Sliding Down the Surface of Things

Because I promised a million years ago...

The Dark Knight - amazing. Heath has set a new bar for movie villains. The movie goes straight into the heart of darkness, but finds some strange beauty there. Some excellent character moments for everyone, really, but Heath - you can't take your eyes off him. The way he moves, the way he speaks, the way they frame him in each shot. I cannot do it justice. But it's brilliant.

Joss Whedon's latest project, which I absolutely adored:
http://www.drhorrible.com/ I love, love Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion. As usual, though, Joss breaks my heart.

Next up: The X-Files movie. SO excited to see Mulder and Scully again.

Wow, I really haven't written here in forever. I can't say that there's been a whole lot going on. The main thing is that I've continued with Weight Watchers and have now lost 44 pounds. So I'm very, very, very happy about that. Have a little ways to go before I'm done, though, but at least now I feel like I can actually do this.

Saw the Frederick Keys play the Lynchburg Hillcats last night. I'd never seen a minor league team play before. First of all, the Lynchburg stadium is TINY. My dad's been over to the Salem stadium before, and he said the Salem stadium is much bigger. Anyway, I wore my Orioles shirt over there, so the Hillcats mascot was shaking his finger at me about that. (Her finger? I don't know. I don't want to be sexist.) It was kind of a pathetic game. The Keys' pitcher got thrown out in the third inning disputing whether or not a home run over the fence was foul or fair. And the Keys got more hits than the Hillcats, but had only 1 run to show for it while the Hillcats had 5. We left around the 8th inning because my grandparents were tired and wanted to go home, but I highly doubt a huge rally was mounted. It really did seem similar to their parent club - anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong. But didn't you get the memo, boys? Coming from behind is the new thing.

So ridiculously looking forward to The Dark Knight and the X-Files 2. I'll be there each Friday with bells on!

So my cousin came up to see the Yankees play the Os Friday and Saturday. I must admit that while I loved seeing Cabrera get the win on Friday, I was slightly disappointed because I didn't even dare hope that they'd take two against the Yankees, and I really didn't want to see Burres have a bad game. Shows what I know! I don't know how he did it, because he definitely wasn't "on," but Burres kept on trucking. My only minor disappointment was that Roberts didn't get a hit in either game. I know that's a small quibble considering everything, but he was obviously getting increasingly frustrated, and I hated to see that.

I was supposed to go see Bedard pitch against the Os, but when I found out he'd been scratched and saw that it was raining, I didn't even bother making the trip. I wish now I'd gone anyway, just because it's been nice these past few days to see allll the new guys in action and get a better feel for each of them. Luke Scott can definitely stay, ha - he was unreal! Oh, but I think the best part was Brandon Fahey getting two good hits on Saturday when I kind of figured he'd do nothing. That's the kind of stuff that just makes you feel all warm inside.

My cousin came up for a Yankees game last year at the end of the season, and there were far more Yankees fans in attendance than Os fans, and it was just depressing. This time, though, there appeared to be more Os fans on Friday, and it seemed balanced on Saturday. But it was pretty sweet that the VERY vocal Yankees moron behind me on Saturday who was yelling, "NIIIIIIICE" and clapping loudly in my ear, very soon had nothing to clap or shout about. Awww, too bad. Inexplicably, there were a lot of Boston fans milling about both nights, so I'm not sure what that was all about. And Cal Ripken was at the second game; we were in the upper decks and could look down on where he was sitting - in case you were wondering, he doesn't participate in the wave, heh.

The games got me a little more excited about this season because quite honestly, the first game that I even watched on TV wasn't until Thursday. I just haven't had time...but now I may try to make more time to squeeze the Os in.

