tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57569622011-09-01T13:54:21.033-04:00Various musings on my favorite topics from Capn HoCapn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.comBlogger10371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-79334374323585672382010-12-04T13:40:00.003-05:002010-12-04T13:40:53.844-05:00

I was looking up something from our trip to Korea last year and I noticed that it had been almost 6 months since I posted here. I really need to figure out what I'm going to do with this blog.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-31727597925616750562010-06-12T22:27:00.002-04:002010-06-12T22:57:02.386-04:00

Why I Love Baseball, Reason #957: Daniel Nava.The story will be told everywhere, so I'll only briefly recap it: cut from his college team, undrafted, played independent ball, then was signed by the Sox in 2008. He started with Lancaster (High A) and worked his way up to the Pawsox this season.He was called up to Boston and played his first game today at age 27. The first pitch he saw from the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-8922118201476888862010-06-10T21:10:00.002-04:002010-06-10T21:56:35.052-04:00

Once again, I have been delinquent in my blogging, so here are 10 quick thoughts:What is it with all the no-hitters this year? Ublado Jimenez had a no-no, perfect games by Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay, and the Imperfect Perfect Game by Armando Gallaraga. And it's only the middle of June.Has there ever been a more classy, sportsman-like reaction by a player getting screwed by a bad call than

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-72843673860232081232010-06-01T21:55:00.002-04:002010-06-01T21:58:57.349-04:00

I haven't done much blogging recently, so here are a few catch-up items.I said at the beginning of the Red Sox 13 game stretch against the Tigers, Yankees, Twins, Phillies and Rays that we would know a lot more about this team at the end of it. After a slow start, losing 3-of-5 in Detroit and the Bronx, the Sox swept the Twins at Fenway, then took 2 of 3 from the Philles and swept 3 from the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-67120397984613141532010-05-21T21:37:00.001-04:002010-05-21T21:48:21.916-04:00

No one is happier than I am that David Ortiz has been red hot in May. His numbers for the month so far- .358 average, 7 HR, 1.170 OPS - are amazing.That said, Big Papi popped off in the paper today about how upset he's been about the heat he got in the media during his slow start. He even went so far as to specifically call out ESPN's Buster Olney for saying that he can't hit an inside

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-67631472985198337232010-05-19T20:51:00.002-04:002010-05-19T20:55:09.870-04:00

I said a few days ago that this 13 game stretch against the Tigers, Yankees, Twins, Phillies and Rays would tell us a lot about where the 2010 Red Sox were headed. After 5 games, I'm still not sure.The Sox are 2-3 so far, but they could easily be 4-1. The could also easily be 1-4. They blew a 6-1 lead Saturday night in Detroit and ended up losing in extra innings. They battled back from a big

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-46092710245416968712010-05-14T22:56:00.002-04:002010-05-14T23:23:27.226-04:00

I'm not a hockey fan. I don't really follow the Bruins other than to hear the score on the radio or see it online when I'm perusing Boston.com. I couldn't name 10 NHL players. I find the game almost unwatchable on TV, although I enjoy watching hockey in person. In 1,038 previous posts on my blog, I have mentioned the Bruins exactly five times.All that said, I couldn't let the Bruins epic fail

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-58107102871466221932010-05-11T20:39:00.002-04:002010-05-11T20:46:34.112-04:00

Not convinced yet.The Sox lost 2 of 3 to the Yankees over the weekend, and both losses were pretty ugly - 10-3 on Friday and 14-3 on Saturday - before getting a win on Sunday night to avoid a sweep. It was the Sox first win after 8 straight losses to the Rays and Yanks.My main concern is Josh Beckett. After dominating in the first three innings on Friday night, he imploded, giving up three

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-50035187098732480972010-05-07T19:33:00.001-04:002010-05-07T19:33:46.542-04:00

I have no idea what to make of this team.I speak, of course, of the 15-14 Boston Red Sox. I have no idea what to make of the Bruins, either, but for completely different reasons.The Sox just completed a four game sweep of the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim, Orange County Edition. This domination of a team that went to the ALCS comes on the heels of being swept by the Baltimore

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-54031406734436624842010-05-02T21:19:00.002-04:002010-05-02T21:47:39.348-04:00

What the hell was that?So much for the brief burst of optimism after the Blue Jays series. The Red Sox were swept by the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards this weekend. That's right. Swept. By a team that is now 4-2 against the Red Sox and 3-16 against everyone else.I had said earlier in the week that the real test for the 2010 Red Sox would come in this upcoming week, when they play the Angels

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-67156772424685147712010-04-30T22:10:00.002-04:002010-04-30T22:28:47.925-04:00

A common question all sports fans hear (and ask) is, "why are athletes paid so much"? Along with this there is the related question of "why is it so expensive to go to a MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL game?"This came up again last night when my friend Clinton linked to an article about the mega-mansion Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen are building in California. (By the way, if you are not listening to

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-90032006010149775032010-04-28T22:39:00.002-04:002010-04-28T22:45:30.357-04:00

The Red Sox have had some bizzare streaks this season, and we're less than a month in. Earlier, they went 0-for-32 with runners in scoring position, and now their last six wins have been by one run. It's all just a little odd.If the Red Sox can turn their season around, we may look back at last night as one of the turning points. The bullpen was pretty gassed after the extra inning loss to

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-13468815117167609222010-04-22T21:57:00.002-04:002010-04-22T22:08:56.094-04:00

