August 23, 2007

G128: Red Sox at White Sox, PPD

10:30 PM Update: Doubleheader tomorrow -- 2 PM / 8 PM.

***

Rain Delay -- possible 10:15 start (Boston time).

***

Josh Beckett (3.15, 144 ERA+) / John Danks (5.30, 86 ERA+)

First of four against the White Sox (56-70, 13.5 GB in the Central). STATS!

Rookie LHP Danks has a 6.75 ERA in his last six outings. He faced the Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 21, allowing four runs on seven hits over six innings. Boston won the 11-2.

P.S.: I added some stuff to the 30-3 post below.

Yankees are off today before starting a weekend series in Detroit.

158 comments:

allan said...

Dawn Klemish, MLB.com:

Ramirez is known for pestering coaching staff to play regardless of his scheduled off-days, but Francona said this time, Ramirez kept silent.

"He knows he could use it," said Francona.

********

It can't be that well-known. Even Boston writers make fun of how Manny takes so many days off -- even though the facts show he leads or is near the top of the games played list every season.

So if the facts show he plays as much or more than anyone else on the team, why do the Boston writers keeping typing the lies?

andy said...

cause he wont bow to them and give them the quotes they so desperately desire. He has made many journalists act out of character and unprofessional by just giving then the silent treatment.

They should just ignore Manuel and go after the sure to please quote machine Curt Schilling. I hope we keep him on as a Fat Billy type mid-late season starter. He never holds his tongue although he did on Jeopardy.

Daniel said...

Or, because it fits into their idea of what "Manny being Manny" is. It's a well-observed phenomenon that people remember anecdotes that reinforce their personal beliefs while forgetting contradictory examples. Show a Manny-hater a diving catch he makes in the outfield and they'll write it off as a fluke; show them games-played statistics and they'll forget them; but use the phrase "Manny's hammy" and everyone knows what you mean.

When you think about it, it's not so different from Vice President Cheney talking about 9-11 and Saddam Hussein. People believed him in the absence of any evidence because they wanted it to be true.

nixon33 said...

beckett the stawppah!

Rob said...

Certainly out of the blue that the Red Sox sent Lester down... to Portland of all places. There is that off-day coming up between the Sox/Yankees series. Probably wanted Lopez to use as a lefty/specialist.

Tavarez must have made quite a statement his last start, perhaps. I'm not sure how they're going to play this. Off-day, then the next go-through have Tavarez pitch. Maybe bring Lester back then?

Thoughts?

Extra Bases

tim said...

Ortiz's car back down to 169,000 and restricted to pre-approved bidders now...guess the other bids were shams.

allan said...

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Oritz, DH
Manny Ramirez, LF
Mike Lowell, 3B
Bobby Kielty, RF
Jason Varitek, C
Coco Crisp, CF
Julio Lugo, SS

Jerry Owens, CF
Josh Fields, 3B
Jim Thome, DH
Paul Konerko, 1B
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Jermaine Dye, RF
Darin Erstad, LF
Juan Uribe, SS
Danny Richar, 2B

Please give me NESN and not the Hawk. Just tonight.

Rob said...

Chicago got some very nasty thunderstorms a couple of hours ago, knocking out power to 186,000 people. Hopefully the ballpark wasn't damaged at all. There may have actually been a tornado west of town. I don't think it'll affect game time.

tim said...

Damn, I have the lineups on my clipboard redsock :P

Good to see Dustoia back and Lowell in the 5 spot. Looks like Hinske has been marginalized with the addition of Kielty.

Rob said...

I take that back. There's another very nasty looking one coming in. Wow. I wish I was there.

Rob said...

Chicago Radar

Rob said...

I probably should have kept all of this to one post, huh? Heh. The Red Sox signed Royce Clayton to a minor-league contract. He'll report to Pawtucket. Certainly help in September.

Rob said...

Theo Epstein was interviewed on Channel 7 in Boston, promoting the Hot Stove, Cool Music concert, and he was asked about the Lester roster move. He said, "It's not really a demotion. We're sending him to Portland for one start so we can get Javier Lopez up here because for some lefty-lefty matchups..." He also mentioned "fine-tuning" for the start in Portland for Lester. And he did say Lester will be back up on September 2nd.

