left-handed relief match-ups in big spots.

(2) The rotation. This has been mentioned before, but a lot will depend on how well Beckett and Lackey bounce back. Lester is legit and I don't see Dice-K as a problem. While Buchholz is good, I don't expect his results to be as good as they were in 2010. If all goes well, the Sox could have one of the top rotations in baseball. Even if Beckett and Lackey struggle, Boston's rotation should still be good--but maybe not as good as the other AL contenders' rotations.

(3) The bullpen. They look good on paper. But bullpens are tough to predict. How good are Paps, Jenks, and Wheeler? Wheeler is a pretty extreme fly ball pitcher. How well will he do at Fenway? Jenks had good secondary numbers last year. He was hurt by BABIP, which could be bad luck (although his LD rate was up). As for Paps, who knows? Dannys Reyes is a LOOGY. However, his numbers against lefties last year weren't great (5.21 BB/9 v. left-handed hitters). Albers is nothing special.

The Sox do appear to have bullpen depth in the minors, though. Atchison, Aceves, and Doubront are decent pitchers.

(4) Catcher. Jarrod Saltalamacchia/Jason Varitek. 'Nuff said. If Salty can play average defense and OPS around .750, the Sox will be OK at the position. He's no lock to do either. His career OPS is .701.

(5) Defense. Drew, Crawford, and Pedroia (assuming no loss of range due to last year's injury) are good defenders. Gonzalez is good, but not as good as Youk, at 1B. Youk isn't likely to be as good as Beltre was at 3B last year. Scutaro is average at best at short. So far in his career, Ellsbury is a better corner OF defender. Salty has been solidly below average at catcher. There's a chance that the Sox may be below-average defensively at three premium positions: C, SS, and CF. I'd really rather see Lowrie start at SS. He has much more upside than Scutaro, and I don't see him getting more than 250 AB as a "super sub" (assuming everyone is healthy).

Overall, if healthy, the Sox should be a lock for 95-97 wins. Last year's team was decimated by injuries, had a historically bad bullpen, a poor defense, and still won 89 games, despite a struggling Beckett and Lackey. While I don't see this year's team as being that much better than last year's team on paper (except in the pen and bench--Cameron, McDonald, Lowrie, and Tek are a great bench), the Sox would have won the division if they hadn't lost so many good players to injuries. So if they're healthy this year, I expect them to win the East.

Trivia Q&A: March 29

We had a lighter crowd than last week, with 13 teams taking part in Trivia Night. But we had a very vocal crowd as well.

We had some strong scores for Elizabeth Taylor Trivia, as I guess many folks went straight to Wikipedia right after I announced the Special Category on Monday! The scores were generally good throughout the night.

Going into IQ Trivia we had a tie for first place, but it was the third place team, E=MC Hammer, who pulled out the win, as they were the only team to get 4 of the 5 questions correct and wound up winning by three points with 44 total. Congratulations to them on their very first Trivia Night victory.

We had a tie for second, so we broke the tie when I asked both teams to add up the ages Liz Taylor was when she won both of her Oscars. She was 28 when she won for "Butterfield 8" and 34 when she took the prize for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" The team of Cereal Whores guessed 62 on the nose. The team of These Have Always Brought Me Luck (And I'm Not Talking About White Diamonds) took third place.

Best Team Name: The Old Fogeys (It was a rough night for team names.)

Current Events
1. What legendary guitarist of a classic English rock band recently told Uncut magazine he regretted forming his group because it wrecked his health, giving him hearing, knee and wrist problems?
2. What company announced last week it was buying T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telekom for $39 billion?
3. Jose Socrates, prime minister of what country, resigned last Wednesday after his country's parliament rejected his government's deficit-cutting plan?
4. An air traffic controller was suspended after he had fallen asleep while on duty last week and two planes had to land without supervision at what US city's airport?
5. What national historic site was enlarged last Friday when the Department of the Interior acquired a 95-acre golf course where a major battle was once fought there?
6. Thirteen record companies that are suing a file-sharing online company are demanding as much as $75 trillion in their lawsuit. What company are they suing?
7. Earlier today, the US Supreme Court began hearing arguments in the largest sex discrimination suit ever, brought by over 500,000 women against what company?

Elizabeth Taylor Trivia
1. Name one of the two films Liz Taylor won an Academy Award for. (2 points awarded for naming both.)
2. What religion did Liz Taylor convert to in 1959?
3. Who was Elizabeth Taylor's first husband?
4. What entertainer's two children was Elizabeth Taylor the godmother of?
5. What TV character did Liz Taylor lend her voice to, and only one word at that?
6. Who is the only woman to appear on the cover of People magazine more times than Liz Taylor?
7. For what film did Elizabeth Taylor become the first actress to make $1 million for a movie?

