Red Sox

I haven't updated in a while, but then again no one ever read this thing to begin with. So, here I go on my happiness/angry rant about the Red Sox, the World Series, and other misc. baseball notes. Red Sox First, there is my beloved Red Sox. As I heard earlier on the radio, I am not a "pink hat" Red Sox fan. By that, I mean I have always loved the Sox since I knew I loved baseball. I have always been in this area, watched them, and loved the history of this team. I have not been on this Earth a very long time, but I have been here long enough to know the heartache the team had given fans for years. I witnessed it myself in '03 and to an extent in '04. But, everything prior Game 4 of the '04 ALCS, everything is in the B.S. era. Not the one you're thinking of, but what I read in the Herald today: Before Steal. I have been a fan of the Sox and baseball since around the age of 5. My dad would watch games, explain the game to me, and we would watch together. It was fun and I grew to love the sport. I love to talk baseball with people who hate it, and defend the sport with a passion. If I were to attempt a sport in the near future it would be baseball. I am urging to play, but I can not seem to find a way to play. Since I have been a fan for so long, the Red Sox winning in '04 was very special. I know I haven't been through what most fans in their 40's-70's have, but I know the history. I knew about the supposed curse, the Impossible Dreams, the Bucky Dent's, and the Buckner's. I knew most recently with the Little's and the Aaron Boone imitating Dent. I also know the almost disaster of '04. I sat in my bed in '04 when Mariano Rivera came in the ninth of Game 4. I sat there with hands on my face, watching the Sox being pummeled once again by the Evil Empire. I found myself not wanting to watch, but doing so anyway. I then watched as the Sox did the impossible and tie the game and continue playing. I also regret ever admitting that I went to bed one half inning before that amazing homerun by Ortiz because I knew in my heart the Yankees would overcome and win. I was proven wrong the next morning when I found out the news. After the missed opportunity of Game 4, I resolved to watch Game 5 in it's entirety. Then Game 6, and finally Game 7. I watched as Boston smoked the Cardinals, and finally broke the curse. 86 years of torment was finally laid to rest. We could finally say we were the champs. Don't get my wrong, '07 was amazing as well. We did everything right this year. We won the division for the first time since 1995, around the same time I started following the Sox more closely. They won the division in amazing fashion, taking the lead in April and never turning it over. They swept the Angels again, they were almost crushed by the Indians, only to show them that this team never dies. Then, we sweep another World Series (although this one was a lot closer than the scores will show). Two times in four seasons. It doesn't get any sweeter. Red Sox Critics But, since we are winning two times in four seasons, there are people who are not happy. I will admit, as a baseball fan, nothing would have been nicer to see the Rockies win there first World Title. However, my Boston fan side wanted them to be crushed, which ended up happening. It's that mentality that seems to piss so many people off around the country. Red Sox Nation. You've heard the term. It's the collective group of fans from this entire country that pledge allegiance to the Red Sox. They live in other states that isn't named Massachusetts, but they still call themselves fans. I cannot tell if all these fans are legit, but most of them certainly are. It still amazes me when I turn on my TV to watch an away Sox game, and see more people cheering the Sox than they are the other team. But, there are still those diehard fans who root other teams that see what the Sox did this year and dislike us. They start making the excuses to why we are winning and can't admit that this team might just be good. Most of the excuses are about the payroll. The Red Sox own the second highest payroll in the MLB, second only to the rivals. But, there is a major difference between how the Yankees play and the Red Sox play. If you look at the World Series roster again, you'll notice that a lot of the names on that team and young players. They haven't reached the prime of there career, and most are playing for chump change when compared to big contracts in the game. So, the payroll and money issue can't really play much of a factor. Jealously, gotta love it. Re-sign Lowell and Don't Sign A-Rod The worst showmanship in the game was displayed during the game on Sunday night. Late into the game, a few innings before the Red Sox were crowned, it was announced that Alex Rodriguez was becoming a free agent. His agent, Scott Boras, broke the news to everyone which then ended up on the World Series broadcast. If you have ever talked to me, you know I am an avid listener of Sport Radio WEEI. If you get into my car, you'll see the dial on 850 AM mostly everytime. So, to hear what was said after this happened was funny, but very true. Scott Boras, for those who don't know, is a superagent in baseball. He is a very good bullshit artist when it comes to selling players in the game, but he does it with precision. If you are a Sox fan, you can't help but dislike this guy. He does represent a lot of the players on the team, but he also represents Alex Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez is the best player in the game today. As a Sox fan and avid Yankee hater, I can't put my bias against the guy when he is doing as well as he is. But, from what he shows on TV and during games, he seems very arrogant. He knows he's that good and he LOVES to show it. Hence, the reason you were informed during the World Series that he was becoming a free agent. You know what this truly shows? That A-Rod really thinks he is better than the World Series. Why else would he and his agent announce this small bit of information when the Red Sox were the main story? He didn't want to be out of the spotlight, so he forced himself back into it. So, when you heard the chants of "Don't Sign A-Rod", it is a sentiment to how many fans, including myself, feel. We don't want this scum on our team; we'd rather have Mike Lowell, the "throw-in". Mr. MVP Speaking of the "throw-in", it was very nice to see Mike Lowell win the MVP of the World Series. For those who don't know and were only watching the World Series, Mike Lowell was an added bonus for the Sox when they signed ace Josh Beckett. The Florida Marlins were willing to dish out Beckett, but only if Lowell went with him; this was done because they didn't want his contract anymore, it was worth too much. This guy is a class act. Not only did he come in here last year and play, he played well. We filled in that third base role nicely with good defense and average offense. That, however, changed this year when Lowell played like he was out of his mind. I think it was saying something that when Manny Ramirez was out of the lineup, this guy stepped into that cleanup spot perfectly and helped the Sox get into the postseason and win the division. Not only that, but he stayed in the spot until the end of the season, even when Manny came back and started batting second. I think that was saying something. So, when you heard the A-Rod chants Sunday, you also heard the advice of Red Sox Nation on who should be there. "Re-Sign Lowell" wasn't just a chant, it was a message to the front office. We love this guy as our third baseman, and we want him here. Now, we just have to wait for them to listen. Offseason Now, we can FINALLY look into the offseason. As a WEEI fan, people has started the offseason talk in late September. So, now we can start talking about it. But, I think I will wait to talk next time. I am getting tired and starting to fall asleep. I have more to talk about, but I will save it. So, until next time... Good night.

