Musings from Mandy

I just moved into a new house a month ago, and I have been getting my mail forwarded. And the other day...I got mail from Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds since I got here. That is right. From A-Rod I got my card returned along with an autographed A-Rod photo and from Barry Bonds I got my card back, unsigned, along with another Bonds card and a letter thanking me for being a fan. So my two least favorite baseball players on the earth do at least, return mail. So now I have heard back from 4 players, Manny (card returned unsigned), Timlin (card returned signed), Bonds (card returend with letter), and A-Rod (card returned unsigned with autographed photo). Seriously?

Well, I'm back. I hope everyone missed me. I'm starting off today with a Home Run Derby recap and will then have a road trip recap later on today. The quote of the road trip definitely goes to our cab driver the last night who said, "You girls know what the best thing about Detroit is? Chicago is only 3 and a 1/2 hours away". Right on sir, right on. We have a pregame concert by the Counting Crows, which, whatever, but we do also have....Mike Lowell videotaping the CC with baby Mike Lowell! This is absolutely my favorite part of the HR derby, cute pictures of cute players with cute little kids. The Home Run Derby starts off with all the players being introduced by the always horrific Chris Berman. Honestly! What does he bring to the table? He's just loud and annoying and I don't know anyone besides Bill Belichick that likes him. I can't wait for him to tell us that a ball is hit to Japan when we clearly see it landing in the bleachers. Grrr. We ...

Last night NESN debuted Globe 10.0, hosted by Bob Ryan with special guest...Dan Shaughnessy! Now, I only caught a few minutes. But, who cares what Bob and Dan thing, when you can hear what I think! I wish they had done a "big finish" like PTI did. If you're going to copy the show, copy the show. Is Mark Buehrle worth the price? The rumor mill was swirling yesterday that the RSox were trading Lester and Ellsbury to the WSox for Buehrle and MacDonald. I was under my desk in the fetal position breathing into a brown paperbag. Now I know the wisdom behind proven talent over prospects, and Buehrle is a very good pitcher, he's a lefty, his career record is something like 100-70, he's durable. What we know about Lester is that he's been solid early in return, has struggled as of late, and was 7-2 with a high era and wasn't able to get out of the 5th a lot. But that doesn't matter. Because he's ours. He had us researching lymphoma and saying pray...

So, the other day I was reading my ESPN the Mag, and there was a section about the best way to get autographs. Now, I have to say, autographs have never done much for me. I'd much rather get my picture taken with the player then have them sign something that will end up in a photo album and then eventually get ruined when the basement floods. In my autograph collection, I have Nancy Kerrigan (at Toys “R” us when I was maybe 12). (Funny side story, I need a piece of paper, so my dad handed me a notebook that we hadn’t bought yet, and I thought for sure I was going to get arrested. And then, my dad wouldn’t even buy the notebook that I had used to get the autograph, he just tore out the page and put it his pocket…and I was horrified we were stealing paper!). My second autograph is ML Carr. My mom won some contest when she worked in the bakery at Shaw’s (I’m serious, she worked there). So my dad and I got to go play basketball on the court at the Garden. The real Garden, not TD Bankno...

When I was, eh, maybe 15 years old, I saw in interview with Barry Bonds and Steve Sax (I think that’s his name), and I was appalled by how arrogant, how condescending, and how rude Barry was. Then, Steve asked Barry who the greatest player to ever play the game was, and Barry replied, “I am, how can I possibly play this game if I thought anything different.” So let me get this straight Barry, the game is only worth playing if you’re the best? Well, if you are the best, then what is the point of everyone else playing too? I think every other major league ball player should probably just pack up and go home. And leave you to play with yourself, all your friends (0), and all your rings (0). Forgive me Mr. Bonds, but I think the mark of a great player is the ability to make his team better, himself better, and to win a championship. Sure, you need the stats, but more importantly, you should want the ring. That makes Tom great, it makes Papi great, it’s what made Bird great and it’s what ma...

Ten things I think I think...(Sorry MMQB). 1. I think that the NFL Player's Association needs to remove the Franchise Tag from the next collective bargining agreement. Why have something that no player wants and few are willing to play under? Asante Samuel says he won't report till week 10 . If I was Scott or Bill, I'd tell Asante if you show up week 10, we're tagging you again in 2008, and that is a promise. Here is my call on Asante. He is a very good corner. I do not think he is a great corner. I also think that he routinely missed tackles last year because instead of setting up for the stop or to break up a pass, he was going for the pick in his money year. Mike Felger said on FSN that the Pats should work out some kind of a secret deal with Asante that if he plays under the tag this year then the Pats will not tag him again. I totally agree and while I don't know if Asante would even want to do that. After all the things the Patriots have done this offseason to...

