And as wrong it may be, I can't help but feel at least a little bit of vindication.

Hey, boy, where you been so long? Don't you know me? I'm your ace in the hole. -Paul Simon

Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! Matsuzaka, Matsuzaka, Matuzaka! The new king of old Fenway Pahka! Dice-K. D-Nice. He's delightful, he's delicious, he's delectable, he's delirious, he's de limit, he's deluxe, he's de-lovely, he's D-Nice although he hates to admit it, he's taking out you suckers and you don't know how he did it. Took out some suckers late last night. Took out the Seattle Mariners late last night. Late last night, Daisuke Matsuzaka earned his eleventh win in twelve decisions. Eleven out of twelve. Yowza! That puts D-Nice in some pretty good company. Three's company. Actually seven's company. Eight if you include the Rocket. Eight is enough to fill our lives with love. The Rocket is the only Red Sox pitcher who started a season at 12-0. The guys who have started 11-1 are Boom Boom Beckett, Pedro, Tim Wakefield, Stanley Steamer, Monster Dick Radatz, Lefty Grove and Cy Young himself. And when I say Cy Young, you know what I'm talking about, boyeeeee! Not too shabby.

Late last night, Matsuzaka made a pathetic Mariner offense look even more pitiful. He did it with the slider. A knee buckling, mind bending, world beating pitch sure to amaze and mystify. Amazed and mystified Seattle late last night. He's been amazing and mystifying all year. Purists may be infuriated with D-Nice's tendency to nibble and walk batters. Purists may frown upon the fact that he does not pound the strike zone. I say turn that frown upside down. Upside down. Boy, you turn me. Inside out. And round and round. Turning folks round and round putting up strong numbers across the board. Turning folks round and round while cutting way down on bombs allowed. Among starting pitchers who have at least eighty innings pitched this season, Matsuzaka is tied with Cubs RHP Rich Harden with only five home runs allowed this season. Holy Cow! Even holier when you consider Matsuzaka allowed twenty-five bombs last season.

Where are the naysayers now? The not today sayers. The just walk away sayers. Last I heard, D-Nice will never make it. Last I heard, being a star in Japan meant nothing. Last I heard, the WBC was a joke. Last I heard, the Red Sox took all that money, took all that money, and threw it down the sewer. Thing is, no one told Daisuke. Nobody told me there'd be days like these. Nobody told me there'd be days like these. Strange days indeed. Cy Young days. And when I say Cy young, you know what I'm talking about boyeeeeeee!



Public Acknowledgements: Cole Porter, Jack Tripper, Dick Van Patten and Diana Ross and John Lennon

Peace out homies. Six two and Even!

Arnie: Mama, I want hot dogs. I want hot dogs, Mama.

Momma: OK, Sunshine, you can have hot dogs.

-What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! I don't get it. I just don't get it. C'mon Manny. Whatsamatta? You know you're money, right? You're so money. You're like a big bear with claws and with fangsa€¦ So what's wrong Bunky? What's wrong with the greatest right handed hitter we've ever seen? What's wrong with the greatest right handed hitter there's ever been? You're more jittery than a Mexican jumping bean. Have no fear. You're Boston Red Sox legacy is secured. Safe and secured. Snug as a bug in a rug. You're an integral part of two World Series rings. Two! And you know what the man says. You better listen what the man says. The man says, it don't mean a thing if you ain't got them rings. Rocket ain't got them rings. Not here. Jim Ed ain't got them rings. Yaz ain't got them rings. Pudge ain't got them rings. Teddy Ballgame ain't got them rings. Manny, you do. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Red Sox. You're in the triumvirate. First there was Caesar and Pompey and Crassus. Now it's Manny and Papi and Schill, oh my! Oh my indeed. The real Big Three. If this team grabs a coupla more. A coupla more. Goodness! If it does that. Then, then, thena€¦ Then we're talking dynasty. Then, then, then. Then, if we're talking dynasty, what are we saying about you? We just might be saying you just might be the important player in Red Sox history. We just may be saying a lot. So, why so glum, chum? You've got the world on a string. You're sitting on a rainbow. You're two bombs away from Mel Ott of the restless right foot. When he leaned on the pellet, the pellet stayed put. Three away from Eddie Matthews and Mr. Baseball, Ernie Banks himself. Eighteen away from Red Sox icon of all icons, one Mr. Ted Williams. Yowza! You're going to the Hall. You have a shot of at least one more ring here in Boston. Maybe more. Just give it your best shot, and the good Lord willing, things will work out. Why are you throwing old men to ground? Why are you purposely taking three called strikes? Why are you rolling around in the outfield like, like I dunno what? Why are you publically criticizing management? Is it about the money? Is it? Is it? Really? Frankie says relax. Bob Dylan, brother. Don't listen to that dope in Wistah. Like Jimmy the Saint, you'll be drinking boat drinks in no time. So the Sox aren't ready to make a decision on your contract. So what? Don't worry. Like Bubbe always says, Gezunde tzores. You worry too much. I know they hold the $20 million options for both 2009 and 2010. I know they do not plan to make a decision on it until after the season. Calm down. You're gonna gotta get it. You're gonna get all of it. Just take it easy. Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. Know this. Know that if the Sox do not pick up that option, you ain't getting that twenty mil from no one else. No one else. No how. No way. But, if everything goes according to plan. If cooler heads prevail. If this teams gets to the playoffs and beyond. If stuff like that there happens. If stuff like that there happens, then the Sox will most assuredly pick up that option. Anything else would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways inconceivable. Don't worry, it means what I think it means. It means you get you're 20 mil. You'll be a rich man. You're life will be set. You'll never have another worry, a care in the world. Manny, you'll be wealthy. A fuckin' Rockefeller. Got it? Huh? Do ya? Then do the right thing. Please, please, please. Please just play ball. Just play the ball. Just play ball. Papi'll be back any minute. Three home runs in three days down in Pawtucket. Schnikies! All will be right with the world. I swear. With confidence and unbounding determination, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help me God. Don't tarnish everything you've meant to this team. Don't tarnish even more what you could mean to this team. Just play ball. Roll Sox roll!

