Captions, Photo Day.

Getty Images from Photo Day:


"If I make puppy dog eyes, will you promise to not take my job away?"


The Jason Varitek is confused series:

I would assume that the expression he's reaching for is one of intensity.


"You want me to do what?"


"Seriously. I don't get it. Hold the bat by my shoulder...Why?"


The confusion is spreading amongst the catchers.


"You do know how ridiculous this is, right?"


An issue with equilibrium may have to be added to Francona's list of ailments.



"I think someone just farted."



It looks like Beckett is wearing those sneakers that are supposed to tone your legs and improve your posture; however, they don't seem to be helping him straighten his damn knees.

Twit.

Dusty Brown has a twitter account. If he gets one hundred followers, he promises to provide insights into the life of a minor-league catcher. Help the boy out.

Knuckleheads.

You've got to think that one of the worst things about playing against the Red Sox is Tim Wakefield. If the knuckleball is working that day, then all that work you've put in in the batting cage is for nought. You've spent hours making something akin to a science out of hitting and for this particular game it comes down to luck. Conversely with R.A. Dickey having joined the Mets, one of the best things about playing for the Sox must be never having to try to hit a knuckleball.

Except in spring training when Wakefield throws live batting practice to David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia:

"Wow," Ortiz yelled at the top of his lungs after an unhittable knuckler dropped right over the plate. "What was that?"

A grinning Wakefield talked a little smack from the pitchers mound.

"You hitting that one? You hitting that one?" the 43-year-old knuckleballer teased.

Ortiz then bowed out, but laughed loudly as Pedroia twisted himself in a knot swinging and missing. Youkilis finally got a ball out of the infield, popping weakly to shallow center, and letting out a proud, "Aww yeah!" at the accomplishment."

Found A Peanut.

I'm not one to coo over babies but if D'Angelo Ortiz isn't the cutest little peanut to ever walk the face of the earth, then the sun doesn't rise in the east.

Your Cheatin Heart.

You can't really blame John Lackey. Huge smile, giant hugs, David Ortiz is irresistible. The sooner Josh Beckett comes to gripes with that the better.

BFF.

It's been awhile since I've made fun of Josh Beckett. I kind of miss it. Where, oh where, is my surly, monotonous, one-word answering kitten? He would have been good at Chris Collins' game. This Josh Beckett is almost approachable; still scary--I still wouldn't tease him about the strands of gray in that awful beard or Wake being able to help him out with that--but almost approachable.

Interestingly, in the couple of days he's known John Lackey they've apparently really clicked. According to Beckett, they're like total besties now. He also has strange looking knees.

Games You Won't Be Able to See.

MLB Network released it's spring training game schedule. They've got the Sox on March 7 versus Baltimore, March 11 versus the Mets, March 13 versus the Pirates, March 14 versus the Twins, March 23 versus the Twins, March 28 versus the Twins, March 29 versus Tampa, and April 3 at Washington. NESN will be covering the games on March 14, March 28, and March 29 but if you wanted to watch the rest of them, you're out of luck. The games will be blacked out in the local viewing area.

The stupidity of blacking out the games boggles. If NESN doesn't want to show the games, well alright, maybe they've got Bruins games or some other programming gem. But who besides the people in a team's network broadcast area is going to want to watch a spring training game?