It's Darnell McDonald's world, and we're all just living in it.One of the great things about baseball is the ability for a player to transcend his talents, even if just for a day. A sub-.500 pitcher like Don Larsen can pitch a perfect game in the World Series. Bernie Carbo, who had only 96 career home runs, can come up and slug a pinch-hit homer that became the stuff of legend.So it is with

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-21862664122962967342010-04-19T22:19:00.000-04:002010-04-19T22:21:12.023-04:00

Yikes. John Henry can't feel like he's getting his $170 million worth two weeks into the season.The Red Sox are 4-9 after getting swept by the Rays in this mornings Patriots Day game. They are 0-6 at Fenway since the glorious Opening Night win against the Yankees. The 1-6 Fenway start is the worst since 1932, when the team finished 43-111, 64 games behind the pennant winning Yankees. They

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-84210402741881567372010-04-04T09:47:00.002-04:002010-04-04T10:16:48.748-04:00

Welcome to the 2010 baseball season!Opening Night at Fenway is tonight against the Yankees, and I'll be there with The Hey way up in the bleachers somewhere. So, of course, it's time for my 2010 predictions.First, we'll recap last years picks. In the NL, I picked the Mets (really?), Cubs (what was I thinking?), Dodgers and Phillies as the Wild Card. I had the Mets beating the Cubs in the NLCS,

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-28029306203395542832010-03-29T20:56:00.002-04:002010-03-29T22:20:08.513-04:00

I have been watching a bunch of episodes of 30 Clubs in 30 Days on MLB Network the last few weeks. This is a show where they review the prospects for the coming season of all 30 teams, interview players, the manager, coaches, etc. They spend a full hour on each team, so it gives them a chance to get really in depth.Near the end of each episode, they name the "Prime 9", or best moments in each

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-78147511159026989482010-03-27T21:12:00.002-04:002010-03-27T22:14:00.753-04:00

When A. asked me where I wanted to go for dinner for my birthday, I said, "How about Jerry Remy's new restaurant?" R. then responded with, "It figures!"We went this evening, parking in Newton Center and taking the Green Line in to Fenway station. A short, but chilly walk later we were at the restaurant.The inside is striking. Shiny hardwood floors, a big long bar and more flat screen TVs than you

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-85741448205713353542010-03-22T21:19:00.001-04:002010-03-22T21:20:57.635-04:00

A few thoughts as we are less than two weeks from Opening Night:I was glad to see that the Twins signed Joe Mauer to an 8 year, $184 million contract. As nice as it would have been to see Mauer in a Red Sox uniform, it just seems right that a Minnesota icon like him should end up in his hometown uniform for what should amount to the rest of his career. Mauer will join the ranks of players you

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-67337924283526089262010-03-19T20:54:00.002-04:002010-03-19T21:13:57.495-04:00

View Larger MapIt was a beautiful day in Boston today, so my boss let us go at 3 (I actually left around 3:20). I had quite a bit of time until I could get an earlier train to take me home, so I took a long walk. About 3.7 miles, according to Google Maps, from my office to Yawkey Station across from Fenway Park. Check out my route on the map above - it's marked in blue.The city was thronged with

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-76815297655237137412010-03-11T22:07:00.002-05:002010-03-11T22:14:02.222-05:00

Another long hiatus from the blog, but now that the baseball season is gearing up I should be here more often.I watched MLB Networks "30 Teams in 30 Days" preview on the Pirates. I can't imagine being a Pittsburgh fan the last couple of decades. The Pirates haven't had a season where they played above .500 ball in 17 years. That's the longest streak in history - not even historically bad

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-9979235696360286052010-02-12T19:37:00.001-05:002010-02-12T19:41:36.471-05:00

My five favorite non-traditional holidays:Opening Day at Fenway: probably the most important day each year in Red Sox Nation, it's a celebration of Spring, renewal, hope, hot dogs and beer.Star Trek's Anniverary: The original Star Trek TV series premiered on September 8, 1966 with the episode The Man Trap (the one with the Salt Vampire). I'm sure that if you had told Leonard Nimoy that day that

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-43761044254764630552010-02-11T21:39:00.001-05:002010-02-11T21:42:12.604-05:00

I was on the Baseball Hall of Fame's Web site the other night and they had a poll question: Who would be elected to the Hall of Fame first: Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter or Omar Vizquel? Now, Jeter is obviously a first-ballot, no-brainer Hall of Famer. Only the curmudgeons who refuse to vote for a guy in his first year of eligibility will keep him from being a unanimous selection. When he goes

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-63039744814190687512010-02-02T20:23:00.002-05:002010-02-02T20:37:22.090-05:00

I ended a long-term relationship last week.I have been listening to sports talk radio station WEEI in Boston literally since the day they switched to the all sports format in 1991. Although I occassionally will listen to music on the radio, I would say that 75% of my radio time has been spent tuned to WEEI talk shows and sporting events.That's now ended. I'm spending most of my time listening to

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-11567863324630290272010-02-01T21:23:00.002-05:002010-02-01T21:58:38.155-05:00

I saw Peter Gammons speak in Cambridge last Thursday night. Gammons, of course, is probably the best baseball writer of his generation, and has written for publications such as the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated, been a regular on ESPN, and currently works for the MLB Network and NESN.Gammons was the leadoff speaker in the Cambridge Center for Adult Education's Home Run in Harvard Square

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-57651401065623067842010-01-21T21:44:00.002-05:002010-01-21T21:48:15.717-05:00

Want to know what I'm enjoying these days? The parade of former major leaguers, most of whom played before the Steroid Era, coming out and slamming the juicers.It was all precipitated by Mark McGwire finally talking about the past (about five years too late, eh, big guy?). McGwire came out in an interview with Bob Costas on MLB Network, finally acknowledging that he took steroids pretty much

