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.

Cuteness Overload.

Much to my mother's chargrin, I'm not really one to coo over babies. In all honesty, I think infants look a lot like potatoes. Cute little kids are a different story, though. They're more interesting, they've got personality, and they're less root vegetable-esque. In the August issue of Boston Magazine, they have a photo spread of some of the kids of Sox players (current, former, and coach) modeling very expensive clothing.

Just a couple of things occurred to me:

1. Alex Cora has some good-looking kids. His wife must be absolutely breathtaking. If his step-son isn't breaking hearts at his high school, then I don't know what's wrong with those girls.

2. Wake's son is a doll. Mike Timlin's kids are spitting images of him. David's daughter is going to be a stunner.

3. Clearly, they've all been around baseball their entire lives. Youk's fiance's son is the only one who looks like he doesn't know what he's doing.

4. But none of them can hold a candle to possibly the cutest peanut to ever exist on the face of the earth: D'Angelo Ortiz. The kid just oozes cute. For no good reason, I've already ascribed his father's personality to him which makes him even more adorable.

How did you Spend the Off Day?

I watched the season finale of The Office last night but apparently, Red Sox pitchers have better things to do than hanging around watching t.v.


Manny Del and David Aardsma made the looong trek up to Colchester, VT to visit Porters Point School, the winners of the Hood Sox Tops for Kids program. The kids seemed to be more into meeting Wally but I suppose that's to be expected when you throw two relatively new relief pitchers at a bunch of little kids. I've also got to say that I've never been too impressed with what I've seen of Manny Delcarmen as a person but his interaction with the kindern seemed quite cute.


In the meantime, Jon Lester, was headed in the other direction. He went down to Dunkin' Donuts in Warwick to hand out free iced coffee.


Mike Timlin headed up to Maine for the opening of the Cabela's.

Happy Birthday Mike Timlin!

He's everything a good reliever ought to be, really. He's intense and sort of scary. When he's healthy, he does his job well. He was a member of a frat in college. He's slightly off his rocker. He's unpredictable. Despite all of that, he seems like a perfectly nice, likable, genuine guy.

So happy forty-second birthday Mike Timlin and many happy returns to you.

Mike Timlin, no. 50

Birth Date: March 10, 1966 in Midland, TX
Height/Weight: 6'4", 210 lbs.
College: Southwestern University (where he was a Phi Delt. Can't say that's completely unexpected)
Contract: 1 year at $3 million

Mike Timlin pitched in fifty games last season. He pitched either 55.3 innings (baseball-reference.com) or 55.1 innings (thebaseballcube.com) depending on who you ask. During those innings, he gave up 46 hits and 23 runs (21 of them earned.) He also gave up 7 home runs. He walked 14 batters and struck out 31. He's got a good fastball. His slider has a nice downward break, that results in a lot of ground balls. He had 4 put outs and 9 assists but was charged with 2 errors.

His numbers are decent but his real value lies in the experience and leadership that he brings to the bullpen. This upcoming season will be the eighteenth season that he's played major league ball. He's got three (shortly to be four) World Series champion rings. After the 2004 World Series Terry Francona said something to the effect of: Keith Foulke might be the closer but the bullpen is lead by Timlin. I really believe that all that silliness that went on last season in the bullpen, that helped them meld into the best bullpen in the game, was on Mike Timlin.

His success next season depends on whether he can keep himself healthy of not. He's had shoulder problems in the past, which is to be expected because (new mantra): Pitchers deteriorate with age. If he can maintain his shoulder then he'll probably put up numbers similar to this season's numbers.

The Admiral Returns

According to the Globe, the Sox have reached terms with Mike Timlin. They're supposedly going to pay him three million for the year. It seems like a lot for a guy who only played in fifty games last year but I don't really mind. He was quite good in those fifty games.

And, without any proof, I have to believe that he was the one who decided the bullpen was a pirate ship. And if all that silliness was on him, then I'm happy to have him back.

Also, on an unrelated note, I have figured out from whence my Papelove has sprung. This may come of as regional-ist (if that were a real thing) but it's the goofy-ass way he speaks. Even reading the quotes from his WEEI interview that were in the Globe made me smile. I don't know if it's truly possible to speak in run-on sentences but he seems to have mastered it. Also, he's completely guileless. He's gonna be a ca-drillionaire, baby.