Deathly Hallows

Two days it took me again to finish a Harry Potter novel. One of those nights became an all-nighter of reading. I try to tell myself to savor the book and don't finish it within a night. But, there is another voice in my head that says if I don't finish it now, I will be spoiled. I must have feared being spoiled further on this book especially, that I finished it in a night. I was upset with the fact that I ended up downloading the leak on Tuesday, read the first chapters or so, then (stupidly I must admit) read the last chapter thinking that this couldn't possibly be the real book. There was SO much security on this book that it was impossible that the book was released too early, someone got their hands the book early and shared it with everyone. The book seemed to be perfect, as written by JK herself, and come to find out it was. But, even as I read the end of the book, I did find out more about that ending as I read the book. The biggest spoiler was the the location and the people that were introduced, but the main spoiler of Severus Snape, which I will not spoil for anyone. Let's just say it was someone people thought they knew about Snape, but didn't to the extent they did. That's all I'll say. The title of the story did play a very large part of not only the story, but the backstory of one Albus Dumbledore. This book could have very well been "Albus Dumbledore and the Deathly Hallows" as much as HP, but this story is more about Harry than Dumbledore. The book was wonderfully done and played out perfectly. This book did, however, in turn ask some new questions about the series and never fully answered them. We were once again left in a cliffhanger, but this time I know we won't be as left in the dark as we have in the past. It will probably happen that every unanswered question we have about the series will be resolved by Jo herself, either on her site or through another interview; I tend to have faith in that statement. The book was so much full of death it wasn't funny. People tend to come up to me and wonder why I love a children's book so much. I look at them and tell them to read it sometime, since they will figure out that there are so many themes that are not children oriented. Death, true love, betrayal, pain, murder, and loss. Those are things that children will be exposed to (more than others) in their first 10 or so years, but will not have a clear understanding of why it is happening or what it truly is. These books draw more of a teenaged/adult audience than children, but children can read and still enjoy. There were some deaths that I found to be thrown in their as extras. I won't mention who, but it did seem odd that so many had to die when they really shouldn't have. But that's war and there are causalities. The final battle in Hogwarts (which isn't a spoiler, because if you read the chapter titles, you know it happens) was wonderful. It was pulled off perfectly and the final showdown between Voldemort and Harry was perfect as well. The road to the final battle was full of so many twists, turns, and revealed secrets that made it wonderful. Jo is the master of suspense and mystery, and planting everything about this book in the previous six. People will now go back through all six and find every piece of the final story in those books now that they know the ending. Well done Jo, it was almost flawless. However, I do not want it to be over. I want more of the world of Harry Potter. I want to know a History of Hogwarts. I wouldn't mind the book entitled "The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore". An encyclopedia of spells, creatures, and characters would be wonderful as well. But, now I depart. The saga of Harry Potter being complete, I must find something else to fill my time. But, it has been a wonderful journey in the life of the Boy Who Lived, and a fitting end to his journey finally complete. That's all I have to say.

Leaked

Apparently, someone thought it would be funny and leak the latest Harry Potter book online. It doesn't come as a shock to me, since I am used to the internet doing this to me. The thing I found more shocking was the article I read before I found the leak. This Harry Potter phenomenon is out of control. I posted about the latest movie already, but I have to touch on the books. The books are much better than the movies, and those who read the books can agree. So it wasn't a shock that I was, along with many others, more excited to get the book than see the movie. The article I read before I found the leak was about the security on this book. So much security was placed on this book, it would make you think that this book was what was stored in Fort Knox. People watching over the book at all times, and checking to make sure that people weren't leaving the plant with the book. So, it comes to a surprise that Scholastic noted that someone sent the books out three days in advance. Sending something that is so popular in this sense before it is supposed to be released IS NOT A GOOD THING. I have seen the sites. I know of the people who patrol the net. There are people out there who find it so pleasing to ruin something like this for everyone. Therefore, it wasn't a shock that someone posted a picture of every page of the book and sent to everyone who knew where to look. I was just surprised it took this long. I have only read 7 chapters of this leak. I am still skeptical, but it is hard to be when the writing style looks similar, it's laid out the same as every book in the series, and the story sounds reasonable. I don't know, maybe I agree with some conspiracy theories and claims of hoaxes. Little glimmer of hope. Anyway, I still have book 6 to read before I read either this hoax or the real thing. Let us wait til Friday to see.