I haven't had time because I've been going to the gym fairly regularly after work for the past month or so. I've been doing the Weight Watchers program at work now for 5-6 weeks, and I've lost about 13-14 pounds so far. I'm very happy, but I still have quite a ways to go, so I hope I can just keep it up at a safe pace. I don't think the group meetings help me very much, though; I get tired of people who just like to hear themselves talk, and I don't really feel inclined to share my private business with others. People are just nosy, and it makes me place added pressure on myself. I think once this thing at work is done, I may just go to a WW meeting place once a week to weigh-in, but skip the meetings. I have no doubt that the group aspect helps some people, but the design of the plan and the weigh-in helps me have some structure and accountability without really needing the meeting. Just give me the materials, and I'll go home and read them. I really hate the elementary school mentality of it, too; you get stickers for losing 5 pounds, people clap when you share some sort of weight-loss success/positive behavior change. Honestly, it feels like being in kindergarten. The sad reality is that a lot of the people like that and are motivated by it, but I absolutely hate it and refuse to talk in those meetings. I have never liked being the center of attention, whether for a negative reason OR a positive one, so the format just makes me so uncomfortable. I shouldn't be so hateful, but it just annoys me that people don't realize that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

Ugh. You know, I haven't really been paying a whole lot of attention to baseball news since the end of the season. Just too much other stuff going on, and I find trade discussions to be absolutely boring and pointless speculation. I'm only interested if an actual trade takes place; I don't need to read everyone's take on the merits of this and that team and these and those players.

I've been out of the loop off and on, though I did see the Miggy trade news almost right away. So it threw me a little to see a headline on yahoo today, saying that the Mitchell Report has been released. There was One Name. One Name above all others that I really didn't want to see on that report. The yahoo article I initially saw didn't mention That Name. Feeling bolder, I went over to the Baltimore Sun site. And there, splashed across the page, was The Name. I suppose if his name had to be there, perhaps it's just as well that it's a small mention. The thing is, though...maybe Bigbie's full of crap and lied or maybe he made some stupid choices and really did inject himself a few times...I'm still gonna like the guy regardless, and respect the stuff he's done for the community and for the fans. But it makes me ill that, whether he did none, did a lot or did a little, he's going to be painted with that brush. I have no doubt some so-called fans will just write him off no matter what his response to the report is. I haven't even bothered to go over to "The Orioles Hangout." I'm sure all they're worried about is how it will affect his bloody trade value.

Still, my heart broke a little when I saw his name there...it's been a long week, and that was just not what I wanted to see.

Oh, and that sound you hear? Is totally me swooning over this sentence re: the Orioles holiday party:
Guthrie, who won't pick up a baseball for a few weeks, came into town expressly for the event.
Although considering that Jamie Walker and Brian Roberts don't live in Baltimore, either, wouldn't they have probably come into town specifically for that reason, too?

Totally unrelated, but I'm already getting fed up with my Netflix subscription. The *second* movie to be sent to me appears to be lost! This is annoying. I don't know if our mail person is just an idiot and stuck it in the wrong box, I don't know if Netflix screwed up, but this does not bode well. This is my stupid free trial, and they can't even get the thing here to me? I know it's so minor, but I was not impressed. Although I WAS impressed that you can watch some movies (mainly obscure stuff, documentaries, etc.) online.

They had "My Best Fiend", a documentary Werner Herzog did on Klaus Kinski. I've been fascinated with stories of their legendary battles while shooting various films for some time now, but this documentary took it to the next level. I hadn't actually seen any of the films, so all I had to go on were print articles. It's quite another matter to actually SEE footage of Kinski. I really think he had some sort of untreated mental illness. The man is like a barely controlled animal - snarling and snapping at everything and everyone. His acting all seems to be the same basic character - some frantic, demented madman, raging at the world. But then other times, he was laughing, joking. I really wouldn't be surprised if he were bipolar.

And on a final note, I truly wish that Terry Tate worked at my office.

So it seemed like a beautiful day today, but I spent the vast majority of it inside because I think I'm coming down with a sinus infection. Yeesh. I've been taking Benadryl and watching my head spin.

Roch's column has a great Bedard anecdote today.