Give a call to Tavarez for really allowing the Red Sox to make this move and get Lopez up here for the White Sox and Yankees series.

Jere said...

Guess I posted this in the wrong post--but Chris Collins of NECN said Pedroia WAS in the lineup but is now out.

allan said...

Hey the game is at 8 EST, not 7.

Jere said...

Right, 8:11, because the White Sox have that deal with 7-Eleven, so their games are at 7:11 central time.

Even the clock is for sale....

tim said...

Right, 8:11, because the White Sox have that deal with 7-Eleven, so their games are at 7:11 central time.

Even the clock is for sale....


I do have to admit, that's a pretty sweet promotion :P

Plus they got a boatload of money for making their games 6 minutes later than standard start time. Something a true capitalist could admire.

tim said...

*capitalist pig

(such as myself)

Rob said...

Learn new things everyday. That's hilarious about the 7-11 thing. What a world, huh?

CaKeY said...

Im going to open a chain of 705's.

Jere said...

Tim, you're a prophet and a pusher...a walkin' contradiction.

Jere said...

great call, cakey.

nixon33 said...

i love when eck does pre and post game. hes the best prick there is...

allan said...

Disregard the 5 Year Post, if you saw it. It went up 3 days early!!

laura k said...

There is no such thing as a "sweet promotion".

allan said...

NESN!

Praise the lord!

laura k said...

It's a well-observed phenomenon that people remember anecdotes that reinforce their personal beliefs while forgetting contradictory examples

Just wanted to cheer this.

Everytime Manny makes a good catch, the out-of-town announcers act like it's the first time he's ever done it.

laura k said...

Im going to open a chain of 705's.

Cool. I'm there.

allan said...

And a rain delay ...

nixon33 said...

shoit i have direct tv and get the white sox guys tonight....ugh.

efd said...

Hawk on EI.

Wish I were closer to the Canadian border.

(they didn't sound too optimistic about getting the game in, fwiw)

Rob said...

Joe Castiglione doesn't sound optimistic, either.

Chicago Radar

I'd say give it about 90 minutes and we'll see how the draining system is. I'll betcha they'll just throw in the towel and play 2 tomorrow. Lazy bums.

nixon33 said...

jesus christ looks like its going to be a day night double header. the rain is wicked!

Jere said...

What's been disappointing me lately is people next to me at Fenway just repeating the usual crap that's not true about Manny. It's just commonplace to see Manny running for a ball in the corner and say "Run, Manny! He doesn't even know there's a game going on, hahaha." I always wanna give the person a smack for A. being wrong and B. unoriginality.

tim said...

Tim, you're a prophet and a pusher...a walkin' contradiction.

Story of my life ;-)

Yeah, let's face it kids, there won't be a game tonight. That doppler looks brutal.

allan said...

"He doesn't even know there's a game going on, hahaha."

These are the retards who are talking about something on the field and suddenly stop -- "ooooh here comes the wave".

Jim said...

I just don't get why a convenience store would sponsor a starting time. So folks go into a Chicago 7-11 and order up their usual slurpee, pack of smokes, lottery ticket and now a "How bout them White Sox?" Or people go to the Cell in the middle of the night looking for smokes and a bag of cheezie poos? I just dunno.

tim said...

I just don't get why a convenience store would sponsor a starting time.

Because of people like us constantly talking about 7-11 creating "buzz" as they probably view it.

Maybe the idea was "When people see the starting time, they'll be reminded of 7-11 and be more inclined to shop there"

Whatever the dumbass motive may be, they've succeeded in their goal of having people notice, and discuss it.

Strange...craving...for slurpee...and two hot dogs for one dollar....brb guys!

thatdietcokegirl said...

is anyone watching nesn? lol, that little girl lexi...omg. that was fucking hilarious. 'yr goin down!!!!!' best ever ;((

efd said...

re the 7:11 sponsorship, I'm sure there's an on-air component to it as well... "It's 7:11, so grab a Slurpee® and enjoy the game," or something equally insipid.

Jim said...

