Dan Gould

Based on the exchange with Chris, I can only

These are the MOTHERFUCKING times that I HATE franCOMA's brutal game management "skills". THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY YOU CAN BE STUPID ENOUGH TO EVEN HAVE BECKETT START THE FUCKING INNING! BUT IF YOU ARE franCOMA, YOU CAN BE EVEN STUPIDER AND LET HIM PITCH TO LONGORIA. I don't know who I hate more right now: Beckett for lying and saying he can pitch or Francoma for leaving him in there to fuck the lead away. Let's see what we've learned today: I was a fucking moron to say that it would be good to have Beckett pitch a Game 6. The Red Sox have to be up 3-2 for them to fucking SURVIVE another Beckett start. Beckett is as far from healthy as I have ever seen him, EVER, including his years in Miami. If the Red Sox somehow win anything, it will be despite him. I would rather see Byrd pitch than have Beckett pitch another game in 2008. He can't be any worse and would probably be better. Our "ace" sucked donkey dicks. So did the Ray's. Our ace is hurt - what's Kazmir's excuse? As much as the Rays would look forward to pounding Beckett again, Kazmir is no lead pipe cinch to hold onto any lead Beckett may give. Assuming they fuck the rest of this game away, they will have split - and the Rays haven't seen our ace yet.

Thanks Ray. I suggested to her that she stop at Best Buy and try to get advice there. They've probably had other people ask before. I'll tell her about the AVS forum. A google search revealed that some people recommend vaseline but I am sure that the results are dependent on the type of screen - and my wife doesn't think that Auntie will tolerate a sticky, stained screen!

One of the dogs at my Sister-in-law's house managed to scratch the screen of their flat-screen TV. Anyone know if there is a product that might allow her to buff out the scratch or somehow fix it? Her Aunt, who paid for the TV, is on a cruise with Mom but when she returns she will likely kill Patty and the dog, so any help is greatly appreciated!

Well I'll take that Dodger loss ... and a near-coronary inducing win at Tampa, too! Shouldn't have been so close, we had chances to break it open, but I'll take what I can get. Interesting article I saw earlier today - one computer simulation ran the series 2000 times, and something like 54% of the time, the Rays won. But a Game 1 win was critical for that result. In the simulations that had the Sox winning game 1, they won the series 62% of the time. And while they may be silly, in the middle of this game, I had to tell my wife about the simulation that was done with the MLB 2008 game on Xbox. The computer vs computer setting had Dice-K throwing a no-hitter through 5 but ultimately coughing up a 2-0 lead! That was too close for comfort. But the important thing is that even if this doesn't have any impact on their confidence, it reduces the pressure on Beckett tomorrow night. But if Beckett is 100% and something close to what he's capable of, watch out! And honestly Kazmir doesn't scare me that much. He hasn't had great starts against the Sox and really didn't have a great year. Even if we don't get to him, he's likely to be gone by the sixth inning.

I thought you were going to say that aloc no longer drinks Pepsi, its the generic brand til further notice.

I agree, though I am not motivated by blind hatred of the Dodgers. Everyone seems to think that an L.A. - Boston World Series would be the ultimate, but since I don't pay attention to any of the commentary or "stories" I could care less about Lowe, Nomar, or Manny returning to Fenway in terms of fan reaction or what they think about it. What does concern me is the possibility that, should we both get there, Manny might destroy us while Lowe and the rest of that staff shuts us down. The Phils, aside from Hamels and their ability to hit home runs (as we just saw!) doesn't scare me nearly as much. So hopefully they can steal this win in somewhat shocking fashion (boy was Lowe cruising, I think he still doesn't know what hit him).

Same here.

They can't do that. Not when the Elvis Is Alive Museum is closing up shop.

