Manny being Manny *yawn*

Like many in RSN, I'm growing really tired of the Manny Ramirez show. First he hates Boston; then he loves it, can't imagine playing anywhere else. Then he says he'd rather play for the Angels - after all, when he was out there once for a game, he walked around the mall and no one bothered him. Then he wants to play for the Mets (and they apparently, really want him to play for them)

Now comes word that Manny has put his luxury penthouse in Boston up for sale. If you've got $6.9 million hanging around, you might want to check this out! 4500 square feet on the 37th floor of the Ritz Carlton, 4 bedrooms, 6 baths. Oh, and the Fenway-themed child's bedroom!

So, maybe he's really serious THIS time about wanting to get out. But I can't see where the New York fans will be any easier on him, or that the limelight won't shine as bright there. And I'm not sure there are many teams out there who can afford him and will put up with his antics. I was lucky enough to be at Fenway for the culmination of the Manny saga this summer. At the Friday game, he was booed by the Fans - after he didn't seem to have his heart in the game. On Saturday, he sat out - amidst rumors that he was about to be traded. On Sunday, as the trade deadline loomed at 4pm, we all sat in the stands, suddenly realizing that our Manny might really be going. When 4:00 passed, a visible relaxation took place. And then, Manny dramatically entered the game in the bottom of the 8th to pinch hit. It was an incredibly electric moment - people were on their feet cheering while Ortiz was standing at the plate with a 1-0 count (he was being intentionally walked). Manny stepped up to the plate - the crowd absolutely going nuts - and punched a shot up the center that scored Renteria for the go-ahead run. My goose bumps had goosebumps! And after the game, he tells Eric Frede that he can't imagine playing anyplace else.

Anyplace else, except Anaheim, I guess.

I say - let him go. He's in for a rude awakening!

Hall of Fame Ballot & other baseball news

The 2006 Hall of Fame ballot was announced today. The complete ballot:

Rick Aguilera, Albert Belle, Bert Blyleven, Will Clark, Dave Concepcion, Andre Dawson, Gary DiSarcina, Alex Fernandez, Gary Gaetti, Steve Garvey, Dwight Gooden, Rich Gossage, Ozzie Guillen, Orel Hershiser, Gregg Jefferies, Tommy John, Doug Jones, Don Mattingly, Willie McGee, Hal Morris, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter, Alan Trammell, Walt Weiss, John Wetteland.

Let me just take a moment to lobby for Jim Rice. You can't imagine the Red Sox of the late 70s/early 80s without Rice and Fred Lynn in the outfield. They were magical - we even used to call them the Gold Dust Twins. They were an unmatched pair on offense - like our Manny-Papi pairing. Rice should have been elected already - he's got the numbers, without a doubt. I think the reason he hasn't made it yet is the fact that he so irritated the press - and the writers are the ones doing the electing. Last year, Rice was named on 59.2% of the ballots - and he needs 75% to get elected. So, come on writers!


(And a side note - little Gary DiSarcina - now a NESN baseball announcer - is also on the ballot!)




Missing from the list: Pete Rose - whose eligibility now expires. Aw.

BJ Ryan to the Toronto Blue Jays - for $47 millon. Looks like the Jays are going to try to seriously contend in the AL East this year and have opened the purse strings.

And the Florida Garage Sale continues - Carlos Delgado to the Mets (who seem to still be pursuing Manny Ramirez..). And the Mets have also grabbed closer Billy Wagner from the Phillies for $43 million. ESPN reports that the Mets are excluded from paying any luxury taxes on their payroll this year - so the sky could be limit for them. But I think the NL East is looking pretty weak next year....

And chuckle of the day - Grady Little wants to manage the Dodgers. Guess that's far enough away from Boston. 8-)

Rent

I got to see the new movie Rent today. I have to admit I went into the movie with no preconceptions - I'd never seen the play, heard the soundtrack or even read much about it beyond that it was loosely based on La Boheme (which I have seen). I really like the film! Great music. The cast is filled with those who originated the roles (with two exceptions) - and I think they were pretty much still beliveable as the young bohemians. (the exception was Jesse L. Martin - who I loved in the part - but still looked a little long in the tooth for the part).

My one observation about it: I don't think I'd jump into the bohemian lifestyle - looks pretty sad and empty. Yes, they had great friends, but how many of them seemed truly happy?