Mazzone also tells a great story about his first meeting with Erik Bedard, who bluntly told him, "I've hated every pitching coach I've had."

Mazzone's response: "Wonderful." Then Mazzone started telling Bedard about all the guys he's hated in baseball, and they soon bonded.

I love it. It just adds to the lore. ;-)

And after reading this article about last night's Cabrera meltdown, I have two points I'd really like to get off my chest.

1)"The guy is an idiot," Pedroia said. "I dropped my bat. It kind of freaked me out. I was upset they took him out of the game. He is good to hit. He's 9-15. The guy [stinks]."
Okay. I don't blame the guy for being angry after having a ball flung at his head. It's a scary experience, I have no doubt - I get that. However, "The guy sucks" struck me as completely unnecessary, classless and unprofessional. You say it best when you say nothing at all, kind of thing? I am in NO way defending what Daniel did because it's wholly defenseless, but this part of the comment really went all over me. I guess in the heat of the moment you say things that perhaps you would've said differently later, but I didn't like this at all.

2)"He's not the only guy who throws at people a lot," Tejada said. "He's a young kid and sometimes he throws at people, not because he wants to but sometimes he is wild."
Okay, seriously? Sorry, but, STFU, Tejada. I get that he's trying to defend his teammate, but again, it would be better to just say nothing at all. Danny's a big boy - a VERY BIG BOY - so let's not try to be all disingenuous about it. The Orioles need to make it clear that they won't tolerate that sort of behavior from anyone in their organization. If Tejada wants to coddle Danny by preserving what I really think is the fiction that Daniel "accidentally" threw at Pedroia, I don't see how that helps Daniel get a grip. Sorry, but actions have consequences. I can understand not wanting to ream someone out publicly, but I think it sends a very bad message to try to spin the incident.

I also find that comment annoying since Tejada was the one who encouraged Danny to throw at Sheffield in April - "I just told my pitcher, 'Make sure you pitch them the same way they pitch me,'"- because he didn't like Verlander and Bonderman pitching inside to him. Okay, you're furious, but why encourage this hotheaded guy to throw at the other team in a pointless p*ssing match? How about you tell him that what will REALLY show the other team is if you GET THE OUTS and WIN THE GAME. THAT might show them something. Ugh.

Just found this other article about the aftermath .

It's a relief to see Trembley's comments. I definitely think they need to make it clear, that ain't gonna fly here:
"There's a key word that's been missing," Trembley said. "It's called responsibility. It's time for responsibility to be accepted by the people that have been given these opportunities."

Meanwhile, Danny is not impressing me with this:
"Anybody can have a ball slip from his hand," Cabrera said. "I don't know why everybody is making such a big deal."

And I see the Os are already potentially en route to setting a new franchise record for consecutive losses at home, yaaay! There's nothing like witnessing the breaking of an old record and the setting of a new rec -- oh, not THAT sort of record? Oh. They've reached the level of Charlie Brown's baseball team -- "I really thought we had a chance to win tonight...and then the other team showed up."

Finally, I don't want to be alarmist, but has anyone considered that the Orioles could be some sort of terrorist plot to bring down the national pastime? Os. Osama. Oh my. I'm just saying. It would all make sense then. And yet I cannot totally look away...What? Too dark? Blame the Benadryl.

ETA: Holy #*($&. I turned on the TV just in time to see Moore, who appears to be a 10-year-old, hit a grand slam off Dice-K for his first hit as an Oriole. Wow. Wow! So once again the bad boyfriend is at the door with flowers and candy..."Oh, baby, you know it's gonna be different this time." And you know it won't be, 'cause it's only the third inning and anything can still happen, but you believe him, and you let him back in...I see they're now beating up on Lord Voldemort.

I just can't even bear to watch these games anymore. I watched a little bit of last night's game for the first time in about two weeks, but had to turn it off when the Orioles loaded the bases and got in absolutely no runs that inning. Why do I even allow myself to have enough hope to get disappointed? It's like there's still a small modicum of faith burning deep within, but it's so close to being quenched. They lost with a whimper rather than a bang last night, but it's still yet another loss.