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-34206226596884416002010-01-07T20:18:00.000-05:002010-01-07T20:20:12.776-05:00

Thinking healthy thoughts as we start 2010:I'm just starting a new exercise program: I am walking on the treadmill in my basement while I watch all 11 Star Trek movies plus all the DVD extras. I figure that the movies average about 2 hours each, with average of an additional 2 hours of extra features with each film, for a total of 44 hours. My plan is to get through all the movies by April 3, the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-80726496753379431852010-01-05T22:11:00.002-05:002010-01-05T22:25:28.794-05:00

Florida highlights:First, major kudos to JetBlue for getting us to and from Orlando with a minimum of fuss during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. We were actually a half-hour early getting into Orlando; we were getting in our rental car at the time we were scheduled to land in Florida. JetBlue has actually supplanted Southwest as our family's preferred airline, at least until

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-63981918098970865772009-12-23T20:52:00.002-05:002009-12-23T21:02:39.699-05:00

There were a lot of books written about the 2004 Red Sox (I believe approximately 1.8 million, at last count). I read a fair number of them, of course. One I remember seeing, but not picking up, was Leigh Montville's Why Not Us?It turns out that not reading this book earlier was a mistake.I probably should have known better. Montville wrote wonderful biographies of Ted Williams and Babe Ruth.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-71939967110768855792009-12-14T21:52:00.003-05:002009-12-14T22:29:01.481-05:00

Wow. Quite a day in MLB today. Here's some thoughts on two big deals and a smaller one:The Red Sox have signed John Lackey to a 5 year deal worth something like $82-85 million. I like this signing a lot. They get a front line starter and don't give up anything other than money (and a couple of draft picks). At the moment, the Sox starting rotation shapes up with Lester, Beckett, Lackey, Daisuke

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-9166549159601296112009-12-08T21:00:00.001-05:002009-12-08T21:12:39.574-05:00

There has been an interesting transition here on the blog. It's been about three weeks since I have posted anything. Not only have I just not had a lot to talk about, I'm finding myself spending more time on Twitter and Facebook. Those sites provide me with more interaction and feedback, so I have less time for blogging. I will still come back here when I have something I want to talk about,

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-41342408924435590882009-11-15T21:32:00.002-05:002009-11-15T21:58:22.999-05:00

Two very cool baseball related things that have happened to me:Getting to play at Fenway Park at the Jimmy Fund Fantasy Day: The company I work for used to sponsor the Jimmy Fund Fantasy Day fundraiser at Fenway Park, and in 2001 I was selected to participate. I got to play first base for 45 minutes, then was allowed to take 15 swings at the plate. It was pretty much like every dream I ever had.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-85254957429419408222009-11-09T21:13:00.001-05:002009-11-09T21:19:18.355-05:00

Ten things I'm thinking about on a Monday:What is with the weather? We get snow in mid-October, then sunny, 70 degree days during the second week of November. It's all a bit crazy, isn't it?I like the Jeremy Hermida trade a lot from a Red Sox point of view. This is another low risk, high potential reward deal by Theo. The pitchers traded were not top of the line prospects, and if Hermida can

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-85693954513657731182009-11-05T20:23:00.001-05:002009-11-05T20:24:23.007-05:00

As I said, I'm not a betting man. Good thing.Yes, I totally blew my prediction on game 6. Pedro couldn't get Hideki Matsui out and Andy Pettitte pitched very well on short rest, enabling the Yankees to win the 2009 World Series. Matsui had one of those historic games people will be talking about 30 years from now, with 6 RBI on a home run, a double and a single.So did the Yankees buy a World

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-46996443937730983232009-11-04T06:22:00.000-05:002009-11-04T06:24:10.542-05:00

So, A.J. Burnett got smacked around by the Phillies (6 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks in two innings) and sent the series back to Yankee Stadium.Is anyone surprised?I have said this here before. I'm not a big proponent of sending pitchers out on short rest when they are not used to it. Burnett has rarely pitched on three days rest. Pitchers, in general, are creatures of habit. Why would you expect a good

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-44489257261684766432009-10-30T20:25:00.001-04:002009-10-30T20:30:19.553-04:00

Two games into the World Series and nothing has happened to change my mind that we're in for a seven game epic. A few thoughts:Cliff Lee made his legend in game one. Aside from simply dominating the best offense in the game in hitter friendly Yankee Stadium, he did the following:Made the most nonchalant catch of a popup I have ever seen in a baseball game, much less a World Series game.Caught a

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-78230561387898548982009-10-28T20:24:00.002-04:002009-10-28T20:28:09.229-04:00

A few World Series thoughts:In the five seasons since the Yankees last appeared in the World Series they have spent a total of almost $986 million on payroll, or almost $197 million a year. In comparison, the five World Series winners during that time frame (2004 and 2007 Red Sox, 2005 White Sox, 2006 Cardinals and 2008 Phillies) spent less than $533 million, or a bit more than half what the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-23471758651167807112009-10-27T21:59:00.001-04:002009-10-27T22:08:54.857-04:00

Five years ago Red Sox Nation was set free.Free from "The Curse of the Bambino". Free from Yankee fans chanting "1918" and waving pictures of Babe Ruth. Free from being lumped in with the Cubs (101 years and counting). Free from wondering if wondering if we would see the Red Sox win the World Series before we died.We all remember the sequence of events: down 3-0 to the Evil Empire in the ALCS. 19

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-154008549332085062009-10-25T21:04:00.002-04:002009-10-25T21:31:29.394-04:00

