Milledge '09

Something I first read on Metsblog, and then Sons of Sam Horn:

“Milledge is on the NL All-Star ballot. He needs to make the team. Nothing would be more NatsTown than having the Natinals’ (lone?) All-Star game representative be a AAA player for whom the organization has no plan.”

This is a great idea, in my opinion. The fact that 1) Milledge is on the ballot and 2) The ballot is out this early is ridiculous. That being said, vote Natinals outfielder Lastings Milledge for the 2009 All-Star Game!

Tonight's Sox and Mets lineups

For the Sox against the much-maligned Carl Pavano and Cleveland:

Drew RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Bay LF
Lowell 3B
Varitek C
Bailey 1B
Van Every CF
Green SS

Masterson P

The Pawtucket uniforms should arrive tomorrow. After witnessing Pavano mow down a Tigers lineup with my own eyes, this lineup might provide the opportunity for Carl Pavano to have... back-to-back... dominant... outings? THAT is a scary thought.

As for the Mets, who take on Chan Ho Park and the Phillies tonight at Citi Field:

Reyes SS
Cora 2B
Beltran CF
Delgado 1B
Wright 3B
Murphy LF
Reed RF
Santos C
Santana P

A few changes from last night. Castillo gets the night off, along with Castro and Church.

Jeremy Reed finally gets a start. Major props to fellow QUer Andrew Vazzano at The Ropolitans for calling that one last night.

Game is on ESPN tonight, and tomorrow night's is on MLB Network. So for two nights, I can forget about not having SNY or PIX for the next three and a half months.

Over/Under

In an effort to get myself updating this more, I've decided to start doing some fun little things duch as this. Here is the first edition of Over/Under, something I plan to do on about a weekly basis:

Technical fouls in tonight's Celtics-Magic game: 3

Innings pitched tonight for Chan Ho Park: 3 2/3

Innings pitched tonight for Carl Pavano: 6 2/3

Minutes of NHL coverage per hour on SportsCenter tomorrow: 4

Minutes of Brett Favre coverage per hour on SportsCenter tomorrow: 12

No Sheff, No surprise

Only change from last night's lineup: Ramon Castro behind the plate for Schneider. It's a day game after a night game, and Schneider took a foul ball off the knee last night, so he'll get a day off.

Jerry Manuel had said Gary Sheffield would start in right today, but Ryan Church's scorching start (10/19, 2 RBI) will force that plan to hold off until further notice. The Mets will likely go with the regular starters in the much-awaited Citi Field opener Monday, and with the off-day Tuesday, it's doubtful for Wednesday night's game.

-- MTM

Opening Day

The Phillies and Braves square off tonight in the first game of the 2009 Major League Baseball season, with 26 teams following suit tomorrow, and the Brewers and Giants opening their '09 campaigns on Tuesday. For diehard fans such as those who will be sitting in a rain-soaked Fenway Park, praying for Mother Nature to let their beloved Red Sox to take the field, Opening Day is an annual tradition. But this is a year when it is so much more.

Baseball has an important place in this country that often goes underappreciated or unnoticed. It is the national pastime, and in times such as this economic meltdown of the United States, baseball has united Americans in a way few other things can.

When the teams took the field to finish the 2001 season that paused for a week due to the events of 9/11, the late Jack Buck stood in a Cardinal red sportcoat in St. Louis, to silence the critics saying baseball had returned too soon, answering his own question of "Should we be here?" with a resounding "Yes!"

As commissioner Selig said earlier this week, "Baseball has always served as a diversion for its fans in difficult times." Ticket prices are tough to swallow sometimes, especially with the opening of two new ballparks in New York, and the always-expensive Sox ticket. However, with some good planning, finding discount games and/or buying tickets online from places like StubHub or eBay, fans can afford to go to games in 2009.

When this country has been knocked down, and when it has been up against the ropes, it has been the game of baseball that has often kept Americans going. And as the calendar has turned to Opening Day in what has already been a tumultuous 2009, there are only two more words to be said: Play ball.

-- MTM

Move over, Kelly Clarkson

I usually avoid music in my writing or while on-air, other than my passionate hatred for Kelly Clarkson's music.

After four of the most torturous minutes I have ever experienced, I have come to the conclusion that Asher Roth's "I Love College" might be the worst excuse for music I have ever heard in my life.

It's awful. Just plain awful. I'm not a fan of hip-hop as it is, but this is an atrocity to music. This kid throws every stereotype and cliche saying of college together, and somehow it's music? No.

