Dork.

Way back in February, Dustin Pedroia did an interview with Boston Magazine. The writer of the piece is obnoxious; he's much too in love with the sound of his fingers clacking on the keyboard. It makes it difficult to slog through but the reward, should you be able to make it to the end, is worth the effort.

Throughout the entire piece Dustin comes off as very angry. And perhaps he is. Perhaps the impish Dustin Pedroia that we all know and love is an act put on for the media at large. Perhaps the Dustin Pedroia who seems to be loved by Derek Jeter, who got a chuckle out of Barry Bonds, and who regularly razzes Kevin Millar is the Disney-fied version of Dustin Pedroia and the real Pedroia is an angry, paranoid, little man. Or perhaps the author (who continues to print something that wasn't particularly vital to the integrity of the piece, even though he was asked not to) forgot to mention that the interview was given with a sly little grin pasted on Pedroia's face.

Lefty over Righty.

I really should work on not getting so attached to my quadruple A guys. You would think I knew Jeff Bailey (or "poor Jeffy" as he became known this afternoon) from how disappointed I was for him after reading that the fifth outfielder position had been pretty much given to Chris Carter. He has an out tomorrow but I hope he doesn't take it. I suppose that I could be mature and wish that there was something better than a month long back-up, back-up position out there for him but I don't think I will.

As for Carter, I like him. I do. He's an intelligent individual and his Dad is a Sox fan. He may be horrific defensively but he has a swell bat. I hope that he does well.

Bull Durham It Isn't.

It may not be Cannes or Sundance or Vail or Toronto but Sarasota, FL does have it's own film festival going on this week. As part of their World Cinema Celebration on Wednesday they will be showing the baseball film Sugar and throwing a Caribbean themed after-party. Never one to miss a good party, David Ortiz has RSVP'd.

Sugar tells the story of a Dominican kid, Miguel 'Sugar' Santos, who can throw a baseball. He starts out at the Dominican Baseball Academy but then gets the news prospects long to hear: he's been invited to spring training in Arizona. Sugar, who doesn't speak English or know anything but life in the Dominican, finds himself assigned to A ball in Iowa out of spring training. Then commences a fish-out-of-water, coming-of-age tale set against a green screen of baseball. It's supposed to not be your typical baseball movie, so I fear that it might not turn out well for him. It is supposed to be beautifully shot and it looks pretty good from the preview.

Sugar had it's premier at Sundance in January 2008 but despite pretty good reviews took a while to get picked up. Sony Pictures Classics is giving it a limited release (NY/LA) on April 3, though. Perhaps it will eventually work it's way up here.

Shiny, Happy Blue Jays.

The Kevin Millar show is, according to Carfado, likely headed north.

"I think this has been the most fun I've had in any camp I've ever been in. I guess they haven't seen anyone quite like me here. I think there's been quieter guys in this room, so I'm probably considered a little different."

I don't know if having Kevin Millar on your team actually means anything in terms of wins or losses but good for Kevin and good for the Blue Jays, at least they'll have a lot of fun this year.

More Golf.

Gotta put something up so the last post doesn't stay on the top very long.

Dennis Eckersley will again be headlining the Perkins Golf Tournament to support the Perkins School. A k-12 school for students with behavioral disorders (at least, I'm pretty sure it's this school.) The event will be held on May 12 at the Sterling National Country Club in Sterling. The cost in $175 but it includes an open bar with dinner.

So Much for Being Wholesome.

I really am loathe to share this information but if you really do read Penthouse magazine for the articles (or is that Playboy? I don't know) the April 2009 edition features an interview with Dustin Pedroia. I have no idea what it says. I'm just passing along information and trying very hard to not pass judgement.

I am curious: if one has parents as invested in one's success as Dustin's parents seem to be, do you share this information with your mother? Do you continue to think of yourself as a role model?

Battery Bonding.

It may not seem like it but I do my best to ignore Heidi Watney; grumbling to myself each time she pops up on my television screen offering some insipid "enlightenment" that "she's just window dressing" and as such, she is very good at her job. She reminds me of the first example of female behavior in the second situation described in "100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man" from Wonderful Town. I've never bothered to read her blog before (a good thing because, as it turns out, she isn't much of a writer either) but today she has a story I haven't seen anywhere else.