It's probably just me, but when I'm waiting for the game to start on TV and I'm subjected to another 6 minutes of pregame ads, bullshit, drivel etc., I'll think--"Fucking 7-11 is doing this to me?"

CaKeY said...

lol

s1c said...

The best thing about it being close to football season ist that during rain delays, I can always flip to some football game.

Smart move about Lester, I think this move also means he probably won't be on the post season roster.

With any luck neither will Snyder be on the roster.

laura k said...

Annoying sponsorship makes me stage my own personal boycotts. Anything advertised too much, I'll go out of my way not to buy it.

laura k said...

The best thing about it being close to football season ist that during rain delays, I can always flip to some football game.

Football... football... I've heard of that. About 20 years ago, I think.

allan said...

UPDATE from Amalie Benjamin:

"They just announced that there will possibly be a 9 p.m. Central time start. (That's 10 p.m. for all of you on the East Coast.) Indications are that the rain will be moving out of the area over the next 45 minutes. It has actually slowed at the moment, and the puddles on the field have gotten a bit smaller."

Rob said...

Realistically I'd say 10:15 or 10:30 because I can't see them getting the field ready in just 15 minutes. That's just me.

efd said...

oof... glad I have the day off tomorrow!

allan said...

I don't Lester will be on the post-season roster anyway.

s1c said...

L-girl - just thought I would let you know that J.D. Drew was the whipping boy on WEEI. 15 plate apperances vs the Rays and zero RBI's. Of course he only batted with RISP only five times in the three games and went 1 for 5.

Rob said...

Don't teams generally have a 4 man rotation in post-season anyways? Of course, if a starter goes down you'd always want another one. Or someone for mop-up duty. But I can't see Lester in the post-season either.

tim said...

Steve Trachsel's performance in Baltimore is 39 runs better than the staff's yesterday.

s1c said...

Lester will be on the post season roster? How, he can't come back up until the 2nd unless there is an injury (10 days before you can call back up). Isn't the 31st the day that they have to be on the roster to make the post season?

Rob said...

Yeah, and the game was probably longer than the 30-3 game was.

Rob said...

I thought it was either Sept. 1 or the 15th.

tim said...

Well that's no good.

Rob said...

Heh. It's pretty bad when 10 minutes ago the radar was working, and now it says "Radar down for maintenance"

Ron said...

It's a well-observed phenomenon that people remember anecdotes that reinforce their personal beliefs while forgetting contradictory examples

It's so well observed, it even has a name. The Availability Heuristic. It's a huge problem, and baseball is an excellent example of how it infects people.

One of the things I love about JoS is the (usually) friendly "We like facts" approach to discussion.

Two great books about the role of conventional wisdom, the role of science, etc.:

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.

Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner.

Gotta pass the rain dealy somehow.

allan said...

s1c: when drew got off to a hot start back in april, the herald actually had a story/headline that said something like "drew making it hard to hate him"

could they have made their anti-jd agenda any more obvious? amazing.

laura k said...

I'm a big Freakonomics fan. Thanks for the Carl Sagan recommendation, Chief. You can never have enough of that in your life.

laura k said...

Does anyone here use iGoogle? I have an iGoogle question and can't get an answer.

Rob said...

I use iGoogle

s1c said...

could they have made their anti-jd agenda any more obvious? amazing.

Exactly - of course WEEI makes it even more worse because on a daily basis you hear the Ryan comment to Theo of "What is the fascination about J.D. Drew?."

Followed of course with the big sigh of let us hope the rumours are not true, thank you.

laura k said...

Cool! Do you know how I can get a Blogger widget on my iGoogle page? Or some other neat and easy way to get my Blogger dashboard on my iGoogle page?

Since Blogger is a Google product, you'd think it would be easy to integrate the two, but I can't seem to get it.

Ron said...

I use iGoogle too.

allan said...

Chief:

Another good book at least somewhar along those lines is Thomas Gilovich's "How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallability of Human Reason In Everyday Life".

There is some good stuff related to stats, how we see patterns that do not exist, the "hot hand" etc.

allan said...

If only Idiot Theo had resigned Trot to a 45-year contract!!!

Dirty Hats Forever!!! LOL!!!1!!

laura k said...

