Burying the Hatchet

What do the following people have in common?

• Johnny Damon
• Ramiro Mendoza
• Eric Hinske
• Tony Cloninger
• Dale Sveum
• Gary Tuck
  

According to the New York Post they are the only people who have World Series rings from both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Surprising, right? You'd think there would be some more, ummmm....iconic players/coaches on that list. But considering history...this is it.

I don't really have much to say about any of those men, with the exception of Johnny Demon Damon. I have to (wo)man up and admit it might be time to bury the hatchet with him.

There is no surprise that as a member of RSN I've had had hard feelings towards the self-proclaimed idiot. I've lashed out on my blog more than once about him. I've called him every name in the book, I've sat down during his announcements at Fenway Park (I would like to point out I never booed the man), I've laughed at the thought of him potentially being unemployed this season (until the Tigers stepped up)....but I've also loved him.

I loved him when he was a member of the 2002, 2003 and beloved 2004 Red Sox. He made me cry when he was carried off of the field after colliding with Damian Jackson in the outfield. He had me screaming out "What Would Johnny Damon Do?!" more than once. He hit a grand-slam against the Yankees in the game 7 2004 ALCS, which was just as exciting, if not more exciting, than winning the World Series in my eyes. He rode the duck boats through the streets of Boston, where I cheered at the top of my lungs out of sheer joy and excitement.

Johnny was my homeboy.

That is, until he went to the Yankees in 2005.

It honestly and truly felt like a betrayal to me. There is no other way to describe it. I was hurt. Johnny let ME down personally.

But here is the thing. I have had no hard feelings towards any other member of the 2004 Red Sox who are no longer with the team...except maybe a few for Manny, but that's just because he was "being Manny." I don't have hard feelings for Eric Hinske, who is up there on that same list with Damon. In short, I was being a jerk.

It's time for me to bury the hatchet on my hatred of Johnny Damon. I will cheer on May 14th (albeit while watching my television) when he steps up to bat against the Red Sox. I will try and get tickets to the July 30th game so I can cheer him in person, at Fenway Park. I would like to finally give him that standing ovation he so much deserves.

I just hope he'll accept my cheers and congratulations after all these years.

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Getting Excited For Baseball

Seeing these 2010 baseball commercials have surely fired me up for the baseball season.

In this ESPN Sunday Night Baseball clip, Buchholz and actor Adam Scott sing along to Sweet Caroline and try and get Yankees outfielder, Nick Swisher involved too. He wants nothing to do with it. So what does Buchholz do? He continues to sing along by himself. And he can actually carry a tune (not sure why this surprises me, but it does!) I've never been a huge fan of Buchholz, but this makes me like the guy a little.

Then there are the NESN spots that my friend Susan Mahoney told me about. The first one kind of cracks me up. Orsillo is trying to explain how to navigate around Boston to John Lackey. It has often made me comment out-loud that 95/128 are the same road (in some spots) and that 95S turns into 93N....it's just confusing. Even to those of us who grew up in MA.



This last video, however, has got to be my favorite. A (real) Yankees fan walks into a barber shop talking smack...until he sees the likes of Papi, Tek, Wake and Paps. It's great.



What about you? Which is your favorite? What is getting you fired up for the baseball season?

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Nomar Gives Me Warm Fuzzies

By now you've all heard the news that Nomar Garciaparra will be retiring as a member of the 2010 Red Sox organization.

(photo taken from boston.com, photographer unknown)

Reports say he will be signing a one-year, minor league contract with the Red Sox organization and then announce he will be taking a job with ESPN as a baseball analyst.

Now....there are a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head (and I'm sure some of them could be answered if I just waited 15 minutes to listen to the press conference...but that would be logical...)

• Nomar (reportedly) had a tumultuous relationship with the city of Boston (towards the end). He didn't like all of the attention, he didn't like all of the press and he didn't always love the Red Sox - so why here, why now? I know he started his career here, that he played his best here, that he was LOVED here. I just want to know if he's being sincere, or pulling a PR stunt? edit: after watching the press conference I feel he was sincere in really wanting to end his career in the same uniform he wore when he started it. in fact, it was the most sincere i've seen nom-ay in a long time and it was awesome to see him look so happy! One little gripe though Noooommmaaahhhhhh, you are retiring as a member of the Red Sox, not as a Red Sock. We are Red Sox Nation, not Red Sock Nation. Still love ya, man.
  
