The Dobrindt Family

Red Sox Odds and Ends

- Curt Schilling in the bullpen is a bad idea. I might be wrong here, I am certainly not the expert, but a guy like that is a starter through and through. He needs to pitch, have 4 or so days off, then pitch again. Having him warm up, maybe go in, not go in, three days out of 4, throw 30 pitches after a brief warm-up. Not sure that is what he needs to rehab and get back into the rotation. But what do I care, let the train wreck continue.

- Keith Foulke. Oh Keith, you make me so happy. I swear this guy is exactly what I needed considering how bad the Yankees have been doing. He is awful. I know he had 4 saves in the World Series last year, but it’s about what can you do for me now. I pray for a close game just so they have to use him. And trust me, Francona is the type to use him day after day while the ship’s propellers disappear under the surface. And that Johnny from Burger King comment could not have come at a better time. For the most part Red Sox Nation has had nothing to complain about this year. And if you know this place, complaining is part of their inner workings, right there with the liver that is soiled from alcohol, the heart that is black with hatred of the Yankees, and the lungs that are filled with smoke from playing Keno at Virgies and drinking 2 dollar buds. So when Keith mouthed off the fans and media smelled blood. I know what he was trying to do. It’s when I refer to the average Sox fan as a drunk third grade education level toll booth collector from Revere. I know that most Sox fans are fairly educated, nice, often drunk that part is true, but overall good…well…okay… people. So Foulke tried to come up with a word for your common Red Sox fan and knowing that working at Burger King was probably a step up for most, chose that. Bad decision. Like a pack of wild animals that spotted a wounded antelope, they attacked. Now he is “hurt” and has to go on the DL. Whatever, he was terrible and they are back to closer by committee. That’s another thing. It’s not “bullpen” by committee, which all bullpens are. It’s “closer” by committee.

- The Yankees are hitting their stride. I know we are not out of the woods yet, but if I were other AL East teams, I would be scared. Things might change, again, I am not the expert, but there is too much talent there to skid for the entire 6 month season.

- Baltimore is finally showing their true colors. Did anyone really think they would stick around with their pitching and Sammy Sosa stinking up the place. They will soon move to third place, where they belong.

- ESPN had a great piece on Jason Giambi the other day. As we all know he did steroids. But steroids do not help with seeing the ball and swinging at terrible pitches, like Giambi was doing. Now that he has had his fair share of swings, he is starting to connect. And under all those steroid built muscles, there is some raw power that we are starting to see. He is still a joke at what the Yanks paid him, but finally we have some power back from him.

- Two weeks ago when the news said Manny Ramirez hit his 19th grand slam I thought it was a mistake. Then this past week when he hit his 20th, that is TWENTY, I was shocked. Underneath that strange and goofy behavior is one of the best hitters of my generation. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame just on how many grand slams he hit. I can’t wait to see him in a Yankee uniform.

- George Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, please end the pain and get rid of Tony Womack. Take him out behind the tool shed and end the misery. Enough already. Sure, he steals a lot of bases, but what he is lacks in power he makes up for in a low batting average. Get rid of him. The only redeeming quality in Tony is that my wife went to college with him. I still remember after the Diamondbacks won the 2001 World Series, on national television right before an interview he was hugging a woman and the announcers asked if that was his mother and Tony said “No, that’s my wife.” I still laugh every time I think about that.

- Clement and Timlin deserved to be in the all star game. Especially Timlin. Shame on Francona for using his right as the AL manager to get them in somehow.

- I know it’s too early to tell, but seeing Randy Johnson pitch lights-out on short rest made me cry. Please please please if one wish can come true, make him the dominant pitcher we bought last winter. I say “we” like I have anything to do with the Yankees, other than run a site dedicated to hating the Red Sox.

- For some reason I like reading Terry Francona’s comments in the paper but hate listening to him during an interview. He says very direct and honest things but he comes across as such a goober.

- Oh Johnny Damon, I hate you so. The hair bugs me, the beard bugs me, the self imposed nicknames bug me. Now you drive the hatred spike even deeper by mouthing off about your manager. What’s up Damon? So you don’t think Schilling should be a closer. Neither do I. The difference is that you are a stud center fielder on one of the most popular baseball teams in the world. I come in a far second for most admired parent in my own house. SHUT IT!!

- Why didn’t a supposed locker room fist fight between Jeter and Arod get more air time? This is the type of thing that should have been splashed on every sports news desk in the country. I think I heard about it from two cab drivers making small talk while waiting at Laguardia. And trust me, I follow sports more closely than my own child’s development.

