"Enough's Enough"

Ian,

You were busy. Why? Not much happening with the Red Sox lately. lol.

I thought Wednesday night's game was the worst game I have seen the Red Sox play under Francona. They made 4 errors. Something tells me Francona slept very well last night. Time for the Red Sox to move on and focus on the field. AMEN!!!

After having read comments on this blog, and Peter Gammon's articles, it is true as most of us have concluded that Manny behaved poorly, selfishly, and in the end cared about money more than his teammates or fans.

As some have argued, it is probably very difficult to resist this temptation when you travel in the scale and salaries of these guys -- look at A-Rod, Damon, etc. However, really most companies and exes do the same thing. Take what they can get is a virtue and not a flaw unfortunately through out society from sports, to entertainers, to business. There are very few Lowell's in this world in baseball or business.

That said, the only defense I have for Manny is that the RedSox also have to be a very difficult (if not definitely coldly statistical, which can seem mean/cruel) team to play for when your age approaches a certain statistic. The RedSox chart and worship their statistics. The won't let any pitcher pitch over 100 pitches per game (except for on very few occasions like a no-no), they manage the innings of younger players by formula, even recovery time on injuries, and they certainly almost always push out players who are in their mid 30s, Muller, Loretta, Millar, Damon, now Ramirez, the only exception being for pitchers (for some reason, probably not the daily wear and tear).

Now they may have statistics to justify their policies, but one thing is certain, once you reach your mid 30s you are not playing for the RedSox unless you are pitcher (who is holding up) -- or Mike Lowell and agree to when they think you will break down.

That is only beef I have with the RedSox, the iron will belief that you cannot contribute after 36 -- then again the whole baseball world believes this, except of course the Yanks (LOL) until perhaps recently. For that reason, I fully expect Manny as a DH for the Yanks next year.

I agree with you 100%, Ian. I just hope that Red Sox Nation will give Jason Bay a chance to prove himself at Fenway. JD Drew didn't click right away but now he's on fire. The acquistion of Bay and sending to Manny to LA is not a "silver bullet" for immediate gratification / winning. But I do think it's big step in the right direction for improving team chemistry and morale.

PS. I agree with you, dgneubert on the Sox "age formula" but, I also think the Sox would have been happy to keep Manny around if he had a better attitude and was a team player. Manny just basically went off the deep end with his criticisms and tantrums this time.

Jason Bay will get one thing from the Sox line-up....a little more protection than he was getting in Pittsburgh. I think his numbers are pretty good for coming from the Pirates.

Jason Bay has decent number with a bad team. His stats will get better with the potent Boston lineup. We will see immediate gratification from Bay as compared to Manny's halfhearted attitude at the plate.

Ian , I agree with you yhat Manny`s reaction during the past weeks was out of order, no excuses for that. But this past weeks by no means should be more important than Manny`s legacy, and no matter what, with Manny we accomplished things that seemed imposible. I also think we really pay a lot for Jason Bay and I hope he can deal with the pressure of Boston Press, the same one never get along with Manny. About the Boston Press I`ve been hearing a lot that teamates did`t want him and wasn`t supporting him, Is that a fact, or are they making a bigger isssue with that so we Red Sox Nation won`t complain about not letting Manny play until the end of the season even if trading him might lead us to problems towards the postseason. There`s no need to be too smart to know that no matter the tantrums, the more interested in putting good numbers in the last 2 months was going to be Manny whose seeking a huge contact. I`ll allways think Managemet could have dealt with this at the begining of the season in a smarter way, not making one of the best hitters in their team ever believing he needed to prove what he deserved, I`m sure $20 MM a year is a lot but there are inferior players with $18 MM salary this year.
Again, Manny worst than usual went too far, but I don`t think management was great either. Finally, I hope they really improve, because is enough of excusing their performance because of Manny. No way Beckett, Matsusaka and the bullpen are so affected by this that allow that amount of runs, or tha Tek and Ellsbury loves Manny that much that even forgot how to bat. As a a Red Sox fan I really hope everything turns out for the best, both our team and Manny who we should never forget as one of our best hitters ever and a future HOF that certainly made us enjoy much more than suffer. Thank,

Aimee

Dropping the option as part of the trade certainly makes more $$$ for Boras. Do you think that he might have been stirring the pot and instigating Manny?? The solution that I had suggested prior to the trade was to keep Manny and send him to Pawtucket for the rest fo the season - and if we really wanted to cut off our nose to spite our purse strings-- pick up his option and keep him there for another two years. Boras gets nothing. We get satisfaction- and Manny hits minor league pitching for two years. That would certainly take away two years out of his attempt to establish any major league records. Getting even-- you bet.

