Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

I've been getting a lot of questions regarding Zeb & his mental and physical well-being now that the Red Sox are on the brink of playoff elimination. Let me tell you, things have been touch and go. Zeb and Damon had started to grow playoff beards at the start of the division series. At some point during game 4 of the ALCS Zeb got desperate and shaved his beard into a mustache (if it worked for Giambi, why not Zeb?) The mustache didn't seem to be anymore effective than the beard, and Zeb has now returned to his normal, clean shaven apperance.

Needless to say, Zeb has been going through some serious guess and check measures to figure out which of his superstitions are working and which need to be eliminated. After the outcome of tonight's game, I'd say he's finally starting to get on track.
He started with some good preparation yesterday when he wore his classic Pedro Martinez jersey all day (yes, this is the very same jersey he wore out historically in Eugene in '04 after game 3 of the ALCS in which the Yankees had manhandled the Sox to the tune of 19-3 or something of that nature. Down 0-3, and yes, on the verge of elimination, Zeb showed his devotion to the team by supporting the team colors even when it was somewhat difficult to do so) He has also reverted to an old tradition of setting up the team line-up in front of the TV in baseball cards. He had not been doing this previously this post-season for fear that Ollie might jump up by the TV and damage his cards.
Any other baseball fans had about enough of Bon Jovi? If I hear that stupid song that they're using for the MLB post-season commercial, in between EVERY SINGLE INNING gimmick one more time I'm going to freak out. Oh yeah, that already happened. Jon Bon Jovi, you give MLB post-season theme songs a bad name.

p.s. Best quote by Zeb tonight, said while complaining about how the Red Sox fans were quiet and not giving it their all during most of the series so far: "Yeah, I've been flaming Sox Nation all day on the forums!!!!!" (said in a super juiced/fired up way) .......... Me = "wow"

It Begins

You may not be aware of it, but the world as we know it almost ended this morning. Zeb woke up and couldn't find his Soxtober sweatshirt. The sweatshirt that I had made for him with iron on letters. You know - the sweatshirt that single-handedly won the 2007 World Series for the Red Sox. Yeah, that sweatshirt. Zeb had somehow misplaced it during the course of the move from Montana, and even though I offered to make a new one - no replacement would do.

Luckily he found it (exactly where I said it would be by the way) in the storage unit about a half hour later.
I got home from work only to find lucky sox baseball cards lined up in front of the computer. And it begins...

In other baseball related news: In the absence of a Yankees playoff birth, I would officially like to announce that I will be supporting the LA Dodgers this October.

Who will you be backing? Post up your alliances so that we can properly congratulate/heckle you.

Zeb's Pre-Playoff Preparations: The Interview

Here's a fun feature we started last fall during the playoffs.  An interview with Zeb to get inside the head of an insane Boston Red Sox fan.  Beware, what you read may disturb you.  My comments are in italics.

HAE: When does the Red Sox series start?  Who do they play?

ZBE:  They start Wednesday, October 1, and they are playing the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim.

HAE: What are your plans for this year’s playoffs?  Any new superstitions I should be aware of?

ZBE:  (long sigh)  No new superstitions.  I am really worried that I’m going to have to work and I won’t be able to put in my full effort for the Sox.  They are going to need my strength. 

HAE:  So you’re just going to let it go like that?  No adaptations for your superstitions?

ZBE:  Oh no, I’m going to have to #1) use my lucky cards.  I’ll set those up at work.  Of course I’ll dress in my Red Sox gear & do my own thing.  It’s a new environment, so I’ll just have to figure it out as I go.  Last year I had Pumpkin Ale for every game, but this year I don’t have a World Market close by to get the Pumpkin Ale & I can’t drink at work. 

HAE:  What about any new gimmicks, like your Soxtober shirt from last year?

ZBE:  I don’t think I’ll rock any new gimmicks.  I think I’ll need to go out and wear what worked last year.  But I tell you what, I will work on a new slogan for this year.  Right now it’s just too early to say.

HAE:  What is the Red Sox biggest strength this year?

ZBE:  Camaraderie of the team.  LOL @ Damon.

HAE:  Biggest weakness?

