My Husband is Ashamed of Me

We have neighbors who we adore. More specifically, our neighbor is my husband's soulmate. He's from Boston, he loves the Sawks, he coaches baseball, he is generally crude, rude and socially unacceptable, and regularly uses words like peckerhead. We'll call him Maahhk (think Mark said with that Jimmy Fallon boston accent from SNL.) Lucky for me, Maahhk is married.

Of course Maahhk's family back in Boston are also diehard Red Sox fans. We've heard legendary Yankee hating stories centered around Maahhk's father and his unwavering hatred of all things NY, each tale more outlandish than the next. So when Maahhk announced that his Dad was coming to visit and we just had to meet him, I was a little nervous.....but totally up for the challenge. I'm riding a World Series Championship here, no Sox fan can take me down!

Finally the big day came that we were supposed to meet the Grand Daddy Yankee Hater of them All, and I noticed that Zeb seemed to be awkwardly trying to make a break for it and go by the neighbors house without me. I questioned him, and he told me that I should just stay home.

That's right, he told me to stay home because he was embarrassed for our neighbor's family to know that he is married to a Yankees fan. He is ashamed of ME!?

I gave him a hard time about it when he got back, and he finally admitted that he was indeed worried that if Maahhk's dad saw that he was married to a Yankees fan that he would not be considered a "true Red Sox fan." Real nice.

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.

Mourning Manny

Gotta say, I'd been hoping that the Sox would trade off Manny before the deadline, mostly just because I think they'll be easier to beat without his bat. Yeah, less distractions in the club house, blah, blah blah. We'll see how it all ends up working out for them, Jason Bay is pretty comparable as far as the stats go this season, but I still think they'll be missing that "Manny being Manny" factor.

You know, it's actually kind of sad to see him go. Manny is one of the best in the game, and that makes beating the Red Sox even more sweet. He was a huge core to the Red Sox success in the recent years, so it's a little bit of an end of an era. Hopefully, an era that ushers in a few more World Series Titles for the Yankees, then I'm sure I won't miss seeing Manny in the other dugout at all.

Well There You Have It

Well, there you have it. Roger didn't do it after all. Boy, selective reality sure is handy. If you didn't get a chance to watch the whole press conference & you actually give a shit, I suggest you check it out. Here are a couple of my take-away thoughts on the topic:

• Last night when I watched 60 minutes I thought he looked guilty as hell, but today I am overcome with guilt for thinking so badly of him. Dude was thirsty and pissed off listening to all the allegations. I thought he made a good argument for himself today and seemed genuine and believeable.
• In the phone conversation McNamee kept bringing up how broke he is, and how bad of a financial situation he is in, really seemed like he was trying to bait Clemens into saying "Oh, I can take care of that for you" or something along those lines. I can really buy into Roger's lawyers argument that McNamee was trying to trap Clemens into saying something that could have gotten him in trouble for tampering with a witness.
• What is the hell was Clemens doing letting a strength coach inject him with anything? That just seems so out of place to me? If he really was getting legit B-12 or lidocaine injections, why would he be having this guy doing it?
• As an Athletic Trainer it is pretty annoying to watch a lot of the coverage for this, they are constantly throwing around the term "trainer" and the majority of the time it doesn't have anything to do with the Athletic Training Profession. I know I personally don't want my profession to be associated in any way with this kind of scandal.
• Lastly, I would like to introduce the conspiracy theory that I am going to be using to justify this whole situation from now on. Mitchell of "Mitchell Report" Fame is associated with the Red Sox organization. I would like to contend that he had a vendetta against The Yankees and Roger Clemens and influenced McNamee to indicate Clemens against his own will. I really should have thought of this sooner.