Well the Red Sox rotation has been set, and I definitely approve: Dice-K Beckett Lester Wake Dice-K Beckett Lester Dice-K is unbeaten on the road, and if he only lasts 5, the bullpen is rested heading into Game 1. If Beckett returns to something resembling his usual October dominance, I like our chances at a split of the first two games. Lester in Game 3 at Fenway where he has truly dominated is ideal. If you come into it down 0-2, he's your best bet to get you going. A split or, if we're lucky, ahead, he'd be a good choice to put you ahead. Wake is Wake, maybe he's good maybe he isn't. But he's more useful as a starter than Byrd because Wake can't come out of the bullpen very easily if Cash isn't in the game. But ideally we are at least up 2-1 after three games, It would be bad to have to rely on him to even the series and avoid being down 3-1. Dice-K in Game 5 saves you from relying on him in a critical 6 or 7. If you're relying on him to get you to game 6, then you weren't very good anyway. And then you turn to your two best for the last two games, with the added benefit that if it doesn't have to go seven games, Lester can open the WS at Fenway.

I haven't really kept up but I'm not worried if he hasn't. Remember he didn't actually "sign" his last deal til sometime after he came back, and that was a far worse situation.

That was undoubtedly one of the most intense and tension-filled division series I can remember. They are almost always just appetizers, and occasionally have one or two memorable games (the last one I can remember was the Sox comeback from 0-2 to the A's) but this one was extremely close with all the ups and downs you'd hope for in a series with much more riding on it. Definitely an Instant Classic

:party:

When you've never had a broken bone in your life and nobody in your family has never had a broken bone in your lifetime (except my sister, and even then they said it was a broken wrist), I suppose that's how it could be possible. Sorry Al, I just figured that most red-blooded American males who grow up with a healthy interest in blood and bodily harm would know pretty young what a compound fracture is. And now, assuming that Al doesn't mind, I'll contribute Things you learn while stuck on the couch waiting for pain meds to ease a severe back strain: Jillian Barberie is pretty darn hot, but Extreme Dating is pretty darn bad. I expect I'll come up with more but don't know when I'll add to the list as the couch is downstairs and the office is upstairs, and stairs (or motion in general) ain't my friend right now.

Happy Happy!

Here's hoping the Mets make some moves that pay off and ease your pain! Have a good one!!

As Sciocia said, the pressure is on the Red Sox now. If they don't manage to make Fenway a house of horrors for old time's sake for Lackey, the Angels could easily send this game back to Anaheim for a loud, uproarious "We finally beat those guys" celebration. Anyone notice that the Angels actually have more guys smoking the ball up and down the lineup than the Sox do? Pedroia is unlucky, Papi is too anxious, Lowery still can't hit and Varitek is still old and with the bat speed of Grandma Moses. They better win tonight or it will be over.

This is how I learned what a compound fracture was. Don't watch if you're squeamish. Damn, that's always hard to watch. I think I first learned about compound fractures from Burt Reynold's character in Deliverance. I thought it was going to be the wrestler Sid Vicious' broken leg suffered in the ring. Even less recommended for the squeamish!

To say Piniella is some horrible manager is ridiculous. The Yankee roster was horrible when he was there; he won a World Series with Cincinnati and tied the all-time mark for wins in a season in Seattle. Players win championships (managers lose them on rare occasions like Grady Little) and there is no reason why Piniella can't be the one to break the curse.

Don't forget, Conrad - for a long while in the Division era, a five game series decided who won the pennant! I think though that three 7-game rounds would require an earlier start, which means knocking games off the regular season, and no one in baseball wants to do that. In fact next year is going to be crazy. I think the season starts late because of the WBC or for some other reason, and Game 7 of the Series is scheduled for like November 5! Hope that game is in a dome or on the west coast or in south Florida.

That sounds to me like something that you could make some cash off of Chris but a search for "TWA" and "saucer" just in the title finds three current auctions of the same items. A Buy it Now for $18, and two regular auctions that are running out with no bids. Then again, those are people selling individual sets, not a group of 7. Checking completed items, it looks like individual sets have sold recently for $9. So, not something that will get bids like an original BN but ...

What are you guys talking about? A freak line of showers inundated Dodger Stadium and canceled last night's game. The Cubs are still in this thing ...

Oh, and I hope you two feel better soon. Last time I thought about laying around all day because I was sick, I couldn't find F-Troop on TV, and it just wasn't the same.

Is Jeopardy changing or did that category used to be called "Potent Potables"? A compound fracture is a regular bone fracture in which the bone breaks the skin. I didn't know it was possible not to know that.