Saturday, April 04, 2009

Our Guys and Their Guys

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia  delivers a pitch to the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on July 23, 2008. Milwaukee won the game 3-0. (UPI Photo/Bill Greenblatt)

Why is it that the other teams' stars seem so fearsome? So menacing? So well fed? Here is CC Sabathia, old uniform but new Yankee---BOOOOOOYANKEESSUCKBOOOOOOO looking every bit as threatening as my worst bad dream. The only thing we can do is mail him a Boston cream pie every third day and pray he eats them, tubbing him up so he's a little soft around the edges. I'll sign up for April 10 and 20. The rest of you have to help me out.

Mazz: The easy choice would be Lester, but any durable, overpowering lefthander pitching half his games in New York has the chance to do absolutely great things. For that reason, Sabathia gets the nod. Either way, Kazmir will be third on the list. Finn: Tough call between Sabathia, the innings-eating (and everything-else-eating) workhorse, and Lester, who emerged as an elite lefty at age 24. I'll reluctantly give the nod to Sabathia , who has proven capable of handling a heavy workload year to year, while there is still some concern whether Lester's huge leap in innings last year will have a lingering effect.

Our own guys seem so slender somehow, so nervous, so fragile. Jon Lester has been through a lot in his young life, but I think we should mail him protein shakes. And maybe some cookies to show love. I'll take my same dates, April 10 and 20--might as well load up for the post office all on the same day.

player So we have John Smoltz now. John Smoltz? Wasn't he pitching when the first man landed on the moon? Don't I remember him in Atlanta with Scarlett O'Hara? I will buy him some thick eyeglasses at WalMart and mail them in my care package. Let's not think about how he compares to CC. I hope no one tries to do that stupid Atlanta "chop" thing here. We prefer mature symbols of superstition here in Boston, like statues of the Infant of Prague wheeled around in a baby stroller.


Mark Texeira, Scott Boras


Here is Mark Texeira, much sought-after offseason prize. He looks about twelve years old. Guess who got him? Ugh. Here he is shown with agent Scott Boras, right before Boras chewed up and ate a glass milk bottle and a four-year-old kid. Can you imagine dinner at home with the Borases [glad they had the good sense not to name a son Boris]?

Mrs. B: Honey, could you pass the salt?

SB: How much is it worth to you?

Mrs. B: Could you just pass it? Please don't start this.

SB: I asked a simple question. How much is the salt worth to you right this minute?

Mrs. B: Honey. Remember the counselor said--

SB: Then it's worth a lot, isn't it? As much as, say, all the other items on this table right now. Would you agree to that much?

MRs. B: I thought we were going to have a nice dinner.

SB: This salt is going to immeasurably increase your enjoyment of the meal. You'd pay more right now for the salt than any of the food items. Would you agree to that?

Mrs. B: That's okay. I'll just go to the kitchen and get the other salt. I might get in the car and eat at Wendy's if you don't mind. The Palmolive is under the sink, don't forget.



Here is Larry Lucchino explaining to Mayor Menino how long the line can be to get to the rest room under the current liquor policy. Seeing Fenway Park when you first walk up the steps into the light is a feeling like no other. Many of my students have written of it. Now that Fenway is one of the last old-style parks left in the league, it's more true than ever.

And never is it more so than on Opening Day.

Hope is in the air, dear reader.

And I hope she's working with a net.

love,

becky

5 Comments:

At 11:02 PM , Blogger sandman1 said...

Love the bit about the salt...

I'm trying to rekindle my Sox fandom -- I'm recording the opener tomorrow!

 
At 7:23 AM , Blogger Becky Willis Motew said...

I might try to get somewhere and watch it if possible. Those openings are cool.

b

 
At 8:25 PM , Blogger sandman1 said...

Okay, then. Let's try that again tomorrow...

NESN helpfully aired a game from September 2007 in light of the postponement. Maybe I'll watch it anyway -- it's bound to turn out well!

 
At 8:39 PM , Blogger Becky Willis Motew said...

I'll bet you're right, sm....

 
At 11:52 PM , Blogger sandman1 said...

In the replay they came back from being down 1-8 to win 16-10, but today's win was more enjoyable!

 

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