Wow, I can't believe no one knows the answer to the "Three Sisters" question! Especially you Gsm. Don't you remember when Squanto and Massosoit showed us how to plant? I know it was a long time ago, but sheeesh, that kind of knowledge stays with ya!
Sorry to interrupt the Manny memories here.
Sox are gonna win tonight, you bet!

I'm going to take Ellen's advice and start cheering for Jason Bay now. Also, I think the Manny Moment I'll remember him by is his "fine running catch" as Ned Martin would say, he jumps onto the wall, high fives a fan and turns, throws, and completes the double play at second. A fine moment to be sure. But like Reggie Smith, Manny's a Dodger now. Thanks Manny, ya done good while you were here. Good luck to you.

Unless something was done to fix this blog, I think the problem in gettig that ###$$$***## message might have been due to the over-accumulation of comments without updating the basic Brownie Point comment for some time. More frequent Brownie Point lead-in comments may be the solution.

Pangelotti,

No doubt Boras played a role behind the scenes. Boras will get his pay day when Ramirez signs in N.Y. either with the Yankees or Mets.

You think the Yankees have yet to learn that aging superstars are not the way to go? I don't think they'll go there with Manny. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Manny's numbers will be declining and he'll no longer be the force he was with the Sox. How much protection will he have in LA? Look, I'm not going to start Manny bashing, but weren't we all wondering where the Manny of old had gone? How many times on this blog was it noted that he "can't catch up with the high fastball anymore" ? He'll be a very good hitter, but the days of him being the BEST in MLB are gone. I'm not sure if we'll see him in pinstripes.

Career-wise he might be better off playing with an AL team since they allow for the DH. That's assuming that Manny gets a relatively long-term contract and seriously wants to play. If he gets a long-term contract with lots of $$$ and doesn't care whether he plays or not, then maybe he may be better off in the NL where he van he resume his career of "Manny being Manny".

Brandon Moss had a tough time 3 AB, 1 BB, 2 SO at Chicago this afternoon. I hope this won't happen to Jason Bay at Fenway.

Jason Bay will be fine. He'll be pumped to play in front of the frenzied crowds at Fenway and he's now in a pennant race. It's all good for Jay Bay. Ellen. I beat you to the nickname! I don't like the way it sounds though. JB will be better.

I'm looking forward to seeing what our new acquisition looks like at the plate and in the field> I hope that he took some ball off the monster and learns to play the carom, I will say Manny made that difficult task look easy. But at any rate... Does anyone else out here feel more than a little relieved that this situation with Manny is behind us?? As you all probably well know this thing bothered me more than a little. Now I feel that everything is going to be O.K.
Hey Jbay, how about starting off your career with a HR?? That'd suit me JUST FINE.
Good Luck Jason!

Agreed, Ellen. If it's a relief to us think how the players must feel. I think you'll see a revived Sox team starting now.

Let's hope Boston can find some of that Fenway Magic again. 1-5 on this homestand. It needs to start with a win tonight. Boston should take 2 of 3 from the A's and maybe a sweep. Not impressed with the A's lineup at all. It seems like forever ago that Boston started the season in Japan against Oakland. Another season starts again tonight. The post Manny Red Sox. One thing I do know they have a someone in l.f. that is looking forward to playing and doesn't have a personal agenda.

BSB: I can appreciate the fact that your not impressed with the A's line-up (hell who would be after seeing the Brownie points lineup!!lol), but be careful. I have this belief that its the teams that dont look strong that can put your BVD's in a terrible twist. Look what the O's did this week to the Yanks, and the Royals to the Rays!! Its the little guys that'll bite you in the butt and make you look silly!!
GO REDSOX!!!!!

Sorry, I can't stand it -- at least one more Manny comment from me-- lets forget about attitude and tantrums for a while and talk straight up value.

Take Pedro Martinez ... the Sox did not think he was worth the value he thought he was ... so they wouldn't offer him the money he wanted... they offered a lot... but it was not enough. So in effect -- they took millions away from him .. that someone else was willing to pay (the Mets). Who was right? I think we all know it was the Sox. If I were Pedro, I would feel way guilty deep down inside... now way I delivered to the Mets (on any year). Sox Management 1 -- Players 0.

