Baseball Jargon Pet Peeve.

Look, I'm happy, nay, THRILLED that the Red Sox are righting their little post-break slide (freefall?), but the grammar nazi that I am can't help but shudder at the improper use of baseball terminology. Last night, David Ortiz did NOT hit a walk-off homerun to win the game. To do that, there had to have been at least one runner on base (the score was 2-2 before Ortiz came up to bat. The whole idea behind a walk-off is that the hitter doesn't need to cross home plate -- but in this case, Ortiz had to do just that to make the score officially 3-2 for the Boston win.

Late inning heroics are good and all, and Ortiz, steroids or no, is totes clutch, but walk-offs are a unique beast. Close enough is for horseshoes and hand grenades (oopah! I've been waiting--DYING even--to use that in my writing!), not walk-offs.

Rough Sports Time.

Sigh.

1. The Celtics's streak was again ended by the Lakers, and the Spurs beat them.
2. The Sharks beat the Bruins.
3. Duke got crushed by UNC tonight.
4. Roger lost the Australian to Rafa.
5. I never thought I'd say this: I think A-Rod is being unfairly targeted (although, I guess it is sort of a fruit of a poisonous tree type thing -- but still, having watched Bigger Stronger Faster*, I'm not so quick to judge -- wow I digress easily).
6. Michael Phelps... oh wait, he's always been a douche.

Baseball "Brawls."

I caught a bit of Doug Glanville on NPR this afternoon. He's a former baseball player who is currently writing a column for the New York Times. His most recent column is a 1st person rendering of that rare, but bizarre baseball event: the bench-clearing brawl.

His account is hilarious, mostly because I get the sinking feeling that he's not really embellishing. Baseball is kind of a dainty sport (ok, ok, genteel). Couple of tidbits he added on the radio that aren't in the piece:

• Why does the batter take his helmet off when he's charging the mound? (Glanville, you'll be happy to know, was smart enough to keep it on.)
• Some players, typically the stars of a team, are untouchable. Example: Manny Ramirez. He can admire his homeruns as much as he wants. No one is gonna drill him. Unknown batter #8? Watch your back.
  

And my favorite line:

What I found interesting was that instead of Perez and Byrd ripping each other’s hair out, they were locked together in a protective embrace, apologizing and praying to get out of this mass of humanity. Everyone within earshot was wondering why we all risked physical harm for a séance.

Lester.

Jon Lester rocks bunnies.

Belly.

From theOnion.com. Dear Lord! Cleveland, he's a good pitcher and all, but something tells me he could be better.

The Red Sox payroll is only #4.

Last year, when Boston won the world series, everyone talked about how the Red Sox had become the new Evil Empire, i.e., everything baseball fans despised about the Yankees. Apparently not everything. Heh.