All bang, no whimpah

Al:
All it takes is a couple of days of All Stah Break to remind me how empty and meaningless life is without baseball.

 

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Mike:
We are the hollow men / We are the stuffed men / Leaning together / Headpiece filled with straw.

 

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Doug:
Did you say something because all I heard was a whispah as wind in dry grass or rats'feet ovah broken glass.

 

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Al:
Yeah, well, if we're the Hollow Men then what is Julio Lugo these days, Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead?

 

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Mike:
Nah, I'm thinking Lugo is J. Alfred Prufrock. You know…

In the room the women come and go / Talking of Julio Lugo.

 

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Doug:
Talking of *trading* Julio Lugo you mean.

 

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Mike:
Heh. Seriously.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to he.

 

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Doug:
He is no Prince Hamlet, that's for sure.

 

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Al:
So who's ready for some Buchholz?

 

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Mike:
Yep. Time to see if his beginning was his end.

 

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Comments

[h.b.]

It's T.S. Eliot day here at The Soxaholix. The "Hollow men" and "rats' feet" point to The Hollow Men poem. "Phlebas the Phoenician" is from The Waste Land. "Talking of Julio Lugo" is a twist on the most famous line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, as are the "mermaids singing" and "He is no Prince Hamlet" bits. Finally, the final line of today's strip is a reference to Eliot's East Coker in the Four Quartets. Oh, and the title of today's strip is a a twist on the famous final line of The Hollow Men.

[Bob]

A classic Soxaholix strip, H.B. Old school, but good school. Recess, if you will.

Are you ready for some baseball? A Friday night party? We've got Don and Eck, so let's get this Clay party started.

[Kaz]

Oh well, never was there ever
a cat so clever as magical Theo Mistoffelees.

"Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats". TS Eliot, cat lover.

[ponch in jerz]

Today makes me feel like my MA in English wasn't a total waste because I recognized the quotes.
.
Ah, who am I kidding, it was a waste. Anyway, good strip.

[louclinton]

hb, you might as well be speeking swahili to me. I'm a dullard, literary-wise, among other-wise

lc

on the other hand last night it was ricky skaggs v del mccoury in NH. Del wins! Dellllllll winzzzzzzzzzz.

[Kaz]

By the way, PawSox, when you're given that ONE game a year during the MLB All-Star Break on prime time NESN...please do try to win it...or keep it close...anything but getting your head beat in.

They could be beating every other team in AAA in the standings right now, but I wouldn't know it based on last night's performance and I'm not sure how fast I want to run out to Pawtucket now.

[Natalie]

Notice they didn't say WHAT they were looking to trade him for- or even that they are looking for a live, warm body. If I am Theo, I wouldn't be asking for more than a cup of chowdah, a Miller Lite and some peanuts.

Love the Eliot, brings me right back to junior year in college. I gotta read real books again....

[chris]

it's the waste land, three words, as chris ricks docked me a grade for at bu in '89.

[Jeff in NC]

Coincidence?

the ipod on shuffle just played Afternoons and Coffeespoons for the first time in forever

Afternoons will be measured out Measured out, measured with Coffeespoons and T.S. Eliot

then I check in on your offerings today, h.b., nice.

re: Lugo, I'd like to see some actual trade for players take place, get some sort of value for the team and let the poor errant fuck save some face. But a large can of dry roasted peanuts or maybe a $6.95 bag of beef jerky would also be acceptable.

[buckner was framed]

If they get ANYTHING remotely of value for Lugo, this could be Theo's best trade yet- but I don't see anyone taking him without the Sox picking up at least 9 mil of the remaining salary, and only then because Theo has some blackmail pics of the GM in question 'scouting' a Dominican prospect.

Hmmm, maybe Batshit is available?

[Jeff in NC]

With Manny gone, someone in the dugout would need to step up and rub Batshit's head while waiting to bat. Might be a player revolt over that part. I'm not seeing Bay taking Manny's position on that one.