Johhny Damon -- to me a wash -- more money we keep him, has he helped the Yanks - yes/no -- not enough to matter or to hurt us -- so its a tie.

Loretta, Muller, Millar -- you get the point, hard to assess. They were great players, but we got probably even better players to fill their spots. Sox +0.5 Players 0.

Now take Manny -- in affect, the SOX may be taking 60 million out of his pocket -- if he thinks he can get 25 million a year for 4 years now vs play two more years at 20 mill and then try to market himself. So worst case he is down 100 mil - 40 mill if he can't find a job in two years.

I think that betrays a fear in Manny that he may not be worth the money he is asking... if he doesn't think he can get it in two years... why does he think he is worth now for 4 years .....???

which brings me to my final point and question.

Question: could the SOX had just released him from his options, saying , Manny we will let you be a free agent at the end of the season... just play your butt off please, and try to bring us another ring, and the highest bidder on you next year wins.

Point. I know they had no contractual obligation to do such a thing. But if there were any thought that both sides could get along -- that seems like the best compromise to me... you get a player really trying (to drive up his value for next year) -- and you don't have to mortgage the farm to get him out of town. You just say... ok -- we are not going to pay you 100 mil over the next 4 years, but if someone else will -- your free to go, just bring us home another ring please.

If such an arrangement were possible, I can't believe it was not thought of -- so it sounds to me both sides might have been trying to put it to the other and both sides lost. Sox -2 Player -1 (I give SOX -2 cause they gave up two first round draft picks to let Manny go -- that is what really irks me).

The situation had deteriorated too much to be able to reach such an agreement, IMO. It went downhill pretty fast. By the time the Sox FO looked up and saw what was happening it was too late. You think maybe it's just another MBM moment and before you can blink it's out of control. It is what it is. We move on.

GAME TIME!!! OUT WITH THE OLD AND A NEW ERA OF REDSOX BASEBALL STARTS!!
GO SOX!!!

Alot of automatic outs in this Oakland lineup. 13th in the A.L. in runs scored, not good. Red Sox pitching should be just fine this weekend. If they score 5 runs in each game they should sweep Oakland.

Bay ran faster to first base than Ramirez did on Tues. night against Lackey, OUCH!!! lol.

Bay has already made an impact. A walk and then scores a short time later. Fenway seems to have energy again!!!

Let's go Wakefield . Start throwing strikes

I'm liking Bay already. First time up he walks and scores a run. Gets the crowd on his side, gets rid of the jitters and his team mates gotta love it. Now he gets HBP in his second at bat. He's a OBP machine, lol. I like this guy!

Manny doesn't fit the Yankee mold. He won't cleanup like Damon did. Girardi would be pulling a "Reggie Jackson/Billy Martin" episode with Manny too. No telling what will happen to him. I know Jeff Kent could not stand Barry Bonds and his antics so that will be interesting with those two now team mates. But....I think our clubhouse has new life and no more walking through the locker room on pins and needles!!!!! Go Sox.

Cash GIDP. Another run wasted. What's Francona thinking?

No wild pitch

Good job Wake.

Nice catch by Bay. Let's get some runs.

Nice sliding catch by Bay. He is having a nice impact on this game. I would like too see him up the next time with a chance to swing the bat.

Guys,

Personally, I would really like if it Manny found himself another Barry Bonds next year. What he did was unbelievable and what team in their right mind (which I know poses a problem) would want such behavior. LAD did not pick up 2009 or 2010 options so they'll take him for the season. No Manny needs to be out of baseball. He really does because this type of attitude only hurts the game for everyone.

On the good side the Sox look tired but relaxed. Ray is making some great plays and doing the little things like -- not being a complete a^^hole or running instead of Sunday Park strolls to first base or throwing people to the ground or cursing everyone on the team. You'd be surprised how much effect that has on the team.

I don't know what the numbers say but Lowell is in a funk e since the All Star break. Not many good swings from Lowell lately. Alot of soft outs from Lowell. He'll snap out of it eventually, I have confidence in Lowell and who doesn't?

007chow,

what is GIDP anyway?

Thanks...

Bay played that one well off the Monster. I don't think he'll have much of a problem there. He seems to fit right in.

GIDP=Ground Into Double Play

Cash with a great throw. Bay leads off, time to get some runs!!!

Runs are indeed a problem but right now the Sox need this win. This will shift momentum. Right now the Sox look like a different team -- tight on defense and sharp. Big difference from LAA.

