Tony Curtis, Rest In Peace 1925-2010

Tony Curtis has passed away. Here's the AFP release...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Actor Tony Curtis, best known for his role opposite Marilyn Monroe in "Some Like It Hot," has died at the age of 85, US media reported on Thursday, citing his family. A representative for Curtis' daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, confirmed his death to Entertainment Tonight, the television program said on its website. ABC News also reported the death.
The Brooklyn-born Curtis was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in "The Defiant Ones" with Sidney Poitier, but he was best remembered as Marilyn Monroe's cross-dressing paramour in the 1959 Billy Wilder classic "Some Like It Hot."

Remember, he was known for SO MUCH MORE. We are missing much without him. Such is life. Click on this post's title for more on Tony Curtis. Thanks.

Red Sox Lose..Beckett Rolls Ankle.

A hearty hello on this early Friday morning. I was thinking of writing a post with my argument for Boston manager Terry Francona winning the AL manager of the year. He dealt with the unending parade of non-stop injuries and brought his team to or near the 90 win plateau. Who else can compare? Joe Maddon? Joe Girardi and all his talent? No and no. I'll write more on this subject soon.

Josh Beckett and the Boston Red Sox fell to the Chicago White Sox by a score of 5-2. Beckett went six but rolled his ankle trying to field a bunt spinning towards first base. It was his last start of 2010 anyways and I bet that ankle will be swollen today. I sincerely hope he has a much better 2011. All of us do.

Have a great Thursday as Boston plays out the string with one more game against the White Sox and three against the Yankees. See ya! As always, BE WELL.

And So It Ends...

When this season started, I titled the first regular season 2010 post AND SO IT BEGINS. The only apt title for this "elimination morning" post is the one that you see above. Last night in Chicago, the White Sox came back against a flutteringly ineffective Boston Red Sox bullpen and won the game by a score of 5-4. Lackey pitched well for six innings, giving up two runs, but the 'pen couldn't hold it. Here's the Boston skipper, Terry Francona, better known as Tito...

“There’s no fun going home before you want to, regardless of what’s happened. I think the world of those guys in that clubhouse and the effort. I want to keep playing.’’

Well said, Tito. Our very own Big Papi David Ortiz put his feelings this way...

“Watching the games on TV, it’s going to feel weird."

I'm SO proud of this team, a bunch of talented guys who barreled through this 2010 season drowned in injuries, too many of them serious. Thank you players and coaches alike. You made us so very happy. You never gave up. For only the second time in eight years we won't be seeing you in October but I'm proud of you nevertheless. I always will be. Now we go for 90 wins, watch Jon Lester win his twentieth and Clay Buchholz try to win the AL ERA title. For a team that's been eliminated, what could be better?

You can click on this post's title for more about the Sox. Thanks for coming around. I really appreciate it SO much. As always, BE WELL. Take care.

The Last Boy : Mickey Mantle

The definitive Mickey Mantle biography has been released. Click on this post's title for the Amazon order page and read all about it. I did. Read this blurb...

"Jane Leavy, who wrote the best-selling Sandy Koufax biography a few years ago, has spent five years researching and writing the definitive Mickey Mantle bio. It's called The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood, and HarperCollins is publishing it on October 12. Jane spoke to hundreds of people from Mick's childhood, minor league teammates, Yankee colleagues, post-career associates, and presents the total picture of this iconic American hero. "

I have it ordered from Amazon dot com, just now. Click on the title if you can, and order it from Amazon. Thanks.

Beltre & Papi Garner 100 RBIs as Boston Red Sox Thrash Chicago White Sox 6-1

Big Papi David Ortiz has made an unbelievable comeback from his horrid April and first part of May. Adrian Beltre has been smashing the round ball all year long and has proved invaluable at the plate and in the field (sign him to a multi-year deal, Theo). They both reached the 100 RBI milestone last night in their 7-5 victory over the Pale Hose. It was Big Papi David Ortiz' first 100 RBI season since 2007. Well done, Papi. Here he is...

“Everybody makes a big deal about 100. Nobody makes a big deal about 99. So I guess you’ve got to look forward to the 100 mark. Personally, I don’t think there’s any difference. I guess that one RBI makes a huge difference because everybody was just like focusing on the first two months that I had last year. But 99, 100, to me it’s no difference. It’s just one number different.’’

Adrian Beltre FINALLY reached the same mark last night. He said this after game's end...

“I was just waiting for Big Papi to get his, so I can follow him.

Clay Buchholz continued (with one recent exception) his brilliant pitching, going eight strong and allowing one run on five hits while walking one and whiffing five. He's amazing. The NY Yankees and AJ Burnett were pounded flat and lost to the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 7-5. The Sox are hanging by a thread but they're still hanging...and NOT from a noose. I'm sure they want the Yankees to win and clinch it rather than handing it to them with a Boston loss. You know what? They'll do it, too.

All the eyes of Red Sox Nation are anxiously awaiting Jon Lester's big game. When (when, not if) he wins, it would be his 20th victory. More on that in a later post. And tonight, it'll be Lackey (13-11) vs. Jackson (3-8) at 8:10pm EDT. Deep dish pizza, anyone? I'm a thin pizza guy, anyways. New York/New Haven style. There is NO better. Take that Chicago. Wham. Bam.

I hope your Tuesday will be a great one, click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL. Thank you for stopping in. GO SOX.

One Is The Loneliest Number For Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox' elimination number is that lonely number. One. You know how it works...if Boston loses a game (out of seven left) or if the Yankees win just one, the 2010 season will be history. The most exciting thing a member of Red Sox Nation has left to look forward to is Jon Lester's last start of the season. He'll be going for his 20th victory. Couldn't happen to a nicer and more courageous guy, either.

In the ninth inning, it was closers Mo Rivera and Jonathon Papelbon taking turns blowing a save. The Red Sox scored two runs off Mo in the top of the ninth to go ahead by a run. Bottom of the ninth. Paps time. How about a 1-2-3 inning, Paps? Those three up and three down saves, a thing of beauty, have become rarer and rarer with him these days and there has been idle speculation that Daniel Bard, who's still getting better with every appearance, should take over the closer duties. We'll see. Here's Boston's Bill Hall...