Here's another good one: Why
People Believe Weird Things
by Michael Shermer

laura k said...

OK, two more iGoogle users, maybe someone can tell me how to combine it w/ Blogger.

laura k said...

Ish, I like your name. I always say things are "ish". (I'm old.)

The other day in the game thread, there was a guy called Jewish God of Balks. Good name.

Ron said...

L-girl, what part of blogger are you trying to combine with iGoogle?

Thanks for the book tips, looking into both titles right now.

laura k said...

L-girl, what part of blogger are you trying to combine with iGoogle?

I'd like to put a gadget w/ my Blogger dashboard on my iGoogle home page. I have a Gmail gadget, very handy to combine those. But when I want to blog, I have to go to my regular bookmark, which seems silly.

9casey said...

redsock said...
"How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallability of Human Reason In Everyday Life".

Wow, we need a ballgame.....!!!!!!!

allan said...

The one I mentioned is great for thinking about how and why people believe certain things -- and don't believe others.

s1c said...

All these book recommendations and nothing from Ann Coulter!!! :)

9casey said...

redsock said...
The one I mentioned is great for thinking about how and why people believe certain things -- and don't believe others.

Thats why I read this blog ...:)

Ron said...

"How We Know What Isn't So: The Fallability of Human Reason In Everyday Life".

Wow, we need a ballgame.....!!!!!!!


Better than Sox Appeal, which just started. Whoa, is this bad.

Rob said...

There's a widget where you can update your blog... There's also one that updates comments on a specific blog of your choice, it appears.

Blogger Comments

Quick Update

laura k said...

Sox Appeal, what a waste of programming time. All the cool things NESN could do, but no....

9casey said...

L-girl said...
Sox Appeal, what a waste of programming time. All the cool things NESN could do, but no

Even worse , what a waste of good seats...

laura k said...

Thanks, Ish. I've seen those. I want the whole dashboard, to write and edit an entry. No go?

9casey said...

I am suprised thay dont have documentaries like the yes network...

allan said...

Some reviewy stuff (esp. for 9casey!):

"Gilovich is firmly rooted in rationalism. What he describes here is the danger inherent in our flawed use of reason in combination with the good old common sense which leads us to believe things that aren't true. Gilovich methodically walks the reader through the various ways human judgment fails us, not in order to dismiss reason, but so that, recognizing our mistakes, we might work to conquer them in our daily lives."

Amazon:

"Sports fans who think that basketball players shoot in "hot streaks" ... adhere to erroneous beliefs, according to Gilovich, associate professor of psychology at Cornell. ... he skewers popular but mistaken assumptions. Faulty reasoning from incomplete or ambiguous data, a tendency to seek out "hypothesis-confirming evidence" and the habit of self-serving belief are among the factors Gilovich pinpoints in his sophisticated anaylsis."

**********

"skewers popular but mistaken assumptions"

Gee, I wonder why I like him!!!

laura k said...

Even worse , what a waste of good seats...

Heh, I never even thought of that.

laura k said...

I am suprised thay dont have documentaries like the yes network...

me too

9casey said...

What is that ,....French?

allan said...

All these book recommendations and nothing from Ann Coulter!!! :)

I banned her about 3 months ago.

I am suprised thay dont have documentaries like the yes network...

Me, too. Such a rich history that the average Red Sox fan knows nothing about.

But we get shit like Charlie Moore instead.

allan said...

What is that ,....French?

Alright, fine.

"He tells us why people insist on believing shit that ain't true!"

Rob said...

Not that I can find. The problem with iGoogle is that it's used more for getting information rather than sending information out, which is annoying. I see a lot of search hits for RSS feeds for blogs, but nothing where you get the total package like you get on Blogger itself.

laura k said...

Since we're posting excerpts of book reviews, from a review of "Why People Believe Weird Things" (linked above):

Shermer has five basic answers to the implied question in his title: for consolation, for immediate gratification, for simplicity, for moral meaning, and because hope springs eternal

I thought that was pretty cool. The "weird things" include things like alien abduction, holocaust denial, fake moon landing (sorry Allan), and suicide cults.