007chow,

Thanks for the GIDP.

Wakefield is another ace on the team. He's so solid and tough and holding a one run game in order. I'm impressed...as always.

Anyone else gets on he should pull Wakefield.

Ells is still not with it. He has to get his confidence back.

It seems that some of the Sox are committimg to swing no matter where the ball is.. Bad runnuing by Youk--with Papi coming up.

Although I am sad to see Manny leave I wish the Red Sox front office had planned a little better with the way the trade turned out. Getting a younger left fielder with a good bat was key however I would have liked to seen some bullpen help thrown in with the deal. The Sox didn't win with this deal but they did free up some funds and with Manny's tantrums and antics in the past, hopefully the team will start feeling the closeness that won them 2 World Championships.

Here we go again. Wakefield pitches a good game and the bull pen gives it away.

I also think that is was bad baserunning by Youkilis. Someone should tell him there is a guy named David Ortiz hitting next. lol. Baseball doesn't need to have replay, they need umpires that hustle. How could they miss that one? They did get it right but come on now. Oki had been pitching well but gives up the gopher ball. Boston still needs another reliever and maybe they can swing a deal for one in the month of August.

Red Sox need a guy like Ziegler. 30 innings pitched and hasn't allowed a run yet. Very impressive!!!

Yanks losing 1-0 in the 9th. Rays up 2 over Det. in the 6th in St. Pete. T.B. is quite dominate at home.

Do the Red Sox lead baseball in pickoff attempts that get thrown away? Why is Papelbon worried about the runner, there are 2 outs!!!

Great bunt by Lowrie and a good call by Francona. Sometimes the Red Sox don't bunt in those situations and that drives me nuts. Casey with the game winner? Ziegler has to allow a run sometime this year doesn't he?

Set up the D.P.--smart move to walk Casey. Ziegler is a ground ball pitcher. 1 pitch away is Ziegler. Ellsbury with the game winning hit?

Pedroia is the hot hitter. He broke up Lackey's no hitter on Tues. night. The little guy has been known to come up big!!!

Come on Red Sox. This is the A's not the LAA. You can get more than one run per game right? Right?

I thought when this series started, all Boston had to do was score 5 runs in every game and they would sweep the A's. In the past if Street took the mound, I would say oh no. Not the case now. Street has been getting roughed up as of late.

OK that was hard. You have the bases loaded and fail to score. The hitting is just not there and I'm sure it's part exhaustion and part mentality in your belief in yourself. This will take time to rectify and the Sox do not have that luxury but this is why most teams don't repeat -- it's a lot harder than you think.

Loco Lopez is coming on in. Now the game went from stable to a train on a speeding track where every third rail is on fire and rockets are bombing the train track.

bosoxbrian,
We may be the only two left watching this edgy game. Amazing how I have no confidence in the Sox in driving in runs. This is not the Sox of 2007.

bosoxbrian,

Is Lowell hurt? Please tell me it's nothing serious.

On man I'm going to bed. I'm done for tonight.

Dave...

Lowell strained his hip.

Bosox Brian,
Arfe you still awake? I am in Nevada so no biggie here. I am watching the Dodger game on FSN West and listening to the Red Sox since it's blacked out here.

Ortiz looks out of it as well. Lousy swings.

Thank you, Jed Lowrie.

Jason Bay scores the only 2 Boston runs. Way to go, JB!! great start.

How ironic....Bay busts his butt for a triple and Jed Lowrie HUSTLES out an infield hit to win the game. NICE HUSTLE!!!!!!

Dave, the A's have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, so it's no surprise the Sox scored just two runs in 12 innings. Expect more low scoring games in this series. After all, both rotations are strong.

Jeff
http:/www.soxandpinstripes.com

I just have the gameday tonight. Thanks for the info.

And, yes, the A's still have one of the top rotations, even without Harden and Blanton. I'm glad that, after this weekend, the Sox will be done with the A's along with the Angels this season.

Jeff
http://www.soxandpinstripes.com

I really feel good about everything after tonights game. What a great way for JBay to start: A standing O.. Good Job Fenway fans!!. Jed Lowrie more than did his job tonight!! Dave:: I was sorry to see Sean get intentionally walked, especially fully clothed...LOL

Okay.. now I have a question from someone who is blondley challenged: With 2 outs and a runner on 3rd, the ball is hit to the infield. Runner at 3rd goes home.... does he score if he beats the throw to 1st??
This is one that has always thrown me!!
HELP, HELLLP, HELLLLLLP!!