• If he signs a one-day deal with a MINOR LEAGUE team affiliated with the Red Sox, won't the hat he wears during his press conference be a SeaDog, or a "P" or something? And not that it really matters, but don't we all want to see him in a Red Sox hat? My brother assures me that the genious behind Red Sox PR will already have this figured out...edit: so no uni at the press conference....it is yet to be determined what will happen. I guess they toned down the PR aspect of it - in that respect. But man, I really wanted to see him with a "B" on his head.
  
• Will Nomah coming back and ending his baseball legacy with the team where he was a five-time All-star end the curse of the SS as we have come to know it?
  
• Is there any way he can find a way to sneak onto the DL for one last day? (Ok, ok no hate mail, I kid!!!)
  

I, of course, am happy this is taking place. I had a love-hate relationship (mostly love) with the former Cape Cod League Baseball Player but I do think his final career-resting place should be with the Sox. He was, for so many years, the face of the Red Sox. I don't think any true Sox fan is happy with the way things went down in 2004 (although the outcome was, of course, very favorable that season!) Now he'll get a proper "goodbye" from Red Sox Nation...especially when he throws out the first pitch on opening day*

Nomahhhh - I wish you the best!

Some of my fellow bloggers who are honoring Nomah:

• Julia thanks Nomar: http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/archives/2010/03/nomar.html
• Dan recaps his favorite Nomar memory: http://blog.masslive.com/redsoxmonster/2010/03/nomar_garciaparra_career_highlights.html
• Joy of Sox posts a fantastic picture: http://joyofsox.blogspot.com/2010/03/nomar-announces-retirement.html
• Jere from A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory On Nomar, the media and the haters: http://letsgosox.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-nomar.html
• Peter talks about Nomar coming home: http://peteronall.blogspot.com/2010/03/nomar-comes-home.html
• Derek talks about Nomar and Sunshowers: http://www.sawxblog.com/2010/03/nomar-garciaparra-comes-back-home.html
• Mighty Quinn thanks Nomar for the memories:
  http://quinnmedia.blogspot.com/2010/03/nomar-retires-with-red-sox.html

(photo taken from redsox.com, photographer unknown)

*I totally made this up, but wouldn't it be amazing?! Come back to this post if it actually happens so I can say, "See! I totally called that!"

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Erin Andrews Is A Serious Dancer, errr.....Reporter

One of these things is not like the other

1. Erin Andrews wants to be taken as a serious sideline reporter
2. Erin Andrews has been fighting to keep her name out of the tabloid media and keep the paparazzi at bay since the "peep-hole" incident
3. Erin Andrews has been announced as part of the cast for Season 10 of Dancing With the Stars

I have nothing but respect for women in sports.

• There is an unfair stereotype about you because of your gender. It's cut-throat and competitive.
  
• You get heckled about your knowledge (or assumed lack there of) just because you are female.
  
• You get cat-called and whistled at because you're pretty.
  

I get that. (I also get that it is a great marketing ploy for networks to have hot women sports reporters, but that's another story for another day).

I have to be honest, though. Erin Andrews is driving me nuts.

I felt bad about the whole peeping-tom peep-hole video. It would be an extreme invasion of privacy for any woman OR man. This is not about that (even though it did boost her popularity!)

What's getting to me is this woman has been "fighting" to be taken serious in her job, and now she's dragging herself down and trying to capitalize on her 15 minutes of fame with the likes of Kate Gosselin, Pamela Anderson, Shannen Doherty and Nicole Scherzinger. Are you kidding me?

It's a shame, honestly.

Perhaps Andrews using this as a Catalyst of career change? It could be possible, the ESPN personality does seem to have a bit of an obsession with Britney Spears:

My lifelong dream was to be a backup dancer for Britney. My sister is a professional dancer, so we're still hoping Britney gets her act together so Kendra, my sister, can dance with her. -Erin Andrews

Erin Andrews, the ESPN reporter filmed naked on hidden camera in a hotel room, called 911 recently to complain about paparazzi lingering outside her home, telling the operator, "I did nothing wrong, and I'm being treated like f*****g Britney Spears."

What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know!

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