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. It took 25 years for the stock market to reach its pre-October 1929 peak once again after the infamous crash.
2. The "Mona Lisa" painting has no eyebrows or eyelashes.
3. Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's second wife, was beheaded on charges of witchcraft.
4. There are more germs on a toilet seat than on a car steering wheel.
5. Al Pacino's real first name is Alfredo.
6. The actor George Burns lived to be 100.
7. Leon Trotsky, one of the founders of Russian communism, once acted in a Hollywood movie.
8. The capital of Michigan is Ann Arbor.
9. The kilt, closely associated with Scotland, was actually invented by an Englishman.
10. A human has more DNA material than a green pea does.

General Knowledge
1. "The Land of 10,000 Lakes" is what state's nickname? ( 1 pt)
2. What is the largest city in population in Northern Ireland? ( 1 pt)
3. What legendary comedian nearly lost his life while freebasing cocaine in 1980? ( 1 pt)
4. Before the current NFL lockout, which was the last of the four North American sports to have a lockout? ( 2 pt)
5. Besides "The King's Speech," what 1998 Oscar-winning film starred both Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush? ( 2 pt)
6. "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" was written by what American playwright? ( 2 pt)
7. 2,300 miles of The Tropic of Capricorn runs through what country? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. Which distant planet experiences 42 earth years of constant summer followed by 42 earth years of dark winter? ( 3 points)
2. Which current European capital was once called Lutetia by the Romans? ( 4 points)
3. A person who is an enophile enjoys what? ( 4 points)
4. What director was nominated for a record 12 Academy Awards, and won three times? ( 5 points)
5. In 1965, what legendary English rock band changed their name from The High Numbers to the name they achieved worldwide fame with? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Pete Townshend; 2. AT&T; 3. Portugal; 4. Washington, DC; 5. Gettysburg; 6. LimeWire; 7. WalMart.

Elizabeth Taylor Trivia
1. "Butterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf;" 2. Judaism; 3. Conrad Hilton; 4. Michael Jackson; 5. Maggie Simpson; 6. Princess Diana; 7. "Cleopatra."

True or False Trivia ("The Q Train")
1. true; 2. true; 3. false, adultery; 4. false; 5. true; 6. true; 7. true; 8. false, Lansing; 9. true; 10. false (pea has five times more).

General Knowledge
1. Minnesota; 2. Belfast; 3. Richard Pryor; 4. hockey (2004); 5. "Shakespeare In Love;" 6. Tennessee Williams; 7. Australia.

IQ Trivia
1. Uranus; 2. Paris; 3. wine; 4. William Wyler; 5. The Who.

Cute, and Not So Cute

Here's a cute item for the young tyke in your life who loves baseball: baseball flash cards.

Doug Keith has put together the 26 letters of the alphabet in the shape of players and fans alike on flash cards called "B is for Baseball: Alphabet Cards." For instance, the letter A is an Oakland A's player holding a bat in the shape of an A. And for the letter B, an umpire and manager are in an argument nose-to-nose in the shape of a B.

"B is for Baseball: Alphabet Cards" is a nice little item, and if I had any young kids, I'd certainly use them!

And on a more serious note: uniforms that were supposedly worn by Gary Cooper in the classic film "Pride of the Yankees" currently in circulation are forgeries. More from Hauls of Shame.

Here's The 25

The Red Sox have set their 25-man roster for Opening Day. They have settled the bullpen, sending Alfredo Aceves and Hideki Okajima to Pawtucket (how the mighty have fallen), and purchased the contracts of Dennys Reyes and Matt Albers.

So here is the 25-man roster that will open the 2011 season in Texas on Friday afternoon:

Pitchers
Jon Lester; John Lackey; Clay Buchholz; Josh Beckett; Daisuke Matsuzaka; Jonathan Papelbon; Daniel Bard; Dan Wheeler; Bobby Jenks; Tim Wakefield; Dennys Reyes; Matt Albers.

Position Players
Adrian Gonzalez; Dustin Pedroia; Marco Scutaro; Kevin Youkilis; Jed Lowrie; Carl Crawford; Jacoby Ellsbury; J.D. Drew; Mike Cameron; Darnell McDonald; David Ortiz; Jarrod Saltalamacchia; Jason Varitek.

Remembering An Icon On Tuesday

The Special Category for this Tuesday night's Trivia will be "Elizabeth Taylor Trivia." In honor of the passing of the iconic actress last Wednesday (we ironically had her in a question last Tuesday) we will have seven questions on her life. We've done this before with the recent passing of legends, such as Paul Newman and Michael Jackson.

