Scott Hardy

My buddy Scott just got married today and he has been waiting for this moment all of his life. He is the consummate family man, and he has waited patiently for his true mate all his life. He has remained pure in body and spirit to the ripe old age of 29, which is unfathomable to me. Good luck to him and to his new bride.

Word of the Day

Brobdingnagian \brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn\
adjective:
Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.

Usage:
Rich, Dan, and Nick laid thier brobdingnagian sacks on the table for all to inspect.

Word of the Day

self·ish
self·ish [sélfish]adj
1. looking after own desires: concerned with your own interests, needs, and wishes while ignoring those of others
2. demonstrating selfishness: showing that personal needs and wishes are thought to be more important than those of other people

usage: The neighboring cottage at Mills Home was extremely selfish in staying on the beach trip an extra day, thereby ensuring that our cottage will have less time to spend there.

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

The Sox

Well, the Sox just got swept by the Tigers in the last three games before the all-star break. Halfway through the season and we are having quite the year so far. We are first in the majors with 53 wins and 34 losses. Too bad we didn't end the first half on a better note.
On the other side of things, the Yankmees are 10 games behind us at 42 wins and 43 losses. Yay.
Time to gear up for the most important month of the season for us. If we can maintain our lead on the Spankees then maybe they won't make the playoffs and we will take the division.
Sweet.
Round two here we come!

Word of the Day

Obstreperous \

1. uncontrollably noisy

2. stubbornly resistant to control

usage: Rich, you need to get control of your obstreperous wife.

Child - Care Work pt. 2

So there we were, living in a house full of teenage girls. Eight of them in fact, and we had no idea what we were doing. Just a sense that we were supposed to help those less fortunate then ourselves, and a need to feel like we were making a contribution. Some sort of payback for the help that we had received over the years. That is not to say that Molly nor I had a carefree childhood or that things came easily for us as young adults, but we never went without.
Not like some of these kids. It is hard to imagine unless you are born into it, or are related to someone who has these difficulties, that there are so many kids these days that are abused. We had all kinds of kids from all kinds of backgrounds in our care. It's also not like they are all from the same neighborhood either. There were poor Hispanic families, affluent white and black families, and a spattering of middle class families all represented in our cottage. We had societal orphans, kids in the Juvenile Justice system, and kids in DSS custody. Those that had been taken from their homes in the middle of the night because of abuse or neglect.
There was one girl who was 13 when we got there and she worked as a prostitute to help support her household. We had another whose family was so filled with strife that she resorted to cutting herself with razors to escape from it. Her self esteem was so low that she had intercourse with three boys that snuck into her room all in the same night.
Kids raped by family members.
There was one girl that was so mean she rallied the other residents against us and went after Molly (who was pregnant at the time) with a studded belt wrapped around her fist.
How is it that one of the richest and arguably the most powerful nations on the planet can't seem to care adequately for their own? I blame us for all this mess and those generations before us, that as time has gone on have seemed to care less and less for the proper raising of their youth. How do we decline so fast as a nation? Think about it, we are not even 250 yrs old! At this rate it will be a wonder if we still exist in another 250 years. Maybe Christ will come back before all of that happens and then we won't have to worry about it anymore.
More to come...

Word of the Day

n·go·ma [ əng gṓmə ] (plural n·go·mas)
noun East Africa
Definition:

1. drum: a traditional African drum
2. dance party: a social gathering for dancing
[Early 20th century. < Kiswahili, "dance, music"]

Word of the Day

allege
verb meaning to claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof.
-DERIVATIVES alleged >adjective allegedly >adverb.
-ORIGIN originally in the sense 'declare on oath': from Old French esligier, from Latin lis 'lawsuit'; confused in sense with Latin allegare 'allege'.

