2,000 and Counting

It was unfortunate that I couldn't see Derek Jeter's 2,000th hit, Dear Roxy. As you know, I was camping at Peace River. I left Friday night, drove through a thunder storm in the middle of Alligator Alley, got to the hotel in time to watch SportsCenter. ONLY to find out that the stupid hotel didn't have ESPN!!! What hotel doesn't carry ESPN? The Days Inn in Arcadia, that's who!

Anyway, Congrats, Jeter!!!! And here's to 2,000 more :)

How about those Yankees? We are tied for first, with the Blue Jays trailing not far behind. It sounds like it's gonna be a looooong season!

And we need to get healthy!!! No Sheff, Damon and Jeter last night! Scary!!! I couldn't even recognize the lineup. And it's a good thing Moose gave the bullpen a good night's rest, especially after Rivera worked three full innings the night before.

I believe we play each other Monday!

About time Clemens made up his mind! Now he can live happily ever after.

And I suppose a congrats in in order for Barry's 715th home run****

I heard Coco Crisp won't be returning any time soon, Rox. I guess they're gonna have to do without him....

A little bit about camping.... It was awesome!!!! We left early Saturday morning and came back really late Monday night. Needless to say, I need lots of sleep this weekend. Once the sun rises, there's no way you can sleep with it bearing down on your tent. AC could've come in handy. What can I say? I'm a city kind of girl ;) The mosquitoes were hardly an issue, but the love bugs were! They seemed to triple overnight! I could've definitely done without them! And don't get me started on the lack of bathrooms! Luckily OR not, there was a porta-pottie. Roughing it in the middle of the woods was hard, but I made it back safe and sound.

We heard a few of the Heat games up there. Couldn't believe they were up 3-1! Awesome. They hit a little bump last night, but it's better to win at home, isn't it? Tomorrow should be fun.

Read a little something this morning.... Since the Yankees and Heat were staying at the same hotel in Detroit, Torre and Riley had lunch together! Thought that was kind of cool!

Glad to be back in the city...
-Criss

Photo: AP Photo & AP Getty Images/Jim McIsaac

Blog Hog: Curty, Doug & Coco

Go Curty: 200th Win & Counting.
Hope this guy retires in 40 years in a Red Sox uni.

Flutie Flakes: Retirement? Are You Sure?
From BC to the Pats ... What a story. (I know, I'm late on this. Rick, is that you - or is it Doug?)

Coco Puffs: He's back!
Thank goodness.

Two cereal references. My old college profs would have nixed that. Shh. (What are you gonna do, Dear Criss?! You're in the middle of the woods anyway.)

Roxy

Boston Photos: AP, Winslow Townson
Flutie: AP, Josh Reynolds

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

We Love Our Troops!

Criss & Roxy

AP Photo, Winslow Townson; YahooSports.com

The Merry-Go-Round We Call Baseball

Look, Dear Criss (currently camping, gasp), I don't even know what you're talking about. But stop being so sensitive. If Mirabelli said it, I hear him. Don't mess with my Italian catcher. (You, too, A-Fraud.) What's with the nasty "Statue of Liberty" comment?!

Okay, so the Yankees got 2:3. We still have to play like 48 times this season! And we've been doing pretty well with you guys, so I'm not sweating it (yet). It does make me a bit upset. I don't want to tal about Matt Clement, a.k.a Abe Lincoln. When he's good, he's good and when he's bad, he's ba-ad.

BIG SHOUT OUT TO P, who got a Dyson vacuum as a graduation present. Congrats on the big accomplishment, P! (Graduation, that is, not the Dyson.) Here's to trying to make the cap work with the hair.

And my predictions - wooooo, lousy for basketball. I'll stop predicting.