Ellen, the answer is no, the runner doesn't score on a force-out.

Isn't it curious how baseball works sometimes. This had the feel to me of a second opening day. And in the first opening day; against Oakland, Moss hit a homerun to tie the game and the Sox won in extras. This opening day the guy we got, inpart for Moss, gets the 2 runs that are the only Sox offense. Like Joachin Andujar said, "You can sum baseball up in one word....Youneverknow"

Ellen,
The answer is No. The batter has to be safe at first.

Even Timlin pitched good ball. He had good location and some of his pitches were in the 94mph range. I haven't seen the Sox so happy in a long while. Maybe this game will turn them around. Let's hope!!!

Hey Y'all!! I think i failed to post a pertinent point. Mikey T, had a great game tonight. I love Mikey as I know some others do, but we have all at one time or another been REALLY REALLY tough on the guy, so its time to give credit where credit is due. GOOD GAME MIKE TIMLIN!!

Jason Bay has to feel like a kid at Christmas. Welcome to Boston!!

Ellen,
A similar analogy that might help you. If a runner is on third with two out and the batter hits a high fly ball. In all probability (unless it' Manny running ) the runner on third will touch home plate before the ball is actually caught. As before, the run will not count.

It's funny, but the way the Sox won tonight reminds me of many a game when the Yanks beat the Sox on the kind of hit Lowrie got.

Watching Manny vs Diamondbacks. He' wearing No.99. His second AB he hit a hard groud ball past SS for a base hit. Note: he is still wearing his dreadlocks. I guess Torre hasn't made an issue of it------------yet.

Justsaw Burke hit a line drive just past SS. the ball rolled between the outfoilders to the wall. Manny was doing his usual trotting from LF. Burke wound up with a triple. Go Manny.

Good game- Bay sored both runs and Lowrie batted them both in. Hopefully, the sign of a turn-around.

Well...so much for going to bed. Had to find out the ending. Sox got a vitamin boost tonight. I heard an interview with David Ortiz...he was down. There was a bitterness in his voice and I think his ties with Manny were burned. he looked really angry and his answers about Manny were bitter. He really sounded burned.
I am so glad this Manny situation is over. The Sox were an extremely happy memory of my childhood -- in many ways my only one and to see Manny smear the Sox like this really hurt me. It really dragged me down. It was like he was smearing a part of my life that's very personal to me. I'll honestly admit I was devastated by his behavior. I really was. I'm glad it's over and hopefully the Sox can win more than 1 out of 5 for they deserve it.
New Lineup tomorrow including Barbra Streisand and Barbra Walters -- check it out.

We need to laugh so here is the lineup.

LF - dbenjamin-- Dbenjamin will be building some small picture frames made from curly maple and cherry. He'll be using all hand tools since he gets a little too wild with a router!

2b - Ellen -- Ellen will continue in second base but will be designing and building a small book case made of black walnut with cherry trim. She'll be using Porter Cable and Festool equipment and using her safety glasses. Ellen will be donating all power equipment to Dave after the game.

DH - BosoxBrian -- Brian has been given the nailgun and says "I'll take care of the rest". I'll have to see what he means by that.

RF - Arnie -- Arnie's kitchen will be making South African food in his new kitchen made by Rachel Ray who will be helping Arnie by providing some stimulation and excitement in the food -- whatever that means.

1b - cfarnham04-- cfarnham04 will be building shaker furniture using white ash and poplar with a three part finish including shellac, laquer, and a concoction of alcohol and vodka.

C Jody Foster returns to the catching position tonight. She'll be making small bird houses with pine trying desperately to have them look better than Homer Simpson but gsm52 says he'll help her nail it home.

SS - chman712 -- chman712 will be building an end table with purple heart and teak arguing that "rainforest' wood used once in a while is OK. He'll be using all hand tools except for his new shaper that only cost him $2400 dollars and will be giving to Dave after the game.

3b - redsoxfan015 -- redsoxfan015 will be making an king's chair out of solid quartersawn oak with a beautiful carved centerpiece made out of hickory.

p - gsm52 -- gsm52 will be making an outdoor playhouse filled with extras that he'll fly personally to Dave's house for his kids enjoyment. gsm52 rocks!

p - Pangelotti -- Pangelotti will be building a solid cherry fence to surround the entire ball park.

P - Rayman -- will be pitching but in between downtime he'll be building a portable tool cart and clamp cart that will donate to Dave for his workshop. You guys are the best.

