Bang on the Drum All Day

(photo from Yahoo! Sports)

Basically, things are comin' up Kristen. I was able to attend today's day game due to a combination of factors. Those being an understanding company, some season tickets, a boss who recognizes a rabid and possibly dangerous Red Sox fan when he sees one and, you know, luck. And I gotta tell you, the State Street Pavilion right behind home plate? Not too shabby.

Also not shabby? Julian Tavarez. Seven innings of one-run ball. I know! Madness. Like Annette said, "I'm going to tell your mom if you keep lying. That's not even a believable lie." But I swear, it happened. I actually think Tavarez would have pitched a shut out were it not for the continued existence of Julio Lugo who is, evidently, made of limestone or granite or some such other immovable object and refuses to attempt to field a ball unless it's hit directly at him. At one point, he went over to talk to Mike Lowell during which, I sincerely hope, Lowell gave him what for and said something along the lines of, "You know, most of these people miss Alex Gonzalez. I'd start fielding if I were you."

Of course, I realize that seems a ridiculous thing to complain about considering how things are going with the Sox. I'm just sayin', Lugo remains on the list.

People with their own list, a List of Awesome, include the following: Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. For reals, those dudes are fun to watch. The gentlemen sitting next to me got up to get a beer right before Okajima came in and then asked me who was pitching when he sat back down. I told him, got a blank stare and turned back to watch the game. "He must not pitch very often," the dude said, gesturing to Okajima's sub .050 ERA, "with an ERA like that."

"No," I said, "he's just that good."

"Oh," he said, "Um, well, um, I saw Dice-K pitch. That was pretty awesome."

I figured it must have been the fact that I actually look like a presentable grown up today since I hadn't left for work planning to go to the game and, you know, I'm a girl so therefore, probably don't know all that much about baseball. Plus, I was sitting in the expensive seats. Anyway, the dude got that look that they get sometimes, you know the look. The "I clearly cannot impress you because you appear to know more than me" look. Yeah, I get that look a lot. I swear I'm not trying to be a bitch. I just find it amusing. Especially when I started talking to my co-worker about my brother's insane love affair with Doug Mirabelli and the dude did a double take. Because, seriously, Doug Mirabelli. Who was, according to the scoreboard, today's Red Sox Hero of the Game. "I love the scoreboard's sense of humor" Marianne said when I told her.

This was, I believe, before the hysterical phone call I made to her when Manny came to bat to the dulcet tones of Europe's "The Final Countdown." Because that? Is some funny shit. If I were a closer, that would totally be my bullpen music. That song, in addition to making me think of Will Arnet and "Arrested Development" and general awesomeness is just about the most excellently overwrought song ever. So, pretty much perfect for Manny. Because it makes no goddamn sense. Mike Lowell, because he's awesome, is still going with "Iron Man" for those of you keeping score at home. And Kevin Youkilis is rockin' Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder." That...yeah.

And it appears the Yankees have already lost for the day. I believe it's Neil Diamond who says, "Good times never seemed so good."

(So good!)

(So good!)

(So good!)