Right now, we're playing Tampa Bay and they're my 2nd least favorite games, but I know they'll show it down here. OF COURSE, the Marlins are playing the Mets, so they won't show the Rays. Which is okay, b/c last night's game was the longest game ever! Glad we won. Fulkie's on my Clement list. Tha's all I got to say. Beckett kept it to 0, maybe 1 and Fulkie starts throwing like he's pitching to his nephew and wants the kid to feel good about himself. Everyone got a hit. I don't know. But Wily Mo goes on the Fulkie list, too, b/c he's like a big goon out there trying to catch!! A lack of catching. COCO!!!!! Come back.

Did I say that Coco and Kaplar are pretty close to returning? They were playing catch the other day. The announcers said my team can only get better as the season progresses. Finally some positive comments from the Yankee-loving announcers.

Roxy

Photo: Boston Globe, Barry Chin

You've got to be kidding ME!!

Two out of three in Fenway ain't too bad, Dear Roxy. I am extremely happy with the way the Yanks played. And I was sooooo relieved when they struck out Big Papi with the bases loaded! Relieved!

And who the hell does Mirabelli think he is? Read on...

Mirabelli, a teammate of A-Rod's in Texas, was miffed that A-Rod didn't know he went deep. His comments indicated Mirabelli believed A-Rod was grandstanding, one of the few acts A-Rod hasn't been accused of by his legion of critics.

"The guy's got 450 home runs," Mirabelli said. "He doesn't know when he's squared one up? I don't believe that."

"I was surprised by it," A-Rod said of being asked about Mirabelli's quote. "Especially since the other guy [Ramirez] stood there like the Statue of Liberty."

When Mirambelli's clown of a teammate starts running instead of posing like an idiot when he hits a ball, he can start saying s*it like that. ARod can be a lot of things to your people, Roxy, but a show-off like "Sucio" Ramirez: NEVER!
As a matter of fact, when I saw Arod look up for the ball, I couldn't stop laughing, and neither could everyone who saw SportsCenter that night!!!

Wow, I feel so much better that I got that out.

And I cannot believe I paid to see those losers. Could anyone please buy my ticket? Please, pretty please? Kim? Noah from Boston? P? Steve? Anyone????

And I would never get caught dead buying anything Red Sox!!! I did it once, for you, and will never do it again.

Your Heat prediction has failed again. Maybe you should keep it up. They could win the whole thing because of you...

Still furious at the loser of Mirabelli
-Criss

PS: ONE MORE HIT FOR JETER's 2000!!!!!!

Schilling's Back in Business

Love Schilling. Love him, Dear Criss. Not feeling the love (for a while) for Fulkie. Keith Fulke came in and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown after a peaceful 7/8 innings with Curty. Fulke shoulda just thrown slow pitch, too. Anyway, it was a W, but seriously. Good game. I think I gotta say that we can cut it out with harrassing Johnny D. now. I think he gets it. I'm feeling really bad for him. I don't know if he's really happy there. Leave Varitek for Jeter? Never.

As for tonight, as usual, theSox have to give up at least one game stupidly to the Yankees. Hopefully we can pull through in a lovely dramatic fashion involving Big Papi.

And now we're counting the Millar vs. Varitek vs. Ben vs. Steve vs. Tommy pics? Wow. I actually thought that since I was going crazy with the Millar pics that he might win. Steve, Ben and Tommy will have their turn this fall. Come on! No more Adam V.

Roxy's Prediction: Heat lose game 1 to Pistons. Pistons will feel like idiots and fight this one. Heat will have too many days off.

WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE SOX (but not quite at Fenway) !!!!!! ME AND YOU, CRISS! ARE YOU EXCITED?!?! I love the new Sox cap you bought. It looks great on you. When's the Varitek T-shirt coming in? Don't copy me. Glad you're over that Yankees phase.

Kim in Arkansas is in Boston right now. Maybe she'll give us a full report.

Roxy

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Looking Ahead

I'm so upset at the Yankees for not being able to muster some runs, Dear Roxy. It's not like they're playing the World Champs or anything! Plus, didn't I tell them to walk Big Papi?!?! Well, add another one to that list; the big "sucio" Martinez. That'll be able to prevent some, if not all runs.