ZBE:  Pitching.  I think Beckett being injured with an oblique problem, not being able to be the “Ace” of the staff, we are going to have to roll with Lester & Dice-K then Beckett.  If I had my way we would be able to run Beckett, Lester then Dice-K.

HAE:  What other key series will you have your eye on?

ZBE:  I know what series I won’t have my eye on, and that’s a Yankees series or a Mets series.  But I am really worried about Tampa Bay.

HAE:  How do you plan to overcome the fact that you frequently have to work late?  Will you look at scores ahead of time, if not, do you have any strategies planned for avoiding unintentional score spoilers?

ZBE:  They do have a small 13 inch TV in the break room that cuts in and out of color.  I’m sure I’ll put that on and check on it pretty regularly.  Trust me, I’ll get my Soxtober in.

HAE:  Admit it – without the Yankees in the playoffs there is a little something missing.

ZBE:  Yeah, an easy opponent, you’re right. (Hartburned)

HAE:  3 Red Sox keys to victory?

ZBE:  1)      Starters need to fill the role of Josh Beckett and his dominance last year.

2)      Team needs to stay healthy, with Lowell, Drew and Beckett all dealing with nagging issues, it will be a huge factor in their ability to get to the World Series.

3)      Jacoby needs to get on base.

HAE:  World Series prediction?

ZBE:  Whoever wins the Sox/Angels division series is going to take it all the way.  In the NL I think the Dodgers will knock off the Cubbies.  The Brewers won’t be able to ride C.C. Sabathia much longer, so the Phillies will take that series.  I think the Dodgers will beat the Phillies as well.  Sox over Dodgers in 7 on an Ortiz walk of homerun, Manny Ramirez breaks his arm.  But hey, nobody thought the Rays would hang on to 1^st place in the AL east, so who knows.

HAE:  We have a good little handful of either LA residents or other miscellaneous Angel’s fans that read the blog – any trash talk/comments for them?

ZBE:  No, I’m going to be a humble guy until we win it all.  You can’t talk shit until the game has been played, its really whoever is going to show up. (There's a first for everything)

HAE:  What team do you think Ollie will be pulling for?

ZBE:  Ollie is definitely a Boston guy.

HAE:  Final thoughts?

ZBE:  Damon/Zach - you better pull for your Dodgers to beat those Cubbies so I can see you in the World Series.

Soxtober

In the name of parity on on the blog, I suggested that Zeb post a blog on the Red Sox. He declined my suggestion, but he did agree to give a rare interview on the topic. Enjoy. My notes are in italics.

HAE: Your Red Sox just won the ALCS…give us an idea of where your head is at right now?
ZBE: In the land of joy. I can’t believe my boys did it. It had to have been the cards (Zeb's newest ritual of displaying baseball cards of the entire team in front of the TV during the game, also, I'm not allowed to touch the remote during a game, for any reason), it had to have been the soxtober shirt (an iron on sweatshirt that I fabricated for Zeb, pictured above), it had to be Heather rooting for the sox (I was not technically rooting for the Sox...maybe a little, but only because when they lose it is really unfortunate to be around Zeb, it was really all about self preservation.) It all just came together today.

HAE: Can we talk about your superstitions? What are they, how do they work & how do you know when to use them?
ZEB: I have a supersition about everytime the pitcher gets behind in the count, I have to rub my knuckles together until they even the count. I had to bring out the 2007 team baseball cards and I set them up by the TV in batting order. I always put the starting pitcher in the leadoff spot, because the pack didn’t come with Dustin Pedroia, and I always end with Paplebon. That has been some good vibes. When we’re hitting, and when the count is even, and if I’m sitting down, I always put my left leg up on my right, and then I switch legs. If that doesn’t work, I lay down on the couch, and same thing if laying down isn’t working. I always wear the shirt of the pitcher. I don’t have a Beckett shirt, or a Wakefield shirt, so I wear either the American Leauge East shirt or the Manny Ramirez shirt on those days. I never wear a hat during the game.

HAE: Give us your highs and lows of the ALCS?
ZBE: The first low is when Trot Nixon hit the double in the 11th inning of the 2nd game. That pissed me off, and they pretty much opened up and took the next two games from us. Even when we were losing, I just keep thinking we’ve done it before, we can do it again. I really just wanted the team to get it back to Fenway, because I knew we could win both games there if we had the chance. Definitely the first high is watching Beckett dominate in his two starts. How dominante he was against the powerful Indians lineup was magical. Watching our lineup destroy C.C. and Fausto was amazing to see.