In an apparent bonding exercize between the two men, George Kottaras and Tim Wakefield engaged in a mano-a-mano, no-holds-barred round of mini golf. Georgie K ended up winning the competition but Heidi does provide a complete play-by-play.

What's in a Name?

The Sox have signed Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.

Cherry was picked up in the Rule V draft by the Mets. He was put on waivers last week and after clearing those, offered back to the Orioles. The Orioles declined to take him back and the Mets released him, hoping to re-sign him on the cheap.

Cherry's got an upper nineties fastball, control problems, and a kick-ass name.

You Gotta Know When to Fold 'em.

Last season Trot Nixon signed a minor league deal with Arizona. He played fifty-eight games for their AAA team, hitting .309/.437/.558 before being traded to the Mets. He got into eleven games in Queens (.171/.293/.286) before he was sidelined with a strained groin muscle.

This past December he signed a minor league deal with the Brewers. He worked hard to get himself back into playing shape and make a run at the role Kap played for the Brewers last year (again article read in December/January has gone missing-but it was there, I read it.) Nixon's dreams of the good life in Milwaukee have, however, come to an end. The Brewers set him free today.

Ken Macha (Wait. What? I briefly fell asleep.) who is, thankfully, now managing the Brewers said that Trot was not yet ready to call it a day and that they released him so he might be able to find somewhere else to play. If he can find somewhere willing to take him on, that would be great. But it seems that the end may be near for Trot.

Batter Up.

Batting Stance Guy was down in Fort Myers for spring training back in February. Don't know how I missed it but Bradford had some footage of him doing Manny and talking to Daniel Bard at the time. He also accosted Jed Lowrie with his impression of Jed Lowrie back in January.

The Kevin Youkilis strike out is spot on (and hilarious) as is the Jacoby Ellsbury nodding routine. But David Ortiz cracking up is the absolute best.

For the Birds.

When David Pauley was traded to the Orioles he seemed (and you'll just have to trust me on this because I can't find the article to back me up) really excited to have the opportunity to crack their starting rotation. And given the state of their rotation (Jeremy Guthrie, Koji Uehara, ?, ?, ?) it seemed, to me anyway, that he might have a chance. Yesterday, however, word came down that only part of Pauley's wish would come true: Dave Trembley doesn't want him for their rotation but he can envision a role in the bulllpen for him. Despite the Orioles thinking ? is a better option than him, Pauley remains positive:

"It's whatever they need me for -- wherever I can help out the most right now, whether that's in the bullpen or I'm starting or not. I'm just going to work at it."

I do hope that it works out for him.

Congratulations Daisuke!

I'll confess that I lost interest after the first round of the WBC. But Japan won it all last night in an apparent nail-biter. Daisuke Matsuzaka was, once again, named the MVP. It's not the most interesting award he's ever received but if he can follow it up with an MLB MVP or even a Cy Young, that would be great.

Curt and the Red Flops.

For the past day and a half I've been trying to think of something to write about Curt Schilling's retirement. I've tried to be objective about Curt before and was never terribly successful with that, so I tried to be sentimental but found myself in an uncomfortable place between being too purple and not being melodramatic enough for what he did. After much waffling, I've decided to go with the stark simplicity of: Thank you.

Happy Birthday Happy!

I had given up the birthday project but since Justin Masterson is possibly the sweetest creature to ever walk the face of the earth (no lie) and I didn't wish him a happy birthday last year I'm going to do it now. It may seem like I'm overly effusive with Masterson but he's got a good heart, a good head on his shoulders, and the things he says make me happy, i.e.:

“If you’re good enough, you’ll have a position somewhere. And it’s more fun to root, because I’d rather have a friend when this career is over than anything.”

Plus, he wears high socks.

Clearing Camp.

Lars Anderson, Josh Reddick, Zach Daeges, Hunter Jones, Mark Wagner, and Felix Doubrant bid their fond farewells last Tuesday. Junichi Tazawa and Michael Bowden were sent down after yesterday's game. And today Daniel Bard and Paul McAnulty were shown the door to the minor league clubhouse.