BTW, I never knew Elizabeth Taylor recorded an album. (Actually, it is a score composed by the recently-deceased John Barry based on TV special the actress did in 1963.)

The Q Train lightning round is back with "True or False Trivia."

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
"The Land of 10,000 Lakes is what US state's nickname?"

We get going right after 9 PM, and we've had some big crowds the last few weeks, so getting to Professor Thom's early might be a good idea. Hope to see many of you on Tuesday night.

The Chasshole Smears Stan The Man

Murray Chass, who was once a sportswriter and is now a bitter old man who despises bloggers but has a blog of his own, wrote a shameful column about Stan Musial recently getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama and how he didn't deserve to get it.

Stan is one of baseball's (as well as America's) better citizens, and The Chasshole (as we unaffectionately call this clod) talks about a time when Curt Flood was turned away from Stan's restaurant back when they were teammates in the early 1960s. It's a putrid column that the great baseball writer Joe Posnanski wrote a very eloquent rebuttal and defense of Stan the Man and what a complete moron Chass is.

Take the time to read it. Click here.

There'll Be Other Trophies To Win In 2011

Twins 9, Red Sox 8. 8-1 lead in the eighth goes up in smoke thanks to some lousy Dan Wheeler and Bobby Jenks pitching and some equally lousy defense by some guys who won't be on the Opening Day roster.

The four-time defending Mayor's Cup (pictured) winners see their trophy go to the other side of Ft. Myers. (With thanks to my buds at Surviving Grady for the pic.)

Got a sneaky feeling this won't be the last time I'll be complaining about Jenks in 2011.

Give Kids a Break This Summer

My friends at The Fresh Air Fund are looking for families to sponsor kids and give them a summer they will never forget.

If you'd like to take part, please click this link, and it will tell you how to make it possible. The Fresh Air Fund has been helping inner city kids since 1877, and they can't do it without your help.

They are good people and I am proud to support them.

T Minus Six Days

The Red Sox trimmed their roster down yesterday by sending Ryan Kalish, Andrew Miller, Randy Williams, Rich Hill, Brandon Duckworth, Michael Bowden and Scott Atchison to the minors. Kalish makes sense as he'll get far more at bats at Pawtucket than he'll get with the Red Sox. Atchison had one more option remaining, but figures to be back up in Boston at some point.

Daisuke Matsuzaka donated $1 million to the Red Sox Foundation to help Japan in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck his native country.

BTW, did you know that the Red Sox have lost eight straight games in spring training? No, neither did I.

Pedro's Heading For The Smithsonian

A painting done of future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez is heading to the Smithsonian Institution, courtesy of Peter Gammons.

No, Gammo didn't paint it, but it was purchased by him and he is donating it to the museum. It was painted by Susan Miller-Havens and it is called "El Orgullo y La Determinacion." That is translated as "Pride and Determination."

The portrait is of Pedro in a Dominican Republic uniform rubbing up a baseball on the mound. The painting is part of a show called "Recent Acquisitions" show and debuts at the Smithsonian tomorrow.

And elsewhere, guess who's employed once again? Yes, the man who stole the Mets' money over the last few years (no, not Bernie Madoff), Oliver Perez, as he was signed by the Washington Nationals to a minor league contract after he cleared waivers. Just a bit ironic that his last game in a Mets uniform was against the Nats last week, and two guys who won't be on the Nats Opening Day roster blasted home runs off him that sealed his fate. I guess they liked so much what they saw that Perez was worth taking a gamble on.

I couldn't help but think of that adage about raising your sons to throw left-handed, as there will always be a market for any pitcher who throws left-handed. I honestly don't have a clue what the Nationals are thinking here.

Somehow, I don't think anyone's going to be doing any portraits of Oliver Perez anytime soon.

I Report. You Decide.

A new video debuted recently called "This Is Boston" which is the "anthem" for the 2011 Red Sox season. It features all different Red Sox players and fans in it.

Any video that includes Heidi Watney has its merits.

But I must admit I am no fan of rap music (there's not a single rap song in my iPod), so take this "comedic" video for all it's worth:

Trivia Q&A: March 22

We had a wacky night of Trivia on Tuesday night, with 18 teams coming in and filling up Professor Thom's. Once again it's great to see so many folks coming in on Tuesdays and enjoying the Trivia Nights!

We did "Celebrity Math" for the first time, and gave the Q Train the night off (it will be back next week). With many edits in the days before we finally did it last night. The scores were very low, with only two teams getting at least 6 points out of 10. However, overall most people seem to like the category, but my buddy Chris and I will fine tune it for the next time we do it, which should be some time in April. Hopefully the scores will improve then.

