Gillibean is Getting Her Groove Back

Despite the longer than acceptable hiatus, I'm bringing back Oil Can Roids- 2008 style. Since our last meeting the Red Sox won their second world series in 3 years and the Patriots are a perfect 16-0 on the season. Another thing occurred just as the post season kicked off. Two Sox fans met for the second game of the ALDS. Manny hits walk off homer. Love blooms through post season. Red Sox love...ain't it great?

2008 and is going to be a big year! The Patriots will win the super bowl. The Sox will dominate the AL. The Celtics will cruise through the season. Boston will once again be named the best sports city in America.

Coming soon- my predictions for the Santana trade, who our biggest competitor will be and we'll check in with Cape Cod Ed to see how his Hot Stove is cooking down in Yarmouthport.

Stay tuned kids. This should be quite a year. I've got my groove back, Papelbon style.


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Do you hear what I hear?

Well that was one long ass vacation folks. Much needed to say the least. However, 2 full weeks of no Sox and limited Internet access life was tough. Picture Gillibeann and Cape Cod Ed in a basement Internet cafe in Riga Latvia recounting the last 7 days of the Sox. Then fast forwarded to CCE in the Helsinki airport chasing down a kid in a Papi teeshirt to get updates. Now I KNOW where my fanaticism comes from. In my absence Lester made his much anticipated return. John- we missed you! Schilling is expected to start and Gagne is in the pen receiving a standing O last night from the 38 thousand plus Faithful in attendance last night. And Papelbon is still one hunk of grade A American Man Meat. He drinks Bud. Not Budlite. Bud. Be still my beating heart!


Ok watching the Yanks go on a balls to the wall homerun derby in the last week has made me a little more than uneasy. I hear the pitter patter of Yankmee feet behind us. I knew they would make a run but I didn't think it would be this early. I thought it would be last minute. And no, it doesn't help that A-fraud has gone 0-21 because the Sox went 0-10 with RISP in the Orioles series up until the 7th last night. Orioles!!!! Anyone catch Miller trying to take out Lowell? All in jest I'm sure but he look a little uncomfortable when the crowd booed him. I do believe that little Dustin is my new favorite Red Sox. What a little scrappah you ah buddy! 3-4 last night. Good for you!

Two west coast series! Ugh- killah. Then they are here at Camden Yaaaahds. I'll be rootin for them with the Cuz next Saturday like a true Sox fan should- drunk and sunburn in the upper deck.

Reasons why the A.L. is far superior to the N.L.

As if I really need a post to quantify why the American League is better than the National League but for reason's I cannot explain ND Bucco I feel the need to push some buttons today.

1. Ichiro "Kanichiwa Bitches!" Suzuki
First EVER inside the park homerun at the All Star Game. I'll admit, I do not like playing against him but playing with-- I'll sign up for that any day.

2. We have a player whose sole job is to hit the crap out of the ball day in and day out. Don't give me this crap that he's not a real player. Apparently it works- A.L. has won the last 11 ASG's. Not counting that silly tie in 2002. ELEVEN GAMES!

3. Like Leyland said in the lockeroom before the game; Baseball is booming- it's always booming in NY and Boston but because you YOU (AL All Stars) it's booming everywhere!


1 reason A.L. stinks? We have Eric "Burnout" Byrnes. Seriously dude, you were in a kayak with your bull dog reporting for the ASG? Really? I see some romantic tryst between Jeanie Zalasko and Eric Byrnes. Jeanie will want to know where Eric gets his highlights done and Eric will want to learn from Jeanie how to act like you have balls.

I give to you your future Red Sox All Stars

It's the All Star Break and what I should be doing is taking a look back at the first half of the season. Grading each and every player. Giving projections. Predicitons. Providing offerings to the baseball gods. But I will not. I simply do not have the time. So instead I give you these adorable pictures. They are better than those damn kittens in a basket thats for sure!

I Heart Mid-Week Holidays

Nothing makes me happier than a random day off in the middle of the week. I'm not a good week day drinker- so when I'm able to scoot out on Tuesday night, grab some beers and watch some baseball; I'm a pretty happy camper. I've learned a lot the past two days. I learned that Budweiser still manages to kick my ass in less time than my regular Miller Lite. I learned that RSN has the best fans in the world. Every butt in Fenway left its seat on Tuesday night when Lugo got his first hit in 33 at bats. Every single person jumped and cheered. The entire dugout rushed out to the railing like it was a Papi walk off homer. If that pure and unadulterated support doesn't do Lugo's psyche some good, the dude is a complete nimrod. Most importantly I learned that you should always read the directions when making mass quantities of Margaritas. Oh, and proper conversion of measurements is a very important thing. Needless to say, today, I am a waste of space.

Let's revisit Tuesday nights game. Dice-K was a figgen supah stah! He pitched like he was worth the $51 mil! Eight innings, 9 strike outs and only 1 walk! Kinichiwa bitches! Who didn't cheer when Lugo got that hit? Ok, so first you said- "No effin way! Was that Lugo?" but then you cheered. A honest to goodness heartfelt cheer. It felt good didn't it? I haven't cheered like that in a while. And then something hit me. My friend ND Bucco is right. Without the Yankee's creeping up behind us or better yet tear assing in front of us, being a Sox fan is a little less exciting. I said it in the last post- the games have been crappy and I'm not pleased. No walk off homers. No come from behind exciting wins. Well there have been some but I want more! I want a bench clearing brawl. I want a grand slam. I want some HEART!

