The best seat in the house is the view from the couch

2005 Red Sox Home Opener - Pre-Game

Being injured has its plusses and minuses.

Minus: I can’t feel anything in my left leg other than a shooting pain from my ankle to my hip. I’m not 100% sure my right leg is still attached to my body.

Plus: I have the day off of work to lay on my couch, since walking is pretty much out of the question.

Minus: I might have to go have another surgery.

Plus: I have the opportunity to watch the Red Sox home opener from said couch.

Minus: Actually, that last plus outweighs any other minuses...

After a plethora of technical delays, I am now able to actually watch the game. Thank God. If cable goes out or my TV dies, there’s about a 60-40 shot that I go on some sort of spree...

My apologies to anyone who doesn’t have the opportunity to watch this game live. Personally, I was supposed to record this for friends who are working before I learned that both my VCR and the computer that I built specifically for capturing cable TV are both dead. Hence, the biggest of the “technical delays”.

Anyway, this will be a running journal to take the place of the travel journal that I never got around to typing.

1:55 – NESN is showing us a recap of the 2004 Red Sox season. As much as I’m in favor of reliving that season as much as possible, this is the fourth “’04 recap” in the last hour. Actually, that’s not too much.

1:57 – Ah, the July 24^th game revisited, set to the Evil Empire techno remix and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Nice.

1:59 – NESN’s Tom Caron really needs to learn how to use inflection in his speech.

2:01 – Renteria grounds back to Foulke... hang on a second, I think my allergies are acting up again...

2:03 – Great sign on Yawkey Way – “Wait Till Last Year”... perfect.

Commercials. Good time to bring up a caller on WEEI earlier today. The question was being asked – “Who should throw out today’s first pitch?” One guy called in and said it should be the player most instrumental in the Red Sox playoff run... Mariano Rivera. Well, he is in the building today...

There is no question about it – I am buying myself a 2004 World Series Ring. It will probably end up costing more than my car, but I will have one at some point in my life.

2:09 – If ever there was a day I wish I had TiVo, or had already placed my order to Comcast for their PVR...

2:13 – Ya know, considering that everyone said that the Red Sox winning a World Series would herald the coming apocalypse, it’s a pretty nice day...

2:14 – “Let’s go live to the PA Announcer”.... 45 seconds later, we have volume... nice work NESN...

2:15 – Verizon Wireless bought the rights to today’s opening ceremonies. Shameless.

2:15 – Oh my God – Don Orsillo & Joe Castiglione are reading off scripts for the introduction... this is surreal. They’ve had 6 months to prepare – they couldn’t memorize a script in 6 months? Plus, both men look like they’re petrified to be on the field right now. Priceless.

2:17 – That was the best banner unfurling ever. Hands down, the Red Sox front office knows how to throw a party. Also glad to see that the Yankees are in their dugout to witness this. Classy move not to hide in the clubhouse. I can respect that.

2:20 – Alright, I’ll admit it. The injured soldiers carrying the World Series trophy & rings, James Taylor playing “America the Beautiful” and 35,000 fans chanting “USA! USA!” just got to me. I’m probably going to be a blubbering mess for the next four hours. Judging by the crowd & dugout shots, I doubt I’m alone.

2:25 – Tom Werner is apparently a big fan of the “Awkward Carlos Baerga Man-Hug”...

2:27 – The Boston Pops are in Center Field playing “Sweet Caroline” as Derek Lowe comes out of the dugout to possibly the loudest ovation so far. This isn’t happening. I’m not seeing this. I don’t even know how to explain what I’m watching.

2:30 – We’re 10 rings into the ceremony, and the music has stopped. I think the Pops have used up their entire repertoire...

2:31 – Oops. Spoke too soon. “Star Wars” theme for David Ortiz. Yeah, I think that works well. I never realized how much the “Star Wars” theme & “Superman” theme sound alike.

2:33 – And “Indiana Jones” for Kevin Millar, “Jurassic Park” for Mike Timlin/Ramiro Mendoza, and now “Superman” for Dave McCarty/Bronson Arroyo/Mark Bellhorn. I’m sure this made sense to somebody. I think they’re just playing every movie theme that John Williams ever composed.