I wasn't watching tonight's game, but I was looking at the game thread on Orioles Hangout, and saw this clip of Daniel Cabrera throwing the ball at Dustin Pedroia's head immediately after Daniel had balked in a run. It's just...wow. If that was intentional...and sadly, it looked intentional...but if that's intentional, that is beyond immature. I hate throwing at people in general because I think it's brutal, barbaric and potentially dangerous. I'm not going to lie to you; I smirked when Bedard threw at Jeter, but if it has to be done, that's the way to do it. To throw at someone's head? There's no way that is EVER appropriate. I have no love for the Red Sox or their lousy fans, but they have every right to be furious. And to do something like that when YOU'RE the one who screwed up?

And if he somehow honestly didn't purposely throw at the guy's head, it still says an awful lot that he gets agitated and his game goes straight to hell. I really would love to know who he wanted to knock into next week.

Daniel has been insanely frustrating this entire year, but I don't think I've been more disappointed or disgusted in him than tonight. I keep thinking off and on that maybe it would be just as well to trade him, and tonight certainly didn't change my view. Look, I don't hate the guy, but he is such a hothead, and I honestly believe he's a pigheaded, stubborn guy. I get the impression, perhaps unfairly so, that he just does not listen to direction well. Maybe I read too much into it, but I really thought that his at bats this year said a lot about him. The fact that he didn't even TRY to swing at all - how selfish and ignorant is that? It's not like they're expecting him to hit a home run, but you're not even going to make any attempt whatsoever? And then the whole changeup issue - I mean, seriously, who is calling the shots here? I don't get it.

And, of course, while all the hullaballoo is going on, it just makes me sick to my stomach that the fans at Camden are shouting, "Let's go Red Sox! Let's go Red Sox!" Pathetic.

This team has just become so pitiful, and I cannot understand it. What happened to them? What happened to those triumphant victories over the Yankees and the Sox?

I worked late tonight and left to a 6-3 ballgame. I returned home to a 14-6 game. What is wrong with this team? The entire bullpen needs to go at this point. What a freaking mess. I thought the only thing that might possibly pull them back from this precipice was playing the Tampa series and beating them, but apparently the 5th place team is going to hand our asses to us. No, no, that's not even accurate -- we're just going to go the extra mile and hand our asses to them.

The team's fighting, that's for sure, but how many times are these implosions going to happen? I really thought we were past this, and now we're right back to where we were when they went on that huge losing skid that ultimately led to Perlozzo getting canned.

And I've got to get up way early to take my car over to get the auto shop to look at it. My deductible is actually $250, which is still a lot, but it's a heck of a lot better than I thought. I can live with that!

I hate the Boston Red Sox. I hate the Orioles batters. Even if the bullpen somehow miraculously doesn't blow this frickin' game right out of the water, Erik can't win. I shouldn't be so mad, but it's just a perfect capper to what was a lousy day. The Os deserve to lose - Erik doesn't deserve yet another no decision.

Oh, great, Bradford just gave up the go-ahead run. And Jamie gave up more. I won't say I hate them, but I'm tired of this. Goodbye, game. If we can't win this game tonight, and the odds are not very good, my guess is we're getting swept. And then we'll see what platitude Trembley wants to pull out to explain what will potentially be a 5 or 6 game losing streak. Not to mention that if we can't rely on Bradford and Walker anymore, we're dead. Welcome to Perlozzoville, buddy! I hope he continues to think waaaay outside the box 'cause we're hopeless.

And why isn't there a "furious" mood option? I'm such a bitch. Today was a baaaaaad day. I should've known better than to watch this game tonight.

Maybe they'll prove me wrong. But it'll still be another lost opportunity for Erik.

ETA: We're TIED. I didn't think they had it in them. I'm still disgusted that a wonderfully pitched game is not going to be credited to Erik, but they damn well better win this game now so that his work won't be totally in vain.