[Jeff in NC]

and has Kotsay or Master Bates ever fielded the pitcher's roll to first?

[Jeff in NC]

Apparently I miss Batshit

[Harwich Rich]

I miss Col.Kurz reading "The Hollow Men" just before he got wacked.

[Kaz]

Recording of TS Eliot reading The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock

The whole time I couldn't help but think, "One Miiiilllion Dollars!" [pinky finger to side of mouth]

[h.b.]

Good catch, Chris. Thanks.

[yazbread]

I hate the first game after the All-Star break. It seems to set the pace for the rest of the season.

Here's an example from 1978.

[Rob in CT]

Back from a glorious vacation to Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. Rob can report a good time was had by all.

Interesting reading in the WSJ this morning...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204271104574290600207026822.html

(Sorry, don't feel like breaking out the HTML code today. Too hot outside.)

Democrats are generally more in favor with the DH rule in the American League than are the Repuglicans. Who'd a thunk?

[Jeff in NC]

stupid is as stupid does

apply that anyway you like to either side of Rob's DH tidbit

I personally prefer Papi to Lester at the plate. although, few at bats are better to watch than Bartolo Colon's.

[buckner was framed]

Jeff, and Louie Tiant's base running in the '75 WS is an all-time classic.

yazbread- check out some of the names in that box; Bobby Bonds? Juan Beniquez? Campy Campanaris, Dock Ellis? Wow, I'm old. And you can look it up.

[RedStripe Nan]

Excellent strip, h.b., thanks.
Do I dare to eat a peach?

[Jeff in NC]

WEEILUGODFA

[yazbread]

Is there much of a market for shortstops that can't field?

[Bob]

Sure there is, yazbread. Jeter for instance.

[buckner was framed]

Jeff, you excited, or posting from a mobile phone?

[Kaz]

Looks like Lugo might go to the Cardinals, Mets, or Cubs. None of which have a DH.

What are they possibly thinking?

[Bob]

Have a stinking meeting in a few minutes, then I'm out of here. Beer cart will be a Pete's today.

Have a great weekend all. Here's hoping Clay throws lights-out tonight. And that we have something fun to yak about on Monday.

[yazbread]

Watson has the lead and Tiger misses the cut. Wish I had that winning ticket.

[soxdownunder]

Two weeks: Santa Monica
Two weeks two days: Petes.
Shantih shantih shantih.

Go Clay!

[buckner was framed]

I love the fact that sdu is our very own trading deadline acquisition

[Nolasox]

Any chance we could get hb to attend Pete's (Durty Nelly's) meetup on the 2nd? At my estimation there may be around 7 of us there and you know we wouldn't let you buy any of your own drinks.

[Jeff in NC]

Buckner, I was sneaking in a post of excellent news while in a meeting with a client. I was "checking the files" on a subject under discussion.

Kind of tells you my level of interest in that meeting.

But I'll give myself an A for multi-tasking - kept the client discussion up on the rails without any hint to my true intentions. At least that's how I think it went. Could be they were secretly thinking "Hey, dude is posting baseball news while he's supposed to be talking about my project! Damn Soxaholix, they just can't give it a rest."

[buckner was framed]

LOL Jeff. It's just that it took me a while to figure out. The way some of the threads go here sometimes, I just assumed it was some sort of random factoid or literary reference that I was not up on. But, now that I know the true story- well done, my friend

[Bob]

Nolasox, H.B. will be there. He's always at our get-togethers. Behind the bar, looking hot in his wig and prosthetic breasts.

[soxdownunder]

They were real I tell you, they were real!!!

[buckner was framed]

but they were spectacular

[soxdownunder]

I was talking about the curls.

[Billy Mahty]

red-rag and pink-cap
blueshirt and grey
strut-swings and stink-breaths
have all come to town

some like it shot
and some like it hung
and some like it in the park
three months on

today's post heavily influenced by e.e. cummings' red-rag and pink-flag.. poem.