2:35 – Lenny DiNardo, Abe Alvarez, Mark Malaska, and Ramon Martinez walk on to the field largely unnoticed. Too bad. Of course, the Pops break into the Olympic Theme. That certainly makes perfect sense.

2:40 – Supposedly, the Red Sox are giving out 500+ rings for this World Series. I hope it’s like the Oscars, where they just have a “pre-event” ceremony for the lesser known people...

2:42 – HAHAHAHA – Curt Schilling & Dave Roberts enter to “Hallelujah Chorus”. Now THAT’S perfect! Dave Roberts is getting a hug from every guy on the line. See, this is why he should’ve stayed in Boston – he would get a standing ovation every time he stepped out of the dugout.

2:45 – Nice shot of the Yankees standing on the top step of their dugout. Rivera looked particularly displeased...

2:47 – Even the trainers are getting hugs from Tom Werner. I think he’s way past drunk. At least Dr. Bill Morgan showed up – maybe he can stitch Tom’s mouth shut before he makes an ass out of himself again...

2:50 – I keep waiting for Jimmy Fallon & Drew Barrymore to come out and collect their rings... and then be picked off by snipers. Maybe in a perfect world.

2:51 – Johnny Pesky, in full uniform, gets his ring to a deafening ovation and the 1812 overture (presumably the year he was born). Damn my hayfever...

2:54 – Pesky & Yaz raise the Championship Flag in center field while past Sox players stand around and cheer. Like I said, these guys know how to plan a party, and Boston’s had 86 years to get ready...

2:56 – Dear God, they’re going to introduce the New York Yankees individually. Bat boy, equipment manager, massage therapist, athletic trainers... they ALL got booed. And the players haven’t even come out yet! We very well could have a fight in pre-game introductions...

2:58 – Mariano Rivera got a standing ovation with a WIDE grin on his face. He even tipped his cap to the crowd. Now everyone is smiling. OK, maybe no fights today. Joe Torre also being showed the respect he deserves with half boos, half cheers. Something tells me no more cheers for Yankees today. Maybe Giambi...

2:59 – Nope. Definitely NOT Giambi... That was brutal.

3:00 – “Ladies & Gentlemen, the 2005 New York Yankees”. Shouldn’t Castiglione have said “The current New York Yankees, until George gets bored or angry and buys six new guys”?

3:02 – My ass is numb. I think I should try to walk around. This might get ugly. Give me a minute...

3:05 – This must seem so surreal for the guys that were just added to the Red Sox this season. Wells, Payton, Renteria, Miller, etc... I don’t think they could have expected anything like this scene here today. In other news, I won’t be leaving my couch for another week or so. That was a bad idea.

3:08 – Leave it to Red Sox fans to interrupt a moment of silence in honor of the Pope & former player Dick Radatz who both recently died, by yelling out “A-Rod – You SUCK!” Probably not the best timing in the world.

3:10 – National Anthem, F-16 flyover and then the first pitch. I can’t wait to see how they handle this. Supposedly they’re looking for 2 representatives from all of the major Boston teams. My guess is Bill Russell & Larry Bird, Tom Brady & Tedy Bruschi, and Ray Borque & Bobby Orr. Unfortunately, no one from the New England Revolution knew what “baseball” was.

3:11 – Bill Russell. One-for-one.

3:11 – Bobby Orr. Two-for-two. Guess it’s only one from each team.

3:12 – Richard Seymour & Tedy Bruschi – Three for four. Well, 3-4 got me through college…

3:13 – Strikes from Bruschi & Orr, two-hoppers from Seymour & Russell.

And with that, another commercial break. First one in an hour.

I gotta say, I’m really looking forward to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. The book was great, and the movie looks like it’ll be a lot of fun. Of course, I haven’t been to the movies since “Shrek2”, and “The Matrix2” before that, so I don’t exactly have my finger on the pulse of the movie world.

posted by Big D @ 8:10 AM