Thanks for waking me from my nap, by the way. Too bad you didn't do it sooner... I missed Jeter's first at-bat.

And thank goodness Barry didn't hit a homerun against Mark Mulder. I wouldn't want Mulder's name on that side of the record.

The Heat and Pistons blood bath starts off tonight. Your prediction? I say the Pistons looked mighty vulnerable this time around. The Heat just might have a chance.

Great think the Mavs won! I was so excited for them. I would like to see them go to the finals, but Hall & Oates disagrees since he thinks it'll be tougher to beat them than the Suns... I say one series at a time, buster. The Heat first gotta go past the Pistons.

I just did a little research and counted 11 Millar photos and 14 Varitek photos. It's getting tight. And as I was doing this I remembered something: You've forgotten about Steve and Ben.

Shame on you.

-Criss

Making America Smile

I felt like this guy over here, Dear Criss, when I found out that Willie Harris was told not to steal, then stole and got caught like a fool. Like an idiot. And that resulted in losing the game. Thanks, Willie. Boston Dirt Dogs said, and I so agree, that he is no Dave Roberts.

I like how Varitek is so calmy holding him back.

But, I can deal with this loss b/c we beat the O's all season AND, your favorite part, Millar hit a two-run home run. Love it. Which means, I have to put up another picture (this one's against the Royals, but look how happy he makes everyone).

Speaking of comebacks, the Heat proved my Nets predictions wrong. Okay, so that wasn't really a comeback. But, okay, I'm telling you, they'll get the Eastern Conf. Championship, BUT, that's it.

And on a separate note, let me prove why Miami got ranked #1 worst/rudest drivers in the nation:
1) Old men steal parking spaces from people (me) waiting.
2) People in Mercedes don't know how to merge and won't let you in (I got in). Boston's #5.

Okay, so you go ahead and keep listening to sad music, keep watching scary Discovery Channel shows (that commercial for Deadliest Catch is intense. Did you ever see that movie with Clooney and Marky Mark?), buy another house in Bev. Hills and I'll make sure to buy the most expensive ticket for our game in July, b/c you heart the Sox that much. Interleague play!

Roxy


Tek: Baltimore Sun, KRT Photo, Gene Sweeney Jr.
Cowboy Millar: AP Photo, Gail Burton

Comeback, baby!

Did you see one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history, Dear Roxy? I did! Sort of! I was watching last night, and all of a sudden I see that the Yankees are down 9-0 in just two innings! I then changed the channel and watched one of the coolest shows on TV, The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. While watching that, I fell asleep! When I woke up the game was tied at 12!!! Exciting! I guess I don't need to tell you how the game ended... but I suppose I can tell you this: Jeter's replay, Posada's catch, Jeter's homerun, and Posada's game winning homerun!

Enough of the Yankees, let's talk about the Heat! They won the series!!! My friend, I'm afraid to tell you your predictions were a little off. Sorry. Care to predict who will play them next?

And yes, I went to see the guy who sings "You're Beautiful". But there's a lot more to that song than just that. And if you think that song is sad, you might want to listen to "No Bravery". Be careful, you might cry ;(

I went to California this weekend as you know. Let me tell you about the houses: They are insanely beautiful... Bell Air, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills... Wow! And I always wondered why they built houses up in the hills with all the earthquakes and mudslides - one reason only - The View!

Back to sports,
- Criss

Photo: AP/Kathy Willens

Happy Ending = Lack of Sleep

What's the deal with Posada trying to beat Mirabelli with his bat, Dear Criss? Just kidding.

"Bean heads"? "Infatuation"? Um, the Millar photo-op obsession is called "heartbreak over losing the funniest guy on the team." Mr. "Cowboy Up." I don't see Varitek picking up the torch! But we love Varitek for his focus, not the career in comedy he gave up years ago. But, fine, I'll let it (Millar) go until we play them again this week. Hee, hee, hee.

