Off-day odds-n-ends

1) Did you see the infield that the Kansas City Royals put on the field yesterday? It was like the all-Scrabble team: Graffanino at 3rd, Grudzielanek at 2nd, and Doug "the Ball Stealer" Mientkiewicz at first. They just need to trade for that guy in the Braves minor leagues that has the longest name in baseball...

2) In the (many) articles about Papelbon's new haircut (dubbed the Papelhawk on one site), there's this gem from the Globe:

Curt Schilling, however, did something similar in 1988 at age 21, and quickly found that he did have someone to answer to.

''I gave myself a Mohawk when I got called up," Schilling recalled. ''I thought it was cool. Frank [Robinson] called me into his office and for 10 minutes he just stared at me. I had an earring, too. Finally he said to me, 'You'll never throw a pitch for me as long as you've got that.' I walked out of his office, cut my hair, and took off the earring."

I somehow have a hard time picturing Mr. Straight Republican with an earring!

3) "Dear Abby" was having an interesting discussion last week, about correcting a parent when you hear them imparting egregiously wrong information to their kids. Some recommended correcting them, or calling the parent aside and correcting them, or ignoring it. It's an interesting dilemma. I found myself in it last week at the Braves game. There was a family sitting behind me, with parents, two small children and a grandfather. At one point, a batter hit a ball that bounced into the stands - a ground rule double. The little boy asked what had transpired. The grandfather announced to him that it was a players' option hit. Waa?? I bit my tongue, all the while imaging this kid telling his classmates on Monday that he'd seen this incredible player's option hit at the game! Later in the game, they showed the official scoring line for a player at bat. The little boy starts asking, "What's L-4 mean?" He kept asking and asking, and there was just silence. So, since I had my scorepad in hand, I turned and told him it was a line drive to the 2nd baseman. The father grinned at me sheepishly, and thanked me for bailing him out! So, I guess you have to gauge what to do on the spot.

4) There's a great scene in "Fever Pitch" where Drew Barrymore is going through Jimmy Fallon's closet looking for something appropriate for him to wear to meet her parents. All she finds are dozens of Red Sox t-shirts hung up there. Well, my closet is starting to resemble that. I just got my newest shirt: an Arroyo. He may be gone, but for $5 I have a souvenir of his years here! Today, I strayed over to the Yawkey Way Store site and there it is: the new Adam Stern shirt!! So, I guess I'll be adding another soon.

Off night tonight - I can go to bed at a decent hour! Schilling tomorrow....