Just before IQ Trivia we announced the winner of Best Team Name, and by vote of the Thom's staff on hand, the team of Remember To Tip Your Bartenders and Servers Well was picked, and the bar booed the choice in unison, chanting "No tip!" Never saw such vitriol from the Trivia players, but Jim our bar manager said to me to pick another team and give them the prize of a pitcher of ale. I announced it and the bar broke into applause. I think Jim saved the night! (We picked "I Tried To Use 'Penis' As My Password But The Computer Said It Was Too Short.")

Despite being picked the original Best Team Name winners, Remember to Tip Your Bartenders and Servers Well wound up winning the night overall and by two points. They were also one of the few teams that got at least 3 questions right in IQ Trivia. It was their second win in three weeks and my congratulations to them.

Second place went to Your Mother's a Whore, Scott Walker, who were just two points behind at the end with 36 points, and staged a nice comeback in the last two rounds. Third place was a tie at 32 points between John Quinn Supermooned Me and You've Just Been Ousted As The Mayor of Planned Parenthood.

Current Events
1. What actor was fired by the company he does commercials for over tasteless remarks he made on Twitter about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami?
2. What talk show host lost a legal battle to keep Natalie Holloway's mother from testifying in a defamation suit two men brought against him in the Holloway case?
3. English soccer club Fulham are putting up a statue of what late pop singer outside their London stadium next month only because he was friends with the club's owner?
4. What controversial NFL player will try out this week with Sporting Kansas City of MLS?
5. NASA's Messenger spacecraft made history last Thursday as it became the first space probe to orbit around what planet?
6. What Hollywood superstar actor testified in a NYC court last week against a woman accused of stealing over $60,000 from the sale of two paintings by the actor's father?
7. Warren Christopher died last week at the age of 86. He was secretary of state during the entire first term of what US president?

Q Are You?
1. This woman was born in Wynewood, PA in 1958. She's a rock guitarist, singer, producer and actress. She's best known for her number one single she and her band had in 1982, and three of her albums have gone platinum or gold.
2. This man was born in San Diego, CA in 1931. He's one of the most respected actors of his generation. He began his career doing episodic TV and theater in 1959 before moving to films. He's won an Oscar for Best Actor in 1983, as well as two Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards.
3. This man was born in West Baden, IN in 1956. he's an NBA Hall of Famer and coach. He was his team's number one pick in 1978, three-time NBA MVP and champion, 12-time All-Star and he was also NBA Coach of the Year (with a different team) in 1998.
4. This man was born in Queens, NY in 1926. He's one of the great male vocalists of jazz and standards, and he's won 15 Grammys in his storied career, two Emmys, the Kennedy Center Honors and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
5. This man was born in Dunwoody, GA in 1974. He's been a TV and radio host, producer and actor. He's hosted a number of highly-rated reality shows, two syndicated weekly radio shows and currently a nightly gossip show on the E! channel.
6. This woman was born in Cleveland, OH in 1966. She's an actress and former fashion model. She's won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and SAG Award, and an historic Academy Award in 2001.
7. This man was born in Denver, CO in 1977. He is one of MLB's best pitchers, a 7-time All-Star who has pitched two no-hitters, won Cy Young Awards in both leagues and led both leagues in wins.

Celebrity Math
1. The Brady Bunch children plus the Partridge Family children?
2. Larry King marriages multiplied Elizabeth Taylor marriages?
3. Meryl Streep total Oscar nominations divided by Katherine Hepburn Oscar wins?
4. "Rocky" movies minus "Rambo" movies?
5. "Simpsons" seasons plus "South Park" seasons? (2 pt)
6. "Friday the 13th" movies minus "Halloween" movies? (2 pt)
7. "Saturday Night Live" seasons divided by number of Kardashian sisters? (2 pt)

General Knowledge
1. What NFL team plays their home games at Soldier Field? ( 1 pt)
2. According to the New Testament, how many days did Jesus spend fasting in the wilderness? ( 1 pt)
3. What is India's most populous city? ( 1 pt)
4. Dr. Heywood Floyd was a character in what 1968 Stanley Kubrick film? ( 2 pt)
5. Emerald is the traditional birthstone for what month of the calendar year? ( 2 pt)
6. Evacuation Day is a holiday celebrated every March 17th in a county of what eastern US state? ( 2 pt)
7. Which Oscar-winning film holds the record with more than 300,000 people used as extras? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. When "The Odd Couple" opened on Broadway in 1965, what future Academy Award-winning actor teamed with Walter Matthau as Felix and Oscar? ( 5 points)
2. The 1967 film "Head" was co-written by Jack Nicholson for what pop music group? ( 4 points)
3. Which game, now a popular sport, was originally called "wiff waff" in the late 19th century? ( 4 points)
4. "Chunkylover53@aol.com" is the email address of what popular TV character? ( 3 points)
5. The technology standard Bluetooth is actually named for a 10th century king from what country? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Gilbert Gottfried; 2. Dr. Phil McGraw; 3. Michael Jackson; 4. Chad Johnson (Ochocinco); 5. Mercury; 6. Robert DeNiro; 7. Bill Clinton.