With McAnulty gone (although I suppose he was never really in contention) the three players left vying for Mark Kotsay's spot are: Brad Wilkerson, Chris Carter, and Jeff Bailey. While neither is particularly good in the outfield, Bailey and Carter have been tearing it up at the plate. Carter does have the advantage of batting left-handed (part of the reason they wanted Kotsay) but cross your fingers and hope for Bailey--especially if it stops him from considering Japan again.

New Nickname.

Physically, Jason Bay does not look like he would be (at best) an average defensive left-fielder. He's not overweight. He looks like he can run. His arm doesn't seem to have any deficiencies that would prevent him from throwing in a strong and accurate manner.

At first glance, his problems would seem to be instinctual. He doesn't always seem to get a good read on the ball off the bat. This slows down his response time and he's late going to retrieve the ball-in-play. Whats more, when he does decide to go get a ball he sometimes doesn't take the most efficient route toward catching it. Don't get me wrong, Jason Bay is clawing his way to the top of my list of favorite players but this was the impression I was left with of him after last season.

Turns out I was wrong. Jason Bay's issues aren't physical and they aren't instinctual. As this photo will attest, they're emotional. Jason Bay is afraid of the baseball. So Bay and I have something in common: I have never been not afraid of a foul ball hit in my general direction (three or four sections over and I'm still probably cowering).

It reminds me of a Popsicle-stick joke that I loved when I was in third grade (and really sharing the joke is the point of this post):

Question: Why was Cinderella bad at baseball?

Answer: Here at the old blog, where I may have to return if things go sour again.

A Fright.

Whew! Earlier today I was in the middle of writing up a joke about Jason Bay when Blogger decided to block my IP address. I have no idea why it did this but it gave me a scare. I thought it had brought an end to my illustrious blogging career. Sadly, it didn't save the post about Bay, so it'll have to be reconstructed. And hopefully, nothing goes awry again.

Everybody Loves Dustin.

Dustin Pedroia got a little write-up in the newest Sports Illustrated for his antics at the WBC. Nothing new but he does seem to have made some new friends.

Jeter:

"It just got a little quieter around here. No, make that a lot quieter. I never really knew him before, just from the All-Star Game a little bit. He's a great guy who keeps everybody loose."

Mark DeRosa:

"He's going to be missed, not just on the field but especially in the clubhouse. He's the one who gets everybody fired up. He picks you up. I know there are days over a season where you're dragging and don't have the energy. He's the kind of guy who shows up every day with a smile and gets on guys. He keeps your energy level up every day. It's great to have a guy like that around."

David Wright:

"He's a great guy who can take it as well as he dishes it out, but he makes sure he dishes it out more. His mouth is always moving. He's like a little dog, nipping at your ankles all the time."

Of course, all of these new friends of his might make it harder for me to enact my plan of making off with him and sitting him on my living room couch so that he could entertain me--like a parrot. But whatever.

This Boot is Made for Walking.

Kevin Youkilis has left the WBC and returned to Fort Myers with a case of Achilles tendinitis. He enjoyed his time on Team USA and was quick to point out that the tournament wasn't responsible for his injury:

“I didn’t get hurt playing in the WBC. I could probably go out right now and probably play if need be. But it’s not in my best interests right now. I need time to recuperate. If I don’t stay in this boot for three days, this will linger the whole season for me. This is something I had to do. I had to come home. It’s not easy for me to walk away from playing baseball — ever. Especially with Team USA. But this is something that was in the best interests of the Red Sox and the best interests of myself. This year is about playing for the Boston Red Sox and winning a championship.”

This is true. Tendinitis is a repetitive stress injury (micro-tears in the tendon) and it wouldn't have a sudden onset from a single event. Have him clomp around in the boot for a couple of days, with the ankle immobilized to reduce pulling on the tendon, and he should be fine.

Kitten Being Caring.

Yesterday afternoon Josh Beckett faced eighteen Minnesota Twins. He struck out three and walked one. He gave up three runs on six squibby little hits. Yesterday evening he threw for a different purpose, before an entirely different audience, and his catcher was eight years old.