Thanksgiving aftermath

I went absolutely nowhere near a mall yesterday! I've done that whole Black Friday thing several times - and it can be fun - but on the whole I'd rather wait until next week. I read that the initial reports on sales is that they were actually weak - so I predict many good bargains in the weeks ahead. I also read through all the sale papers - and there was nothing that made me say, Hey, I've got to be at (walmart, target etc) at 5 am to get that care bear or whatever.

So, instead I was a complete homebody. I actually baked bread! It smelled so great baking on a cold morning. And then I made one of my favorite long recipes - oven beef stew. It has to bake for 5 hours (!) so I'm reluctant to make it and leave the house. So a perfect day to make it - and it was yummy!

I also watched a whole pile of DVDs I'd rented. On the whole, I was disappointed in my selections. The best two: Coach Carter was good - I'd been wanting to see it since I heard Ken Carter speak at a conference last month. Happy Endings was a quirky, indy from the director of The Opposite of Sex. A black comedy - pretty funny in spots. Tom Arnold was pretty good in it.

I also saw Lemony Snicket. Yawn. And another indie - with Anthony LaPaglia - called Winter Solstice. Just a nice story, kind of bittersweet. And finally, the biggest disappointment was Miracles. About two young boys who find a bag of money and how it affects them. I'd really looked forward to seeing it - but I wasn't prepared for a quirky film in the tradition of Amalie. I may have to try it another time when I'm feeling more whimsical.

Going to see Rent (the film) tomorrow - looking forward to that.

Giambi is an idiot

Chad Finn's Touching all the Bases blog site had this picture on today. It's a RECENT photo from the site VegasExposure.com

I hate to judge, but the tshirt seems to say it all.!

Southern Identity

There's a great article in our local paper (and available on MSNBC here ) about what it means to be a Southerner today. A few highlights:

''The South is a region of irony,'' says Bill Ferris, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. ''It's both un-American and deeply American.''

This kind of sums up my own observations of the region:

[It is] sometimes contradictory: In a region that once tried to break away from the Union, people are generally considered more patriotic than the rest of Americans; in a place where blacks were oppressed for hundreds of years, poll after poll shows them identifying themselves as ''Southern'' even more often than whites do.

The article goes on to both expose, validate and invalidate many stereotypes of the South. Are we more "military"? Yes, we do enlist more - but is that economics? Is it the Bible Belt? As a region, Midwesterners attend church more. Close extended families and traditional values:

Six of the states in the top 10 for highest divorce rates are in the South. And the Census Bureau recently reported that the South is home to 7 of the top 10 states with the highest percentages of out-of-wedlock births. (The Census counts Delaware and Maryland as Southern states.)

And as for the rest:

States with the highest percentage of households without indoor plumbing? Six of the top 10 are in the West and Northeast. And while you can marry your first cousin in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island, it's legally taboo in Kentucky, Mississippi and West Virginia.

It's a fascinating read!

Happy T-day!

Harry Potter

I saw the new Harry Potter movie today, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I have to admit, it's been so long since I read this book, I couldn't really remember the plot line. Which is good, I guess. Anyway, it's very dark - the sun rarely shines in it and it's rather murky. Which perfectly sets up the darkness of the plot. I must say, the young actors are becoming half-way decent actors. Even the Weasley twins - who seemed to have initially been cast only because they were red-headed identical twins - have improved one-hundred percent. All have made incredible progress since the first film, and is it creepy for me to say little Daniel Ratcliffe is kind of becoming a hotey?! They continue to make the adult roles a who's-who of the British film and stage industry, which left my favorite Alan Rickman with little screen time.