“Obviously, it’s a tough loss. We definitely needed to pull this one out some way. But just as good as we got ourselves in a good position, they came right back and had great at-bats and took a lot of close pitches and worked some counts and were able to tie the game and end it right there at the end. But we came in here and played all-out for three games, and that’s all you can ask. That’s all you can ask. We’ve still got one game left that we can’t lose, so we’re going to continue to try to win out."

Okajima walked in the winning run in the tenth frame and that sent the Yankee Stadium crowd home happy, assured of a Wild Card slot in the playoffs with only one more win. I'm sorry to say they'll do that...and more. Last night when Boston went ahead by a run and Papelbon was trotting in from the bullpen, I knew there were only two possible endings to this tight game. The first would have been an easy ninth and a save for Jonathon. The second? Well, that's what happened. It wasn't pretty and I'm glad I had turned the television off. No, I DID NOT GIVE UP ON MY TEAM. I knew I could see the replays on redsox dot com this morning, which I will as soon as I proofread this. Just click on this post's title and see for yourself. A four game series in Chicago against the White Sox, starting tonight, marks the last road series of the 2010 season. Here's all you need to know...

Mon. 27 at CWS** 8:10 PM ET NESN/CSN*** Buchholz (16-7) vs. Buehrle (12-12)
Tue. 28 at CWS **8:10 PM ET NESN/CSN*** Lackey (13-11) vs. Jackson (3-2)
Wed. 29 at CWS**8:10 PM ET ESPN/WCIU*** Beckett (6-5) vs. Garcia (11-6)
Thu. 30 at CWS** 8:10 PM ET NESN/WCIU Lester (19-8) vs. Danks (14-11)

I had a late start this morning so I have to run. Have a great Monday, click on this post's title for more on the Red Sox and as always, BE WELL. Come back...OK? There's not much 2010 baseball left but I'll be here all fall and winter long, right into the 2011 season. See ya.

Hey Nineteen! Lester In The Cy Young Hunt

Jon Lester was brilliant again and was the winning pitcher yesterday at Yankee Stadium. The final score was 7-3 Boston and he notched his 19th victory. Hey nineteen! He's still in the thick of Cy Young Award talk even though voters may have already made up their mind. Here's Jon on exactly that...

“It would be nice, but it’s not going to hurt my feelings if I’m not. I’m going to show up in spring training next year and be ready to go.’’

Lester has been a strikeout machine and yesterday was no exception. He gave up only two hits in that span and whiffed eight (!). He was immense. For the Boston Red Sox to significantly benefit from this three game set, THEY HAVE TO WIN TONIGHT.

The two teams go at it shortly after 8pm EDT on ESPN and ESPN HD for all of Red Sox Nation to see. It'll be Matsuzaka (9-6) versus Hughes (17-8) in what has become a "big" game. Enjoy it if you can and enjoy your Sunday, too. You can click on this post's title to watch the highlights from yesterday's game including every one of Jon's strikeouts. As always, BE WELL.

Lowrie's Bat Helps Red Sox To Victory

I got my wish from yesterday's post. The New York Yankees are now in SECOND place after they lost to the Boston Red Sox by a score of 10-8. It was a hitter's night the whole way through as the pinstripers bashed six (!) home runs and Jed Lowrie went four for four. The pitching? Poor. Josh Beckett, near the end of a season I'm sure he'd like to forget, was lifted with two outs in the seventh inning after allowing five earned runs on seven hits. He gave up four (!!) taters. Not acceptable. Atchison allowed two runs and Papelbon made it unnecessarily close in the ninth. He gave up a run in that frame. Mike Lowell was hit by a bad-bounce ground ball on the right temple. He left the game the next inning and does not show any signs of concussion. He will be further evaluated today. Here's the skipper...

"He's sore. It hit him on the temple. We took him out for precautionary measures because his eye was twitching. But he didn't exhibit any signs of a concussion. We'll certainly keep an eye on him."

Mikey, be well and take it easy. Maybe even take today off. Health is more important than a game, any game. Today, Lester and Nova go at it on Fox and FoxHD just after 4pm EDT. Let's make it two straight. Click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL. Have a great Saturday.

Anybody Want An Apple? A Big One? Clay Buchholz Honored, Deservedly So

Every one of you knows what the title of this post refers to. The Boston Red Sox, who have six games left with the New York Yankees, start their second to last three game series with the pinstripers tonight at the stadium. Here are the very important pitching (I originally typed "itching") match-ups although the wild card race will not have the Red Sox in it unless they sweep NY six games to none. I think CC Sabathia might have something to say about that. Take a look at these...

Fri. 24 at NYY 7:05 PM ET** NESN/YES** Beckett (5-5) vs. Pettitte (11-2)
Sat. 25 at NYY 4:10 PM ET** FOX** Lester (18-8) vs. Nova (1-0)
Sun. 26 at NYY 8:05 PM ET** ESPN** Matsuzaka (9-6) vs. Hughes (17-8)

So the stage is set for the three game series with the Yankees. After that, the Sox will play four against the White Sox and close with another three against Steinbrenner's villians. I'll have a full wrap of game one first thing in the morning. I hope Boston can make it a little interesting and throw the Yanks out of first place, relegating them to the wild card. The Steinbrenners wouldn't be happy with that, though. The Red Sox as spoilers...hmm. Doesn't happen often these days.

Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz, who with Jon Lester has been our best pitcher, has been honored. Here is the media release for the club...

"Right-handed pitcher Clay Buchholz was today named the 2010 recipient of the BoSox Club Man of the Year Award. Buchholz was chosen not only for his contributions to the success of the Red Sox but also for his cooperation and efforts in community endeavors."

Congratulations, Clay. You've had a tremendous year. Come back even better next year. To all my Constant Readers, have a terrific Friday and please don't forget to click on this post's title for more on those Red Sox. As always, BE WELL.

Would The REAL John Lackey Please Stand Up? I Hope He Did Last Night At The Fens

John Lackey was on top of the world last night as he and David Ortiz led the Boston Red Sox to a 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The win evened the two team's season record at nine. My goodness, to lose a season series to the lowly O's would have been completely unacceptable (sorry Faithy). Lackey muted the Baltimore Orioles for seven walk-free innings in last night’s 6-1 win at Fenway Park. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits and struck out five. He earned his first victory since Aug. 23 and he raised his underwhelming record to 13-11. Underwhelming is right but last night he looked like the ace Boston thought they had acquired. Oh well, maybe next year.