1b coach -- 007 chow. 007 will be building a beautiful bedroom set, including a fourposter bed in solid cherry. I am giddy with excitement to put this in my bedroom. Thanks 007chow.

Umpires -- Barbra Walters will be handling balls and strikes after breaking up with Manny Rameriz who only seemed to run hard when Barbra walked in the room.

Barbra Streisand will not be singing tonight but instead be building a canoe from hemp and white oak using a beautiful Delta lathe that won't do much of anything so she'll be donating to Dave's shop.

Once again guys thanks for all the equipment and furniture you'll be donating to my family (LOL)

Did I miss something? What happened to Roseanne?

Hey, regardless of the So and Manny doings, the bits and pieces i heard quoted from his interview had Manny praising the RedSox fans saying they are te best in the world of baseball and thank all of the fans for supporting him for so long. I guess he's smart enough not burb that bridge!! But HEY MANNY, MANY THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!

Manny wont (in all probability) have to lose his locks.. The no long hair, no facial hair policy wasnt Torre's, it was a Yankee policy. app(hair)ently after Gossage, Guidry,Munson etal.

I hear that Bawbwa Wawters only handles balls for ex politicians!!

Dave, thanks for getting Rachel Ray to stimulate and excite me, um, to excite the food, I mean. I'll have to do some home work. My South African food skills are pretty rusty.

Dave, after reading Mr. Singer's article on Manny and his transgressions over the years, I have to agree with you that he wasn't exactly a model citizen. And I'm sorry that you had to suffer that way. I feel that Manny ultimately hurt himself by doing this.

This Bosox team will be better and more exciting with the kids and the solid veterans. They'll make a run at a 2nd championship, you'll see.

Trivia: what is shellac made from? Prize, you are excused from the Julio Lugo Swiss ski trip.

Well im proud 2 still be starting shortstop lol. Im buying an la dodgers hat 2moro..... 5 bucks from wal mart lol. I miss manny. Yankees r gonna bust our "bleaps" wen we see em again =(

Great, great, and gratifying win for the Sox! Welcome to Boston, Jason! Jason scored 2 "winning" runs. If Cash did not GIDP, the game would end in 9th making Wake the winner (deservedly so) and Papelbon the save. Justice was served when Jason scored the winning run in extra inning. B/w Jason scored both the Sox runs.
Oki should never be a set up man with fewer than 2 run lead. Oki threw nothing but 88 mph fast balls and curveballs in that inning.
The League had Ellsbury figured out. He saw nothing but inside pitches.
I think either Bay or Drew should bat behind Ortiz until Lowell has his swing back.

Arnie,

Come on give me a challenge here! Shellac is the secretion (for lack of a better term) from the lac beetle. It's found as a parasite on certain trees but it's a valuable poo in Asia especially India and Thailand. It's dried and cleaned up and made into flakes. You can buy shellac in a variety of shades but I tend to use just clear. On Oak or Beech it pops the grain but not as sharp as linseed oil so I actually like it better since Oak's grain is bit loud (the grain) for my tastes. Shellac is the ONLY finish that is safe for kids. You'll find it on M & M's and I use it if I'm making something for the kids.
Shellac dries really fast since it's dissolved in alcohol so it's very tricky to put on and can leave runs and streaks (not that it ever bothers me). It's the basis for the 'french polish' technique to give that incredibly smooth finish. It will be damaged by water and heat so it's not the most durable finish. It is also one of the oldest finishes. You can buy the flakes at Rockler.com. Here is the link
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=6548&filter=shellac

pangelotti,

Rosanne married Manny as his second wife. She painted her body as a large cell phone so that Manny could call on her at any time...ug that entire image creeps me out.

Arnie,
I guess I shouldn't say the word poo since it is a secretion but that's what runs through my mind when I think of Shellac but seriously it's really not poo.
Incidentally Rosanne and Manny now take Shellac baths together in their condo. Ug...I don't think I can eat breakfast now!

chman712,

You are always welcome on the lineup but consider this -- if your father was the travel agent that Manny shoved to the ground -- would you feel so good about Manny? I know I wouldn't. Would you feel good about him berating the entire team just because he didn't get his way faking a knee injury just because he can? As I said before, Manny's behavior was horrible and one blame I have is for MLB that seems to allow this type of fiasco. You have fights on the field and you get fines. In real life would that happen? Baseball is wrong. Nuff said!