The Matsui situation was ugly. (Don't give ESPN another reason to obsess over the Yankees.) Wakefield was beautiful. The offense was lacking. The score made up for it. I was happy, but it's so stressful. And now we lost two games 'causa rain! Well, I see ESPN is gonna show Sox-Orioles this week. So it's cool.

So you went to see that guy who sings, "You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful, you're beautiful"? What's the deal, I can write that stuff, too. It's okay, I guess, but saddddd.. Augh.
Roxy

Photo: Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

Blog Hog Moment: The Yankees

Last night's game was a game to forget. I suppose after the 7th inning that is. You guys left soooo many men on base, and still won!!! !@#$%

But the reason for my blog hog moment, Dear Roxy, is poor Matsui. I couldn't even watch the replays after that. Oh, man, that looked pretty bad. The thing that got stuck in my head was when he took off his glove and the way his wrist looked! Ouch!!!! Hope you get better Matsui!!!

And now the Yankees are without two thirds of the outfield with Gary and Hideki out. We need some serious help!


Off to LA
-Criss

No Bravery

I couldn't watch the game last night, Dear Roxy, since I was at the James Blunt concert! Needless to say it was awesome!!! And better yet, after I got out of the concert, I saw the Yankees had won!!! There's nothing like Steinbrenner opening his mouth to get the Yankees to win a game.

Come on, the game before was a nightmare. They had 3 errors!!! 3!!!

And Papi, what to do with him? I say we walk him everytime and it'll save us a headache (at least my headache). He can't run, might as well put him on base and deal with the other bean heads!

Tonight's game 3. Let's see if we can tie the series.

Slightly changing the subject, is your infatuation for Millar growing bigger and bigger? I mean, you hardly mention Vtek or put Vtek pictures up. It's all about Millar and he's not even on your team anymore!

The Heat put on a show last night, or so I heard and saw in SportsCenter. Is it me or all the games, whether it's one team or another, are washouts? Each team is winning by a landslide in each game. Weird.

About GG. I have to agree with Kim on the Luke thing. He's a total idiot. Lorelai is a bigger idiot for doing what she did, but I'm glad she told Luke how she felt. About time! And Rory should've stopped Logan. I don't know about Dean coming back. BTW, I like Supernatural!
And can somebody tell them next year better be the last!

-Criss

Standing O: I Can Put Up Another Millar Picture If I Feel Like It

Okay, Dear Criss, I'm wrapping up my night. I'm turning a new page and going to bed at a decent hour. I'm setting the VCR for Baseball Tonight. Um, right now the Sox are leading 10-2 - oh wait, let me check again - 11-3. Wow. It's the top of the 6th. WOW!! I'm loving it - AND winning in NY (Hey, Kim in Arkansas, are you at the game since now you're a Yankee Stadium lover?)?! I think we can say Beckett was an excellent choice. Splendid. Well, I won't count my chickens before they hatch, but I'm just saying, I like how this is looking.

Um, WHAT's WITH THE TORRE HOMAGE?!! BLECH!

Here's my Heat-Nets prediction:
Game 1: I got right, they lose. I only discussed this prediction with Joe Rose in the car as he did his show on the radio. (No, I didn't call in, I can just speak to the radio.)
2: W
3: L
4:W by 2
5:L
6: L

As for GG: Well, Lorelei really went to the extreme now! And Rory couldn't just tell Logan not to go. And WHO talks to someone else's parent with such nerve? Oh yeah, NOBODY!

Game 2 tomorrow. Let's hope the Sox can keep the love rolling.

Roxy

Boston Globe Staff Photo.Barry Chin

Finale

A big congratulation to Joe Torre for his 1,000th win as a New York Yankees manager!!!! Oh, Dear Roxy, the Yankees-Red Sox are on again tonight. Let's see what happens. It's the battle for first place.

And I think I get to watch the game on the NESN channel! I'll be sure to give you lots of details!