A few thoughts as I watch ALCS Game 6:Well, we now know what the Patriots can do against bad teams. They beat the winless Titans and Buccaneers by a combined score of 94-7 the last two Sundays. Tampa wasn't quite as pathetic as Tennessee was in the snow last weekend, but they were still seriously overmatched. The Patriots go into the bye week 5-2. We'll see if these beatdowns translate against

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-51660024974451086112009-10-21T21:26:00.002-04:002009-10-21T21:32:10.548-04:00

Postseason baseball thoughts:I saw perhaps the worst call in baseball history in the Yankees-Angels game last night. Two Yankees (Posada and Cano) at third base, neither standing on the base. The Angels catcher tags them both. How can only one be out? Umpire Tim McClelland totally missed the call. It ultimately didn't make any difference, since the Yankees didn't score in the inning and they won

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-58668679629736003142009-10-18T20:26:00.003-04:002009-10-18T21:58:00.349-04:00

We had a weird day today. It was snowing, much earlier than is normal for this area of the country. It hasn't been sticking to the pavement, but has been accumulating on the grass a bit. It's supposed to get back to more normal October weather in the next couple of days, fortunately.In spite of the weather, I got quite a bit done today, including:We met with the Director of Education at our

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-61930886519995875692009-10-11T08:50:00.002-04:002009-10-11T09:02:24.705-04:00

Is it just me, or are some Red Sox fans just missing the point?I was listening to the Baseball Show on WEEI yesterday for a while, and it seemed like call after call was complaining about Terry Francona's handling of Josh Beckett in the 7th inning of Game 2. Should he have been taken out earlier? Maybe, but Beckett has more than proven his ability to work his way out of jams. He only threw 103

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-80114540689455786052009-10-09T21:12:00.003-04:002009-10-09T22:02:04.807-04:00

It was a crazy week, so I haven't had much of a chance to blog about the post-season. I don't have much to say about the game 1 loss against the Angels, but here are two quick non-baseball stories from the week.T-alerts work! I get an email and a text from the MBTA whenever trains on the Worcester/Framingham line are delayed. Most times, they come too late to do me any good, but this wasn't the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-71024507622697600572009-10-04T13:32:00.002-04:002009-10-04T14:12:24.818-04:00

This is one of the things I love best about baseball.There has been a major lack of great pennant races this season. 7 of the 8 playoff spots were wrapped up well before the weekend. There's only one race left, but it's turning into a dandy.The Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins are tied atop the AL Central with one game to go. I got to see most of the two games yesterday. The Twins beat Zack

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-63844304065823067732009-10-02T22:13:00.002-04:002009-10-02T22:36:11.117-04:00

It's the last weekend of the MLB regular season. Here are five non-Sox related things I'm thinking about:The two most disappointing teams this season had to be the Cubs and Mets. Both had big payrolls ($149 million for NY and $135 million for Chicago) and were expected to win their divisions, or at least be very competitive. The Mets were ravaged by injuries (Beltran, Reyes, Delgado, Wright and

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-35214119011919999502009-09-24T21:33:00.000-04:002009-09-24T21:34:19.330-04:00

It's a dilemma that comes up every September/early October. The Red Sox and/or Patriots are playing an afternoon game. It's a beautiful late summer/early fall day. What to do?In most cases, my feeling is that I should take advantage of the weather. This happened last Sunday. It was a fantastic day: sunny, clear blue skies, mid-70's with no humidity. So, instead of watching the Patriots-Jets game

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-58966590915835209192009-09-18T21:39:00.002-04:002009-09-18T21:44:17.827-04:00

Welcome to post #1,000!Five reasons why I think the Red Sox will win the World Series:Starting pitching: I don't want to read too much into one start, but Daisuke Matsuzaka's performance against an Angels team that is second in the American League in runs scored was extremely encouraging. If we can get a Daisuke that resembles the guy who pitched for this team in 2006 and 2007 and add him to Josh

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-40682610547323732332009-09-12T22:32:00.002-04:002009-09-12T23:04:14.648-04:00

I'm a bit pissed at the Red Sox management tonight.I had tickets to see the Sox take on the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway tonight. It had been raining most of the day in Boston, but things had slowed to a light mist by the time we headed into Boston for the 7:10 start. The kids and I took the Green Line from Newton Center to Kenmore, had our traditional pre-game dinner at UBurger in Kenmore Square and

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-77752306455465492242009-09-11T22:26:00.002-04:002009-09-11T22:34:19.199-04:00

10 quick thoughts as we head into the weekend:I only saw four minor league baseball games this season (2 in Pawtucket, 2 in Worcester). That doesn't seem like nearly enough.Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives is my favorite show on the Food Network. I love local restaurants with lots of character, and they seem to feature a lot of them.New Fall TV shows I'm looking forward to: Glee, Flash Forward, V.Does

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-41305444055715737282009-09-08T21:47:00.002-04:002009-09-08T22:06:05.342-04:00

Along with being the unofficial last day of Summer, Labor Day is also the last day of the regular season for of most minor league baseball. To get our last fix, J., R. and I headed to Worcester to see the Tornadoes take on the Brockton Rox.It was a disappointingly small crowd at Fitton Field for the final game of the regular season. The box score claimed 1,229, but I would be surprised if there

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-4592693850335047812009-09-04T21:36:00.002-04:002009-09-04T22:15:41.915-04:00

Tonight's tedious baseball stats post is about the distribution of the last time teams won the World Series. I started thinking about it on the way home and decided to see how it worked out. If a team has never won a World Series (believe it or not, there are 8 of them), then I count from the year the team was created. The last year the team won is in parentheses.10 years or less (8 teams):

