Farewell Farrell

Back in RED: John Farrell makes his return to the
Boston Red Sox organization as manager in 2013.

Game 6 of the National League Championship Series is tonight at 7:30 ET between the St. Louis Cardinals and the hometown San Francisco Giants. The Cardinals lead three games to two in the best-of-seven series, and missed a glorious opportunity to close out the series at home in the previous game, but Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito stymied the Redbirds in over seven innings of work to secure a 5-0 Giants victory.

The big news of the day, however, is the Boston Red Sox signing of former Blue Jays manager John Farrell as their next bench boss. Toronto excused Farrell from the last year of his contract so he could take the Boston job. Going with him is pitcher Dave Carpenter, but in return the Blue Jays picked up infielder Mike Aviles.

I should be angry and flip a nearby table, but I'm not. This was a deal between the two basement dwelling teams in the American League East Division: One decimated by injuries and under performing pitching to finish below the expectations of management and fans alike, the other with enough in-fighting and threatening behaviour from its former manager Bobby Valentine to provide more drama than an ABC soap opera. Farrell's laid back approach is a contrast to the fiery, button pushing Valentine, who wilted under the intense media pressure found in Beantown; Farrell has enough friends and cohorts in the Red Sox organization to do well, so you wonder why it took so long to get him? For more on this story, click here for Ian Browne's column in MLB.com

According to reports through baseball, Farrell was to be Terry Francona's successor, but by the time of the infamous September collapse of 2011 and Francona's firing John Farrell already finished his first year of the three year stint with the Blue Jays. Unable to sign him away from my Jays, Boston went with "Bobby V", who was caught in the ultimate "Catch-22":

• WIN: Media spins story Valentine won with Francona's crew
• LOSE: Rumours of secret meetings with management and angry players, volatile radio interviews, and ambiguous Twitter statements calling for the removal of Bobby Valentine get national exposure. Oh, by the way, Valentine gets fired.

Personally, I would hold out until Boston traded Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz in exchange, so to get only Mike Aviles on top of giving up another pitcher confuses me, o_O seeing as the Red Sox wanted Farrell so badly! Alas, what's done is done. Look for the microscope of criticism to fall heavy on Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous, staff, and players in 2013.

Phil's thoughts: If the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013, I'm going to throw up.

That Was The Week That Was

"Why is this happening? Really? They did what?! You can't be serious...!"

Tuesday Heartbreak

Remember when I announced in this blog I would sign up for one more year of baseball (Please say you remember that, otherwise I sound crazy)? Yes, well the league organizers cancelled the Monday games; I planned on playing baseball on Monday, and Ultimate Frisbee on Tuesday. They moved me back to the Tuesday league while I wasn't looking o_O; I informed them of the calamity they dropped me in, and they did approximately...nothing -_-

I shouldn't be angry, as there wasn't much they could do. The Monday league had approximately the same number of participants as the Kansas City Royals have chances of making the postseason (Picture of me sitting alone in a room wearing a tuxedo). If you read my posts from about a year ago about my first experience playing city ball during the spring, then you will see a mixed bag of highs and lows. While we finished the year 1-7, I learned a lot and was in better shape for Summer League, which we won in wacky fashion ^_^

I was looking forward to playing Ultimate. Mind you, I never played it before, and I risked looking like someone dressed to kill in Adidas gear playing like a n00b T_T Instead of being super embarrassed at Ultimate, I can risk super embarrassment playing a sport I know more than a little bit about ^_^ Well...sort of know a little bit o_O

Fenway Faithful Freaking Out

Last weekend, the Boston Red Sox marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park with a wonderful, pre-game ceremony, 'turn back the clock' vintage jerseys for both the Red Sox and the visiting Yankees on Friday, and an epic Saturday collapse on national television of Ruthian proportions ^_^ (Wait, what? o_O)

In the post-Curse days of the Boston Red Sox, you would think the days of blown nine run leads and fifteen unanswered runs were in the past, but last weekend proved while the Boston Red Sox are the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees will always be the New York Yankees.

Personalize it? No, the RED SOX played without names or numbers o_O

It was not the blown nine run lead, the fifteen unanswered Yankee runs, the pair of seven runs scored in the seventh and eighth innings, nor New York's switch hitters Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira combined for six hits, three home runs, and 12 RBIs that ruined an otherwise good weekend. Bosox manager Bobby Valentine's misuse of the bullpen, and stubbornness in continuing to pitch to Swisher and Teixeira led to the Red Sox's downfall. I did not imagine the fallout from 2012 season would have such repercussions in this year: This is former manager Terry Francona's team, and the rifts between Bobby V, his players, and the fans grows with each loss in the American League East Division. The core of the team, which consists of Ortiz, Youkilis, and Pedroia, are showing signs of age and low market value, vital pieces and future stars such as Jonathan Papelbon and Jed Lowrie left the team due to free agency and player transactions respectively, and all three of the bottom dwellers of the AL East improved over the off season.

The season may be over before it begins for the Red Sox, and if that is true, Bobby Valentine will need one of those numberless jerseys from 1912 on his way out of town o_O

Represent, Yo!

In happier news, another Phil does right by baseball ^_^ Congratulations to Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber on throwing the 21st perfect game in modern baseball history. Humber achieved this historic milestone against the Seattle Mariners, which culminated in a wacky play for the final out. Humber forced Mariners batter Ryan to strike out, but the ball passed by catcher A.J. Pierzynski! A.J. recovered, and threw the ball to first for the final out ^_^

It's nice to see another Phil getting his due, becoming the toast of the town, being presented with a new automobile, receiving a call from the President of the United States, and reading the top 10 list on David Letterman ^_^...If it's too much, Mr. Humber, I can take the car off your hands? No? Oh, alright... o_O