Playing catch-up

Doug:
Christ, 3 games into the season and I've already got a chubbah for this year's team.

 

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Bill:
So don't I. Let's recap shall we? Starting with Coco Crisp.

 

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Doug:
Unbelievable, guy. Do we need any more reminders that the front office is, er, a few steps in front of the fans when it comes to evaluating potential talent?

 

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Bill:
Absolutely, 3 games in and we already know this much: Crisp is an upgrade ovah Damon, youngah, fastah, and bettah skilled.

 

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Doug:
And then there's Curtis Montague Schilling like Moses himself leading the fucking people to the promised land (again). Dude was not only in his best form since the saga of the blood sock on Opening Day, but there he is Wednesday night at the top of the dugout steps cheering on Beckett and Papelbon like it's mid Octobah in New York and not early April in Arlington.

 

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Bill:
And what about Beckett? Holy effin' shit. 7 innings of one hit heat and then the fist pump? Jesus I'm going to staht calling him G19.

 

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Doug:
But maybe the most pleasant surprise of all is Terry Francona going with Papelbon.

 

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Bill:
All my life I've watched Red Sox manager's take the NASA approach to baseball. You know, waiting for shit to blow up before fixing it …

 

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Doug:
Yeah, and you need look no fahthah back than Francona last season when he kept wheeling Foulke out there on the bring out your dead caht night aftah night …

 

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Bill:
Which is why I nearly had a haht attack when Francona went all proactive on our asses in skipping Foulke and going with Paps.

 

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Doug:
You know, I saw it and I still can't believe it.

 

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Bill:
No mattah how things shake out as the season progresses, this auspicious staht to '06 already has me forgetting the longest offseason and spring training in memory.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, now about that little problem with catching the knuckleball …

 

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Comments

[mobosox]

How exciting is it to see Beckett and Paps pumping fists so early in the season. With that intensity...it will be hard for the SOX to succumb to anyone.

How much does a Papelbon Jersey go for?

[Devine]

I know! Papelbon! Thank effin' Christ.

Unfortunately, I missed that game, but I heard the Texas announcers were confused/disappointed when Papelbon appeared on the mound in the 9th. Ha ha, that's right boys! 95 IS the speed you're seeing on the gun. Love it. See you later at Fenway (I have tickets to a game in June against Texas).

I'm not inclined to worry very much about Wakefield/Bard (knowing full well that it might not be you, h.b., but Doug who is). To me, it just looked like one of those, "Oh, Wakefield is getting shelled, surprise, surprise" outings I've come to expect about a quarter of the time he pitches. I'll worry if he sucks a couple more times this month.

[tessie]

Bring out your dead! LMAO. Nice comeback, Hart.

[NV in SD]

Welcome back, hb. Hope your time away was prductively restful (?) or something. Good to see you kept your finger on The Pulse.

As for the new guys:
Coco- better than advertised- guy's like the energizer bunny, except faster. With a better glove. And bat. And he's not pink.
Loretta- This guy is going to ably fill the shoes emptied by Billy Ballgame's departure. Line drive machine, and not much to say afterwards. Consummate professional.
Wily Mo- nice to see his first AB resulted in his first hit and rbi as well. I believe he's getting the start tonight. Lets see what he does with 3-4 ABs.
Beckett- what can I say? A bit shaky in the first few innings, but if that's how he settles down (95mph on his 019th pitch) thatn bring it on. I believe I'll be purchasing a #19 t-shirt when I return home in a couple weeks.
Riske- risky.
AGon/ Lowell- as advertised with the leather, so far better than many thought they would be at the dish.

I agree with Doug and Bill- I've got a chubbah for the team as well.

[Bob]

Ah, welcome back, H.B. You were missed (perhaps not by my boss though).

I like the Papelbon G19 reference, but perhaps in a slightly different context:

http://www.parts.cc/glock/Specs/g19.htm

[anotherbetsy]

Only thing that felt longer than the last four days of spring training were four days in the cubicle without h.b.! Welcome back!

[DenverSoxFan]

Welcome back, hb!

First off - the punctuation Nazi in me can't help but notice the unnecessary apostrophe in "manager's" up there.

Second, yeah, definitely a promising start to the season. Crisp and Loretta are giving me a warm fuzzy feeling inside, and Beckett and Schilling were superhardcore. Now if only Manny could remember where he left his bat, we'd be in really good shape.

[GaryGeiger]

Welcome back h.b., from your brief hiatus.

There is just a certain something about seeing new blood, especially young pitchers who throw gas....here chump, hit this. With Manny D and Hansen off to good starts in the minors, there is much to feel good about.....albeit early good feelings.

Besides, the NY papers are already wringing their ink-stained hands....

[vasoxfan]

Welcome back HB.
I'll be thinking of you guys as I watch our boys beat (hopefully) Baltimore Sunday. Wake is scheduled to pitch. I hope he and Bard do a little better. Hopefully he'll "let the ball come to him"
Hope springs eternal in RS nation in April!!

[Monty]

Im happy when we win, sad when we lose, and try not to over anal ize things.
"I fart in your general direction"

[MattySox]

Hopefully the rain in B-more lasts all day today, so Schill can go on Sunday when I'm there...I have a feeling this Bard's tale will not end well...

[EdRomero]

Longest offseason and spring training in recent memory? How about the offseason after 2003. How quickly we forget the worst offseason ever...

[h.b.]

Not at all. For me the gap between 2003 and 2004 was the shortest in my memory.

Then again that's when I was doing all the background work on getting this site launched, so I was keeping myself busy rather than crying like a little girl.

:)

[Sincyr]

Please no one actually sits around and talks like that, maybe a few toothless/homeless but i think everyones overdoing it with the whole "new England Accent" thing