Happy/Sad.

I'm going to miss Justin Masterson. Yeah, Happy could be a little preachy but, overall, he was ten kinds of adorable. And possibly the sweetest, happiest kid ever, witness: his final blog entry. Maybe the hair is to blame.

Best of luck to Happy Masterson in Cleveland. And poor Don Orsillo--no more cookies.

Quick Hits.

Just a couple of quick things:

(Lifted from David Ortiz's facebook page from the opening of his restaurant.)

"Hi. My name is Jason and I'll be your waiter. Can I get you a drink while you look over the menu?"



Also, Justin Masterson would like your opinion on whether he should grow his hair out or not. Based on that goofy beard he sprouted last post-season, I'd say no.

The Mean Streets of Minneapolis.

This one may be a week old but it's still too good to let fall by the wayside. Babe-in-the-woods, Happy Masterson describing an evening out in Minneapolis:

"Went to eat at Applebee’s and a group of girls invited me to their table by buying me a water. I said "Thanks, but not thanks." Got hit on while I was walking by a gay bar and then as I turned the corner there was what seemed to be a homeless women trying to bum a smoke off me. Of course, I don’t carry cigarettes on my person, so I told her I didn’t and she then went on to give me the good game booty pat. That caught me off guard. And then she continued to speak in a bit of drunken stupor of how she wished that I was her man."

First off all, do they charge for water at Applebee's? Because if they don't (and really even if they do), Masterson's chickadees may want to work on their seduction technique. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that "Why don't you come over here? We've got water." has never been a successful come on.

Chilly Willy.

Jonathan Papelbon may not yet realize it (he seems as though he'd be oblivious to everything that doesn't have a direct and forceful impact on his very own self) but Justin Masterson is quietly taking over his role of go-to quote guy. Papelbon has a pretty good working relationship with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum of Comcast Sports but lately Masterson has even begun encroaching on that territory with the blog that they are hosting for him.

Two things that I love about Happy's post from last night: First, he randomly includes a line about going to the aquarium yesterday and the multitude of penguins therein:

"I went to the Aquarium today. The line was really long but there was a nice lady, Denise, who helped and got us in there a little bit quicker. I guess it’s hard not to notice the big bald guy standing around. It’s a neat little place, especially if you like penguins, because it has tons, not real big, but there are a bunch of them."

You'd think a nice, young, Christian fellow like himself would be against line jumping just because he's famous but whatevs. I'm also not entirely certain if he's talking about small-ish penguins or a small-ish aquarium but it doesn't really matter because he's so damn adorable.

And secondly, he writes:

"We have the Yankees coming in, but not only that we have some warm weather heading our way too. I hope that you enjoy it, because I know that I will."

The impending warmth is more important to Justin Masterson than the arrival of the New York Yankees. I wish to preserve him under glass so that he will never change.

March of the Tin Soldiers.

So the coming out of the stands thing? That was just goofy. It's few hours later and I've forgotten what exactly it was supposed to symbolize. It was probably pretty cool if you happened to be sitting right there, though.

It seemed to be a mostly unpopular decision. Saito couldn't get down those steps fast enough and he did so with a look on his face of "Oh my God. What have I gotten myself into? Who Are You People? STOP TOUCHING ME!" but David Ortiz seemed to lap up the attention. Jonathan Papelbon had no time for anyone but Happy was, well, happy. (I can't imagine what you'd have to do to Justin Masterson to make him unhappy.) JD Drew also seems to think of himself as a gorilla:

"I felt like a caged animal there for a while. We were stuck in a little bitty corridor or barricade, surrounded by screaming and yelling Red Sox fans. I felt like a gorilla at the zoo. It was neat."

I could see JD as a gnu or maybe a water buffalo but definitely not a gorilla; a gorilla is much too aggressive.

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.

A Little Ray of Sunshine.

Justin Masterson is one of the happiest people in the world. He seems to be generally thrilled with life and everything in it--except his beard but that doesn't worry him too much, he'll just get some Just for Men to darken it up. What's more important is that Happy promises to never change: "Justin Masterson is not changing. What makes me good is who I am right now, so that's where I want to stay." It's most excellent news.

Clown Car.