9casey said...

redsock said...
Some reviewy stuff (esp. for 9casey!):

Gilovich methodically walks the reader through the various ways human judgment fails us, not in order to dismiss reason, but so that, recognizing our mistakes, we might work to conquer them in our daily lives."


The Brady Bunch taught us that years ago....."Mom said no ball in the house" Bobby learned....

allan said...

The Brady Bunch taught us that years ago....."Mom said no ball in the house" Bobby learned....

You just saved Chief some $$. He doesn't have to buy the book now!

Ron said...

Sorry L-girl, I don't see much to help. I added a links tab to my page that has utility links like that. But I think you are looking for something more sophisticated, like actually having blogger as one of the tabs.

Rob said...

Latest update is 10:15 first pitch. But it's still pouring, apparently.

laura k said...

thanks ish. i see what you mean.

9casey said...

redsock said...
The Brady Bunch taught us that years ago....."Mom said no ball in the house" Bobby learned....

You just saved Chief some $$. He doesn't have to buy the book now!

Funny shit.......

allan said...

They are saying first pitch around 10:15 Eastern Sock Time.

allan said...

"Why People Believe Weird Things" ... and because hope springs eternal

See also, Red Sox, 2004

laura k said...

Sorry L-girl, I don't see much to help. I added a links tab to my page that has utility links like that. But I think you are looking for something more sophisticated, like actually having blogger as one of the tabs.

Right, that's what I was looking for. But you're right, I don't think it can work.

I have a bookmark tab, too - I guess I'll put Blogger in it. Altho I'm not sure that's really quicker or easier than a regular pull-down bookmark. But at least it's all in one place, which I like.

Ron said...

You just saved Chief some $$. He doesn't have to buy the book now!

That's okay, I was never the cliff notes type.

allan said...

I swear if the game comes back and EI has switched from NESN to the Hawk, all of you are going to hear me swearing.

Better close your windows now.

laura k said...

And I better go upstairs...

CaKeY said...

I'd like to put a gadget w/ my Blogger dashboard on my iGoogle home page. I have a Gmail gadget, very handy to combine those. But when I want to blog, I have to go to my regular bookmark, which seems silly.

Not sure if this will help, but heres a nice firefox extension:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1811

tim said...

But we get shit like Charlie Moore instead.

The redneck fisherman? I'm surprised he doesn't just whip a toaster in the water to kill the fish faster.

I watched the one episode with Gabe one morning when I woke up with the TV on, and that was on. What a fucking ridiculous show.

NESN really has a lot of shitty programs. I, for one, would like to know more about the Red Sox past. Not who Samir is trying to stick tonight after he leaves the RF roof deck.

allan said...

If he would jump in WITH the toaster, I might tune in.

Ron said...

lol - broke out my copy of The Demon-Haunted World, looked up baseball in the index and got this:

"An investigation by my colleague Tom Gilovich, professor of psychology at Cornell, shows persuasively that our ordinary understanding of the basketball streak is a misperception."

Small world.

On baseball, Sagan says:

In baseball, there's the related by contrary myth that someone batting below his average is "due" to make a hit. This is no more true than a few heads in a row makes the chance of flipping tails next time anything other than 50 percent.

laura k said...

Not sure if this will help, but heres a nice firefox extension:

I gotta plead ignorance here. I always hear about these, but I don't know what they are, these firefox extensions.

I, for one, would like to know more about the Red Sox past. Not who Samir is trying to stick tonight after he leaves the RF roof deck.

LOL

9casey said...

Sagan says:

In baseball, there's the related by contrary myth that someone batting below his average is "due" to make a hit.


Make a hit.......I don't care how smart he is........

laura k said...

"he's due"

that always cracks me up. think of how long the red sox were "due". sadly, it doesn't work that way.

(isn't someone here due to win the lottery?)

s1c said...

L-girl - do you use Mozilla / firefox browser or a windows internet explorer?

allan said...

I, for one, would like to know more about the Red Sox past. Not who Samir is trying to stick tonight after he leaves the RF roof deck.

I could tell you a little bit about who the Babe was trying to stick it to after he left pitcher's mound.

Rob said...

Heh. Rain stopped, Beckett goes out and stretches in the outfield, and the rain starts again.

allan said...

