Oil Can Boyd

For me this morning:

I'm going to pick that up at lunch today.

How is it?

I've heard great things about it, and started it 3 or 4 times before, but have never gotten very far.

The prelude to that book is one of my favorite pieces of writing. I just found it really compelling ...

Pena as in Carlos Pena? Or someone else?

 

If you mean Carlos, well, I wouldn't hold my breath. He'll hit 10 homers in September but only 2 before then.

Wily Mo

I'm a huge Anne LaMott fan. New mothers should absolutely read "Operating Instructions",

New fathers should read it too!

When my son was born, my wife and I would read it aloud to each other.

ESPN's Peter Gammons reported today that former Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon has agreed to a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians for $3 million. The Red Sox had elected not to offer salary arbitration to Nixon, a Type B free agent, who was paid $6.5 million last season. Nixon hit .278 in his 10 seasons with the Red Sox and hit 133 home runs while driving in 523 runs.

I always liked Trot, probably more than I should have.

 

I am so glad I finally got this, thank God or perhaps Al Gore for the internets.

 

--Mike

I was listening to this last night!

Love them Feelies ...

Is this a new Wilco album or an Allman Bros tribute album? Either way, I'm buying it.

My first thought was an ELO triibute album ...

thought this was fascinating...

 

DiMaggio: 88.84% (less than Rod Carew)

 

Them writers sure used to have stringent voting standards back in the day... even in the 70s! (Gibson)

And DiMaggio wasn't elected until his third try ...

Another borderline candidate (as is Rice) for the HOF, IMO, was Albert Belle.

I am a huge Jim Rice fan but his numbers (.298, 382 HR, 1451 RBIs) and Belle's (.295 381 HR 1239 RBI) are pretty similar.

god, I hope McGwire doesn't get in

Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken (98.5 percent of the vote) and Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, it was announced today. Controversial Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire and Red Sox great Jim Rice each fell short. Rice received 63.5 percent of the vote (75 percent is needed for induction).

Newspapers:

Boston Globe

New York Times (Sunday only)

Arlington Advocate

Lincoln County (Maine) News

I also used to get the Boston Herald but I stopped a few months ago.

Magazines:

New Yorker

Magnet

My wife is a professional gardener so she gets all sorts of gardening/design magazines that I occasionally look at.

Started this last night, and am looking forward to reading more of it.

Oil Can, I just caught this on-line chat that the esteemed Pete Gammons did this afternoon on boston.com. I'll post the transcript that addresses your concern about why the Sox may not have offered Loretta an offer, and the rest of the transcript as a link:

 

varitekmvp33 Hey Peter, glad to hear you and see you again, you mean alot to alot of people. Life long Red Sox fan in Oregon. Do you think the Sox are really going to go into the season with Pedroia at second base or is there still a chance they come to their senses and re-sign Mark Loretta. He has not signed with anyone yet, it almost seems like he is waiting for the Sox to do something?

 

Peter_Gammons I don't think there's any question about Pedroia playing second. You'll see him in far better condition this year than last. He has the best hands of any middle infielder they've had in recent memory and while he doesn't run well, they think his range will be far superior to Loretta. Given what could be a need for a backup first baseman and third baseman, there's always a possibility that Loretta could come back if he continues to get no other offers.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...hat_transcript/

Thanks for posting that. I am sure Gammons knows better than I do, but I was not all that impressed with Pedroia last year either in the field or at the plate. And maybe I hold Loretta in high regard after watching him hit a walk-off homerun last Patriot's Day.

And Mark Loretta signs with the Astros.

I don't get why the (Red) Sox didn't even try to re-sign him.

I used to like David Caruso (on NYPD Blue). But this compilation demonstrates why I can never watch CSI Miami.

I wonder what tweedy think's when he get's on here and see's that not even his own fan's can be kind.

I wonder what Tweedy thinks when he gets on here and sees that not even his own fans know how to use an apostrophe.

1967 Jim Lonborg and Carl Yastrzemski

Yankee haters rejoice! Morneau MVP. If you're going to give to a Twin, at least give it to Johan.

Something that might get overlooked in the whole MVP discussion: He is the third Canadian-born athlete to win an MVP in a major pro league this year, following Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash and San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton.

True, awesome band...but I'd take Truth over Beck-Ola.

I was just scrolling through the thread to make sure someone made that point.

It's always annoyed me because the Red Sox are just as bad as the Yankees, and have been for years.

I know there is some hypocrisy in it but I spend a lot of time following the Red Sox and I don't hear the local pundits saying that the Sox are underdogs across the whole league. They mainly point out that the Yankees are able to do things that other teams can't afford to do.

If you look at the salaries (from USA Today) the Red Sox are consistently a distant second (or more) to the Yankees (and have been for years).

1999 Yankees 24% more than Boston

2000 Yankees 14%

2001 Yankees 3%

2002 Yankees 16%

2003 Yankees 54%

2004 Yankees 45%

2005 Yankees 69%

2006 Yankees 63%

And yes, I am sure you can take those numbers and show that the Red Sox salaries are X% higher than the league average. But I go back to my earlier comment that being second in payroll to the Yankees is like being the second richest guy in the room behind Bill Gates.

(And I also repeat my earlier comment that my argument would have more conviction prior to the Matsuzaka offer.)

I mean, really can one of you Red Sox fans explain to me how the Red Sox management justified that whole mess about "not being able to compete" with the Yankees after the Abreu move?

Before the $51.1 million offer I could have made an effort, but now I can't.

As some wag once said, being second in payroll to the Yankees is like being the second richest guy in the room behind Bill Gates.

Probably my autographed copy of the original pressing of the Feelies Crazy Rhythms or my autographed (by Paul, Chris, and Tommy) copy of the Replacements Let it Be.

I saw that; it is weird.

Do you think he was trying to be funny and outrageous (a la Borat or Andy Kaufman) or do you think he just lost it?

"I think the money isn't that important to me. I'm not looking for the money."

Why do people who are going to be making $136 million say things like that?