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-57890863505266831792009-09-01T21:20:00.002-04:002009-09-01T21:29:53.098-04:00

Here's one more reason I love Ben & Jerry's. Not only do they make great ice cream, but they have a very well developed sense of social justice. They just renamed their Chubby Hubby ice cream "Hubby Hubby". Here's the explanation from the email I received this evening.In partnership with Freedom to Marry we are gathered here to celebrate Vermont and all the other great states where loving couples

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-48796267262249852492009-08-31T21:59:00.001-04:002009-08-31T21:59:33.566-04:00

Tedy Bruschi announced his retirement today. Bruschi played 13 years with the Patriots and appeared in five Super Bowls with the team, including the three wins.Bruschi was the ultimate team player. He never seemed to think of his own defensive statistics or his own profile as a football star, just what was good for the team. If there was a selfish bone in Bruschi's body, it wasn't evident to

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-86356134931693812552009-08-30T19:36:00.002-04:002009-08-30T20:43:58.112-04:00

As we head into the last day of August, the Yankees lead the AL East by 6 games, Detroit the Central by 4.5 games and the Angels in the West by 5. Although the race isn't over, the Red Sox have opened up a 3.5 game lead over the Texas Rangers in the Wild Card race with 32 games to play.Assuming no Mets-like collapses and things remain the same in September, the Yankees would face Detroit in the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-85618591377350575452009-08-24T22:07:00.002-04:002009-08-24T22:18:02.396-04:00

A few thoughts on after a not-so-great weekend against the Yankees:Who would have thought that rookie Junichi Tazawa would pitch the best game of the weekend when there were guys named Pettitte, Burnett, Sabathia and Beckett (combined 2009 salaries: $48,452,380) pitching? (Yes, I know Brad Penny pitched, too, but, well, Brad Penny.) Tazawa has been an interesting story, having pitched in a

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-11031646209890799892009-08-21T19:33:00.002-04:002009-08-21T20:04:57.424-04:00

Three things for a Friday:Went to the Pawsox on Tuesday night with J., Mom and Dad (R. wasn't feeling well - she's fine now). It was a great night to be at the ballpark. Even though the day was hot, it cooled off once the sun went down and was very comfortable. A cup of Del's Frozen Lemonade helped to beat the heat as well. The game didn't start off well. Kris Johnson started for Pawtucket and

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-72301959653040588192009-08-14T21:21:00.002-04:002009-08-14T22:22:04.130-04:00

The Red Sox are starting their biggest series so far this year tonight. With the Yankees now essentially out of reach (6.5 games ahead with 48 to play), it's time to concentrate on the wild card. Texas enters the weekend half a game behind the Sox, and tied in the AILC (all-important loss column). Although the Sox are only 11-15 since the All-Star break, I'm feeling a little better about things

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-36064453993552579882009-08-11T22:13:00.002-04:002009-08-11T22:38:26.640-04:00

Hollywood met reality on my way to work this morning. I was walking by the Seaport Hotel on my way from South Station in Boston to my office in Southie and I saw hundreds of people lining the sidewalk. I stopped and asked a young woman what everyone was doing there. She told me, "We're auditioning for American Idol."Long-time readers will know that American Idol is my #1 guilty pleasure every

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-46402697165702824782009-08-09T20:08:00.002-04:002009-08-09T21:31:54.516-04:00

What the hell happened?I said on Twitter a few days ago "Next 6 games are huge for the Sox - 2 at the Trop, then 4 in the Bronx. I'll be happy with 3-3, thrilled with anything better." Now I'll be pleased if we can just salvage one out of four in New Yankee Stadium.This is really starting to resemble the 2006 collapse, except without Manny's "bad knee". The pitching, for the most part, hasn't

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-18484701111464402762009-08-07T06:21:00.002-04:002009-08-07T06:25:56.990-04:00

My friend Darth Mojo just posted a rant I wrote about William Shatner's no-show at the Rhode Island Film Festival last night. You can read it here.If you are a new visitor who clicked through from Mojo's site, welcome! And if you don't like baseball, sorry, but that's pretty much what we do here...

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-26377236623994499942009-08-04T20:39:00.004-04:002009-08-04T21:46:14.598-04:00

I'm in the process of correcting a major oversight.I have read most of the great baseball books: Ball Four, Veeck as in Wreck, Moneyball, The Boys of Summer, Eight Men Out, Summer of '49 and so many others. Yet, somehow, I had never managed to read Lawrence S. Ritter's The Glory of their Times. I'm taking care of that now.For those of you not familiar with the book, Mr. Ritter spent five years

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-17515035366272587092009-08-02T20:31:00.002-04:002009-08-02T21:38:32.596-04:00

Just got back from a wonderful 4-day weekend in Vermont with A. A lot has happened since Thursday, so here are a few thoughts.Manny and Papi: We were in the car driving up to Vermont, listening to the Red Sox pre-game show on Thursday afternoon when I heard about the New York Times story saying that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were on the 2003 list of players that tested positive for

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-91486541573987032792009-07-27T20:45:00.003-04:002009-07-28T22:06:04.237-04:00

There aren't too many things that would drag me out of bed at 3:30 in the morning. The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Jim Rice is one of them.Rice and I go way back. My first vivid memory of seeing a professional baseball game is watching Jim Ed hit a home run for the Pawsox at McCoy Stadium in 1974, when I was 10 years old. Rice won the Triple Crown in the International League that

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-90196704308455555212009-07-22T20:33:00.002-04:002009-07-22T21:09:02.663-04:00

