So after paying $300 for seats [to one of the city’s more “reputable” scalpers], you sit your ass down in Fenway’s section 16, and then scan the line-up. What the? No Caveman? No Manny? I just paid some long green for the friggin’ John Olerud Show? And the day after a shut-out, no less? But then you find that the offense is back, with Jay “Deliver Me From This Evil” Payton leading the charge. And The Emancipator is on his game [does any of our starters get better run support than Honest Matt?]. And suddenly it’s okay to be out three large, because the Red Sox have slipped into “summertime mode,” and there’s no place better to be on a sunny afternoon — save perhaps Jessica Alba’s apartment.
Regarding Clement, if someone told me last winter that he’d be representing the Sox on the hill at this year’s All Star Game, I’d have had them scanned for hallucinogens. But he continues to make things happen, unlike, as Chris Snow points out in today’s Globe, two other pitchers formerly on the Sox’ “must sign” radar:
Pavano is 4-5 with a 4.53 ERA, a year after going 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA. Radke is 5-6 with a 4.20 ERA, a season after submitting an 11-8 record with a 3.48 ERA. Pavano and Radke are tied for the league lead in something, though that something is hits allowed, with 114.
So tonight we head to Cleveland. And if you ever wanted to hear Cleveland’s Ben Broussard singing U2’s “With or Without You,” man, do I have a CD for you. Also featured: Coco Crisp rapping, Aubrey Huff crooning John Michael Montgomery’s “Letters from Home,” and Omar Vizquel singing the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Broadway.” Why spend hard-earned cash on LSD when this kinda stuff is floating around? Thanks to Matt for the tip.