Jonathan Papelbon chimed in on Barry and Schill. “This is the most balanced team I’ve probably ever been on and the most professional team… besides the things that Schill said yesterday about Barry, that wasn’t too professional , but we’re just a really balanced team. We’re good because we pick each other up.” When asked if Barry is good for baseball... “Yeah definitely. He’s doing it for baseball. And I think it’s good for baseball . And I think that he’s going out there and crushing home runs and getting baseball back to where it was in the late 1990s and such that, hey, fans are going to come out and see the home runs, there’s no doubt about it. And fans will come see good pitching. And I think he’s doing great for the game itself, so I can’t complain.” Barry Bonds is good for baseball the way that vodka is good for my liver.

I don't know where this picture is from but it was posted on the comments of Surviving Grady yesterday and I thought it was funny. Jon Lester on the left, Chad Spann throwing the ball, and they look about 15. I didn't catch a ton of the game last night because 1. I had to cook dinner because my mom is sick, and 2. It was the season finale of The Deadliest Catch . In case anyone missed it, Captain Phil won the most amount of crab, but Capt. Sig's boat made the most money per deckhand, and the Captain with the highest average crab per pot was Jonathan's boat, which had some good karma working for them after they saved that guy from the other boat. And, incase you were were wondering, me and Paul's favorite Capt. is Sig. *The Sox brought their bats to Toronto and got Josh plenty of run support. *Jemele Hill has a letter to God , ask him to stop Barry from breaking Hank's record. *Ellis Hobbs is ready to go . *Manny and Craig had a rough night for the Paw Sox. *Bi...

*We all know how I feel about him, but I mean, how great is Tom Brady? Tom restructured his contract so that they could add Randy Moss and still come in under the cap. *Dan Shaugnessy says that love is blind when it comes to us Boston fans. Here is the thing with this article, he starts off strong, saying that we are blind when it comes to the Patriots acquiring Randy Moss, and that if the Sox had signed Barry Bonds this off season, we would have gotten on the bandwagon, and if the Sox sign Roger Clemens, then he'll go back to being the Rocket we all know and love. First of all, on Barry, I will never, ever, root for Barry Bonds. It has nothing to do with steriods, because, who really knows who is on and who is off and who has been on the juice. Do I think Bonds cheated? Yes. Am I sure that all my favorite players never did? No. So, I don't hate Barry Bonds because he's a cheater. I hate Barry Bonds because he's a dick. Dan then says to bring on Terrell Owens...

Here is what everyone has been waiting for: My Red Sox slanted, East Coast biased, Yankee hating MLB preview American League East Boston Red Sox (how could I pick any other way? My name isn’t Red Sox Gal for nothing) New York Yankees (I don’t the Blue Jays have the arms to beat them) Toronto Blue Jays (but they do have Burnett and Halladay) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (Some solid bats, no pitching...Carl Crawford is nasty) Baltimore Orioles (Hey, Kev. How’s the basement treating ya?) American League Central Detroit Tigers (got some nasty young arms) Minnesota Twins (bummer about Liriano) Cleveland Indians (they are 1 Keith Foulke short - probably going to cry ) Chicago White Sox (I don’t know much about them) Kansas City Royals (55 mil for Gil?) American League West Los Angeles Angels (ORLANDO!) Oakland Athletics ( Can we wait till Billy Beane wins a WS before we call him genius?) Texas Rangers (still no pitching) Seattle Mariners (Ichiro, you’ll LOVE Boston!) Divisional Playoffs Boston over ...

A great fact from the new afterword from the authors of "Shadows" (from Tom Verducci ), "My favorite fact: the authors detail in their afterword the freakish growth of Bonds' body parts in his years with the Giants: from size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 1/2 to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/4 cap, even though he had taken to shaving his head." This is since 1993 when he first went to the Giants. How many people do you know whose shoes grow 2 and a 1/2 sizes after they are 29 years old? Please.

In about one week, Barry Zito (right, incase you couldn't tell), went from being one of my favorite non-Red Sox to one of my least favorite people on earth. How the Mighty fall. Again with a late entry! My four readers are going to riot! (but the Barry and Barry was worth it right?) The first spring training game is tomorrow! Curt is on the mound, and according to the Globe, the line-up looks like this: 1. Julio Lugo, SS 2. Kevin Youkilis, 1B 3. David Ortiz, DH 4. Jason Varitek, C 5. Mike Lowell, 3B 6. Wily Mo Pena, RF 7. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 8. David Murphy, LF 9. Jacob Ellsbury, CF I'm excited for some real / fake games to get started. I'm also excited to see my friend, Jacoby Ellsbury (I hate when people call him Jacob, I mean, that is probably what he goes by, but how many people do you know called Jacoby? Me, just one. And by friends, I mean, we are facebook friends. Yes, I am that creepy. As if you had any doubt). I have a couple Manny things to say. First, I think t...