Arnie,

My wife makes one great deal from Africa. Carrots and sweet potato with peanut butter and wild rice. Oh is it good.

Incidentally, did you guys see the press conference afterwards. it was a long time since I've seen Terry Francona smile. It was a good feeling.

So Jason came thru in the clutch game 1, Manny did not -- so far -- Humility-1 Ego-Selfishness-0 -- that is nice.

Dave, I have a question for you. Does your wife ever read your posts?? If so, other than "you are a nut job", what does she think.. My husband (also Dave, by the way) was reading yours the other day while he was on break at work... I got a phone call from him but couldnt understand him because he was lauging so hard.
Oh yeah, how come we havent had My Casey on here in a while??

It makes sense that Manny forced the issue. He probably feels he can make a lot more than 20 mil as a free agent. If the Red Sox had picked up his option for both years, he would be 38 by the time he became a free agent. Notice he waived his no-trade only on condition that he be released from the club option. He and Boras probably believe that he can get a 4 year deal for a lot more money at the end of this season. They are probably right. I would not be surprized to see him home in NY next year.

That said, I like the looks of Jason Bay. He is no Manny, but he is a solid hitter, and has a reputation as a great team player. He looked good tonight. Time will tell.

Any word on Lowells hip strain?? I hope that its not serious.

Ellen,

You won't believe this but I'm actually a pretty boring and reserved person in real life. The only time I act insane like this is on the blogs. This is why I write so much -- it's my creative outlet since I'm not usually that open in real life -- it's my outlet.
I'm a workaholic by nature and woodwork and work as a living in IT. I spend as much times with my kids and wife as I can. On Friday we took an all day canoe trip -- 14 miles incorporating rock collecting and swimming. Today I'm going to mow the lawn, build some picture frames (cherry, Maple and Ash) and then take my older daughter out for dinner and backgammon at Whole Foods.
However with my kids I do have so silliness and that's probably the silly side as well. I do it because with kids I find that acting crazy takes the stress away with their schoolwork, etc.

I've been gone for a day and it took me most of today to get caught up with all the posts. Looks like I missed some good trivia arnie.

Manny was 2 for 4 last night but Dodgers lost. Bay scores both runs in the Sox win. So far, we have the best of the deal.... LOL!

Dave, you'll have to send me your address so I can send your girls something for Christmas! Include sizes, I have something in mind.

Interesting that according to the Providence Journal, some of the veteran Sox players met with Theo Wednesday night before the trading deadline. They told Theo they lacked confidence in Manny and it was time for him to go. If this is true, that says something about Manny's demeanor in the clubhouse and the impact he was having on the team.

Games are becoming increasingly important for the Sox. They need to pull out all the stops to win as many as they can.

For anyone except Arnie: What are victuals? ...... No looking in the dictionary...... Hint! Beverly Hillbillies.

New York Times article:

Rosanne and Manny Ramerez open up hot tub business. You can see the full page add with Manny eating a ham sandwich while talking on the phone and snuggling with Rosanne and Madeleine Albright in their green monster hot tub. The hot tub line is called "RosMan tubs" Check it out. The tubs sell for $2100 dollars but if you buy now you can have a weekend with Boras and Rosanne as they perform their juggling firedance act right in front of you.

Ellen,

Wait till you see the lineup for tomorrow!

Dave, the thought crossed my mind of disqualifying you from the shellac trivia and then, of course, I realized that I need not take myself so seriously.

Menu for today's/tonight's game.
Appetizer:Biltong(which is the famous SA version of beef jerky) cut into bite-size pieces with mango, candied ginger and pickled African Bird Chile. Careful of those chiles!
2nd course: Individual Boboties- South African Shepard's Pie.
3rd course: Boerewors, Homemade sausages, grilled and served with sauteed wild greens and steamed millet.
Dessert course: South African wines are becoming well known so I thought I'd make a sorbet from a nice Trinity Hill Syrah scented with cinnamon and cardamom, sweetened with honey.
Beverage: Beer, Beer, Beer.

Dave, I'm more familiar with North African food. Those great Morrocan dishes and when I was in Kenya visiting my room mate's family we ate a lot of Indian dishes that used the local produce and of course, Kenyan versions of British food. Does your wife make Harissa or those pickled lemons? Great condiments!

Trivia: What part of the crocus is used to make saffron? Prize: A week in Venice Florida working with elephant trainers. Sort of an appreticeship.

Arnie, we have the best fed blog in the world.