ETA: I...I don't know what happened. But...we won. I'm somewhat stunned. That's for the Mother's Day Meltdown, Boston! Nicky, for the win. Wow. Even with the bullpen falling apart, some magic happened. I still kind of want to slap them, though. And I'm going to have a hard time watching the other two games this weekend. I had to keep the game on mute because I hated hearing the Red Sox fans cheering that loud. And the umpire tonight was a...I just couldn't believe the calls he was making. Unreal. So now, along with the Yankees bias, umpires have a Red Sox bias, too? Good grief. AND, to top it all off, check out this headline from the Orioles page: "Bedard stumbles in eighth inning of opener." I am LIVID over that one. Yep, one run in 7 2/3 of an inning, obviously he was horrible. Stumbles, my #($&(#&$.

ETA: Not a bad little interview with Erik. He's now tied with Jim Palmer for # of strikeouts in a season (maybe the 5th most or something?), and Amber asked him how it felt. He said, "It feels good, but it's only strikeouts," and kind of laughed. Even though he didn't say much, he actually did seem to say a little more than what he usually does. He said that he watched the game inside after he came out. He also said that he would've wanted to stay in the game ("you always want to stay in"), but it was Trembley's call and he respects that. And he acknowledged it was hard to watch the bullpen give up those runs, but then Hoey finally stopped the bleeding. He kind of dismissed their Tejada question - I think they were trying to see if he was mad about Tejada not turning a double play, but he just said, hey, he tried to do it, and didn't.

OH, wow. Erik is going to be at the ESPN Zone on August 23, from 12pm-1pm. Oh, I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go! I wonder if I could get that day off from work...I would call in sick if I had to do so. But I wonder how hard it's going to be to get to Baltimore that morning...but, man, it seems like too good an opportunity to miss! And can I find a Philistine friend to drag up there? I am so friends with the wrong kind of people. ;-) The friend who would have been most likely to go is the one I'm not talking to at the moment. And I'd like to keep it that way for a while, sad to say.

And they just mentioned that Erik paid for those tickets for the Lancaster Teen Haven. I figured that the people were just given comp tickets or whatever, but apparently the players pay for those tickets.

And please, please, please, please vanquish the trolls and goblins and orks, Erik. I. Hate. Them. Especially Dice-K. Apparently your hitters have been drugged into slumber and need Prince Charming to come kiss them awake. Sorry, the Red Sox always make me envision some sort of warped fairytale. I want this win. So bad. But I suppose Dice-K will stay in the game the entire time, throw 200 pitches and...UGH!!!! Win, damn you Orioles, WIN!

This is how it always should be. Bedard's a little shaky, but the team gives him a big lead, and he has the luxury to settle down and keep pitching. I had little faith in them today, but they proved me wrong. After he gave up the second homerun, I had to turn off the game for a little bit, because I figured those would be the runs that would lose the game for sure. But no indeed. These are the runs that Erik should have been getting all season.
And what a special treat to get *two* interviews with Erik today - a Buck Martinez lengthy chat pre-game, and the usual "I just kept throwing strikes" chat post-game.

But, I'm not really here to totally talk about Mr. Bedard today. No, instead, I'd like to take a moment and go in a different direction. I'd like to show Mr. Jamie Walker some well-deserved love.
( A Quick Primer on Walker, Orioles Ranger )

Jamie Walker rocks. I have got to get a jersey or a t-shirt with that man's number. I'm glad the Os took seriously my threat to chain myself to him and Bradford. The trade deadline has passed, and they are safely ensconced in the bosom of the team, where they more than belong.