Boston has a day off today before beginning a three game set with the New York Yankees in the Big Apple. They need to win 'em all (they have six remaining) and I know the chances of doing that are slim. They'll try their best. That I DO know.

Click on this post's title to be zapped to the Sox MLB home site and watch all the game highlights. As always, BE WELL. Thanks for stopping in.

Live By The 'Pen, Die By The 'Pen

Tuesday night at Fenway Park, the latter part of this post's title came true. Clay Buchholz pitched six innings (he would have been sent out to the mound for the seventh had Scutaro not dropped a pop up) and gave up zero earned runs on four hits. His ERA lowered to 2.39 and he's still trying to have the AL's best mark. Go for it, Clay. If Boston's bats could have hit the ball and Scott Atchison's toes never touched the pitching rubber, the outcome might have been different. But there are too many "what ifs" for me to intelligently go into them. 151 games down and 11 to go with six of those 11 against that pinstriped team from the Big Apple. Playing out the string? Oh, yeah.

Tonight, the Red Sox play the rubber match with Baltimore. It'll be Lackey (12-11) versus Millwood (3-15), who's a better pitcher than his record shows. Enjoy it although the thrill is gone. Now it's time to root against the Yankees in the post season and win as many of those remaining six games with them before the off season starts. Click on this post's title for all the highlights from last night and as always, BE WELL. Thanks for stopping by.

Wild Matsuzaka...Red Sox lose To O's

The Baltimore Orioles have already lost ninety games but the Boston Red Sox only have a record of 8-8 against them. Sad. Monday night at Fenway Park, a wild Daisuke Matsuzaka surrendered four earned runs, six hits and five walks in only 6 innings. The final score was Birds 4 Boston 2. The Boston bats were silent, connecting for base hits only five times. Boy, I miss Youk and Pedey. But it was Matsuzaka's mediocrity that stood head and shoulders above all else and to tell you the truth, I was SO disgusted with his inconsistent offerings that I switched over to the season premiere of TWO & A HALF MEN at 9pm EDT. As always, it was great and my troubles receded into the mist, temporarily gone. Manager Terry "Tito" Francona had this say about Daisuke's performance...

“Walks have a way of coming back to score, not all the time, but even when they don’t, you have to pitch out of the stretch, makes it a lot more difficult inning. Giving them bases on balls, it makes it harder.’’

Walks and wasted pitches make a game torture to sit back and watch. The Red Sox' chances are disappearing, vaporizing as each game is played. There ain't that many games left to go in the first place. Tonight, as Boston continues to literally play out the string, Buchholz (16-7) and Bergesen (7-10) will do battle. YAWN. Enjoy it if you can. Hey, if the law of averages holds up for 2011, next year should be virtually injury-free. It doesn't always work out that way, though. Not by a long shot.

Thank you for popping in once again, click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always, BE WELL. I mean it!

Five Straight For Lester The Great

Yes, Jon Lester is back on track, cementing his left handed dominance in the American League. In ALL of major league baseball, to be more precise. Sunday at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox blanked the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 6-0. Totonto was officially eliminated from post-season play. Lester went seven strong innings and his future appears white hot bright. Jon picked up his 18th win of the season, tying Bruce Hurst in 1988 for the most wins by a Sox lefthander since 1954. Two more, Jon. Dos mas. That's about all he's going to get but don't be surprised if Mr. Lester finishes with twenty victories. That's SO great. He'll do it, too.

A three game Fenway Park set will start tonight. Here is all the info...

Mon. 20** Bal 7:10 PM ET MASN/NESN** Matsuzaka (9-5) Matusz (8-12)
Tue. 21 **Bal 7:10 PM ET MASN/NESN **Buchholz (16-7) Bergesen (7-10)
Wed. 22 **Bal 7:10 PM ET MASN/NESN **Lackey (12-11) Millwood (3-15)

The Sox will need their bats Wednesday night. Why? My faith in John Lackey is gone, gonzo, zero, nada. I'm sure it will return...next year. Have a great Monday and click on this post's title for all the highlights from Lester's beauty. As always, BE WELL.

Sloppy Sox Sink South..Toronto 4 Boston 3

It was a sloppy game defensively for the Boston Red Sox Saturday evening at Fenway Park. The Blue Jays were victorious and the score was 4-3. Josh Beckett was not at his best but that seems to have been the norm all season long. Am I used to it? NO WAY! Boston is still mathematically "in it" but in my book, they're cooked. Take them out of the oven and throw 'em away. Until next year. The injuries were just too much to overcome and mediocre seasons by starters Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka did not help at all. It ain't over 'till it's over but right now, IT'S OVER. OVAH.

Boston will try to salvage one game of this stinking series today and here's the info...

Sun. 19 **Tor 1:35 PM ET RSN/NESN** Lester (17-8) vs. Marcum (12-7)

Jon Lester has been a strikeout machine all year long. Let's hope that doesn't change this afternoon. I have a feeling that it won't and with a little run support, he'll win. But as for the team, I'm afraid the Fat Lady has finished her song and has left the building. Long live the Fat Lady. Thanks for the show.

Have a terrific Sunday and please don't forget to watch the pilot episode of HBO's Boardwalk Empire (see two posts below this one) on HBO at 9pm EDT tonight with a pre-show beginning at 8:45pm EDT. IT WILL BE VERY SPECIAL. Click on this post's title for more Red Sox stuff and as always, BE WELL. Enjoy Boardwalk Empire. You'll be glad you did.

One More Lackeydaisical Start For The Overpaid Red Sox Pitcher

That's right...overpaid. John Lacky had another stinker but right up until the dismal end of last night's game, the Boston bats never said die. But after being behind by a score of 10-2, the Red Sox could not catch up and they lost the game to the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of 11-9. It was ugly. I've been trying to figure out our $86 million dollar hurler and what I notice the most is that this year he's been an overpaid underperformer. That isn't a good combination. Far from it.

Lackey left the game after 4 1/3 innings after having given up SIX earned runs and eight hits. That was bad enough but Michael Bowden made it much worse. In one (!!) inning of work his surrendered four hits and three runs. When he exited after the bottom of the sixth, it was 10-2 Jays. The Red Sox could never overcome that gap.

I want to congratulate the five added members of the Red Sox Hall of Fame. They all were there at Friendly Fenway last night and it was great to see every one of them. Ah, memories. Sweet. But wait! The two teams do it all over tonight. Here are the details...

Sat. 18 Tor 7:10 PM ET RSN/NESN** Beckett (5-4) vs. Romero (12-9)

I hope Josh continues to pitch better and I hope you have a great weekend. Click on this post's title for more on the Sox from the Globe. Happy Saturday and as always, BE WELL.

Blue Jays...Boardwalk Empire

The Toronto Blue Jays flutter and sputter into Boston's Fenway Park to start a three game series with the Boston Red Sox. The pitching match-ups and everything else you need to know are in the post directly below this one.

I wanted to let you know (if you didn't already) about a new HBO series that premieres Sunday at 9pm EDT. It's called BOARDWALK EMPIRE and takes place in prohibiton-era America. Steve Buscemi (Soapranos...until he was wacked) stars as Nucky Thompson, who wheels and deals the illegal liquid refreshment amid chaos and mayhem. The pilot episode was directed by Martin Scorsese and the entire series has been hailed as a "television breakthrough." Remember, that's HBO and HBO HD Sunday night at 9pm EDT with repeats immediately following. Personally, I can't wait to see it. Start out by watching the pilot episode and you might find yourself hooked for all twelve episodes. Enjoy.

I thank you for stopping in and I invite every one of you to click on this post's title to be zapped to the Red Sox official web site. If you go down a few inches, on the right of your screen will be a trailer for the above mentioned show. As always, BE WELL. Have a great upcoming weekend.

Buchholz, Beltre and Boston...WOW!

The Boston Red Sox completed their three game sweep of the Seattle Mariners with a well-deserved 5-1 win. Clay Buchholz was sharp for seven innings (his curve was table-droppingly unbelievable) and Adrian Beltre launched a home run that seemingly touched the sky with his unique "one knee on the ground" power swing. Click on this post's title and take a look at it on the Red Sox home page. Check out some of Clay's offerings, too. Victor Martinez made two great throws from behind the plate and banged a two run double to help the cause. Here's Clay...

"You got two great players, one behind the plate and one playing third base. When they're on the same page and they can make things happen like that, all that does for a team is bring them up and want to get in the dugout and makes everyone want to get a hit."

All three of 'em put on quite a show. Boston is now six games (loss column) behind the Yankees and they play the pinstripers six more times. Can miracles happen? NY is a really tough team to beat six straight times but ya never know. You just never know. The action returns to Fenway Park with three games against Toronto starting tonight. AL East action. Here are all the details...

Fri. 17 Tor 7:10 PM ET RSN/NESN** Lackey (12-10) vs. Cecil (12-7)
Sat. 18 Tor 7:10 PM ET RSN/NESN** Beckett (5-4) vs. Romero (12-9)
Sun. 19 Tor 1:35 PM ET RSN/NESN** Lester (17-8) vs. Marcum (12-7)

The Orioles follow the Jays into town and every game left in the remaining half-month of the 2010 season is absolutely vital. There are no two ways to look at it. None at all. Thanks for stopping in and please don't forget to click on this post's title for all the details of the game, video included. I'll see you soon. Count on it. As always, BE WELL.

Big PAPI Powers Boston

Big Papi David Ortiz clobbered Brandon League's second pitch deep, way deep into home run territory with two men on base to put the Boston Red Sox ahead to stay. The Good Guys won the game over the Seattle Mariners by a score of 9-6. That mammoth blast overcame another shaky start by starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, who at best was mediocre and at worst...well, you can finish the sentence if you watched him pitch. The tater by Papi, his thirtieth, tied him with Manny Ramirez. They both have six 30-homer seasons with Boston and trail only Mr. Ted Williams, the splendid splinter, who has eight in his remarkable career. Papi started out slow this year and was roundly doubted by people who were convinced he was past his prime. Sorry guys, he's still smack dab in the middle of it. Here's David...

“It means a lot. I’ve been here only for eight years. I’m not even close to what Mr. Williams was or means for this organization. He played for so many years and he did so many great things. When people mention your name right next to him, it’s a huge compliment to me.’’

Hey David, you deserve every one of those kudos. Here's the Red Sox manager, Terry "Tito" Francona...

“Good for him. He believed in himself, and he’s proven it. That’s great to see. There were a lot of people he was probably mad at, and I was probably right near the top of the list. But he’s done a great job.’’

Thanks for everything, David. We love you. We really do. The two teams play the rubber game of the season with Buchholz (15-7) and Pauley (2-7) toeing the rubber. It's an afternoon start at 3:40 PM EDT. A sweep would be great and Buchholz really wants to make up for his last start, a hideous outing, embarrassing. He will, too. FAITH.

I hope your Hump Day Wednesday will be a safe and happy one. Enjoy it! It's in the upper 40s here in Farmington, which is in north central Connecticut. I love it a LITTLE chilly. Mother Nature's air conditioning. The leaves already have a smattering of color and they'll only become more beautiful as they slowly get ready for their final fall, floating slowly to the ground. You can click on this post's title for more on the Sox and as always and forever, BE WELL. See ya soon.

Lester The Mariner Molester

Jon Lester was ON last night in Seattle as he the Boston Red Sox beat the Mariners by a score of 5-1. Again, he struck out more than ten batters (12) and had the home club in the palm of his hand. In all, he went eight innings and allowed three hits, one run and whiffed twelve. He became the fifth pitcher in Boston Red Sox history to record more than 200 plus strikeouts at least twice. That's amazing! When he's on, HE'S ON. Boston manager Terry "Tito" Francona put it this way...

"He's got a lot of ways to get you out.

Here's the lefty himself...

“Nothing’s changed. Just getting swings and misses. Executing pitches. I’m throwing the same pitches I have all year. It’s just a matter of locating down in the zone and I’ve been able to do that.”

I watched this game and seeing him pitch as well as he did, though not a surprise, was joyfully wonderful. I stood up and cheered for every whiff. Yes, I was watching the game solo here at home in Farmington but the Sox and Jon were great company. Totally tremendous. Boston started an entire rookie outfield and again, Ryan Kalish showed why he's destined for the big leagues. He smashed a two run eighth inning tater to cement the victory. Red Sox Nation, their hopes and faith still there, had a good Monday night. I know I did.

Here's the latest on the inevitable Mikey Lowell retirement as voiced by Tito...

“The retirement, he’s never talked to me about, so I don’t really have a comment. “We want Lars Anderson (rookie first baseman) to get some games. We’re not just going to stop playing guys to make room for Mikey at first. We’ll try to mix and match and have lineups that look like we can win the game as best we can.”

I agree with Terry. From now until the end of the season, Francona must equally divide the playing time of everybody, rookies and veterans alike, to give the new guys all the experience they can get in 2010. Good for him, good for them, good for us. And don't forget...there's another game from the state of Washington tonight with Matsuzaka ready (I hope) to face French, who is 4-5. The Sox would basically have to win 85 to 90 per cent of their games the rest of the way just to have a chance of October play. Speaking of that, the Rays have taken over from the Yankees as first place dwellers and it looks more and more likely that both of those two teams will be eligible for post-season play. That leave us out. Such is life. What will be WILL be.

Please click on this post's title for more on last night's game, including great highlights, and as always, BE WELL. Thank you for being here.

Kalish Clout Seals The Deal...Boston 5 A's 3

Ryan Kalish stepped to the plate in the sixth inning with his team, the Boston Red Sox, down by a run. A's reliever Henry Rodriguez was throwing 100 MPH gas and the first pitch to Kalish was radarized at exactly that. He turned on the second pitch, again a 100 MPH speedball, and punched a single to score two and put the Red Sox ahead for good. Here he is...

“That was the hardest ball I’ve ever seen, for sure. I just really try and treat it like any other at-bat, obviously. You know the situation, you know what’s going on. But you go out there having the confidence of everyone for you to come through."

Kalish will be a star someday. Of that I'm sure. JD Drew was also clutch as was Josh Beckett for six innings, although he was a tad wild. Atchison threw two perfect innings and Papelbon struck out the side in the ninth to seal the deal. It was a much needed win and Boston avoided the sweep. Getting swept by Oakland is like the worst insult one can imagine.

The Sox move north to Seattle for a three game set as they approach the midpoint of their last western swing of the year. Here are the essential pitching match-ups and everything else you'd need...

Mon. 13 at Sea 10:10 PM ET NESN/FxNW** Lester (16-8) vs. Fister (5-11)
Tue. 14 at Sea 10:10 PM ET NESN/FxNW** Matsuzaka (9-5) vs. French (4-5)
Wed. 15 at Sea 3:40 PM ET NESN/FxNW** Buchholz (15-7) vs. Pauley (2-7)

It's the start of a new week as we get near the middle of September...already! Here in north central Connecticut, the nights are getting downright cool but the days, shorter and shorter, have been crisp with just a hint of humidity. Autumn is my favorite time of year with winter a close second. The winds swirl as the leaves make their gentle twirling descent to the Earth below, colors abundantly wonderful. I love it. Give me late September and October all year round and I'd be very happy. Weekend snowstorms are great, too. I say weekend because most people do not have to be on the roads. Four months or so from now, we'll see that right here where I'm sitting. My computer desk is in the living room right next to the sliding glass door that looks out on the backyard. When it snows, I look at the keyboard of my wonderful Mac and then look right to watch the flakes cascade down, whitening the ground and making everything look pristine. A nice fireplace fire is really great, too.

That's it from here now, my Constant Readers. Click on this post's title to read and see the highlights of last night's game and as always and forever, BE WELL. Please be careful out there.

Oakland 4 Boston 3... Mr. Doubles' Last Year In Major League Baseball

The Red Sox left 11 men on base and were 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Do you think they won the ballgame against Oakland? Not on your life. They lost by a score of 4-3. Boston almost tied it in the ninth. Two out doubles by Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre made it a one run game. Big Papi strode to the plate. At this point, the home plate umpire seemed to lose his sight completely, as if some evil ghoul had invisibly plucked out his eyes and ate them, spitting out just the pupils. I exaggerate a tad and that was a little gross (a horror blog, Peter?) but you get the picture. Papi struck out on a pitch that was clearly WAY off the plate. He was not happy. Either was I. Enough about that. Forget about the "eye image."

Here's some news that is no surprise. Mikey Lowell, a four time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, not to mention 2007 World Series MVP, will retire at the end of the 2010 season. Ever since he joined the Sox in the trade that also brought Josh Beckett to the Fenway Faithful, he has been a fan favorite. His last game at Fenway? His last at bat? Wow. I can't even begin to imagine the cheers. We love you, Mikey. Here he is...

“I’m retiring. I just don’t want to make it a song and dance because I don’t think that’s necessary, but if someone needs something official, yeah, I’m going to retire. This is going to be my last year.”

Live long and prosper, Mike Lowell. We've always loved you.

Clay Buchholz Bombed By The A's...9/11

The Oakland A's whitewashed the Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-0. It was a remarkably short and hideous outing for Clay Buchholz, who was only able to go one plus innings. It was painful to watch. Here is Mister B...

“I was just missing with pitches trying to go in, missing away. I felt like I’ve been off for seven days, that’s basically what it felt like. I didn’t really feel comfortable throwing in the bullpen."

Luckily the games Boston has left to play are basically meaningless. They're too far out of the race with not enough time to make up the gap. To make matters worse, the Sox bats were again silent. Eerily mute. Helpless, hopeless. It's all or nothing at all for this New England team that is so close to my heart.

There is something much more important to talk about, though. Right now. Look at the calendar. That's right, it's September 11th, that horrid and tragic date for Americans and people (almost) everywhere. Look up in the sky and say a prayer for those tragically lost souls who passed away needlessly in an incredibly cruel way. They live on in Heaven. My blog friend John Quinn wrote a moving post on his blog. He'll be there today at Ground Zero. I linked his blog to the title of this post. He's such a good person. Please click on it and read the moving words from today and years past. It's all there. I cried. Thank you John and God bless us every one. Go ahead and click away and maybe even leave John a comment. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you. I really do.

Go West Young Men & Win!

The Boston Red Sox have made the long trip to California and will take on the Oaklands A's in a three game set starting tonight. Here are all the details...