Director Mike Newell has raised the bar for the next film; I read he's nixxed doing the fifth film. The CGI effects are really awesome - most noticeably, in the quiddich matches and the dragons. And be prepared - the film is two and a half hours long! So don't drink a large Coke before you enter the theater!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I got this recipe from my sister - who got it from her dental hygienist! It's really good - but NOT low in points (like, ten points per serving) - but, hey, it's Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Casserole
3-4 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour

1. Cook potatoes until done and mash. Mix with rest of ingredients, and place in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
2. Mix topping ingredients, and spread on top.
3. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mr Henry meets the fans

So, I just came across John W. Henry's q-and-a with members of the Sons of Sam Horn board. He logging on in the middle of the night last night, to answer some questions from the fans about the whole Red Sox situation. Very interesting reading. What I found interesting - and compelling - was his statement that he came to Boston to spend the rest of his life building the organization. He went on to say:

There were times in the recent negotiation when Theo was not sure he wanted to do this for the long-term – that was an issue. And there were times he felt we did not value him enough. There were times we felt he was ambivalent and we did not want a GM who did not crave the position. There were times late when we weren’t on the same page monetarily. There were a number of reasons that although I thought for many months this was a slam dunk like the LL negotiation, it became apparent that there were issues.

And I thought this was a very diplomatic response to the passion of RSN:

While controversy seems to be continually linked with the Red Sox, we are all incontrovertibly linked together in our passion to see the Red Sox be an organization of excellence. I want all of you who post here to know that we listen even when we think it best not to comment and we appreciate your dedication to this organization.

Read the whole section on SOSH for some insights into the man who writes the checks. He really made ME feel a lot better about the state of the Nation.

A man for next season

So, despite the front office turmoil, the Red Sox have managed to pull off a great deal - they've acquired RHP Josh Beckett from the Florida Marlins. According to Chris Snow in the Boston Globe:

Beckett, who will turn 26 in May, went 15-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts in 2005, and in 103 career starts over four-plus seasons, he is 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA, all with Florida, the team that drafted him second overall in 1999.

There are some concerns about his time on the DL this year, although it sounds as though it was for recurrent blisters rather than shoulder or arm problems. I hate they we had to give up Henley Ramirez - but many saw the writing on the wall when the Sox signed Renteria. I think they were trying to move Ramirez over to second - where we need someone - but I've also heard whispers that he was a bit of a discipline problem. Of course, he's young, but...

Even the sometimes cranky Herald had some complimentary things to say:

The deal for Beckett would be an enormous coup for the Sox for an assortment of reasons. Despite operating without a general manager in the wake of Theo Epstein’s departure, the Sox will have acquired a pitcher who could be their ace for years to come

And he's easy on the eyes, too!

LATER: I put this in the comments section, but couldn't figure out how to do a link there. Anyway, Bill Simmons has a great column over at ESPN on why he loves this trade.

Walk the Line

First - congrats to Penn State - Big 10 champs. The Michigan-Ohio State game ended badly.

This weekend I got to see the new film Walk the Line - the Johnny Cash story. And I must say - it is outstanding! Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as Cash - and he has some sizzling chemistry with Reese Witherspoon as June Carter. Of course, as we said, these two are definitely more attractive than the originals! I don't think I ever realized that Cash was marketed as another Elvis, as a rock'n'roller, when he started - I just remember him as a country singer. He really was an amazing talent. The film shows how his roots and family really shaped him - and how his love for June saved his life. Phoenix captures his incredible talent, but the film shows how that talent was accompanied by a lot of flaws. And of course the fact that everyone did their own vocals is awesome. Phoenix doesn't really imitate Cash's singing as much as capture it. I love the way June describes his style at one point: "steady like a train, sharp like a razor." And that's just how Phoenix sounds. Walk the Line is definitely going to be on my Top 10 list for the year. I may even have to see it again!

I was so inspired that I actually stopped on the way home and bought a Johnny Cash CD - it's called The Legend of Johnny Cash and has 21 of his top hits. Spans his whole career - even has a cut with U2. I think it's a good "entry-level" Cash CD!

Wow

Thanks for the heads up on that one, Kelly! Way cool!

The Big Game

So this is it. The BIG game is this weekend. Yes, the "greatest rivalry in college sports" - Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor at 1 pm. The Ohio State Buckeyes vs. (drum roll) the Wolverines from the Univeristy of Michigan. The 102nd meeting of the two teams - Michigan is 6-4 in the last ten meetings.! According to the game notes, Michigan is also going for its NCAA-leading 850th victory.

What astounds me is that Michigan actually has a chance to win the Big Ten title if they're victorious. The University is promoting a "Blue-Out' for the Stadium - telling everyone to wear blue to the game. Ought to look awesome on tv!

GO BLUE!

