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In a dim, smoky lounge a performer slumps on a stool with his harmonica. A single spotlight illuminates him but you can’t see his face because of his fedora. Once your eyes adjust to the lack of light shadowy figures behind him can be picked out: a slight man with white hair with a guitar slung around his shoulders, a stout man with similarly silver hair behind a drum kit, and a woman with red hair holding her upright bass closer than she would any man. The performer on the stool clears his throat. “You know, I gotta say, this city has been going through some… rough times.” Here and there in the audience are murmurs of assent, a smattering of applause, and one hearty, “Sing it, brother!” “So them Bruins won last year but this year blew the deal. You got your Patriots not winning them there Super Bowls.” The singer paused after a boisterous shout of “Gints suck!” “I know, I know,” continued the singer. He clears his throat and puffs a few chords on his harmonica. “Then you got the Celtics getting beat by those whippersnappers down there from Miami. Those men… Garnett, and Ray-Ray, and the...
Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore combined for 5-9 with four runs scored, a pairing as formidable as Valerie Harper and Mary Tyler Moore, stars of a smash sitcom that spun off three more shows: “Rhoda,” “Phyllis,” and “Lou Grant.” Harper’s two-run bomb in the fourth inning was very close to hitting the baseball on the Jordan’s Furniture sign. Many National League pitchers have problems with American League lineups but not Stephen Strasburg. The phenom strung together a dazzling 6 innings: 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, and 13 strikeouts. Dustin Pedroia struck out twice against Strasburg; the second baseman looked grimly determined to get a hit off this particular twirler. In the sixth Pedroia lined a single to Moore, probably muttering “he ain’t got shit” as he got to the sack. But Strasburg indeed is outstanding, reminiscent of Justin Verlander and Nolan Ryan but with better control than either. Kevin Youkilis was ejected in the sixth after having the honor of being Strasburg’s 13th strikeout. He disagreed with home plate umpire Doug Eddings’s call and the replay showed that the pitch was low but still in the zone (at least how Ameeker maps the zone). I think many hitters...
Game 72: June 25, 2009 Red Sox3L: John Smoltz (0-1)44-28, 1 game losing streak Nationals9W: Jordan Zimmermann (3-3)21-49, 1 game winning streak Highlights: The Zimmermen(n) had me confused last night, particularly with this pitcher hitting situation. I wish the National League fuddy-duddies would adopt the designated hitter already. The success or failure of Heidi Watney’s “Opposite Field” segment all hinges upon the interviewee. Last night Julian Tavarez answered a few questions and I realized how much I miss his personality. He also said he loves and misses us, that he was rooting for Boston during the playoffs last year, and even hopes the Red Sox go all the way this year.While Tavarez didn’t say so explicitly, there is a chasm of difference between playing for the floundering Nationals franchise and the continually contending Red Sox club. The reborn team can only hope that the similarly-surnamed young stars, Ryan and Jordan, are still around by the time the premium prospects they draft now can contribute at the major league level within the next few years.Provided they sign the talent they draft. The Nationals failed to sign their first pick of the 2008 draft, Aaron Crow. That was under Jim Bowden’s regime,...
Game 71: June 24, 2009 Red Sox6W: Jon Lester (6-6)H: Justin Masterson (4)H: Hideki Okajima (14)S: Jonathan Papelbon (17)44-27, 4 game winning streak Nationals4L: Craig Stammen (1-3)20-49, 2 game losing streak Highlights: Home plate umpire Bob Davidson ran Dave Magadan in the fourth inning after the hitting coach joined Kevin Youkilis in disputing a called strike. It was just his second ejection as a coach. He was first thrown out as a coach on my birthday last year by Tim Tschida for arguing that J.D. Drew should have been given time to put pine tar on his bat. In an effort to increase local ticket sales, the Nationals had Player Recipe last night. Anderson Hernandez neglected to mention that he was sharing his recipe for Nick Green Kebabs.Hernandez artfully demonstrated his skewering technique in the second but was thwarted by Green’s agility. Somehow the Red Sox shortstop avoided the bat shard targeting his tender midsection and it glanced off his sinewy arm instead.Although he singled, Hernandez was perturbed by the failure of his showy entrée. “The ball was a decoy, it wasn’t supposed to get to the outfield. My swing is calibrated to shatter the bat, impale the shortstop, and...
Game 70: June 23, 2009 Red Sox11W: Manny Delcarmen (2-1)H: Hideki Okajima (13)43-27, 3 game winning streak Nationals3L: Julian Tavarez (3-5)20-48, 1 game losing streak Highlights: Tuesday evening featured the first visit to the nation’s capital by the Red Sox since 1971. Nationals Park, which debuted last season, is not as self-consciously retro as other recent parks; there’s no silly hill in center field (I’m looking at you, Houston) or obnoxiously jutting banks of seats (ahem, Phillies). The field isn’t boringly uniform like Rogers Centre and has a just a subtle assymetry in center field. The home plate camera angle should be called Bob Uecker Cam, however. Even cozy Fenway has a camera bay far below the announcers’ booth. When you can’t distinguish Dustin Pedroia from Adam Dunn you know your camera is too far from the field.This franchise missed out on a tremendous opportunity to pay homage to the renowned Negro League teams that called the district their home. Washington D.C. had Black Senators (long before there were actual African American senators in the post-Reconstruction Congress), Elite Giants, Pilots, Potomacs, and, most importantly, the Homestead Grays.I guess marketing “gray” is difficult for your modern advertising executive.There are three statues...
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Photo courtesy of the Boston Public Library’s Sports Temples of Boston.