J.D. Due?

CaKeY said...

Yep. Raining hard again. Don says they're hoping to get started around 10:35 est.

laura k said...

s1c: I use both. right now, on my laptop, i'm using firefox, b/c my laptop behaves better w/ it.

but unlike everyone else in the world, i don't prefer firefox, and use IE on my desktop

allan said...

I could tell you a little bit about who the Babe was trying to stick it to after he left pitcher's mound.

And the answer is:


Anyone.

laura k said...

10:35 start, grumble grumble, no game for me tonight. Too tired.

s1c said...

Hey, J.D. Drew is batting .344/.408/.469 in August, what more do you want?

9casey said...

redsock said...


I could tell you a little bit about who the Babe was trying to stick it to after he left pitcher's mound.


Now thats a show...as long as they can keep Papelbon from speaking....that Millar interview was hard to watch...

laura k said...

as long as they can keep Papelbon from speaking

somebody around here was saying Snuffer should have his own show...

s1c said...

L-girl - if you use firefox, then you should go to their home page and you can see all type of extensions. There is even a Red Sox theme for the browser (which I installed on the MFY fans known as the in-laws computer, boy were they pissed, lol). Just look at the updates etc and you will see all sorts of extensions.

Rob said...

I tried for 2 minutes to listen to Sox Talk on the RS radio network and... yeah. Not gonna happen. I couldn't host talk radio. My head would explode.

laura k said...

slc, just what i need, more time-wasters. :)

i'll check it out.

Rob said...

Great way to spend a rain delay: "Burn Notice" on USA.

Jim said...

"J.D. Due"? I like it. Then, hopefully, J.D.Do.

Ron said...

You can also get extensions from within Firefox. On the Mac version, it's "Add-ons" on the Tools menu. Don't remember on Windows though. Probably something similar.

allan said...

Looks like the Dodgers signed old foe and friend Orson.

tim said...

I couldn't host talk radio. My head would explode.

From all the vats of bullshit that are stored in talk radio peoples brains that would spontaneously combust?

s1c said...

Oh goody, its Bob Ryan and the Globe 10.0. Who is the best defensive players in history. Was amazed that no sox players made that list.

Rob said...

Get ready for a doubleheader tomorrow... Not official, but there are thunderstorms blossoming on the radar like popcorn. Then a big storm lurking in the distance. No way they can play this one. :(

Chicago Radar

Rob said...

It'd probably take 8 stupid people (or 40 minutes on talk-radio) for me to storm out of there, haha.

allan said...

thunderstorms blossoming on the radar like popcorn

poetry

Rob said...

tasty poetry. If you like popcorn. Of course, it makes me think of popcorn chicken for some reason. More substance.

allan said...

Remember that Baltimore columnist who said (a month ago?) that the Orioles were going to finish ahead of the Red Sox this year?

I thought of him as I see the Birds are 17.5 GB.

s1c said...

Man it is coming down in the windy city. No way this game gets played.

Rob said...

It's now officially postponed.

2:05 and 8:11 the games tomorrow.

s1c said...

Postponed.

s1c said...

Well, I guess I will go read my coulter books - not!!!

allan said...

PPD?

tim said...

Damn. I was looking forward to finally being able to WATCH a game for once, and relax tonight.

This is a dank situation.

allan said...

Fuck. I'll probably miss both games at work tomorrow.

...

You guys read Jose Melendez's "Keys to the Game"?

His Keys for tonight included a guide to the SoSH Game Threads which is pretty funny (and scarily accurate). Enjoy!!

*******

A few of you who read KEYS on blogspot, perhaps even more, do not know about SoSH Game Threads. Bless you. It is like being blissfully unaware of war or robbery or pain. But blissful though ignorance may be, it is transient, jerking roughly into the sharp steel of knowledge. And this KEY shall be that blade.

Each game day on the SoSH board, an internet misfit starts an electronic thread dedicated to chronicling, in real time, the events of the day’s game. Since this tradition began, thousands of posts, millions of words, have been devoted to the travails of our Red Sox, and 90 percent of them are things like "score" or "f*cking Tito."

