Cover Boys

Time for the spring baseball preview issue of SI - and here's a preview of the fold-out cover. How cool to see 2 Sox and no Yanks! I just hope Jacoby & Clay can avoid the SI Cover Jinx!

Sox lost their second game in Japan this morning. The offense looked weak - made the As starting pitcher Harden look like a Cy Young winner. Manny did hit a homerun - I believe it's his 491st career HR.

Right after the game, the Sox jumped on their charter plane and began the journey back to America. They should arrive in LA tonight. Thursday they'll hold optional workouts as the guys try to reset their body clocks. Then they play three games vs. the Dodgers. The Friday and Sunday games aren't televised - yeah mlb.com GameDay Audio - but Saturday night's game is on NESN.

It is on!!

Game 1: or Beth vs. DirectTV

Getty Images

The Major League Baseball season is now under way!! The Red Sox opened the season Tuesday morning in Tokyo, with the first pitch thrown at 6:09 am. I was up at 4:30 - wanted to be showered and ready when the pre-game show started at 5. Imagine my (surprise, shock, anger) when I flicked on the tv at 5 - and had the message, "Searching for satellite signal." Okay - I go thru the checklist: weather = clear. DirecTV bill = paid. Connections = checked. Hmm. So I scan through the channels. I seem to have nearly all of them - except NESN and ESPN2, the two channels broadcasting the game!

A quick look at Sox message boards makes me realize this is happening nationwide. Not just DTV subscribers, but some who have Comcast cable are reporting similar problems. Thank Heavens I also subscribe to cable, so I was able to watch the game on ESPN2 there. To have been completely shut out would have made me (homicidal, suicidal)

It turns out there was some kind of national outage. They finally recovered NESN around the 8th inning - long after I left for work. My new DVR lay unused and neglected.

But the important thing is: the Red Sox won! An incredible game: 10 innings, four RBIs for Manny, some very shaky pitching from starter Daisuke and our bullpen. (I keep saying, "it's only March, it's only March.") JD Drew "injured." Brandon Moss' first ML home run.

Manny was named MVP of the game. He's shown above showing off the fruits of that title: One Million Yen (plus a color printer/copier from sponsor RICOH). When asked, he said he was going to spend the check on "gas money." I just hope he doesn't try to cash that check at a bank in Kenmore Square.

I think a Manny in incredible physical shape, plus a Manny entering a contract year, could mean an awesome offensive output for our Peter Pan of Left Field.

Tuesday a.m.: Yes, I actually have my DirecTV today!! However, because the Red Sox are the "visiting team," NESN is blacked out. So, I'm stuck with Steve Philips and that buffoon Gary Thorne. Oh, well...

T minus 10

I am suddenly incredibly excited. Maybe it's watching all the ESPN programs this afternoon, fuming with indignation that Buster Olney would dare to pick the Yankees to win the division (RS as wild card), and predicting the Indians would go to the WS. Maybe it's been reading all the blogs, hearing what the eyewitnesses have reported from Tokyo. Maybe it's being without REAL baseball for nearly 5 months. Whatever the reason - I'M SO PSYCHED FOR TOMORROW!

Yes, real baseball starts tomorrow at 6:05 am. I know it's stupid that the first pitch will be at an hour when you can't toast it with a Sam Adams. I know it's stupid that it's taking place in a land far, far away. And I know it's all about the $$ - Bud Selig is trying to extent MLB's claws into the Far East, to tap into another $$ market. And yet....

And yet...

And yet...It's baseball! It's our team! It's the start of the 2008 title defense! It's a chance to see Pedie, Youk, Papi, Manny, Mikey, JD, Tek, Jacoby, Julio and the Dice in action!! I've got a brand new scorebook, a fresh page to start the story of the '08 season, ready to fill in the lineups and tick off each ball and strike. And so what if it makes me late for work!! See you at 5am, fellow fanatics!!

LET'S GO RED SOX, clap-clap, clap-clap-clap