Q Are You?
1. Joan Jett; 2. Robert Duvall; 3. Larry Bird; 4. Tony Bennett; 5. Ryan Seacrest; 6. Halle Berry; 7. Roy Halladay.

Celebrity Math
1. (6+5) 11; 2. (8x8) 64; 3. (16 divided by 4) 4; 4. (6+4) 10; 5. (22+14) 36; 6. (12-10) 2; 7. (36 divided by 3) 12.

General Knowledge
1. Chicago Bears; 2. forty; 3. Mumbai; 4. "2001: A Space Odyssey;" 5. May; 6. Massachusetts; 7. "Gandhi."

IQ Trivia
1. Art Carney; 2. The Monkees; 3. ping pong; 4. Homer Simpson; 5. Denmark.

Trying To Get Back To Respectability

The Mets took a couple of small but necessary steps to gain some much needed respectability the last few days when they released two players who summed up their recent futility: Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez.

They are the symbols of the regime of Omar Minaya and the Wilpons, and they had to go. Period.

They were probably the two worst signings in the history of the franchise, and neither had any place on the Mets, especially Perez, who was given every opportunity to make the team this spring and promptly blew it. He had an awful winter in Mexico, so I surprised to see him in a Mets uniform this spring. But he was making $12 million in the final year of his three-year deal, so obviously the Mets were reluctant to eat that kind of money. They will be munching down $18 million between the two, but they did what was necessary for the franchise and that was a good thing.

The Phillies claimed Castillo off waivers on Sunday, with Chase Utley having knee problems and may start the year on the DL. My guess as to Perez' next stop: independent ball. (I saw a stat the other day that Derek Lowe, who the Mets were close to signing three years ago, is third in the NL in wins over the past three years. The Mets passed on him because he wanted a four-year deal and resigned Perez for about the same money per year. Ugh.)

More and more, I believe the Mets are at a point the Red Sox were in during the 2001 season: they need to be sold and fresh, new blood at the top needs to run the team. (And we know how the sale to John W. Henry went.) I believe Sandy Alderson as GM is a good move, but he needs a full season to evaluate players and shake up the franchise. The two players being released this weekend also tells me that Alderson is calling the shots as far as personnel moves go, and that is a very good thing for the franchise.

But having the Wilpons at the top is a black cloud over the franchise, and even if they beat this $1 billion lawsuit that's hanging over the heads concerning the Madoff Ponzi scheme, it won't change most fans' minds about the way the team has been run. It's been shoddy at best, with awful player and front office moves that have sunk the Mets into a laughing stock position.

I predict the Mets will be sold by the Wilpons by the time 2011 is over, as they will finally have no choice to but to get as much as they can. This lawsuit will get very messy for them. And for the fans, it's the best thing that could possibly happen.

The last few days have been a glimmer of hope for Mets fans. The team got rid of some deadwood, but more of it needs to go. Like at the top.

Two Special Categories Are Better Than One

We're going to something a little different this week with Trivia Night.

The Q Train will take this week off, and we will instead have two Special Categories. The Q Train will return next Tuesday night.

The first one will be the March edition of "Q Are You?" the category where I give you clues to a current celebrity, and you tell me who I am talking about.

The other Special Category will be "Celebrity Math." I will ask you to add, subtract, multiply or divide some numbers concerning celebrities, TV shows, movies, that sort of thing, and you have to give me the number it comes out to. The first four will be worth one point each, and the last three, a little bit more difficult, will be worth two points. (So it will match the regular Q Train's worth of ten points.) Should be an interesting category, and it could become a regular feature if it goes well.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What NFL team plays their home games at Soldier Field?

We get going at just after 9 PM on Tuesday night. We've been getting some bigger crowds lately, so I hope you get in early enough to get a table! See you tomorrow night.

Did We Ever Get Mooned Or What?

Just wondering something. That was one helluva moon out the past two nights.

When the sun shining bright outside, it's sunny.

When there's lots of clouds in the sky, it's cloudy.

When the rain is coming down hard, it's rainy.