Erik? Eh, not so good. I'm glad they didn't trade him for Tex, but maybe he could've played a little better in celebration. ;-) I had to work late, so I was watching via gameday and then listening to the game on the radio as I drove home. By the time I actually got home and could watch the TV, he was already out. Really weak outing, but you have to admire the fact that he limited them to 2 runs. Could've been a lot worse. Okay, a little more time has passed, and the more I've thought about it, it's fairly incredible that the man got through six because he really wasn't "on" tonight, and his pitch count was escalating. Trembley said he was going to pull Erik after the fifth, but Erik requested that Tremblely give him six. There's the heart, there's the competitive fire. He just put his head down and got through it. You've got to respect that. And hey, he *was* pitching against the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

Despite not being a great outing, they still got him the win, so that's a relief. The batters have been doing a much better job of scoring runs for him lately, and it's great to see. It's about time. And how about Brian Roberts, first pitch home run? You rock, too, my little Troll Doll. And Nicky reaching into the stands to catch that arrogant jackass' pop-up? Awesome. Manny was standing there, staring in awe at his greatness because of COURSE he'd hit a home -- WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED! Ha. I hate him so much. Sorry, but Manny being Manny ain't a good enough excuse for me. Get over yourself, you big fat heffalump.

And we knocked Beckett around! AGAIN! That's pretty impressive. I'm sure tomorrow could get pretty ugly (oh, good Trachsel, will you ever return?), but I'm really looking forward to seeing Guthrie get a second chance against the Evil Empire Jr on Thursday.

On a very shallow note - is every player on the Boston team hideously ugly or what? It's like a collection of trolls and ogres. When Brian's out there batting, it's like Prince Charming fighting the evil goblins and trolls for fair maiden's hand.
******
I paid a pretty penny for it, but I finally have the Bedard bobblehead that I was unable to get in person. Ebay, eh? Sometimes it's useful, that's all I'm sayin'. Anyway, it barely looks like him, but it amused me to no end, and I now feel sooo much better about not having been able to take that day off to go get one.
( Meet the new addition to the family! Lex and Peaches are SO not impressed. )

******
I'm amazed at the reaction that MLB profile on Bedard has caused over on OH and CC. Several people have said they had no idea that French was his first language, and it's caused a few people to reevaluate their thoughts on his relationship with the press. Funny, I just figured everyone knew that. When I first started getting interested in the team as a whole last year, I looked up articles on various guys to get to know a little bit about them, and the fact that he was French Canadian and spoke little English was one of the first things I ever read about him. So I figured since I was the late one coming to the party that surely everyone already knew. But apparently not. It's so interesting to see people start to get a clue!
*******
( Hailing a Cab from the Bowels of Hell, Apparently )

In short:
1. Mr. Hyde showed up. I hate him. Can we somehow trade the Bad Cabrera, and keep the good one?
2. Baez. Mars shuttle. When?
3. Walker. Bradford. If they were ever to be traded, prepare to see me on the six o'clock news, clinging to their ankles.
4. #500? Nothing to see here, you looky-loos, move along. I don't know how Baez didn't serve up #500 on a silver platter to A-Rod, but the storm passed us by.
5. I really wish Posada had punched Farnsworth when he went striding out to the mound after Farnsworth misread his signal. I'd have loved to hear that conversation.
6. At least the team still has some fire - they kept creeping back up.
7. I would SO much have rather watched the Astros/Padres game. Damn. THAT's a heckuva note.

Well, I'm in the process of screencapping Bedard's fantabulous game, and much like the Os themselves, everything that could go wrong with it, has gone wrong. I think I've got most of the kinks worked out now, but I'm not done, yet.

Over at Camden Chat, they're discussing possible nicknames for Erik. I don't like anything they've created, but I can't say I have any suggestions, either. Although "Easy E" amuses me. And the B-Rob picture in this thread is gold, I tell you, GOLD!

At Orioles Hangout, this post, made by someone who has dealt with Erik off and on over the years, was complimentary. You may grit your teeth over the typos, though.

And finally, the Dugout addresses Erik's masterpiece. The last line of Erik's segment is all too depressing and true.

