Our Fearful Trip is Not Quite Done.

In a surprise to-absolutely-no-one move, Jason Varitek exercised his player option yesterday afternoon to become Boston's backup catcher. I guess it's okay. His teammates all seem to like him and feel that he's important (though maybe Kottaras less so in this instance). He did have a nice start to last season, so maybe he'll benefit from the extra time off. A girl can hope, right?

When I'm Right...

While it certainly isn't his physical appearance, I knew that there was something to love about Craig Breslow. [Aside: He does have a very nice speaking voice.] It would seem that Breslow also made quite the impression on teammate Dallas Braden.

Braden--stupidly named lefty starter out in Oakland; looks like a smarmy bastard in his roster photo; was having a very nice season until he was felled by a severe case of athlete's foot (officially he was put on the disabled list with a foot rash but, for amusement purposes, I choose to believe that it was athlete's foot)--had this to say about Craig:

"Breslow knows everything. I seriously want to be Craig Breslow when I grow up. He knows things most baseball players wouldn't even try to think about. ... I'm not saying we're all a bunch of rockheads, but if we were, he'd know how to build some kind of laser to break up the rocks and turn them into something way cooler."

That is just a tremendous quote. Nomar's also in the video but, to be honest, I didn't watch the whole thing simply because I can't get over that quote.

Yankee Fans Suck.

In this particular space I keep my politics to myself but this both amused me and pissed me off.

The House of Representatives, obviously having nothing more important to do, took up a vote yesterday to congratulate the Yankees on their World Series win. The bill passed with 89% of the vote but that wasn't good enough for Pete King (R-NY) who said:

"Being from New York, I have always considered myself to be a winner. So it is very difficult for me to understand the 'begrudgery' and thought process of those who come from unimportant cities and states." (emphasis mine)

Seriously, guy? Thanks.

A Hunting We Will Go.

Betty Boop - A Hunting We Will Go
by baje22

I am not morally opposed to hunting. I don't particularly understand it's appeal but I'm not against it.

So even though I don't recall having ever seen a Betty Boop cartoon, I was never really a fan of Ms. Boop. (My Dad's nickname for me is descended from Ms. Boop's and it greatly offended my childhood sensibilities to be named after a cartoon character. My grandfather always used to call me Betty and my Dad picked up on that and calls me Booper, or in its full version: Betty Booper Pooper Scooper. It was never a favorite of mine.) She seems to be a bit of a flake. In this cartoon, she will just absolutely die if she doesn't get a fur coat but then the sight of the animals without their fur causes her to see the light and she gives them back their coats. Because skinning animals alive is wrong. Or something.

Hopefully, Josh Beckett has properly vetted the participants in his charity hunting event this weekend (You knew that there would be a point in here somewhere, right? And that really was the only mention I could find of the gathering--a throw away line in an article about philanthropic Tommy Hunter.) so that he hasn't invited any individuals who might share Ms. Boop's ideals. I'd bet she's a trouble maker.

Soup's On.

So Bud Selig wants to push the World Series into November? Fine. We'll just have to start the hot stove season the day after it ends.

The Sox announced today that they've acquired Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins for Hunter Jones and Jose Alvarez. The question is: Why?

Hermida is a former first round draft pick who hasn't really lived up to expectations. He had a nice year in 2007 but has been less impressive since then. His numbers last year may have been hurt by a strained oblique. He does have pretty good plate discipline, I guess. Hermida has played mostly right field in his career but played fifty-one games in left last season; either way, he's better defensively than Jason Bay (which isn't saying much) but he isn't fabulous.

I don't know. He does fit into Theo's dream roster filled with players whose names begin with J.

Things I Have Learned in the Past Five Years.

Aw, Philly? You suck. I am glad that you screwed it up on a night when I didn't have to go to work the next morning though.

Here's the thing: I don't actually care that the Yankees won. I would have adored it had they lost, there's no denying that, but I'm not perturbed about their win today. I'm not going to pull my hair out. I'm not even going to be mildly depressed. The whole thing is just kind of, "Meh. Whatever."

It seems that post-2004, it's all different. Yankee fans have lost their power over me. Five years ago the sight of a smug, condescending individual in a Yankee cap would have sent me to ground. But now? Now they're gnats. Now they don't matter. Theo and Co. have imbued me with a sense of security and it's wonderfully freeing.

The Red Sox are no longer a team to be ashamed of and as much as Yankee fans might prance around preening and gloating, they will not convince me that I should be. And as much as they might not want to believe it, I'm not jealous of their team. I'm happy with mine, thanks. The Yankees are no longer the be-all-and-end-all the baseball world.

So let the baby have it's bottle. There's always next year.

Semi Off Topic.

Alright Phillies. Truth be told, I am not normally a fan. I don't understand how you can have Andy Pettitte on the ropes like that but be unable to deliver the knock out blow. And to top it all off, he ends up winning the game. And the less said about Philadelphia fans the better. But today is a new day and I need you to do me a favor tonight and for the next couple of games. I need you, collectively, as a team, to channel your inner John Cleese. Thank you.