Oh, The Heat. What happened? The game was over by the second quarter.

GG tonight! They better not have Luke and Lorelai breaking up!

In a rush. Gotta go!
-Criss

AP Photo Fort Worth Star Telegram Sharon M Steinman

Duck!

"The standing ovation for Kevin Millar lasted through the first pitch he saw from Curt Schilling last night. The smattering of boos weren't heard until he sent a Schilling pitch into left field for a single. Unlike friend and fellow former co-face of the Red Sox, Johnny Damon, for whom the boos outweighed the cheers in his debut at Fenway Park as a Yankee, Millar's welcome back was unanimous."
- Amalie Benjamin, Boston Globe 5/6/06

Can we do a Mirabelli with Millar, Dear Criss? Can he come back, too? I miss him so much, I want to cry every time I see or hear about him. I guess I sound like the Red Sox make me cry a lot, huh? Well, on a lighter note, my favorite Red Sox man, Mr. Captain Varitek, hit a GRAND SLAM to help sweeeep the series against Baltimore. I mean, I just can't get enough. I love it.

And those Suns. Watch out.

Okay, so next game - It's you and me again. Sox - Yankees, Tues., Wed., Thurs.

Roxy

P.S. Dear World, Criss kept me in the dark for years about her being able to get NESN at home. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!!! Of all people to have it - a Yankee! Augh!

Tequila Shots

Hey, Dear Roxy, no need to lash out at Mr. Torre. You're right, it is a team effort, but Damon did a lot for that team and I guess those bean heads had a brain fart to forget if it wasn't for him, they probably wouldn't have won it. Why do you think I hated him so much? It wasn't because of his good looks, you know!

I do have to agree with you on the Vtek and Nixon thing. They couldn't possibly be on steroids. Not those two.

The Heat have finally made it to the next round. It's off to the Meadowlands and the Nets! That'll be interesting.

Did I tell you how glad I am that the Suns have forced a game 7? Well, I am!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, btw. I'll be on the road tonight. I'm driving up to Tampa for my cousin's graduation. So CONGRATS, Ana!!!

See you Sunday?
-Criss

Mixed Bag of Surprises

''I think that lacked respect last night," Torre said. ''I didn't think it was the right way to react.

''I was very disappointed in the fans, especially given how long it took Boston to win a world championship. Without him, they're probably still waiting for one." Boston Globe 5/3/06

Get real, Joe Torre. What did you expect us to do, throw kisses and blow bubbles?! Seriously, if Jeter did that and left to Boston after saying something like "I could never play in a Red Sox uniform..." or something about it not being about the money? NY wouldn't boo? AND ON TOP OF THAT, what? We didn't have any other players doing a good job? Papi? Manny? Varitek, even Millar stepped up. Even Bellhorn had pivitol moments. Get Out! Every player had some component that helped win. There were streaks when Damon wasn't hitting. Remember?! I don't want to talk about this. Sounds like bitterly sour grapes.

And, Dear Criss, I'm glad someone's covering basketball. So keep the reports coming. I'll keep the dry sarcasm toward it coming when necessary.

Oh, and sorry to make this so long as usual, but I read something on Boston Dirt Dogs that SI's Verducci was incinuating that MY VARITEK and Trot Nixon were on steroids?!!! I don't even want to HEAR IT from him!!! Go move in with Joe Torre.

So my Sox-Blue Jays game yesterday was a nailbiter and we lost, but it was really good and the Sox actually put in some effort. Right now, I checked the score and it looks good. You're right, by the way (gasp). Two-day series?! Huh?

Roxy

AP Photo,Elise Amendola; YahooSports.com

What a Waste of Rain

I guess our classy teams will have to wait until next week, Dear Roxy. Why did they have a two-game series to begin with? It just seems like a tease. I want three nail-biting games all at once!
I suppose I can wait 'til next week, two weeks after that and three weeks after that to watch them tear each other's heads out! Sounds like fun!