HAE: What is the turning point of this series that sticks out in your mind?
ZBE: Probably Beckett’s game 5 start, and the fact that he was just a force to be reconed with. Ryan Garko made his comments, and it really did wake up the giants in Fenway. That same game you have Beckett and his competitive edge against Kenny Lofton. Lofton should have been respecting the game more, and Beckett wasn’t afraid to let him know.

HAE: What are the great individual player performances of this post season?
ZBE: Game 7 Dustin Pedroia. He hit a 2 run homer, a 3 run double after all the crap the media talked about how much he was struggling. He came back and he’s batting
well over .300 now. You have Kevin Youk. Everyone was talking about Peralta and all that he was doing, but Youk flew under the radar. He had 3 homers and a batting average of over .500. How does he do it?

HAE: Speaking of your superstitions again, do you have any new plans for the World Series?
ZBE: I’m going to the World Series. (doubtful)

HAE: Can you talk a little bit about the loud clap?
ZBE: I don’t have a loud clap. (Yes he does, very loud) It’s more or less just my fan clap that I have when I want someone to do good. It could be a 2-clap, or it could be a fast series of claps, but it has to all keep the same tone (yeah, the same tone, LOUD).

HAE: The Colorado Rockies have been hot, are you worried?
ZBE: Nope.

HAE: Give us your predictions for the World Series? Keys to victory for Boston?
ZBE: I definitely think that our 3 and 4 starters need to pound the strike zone and let the defense take over. Keeping the bottom of our lineup hot and getting on base will be huge. Keeping Jacoby in there I think is definitely a smart decision. Prediction is Boston in 5.

HAE: In 2004 you threatened to sell your Honda Civic and fly to Boston, do we have anything to be worried about this year?
ZBE: We have enough in savings to take care of it. (not hardly)

This is How I Feel about Baseball Right Now

I found this shirt at Old Navy in the kids halloween section. Pretty Awesome. This is pretty much how I feel about baseball right now. Sometimes I wear this shirt when the Red Sox play, and I think it might jinx them.

I Have No Words - Part II

Yeah, go ahead, Defend A-Rod all you want, but would you want him on your team? And, before you answer whole heartedly yes, take a look at the status of his previous teams. With all of his inflated numbers he has never been able to bring playoff success. You really want that? Well, you can have it. And I hope he opts out of his contract and you get it. Although I really don't think that will happen.

On to a long winter for me.

A-Rod/Yankees live to play another day....

The good news is that last night the Yankees finally got their bats going. Little Philly Hughes (pictured above) was the hero of the night with a stellar long relief performance. For another day, A-Rod escapes my ridicule, and I give him the benefit of the doubt once again. The game is on tonight at 5:30 my time, I'm working on my superstitions already.

Redemption?

Today is potentially A-Rod's last shot to redeem himself to New York Yankee fans. In an attempt to give him a fair shot to prove himself, I am taking down my photos. In the case that A-Rod continues to choke, I will re-post them. But, hopefully, I will be able to make a post celebrating a big Yankees win tonight.

Whose Hat Are You Wearing?

This is the face of a man whose team did not make the playoffs. Note the confusion as he points to the team whose bandwagon he has climbed aboard. This man is SAD.

This is the face of a man who has lost his damn mind. His team is in the playoffs and he actually thinks that by making this scary face he can help his team win. This man is SAD.

We all have a story...Whose Hat Are You Wearing?

Pads/Rockies Play-In Game, Everything that is Right with Baseball

On the outside of it, tonight's tiebreaker play-in game between the Rockies and the Padres was nothing that I was especially interested in. National League baseball...two teams I really couldn't care much less about. But what it ended up being was something pretty amazing. This is everything that October baseball is about. Two teams battling it out into the 13th inning. Matt Holliday securing himself as the NL batting champ in his very last at bat of the game (Sorry Chipper) and scoring the game's winning run. Sheesh. With the way tonight went, I can not wait to see the rest of the playoffs. Bring on the Indians!

p.s. Also love to see Treavor Hoffman blow a save, suck it Hoffman - Mariano is much better.