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

I got this recipe out of Cooking Light (one of my favorite magazines!) in 2003 - and it's become one of my favorite dishes. I usually make half the recipe in an 8-inch baking dish - it reheats really well. Enjoy!

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

CALORIES 335 (29% from fat); FAT 10.8g (satfat 5.9g, monofat 2.7g, polyfat 1.2g); PROTEIN 23.9g; CARBOHYDRATE 34.3g; FIBER 3.2g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; IRON 1.5mg; SODIUM 693mg; CALCIUM 270mg;
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Random Wednesday Thoughts

I like this opportunity to ramble on about a few things!

When I looked at my "google news alerts" this morning, it led me to this article in the Clanton (AL) Advertiser. The author gives his recommendations on what the Braves need to do in the off-season. My favorite part is at the end:

Spare parts - You can't win without a good bench. Jose Vizcaino, who only gets hits when 100 million people are watching, can play anywhere on the infield. First baseman Kevin Millar isn't much of a defensive substitution, but he can hit and play the outfield when needed.

Wow, the thought of the Cowboy being just down the road is awesome!! I may actually have to start watching some Braves games!

Surviving Grady this morning is looking for the top 3 moves the Red Sox should make in the off-season. Here's my list:

1. Sign Johnny Damon. Since it looks like the Yanks and Matsui have settled on a new contract and they've made it clear they really aren't interested in JD, I think the Sox might be the only bidders for his services. Of course, he's got that evil Scott Boras as his agent, who's renowned for holding out for oodles of cash, so the negotiations might stretch out a while. But, face it, like Manny, they're aren't many teams that are going to put up with some of the off-the-field stuff that the Sox do.
2. Re-sign Billy Mueller - even if it's only for a year. I think Kevin Youkilis is a great on-base guy, and a pretty good infielder. But Mueller has been one of the key Sox these past threes, and horribly overlooked. Solid defense, reliable offense - they don't call him the Professional for nothing. I still think Youk could play first.
3. Get some pitching. If we're going to lose David Wells, if Keith Foulke and Curt Schilling are still questionable - we've lost Wade Miller and Matt Mantei - who's left? Yeah, we've got Papelbon and DelCarmen coming up, but go find us somebody - quick!

About time Albert Pujols won the MVP. He's been so consistent - but overshadowed by "Balco Barry" Bonds. Way to go!

I can't wait to see Lost tonight!

Good Night and Good Luck

One of my friends says that I need to lay off A-Rod (she's a Braves fan, so no dog in the fight). I will just put in a link to a great article on the MVP situation by Chris Snow - those of you who know me know that I have a not-so-secret "thing" for Chris. He's a terrific writer, and a very sweet guy. I met him this summer - and he wouldn't autograph my baseball, because he said he wasn't worthy to be on it with Bill Mueller! (He signed my scorecard instead) Yes, he's like 15 years old, but... I love this:

In defeat, Ortiz nevertheless was the only player to place first or second on all 28 ballots, which are cast by two Baseball Writers Association of America members in each of the 14 AL cities. Rodriguez was denied that distinction by Gene Guidi of the Detroit Free Press, who voted 2004 MVP Vladimir Guerrero first on his ballot, ahead of Ortiz and Rodriguez.

So there.

I saw a great movie this weekend: Good Night and Good Luck. It's the George Clooney-directed film about Edward R. Murrow and his fight against Senator Joe McCarthy. Some terrific performances - including David Straithairn who I've loved since Eight Men Out - and Clooney as Fred Friendly. Some of the points the film makes about the state of television news then (and by extension, now) are so true. How tv has the chance to truly educate people, not just entertain them with junk. At the end, Murrow says tv can

"illuminate and yes, it can even inspire. But it can only do so to the extent that humans are willing to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it is merely wires and lights in a box."

Now, I'm the biggest fan going of the box. Where would I be without my Gilmore Girls, Lost, Grey's Anatomy... But I also think it can be used for more noble purposes than seeing which soap star can dance.

The other thing that struck me is the pervasive of cigarettes. I guess you could almost say that was the signature item in that area: the lit cigarette. Murrow smoked on the air, the newscasters were doing ads for them - heck, the government even included cigarettes in army mess kits. Such a stunning contrast to today - my students have been shocked by this aspect of the film. They just can't imagine it.