It's always about sex, isn't it. Saffron is made from the stigma, which is the part of the pistil that receives the pollen or the plant's female sex organs...... LOL! To be honest, I wasn't sure which part was which. I have the same issues with human anatomy which probably explains why I'm single.

Arnie, when I was a kid, we had tons of crocus in our back yard beside the house and along the fence. My mother loved them. They were the first sign of spring and would even sometimes come up through the snow on a warm day. I can still hear Mom say, "The crocuses are blooming, it's almost spring." Little purple flowers with yellow pistils as I remember.

I love crocus for the same reason your Mom did. I have them under my apple tree. I love gardening season. A pound of Saffron Crocus flowers yields 0.2 ounce of saffron. There are three stigmas in one flower. My Indian friends grind pistachios, almonds, cardamom and saffron together and add a teaspoon or two of that to hot milk with some sugar. Makes a really nice dessert drink on a winter evening. Or chilled in summer. I forget the name for that drink. Maybe I'll think of it later.

Putting the cart way before the horse... what if Jason Bay turns out to have a great stretch run, we bring home another ring or he does really well in the post season how ever far we get, and given that he will have another year on his contract -- what art the chances that we trade him for a lesser left fielder in spite of all this, like we seemed to have done with our short-stop position for four years?

A friend of mine who lives in Pittsburgh area told me that Jason Bay is a good hitter and hits in clutch too. Well, he is right. But it's just one game. I am anxious to see what Bay can contribute in the pennant race.

Jason Bay right now just needs to play his game and ignore the publicity because it will fade over time anyway as the team -- not the player -- takes the field.
Girardi though is making the Yankees a team and I'll give him credit for that one.
IMHO Manny will not get a four year contract with anyone. The poison he left in Boston will have far reaching implications. He's got a bad reputation now and I hope he knows it. Unfortunately, the public has a short term memory.

gsm52,

Victuals and the Beverly Hillbillies? OK, I don't get the juxtaposition but I won't say anymore in case somebody else wants a crack at the answer.

Arnie,

that first dish with Mangos. I was already practically tasting the dish. What a great idea for a food combination. My wife never has been much on the exotic. I'm the more ambitious. I've tried Indian, Korean, Chinese but I've had the greatest success with Northern Indian -- which of course is the easier of the two IMHO. I've also tried Mexican but got bored with it. I'm not a big meat eater so vegetarian dishes are few and far between in authentic Mexican and on top of that -- I have a bad wheat allergy.
So it sounds like the next lineup we'll have you do North Korean dishes. That sounds great.

One last Point. If Bay his .280 but always drives in runs with runners on base -- he's already ten times the player than Manny is right now for this team.

Dave, if you don't eat a lot of meat, and wheat is a problem Indian food is great, except the North Indians eat a lot more wheat, mostly in flat breads. Mexican food is good for the wheat allergy too because there is so much emphasis on corn there. You have to play around a little with the style. Then you just leave out the meat. I tend to stay away from a lot of it myself. For instance, I love posole but avoid the pork, so I cook it with a lot more chiles, mostly the sweet Anaheim types. And if I am in the mood, I might add a carrot or maybe a jicama for a little substance. You can make some chile rellenos and wrap them in corn tortillas and bake them in a chile con queso sauce or a mole. Fabulous. Ooops... Ian will not be pleased if we turn this into a food blog. GO SOX!!!

Dave, if you like Indian vegetarian, find the book called Lord Krishnas Cuisine. You'll have to ignore the Hare Krishna aspect of it if that doesn't appeal to you, but there are hundreds of good recipes in it.

I don't understand dgneubert's comments. Major League Baseball is, after all, a business. The Front Office has to constantly assess investment/return on investment, hoping that they don't ever fail to make the right investment, and hoping that all of their investments do bring handsome returns. It's also a matter of cost containment.

I suspect that was why they granted Mark Loretta free agency. He had performed well for the Sox in 2006, but the Sox had this youngster in the minor leagues named Dustin Pedroia who they wanted to bring along, and had a less expensive back-up in Alex Cora. With Bill Mueller, they got some outstanding performance from him (who will ever forget his batting championship, or the 9th inning, Game 4 hit that he got off Rivera in the 2004 ALCS!). They had to have an inkling, when they granted him free agency, that they were about to complete a trade which would bring a more expensive, better producing 3B'r in Mike Lowell to the Sox. Only the Yanks continue to collect expensive duplicat