Christmas is coming

Christine and I gave up our Saturday with Trent to go on some official business: buy Christmas presents for relatives and put in a good word for our little guy to Santa Claus.

On our travels, we saw lots of Phillies ornaments, including Santa as a Phillie, Phillies candy canes and Wally the Green Monster. Wait ... how did that get in there? I dunno, but somehow, a mall ornament stand in South Jersey was well stocked with ornaments of the Red Sox mascot, but none of the Phillie Phanatic.

We told the big guy that Trent probably wouldn't want a Wally.

Fenway funland

Venerable Fenway Park is turning into Citizens Bank Park: They're adding a barbecue smokehouse and a Wally's World amusement area for kiddies:

Wally's World at Fenway Park: Is a new area for kids that will operate from the middle of the 2nd inning though the end of the 7th. It's on Yawkey Way and the activities includes games for kids (skee ball, ring toss, speed pitch, etc.) along with kid-friendly concessions.

There will be video game consoles, screens with the game on and you can get coupons for 20 percent off kids merchandise at the team store. Wally himself will be there during the third and fourth innings.

Normally, this would appall me. But I'm a new dad, so I reserve judgment.

Eight years ago today, Christine made my life complete. Usually, we head out of town on our anniversary week, but because our life is a little more complete this year, we're just staying home. Last year's pecan pancakes in Savannah sounds nice, but I'm perfectly happy eating at the Italian place around the corner and hanging with my lovely bride and our adorable baby boy.

Today's games: The Red Sox lost to the A's 6-4. The Phillies and Cardinals are tied at 1 in the 6th.

The Phanatic's long-lost brother

I can't decide what's more surprising: that the Yankees had a mascot named Dandy who I never heard about, or that I agree with George Steinbrenner about something (that mascots don't belong in baseball).

Although, my anti-mascot stance has weakened after being around the Phanatic so much.

Kudos to the Wall Street Journal for unearthing this nugget about the Yankees secret mascot, who was cut from the same cloth as the Phillies iconic green furball. I know I was just a toddler when this thing roamed the upper deck at Yankee Stadium, but I can't believe he didn't become part of Yankee lore. To me, he's more impressive than that mystique and aura crap New Yorkers used to toss around.

But the Yankees consider him a bigger dud than Hideki Irabu, Eddie Whitson and Carl Pavano:

The biggest bust in Yankees history was 7 feet tall, made $40 every home game and spent most of his brief career in the upper deck.

From 1979 to 1981, the Yankees employed a mascot named Dandy. He was big and blue and a spectacular failure—a historical oddity for a proud franchise that has collected 27 world championships but would just as soon forget he even existed. Which, to be fair, isn't terribly difficult to do.

"It's one of the sadder stories," said Wayde Harrison, who created Dandy with his wife, Bonnie Erickson.

The story is worth a read.

Not so dandy: I fully expected Roy Halladay to dispatch the Empire in his Cy Young matchup against CC Sabathia, but he struggled. In the 7th, Yankees 6, Phillies 3.

Red Sox: Clay Buchholz fared a little better than Doc, but he better step it up if he wants to fulfill all the All-Star buzz that has been surrounding him. In the 6th, Red Sox 6, Diamondbacks 3. In the battle of the Drew brothers, slight edge to Stephen who is 1-3 with a run and a stolen base. J.D. is 2-3 with no extracurricular stats.

[Photo credit: Wall Street Journal]