I was at a BBQ yesterday, like our founding Father's intended. Well, maybe they didn't intend margarita's and Doritos but we did it up 2007 style. In any case, I didn't get to watch Old Timmeeh out on the mound. I feel like I should start singing "The Final Countdown" each time he starts. Just a few more games and then it's the ASG and a bit of a break. Here's to hoping they come out with bats blazing in the second half of the season. If we are going to be in first I want to see some balls to the wall playing out there. Capice?

WWCCED?

This is the first of many installments called: What Would Cape Cod Ed Do? Cape Cod Ed is my Pops and a life long Sox watcher. Notice I did not say fan- it's a love/hate relationship between them. Birthday dinners, holidays and anniversaries have been delayed because games went into extra innings. Doors have been slammed, curses have been muttered and sleepless nights have occurred during a last ditch effort at a run for the post season. All done in the name of fandom.

He claims he has mellowed in his latter years, but I still hear the hellfire and brimstone in his voice when we drop two to Texas-- at home. Now, my Mother is a life long Sox fan as well; having told the nuns at school that she wanted to be Ted Williams when she grew up. However, she is not an ardent Sox enthusiast. She can probably name the starting lineup (in order) but she can't tell you their BA or slugging percentage. She can name the starting rotation but won't be able to tell you their ERA or WHIPS. Cape Cod Ed can- with authority. He can also tell you what Uncle Tito is thinking, and what his next move should be. These are qualities us Boston fans akin to a true Sox enthusiast. You might know that Papi hasn't had a walk off homer since July 30, 2006 but you should also know he can't lay off a sweet change up lately and it's been KILLING HIM!

Ok back to the post at hand; WWCCED? Cape Cod Ed and I had a short discussion yesterday mid game. It went a little something like this:

Gillibeann: They suck. I know they are in first place but it's just because other teams suck more than they do.

CCE: He needs to bench them all.

Gillibeann: Excuse me?

CCE: They all need to sit. They will lose, but it's worth it.

Gillibeann: Again, what? Explain.

CCE: Tito needs to bench the regula line up. These boys are tired. They have lost their oomph. They have no pep! Make them sit and play those who haven't gotten a chance to play. We'll lose but oh well. Papi looks lost. Manny is calling it in. Lugo has found new ways to f*ck up I didn't think were possible. Bench them all. Make them sit. We'll lose- but it's ok.

Gillibeann: Yah...I don't think that's going to happen.

CCE has piqued my interest. Seriously- imagine tuning into the game tonight and seeing a line up of bench warmers? At least it would be more exciting to watch. I was more interested in watching Jacoby Ellsbury (and not just because he's the cutest thing to don a Sox uni since Tek in his early years) than watching Papi. Seeing the players out there who have something to prove makes it more exciting. Cora had two sick flashes of the leather yesterday. Fancy footwork included. Even though Youk is a staple in the line up he still makes every at bat like it was his last in life. He strikes out and I swear he's going to crap thunder and crush skulls. Manny flies out and gives a shrug- "Aye...no hay de que". Yes Manny! It does matter! What good is being in first place (waaaay in first place) when you seem to call it in every day. 11 men left on base! 9 the night before. That's just sad.

So I agree with CCE on this one. Bench em! Take a seat for a while boys. We'll see you after the All Star break. Hopefully. Lugo- it ain't looking too good buddy. And that attempt to steal third might have sealed your fate for a few weeks.

The Good, the Bad and the Manny

Longest. Game. Ever. I started watching at work. Left and went running- got all the way home and the game was still on. At least the weather in Seattle was not scortchingly hot. If they had to play that game in Fenway they would have been wheeling people out on stretchers hooked up to IV's of Natty Light. It's hot in D.C. The walk from the Metro to the office in the morning is pure unadulterated Hell. There is no respite from the blinding sun. Not to mention I walk by 100 cars parked, idling cars filled with people waiting for the courts to open. Oh, and there is a ginormous construction site with pounding jack hammers and archaic machines kicking up all sorts of toxic dust. Did I mention it's also hot as hell out there? I should get hazard pay.

The long ball was not happening yesterday. There were a bunch of warning track long fly balls. It was nice to see some strategy in the 7th when they laid down a nice bunt that on a bad throw to first advanced the runner to third. They parlayed that into a RBI. Nice work. Look at Dice-K takin' the game all the way into the 8th. Dice-K had 3 hits, 1 run and 8 strike outs. He has officially caught the Wakefield disease. Step away from Timmehy, Dice-K. You can catch no run support if you get too close. It would have been over had Lugo not struck out. Get the count to 3-0 and still strike out? That sucks. Take a seat son, your ass needs to ride the wood for a while. And Manny, Manny Manny...where you out on fly ball catching day?

Pinero bread, Pinero bread...oh how I dislike thee. And, that's all I have to say about that.

Moving on- I've heard from three separate people that they believe Schilling will be back at the end of the season for a performance Royal of epic ass kickin and soul crushing proportions. I would love to see it but I'm not sure it will happen. I'll say I have my doubts. I'll gladly raise my hand and say "I AM a doubting Thomas." Then I'll be doubly giddy when I'm proven wrong.