Stephen King has a great column in this week's Entertainment Weekly about the film. Check it out!

Bummer

So, Ortiz got edged out by A-Rod - 331 points to 307. I'm sure the anti-DH sentiment worked against him. I love this quote from the Boston Red Sox/MLB official site:

"Anybody can go out there and make a play, but not everybody can come and hit a homer to tie a game or win a game or get a big hit in a big situation," said Ortiz during the 2005 season. "That's the toughest part of this game."

He's right - and A-Rod never came through in those big situations. Heck, I recall one of those big situations in game 6 of the 2004 ALCS - and he really proved his worth. Remember?

Our MVP

So, today is the big announcement. The American League's Most Valuable Player for 2005. There is no question in my mind who's the most deserving: our Big Papi, David Ortiz. I mean, the guy literally carried the Red Sox into the post-season - they wouldn't have made it there without his bat. This on the heels of another MVP-like season last year - where would the Sox have been without DO in last year's post-season run? I hope the voters weren't swayed by the fact that he is "only" a DH. I like the sentiment expressed on SportsCenter this morning - he was a team leader. I think that trumps offense every day.

Of course, the voting was done before the writers got a chance to see A-Rod suck in this year's post-season. The favorite thing to do at my house - yell "You Suck A-Rod!" every time they show that face. It amuses me...

Later: Here's a cool map from ESPN that shows how the nation views the race for MVP

Apple Almond Squares

Last night, I hosted my neighborhood Bunco group. (If you've never heard of it, Bunco is a dice game, kind of like Yahtzee). I experimented with a new dessert - the recipe was in our local newspaper's food section last week with an AP byline. According to the accompanying article, the recipe was developed by Pam Simmons.

Apple Almond Squares
1 (7-oz) pkg. almond paste
1 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp apple-pie spice*
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peeled, diced, firm apple (like Granny Smiths)
1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350' Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
2. Add almond paste, flour, oats, baking powder, apple-pie spice and salt to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until mixture is the texture of sand. OR cut together in a bowl with a pastry blender. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine butter, and sugars. Beat until well mixed. Add eggs one a time, beating together until light and fluffy. Add milk and beat until mixed.
4. Add flour mixture and apples to butter-sugar mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with almonds.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired
YIELD: 16 squares

*NOTES: I substituted a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice for the apple-pie spice (too cheap to buy yet another spice!)
Be sure it's cooked through. I took it out a little early, and it was super "moist" when I tried to cut it.

Everyone seemed to like it - although it was a bit crumbly. I'd never used almond paste before - boy, does it smell good!

Enjoy!

My ideal city?

According to this:

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

Random Wednesday Thoughts

I'm stunned by the cost of airline tickets right now! Not only are you not flying cheaply to Europe anymore (gone are the days of the $400 flight to Paris), but you can't even really fly cheaply within the US. I just priced a ticket for Christmas from Atlanta to Hartford - it was $450. I may actually explore the Southwest alternative - even though it means a 2 1/2 hour drive to the airport. Ugh.

Now the Boston newspapers are reporting that Theo Epstein might actually return to the Sox. Although if Shaughnessy is advocating that, you know it'll never happen.

Oh, and belated congrats to our Big Papi for winning the AL Players Choice Award last week. I hope that's just a warm-up for the big prize of AL MVP - he deserves it so much more than that Rodriquez character.

I am so hooked on Deadspin. It's an awesome blog - usually has a great spin on some of the big sports stories as well as links to them. They've been all over ESPN lately for these fake news conferences with Steve Phillips (seriously, how low has he and the network sunk?!) - and I love their stories on local icon Peyton Manning. Check it out.

How cool would it be if KimNg is hired as the Dodgers new GM?!!

We're so proud!

So much to be proud about here in Chattanooga today. We're in the middle of two of the biggest sports stories going. Terrell Owens - who finally got his! - is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. And now Pete Rose Jr. says half of our minor league team, the Lookouts, are juiced up. Hey, if one of those Panther cheerleaders is a local, we've got the trifecta!

Thoughts on Theo

I was going to do my "I hate speed bumps" rant - but decided to save it for another day. Instead, like nearly every other Sox blogger in the universe, I thought I'd weigh in on the whole "Theo" situation.

