A letter to Dave Roberts

Dear Dave,

You will forever be in our hearts as the guy who had the "most important stolen base of all time". I think of you often as I relive 2004 again with friends getting more and more excited about that critical moment in time. When you came back to get your ring and when you were back as a Giant, we clapped and cheered wildly for you. You'll always be a Red Sox player. Frankly, I love you, Dave.

But see Dave, you're back on the scene - doing this color gig on NESN with Don O. and honestly you are driving me bananas. Have you heard of John Madden? Well, you are sounding a bit like him. Redundantly overstating the abundantly obvious. Yes, that sounds about right. Batty, Dave - you are driving me BATTY!! I know you are probably new at this "color" stuff and that's OK. I'm more than willing to give you some time to work out the kinks - I am! Maybe you just nervous and you need some practice. It's DRY, DAVE!! Try some humor? Some "hey, I remember doing something dumb like that" kinda stuff, maybe? Ok, ok. Here - try to go 1 play without making a comment. JUST ONE. See how it goes. Please, for the love of REMY!!

I know I just complained a LOT about you, but please know that I still love you for everything you did for us, Dave and I will always. At least until you push me over the edge and I start covering my ears when you begin to utter a syllable.

Lovingly yours. Go SOX!
~Snoop

P.S. Send Eck

Today. Sox 1st Place and it's MY off day...

..which means, I've actually had a modicum of energy to do something other than come home from work and fall in bed.

And we're in FIRST PLACE, baby!!

I love days like this because after not being able to work for a while, I forgot what these days were like. The sun is out. I drove around with my windows down, damaging my hearing and those around me blasting some music I love. Flew down route 3 with no traffic. Didn't think about how David Ortiz can't hit the ball right now. Thought about some subjects both sports and non-sports relate I'd like to blog about:

• iPod confessions
• How my Dad was so influencial in my becoming a huge sports fan
• Life after Larry Izzo
• Favorite moments @ Fenway and sports in general
  
• Travel blog for my upcoming 2 week cross country trip w/ Dad detailing the times he yelled at me for speeding
• The merits of dating a guy just because he drives a pickup truck
• My on again/off again Youk crush.
  
• New rules at Fenway Park. For example: if you get up and leave during an inning, you are NOT allowed back to your seat, thus disrupting those who actually CARE to watch the game, until the inning is over. Choose your pee breaks wisely.
  
• Julio Lugo: good as a YUGO

Anyway, I decided this morning that unlike most every single day - I wasn't going to listen to sports radio. I don't want to hear more negative crap about Papi. (see my last post on the denial and stuff). So far so good.

Did I mention First place in the AL EAST? Ok, I know it's May and it's lame to get too excited now. The Jays were going to fade; we knew they would. I just didn't think it would be this fast. What makes MY day is when I see my friend who is a Yankee fan and remind him they are NOT in first. I know.. I know. It's May. So, he gives me crap about Papi. I say, "it's nice to see Arod doing so well in games when it's completely irrellivent. Yeaaaaa."

I'll use the rest of my "off day" to recoop, get the coffee smell out of my clothes/car/house and later on, enjoy the Sox game. Praying Papi has a good night. Please. For. The. Love. Of. God.

The "Papi" Situation: Denial, It ain't just a river.

If you are looking for any hint of objectivity regarding David Ortiz and his super sucky slump, don't bother reading past here.

I've realized I am incapable of putting myself in Theo or Tito's shoes, as it were, and making a sound decision on what to do about Papi. See, I find myself regularly quite comfortable doing the thinking and decision making on behalf of the GM & manager of the Sox. I do it every day. Lugo? Shoot him, trip him, hit him with a bat. Anything that would assure him a long trip to the DL hopefully guaranteeing I would never have to see him make another disastrous defensive gaffe. Let Nick Green keep doing what he's doing (minus throwing 40 feet over Jeff Bailey's head) until we get Jed Lowrie back.

Ok, sorry, I got off on my Lugo tear. Lugo is another (anger fueled, long winded) blog entry, for another time.

Back to Papi...

I was at the Park on Wednesday night for the game vs. the Jays. A guy behind me struck up a conversation with me about Papi. We kicked around some theories about what might be wrong and so on.
Then, he asked me,"if this keeps up will you still cheer for him?"
I said, "Of course I will. He needs the fans behind him"
He said "ahhhh (putting his hand over his heart) you hold Ortiz right here"

Hit me like a truck! Damn. He was right. Like many other players, past and present, I have a huge emotional attachment to this guy. Someone says "trade Papi" and I feel despondent. I hear people call sports radio and rip him to shreds - "he's old, he's done, he probably juiced, he sucks." HE SUCKS? Papi and "sucks" shouldn't be in the same sentence. See how much denial I have? I know he's struggling (go ahead, tell me that's my hugest understatement ever. I can take it.). I watched him belt his first homer on Wednesday night and get damn close to hitting a second. I was filled with hope. Fueled by an epic night at Fenway, I thought.. He's back! It's on. All is well again.