Tuesday night Josh Beckett threw the ceremonial first pitch at the dedication of a little league field in Bonita Springs, Florida. The field was being dedicated to a seven-year old little leaguer, Ryan Lucier, who died from viral myocarditis. Beckett learned about the kiddo, who was a Red Sox fan, from his father at the charity golf tournament back in February.

According to his father (probably), the kiddo's favorite thing to say was: "Red Sox rule, Yankees drool." Damn right, kid.

Josh Bard, We Hardly Knew Ye.

Josh Bard was given the axe this morning; which is too bad--I liked Bard. I suppose that, in terms of offensive production, Varitek made Bard redundant. They both hit lefties pretty well but are all kinds of useless against righties. Hopefully, he can find himself a job somewhere (the Marlins were looking for a catcher) and Georgie K. is up to the task.

When Dominican Eyes are Smiling.

There was a little person who showed up at today's game. He dressed himself as a leprechaun. And in the first of, hopefully, many dugout shenanigans and happy David Ortiz moments, Papi taped a number fifteen on the back of his jacket. The good mood continued once the game began with David going two for three with a home run. Ellsbury, Jason Bay, and Varitek (hitting left-handed even!) each had a home run of their own in the Sox's 9-5 win over the Twins.

The Shoe Didn't Fit.

Team Netherlands unlikely story came to an end last night when they lost 9-3 to Team USA. But it's only the beginning for Red Sox baby pitcher Dennis Neuman.

Said Neuman about the experience:

“It’s pretty good. I feel like I’m a major league pitcher. That’s how it makes me feel, pitching against the major league players.”

Neuman also has a new fan in David Ortiz:

“That one kid (Neuman), he’s got a good arm. I didn’t get to face him. I just saw him pitching, and he’s got a good arm. He’s got explosion on his fastball."

That's got to be an exciting thing to hear and when told Neuman responded:

“Wow, he said that? That’s really nice to hear. That sounds good. It makes me feel good to hear something like that.”

The kid seemed to do well. Hopefully, he has a bright future.

Pains.

(More gory version here--Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Poor Julio. He was having a really nice spring. He was hitting, showing a little power, not bobbling the ball and he was having success with throwing. And now he's got the setback of a torn meniscus.

The knee is the meeting of the femur and the tibia, with the patella acting as bodyguard. If you look at the distal end of the femur, it has a cleft appearance with two large bumps and a valley in between. The proximal surface of the tibia, on the other hand, is relatively flat. The menisci are two semi-circles of cartilage that are attached to the tibia and act as a barrier between the two bones. They sort of mimic the shape of the femur as each meniscus cups around one of the femur's bumps.

The knee is a hinge joint and while it does have a tiny bit of give, it's meant to open and close--and that's it. There isn't a lot of room for error in a knee. If you twist it, it's likely to cause damage to the meniscus in the form of a tear. Problems arise when the bits of cartilage slip into the space and block the knee from functioning.

His recovery from arthroscopy would depend on the severity of the tear and in which direction the cartilage was torn but the best case scenario would be around a month.

Aches.

Dustin Pedroia was sent home from the World Baseball Classic yesterday with a strained left abdominal muscle. They have also put the kibosh on him returning to Team USA, saying:

"Red Sox Medical Director Dr. Tom Gill examined Dustin Pedroia this evening in Fort Myers, FL. Pedroia was diagnosed with a minor strain in his lower left abdominal region. While he will be held out from activity for a couple of days, it is not expected that he will miss significant time. Pedroia will rejoin Red Sox spring training camp on Sunday and is no longer participating in the World Baseball Classic."

Kitten Fishing.

Comcast Sports has a nice little interview with Josh Beckett. He comes across as very thoughtful and almost gentle. He does say something odd about alligators and hummingbirds but it's a different side to Beckett. Plus, he lets the fish go.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name.

Todd English has a reputation of being an ass, but being a culinary professional it's to be expected. He also looks like a ghoul. But the man knows food and he knows how to cook. I don't know how much autonomy his head chefs have but he also seems to have a sense of humor.