Oh, Theo. That was my initial reaction last week to the news that Theo Epstein was walking away from his "dream job" - general manager of the Boston Red Sox. Theo was our boy on the inside - everyone in Red Sox Nation could relate to him. He was a life-long RS fan, whose boyhood dream was to play for the Sox, but instead became their General Manager at age 29. He was the boy wonder, the guy who brought Curt Schilling to Boston, who signed Keith Foulke, who found David Ortiz, the guy who put together the band of "idiots" and brought a World Championship to Boston. But because he was a home town boy, we felt like he was one of us. Every one of us felt like he was our voice in the Front Office, like we could be him. Yeah, I guess that's what it came down to - he was doing the job we could only dream about doing. He could have a beer with Kevin Millar, get hugs from Big Papi, play computer games with Curt.

So I think that's what stunned me. How could he walk away from that - and from all the long overdue cash they were sending his way? And his explanation that he wanted a real life, out of the spotlight? Not buying it. I mean - hey, you want a "real" life, pal? You'd last maybe two days in my job. Want to switch??

That seemed to be how it was playing among the Faithful. And we're still trying to understand it a week later. His press conference last Wednesday didn't answer questions, it just seemed to raise more. Where was Lucchino? Where was Steinberg? Their absences - and Theo's ignoring them in his remarks - spoke volumes. And just what was the role of the Boston Globe in all this? The one great outcome is that Shaughnessy is catching so much flak. Probably one of the most despised people in Boston right now (like he was ever high on anyone's list!) Interesting how the other Globe columnists (Ryan, Snow, Edes, MacMullan) seem to be distancing themselves from him. (For a great "insider" story on some of the micromanaging by the Sox of the local media, read Sheriff Sully's blog )

I suppose that part of me understands. Hey, you're 31, you're in your dream job, you've accomplished the biggest task that has ever faced a Sox GM and succeeded in bringing the Championship trophy to Boston - at some point, you must ask "What's next?" Sure, repeating would have been great - but it was obvious from Opening Day that this team probably couldn't repeat - not with the pitching staff it had. And, if the scuttlebutt is right, add to that indecision an apparent power struggle with Lucchino. As an outsider, I can see that Larry would be a very difficult boss in the best of time - strikes me as a real micromanager. I can tell you from experience, that gets real old real fast. Maybe Theo needed to spread his wings - and that obviously wasn't going to happen under Larry.

The thing that makes me angry with Theo, though, is the timing on this whole thing. There's some twisted poetic justice to the timing, I realize - I mean, they made him wait all season to even start negotiating, so he makes them wait until the last possible minute. But to wait until after all the "decent" GM options were gone ( like Josh Byrnes to Arizona, Cashman re-signing). That's just BAD! It's one thing to screw over Lucchino, but it feels like he screwed over RSN as well. I think that's where a lot of the anger and bitterness is coming from.

So what do the Sox do? This GM-by-Committee thing will not work, not when LL seems to be running things. Today's Globe says the Sox are interested in Jim Bowden and Jim Beattie. Or maybe someone from inside. All I know is that they have GOT to settle this - before all the free agents (Damon, for one) slip away to more stable situations.

I really wonder WHO will walk out onto the field on April 3rd in Texas.

My two cents - rant ended!

Caution - student blogger

So, I've been exploring the "how-tos" for the site - and as you can see, I figured out how to add links. So here goes trying to add a picture

I'm really going to miss this guy next year on the Sox. It's Mark Bellhorn - hero of the 2004 post-season, and booed out of town by the "Fenway Faithful" in 2005. Here's hoping he ends up on a good team, with lots of playing time.

My first post!

Welcome to my blog! I've been wanting one for a long time, but was torn about which service to use - this one or LJ. But I've decided to go with Blogger - I love their look.

The meaning behind my name? Well, in many ways, I'm a stranger in an even stranger land. I was born and raised in New England, yet now find myself a Yankee in the Deep South. I'm very much a blue in this red state. I love the Red Sox, yet I'm stuck here in the midst of Atlanta Braves territory.

I've really enjoyed the Blogs I've been reading this past year - especially all the Red Sox sites. After two decades of being alone in my RS obsession, I've really reconnected with RS Nation - and it's my fellow bloggers who've made me feel connected. I hope I can help out some other foreigners!

Well, much more later!