- Losing a close game after 6 innings because of a rain delay sucks. Glad to see it happened to fatboy Wells though. But still, that sucks. If they played innings 7, 8 and 9, something tells me they would have come back and won. It was only 2 runs they were down. Hey Sox fans, keep thinking about that when you don’t make the playoffs by 1 game.

- Is there a little scarf-gate going on in the Sox locker room? Why wasn’t I told about this when it happened? I had to find out from the washer women at the hair salon. I guess Schonda Schilling and Johnny Damon’s sweet ticket don’t like each other. Something about last fall Mrs. Schilling made scarves for the players significant others, in Veritek’s case his name is Ben, to wear during the playoffs. After a thumping by the Yankees in game 3 Mrs. Damon came in without her scarf on. Shonda Schilling supposedly said that if she had it on maybe little Johnny would not have been 0 for 16 at which point Mrs. Damon opened up a can of old fashioned vanilla flavored whip-ass and went after the old lady. They went fist-a-cuffs and never liked each other since. Just a rumor, but my sources say it’s true. Oh sweet glory of Heaven I would love to get a tape of that little party. Not enough money in the world could keep me from watching it.

- Why doesn’t Mike Adams get more airtime? He is one of the most entertaining guys on the radio and he gets mop up duty on WEEI. Did he piss off someone at some point? His story about his pet monkey was the funniest thing I have heard on WEEI since I moved here.

Odds and Ends

Some things I have been meaning to bring up.

- I knew it was a matter of time before Natalee Holloway’s mother, Beth Holloway Twitty, overstepped her bounds. I think she is starting to get close to that line. I feel for her, I really do. What she is going through has to be excruciatingly painful. For the most part, she has done a great job. She comes across as very sincere and heartfelt, not aggressive, passionate pleas to the public and tugs at the heart strings of everyone. But she is on every single news program day and night doing interviews. She has been vocal from day one that the Aruban police and government have not done a great job, and that is probably true, but she needs to settle down a little. Maybe only 12 or 14 interviews a day. I do hope they find something, even if it’s not what they are praying for. Let this nightmare end.

- Once again a pedophile low-life degenerate did something horrific to a little girl. There is a case in Idaho of a convicted sex offender who killed three adults, kidnapped two little kids, killed the boy, and did unthinkable things to the little girl. Trust me when I say this, there is nothing that can be done to that guy that is justice. I would like a few hours alone with him, some power tools, pepper spray and lime, but nothing can give back what that girl has lost. The two kids’ father has the mullet of all mullets. That thing has its own zip code.

- If you want to understand what it’s like to be a true “man” and an American hero, read the background of James Stockdale. Unfortunately most of American’s will only remember him as Ross Perot’s running mate and not having his hearing aid turned on during the vice presidential debates. 8 years as a POW in Vietnam, 3 in solitary confinement. Good Lord.

- In Scotland, President Bush collided with a British police officer during a bike ride Wednesday evening, suffering scrapes on his hands and arms that required bandaging. I think we should invade Scotland, those red-haired skirt wearing drunk sissies.

- The New York Hilton is the worse place on earth. But I am stuck here because I have invested three weeks into building Hilton points, and I like the location. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is good about it. I’ll get into detail in another post.

- I have to fight my anti-social urge every day. It seems the older I get the less patience I have with others.

- If I won the lotto, I would probably quit my job. Either that or pull an Office Space.

- My greatest fear is falling from a 20 story balcony. And surviving.

- I wish I had more time to read magazines. Great source of information and very topical.

- I have never had great pizza in Boston other than Al Capone’s, which I think is not very healthy.

London Terrorist Attacks

I was going to write about London winning the bid for the 2012 Olympics. I intended to make fun of Paris and make fun of London with things about damp rainy weather with cheery drunks and bad teeth adding a certain element to the games. But after the horrific events this morning I thought it was inappropriate. The truth is that London is my father’s favorite city and I grew up going there as a kid and into my early 20s. It’s a fabulous city, easy to get around with history and culture and warm people. No one deserves what happened today but especially the British. Other than an occasional joke, there really is nothing bad to say about the British and they have supported us through our efforts with terrorism. My sister and her husband where living in a town outside of Manchester during the September 11th events and they said the Brits were genuine and sincere in there compassion about what happened. They were working at an American owned location and local people left flowers and other objects around the grounds to show their support and sympathy. While we have had our own horrors with 9/11, the coordinated and precise manner this was pulled off is chilling. I hope Americans show the same support we received 4 years ago.