Introducing the A-Roid available at Todd English's Bonfire Steakhouse as part of their new Red Sox menu. I seem to recall that Bonfire had some sponsorship of the pre-game show on NESN last season. The A-Roid is a shot of tequila with a chaser of spicy tomato juice. The chaser of juice comes served in a syringe. Clever, eh?

I'm almost always against gimmicky food and cutesy names for dishes. I don't take too many things seriously but food is one of them. When a chef feels the need to make his dishes 'fun', it makes me feel like he's hiding. A good meal shouldn't need any enhancements to be enjoyed. Maybe it's because it's tequila and, for the life of me, I cannot envision myself downing a shot of a tequila while seated at a restaurant table or maybe it's because taking jabs at Alex Rodriguez is amusing but I'm alright with this.

Gaan Oranje!

Fear the Dutch. You might think that they're all tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes but they're a crafty bunch. They've made a country out of what should be the floor of the North Sea. Despite their tiny size and being the butt of jokes made by the Germans and the French since Germany, France, and the Netherlands have existed, they became both wealthy and influential. They ran colonies in the East Indies (Indonesia), the West Indies (Antilles), Africa (South Africa, Ghana), and North America (New York/New Jersey/Connecticut/Delaware). They invented the submarine and fought four wars with the English between 1652 and 1784. They've also tussled with the Portuguese and the French.

But the Dutch baseball team is hard to dislike. The enthusiasm of Team Netherlands is infectious. They seem to be having the time of their lives. As it turns out, Dustin Pedroia isn't the only player to blog about the World Baseball Classic experience. Leon Boyd of Team Netherlands also shares his thoughts with the world here. It's a different and interesting prospective.

Where Am I Going? And Why Am I in a Handbasket?

The Red Sox have a new chaplain. The way I understand it, he isn't an employee of the club but more of a groupie, if you like. His job is to offer prayer service when the club is in town. And that's cool. A lot of these guys are deeply religious and baseball certainly isn't an easy life. It's probably greatly appreciated. Don't try to force your way of thinking on somebody else (being the son of missionaries, Happy probably has a bit of that in him but I forgive him--and digress) and we'll get along fine. My point: If there's a better name for a minister than Bland Mason, then I can't possibly think of what it could be.

Dustin Pedroia: Creator of Uncreative Blog Entry Titles.

Rob Bradford works miracles. Exhibit A: He has gotten Dustin Pedroia to blog for WEEI during the World Baseball Classic. Says Dustin of last night's game in Toronto:

"Second, it is a little known fact that I have never hit an opposite field home run in my life. Not one. So when the ball left the bat not only did I think it was a home run, but I also immediately thought that I was in the process of making my own personal history with my first opposite field bomb. I thought, ‘There it is!’ Then Bobby Abreu catches it at the wall … shoot!"

Just a wild guess on my part but I'm pretty sure that Pedroia didn't actually think "Shoot!"

And about the Yankee Roll Call:

"There were other memorable moments from Sunday night, such a group of fans in center field who were yelling the whole game. At the end they started chanting Derek Jeter’s name, like they do at Yankee Stadium, which gets an acknowledgement from Derek with a wave of the glove. If you’re a Yankee you’re used to it. But then they start chanting my name. I didn’t know what to do. I just turned around a little bit and smiled. I was like, ‘Damn, dudes. It’s late.’ Evidently it was enough because they moved on to the next players."

No! Dustin, no! Don't go into the light.

Mo' Money.

It may be time to buy stock in bubble-yum, Jon Lester has a new contract.

Lester has never been a favorite of mine. He turned into an excellent pitcher last season but he always seemed a bit boring. Well, it turns out that he's going to be around for five more years. Pending a physical, he's on track to collect $30 million over the next five years. There's also a $13 million six year option. A steal.

Long Day.

I managed to roll out of bed shortly after 5:00 this morning (in my effort to reset my alarm clock to go off at 4:45, I somehow managed to set it for 2:45 instead) in order to catch Daisuke Matsuzaka's start. Matsuzaka struggled through the first of his four innings, throwing twenty-nine pitches and giving up a two-run home run. But he kept it together and made it through the next three frames cleanly. He did continue to have an issue with being up 0-2 only to suddenly find himself 3-2. He did throw some really pretty pitches, though. Overall, he gave up four hits and walked only two batters. Opinions on the outing were varied. Francona said:

"He looked okay. He threw a couple good breaking balls. Left a couple over the middle of the plate the first inning. A little shaky first inning, 29-pitch first inning, gave up some hard hits in the second, but they had a baserunning error. Then he settled down and got eight of the last nine guys out."

