Other than the occasional political comment or plug for his wife's book, SoxandPhil Curt Schilling has been sort of quiet lately. Judging by how he ended a recent interview with Dan Patrick in this week's Sports Illustrated, the 2004 hero seems to be out of practice when it comes to speaking to the media. {Out of practice? Please. That interview was pure Curt Schilling. He knew exactly what he was doing and how he was saying it.}
He tried to make it clear that he does not think he is bigger than the game and just fortunate to have played for some great teams at some great times, but he failed and came out with this:
"I was part of some of the greatest moments in the sport. I can remember sitting on the bench in 1993 with John Vukovich watching Joe Carter hit that home run. I was obviously devastated, but not initially. My first thought was 'Oh, my God! I just witnessed one of the greatest moments in the history of the game. How cool? Oh, my God, we just lost!' I love the game."
I'm sure 2008 erased a lot of the Joe Carter-induced pain for Phillies fans, but I can't imagine them liking that attitude. Can you picture David Ortiz saying how cool it was to watch Aaron Boone end the 2003 ALCS? I can't.
I cannot believe that quote has not caused an uproar around here yet. Maybe, as the Inquirer points out in today's series, it's because Citizens Bank Park has ushered in a new era for the Phillies.
The last time Christine and I went to Camden Yards, we were disappointed. It has not aged well and does not compare with Citizens Bank. We should be grateful:
The Phillies' timing was fortunate. By waiting eight years before jumping onto the retro bandwagon launched by 1992's opening of Baltimore's Camden Yards, they were better able to tailor the ballpark to a vision that was far more fan-focused than when the Vet debuted in 1971.
Things might have turned out differently. In the late 1980s, the Phillies wanted to remodel the Vet, which would have meant no shiny ballpark today:
Right about then, team president Bill Giles visited Camden Yards.
"Once we saw that," Montgomery said, "we said, 'Uh-uh. We need to change the focus here. We have to look for a new facility.'"
The rest is history and the Phillies have filled their new park with stars like Jim Thome, Ryan Howard and Joe Mauer. Joe Mauer?
The other night, we were playfully discussing the Twins star's new contract, and Christine, out of sheer loyalty for Carlos Ruiz, said she would rather keep Chooch than add Mauer.
Charlie Manuel has my back on this one:
Manuel raved about Mauer after watching the Twins catcher go 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
"We might be able to find a place in our lineup for him," Manuel said. "A couple of years ago, we were at the winter meetings and I was sitting with some [Minnesota] guys, and we got in an argument. I said I'd like to see him pull some balls. Last year, when he started hitting some bombs to right field, I got a message from one of the guys and he said, 'Hey, Charlie, is Mauer pulling the ball enough for you now?' He's special."
Today's post is all over the place. This blog is going to the (bull)dogs. No, Elvis Burrell has not returned, but Jonathan Papelbon's pooch, Boss, is accompanying the reliever to work today:
Never have been much of a morning person, which is a function of my [the Globe's Peter Abraham] job. But some things you can't help but notice no matter how
tired you are.
Such as Jonathan Papelbon walking into the clubhouse at 8:44 a.m. wearing wraparound black sunglasses with a three-legged bulldog on a leash. Now that got everybody's attention.
Boss is the dog that supposedly ate the 2007 World Series ball. Papelbon went back to his truck to get the dog's bed, so apparently Boss is here for the day.
Hmm, the Red Sox are playing the Rays on Tuesday. I don't know whether Papelbon is scheduled to pitch then, but if he faces off against Pat Burrell, can we please have temporary replacements? Boss vs. Elvis. Bulldog-a-bulldog. Bring it on.
No comments:
Post a Comment