Fri. 10 at Oak **10:05 PM ET NESN/CSCA** Buchholz (15-6) vs. Cahill (15-6)
Sat. 11 at Oak **9:05 PM ET NESN/CSCA **Lackey (12-9) vs. Anderson (4-6)
Sun. 12 at Oak **4:05 PM ET NESN/CSCA **Beckett (4-4) vs. Braden (9-11)

Lackey has an incredibly AVERAGE won/loss record, doesn't he? Not to mention Josh Beckett, by the way. That's the key this year...underperformance by two of the starters. Injuries also played a huge role, but that's common knowledge. Never again, I hope. NEVER.

Have a great Friday and I'll be back early tomorrow if not sooner. Oh, a note to BFW. Check out my comments in the last post. Click on this post's title for more about the Boston Red Sox. Thanks for stopping by.

Scutaro Powers Red Sox Over Rays

The Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 11-5. Although Tim Wakefield gave up four earned runs in the first two innings, he settled down and pitched five full, giving up six hits, five runs (four earned), walked two and whiffed four. The bullpen took care of the Rays from there. Boston has lost so many games when they give up five runs (or more) but not last night. Two home runs by Marco Scutaro and multiple RBI totals from Big Papi and Victor Martinez did the trick. Here's Marco, who WILL NOT need surgery on his rotator cuff...

“My concern is I wanted to know what was going on in the shoulder. That was my first concern. I got the news that I don’t need surgery and the doctors don’t think by playing it’s going to get any worse. That made me feel better. After that news, I felt way better. I told him that if he wanted to give me a day off, make it on Friday. I wanted to be in there. I guess I feel OK."

You looked great last night, Marco. Tampa Bay lost a game to the pinstripers because New York won again. Theo Epstein will have to do some off season work to reclaim the top spot in the AL East. The injury epidemic that has plagued us this year has to vanish, too.

The Red Sox, after an off day today, will take on the Oakland A's for a three game set starting tomorrow. I'll have all the pitching match ups for you tomorrow. Click on this post's title for more Sox stuff and as always, BE WELL.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention this. Constant readers. Cat got your tongues? I receive SO few comments and I used to love it when I had at least a couple every day. Can you help me out? Thanks.

Rays Obliterate Matsuzaka And The Red Sox

Daisuke Matsuzaka was torched by the Tampa Bay Rays and he felt so badly about it he apologized to his team and the fans...

"To allow what happened to happen so early in the game, I can really only apologize to my teammates and to the fans."

Boston opened up a 2-0 lead before David Price got an out but believe me, it was all downhill for Boston from there. The final score was a very ugly 14-5. Yes, 14-5! His line looked like this. In 4.2 innings he allowed eight runs, eight hits and four bases on balls while striking out four. UHHH. There's not much more to say about this game than that.

On a bright note, last night marked the return of Jason Varitek. He entered the game for Victor Martinez in the top of the sixth. I didn't expect him back so soon but it was great to see him behind the plate doing what he does best. Welcome back, 'Tek. Mark Scutaro has moved over to second base to protect his rotator cuff. It looks like he's going to tough it out and take care of it in the off season. Thank goodness for the off season. Time to heal. The Boston Red Sox certainly need it.

Tim Wakefield, who is taking over the starting job tonight because there's no reason to start Buchholz on three day's rest after the loss last night, will face Matt Garza at Fenway Park in game three. The fun (?) begins at 7:10pm EDT. Well, I hope it will be fun.

Th-th-that's all for now, folks. Click on the title of this post for all the details and highlights or lowlights of last night's game and as always, BE WELL. I thank you for stopping in yet again. I wish there were more of you but as the Red Sox go, PETER'S RED SOX FOREVER goes.

Rah Rah Ryan Kalish..Sox Beat Rays 12-5

Ryan Kalish's fourth inning grand slam turned a 7-2 Boston Red Sox lead over the Tampa Bays Rays to an 11-2 rout. Big Papi David Ortiz gave Ryan the biggest hug after Ryan bombed it and Papi seems genuinely fond of the rookie. I think, in time, we all will. Here's Red Sox manager Tito Francona's take on exactly that...

“Aw, man, what a good swing. Took a very welcome swing. Good for him. I think he’s really an intelligent kid. I think he’s aggressive by nature. He’s probably getting a lot thrown at him pretty quickly. Regardless of what his batting average ends up the last three weeks of the season, this experience I have no doubt will be great for him. Because there’s going to be a point in his career where he’s a really good player. But he still has some maturing to do as a player. You’re going to get every ounce of what he has every day. The at-bats are huge for him right now.’’

As you know, there are a bevy of rookies playing with the big club because of the never ending series of injuries. It's invaluable experience for every one of them. Jon Lester went the first six innings and gave up four hits and two earned runs. Tito yanked him after 96 pitches because of the lopsided score. Good move by the skipper, that's for sure.

At 7:10pm EDT tonight at Friendly Fenway, Matsuzaka will face the 16-6 Price. Hey, we handled him last time and we can do it again. If you read my post of yesterday (Down Bound Train), you might come up with the mistaken impression that I've given up on the 2010 Boston Red Sox and their chances. I HAVEN'T. I have faith until a post season berth is mathematically impossible. So lets beat those darn Rays again. The Yankees are untouchable and will finish in first place in the AL East. Hey, they've got the future Cy Young Award winner of 2010 going for them every five days. Case closed.

I hope your Labor Day weekend was a great one and you're all safe and sound. Mine was suitably boring interspersed with periods of intermittent glee and happiness, mostly when I was eating. Yes, it was a solo long weekend. Nadia and I, to put it simply, are not getting along and I asked her to stay in Minnesota. She's reluctant to do so because she needs money. I told her point blank (on the phone) to GET A JOB! She's great but we're finished. Such is life...there was too much of an age difference in the first place. It was always fun to be with her and go to the beach or Six Flags, a movie or out to eat. I'm afraid those times are over. I hope she understands. I AM NOT A WALLET.

I've rambled on long enough. Please click on this post's title for all the highlights from last nite and as always, BE WELL. Now let's beat those Rays. Two more times!

Down Bound Train

This could have been the worst Boston Red Sox loss of 2010. Jonathon Papelbon was called upon to get the last five outs. The Sox were ahead by a run, 4-3. He had a scoreless eighth and Boston tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth to go up 5-3. One, two three, right? Right?? NOOOOOO. Papelbon simply could not finish the ninth inning and the White Sox ended up plating four runs to win the game 7-5. In case you didn't notice, Chicago swept Boston IN Boston, quite likely ending the Red Sox season. Here's our catcher, Victor Martinez...

