All Hail Hale.

Over the weekend, Gordon Edes returned to the world of Boston sports writing and every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Can I get a squee? Is that allowed? I've always liked Edes. He writes well and has interesting things to say--two traits not commonly found in tandem in a Boston sportswriter. It was a sad day when he departed leaving us in the easily flustered, overly anxious, Chicken Little-esque hands of Tony Mazz.

And what better way to really get started than to pass on the information that DeMarlo Hale will be named Terry Francona's bench coach in a few days, Tim Bogar will shift over to third, and (Pawtucket manager) Ron Johnson will man first.

Dear NESN:

Perhaps it's just a misconception on my part but it seems like there was a lot less coverage of spring training this year. Maybe you showed the same number of games as you always have and it's WRKO's fault. But implicitly or not, you promised me that we were inching closer to real baseball. And so dutifully I showed up in front of my television screen promptly at 6:00 tonight only to be greeted by a note saying that you were experiencing technical difficulties and that I should stay tuned before you whisked me off to the Remys.

When you did come back, there was sound but no picture. It didn't take too long before things straightened themselves out and the audio and video lined themselves up. Yay! But then the picture froze. And pixelated. And turned green. And disappeared all together. And then there was a rain delay--which, I suppose, wasn't technically your fault--and the whole process started over again.

I understand having the kind of day where nothing seems to go as planned. I do. I sympathize. I've been the victim of those days often enough. And maybe it was just the rain that was messing you up but I sincerely hope that you can fix whatever it is that ails you by Monday.

Much love until then,

Liz

Fine Young Cannibals.

In an interminable week it's important to keep reminding myself that baseball is nearly here. It's almost time to get back into the habit of being sure to get home before 6, finding a comfortable spot on the couch, and flipping on NESN (I was going to write turning on Tom Caron but that's not quite right.) With a notable exception, I find myself generally enjoying the product that they put together.

My favorite companion for Tom has to be Dennis Eckersley. He's very emotive and into the game. He doesn't hold back in his commentary. At times it seems like he was ready to run out there during a particularly hairy game and demand to be give the baseball. Eck does have his gig moonlighting for TBS but when you have the option of Don and Jerry why would you go anywhere else?

When one is forced to watch a game on TBS it gets the ESPN treatment (television muted and Joe C. summarizing a few seconds later), so I'm not too familiar with the commentary regularly provided by Ron Darling. In a conference call to promote Sunday MLB on TBS, though, he sounds like a keeper:

"I think (the Red Sox) have the intangible in (manager) Tito (Terry Francona). He just seems to have his hand on the pulse of that team since he’s been there. He plays that team (oriented) offensive baseball. It doesn’t hurt when you’ve got the reigning MVP (Dustin Pedroia) on your team who is just about as gritty a player as you’re going to get. He’s a guy that refuses to lose. When you have players like that, guys like Pedroia and (Kevin) Youkilis, who will bite your leg and won’t let go. That’s a great combination for a sixth month season.”

So there you have it, Ron Darling's guide to MLB success: a steady diet of gastrocnemius muscle. Also, Eck is going with the home town team to win the division.

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.

Huzzah!

A couple of weeks ago I was lamenting the loss of Jeff Goldberg's take on the Red Sox. So imagine my surprise when I was going through my e-mail and came across an alert for a blog entry written by Jeff Goldberg. It can't be, I thought. But it's true, Jeff Goldberg has a blog!

Streching for Material.

We've got it. It's the off-season and it hasn't been the most exciting off-season in the history of baseball. Finding news to talk about can be a struggle. But NESN has come up with a solution to the boredom. On Sunday's edition of the Red Sox Report, they'll be showing a recap of David Ortiz's golf tournament. It's something at least.

Another One Bites the Dust.

A little bit of depressing news to go with your lunch: The Hartford Courant has cut Jeff Goldberg's position. They will not be sending a beat writer to cover the Red Sox this season.

It really is a shame. Goldberg was one of my favorites, even if he did look like he was being held upside down by his ankles in his photograph. It would seem that there won't really be anyone worth reading this season. Rob Bradford was the best but I'm mildly protesting him since his move to 'EEI (nothing good has ever come out of there and likely never will). Edes was alright but he's moved on to Yahoo!. I've made my feelings about Amalie Benjamin clear and Tony Mazzarotti is scant inches above her. I guess with Goldberg gone, my go to guy will have to be Sean McAdam.

In trying times we all have to make sacrifices for the greater good and as such, I nominate myself to take over for Goldberg. Writing experience is limited but I'm willing to take on the constant flying, and shuttling between airport, crappy hotel--featuring even crappier food, and baseball stadium, ad nauseum until you stop caring about the baseball. I'll take on the cramped working conditions and the deadlines. I might even consider a move to Hartford, if that would make things easier.