Matsuzaka, a little more blunt than Francona, labeled his performance as:

"Not good at all. I was so happy to get the three-run lead in the first."

Japan won 14-2 in a mercy-ruled seven inning game. Their next game is Monday at 5:30 AM as they now await the winner of tomorrow morning's Korea v. China game.

That? That was a lot of fun. The Dutch play some really good baseball. Who knew? I started the game rooting for both teams. I switched sides, cheering for whichever team happened to be hitting; but by the third inning, I was firmly behind Team Netherlands. Then Pedro Martinez came out and I was rooting for stasis--Pedro doesn't give up any runs and the Dominicans don't score any either. Pedro looked good. In the eighth inning baby pitcher Dennis Neuman did an impressive job for Team Netherlands. He threw eighteen pitches, ten of them strikes. He walked one batter but got two fly-outs and a strike out. As for David Ortiz, he went 0 for 2 (both ground outs) with two walks (one intentional). The guys at ESPN, who often don't know what they're talking about, said that he had been penciled in at first but was DHing instead because he had a sore shoulder. But since no one else who might actually know has said anything about it, I'll ignore it. Tomorrow Team Dominican Republic will attempt to atone for today's loss with a win against Panama at 4:30 PM.

Lastly, in what was not a well-played game at all, Team USA chipped and bloodied their fingernails as they clung to their lead to beat Team Canada 6-5. Batting lead off, Dustin Pedroia went one for five; his one hit was a double. Kevin Youkilis (who seems to be going back to the goatee) went one for two, with two walks; his one hit was a home run. He did strike out with the bases loaded. But he also scored three times in the game. On the other side, Jason Bay played center field and didn't seem to make a half-bad job of it. At the plate he was 0 for 2 with three walks and a strike out.

Springfield! Springfield! It's a Hell of a Town.

The Springfield YMCA may be the home of basketball but on April 8 it'll be all about the knuckleball. On the campus of Western New England College at 8 that morning, Tim Wakefield will be the keynote speaker at the Greater Springfield YMCA's Kick-Off Breakfast for the 2009 Annual Campaign. Single tickets are available for the hefty price of $150.

World News.

As a result of iffy pitching, Team Dominican Republic fell to the Orioles 6-1 this afternoon. Johnny Cueto gave up a three-run home run in the first inning from which his team was unable to recover. He did manage to give them an additional two innings without causing further damage. He was replaced by dear old Pedro Martinez. From the box score it didn't look good for Petey, he gave up a couple of doubles and a single in his first inning. But Sports Illustrated says it wasn't too terrible: a gift double, an RBI double, and an RBI single. He then got three fly outs to end the inning. When he came back out for the fifth inning, he walked the lead off batter but got two strike outs and another fly out. Besides being team cheerleader, David Ortiz contributed two hits (both singles) from his four at bats. He also hit a long fly ball for an out.

Team Canada didn't fare any better against the Phillies, losing 9-2. As was generally suspected, Canada will be at the mercy of their pitching for this tournament. With Adam Stern playing center (and doing nicely at the plate, he was 3 for 5 with an RBI), Jason Bay was moved back to left field. He didn't have any more success at the plate, however. He ended up 0 for 2, with a walk. But no strike outs, so that's good.

Neither Kevin Youkilis nor Dustin Pedroia made it into today's Team USA 6-5 loss to Toronto. And, although Puerto Rico beat Tampa 2-1, Javier Lopez has yet to see any action.

Sweating with Pedroia.

During the off-season Dustin Pedroia once again worked out at API in Arizona. This year, however, he was visited by ESPN. The video isn't too different from what we already know about Pedroia but it's worth watching to see Dustin run with a sled. It's amusing to watch him run the bases (He runs like a little kid. He pulls his shoulder blades together, which forces his chest up and his hips backward.) so watching him run really hard only to not get anywhere is even more amusing. Or, at least, I thought so.