As you've probably seen by now, Erik did talk to the media after the game, but it was long enough after it that Os Xtra had already given way to ESPN News. The papers are doing the usual thing of going on about how he's fairly emotionless about the game. That doesn't really surprise me, although it's disappointing - how about focusing on the fact that he pitched one hell of a game? Is that too much to ask, seriously? One thing caught my eye, though, from the Washington Post article.

After he defeated Roger Clemens and four-hit the New York Yankees two starts ago, Bedard bolted from the clubhouse before reporters arrived. Trembley threatened punishment if he did it again.

I sincerely hope that this is just so-called creative license (i.e., making stuff up) - a reporter trying to generate drama where none actually exists. "Threatened punishment"? Like what? "Yeah, Erik, if you don't talk to the press, we'll just skip your next start! And don't think I won't do it - we've got plenty of pitchers who can pitch just as well or better than you, and this team is getting a bunch of runs so it doesn't matter if the pitchers pitch well, and the bullpen can hold any kind of lead, so it's not like we need you! You're superfluous!" Right. Or was he gonna take his toys away? Dock his pay?

Also, this quote from Ron Washington is pretty trashy. As they pointed out at the OH, he has a lot of nerve to talk about umpiring calls considering they basically won a game off Gomez getting called out the other night when the replays showed him clearly safe. Why is a comment like that even necessary?

New career high in Ks: 15. Two hits. No walks. No runs. Nine innings pitched. Minimum number of batters faced. Best. Game. Ever. What dead arm? Who doesn't have stamina? Who isn't the ace? In your face, nay-sayers!

Well, per the Baltimore Sun, Mr. Bedard is experiencing some arm fatigue.

Bedard not worried about fatigue

Perhaps not making the All-Star team was a blessing in disguise for Erik Bedard. The Orioles' ace acknowledged yesterday that he is going through a little bit of a "dead-arm" period, which affected him in his most recent start.

Bedard gave up six earned runs on five hits, including a career-high three home runs, and four walks in Monday's series opener. He acknowledged he had no command of his pitches, and the velocity on his fastball was down to around 91 or 92 mph from between 93 to 95 mph.

"Normally, when I throw that, it's pretty easy, but the other day it didn't feel the same," Bedard said.

Bedard makes his final start before the All-Star break Saturday against the Texas Rangers. Asked whether he is concerned, Bedard said: "No. It happens every year."

Doesn't sound like he's too concerned about it, but, ugh. He's got arm fatigue, Daniel needs directions to the strike zone, Trachsel's got a pain in the butt, Guthrie is destined to come down to earth at some point, and Burres is still learning and shaky. I guess I'm not totally worried because I've been impressed with how the team has just chugged along lately regardless of all the issues and injuries.

And inexplicably, I cannot get that Elton John song out of my head now. Been driving me crazy for two or three days. "Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane...I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain..." There are other people I'd send to Spain before Daniel, but he's rapidly getting on the list.

Great. I like Guthrie as much as anyone, but, Jay, come on. I could deal with, "He's basically been our co-ace."

As much as Payton's comment annoys me, the picture on this page makes it all worth it. I'm also amused at the mental image of a sniffly Bedard looking in the mirror and chanting, "You ARE an Ace, Erik. Payton's a big fat stupid. You ARE an Ace, Erik. Payton's a big fat stupid."

I am going to say something nice about A-Rod. At least the arrogant #($&(#&$# knows and respects good pitching when he sees it.

"Bedard is always tough against us, so it's nothing we haven't seen before," Alex Rodriguez said. "He threw the [stuffing] out of the ball."

And as much as I loathe A-Rod and the Yankees, that's high praise from a major hitter.

I really wasn't trying to be a tease!  But livejournal is being an enormous pain for me right now.  I have several pictures to share, but all my posts are turning into unholy messes and livejournal is kicking me out at every opportunity...so I'm going to have to wait until I have a little time to figure this out.  However, let me at least share this:



More to come...if the evil livejournal doesn't do me in first...Perhaps the power of Bedard the White will set things right.