So when we have a moon like last night, shining brighter in the night sky than any full moon over the last 19 years, shouldn't we say it was "moony" out?

I know, I have way too much free time on my hands.

With thanks to my friend Ellie for the cool photo.

Spring Begins Tomorrow; The Regular Season Looms

Just 20 days until the Red Sox opener at Fenway against Those Guys!

With thanks for to my cousin Mary for the image.

Lackey's Number Two

A bit of a surprise that John Lackey was picked as the number two starter in the Red Sox rotation by Terry Francona. That also means he will pitch the opener at Fenway Park on April 8th against the Yankees.

Jon Lester is the ace, followed by Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Josh Beckett (with a lot to prove in 2011) and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

That rotation means Tim Wakefield's in the bullpen (and that assuming he's on the roster at all, but I would bet he will be).

And speaking of the pen, Jonathan Papelbon got lit up by the Mets in the ninth inning yesterday, giving up four earned runs. You don't get excited either way about spring training results, but it's been a miserable spring for Paps. His ERA is 12.60 so far. (7 earned runs in five innings.)

I still believe no matter what happens in 2011, we are seeing Papelbon's final season in Boston.

The Red Sox also cut their roster down by optioning 1B Lars Anderson, C Luis Exposito, SS Jose Iglesias, and infielder Yamaico Navarro to AAA Pawtucket. OF Juan Carlos Linares was reassigned to minor league camp.

Jealousy, Plain and Simple

Did you hear about this lame article that GQ did about the "Worst Sports fans In America" that said that Red Sox fans were the second worst baseball fans in America? Only the Phillies fans, who were number one in the poll overall, topped the Sox fans.

You mean to sit there and tell me Red Sox fans are worse than Yankee fans?

Yeah, right.

Whatever to this article. It seems to imply they liked us better when we were that "lovable loser" crap. I think that fans of teams that only come out when the team is winning and can't be bothered in bad times are far worse.

And there seems to be a lot of jealousy that the Red Sox have built a model organization and have given their faithful fans a winner. Hey, every winning team gets bandwagon fans who couldn't name more than one member of the team's bullpen. And most teams on this list are teams that have been recent winners. What does that tell you?

Shove your "insufferable hyprocrites." I know envy and jealousy when I see it.

Liberace Wishes You a Happy St. Patrick's Day

From his 1950s TV show, the late, great Liberace doing "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover":



Thanks to my friend Ellen, who posted the clip on Facebook.

May those who love us, love us and for those who don't love us may God turn their hearts: And if he can't turn their hearts may he turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping. --An Irish blessing (With thanks to my friend Don for those words of wisdom.)

And a Happy St. Patrick's Day from me to you!

2011 Irish American Baseball HOF Nominees

Earlier this week, the nominations were made public by Foley's NY Pub and Restaurant for the 2011 Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame, and what better day than St. Patrick's Day to put up a post about it?

Here is the complete list of those being considered for the Class of 2011, the Hall's fourth ever induction:

HALL OF FAMERS and LEGENDS
Big Ed Walsh
Baseball’s All-Time ERA Leader

Wee Willie Keeler
A .341 lifetime hitter who shares the longest ever NL hitting streak (44 games) with Pete Rose

Mighty Casey of the “Mudville Nine”
Character in Ernest Thayer’s famous poem

CURRENT LIVING EX-PLAYERS
Nolan Ryan
Baseball’s All-Time Strikeout Leader, now president of the Texas Rangers

“Super Joe” McEwing
Popular versatile player, now a White Sox minor league manager

Jeff Nelson
Four-time World Series champion, now a broadcaster with MLB Network

MANAGERS
John McGraw
Legendary New York Giants manager

Tom Kelly
Minnesota Twins two-time World Series champion manager

“Walpole Joe” Morgan
Former Boston Red Sox manager

TEAM EXECUTIVES
Gene Monahan and Steve Donohue
Longtime New York Yankees trainers

Mike Kindle
President of Baseball Ireland (Dublin)

ENTERTAINERS
John Fogerty
Writer/Singer of “Centerfield”

Terry Cashman
Writer/Singer of “Talking Baseball”

John Fitzgerald
Filmmaker of “The Emerald Diamond”

I'm really pulling for John Fitzgerald, who I met many years ago at a screening of "The Emerald Diamond", which is an excellent film about baseball and its growth in Ireland. And of course, I also have to pull for Joe Morgan, he of the "Morgan Magic" Red Sox, who took over the Sox at the 1988 All-Star break and led the team to the AL East crown that year. And Joe McEwing too, as he was one of those "everyman" type of ballplayers: not a lot of great talent but a utility guy who always gave 150% every day.