Around the World.

Team Dominican Republic played an exhibiton game this afternoon against the Florida Marlins, which they won 10-1. David Ortiz went 1 for 3, with 1 RBI as the result of a pinch hit single in the fifth inning. I normally don't feel bad for Alex Rodriguez but this statement:

"It's nice for me to come in and try to jell as much as I can. So far, so good."

made me laugh. Translation: "I could do a little jig, they don't hate me yet. It's awesome."

Unfortunataly for Rodriguez, the Yankees, and Hanley Ramirez (who greatly enjoys the protection afforded him by Rodriguez' presence in the lineup), this evening the Yankees shipped Alex off the Colorado to have a cyst in his hip examined which may preclude him from playing in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Team USA beat the Yankees 6-5. Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 4, with a strike out and a walk. He was also caught stealing. Kevin Youkilis went 1 for 3, with 2 RBI. He was also on the receiving end of a Derek Jeter balletic spin-throw that didn't quite make it all the way to first base and took a funny hop when it bounced back up to him. And as a result, Youkilis couldn't quite come up with it, much to Michael Kay's delight. Youkilis did manage to have a "what the hell?" kind of look on his face, though.

Team Canada was also in action today. They beat Toronto 6-4. Playing centerfield, Jason Bay went 0 for 1, with a strike out and two walks. He also scored a run.

Red Sox at Mets.

On Friday morning at 10am the tickets for the Red Sox v. Mets exhibition games on April 3 and 4 at the new Citifield will go on sale. They will probably fly off the Internet as the St. John's-Georgetown game sold out in forty-five minutes. At least you'll know quickly if you manage to procure tickets.

Bard of Catawba.

Daniel Bard seems to leave a nice impression in his wake. He and his two younger brothers (Jared and Luke) have all pitched for Charlotte Christian School in Charlotte, NC. Says the baseball coach:

"They are great kids, great citizens who'll do well in life whether they're baseball players or not. They're extremely talented, but they're humble and they work hard. They'll give you 100 percent no matter who you're playing or what's the score.”

Also, he's apparently close with his brothers. Says his mother:

"What touches me the most is how they encourage and support each other. They're always calling or texting to see how the other one's doing. That's just a blessing to me. They're all humble and don't brag on themselves. They've been gifted, but work hard at it.”

Say it with me: Awww.

A New Home for Bell.

(Lifted from sittingstill.net)

He was never the best player but Mark Bellhorn has always been one of my favorites. I used to use Anita Bellhorn as an Internet pseudonym (stop laughing). Last year he ended up with the Dodgers AA affiliate only to be released in July. In January he went to an open try-out for the Brewers but didn't make the team. Today he signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies. Good luck to Bell.

Where's Mel Gibson Now?

Watching Josh Bard's body language (because it's a Heidi interview I had to work my courage up to turning the sound on), he seems like he's a good listener--he's very still. He also seems immune to Heidi's giggly, flirtyness. I think I might like him.

Josh Bard pluses:

He likes good food. He likes to dance. He's self-deprecating. And he likes his family; in four minutes he mentions his wife twice, his brother, and his parents.

Josh Bard minuses:

His taste in movies. He lists Braveheart and Bull Durham as being among his favorites. I suppose they're not necessarily negatives--I don't think I've ever seen Braveheart in it's entirety because it was boring and Bull Durham had it's moments but was too long. He's also kind of literal (but I could chose to believe that he's being purposefully obtuse, which would be a positive.)

Josh Bard trivia:

He hit a walk-off homerun in his very first game.

Positive News.

Daisuke Matsuzaka's second outing of the spring was quite a bit more successful than the first. Earlier today Matsuzaka threw three innings against the Yomiuri Giants, allowing no runs and only one hit. Of his thirty-two pitches, twenty were strikes and he walked only two. If this is what he meant by pushing himself (thirty-two pitches in three innings), then I'll take it. At that pace he'd regularly last nine innings. Of course, he'd be walking six batters per game-which wouldn't be too hot.