“Pap came out in the eighth with one out, and it’s tough, he did all he could do out there. I think he wound up throwing 50 pitches. If you want to know how he felt, you got to go ask him, but the ball was coming out of his hand great in the eighth and I think he got a little tired obviously. I don’t think he’s used to throwing over 40 pitches.’

The ninth was downright ugly and for the sake of my sanity, I will not go into any of the details. Papelbon now leads the league with seven (!) blown saves. He most surely deserved this one. Beckett was good into the seventh. But it didn't matter.

The Sox start a three game series with the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway tonight. Their season might be over by Wednesday. I hope not but Boston is now in third place in the race for the wild card playoff spot behind Tampa Bay and Chicago. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...flat on their face. Here are the pitching match-ups...

Mon. 6 *TB 7:10 PM ET SUN/NESN** Lester (15-8) vs. Niemann (10-5)
Tue. 7 *TB 7:10 PM ET SUN/NESN** Matsuzaka (9-4) vs. Price (16-6)
Wed. 8 *TB 7:10 PM ET ESPN/NESN** Buchholz (15-6) vs. Garza (14-7) Buchholz on three days rest.

This Boston Red Sox free fall reminds me SO much of a dark and bleak 1984 song by none other than Bruce Springsteen. It was on his album BORN IN THE USA, which set the whole world on fire. Here's a stanza of his lyrics, lyrics of hopelessness and despair...

"I had a job.
I had a girl.
I had something going, mister, in this world.
I got laid off down at the lumber yard.
Our love went bad, times got hard.
Now I work down at the car wash
Where all it ever does is rain.
Don't you feel like you are riding
on a down bound train."

Red Sox Nation. All aboard! Next stop...Fort Myers. Arrival will be in February.

Click on this post's title to hear Downbound Train. Have a terrific Labor Day and as always, BE WELL. Click away if you wish. You'll like it. Sound on, please. Loud. Thanks for stopping by. Be safe.

Red Sox Play Two, Lose Two.

The Boston Red Sox lost both games of a day/night doubleheader to the Chicago White Sox. The scores were 3-1 and 3-1. The two runs Boston plated were the lowest doubleheader total since they also scored two in a doubleheader in 1976. Yes, that's right. 1976!!! And now it's been revealed that Mike Lowell had been playing with two non-displaced fractured ribs. He's cleared to play as long as he can stand the pain. The Red Sox are a whopping ten games behind the NY Yankees and seven and a half behind Tampa Bay. I really think this season is over, closed, kaput, forget about it.

Clay Buchholz started the first game and was the tough luck loser. He only gave up two earned runs in his five innings. No run support saddled him with the loss. Right now the Sox are limiting his innings so he can come back against the Rays on Wednesday. I think it's too late for those kind of shenanigans and I hope he's not injured. He still has the lowest ERA of any starting pitcher in the American League. In game two, John Lackey went seven innings and gave up only one earned run. Two other runs were credited as unearned. Lackey got the loss because of, and I repeat, NO RUN SUPPORT.

The less I say this morning, the better. I'm going over to Full Tilt Poker dot com to play a little Texas Hold 'Em No Limit. I love it and I'm GOOD at it. Boston again plays the Pale Hose this afternoon starting at 1:10pm EDT at dear little old Fenway. It'll be Buehrle facing off against Beckett. Which Beckett will it be this afternoon? Only the Shadow knows. Or maybe Superman. The Hulk? Possibly Batman or Robin. Nah, Robin would be clueless.

Have a great Sunday and a wonderful Labor Day Monday. Stay safe on those roads. The police have been giving out tickets to the lucky recipients here in north central Connecticut left and right, east and west, north and south. So on that note, as always, BE SAFE. Thanks for being here.

Manny Fesses Up..Pedey OK..Red Sox To Play Two Today

Good morning on this still very dark Saturday. It's early in the AM, VERY early. Hurricane Earl missed us here completely (no wind, no rain) in north central Connecticut but it did cause the postponement of last night's game with Manny's team, the Chicago White Sox. The two teams will play two today at Fenway Park in Boston. Game one will commence shortly after 1pm EDT and the nightcap's first pitch will be thrown at 7:10pm EDT. Here are the pitching matchups and then I'll type a few words about Manny and Pedey...

Sat. 4** CWS 1:10 PM ET WCIU/NESN** Buchholz (15-5) vs. Danks (12-9)
Sat. 4** CWS 7:10 PM ET CSN/NESN** Lackey (12-8) vs. Floyd (9-11)

The Boston Red Sox need to win both games today. It's September 4th already. Jeez! Chicago's newest player, some guy named Manny Rodriguez (why does that name sound SO familiar? Oh, I remember), will visit Fenway in his second post-Red Sox uniform. He had a few interesting quotes for the reporters clamoring to have their questions answered. Here's just a sample...

“I think everything was my fault. You’ve got to be a real man to realize when you do wrong. Hey, it was my fault, right? I’m already past that stage. I’m happy. I’m in a new team. That's in the past. I'll just leave it there. I would have been more relaxed, more patient. In life, you pass every stage. I passed that stage and you keep growing. You look back and say I did this wrong. But what's done is done. All you can do is go and play the game and finish your career.”

Hey Manny, is this "stage last?" Of course I'm just kidding but if I was lucky enough to be at Fenway this afternoon, I'd be one of the Fenway Faithful standing and booing as loud as hell. You gave up on your team more than once. That's why you're not playing in New England and most likely never will.

Red Sox second baseman and former AL MVP Dustin "Pedey" Pedroia underwent successful surgery on his foot. A screw was inserted though the broken bone which will fuse it together and allow it to heal completely. Pedey will be able to resume his workouts in a few months and be available for the entire 2011 season.

Have a terrific holiday weekend. Today is day one of three. I hope they don't just zip by. For me, there've been WAY too many zips lately! Hurricane Earl weakened considerably before passing well to the east of north central Connecticut yesterday. No wind, no rain but threateningly cloudy sullen grey skies. We got off easy. Boston is ninety nine miles to the northeast from my front door so that's why there was no action last night up there. Pleast click on this post's title to be zapped to SI's Red Sox home page, be safe on those packed roads and as always, BE WELL. See ya soon. Thanks. Happy holiday!!