Happy Masterson continues on his quest to win over the world via adorability.

Video from Rob Bradford.

Sweetness and Light.

Justin Masterson is a freakin' peach. That's all there is to it-he's absolutely adorable. He's a giant who looks like he's twelve, he's very humble and very probably the nicest person anyone would ever meet. Anywhere.

He possesses a beatific smile, which he uses liberally. He, and it, is infectious. He has the power to brighten anyone's day and he isn't afraid to use it, even on umpires. I don't remember which game it was during the playoffs (I am fairly certain it was against the Angels) but there was a spectacular play behind him and Masterson turned to the umpire and said some version of "Did you see that?" and the umpire walks away kind of nodding and laughing.

He's a goof who starts off interviews with "Oh my goodness."

Asked Masterson about the Sea Dogs dinner:

"It's hard to believe I'm the guest of honor. Why would people want to see me?"

Answer: Adorability.

At the end of last season, Masterson did an interview with Baseball Prospectus. This probably sounds saccharine but it's very sweet.

Said Masterson about what he'd learned since spring training:

"Coming here—I think the most fun I've had in baseball is being here in the major leagues, because these guys are great. Everyone wants to win, because that's what it's all about, and no matter what your differences are, you come together, but this is probably the most fun I've ever had in a year. It's been challenging, but it's been a lot of fun."

Awwww.

Dinner Dates.

Justin Masterson has a busy off-season, or he's in Boston for the weekend and that's why he scheduled so many appearances. On January 9, he'll be at the Portland Seadogs Hot Stove Dinner up in Maine. The money raised goes to Strike Out Cancer in Kids. Tickets are $50 but they come with a photo of Happy. On January 10, he'll be at the Jimmy Fund's New Stars for Young Stars event. On January 11, he'll be at the car show. And on January 12, he'll sleep.


Meanwhile down in North Carolina, Terry Francona will be the featured speaker at UNC's First Pitch Dinner on January 31. The event will be held at The Carolina Club on the University of North Carolina's campus. Tickets are $75.

Dwarf.

(Lifted from Sittingstill)

Mark your calendar. Justin Masterson will be signing autographs and flashing that goofy grin at the World of Wheels auto show on January 11 from 1:00 to 3:00pm. As I'm fairly certain that Mike Timlin did this event last year, perhaps it's a subtle sign from Happy as to the role intended for him next season. Or not.

Silver Lining.

I suppose one thing to take away from that game is that the bullpen, with the exception of Mike Timlin (whom I don't see earning himself a post-season roster spot, anyway), was good tonight. And a good bullpen is vital.

Okajima's first inning was cake. He had trouble in his second but in came Justin Masterson. I just wanted to hug the big lug or buy him a drink or something (though in his goody-two-shoes-ness he probably doesn't drink) after he got out of a bases-loaded-one-out jam with a strike out of the only good batter the Rays have and a ground out. He strutted out there for the ninth inning (and with the help of Kevin Cash) mowed them down.

And then it was Manny Delcarmen's turn. *Gulp* Manny Del did Dennis Eckersley proud. Eck has said repeatedly that Manny Del is too good to be scared of batters and tonight he wasn't. He got a strike out, a ground out-with some heads up fielding by Delcarmen, and a fly out in the tenth. And in the eleventh got a ground out-with some slick fielding by Lowrie, a strike out, gave up a double, but got a ground out to end the inning.

Then came old buddy Javier Lopez. On Javier's birthday I promised to try to be nicer to him but if he continues to pitch like he did tonight, and has been doing recently, I probably won't have to try. Javier got through his first inning with two ground outs and a strike out. He gave up a double and a walk to start off his second inning but then got a double play and ground out to finish it off. He even came out for the first batter of the fourteenth inning and got a strike out.

Granted, the Rays aren't the Angels or even what Chicago was a couple of weeks ago in terms of hitting. But it's all good stuff to see.

You Just Can't Keep a Good Pitcher Down.

According to Tony Massorotti David Aardsma has been placed on the DL with a strained right groin and has been replaced by Justin Masterson. Masterson had success against the Angels during his start in April-it'll be interesting to see how he's transitioned to relieving and if he can continue to be successful. Speedy recovery to Aardsma, though.