As in so many otherwise meaningless pursuits, complex codes of conduct have emerged to imbue significance to what is fundamentally a squandering of God’s gift of life.

•A game thread may not be started until midnight of game day in Eastern Time.
•A new game thread may not be started until the old game is complete.
•The same poster begins a thread for each game until the Red Sox lose.
•No matter what he does, a poster named "SexyBanana" is not allowed to start game thread—ever.
•All of these rules are periodically invalid when anarchy seems like a good idea.
•If Curt Euro wants to get drunk and start game threads where he talks about the size of his teammates’ testicles, that is fine.

Once the rules are observed a game thread follows a basic format until the game begins.

A. The thread starter posts about how there will be a big winning streak because he is starting the thread.
B. SoSHers desperately search for and post stupid pictures that some how connect to the thread starter’s handle.
C. Borderline pornography gets posted.
D. Pictures that mock the opposing team (note: dead oriole, dead blue jay, dead ... athletic) are posted.
E. More borderline pornography.
F. Jose posts KEYS.
G. Still more borderline pornography.
H. Inside joke from SoSH’s elusive Pinsetting and Gutterballs forum.
I. MoVaughn’sTruck posts Red Sox game notes.
J. Lineups are posted.
K. Lineups are complained about.
L. More borderline pornography
M. First pitch.

After the game begins, the thread varies a bit more, as one would expect, depending on whether the Sox are winning or losing, but much of the basic storyline is consistent. So let’s assume it’s a home game and walk through the sequence.

A. Sox take the field
B. Complaint that the Sox pitcher looks bad.
C. Retort that Sox pitcher looks good.
D. Much cursing
E. Demand that the offense start hitting
F. Complaint about whoever is hitting second.
G. Come on Papi
H. Yankees update.
I. 15 posts about how worthless DJ Dru is.
J. Server crashes
K. Server comes back in the fourth inning.

This continues more or less for six or seven innings until the game nears its conclusion. If the Sox are getting killed, the number of posts per minute declines precipitously. If not, the server continues to crash periodically. Let’s pick up the sequence in the late innings.

A. Complaint about the starter being left in to long.
B. Complaint about starter being taken out to soon.
C. Gnashing of teeth about who is warming up.
D. Question of why Papelbon isn’t being brought in in this "high leverage 7th inning situation"
E. Cursing at Mike Timlin.
F. Apology and explanation of how poster has always loved Mike Timlin.

Eventually, for better or for worse, the game ends, but with decidedly different paths depending on whether it was a win or a loss. For a loss the sequence is:

A. We can still come back, only two outs.
B. Come on, come on.
C. F*ck you whoever made the last out.
D. Complaint about how this is a terrible loss
E. Yankees update.
F. Calls for players to be traded/manager fired.
G. Complaint that the sky is falling.
H. Riposte that everything is fine.
I. More complaining until midnight
J. At midnight a new poster start’s the next day’s thread.

Of course, if they win the path is quite different.

A. Water.
B. Pictures of polluted bodies of water are posted.
C. Poster kevlog posts pictures of fireworks.
D. More pictures of untreated sewage pop up.
E. Yankees update
F. Insistence that this was a huge win.
G. Agreement.
H. Predictions that this will start a long winning streak.
I. Agreement
J. Someone talks about how drunk they are.
K. Agreement.
L. The poster who started the day’s game thread starts the next day’s after midnight, usually congratulating themselves for the victory.

allan said...

At least they didn't start, have Beckett pitch 2 innings and then get rained out, wasting his outing.

efd said...

Seattle ahead of Texas 8-3 in the top of the 7th, so MFYs will likely slip another 1/2 game in the wild card race.

s1c said...

Yeah, but this screws up the day off plans. Still, Sox have been fairly lucky with the rain outs.

Rob said...

I wonder how many players on a team prefer day-night doubleheaders rather than losing a scheduled day off after a rain-out. And I wonder how many of them would start out by saying "Well, I'd certainly rather not have any rain-outs."

Keys of the game was hilarious.

Jim said...

Speaking of Baltimore, Dave Tremblay played for the local 9 (Kingston, ON) in the summer of '74 when his hometown team folded (Carthage, NY). Apparently, all the kid wanted to do was play ball, so a local businessman got him a job as a lifeguard so he'd have something to live on. Life was simple back then, I guess they didn't worry too much about green cards and such. It was amateur ball, probably the caliber of small US College. Some of the guys here have kept in touch with him over the years and the local rag did a story on him. Alas, now the entire league (Border League) has folded.

9casey said...

ish said...
I wonder how many players on a team prefer day-night doubleheaders


I would say none of them, except bench guys because they know they will play.....especially when you sit there for 5 hours till they postpone it.....If the oppurtunity arises , i assume Gagne will be slotted to close of these games tommorrow...

s1c said...

Well, until tomorrow!

Rob said...

Also, I'm sure flying from Chicago to New York isn't a real killer. If they were in Los Angeles or Seattle and had this situation, I'd go for the day-nighter.

Goodnight everyone!

tim said...

150 posts ain't bad for a game thread about a game that hasn't happened yet.

9casey said...

Manny is 11 Hr's away from 500 and no one talks about....ever

tim said...

That's cause he's a "slacker" and "pothead" and "lazy"

*rolls eyes*

Jere said...

Went to dinner and then we rented and watched A League of Their Own. Worked out. No game. A few things:

"But I can't see Lester in the post-season either."

The guy could have some great starts in September and then we'll want to see him in there. And about the rules--Eckersley was saying something about how since we've got two guys on the DL, Lester could come up after Sep 1 and still be on post-season roster. Or, actually, since his next start will be Sept 2nd, they could call him up Aug 30th. I don't know. Something like that.

About humans seeing stuff that isn't there: I generally agree with the JoS/L-Girl household stance on facts and all that. Like, a good example is something I thought of the other day. I walked down a street near my house, and some people were standing on the sidewalk, blocking it, waiting for other people to come out of their house. This same thing had happened recently as I walked by the same spot. My immediate thought was "Wow, whenever I walk by here, there's ALWAYS someone standing and waiting." Then I thought about it. It was two times. Out of a lot. But I'll still think of it as "that place where people stand," even though I know it happens very infrequently.

It's like coincidences. Me and L-Girl have talked about this before. Like, Seinfeld "coincidences" happen a lot, like, you'll say a line from a show, and then THAT episode will be on soon after. Thinking rationally, it's not a "coincidence" because the damn show is on four times a night. But it FEELS like a crazy, cosmic event. "I was just talking about this! Oh my god!" I don't know, I think it's fun to think of it that way. Maybe this is why religion is so popular: People know it's bullshit but it's fun for them.

The one area where I kind of disagree with the whole fact-y fact-y thing, involves the human element. Like, I'd take a guy like Lou Merloni over a guy with stats SLIGHTLY better than his. Any day. Know what I mean?

And about being "due"--well, in coin flips, yes, there's no "due." 50/50 shot, every time. (Although I LOVE to try to will stuff to happen with my brain--again, I know it's BS, but it's fun, and you only live once...). And if it's Strat-o-matic baseball, then, again, there's no "due" or "hot bat." But coins and cards and dice don't have brains. Humans do. The player KNOWS he hasn't had a hit in a while. This CAN affect his performance. It could be good or bad, but it will affect the guy.

Hey, why not 2:11 for game one tomorrow? It'll be 7:11 in Reykjavik!

tim said...

a more competitive game than last night's affair...and its football for chrissakes!

9casey said...

Jere said:Maybe this is why religion is so popular: People know it's bullshit but it's fun for them.


I think a better example would be pro wrestling.....People who believe in religion , most of them don't think it is bullshit....

allan said...

Even though I have less than zero use for any religion in my life, I'm not sure wrestling -- which I'd describe as a transparent charade/spectacle that provides people with distracting entertainment -- is a good analogy.

There has to be more people who take religion seriously than people who believe in wrestling.

God, I hope so.

Jere said...

Look, even Mother Teresa thinks it's BS:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/23/eveningnews/main3199062.shtml

9casey said...

redsock said...
There has to be more people who take religion seriously than people who believe in wrestling.


That was my point jere said people who believe in religion even though they know it is bullshit, because it is fun for them.
I believe to take something seriously you can not think it is bullshit....