Sox Win...Pedey Surgery

It was another good news/bad news Thursday for Red Sox Nation. I'll start with the good news. The Boston Red Sox, on the strength of a five run second inning, defeated the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 6-4. Daisuke Matsuzaka started for Boston but was booted out of the game after he gave up four runs in the sixth frame. The important thing is this...the Sox won the game. They crept to within six and a half games of the Tampa Bay Rays. They have much more work to do to qualify for October play but winning the last two games with the Birdies was big. Here's reliever Scott Atchison, who pitched well...

"We got off to a rough start on the road trip, but we were able to finish strong, win these last two. We got some momentum going and hopefully we can take it home, get on a big roll. You never know what can happen from there."

How about eight straight victories to get back in the hunt? Ten? Sounds good to me. Jonathon Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his thirty fifth save. Papelbon is the only pitcher in major league history to record at least 35 saves in each of his first five seasons. Congratulations go out to him big time. Boston returns home and will play a three game set against the Chicago White Sox. Manny WILL be in town. I wonder what kind of a response he'll get from the Fenway Faithful. It'll be loud, that's for sure, but it will be mixed at best. If you ask me, the cascade of boos will be deafening. The only people cheering for "Sir Manny" will be pale hose fans. Here are the pitching match-ups...

Fri. 3** CWS 7:10 PM ET WCIU/NESN** Buchholz (15-5) vs. Danks (12-9)
Sat. 4** CWS 7:10 PM ET CSN/NESN** Lackey (12-8) vs. Floyd (9-11)
Sun. 5** CWS 1:35 PM ET CSN/NESN** Beckett (4-4) vs. Buehrle (12-10)

OK, it's time for the bad news, and it's official as of yesterday. Dustin "Pedey" Pedroia WILL need surgery to insert a screw into the broken bone inside his foot. It never healed sufficiently and a screw will seal the crack until it has time (the entire off season) to heal completely. Here's Pedey...

"I woke up today and heard our team sources say I need surgery so, so I guess I'm going to have it. I don't know what the fuck is going on to be honest with you."

I'm sorry, I didn't delete the expletive because that's what he said. He also told the assembled reporters that he feels good. That's good.

In closing, I hope your Friday will be a great one and your holiday weekend memorable. Hurricane Earle has diminished in strength and will pass to the east of north central Connecticut (and Boston). All is safe. Click on this post's title for the highlights and lowlights of last night's game and as always, BE WELL.

Lester Hangs Tough. He Had To! *EARL*

When Jon Lester strode into the dugout after the bottom of the sixth inning in Maryland, his club, the Boston Red Sox, were behind the Baltimore Orioles by a score of five to three. But the Good Guys erupted for six runs in the top of the seventh and Boston ended up winning the game by the score of 9-6. Lester now has a lifetime record against the Orioles of 13-0 but it didn't look like he could extend that undefeated streak after the first two innings last night. He gave up five runs in that span. After the game, he said this....

"Usually this mound is one of my favorite places to pitch. For some reason it felt like a rainstorm had come through," he said. "It was wet and I had clumps on the bottom of my shoe and was slipping a little bit. Early on, I really didn't have a feel for what was going on. I don't really know how to explain it. We need to chip away and get some wins. It was big that we could come back tonight."

Jon pulled himself together and starting with the last out in the bottom of the second inning, he retired eleven straight. It was the Lester we have been used to. There's another game tonight shortly after 7pm EDT. It'll be Matsuzaka versus Bergeson on the Maryland mound. At this point of the season (hey, it's early September already!), every game is VITAL.

Please, be careful about hurricane Earl if you're situated near the middle eastern seaboard. The massive hurricane should pass to the east of Cape Cod. That means north central Connecticut (that's where I am) will get rained on but the damaging winds should stay to the east. If the storm shifts approximately 80 miles to the west (God forbid), it would cause ALL kinds of problems but the upper winds apparently will prevent that. My goodness, we need the rain but not the wind! A close call is a close call and this is EXACTLY that.

Thanks for stopping in yet again. I appreciate it immensely. Don't forget to click on this post's title for the high definition national radar look. Concentrate on the eastern seaboard. The outer bands are starting to appear there. The radar site imbedded in the title is updated every three hours. Bookmark the site. You might need it during the coming winter. I highly recommend it. As always, BE WELL. See ya soon and don't forget to click. Earle might not be there yet but it soon will be if you're in the wrong place at the exact wrong time.

Boston Red Sox 8 Games Back After Loss To The Baltimore Birdies...Scutaro Is Hurting

Yes, another Red Sox loss coupled with another Boston injury. The Sox were beaten by the lowly Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5-2. Josh Beckett was the Boston starter and he pitched well over seven innings, giving up seven hits and only two earned runs, three in all. He whiffed five and walked not a soul. If the Red Sox bats were working, they would have won. Remember, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DARN ORIOLES. Marco Scutaro, the Red Sox shortstop who has had such a great season, is clearly hurting. His right rotator cuff has been bothering him for some time. Here's his fellow infielder, Jed Lowrie...

"I think his shoulder is affecting him quite a bit. He goes out there and plays every night, which is a testament to him because he’s a tough guy. I think his shoulder is not where he wants it to be.’’

No, it isn't, not anywhere near where it should be in terms of health. I've been through a rotator cuff injury that still pains me to this day. Hey, I'm not a baseball player, an infielder who has to throw the ball to a base at full speed, but I know what pain is. I cannot imagine what Marco is going through. I DO know he's toughing it out but Tuesday night, it showed. It sadly showed. It would be a miracle if the Boston Red Sox qualified for post season play. I love 'em but I am realistic.

On another note, in what might be the start of house cleaning and getting ready for 2011, Manny Delcarmen has been traded to the Colorado Rockies. There's not much more I can say about it. Expect a different Red Sox team next year with the same starting five pitchers. Wakes...I don't know. I really hope they keep him. The added non-pitching players will have to be able to "hit the ball where they ain't." Runs have been a scarcity all year long.

Tonight in Baltimore, Lester will face Arrieta. I have NO idea what will happen. I do know this. I hope this 2010 campaign does not bite the dust by mid-September. Right now, it looks like it. Click on this post's title for all the highlights and details from a dark and dismal Tuesday night in Baltimore and as always, BE WELL.