And how could I not root for John Fogerty, as I'm a huge Creedence Clearwater Revival fan, and "Centerfield" is one of my favorite baseball songs (with a great old time baseball video as well).

Anyway, the inductees will be announced during the 2011 season. I'll have a post up on my blog when they are announced. For more info, check out the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame's web site.

Good luck to all the nominees!

Yo Adrian: Slaves Don't Get Paid

I love Adrian Peterson to death, but he really put his foot in his mouth yesterday when he compared the locked-out NFL players to "modern-day slavery."

Is it just me, or whenever pro athletes get into a labor dispute, someone pulls out the "we're just slaves" card?

No, Adrian, NFL players are NOT slaves. In this dispute with the owners, my sympathies are lying more with the players. They want to keep the status quo, and the owners are looking to take back some of the gains of the past 25 years, as well as impose an 18-game schedule, which many players are against.

If you want to see REAL modern-day slavery, it's going on in places like Africa, where Muslims have enslaved Christians in Sudan.

To me, it's just abhorrent when any rich athlete thinks that he's some kind of "slave" and compares himself to those poor unfortunate folks who really are. Watch your words next time, Adrian.

New York's Greatest Athlete?

Siena College recently took a poll of New Yorkers to find out who they think the greatest athlete in the history of New York sports is. Now, off the top of my head, the first players that come to my mind are: Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Joe Namath, Joe DiMaggio, Tom Seaver.

Nope, none of those six sports icons won it. It was won by...Derek Jeter.

Bloody hell. You've got to be kidding me.

Jeter is a better athlete than The Babe? The Mick? Tom Terrific?

I know how worthless these polls can be (I really hate those "Who's your favorite New York baseball team?" polls, but that's another story), but Jeter as New York's Greatest Athlete? My friend Lisa at Subway Squawkers (and a huge Yankee fan) has a good article on this (and thanks to her for pointing it out to me) and notes that 41% of those polled AREN'T EVEN SPORTS FANS! So how in the world can you take this seriously?

More ridiculousness: Carmelo Anthony, who has been on the New York sports scene for about ten minutes, outpolled Jackie Robinson, Lou Gehrig and Willie Mays (who didn't even make the Top 10). Here is the poll's Top 10:

Derek Jeter: 14%
Babe Ruth: 11%
Joe DiMaggio 4%
Mickey Mantle 4%
Joe Namath 4%
Patrick Ewing 3%
Carmelo Anthony 3%
Lou Gehrig 2%
Jakie (sic) Robinson: 2%
Jim Kelly 2%

I guess the Siena poll of 801 people took into account the state of New York, with Jim Kelly number 10. (He was a better athlete than Phil Simms or OJ Simpson?)

But Jeter number one? There's not much hope left for New York sports fans out there.

Lester Opens In Texas

In a move the surprises no one, Terry Francona has named Jon Lester as the Red Sox' Opening Day starter in Texas on April 1st. The mantle has officially been passed and now you can Lester the Red Sox ace.

His Hollywood story continues.

Both Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima have made a video in English to ask the Red Sox fans to help Japan in their time of dire need. You can click here to watch it and make a donation. (With thanks to my friend Jere for the link.)

You can also donate to the Red Cross via your cell phone (like I did) by texting REDCROSS at 90999.

Trivia Q&A: March 15

I was very pleased to see 19 teams and a full house at Professor Thom's for Trivia on Tuesday night. Great to see the consistent terrific crowds come out. Let's hope it keeps going.

The scores for Green Trivia were very solid (and I got through the last question of the category pretty much unscathed, especially after I had to repeat it!) as they were for In Q's iPod as well. I don't think I made the questions for General Knowledge terribly difficult and the scores reflected that.

The team called Quiz In My Pants Returns led the entire night, and had a very good IQ round and held on to the win by three points with 46. We had a tie for second place and broke it with this: "Add up the ages of current media whores Charlie Sheen, Muammar Khadafy and Justin Bieber." The team of It's Hell Week, And Not In a Good Way guessed 130 and hit it right on the nose. Too Tsunami? finished third. (I knew someone would use the Japanese disasters as a team name, and they weren't the only ones.)

Best Team Name: Rattlesnakes and Condoms: Two Things I Don't Screw With

Current Events
1. What rock star announced his retirement on his web site last week, and sited taking care of his two young sons as the reason?
2. Queen Elizabeth II of England will make her first ever state visit to what country this May, the first ever Royal visit there since 1911?
3. According to Forbes magazine, there are now two other countries besides the US that have more than 100 billionaires. Name 1 of the 2.
4. What European nation became the first country to recognize the National Transitional Council, which was formed by anti-Khadafy rebels, as Libya's legitimate government last Thursday?
5. What midwestern US state repealed the death penalty last week?
6. What movie star pleaded no contest to a charge of spousal battery last Friday and received three years of probation?
7. A US aid contractor, Alan Gross, was convicted of crimes against what country, which accused him of working on a US funded "subversive project" and sentenced him to 15 years there in jail.