Busy day today. Here are the big items:My house is astonishingly quiet, since the kids left for over three weeks of overnight camp today. The reality of having no kids around for a long period of time is not nearly as good as what I thought it would be, since I miss them quite a bit. I know they'll have fun and have some great experiences at camp, though, and that's what really counts.Theo

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-49148294620301003952009-07-18T21:53:00.002-04:002009-07-18T22:14:44.539-04:00

We went to see the Worcester Tornadoes take on the New Jersey Jackals last night. They were having fireworks after the game, and since the 4th of July is just another day in Korea, we thought it would be fun to see some before the kids go off to camp on Wednesday.It was nice to get back to a ballgame. I hadn't been to a game since the first weekend in June, when R. and I sat in the Coca-Cola

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-80058828904651964712009-07-14T21:32:00.002-04:002009-07-14T22:21:30.681-04:00

Back to baseball! A few things now that I'm caught up and I watch the A.L. try to secure home field advantage for the Red Sox in the World Series.Good for President Obama for wearing his White Sox jacket when he threw out the first pitch in St. Louis tonight. I have heard presidents say that they can't have a favorite because they're "the president of the whole country" or some crap like that. I

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-68383795206582330152009-07-12T15:44:00.000-04:002009-07-12T15:47:41.798-04:00

Korea trip – Day 13 and going homeAs I write this we are over the East Sea, about 6,700 miles from Chicago. Happily we took off right on time today and we should land in Chicago in a bit under 11 hours, around 10 AM Chicago time on Friday the 10th. Considering that we left at Noon on Friday the 10th Seoul time, we our internal clocks should be well and truly screwed up by the time we get

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-64819645808028414902009-07-12T15:37:00.002-04:002009-07-12T15:40:50.446-04:00

Korea trip – Day 12: Middle school daysAfter the tiring events of yesterday, we could have used a later start to today. It wasn’t to be, as we had an 8:30 meeting with all the other families on the trip. We all had a chance to talk about what our best day on the trip has been. For us, I think it was the visits to the sites in Busan and Miryang City on Day 10. For me, seeing those places and

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-18999342379695640272009-07-12T15:25:00.001-04:002009-07-12T15:34:07.886-04:00

Korea Trip Day 11 – I’ve been workin’ on the railroadI’m writing this from car 15 of the KTX 5:45 train from Busan to Seoul. Excluding the Acela, this is my first ever ride on a “bullet train”. The Acela doesn’t really count as far as I’m concerned, since the track between Boston and New York has so many turns the Acela can only hit it’s top speed of 150 MPH for about 15 minutes of the trip. The

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-3523682101753298382009-07-06T10:06:00.002-04:002009-07-06T10:11:50.390-04:00

Korea trip – Day 10: Miryang City Road TripToday was a big day. After yet another Dunkin Donuts breakfast, we met a driver and translator to do some site visits to places significant to the kids early lives. The driver works for our Korean adoption agency, Holt Childrens Services and the translator is a volunteer there.Our first stop was Chunhae Hospital. R. spent a week here after she was born

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-80259295294975295152009-07-06T10:01:00.002-04:002009-07-06T10:05:05.203-04:00

Korea trip – Day 9: Busan or bustThis morning we got an early start with breakfast at the hotel buffet and an 8:00 departure for Busan. Busan is on the southern coast of South Korea and is a major port. Most importantly, both of our kids come from this area. R. was born in Busan itself, while J. was born a bit north of here in a place called Miryang City.You may have seen Busan called “Pusan” in

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-11552263040963335992009-07-06T09:57:00.002-04:002009-07-06T10:01:01.463-04:00

Korea trip - Day 8: Kim-chi. It’s not just for breakfast anymore.I’m having a serious case of baseball withdrawal. Internet access is too expensive to pay for every day at the hotels we’re staying in, and following MLB here is nearly impossible without it. I have no idea what the Red Sox have done the last couple of days. The last game I know the results of was the Sox 11 inning win over

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-12523034473884368582009-07-06T09:51:00.001-04:002009-07-06T09:55:24.966-04:00

Korea Trip – Day 7: Headin’ up to SorakToday was probably the least eventful day of the trip so far. We got an early start out of Seoul, checking out of our hotel for a few days. Our first stop is the Sorak Park Hotel, near a Korean national park, which we’re told is very popular.We took a bus up here, about a four hour journey with a couple of stops. Let me tell you, Korean buses are not

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-6224586186964243462009-07-02T09:43:00.001-04:002009-07-02T09:49:54.110-04:00

Korea trip – Day 6: Singin’ in the RainWe woke up today to some rain. We caught some clear weather early and headed down to Dunkin’ Donuts again for breakfast. It’s becoming a popular spot as we ran into two other families in our group down there. We had a bit of rain on the way back, but nothing terrible.Once we boarded the buses, we headed to the Korean National Museum. It’s essentially a

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-28889602600226501662009-07-02T04:20:00.002-04:002009-07-02T04:25:09.696-04:00

Day 5 – Foster Mother VisitToday was a big day. We went to Holt Children’s Services, the Korean social services agency through which we adopted J. and R.. We grabbed some Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwiches this morning (much pantomime was involved in the ordering process) and took off for the agency about a half-hour away.One of the many things that is different about Seoul than at home is the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-66233194037634221982009-07-02T04:15:00.001-04:002009-07-02T04:19:03.636-04:00

Day 4 – Korean Road TripJ. and I slept a pretty solid 9 hours and were pretty much over any jet lag. A. and R. woke up around 4 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep, but we were all feeling a lot more human than we were last night.Our hotel, the Sejong, is right in the middle of a big shopping district in Seoul. You go out the back door and see a mix of American brands (New Balance, The Gap,

