Surviving Grady is my favorite Red Sox site. I think they do the best job at capturing the joys and frustrations of being a Sox fan, and they do it with a sense of humor all their own. However, their taste in music is questionable at best. Yes, everyone has their own personal preferences and, despite being a music snob, I shouldn't be judgmental. But a 5PM Friday mix that includes Counting Crows and Collective Soul, and chooses Triumph over Rush? I'm sorry, but that's just plain wrong...

While cleaning my office today I came across an old photo my uncle took when he brought my brother and me to our first game at Fenway Park. On August 14, 1983 the Sox beat the Royals 4-3 in the first game of a doubleheader.

I don't have any specific memories of the trip to Boston or the game itself. But what I still remember to this day is walking through the tunnel to our seats: The greenest-green field and the impossibly white uniforms (of the Red Sox, not the Royals' blue pajamas) were amazing for me to see, and still is today.

The photo shows Brian and me taking it all in before the game started. Thanks again, Rick!

Surviving Grady brought this to my attention last month but I didn't mention it here. With Wake's start against the Yankees tonight, I figured now's a good a time as any to mention that Buffalo Tom's Bill Janovitz wrote and recorded "The Ballad of Tim Wakefield". It's not exactly coming-out-of-the-bullpen theme music, but as far as I know it's the only song about a knuckleball pitcher.

When great ones go, it might hurt us more than it does them by Bill Simmons (ESPN)

Watching Papi flounder now, I'd believe he's really 36 or 37 (not 33) before I'd believe PEDs are responsible. In a recent game in Minnesota, he couldn't catch up to an 89 mph fastball. Repeat: 89 mph!

That's what happens to beefy sluggers on their way out: Their knees go, they stiffen up, bat speed slows and, in the blink of an eye, they're done. Beefy sluggers are like porn stars, wrestlers, NBA centers and trophy wives: When it goes, it goes. You know right away.

Whatever the reason, it's a real bummer watching Ortiz come to bat this year. He's got so much goodwill with Sox fans that people haven't called for him to be benched, but I think the next few weeks are his last chance to prove he can still hit.

So, are there any Sox fans who are still complaining about swapping Manny for Bay?

Also...

My uncle got tickets to yesterday's game, and the seats were great: up in the State Street Pavilion along third base side, looking down on the field. It was very cool seeing a game from up there, and very cold in the shade on a windy April afternoon. He also let me borrow his zoom lens, which let me get some pretty good shots:

And I thought Joe Morgan was bad. Here's Dustin Pedroia batting with the count 1-yellow and 1-blue:

Surviving Grady pretty much sums up my feelings about the Sox:

Wanna know the strangest thing about today?

It's not that the goddam Tampa Bay Devil Rays are about to play in the World Series, giving their legion of faux fans at least a few more hours to learn all the players' names before first pitch.

It's that just little more than 48 hours ago, the Boston Red Sox lost game seven of the ALCS, and I feel perfectly fine.

Good for the Rays (except for the crappy theme song). Obviously I would've wanted the Sox to win, but what can you do? (I mean, besides pinch hit for Varitek...WTF?) TB just played better tonight. That said...go Phillies!

A friend of mine noted that while the Red Sox won the world series in 2004, the presidential election didn't work out as well. Maybe this year we'll "win" the election instead...

Amazing game last night, and it was very cool to have been there for it. I obviously didn't watch the game on TV, but it's amusing to read the differing opinions on the announcers' alleged bias:

"...I could bitch about the absurdly pro-Boston telecast..." -- Halos Heavens

"Then I watched the game and saw the ridiculous anti-Boston bias among the announcers..." -- Surviving Grady

So I'm guessing it evens out and was an unbiased telecast?

A poem in which each instance of the word "love" is replaced by "Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Catcher Carlton Fisk". (via kottke)

A friend was able to get us some great seats to the Sox-Rays game this past Sunday. Even though they weren't the "good" company seats, they were the best seats I've ever had at Fenway (two rows behind the photographer's well).

Because there was a good chance of rain (which didn't happen) I didn't bring my SLR and just used my point & shoot to get some shots from the game.

Pretty funny video. The Mo Vaughn and the over-the-top Youkilis impressions are great..

You already know that Yankee fans are the be-all and end-all when it comes to deciding what's classy in baseball and what's not, right? Well, I'm very pleased to report that Daring Fireball tech blogger and Yankee fan John Gruber has bestowed the "classy" label to Bill Buckner's treatment on Fenway's opening day!

Classiest thing the Red Sox have ever done.

We Sox fans can now bask in warm glow of Gruber's proclamation! Ahhhhhh. This must be what it feels like to be a Yankee fan all the time...

Following a series sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays this weekend, Surviving Grady breaks out an ancient Rush reference to help explain what went wrong:

Geddy Lee of Rush was in the house... With the guy who wrote "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" rooting against us, there was little we could hope to accomplish.

It's opening day for the Sox! Nothing like getting up at 5:30 for a little pre-work baseball...

I'm a big fan of Tim Wakefield, but once again I've learned that most baseball players don't share the same political views as me.

“[President George Bush] knew who I was, which was really cool, and said, ‘Tim, great job, congratulations,’ ” said Wakefield, who plans to return the pleasantries. “(This time) I’d say, ‘Thanks for a great eight years.’ I’m a big fan of his.”

On the other hand, Coco Crisp liked Ross Perot because “he had those big ears working.”

Ah yes, today is the official beginning of spring training! And I'm not sure if I feel good or nervous that, just like me, Josh Beckett could benefit from doing some sit-ups...

Well, it's a good thing I'm not emotionally invested in football.

On a more relevant note (to me), pitchers and catchers report to spring training in 10 days...

Good news on the Red Sox front: Glenn Geffner won't be broadcasting Sox games this season! No more of his non-stop drivel, drowning out Joe Castiglione who, on more than one occasion, seemed to tune Glenn out during broadcasts (just like I tried to do). Hopefully that means Dave O'Brien will take over full-time with Joe.