Public Acknowledgements: Swingers, Paul McCartney, Cab Calloway, JFK, Ogden Nash, Bull Durham, Frank Sinatra, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Things To Do When You're Dead In Denver, Raging Bull, Eagles, Princess Bride, Spike Lee and FDR

Peace out homies. Six two and Even!

The chair has always played an important role in wrestling.

Jose just got his head kicked in by former Philadelphia Eagles return man Vai Sikahema in their celebrity boxing match. Remember last time Jose used his head: video

Finally, Big Papi is back. No, not tonight. But soon. Real soon. Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz just played his first scheduled rehab assignment with the Triple A Pawtucket Red Sox last night

One of the finest referee's of the sport shows up smooshed to a footy match.

Brett Favre, Roger Clemens and Stephon Marbury. All this and more in Public Knowledge!

I don't like it, but I undertstand it.

Funny, you don't look Jewish: video

I can't help it. The All-Star Game makes me think of him.

The Brazilian will leave Barcelona.

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play. Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on, get paid. -Smashmouth

Public Service Announcement: OK, here we go! It's here. The All Star Game is here. Hooray! Hooray All Star Game! I love it. Always have. Always will. I love it when the players line up and down the basepaths. I loved it when Bo Knows Baseball and Suede Boggs went back to back. I loved it when Pedro mixed a blazing fastball, darting curve and tantalizing change. Watch me paste this pathetic palooka with a powerful paralyzing poifect, pachydermus, percussion pitch. Pasted four straight. Four straight strikeouts to start out the 1999 All Star Game. I loved it when Chan Ho Park grooved one in to Cal. Groove is in the heart. Heck, I even loved it last night when the story of all stories, the Natural of all Naturals, Josh Hamilton kept hitting bomb after bomb, country mile after country mile into the New York night. I love all of it. But I loved nothing more than 1983. Teddy Ballgame may have said "They invented the All-Star Game for Willie Mays," but in 1983 the game belonged to Freddy Lynn. Growing up in Boston when I did, if you played baseball, you had to fight for number nineteen. Like fighting for number twenty-three in basketball in more recent days. In 1975, Lynn burst upon the scene. In 1975, Lynn became the only man to win both the Rookie of the Year award and MVP in the same year. Gold Glove to boot. Holy Cow! Throughout the years he posted amazing numbers. Astounding numbers. Resounding numbers. Toronto manager Roy Hartsfield: "Fred Lynn is the most complete player in our league." He roamed center like DiMaggio. He swung like the Splendid Splinter. He had it all. We had a ball. In 1981, the ball was over. Many a heart is aching, if you could read them all. Many the hopes they have vanished. After the ball. My hopes vanished. Lynn filed for free agency. Rather than lose him for nothing, the Sox traded him to the Angels. One of the saddest days in my life. The king is gone but he's not forgotten. Is this the story of Johnny Rotten? No not forgotten. Not even Johnny Rotten. Freddy Lynn came storming back into my life back in 1983. Storming back into the All Star game back in 1983. The 50th anniversary of the Midsummer Classic. Comiskey Park. Not one grand slam was hit in the first half-century of All-Star Game play. That all changed. It all changed with one swing of the bat. It all changed with the bases loaded in the third. It all changed with a Lynn rip into the stands for his fourth All-Star Game home run. It all changed with a Lynn rip into the stands for the first Grand Slam in All Star Game history. The only Grand slam in All Star Game history. Freddy Lynn took Atlee Hammaker yard and I couldn't have been happier. Red Sox nation couldn't have been happier. After all those years he was still our favorite son. Freddy Lynn knocked in Manny Trillo. Freddy Lynn knocked in Rod Carew. Freddy Lynn knocked in Robin Yount. Lynn went on to be named the game's MVP. Lynn went on to become a Baltimore Oriole. Lynn went on to become a Detroit Tiger. A San Diego Padre. Have bat will travel. But, I will always remember him as a Red Sox. And even though it happened in a California uniform, I will always remember that moment. Public Acknowledgements: Bugs Bunny, Phil Rizzuto, Charles K. Harris and Neil Young Peace out homies. Six two and Even!

Chicks may dig the long ball, but I love me some Dustin Pedroia.

These kids run around Los Angeles making some really nice pong shots with a basketball. Very impressive: