FRS

126,000 Nyjer Seeds

On Thursday afternoon, not long after we left the Valve Store’s(TM) parking lot, the Purple Whale crossed the 18,000 mile barrier.

On Saturday morning, not too far from home, the Emperor passed through the 126,000 mile mark on the way to Augusta.

After losing the first game of the series against the Cleveland Indians, the Red Sox have won the last three games. Is this the start of a turn around like in 2011 or is this just slight blip designed to get my hopes up, so they can drop the next 4 games in a row and crush those hopes?

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1136

Crooked Hat As A Metaphor For A Baseball Season

When I was up in Charlotte for some training at the end of March, while my compatriots were shopping in the Bass Pro Shop, I stepped out into the Concord Mills Mall proper to buy something different.

The 2012 baseball season had yet to begin and in spite of their somewhat lackluster spring training record, I was optimistic for a nice run to the playoffs for the FRS.

It was time to replace my old Red Sox hat, it had several jagged white lines of dried sweat rings in the cap area* and the brim was getting kind of floppy.

* Sweat rings in a ball cap are only acceptable for superstitious pro baseball players and old school farmers.

My last hat had the big B on the front, but the Sox had a new manager this year and hopefully a new attitude, so this time I wanted a new look. Ducking into a Lids store nearby the Bass Pro Shop, I picked out my hat, tried it on to make sure it fit and paid the man. I opted for the dangling socks logo – Style 20000459.

I wore my new cap proudly in April even though they got off to a rocky start, showing that my fandom for the Red Sox was sincere and I was not just some bandwagon hopper. But the deeper in the month we went, the less likely this was that it was only a slow start, but more an indication that I was in for a long losing summer.

I had the hat on this weekend and when I looked in the Purple Whale’s rear view mirror, noticed that dangling socks were not exactly centered** over the brim. Hmmm. Probably off by only a half a degree and noticeable by only me, but it kind of soured my wanting to continue to wear the hat.

**Should have checked myself in a mirror when I tried on the hat.

Monday morning when I read The Soxaholix web comic, it captured my feelings exactly: The Glass Is Completely Vacated

I guess I will wear the hat one more time, it will be on a cloudy day when Donna and I go out to eat somewhere in Augusta, so I can “accidentally” leave it in the booth and not really “notice” it until it is too late to go back for it.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1134

My Cookies Have Names

I get some cookies for a morning snack. The quantity varies depending on how many total are in the package and dividing that number by five and I try and mix it up by getting something different each week. Nutter Butter, Oreos* (regular and reverse), Fig Newtons and several Keebler varieties (Deluxe Grahams, Fudge Sticks or Fudge Stripes.) This week, a Keebler cookie I hadn’t tried, E.L Fudge(R) Originals, were on sale for $2, so I picked up a pack.

Two vanilla cookies with a layer of fudge in the middle, but they’re not as tasty to me as the other Keebler offerings or the reverse Oreos. They are shaped like the little elves that live in that hollow tree and even have names, Ernie, Elwood, Buckets & Fast Eddie. They are a little disconcerting to eat, espscecially because I usually start by bitting off their heads.**

*Did you know that along with the Titanic and Fenway Park***, Oreos are also celebrating their 100th Anniversry?

**Does it make me a zombie because I eat the brains first? Or am just being zombie safe by killing the brain?

***There is definitely a joke in that pairing somewhere.

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

Donna, I and 20 of our closest strangers saw The Hunger Games this morning. Went for a bike ride to DD for breakfast and when we got home there was enough time to shower, change and drive to Augusta to catch the 10:30 showing in some stadium seating.

Neither one of us has read any of the books, we both had a sketchy idea of the plot from media immersion, but the real reason we went to see it was that it was filmed mostly in our favorite part of the country, western North Carolina. Not a bad little movie. I enjoyed it more than Donna, but neither of us will be waiting with breathless anticipation for the second installment.

After doing all the prep work the last couple weeks, re-watching Iron Man 2, watching Thor, watching Captain America, and seeing the trailer in the theater today, I can now say, “I think I’ll be waiting for the DVD of The Avengers.” I almost hate to admit it, but I buy a dystopian future where teenagers battle to the death on television before I swallow the premise of an Asgardian villain attacking Earth and to the rescue come this group of “superheroes.”

The next movie I see in a movie theater will be sometime after June 8th:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEv03g51kU&start=8

If baseball success and fan satisfaction were measured in innings played, this weekend’s three game set with Baltimore Orioles, totaling 39 innings (more than 4 complete games worth) would mean great things. Unfortunately they don’t, winning does.

The odds certainly are not in the favor of the Red Sox.

A little less than a month into the 2012 season the FRS are 11 and 16 leaving them in last place, 7-1/2 games out of the division lead. After today’s loss they are on pace for a 66 win, 96 loss season. Maybe if they try a little less harder they can get an even 100 losses to honor this 100th year anniversary of Fenway Park.

Woe Is Them

Last year the Red Sox started the season by losing their first 6 games. So far this year in their first 6 games they are 1-5. I’d like to say that they have won 100% more games to this point than last, but 100% more of no wins is still no wins, so I guess I’ll have to go with they have lost 16% fewer games than 2011.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1128

This April Starts Like Last April Started And Last September Ended

Baseball is back and the FRS have lost the first three games of the season. The Boston press is already writing stories about the Red Sox 2012 season being doomed or don’t worry it is only 3 out of 162. Today the Sox had a 3 run lead going into the bottom of the 9th inning. Detroit scored three runs to tie it. The FRS scored two in the top of the 11th to take the lead, but Detroit promptly scored 3 in the bottom of the inning to win it. I was already leaning towards Gloom & Doom, but after today’s effort I’ve fallen completely over.

Both cars got a bath today, the Sonata to remove the Georgia red clay from the wheel wells and the Florida bugs off the front, while the Miata had the last of the pine pollen rinsed off.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Tran?si?tions since 10/24/08: 1127

I Got My Wish, Sorta

Back in November I posted:

Terry Francona, the ex-Red Sox manager, announced today that he was not going to try to manage in 2012. Cool, maybe FOX will hire him to replace Tim McCarver.

Tim McCarver is still announcing on FOX, but Mr. Francona has basically swapped jobs with Bobby Valentine and he now will be broadcasting on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and will also serve as an analyst on their Baseball Tonight show too.