The Heat won last night! It was a very close game until the 4th quarter and then Miami just took off. It's good to see the momentum back on their side.

And I'm so glad the Suns won.

And, how about them Clippers? They won their series against the Nuggets.

OK, enough basketball. I know how much it interests you and all...

I just read Tiger Wood's dad passed away. Very sorry about that.

Oh, more on the Jason Taylor road-rage incident... It turns out it was hardly a stab. The guy 'stabbed' Jason with a screwdriver. And Jason didn't even want medical attention. If you ask me, it was hardly anything. LOL

-Criss

Photo: Mark Serota, Reuters

Sad '80s Songs

Okay, first, we congratulate your sis big time for rocking it with the old diploma!!!!! That's great!

THEN, Dear Criss, we teach you the meaning of "CLASS." (To Yankees fans, this means people who do not slap balls out of pitchers' hands.)

-Jason Varitek
-Curt Schilling
-Big Papi
-Jason Varitek
-Tim Wakefield
-Jason Varitek, etc.

''Have you ever ridden in a police car before?" [Mirabelli] was asked.

''That was the first time naked," he replied. Boston Globe, 5/1/06

I still can't get over Mirabelli. It's like a dream. I never thought it would happen - him coming back and all. I heard the announcers say something about him and I thought, "Hm, that's weird he's at the game. Maybe he had an off-day?" I was trying to make bizarre sense of it all - until I saw him squatting in a Sox uni. WHAT?! And smiling. I wanted to cry. Johnny Traitor faded into the background and it was all Dougie. I wish it didn't have to turn out that way for Damon. It was sad. I know I already said it, but, after everything. [Insert Peter Cetera's "After All" here.]... The President of Idiots Nation now changed his party allegiance. Well, I just have to move on.

Yeah, people need to leave Jason Taylor alone (another example of me not being a Miami-team hater). That was crazy. So what's up with the Heat? I'm sure I'll hear all about it tomorrow. Wait, I can predict this.

Okay, here we go with Red Sox - Yankees Month.

Roxy

Boston Globe Staff Photo, Jim Davis

Blog Hog Moment: My Sister

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my sister Carol!!!

She graduated yesterday with a BA in Mass Comm and a minor in English.

I am sooooo proud of her.

Much love, sis.

-Criss

Swallow My Pride

Ok, Dear Roxy, it seems everything went well for you yesterday. You got Wakey's personal catcher yesterday just in time to catch for him AND you struck first on the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. It was sad watching Damon get booed, but did you see how classy he is now (you only get that as a Yankee!) when he acknowledge the crowd? That was really nice of him ;) And don't get me started on Papi chulo over there. Can't the guy go on a slump agains the Yanks?

And did you hear how great they were talking about Jeter? No new news there. He's one of a kind ;)

Enough of last night's game... What happened to your guys and the Devil Rays? The Devil Rays!!! Ouch... They would've been swept if it wasn't for that horrible ump called a ball when it was clearly a strike! Like you said, Roxy, they need to start watching some video.

And Arroyo? He's just having a blast in the National League!

OK, so what's up with with Jason Taylor getting stabbed? Weird people out there. I'm just gonna go about my business and try not to get anyone mad out there on the road. Danger!

So the Heat really need to win tonight. I can't believe they lost twice agains the Bulls.
And can you say another horrible no-call against the Suns? There should've been a foul call for the Suns before those Laker bullies stripped Nash of the ball. And then Kobe! Don't get me started on Kobe either!

Fuming off
-Criss

Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Blog Hog Moment: Our Whining Worked

DOUGIE!!!! YOU'RE BACK!!! I'm so sorry. I'll never take you for granted again. Dear Criss, it was a double present last night! Winning and Dougie. Heard he had a police escort and got from the airport to the game in 12 minutes! Changed in the car. Awesome. I have to admit, it was sad seeing Damon booed last night. But, it was a W, and go Papi!

Roxy

Photo by Ezra Shaw, Getty Images; YahooSports.com