College isn't just one continuous four-year long rager. Is partying a part of college? Undeniably. But for this four-minute long babble to become the anthem for college kids is embarrassing to those of us in college who actually appreciate music.

Heck, even "Behind These Hazel Eyes" seems more appealing right about now.

--MTM

Superweek '09

The final week of February is one of the biggest there is in terms of important dates in multiple sports. MLB Spring Training games begin this week. Many college and high school basketball conferences conclude the regular season. And the NHL and NBA are done with their All-Star breaks, and into their stretch runs. Therefore, there is no single week of the year more fitting of the title "Superweek" than this week. (With no disrespect to Chris Thompson's "Christober," celebrated annually from October 1st-5th. Read his blog here.)

Starting in 2009, I will truly celebrate Superweek, and I encourage you to do the same. Here is my schedule for Superweek '09:

Mon 2/23: Women's College BB: Fairleigh Dickinson at Quinnipiac, Hamden, CT

Tue 2/24: NHL: Florida Panthers at Boston Bruins, Boston, MA

Wed 2/25: Red Sox and Mets' first spring training games

Thu 2/26: Men's College BB: Wagner at Quinnipiac, Hamden, CT

Fri 2/27: RI Boys' High School Basketball (tentative): Mt. Hope at Westerly, The Fed

Sat 2/28: Women's College BB: CCSU at Quinnipiac, Hamden, CT

Sat 2/28: Men's College BB: CCSU at Quinnipiac, Hamden, CT

Celebrate Superweek. Or Justin Rutty will dunk on you.

--MTM

Interesting stat

Teixeira: 157 games played, .308 AVG, 33 HR, 121 RBI, .410 OBP, .552 SLG, 41 2B, 0 3B
Youkilis: 145 games played, .312 AVG, 29 HR, 115 RBI, .390 OBP, .569 SLG, 43 2B, 4 3B

Those paces over 162 games (averages obviously the same):
Teixeira: 34 HR, 125 RBI, 42 2B, 0 3B
Youkilis: 32 HR, 128 RBI, 48 2B, 4 3B

2009 Salary:
Teixeira: $22,500,000
Youkilis: $6,000,000

--MTM

Hockey is back in Boston

Can this really be happening?

The Boston Bruins - yes, the hockey team - are once again a relevant part of the Boston sports scene. Following their 7-2 trouncing of the Isles yesterday, the black and gold are second in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, two points the behind conference-leading Rangers. (The Rangers have also played three more games than the B's.)

This Bruins team may be the most exciting to watch in my lifetime, thanks in large part to hard-hitting 20 year-old Milan Lucic, the kind of player who you love if he's on your team, hate him if he's going up against you. (I will avoid the dirty hit discussion, at least for today.)

Another key to this Bruins season is that these B's don't seem to be rattled by the hated Rouge, Blanc, et Bleu. Through the first three games of the season series, the Bruins lead two games to one, outscoring the Habs 12-7, and winning at the Bell Centre. I would be getting way ahead of myself to say that Boston has Montreal's number, but at the very least, this year's Bruins have shown that coming out of Montreal with two points is not impossible.

The B's have a huge task tonight at the Garden, when they take on the defending champion Detroit Red Wings. A Bruins win would show many of the doubters in the hockey world that Boston is back in the discussion of legitimate NHL contenders, truly a great step for this once-proud Original Six team.

- MTM

Branching Out

First off, I would like to apologize for my two-month hiatus. A combination of a very hectic first semester of college coupled with a bevy of computer issues has prevented me from working on this little pet project of mine.

Anyways, with the first two-thirds of this blog's title - The Sox and Mets - done playing until the spring (there is no off-season in baseball, I'll get to that later), the focus of this blog will turn to the NFL, NBA, NHL, and college sports. I will certainly be talking about the baseball hot stove season, but with the Patriots currently leading the AFC East sans-Tom Brady (how the heck is that happening?), the Celtics and Bruins both beginning promising 2008-09 campaigns, an exciting finish to the college football season, and the start of the NCAA basketball season, I will have plenty to talk about.

I'll also rant about being subjected to entire broadcasts of Knicks games courtesy of my roommate (considered cruel and unusual punishment outside of the Tri-State Area), why I hate the BCS, Duke, and the New York Giants, and the fact that my beloved South Carolina Gamecocks can't ever seem to do anything right.

It should be a fun winter in the world of sports. Hope to have you along for the ride.

-MTM