Fast forward to today. I missed most of the game due to work - where I have no access to any game coverage. After catching up on my reading and highlights, I am happy to see we t'd off on the Mets. Drew went 4 for 5, Wake's binky George Kottaras practically had a career day, going 3 for 5. Everyone got a hit. Everyone except David Ortiz, who's avg. officially fell to below the "Mendoza line". I'd put a little silly sad face in here, but I'd lose any credibility I have at this point. Another o-fer for the Big Man. Yikes.

I don't know what the answer is. I don't want to see him traded, like some have suggested. I just saw an article on boston.com saying the Sox are going to move him out of the 3 spot. Ok, that makes sense. Drew in the 3 spot? Switch lefty for lefty? Papi in the 7th spot? Worth a shot.

My theory is that his wrist injury caused performance/hitting issues, which eventually turned into a mental/block issue. We know this game is so much a mental one. So, maybe a trip to Pawtucket? Take the spotlight and heat off of him - work on his swing, timing and his state of mind around his hitting . Although, thinking of him in Pawtucket makes me feel queasy. Mighty Ortiz in "the Bucket"?

I just want to see him back to a level we know he is capable of. Of course he's aged and no, a50 HR season ain't happening. But this o-fer stuff with a scattered HR here and there can't be all there is. I'm just not ready to give up on him yet.

In the meantime, until he turns it around or we find out what's causing the problem, I'll just do what I've done so far - cheer like hell when he comes up, continue to support him and sail my little boat down the river of denial.

(oh and somehow blame Lugo, too)

Gone in an Instant (Replay)

Last night was a great outing for Josh Beckett - 5H, 1R, 5Ks, 1W. Truly another commanding performance which just placed more of the Nation's confidence in him, after some shaky starts.

So, there I was after the end of the 8th, relaxing on my friend's couch discussing with her how this was "awesome - he's looking good, the pen gets more rest and here comes Paps." We're all happy and feeling fine.

So, he walks Sheff. (I wish something awful had befallen Gary on his way to first, as I cannot stand him, but that is bitching left to another blog) Eh, no biggie, right.....? But then, my "built-in-Papelbon-forgetter" resets. A couple of his recent outings have been heart attack junction.

Now, per usual, I start to get tense. I would be up pacing, but I'd be blocking the TV. I'm calling pitches before the throws them - even before Eck calls them. OK, he's firing the heat - shuts down Wright & Reed on 96 mph fastballs - leaving them both looking like bewildered 5-year-olds who just watched their Dairy Queen kiddie cone fall to the ground

Ok, the heart attack potential is starting to fade here. How can you fear a backup catcher who started the season in triple A, right... right? This Santos can't have the stuff to hit Paps curve, nevermind his fastball. Right?

Allow me to use a few quotes:

Tito on Papelbon's pitch to Santos "..he mislocated, and paid for it"

Paps: ""It's not shocking because the simple fact is it's an overthrown fastball right down the middle,"

It was right. down. the. middle. And ended up right. on. the. wall. AHHHH Paps. Don't throw THAT pitch. Yes. Paps knows. We know. Santos knows. That was a gift. A nicely wrapped gift, tossed errantly and mislocated under the wrong tree on Christmas morning. (which by the way, we didn't need any replay to rub in our wound - clearly it was a HR)

I hate when we lose to the Mets.. yes, every time it brings up memories of 1986. I really dislike this heart attack central stuff with Paps. We could have dug ourselves out in the 9th and we sure did try. (surely Papelbon's crazed cheering from the dugout must have helped?) Some great defensive plays by the inept, but suddenly allstar-caliper Mets fielders sealed that.

I truly feel for Beckett. We should have won. Beckett should have another W after his name.

I heard someone say once about sports, and baseball in particular - that the best athletes are the ones who have a tough loss, go home, put it out of their minds - and show up the next day to do it all over again. Essentially forgetting the crappiness of yesterday. Papelbon said last night, "I just want to be back out there and get a chance tomorrow and pick my guys up there tomorrow. Let them know that I'm still here kicking"

I know I can learn a little from that philosophy. Amen, Paps. Let's go out and get 'em today.