Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Rock on

"Got the bass... No treble."

That's David Wells, describing how Metallica sounds through "underwater" ears.

Yep. Still sick. But unlike last time, he didn't let it get him down. Five innings, five hits, no runs, and one last dose of antibiotics. Things can only get better.

(Show him some love and buy his t-shirt.)

Jeremi Gonzalez (dude's Wiki-worthy!) took up the mantle, pitching three innings of no-hit relief, continuing a nice little run of six appearances (11 and two thirds innings) in which he's allowed just three hits, one walk, and zero earned runs.

But Mike Timlin's debut as stop-gap closer could have gone better. A single and a walk, each following two fly-outs, spelled trouble when Timlin couldn't snag John Buck's pop-up. Then Donny Murphy's bases-loaded single scored two runs before former Sox farmhand Chip Ambres grounded out to end it.

At least it wasn't a save situation. Still, Tito and Timlin himself seem unconcerned. Onward.

The return of Trot Nixon was a fine thing to see. He went one for four -- a ringing double to deep center -- that drove home Edgar Renteria (who was three for five with two RBIs).

Good to have him back where he belongs. Just wish he hadn't hit that liner offa Foulkie.

To make room for him, however, they sent poor Lenny DiNardo back down the farm. Is jettisoning a 25-year-old lefty with a 3.04 ERA (in AAA ball) in favor of a 39-year-old lefty with a 19.80 ERA a perplexing decision? Yes, to Sox Blog's mind, it certainly is. Hopefully it will soon come to make more sense. At least Lenny will be back in a week. No post-season for him, though.

In other news:

* We're lucky. But maybe not that lucky.

* Fenway might soon be getting a plaque.

* Mike Sweeney misses Tony Graffanino. Can't really blame him.

Etc.
This is a week late, but deserves a look. Lad rag Barstool Sports has put together a list comparing every major league team to a Simpsons character. The Red Sox? "Lisa Simpson. Beloved by all. Used to being overlooked and trod upon, so that when they finally get a day in the sun, they don't really know what to do with it. Unfortunate tendency to get a little self-righteous. Antagonistic relationship with those in positions of power."

The Yankees? Who do you think? "Driven to success by an almost unimaginable wealth of resources, which they use to ruthlessly crush their enemies, although typically not by the most efficient means possible (blocking out the sun, Bernie Williams). Seemingly unaware of the (obvious) reasons why they are hated. They seem to have been a key actor in pretty much everything important that happened before 1970."

The issue also features the fanatasy line up of the Red Sox All-Insane Team. (Funny, even if it is a direct rip-off of this.) Sox Blog's favorite?

"Catcher: Mo Berg. The most fascinating ballplayer no one's ever heard of. Picture Doug Mirabelli if he was a "Jeopardy!" champion and our top spy in Iraq. Berg was the Sox backup in the 1930s who spoke 12 languages, answered questions about Sanskrit on radio quiz shows, talked physics with Einstein, and was a spy for the Allies in Germany during WWII. He makes this list because he spent his life after the war sitting around in a kimono, mooching off his brother, reading a dozen newspapers a day and asking if anyone wanted to hear about his adventures. No one did."

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