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-57988673901678997462009-07-02T04:09:00.000-04:002009-07-02T04:13:23.980-04:00

Day 2/3 – The Neverending Plane RideMorning in Chicago dawned with a big breakfast at the hotel buffet, since we didn’t know when and how much we would eat on the plane. After that, we packed up the rest of the stuff and took the airport train over to the international terminal.Getting through check-in and security was uneventful and we headed to our gate. We had the chance to meet some of the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-64740015382298353112009-06-28T11:47:00.002-04:002009-06-28T12:06:39.276-04:00

Korea trip Day 1 – Sweet Home Chicago!Greetings from O'Hare Airport!We decided early on to go to Chicago for a night before heading on to Seoul. It made a lot more sense. We had a 12:30 flight from Chicago (11:30 AM Boston time), so getting to Chicago, changing planes and getting on our flight to Korea would have required us to get up, well, really, really early. The flight to Chicago was very

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-14050470841064868912009-06-25T22:15:00.002-04:002009-06-25T22:37:04.601-04:00

We leave for our long-awaited trip to Korea on Saturday. We fly to Chicago, spend the night and fly direct to Seoul the next morning. The flight is 13 hours long, and we lose 14 hours due to the time change, so we leave Sunday around noon and don't get to Incheon airport until Monday afternoon. The Nintendo DS's and iPods will be fully charged!I'm going to be documenting the trip each day. When I

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-16516206027674589592009-06-17T20:48:00.002-04:002009-06-17T22:13:07.571-04:00

The magic number of the day is 500. That number, of course, represents the number of consecutive sellouts the Red Sox have had at Fenway Park as of tonight. The Sox broke the Cleveland Indians record of 455 some weeks ago.A few facts: The streak started during the 2003 season. Over 38 million people have seen games at Fenway since then. Terry Francona has never managed a game in front of an empty

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-31780857426098177232009-06-12T21:27:00.002-04:002009-06-12T21:57:12.259-04:00

Loved the Sox sweep of the Yankees this week. Last night's 8th inning comeback win against C.C. Sabathia and the Yanks hideous other-than-Mo bullpen was a thing of beauty.I have a different topic for tonight, though. Does anyone else find really bad teams fascinating? I don't mean your typical 90-95 loss 5th place finishers. I'm talking about epically bad teams: the 1962 Mets, the 2003 Detroit

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-78923950673511357032009-06-09T20:58:00.002-04:002009-06-09T21:02:33.620-04:00

I know I haven't posted much lately, but things have been crazy busy. Last week was especially busy: J. had Little League games Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and a band concert Thursday. R. and I went to the Red Sox-Rangers game on Friday (more on that in a separate post) and we went to the Berkshires for New Camper Day for her at the overnight camp both kids will be attending next summer. Oh,

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-16428591741547832922009-05-25T09:50:00.004-04:002009-05-25T22:02:09.331-04:00

It's been a long time I left Fenway Park as disappointed in the result of a Sox game as I was on Saturday night. J., R. and I went to Fenway to see the Sox take on the New York Mets in an interleague game. It looked to be a good pitching matchup as well, with Josh Beckett taking on the Mets Mike Pelfrey.Since I started taking the kids to night games, we have been driving in to Fenway and parking

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-9571976719660434452009-05-22T22:35:00.002-04:002009-05-22T22:55:11.072-04:00

I watched the 1964 World Series film on the MLB Network a few days ago, largely because my friend Jim Bouton won 2 games during the Series. What I found interesting was some of the differences in the games over the last 45 years.There were four complete games in the seven game series (one each by Bouton and Mel Stottlemeyer and two by Bob Gibson, one of those a 10 inning game). By contrast, there

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-62602193701862001472009-05-17T21:56:00.002-04:002009-05-17T22:16:21.279-04:00

A few thoughts while watching Celtics-Magic game 7:I need to see Star Trek again. I loved the new movie the first time around, but I'd really like to catch it a second time in the theater. I was hoping to catch it at the Jordan's Furniture IMAX and probably would have gone tonight if the Celtics had managed to wrap this thing up in 6.The Red Sox had a rough road trip on the west coast, losing 4

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-63483024099430719442009-05-14T20:48:00.002-04:002009-05-14T21:15:41.714-04:00

Things can only go up from here, right?I speak, of course, about David Ortiz. Big Papi's 2009 reached what I'm hoping is the bottom today. During the Sox 12 inning, 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles/California/Anaheim Angels, Ortiz went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts and left 12 men on base. He left the bases loaded twice. He's now batting .208 and is still looking for his first home run of the year.I

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-55537742575239964262009-05-11T21:09:00.002-04:002009-05-11T21:46:51.436-04:00

Manny, Manny, Manny...Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few days you know the story. Manny Ramirez tested positive for a banned performance enhancing substance and has been suspended for 50 games.Manny's apparently disingenuous press release blamed an unnamed physician (has Manny every used the word "physician" instead of doctor?) for prescribing something for a "personal

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-24399211279431435982009-05-07T22:49:00.002-04:002009-05-07T22:54:19.347-04:00

I wrote this earlier today, before I heard about Manny testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. I didn't have time this evening to get into that, but I'll post about it on the weekend.Stuff floating around in my head:The Dodgers broke the all-time record with a 13-0 start at home, which is pretty amazing. And they have another game against the Nationals tonight!I'm very excited about

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-62794123521062009832009-05-05T20:52:00.002-04:002009-05-05T21:44:36.319-04:00