Green Trivia
1. What is the name of the pigment in green plants that gives them their color?
2. Martin Balsam portrayed Mr. Green in what 1974 NYC-based action film that was remade in 2009?
3. "Green River" was a hit single for what 1960s rock band?
4. What Nickelodeon TV show was known for dropping green slime on its characters?
5. What North African country's flag is completely green?
6. What is the name of the main character in the book "Green Eggs and Ham?"
7. Which ageless children's song features the lyric: "Oh, the flea on the feather, And the feather on the bird, And the bird on the nest, And the nest on the leaf, And the leaf on the twig, And the twig on the bough, And the bough on the branch, And the branch on the limb, And the limb on the tree, and the tree in a hole, And the hole in the ground?"

In Q's iPod: Name The Decade ("The Q Train")
1. 1999-Prince
2. Come As You Are-Nirvana
3. C'mon Everybody-Eddie Cochran
4. Last Train To Clarksville-The Monkees
5. Macho Man--The Village People
6. Whole Lotta Love-Led Zeppelin
7. I'm Too Sexy-Right Said Fred
8. I Will Survive-Gloria Gaynor
9. I'm Shipping Up To Boston-Dropkick Murphys
10. Goody Two Shoes-Adam Ant

General Knowledge
1. What famous dog made her TV debut in 1954? ( 1 pt)
2. Who was the fourth President of the United States? ( 1 pt)
3. Who was the youngest boxer to win the heavyweight title? ( 1 pt)
4. Gonzaga University is found in what US state? ( 2 pt)
5. What American author published the pamphlet "Common Sense" in 1776? ( 2 pt)
6. "Crazy In Love" was what female singer's first solo number one single, in 2003? ( 2 pt)
7. The 1981 film "Endless Love" was the first movie role for what current Hollywood superstar actor? ( 3 pt)

IQ Trivia
1. What English band's 1985 megahit album was the first ever to sell one million copies on compact disc? ( 5 points)
2. What legendary American figure owned the largest commercial whiskey distillery in the US in the 18th century? ( 4 points)
3. What is the largest country in Africa in total area? ( 3 points)
4. Which Oscar winner for Best Actress is the only Academy Award winner with an Oscar-winning mother and father? ( 4 points)
5. Canopus, Rigel and Regulus are all types of what? ( 4 points)

Answers
Current Events
1. Phil Collins; 2. Ireland; 3. China and Russia; 4. France; 5. Illinois; 6. Mel Gibson; 7. Cuba.

Green Trivia
1. Chlorophyll; 2. "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three;" 3. Creedence Clearwater Revival; 4. "You Can't Do That On Television" (I also accepted "Double Dare" as they also did it); 5. Libya; 6. Sam; 7. "The Green Grass Grows All Around."

In Q's iPod: Name The Decade ("The Q Train")
1. 1980s; 2. 1990s; 3. 1950s; 4. 1960s; 5. 1970s; 6. 1960s; 7. 1990s; 8. 1970s; 9. 2000s; 10. 1980s.

General Knowledge
1. Lassie; 2. James Madison; 3. Mike Tyson; 4. Washington; 5. Thomas Paine; 6. Beyonce Knowles; 7. Tom Cruise.

IQ Trivia
1. Dire Straits (Brothers In Arms); 2. George Washington; 3. Sudan; 4. Liza Minnelli; 5. stars.

The Only Color That Matters Is Green

Trivia Night this week will feature as the Special Category "Green Trivia" in honor of the celebration of St. Patrick's Day this Thursday. It will be seven questions that in some way relate to the color green. (No, there won't be any environmental questions in this category.)

The Q Train lightning round will be the March installment of "In Q's iPod," the audio round we do every so often. And the subject of it will be "Name That Decade." I will play 10 pop songs and you have to determine the decade they came out. Of the ten, one was in the 1950s, two in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s, and one in the 2000s. You have to tell me which is which.

The Sneak Peek question for this week is:
What famous dog made her TV debut in 1954?

We get going shortly after 9 PM on Tuesday night. We had another big crowd last Tuesday, and it's been like a pendulum lately that we have a big crowd one week, and a smaller one the next, then another big one after that. I hope that trend concludes, and hopefully see many of you on Tuesday night.