A few Tuesday evening thoughts...The Red Sox against Tampa Bay: 2-5. The Red Sox against everyone else (heading into game 2 at Yankee Stadium): 14-5. Anyone seeing a problem here?I'm not seeing the new Star Trek movie until Friday, but the critical reaction so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and the movie is being called accessible to everyone. According to The Onion, some hard core

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-61641793277600771172009-05-03T22:10:00.002-04:002009-05-03T22:39:02.255-04:00

We made our first visit to McCoy Stadium this today. J., R. and I were joined by The Hey and his daughter and Bismo and his son for the Pawsox first ever Star Wars Day.Yes, that's right. Two of my favorite things in the world, baseball and Star Wars. Could it get any better?Well, I don't think it could. We arrived just after 12 and were greeted by local members of the 501st Legion and the Rebel

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-25498634669396562912009-04-28T21:20:00.002-04:002009-04-28T21:31:25.313-04:00

A few quick things tonight:If I had to pick a favorite moment from the weekend series against the Yankees, it would have to be Jacoby Ellsbury's steal of home Sunday night. Stealing home is such a rare feat to start with, and to do it against a couple of veterans like Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada on national TV against the Yankees made it extra special.A close number two was Jason Bay's home

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-92057877024704798642009-04-25T23:06:00.002-04:002009-04-25T23:25:09.994-04:00

Anyone expecting a pitching duel between Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett today was very disappointed.The Sox won game 2 of the weekend series against the Bronx Bombers by a score of 16-11 in a 4 hour, 21 minute marathon. The Sox were down 6-0 after the top of the 4th, went ahead 8-6 after 5 and were down 10-9 after the 7th inning stretch before scoring seven more runs to put it away.Yankees

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-36256261585684259162009-04-24T23:38:00.002-04:002009-04-24T23:43:44.544-04:00

If that was round 1, I can't wait to see what the next 17 bring.The Sox just beat the Yankees at Fenway 5-4 on a walkoff 11th inning home run by Kevin Youkilis. The only reason the game got that far is that Jason Bay hit a 2 run bomb into the center field bleachers off the great Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the 9th with two out.They just mentioned on MLB Network that in extra inning games the

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-72669138029413682472009-04-24T22:17:00.002-04:002009-04-24T23:04:33.302-04:00

A few thoughts as I watch Sox-Yanks, 2009 Round 1:I spent Monday and Thursday evenings watching J.'s Little League team play two exhibition games this week. I love watching him play, but it was frakkin' cold out there both nights. If I had a phaser I would have been heating up the rocks. Tomorrow is his first "real" game, and the temperature is supposed to top out in the low '80s. Typical New

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-17550776954411403472009-04-20T22:37:00.002-04:002009-04-20T22:40:57.163-04:00

I'm wishing I lived in San Francisco (or was making a timely visit) so that I could go to the ballpark for Star Trek Movie Night. Talk about the ultimate combination of my two passions!And I'll be looking on eBay to see if I can track down the Giants/Vulcan Salute foam finger.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-36270545413683936772009-04-19T21:38:00.003-04:002009-04-19T22:11:14.318-04:00

Had a fun evening with the kids for my second visit to Fenway for the season. The Sox took on the Orioles in the second game of a four game set, and it was the first of our four SoxPak games for the season. The game itself was good; getting to and from Fenway Park was the problem.Whenever possible, I take the T to Fenway. Although it might take more time, the stress level is generally lower.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-77580607237559313022009-04-15T21:11:00.002-04:002009-04-15T21:59:19.388-04:00

It was an October night in 2004. The Red Sox were getting pounded by the New York Yankees in game 3 of the AL Championship Series, eventually losing 19-8. The Red Sox bullpen was in tatters. So Tim Wakefield, normally a starter and always the consumate team player, took the mound in relief and provided Terry Francona with 3.1 innings of invaluable relief. This helped to preserve the bullpen and

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-36688047160941482422009-04-14T21:40:00.002-04:002009-04-14T21:52:48.141-04:00

A couple of quick notes:I'm not worried, yet. We're only 7 games in, but the 2-5 Red Sox have been getting mostly mediocre pitching and not much out of the offense (other than Youk). Of course, I suppose that's a prescription for a 2-5 record. Still, if this was happening in June or July we'd be looking at it as a minor slump. The Sox are too good a team for this to keep up for long, but I'd

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-27543860949548701622009-04-12T21:50:00.002-04:002009-04-12T22:20:46.617-04:00

Here's a few things I have been enjoying as the season finishes it's first week...MLB Network's new show, MLB Tonight, is the best nightly baseball recap show I have ever seen. Lots of former major leaguers who can intelligently discuss the game and don't go in for a lot of schtick (listening, John Kruk?) are on the nightly panel and bring some great insights. My favorite thing about the show,

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-31026000670319411452009-04-07T21:50:00.002-04:002009-04-07T22:32:42.843-04:00

I went to Opening Day at Fenway Park today with Bismo and The Hey. It was a heck of a day, on pretty much all levels.First, I want to give some kudos to Red Sox management for calling the game so early yesterday. They made the call by 10 AM, which enabled me to stay at work and get some stuff done so that I could take off early for today's 4:06 start (yes, that was on purpose).And second, thanks

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756962.post-77720768567441629082009-04-06T11:58:00.002-04:002009-04-06T20:53:12.857-04:00

Since Opening Day has been postponed, we submit this joke instead:Q: What's the difference between a Fenway Frank and a Yankee hot dog?A: You can get Fenway Franks in October.

Capn Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17684675028658357235noreply@blogger.com1