Child-care work

Ok. Lets talk about what it is that I do. I am a child-care worker. I work for Baptist Children's Homes of NC and have been there for nearly 5 years. I started doing this type of work when my wife decided out of the blue to quit her very good , very high paying job because she wasn't satisfied. We were living in Greenville, NC at the time. I was going to the local community college and working next door at Lowe's Hardware running forklifts and unloading trucks and such. Molly kept running across this child-care worker position at Boys and Girls Homes of NC and she called about it. Well she drove down for and interview with my blessing not really thinking anything was going to come out of it. She didn't know anything about being a houseparent. Nevermind taking care of a house full of rowdy, disadvantaged youth. Well, she never came back. To stay that is. She got the job on the spot. She came back to Greenville to pack her stuff and was headed to Lake Waccamaw. I was hired, sight unseen, to work with her as a couple and when I finished my semester at the community college, I quit Lowe's and moved down there too. Let me tell you, nothing that you can do will prepare you for the job of taking care of a house full of teenagers. Not even raising your own kids.
More to come...

Going home

My (lovely) wife is headed out of town today on a trip to Massachusetts. She is bringing Jordan and Jessica, of course, and will be staying with family most of the time she is up there. Her sister was kind enough and in the position where she could pay for a hotel room for them to stay in for a few days as well. I guess I will be a bachelor for the week. I'm not quite sure what that is going to mean for me. I will be working all sorts of hours at the Drive-Thru this week. My boss will be away, as well as the other guy that works most of the hours when I am not there. My friend Scott has asked that I help him move some furniture that belongs to his girlfriend into his house sometime this week. I will surely help out with that. Rich and Caroline have also recruited me to help them do some painting in their home as well. They claim they have never painted before and frankly the thought of those two with paint, rollers, foam brushes, and other various tools unsupervised scares me. JK. Love those two. Anyway, I am sure I will be busy enough this week that it will preclude me from causing or getting into trouble. Unless of course there will be beer somewhere at this painting party and then it's on. Hand me the camel hair cause Michelangelo is back in town!

But you Didn't

I looked at you and smiled the other day
I thought you saw me but you didn't
I said "I love you" and waited for what you would say
I thought you'd hear me but you didn't
I asked you to come outside and play catch with me
I thought you would follow me but you didn't
I drew a picture just for you to see
I thought you would save it but you didn't
I made a fort for us in the woods
I thought you'd camp with me but you didn't
I found some worms n such for fishing if we could
I thought you'd want to go but you didn't
I needed you just to talk to, my thoughts to share
I thought you'd want to but you didn't
I told you about the game hoping you'd be there
I thought you'd surely come but you didn't
I asked you to share my youth with me
I thought you'd want to but you couldn't
My country called me to war, you asked me to come home safely
But I didn't

Stan Gebhardt

Regular season softball finished

Well, although we only won one game out of sixteen, we played our hearts out everyday, and had a great time of fellowship and bonding with the staff on this campus. Our last game that we played happened to be our most heartbreaking loss of the season. We were up 14 to 4 in the third inning and in the fourth the other team apparently remembered how to hit. They scored 14 runs in the 4th inning. We scored 3 runs in the 5th when game time ran out, and left the tying and possibly winning runs on base. Final score 18-17. I felt like I got hit by a truck when I left that field. But after a few hours of reflection and a good nights sleep, I felt better about the whole thing. I figure if the winning and losing didn't affect me one way or another, then there would be no point in playing the sport to begin with. We are in a tournament of sorts this month. We already played and lost the first of a double elimination round. Our next game is on 7/9/07. If we can pull out a win, we can advance. If we lose, we play next year. Anyway, have a great night all!

2 A.M.

My wife looks like an angel when she sleeps.

Random Molly moments to make you smile # 2

Molly and I were at Emerald Isle. I had double parked our van in front of Food Lion so she could just run in and get a couple of things. So she stops before going in and she is looking at this vending machine in front of the store. It is one of those water machines that you put a quarter in and you put an empty jug under the spout and refill your jug. She kind of cocked her head to the side like an animal does when it is contemplating something or trying to figure something out. Well I knew something good was about to happen. Sure enough, she plopped that quarter in the slot and pressed the button expecting this gallon of water to magically appear from some secret water vault underground. Now for those of you who know my wife you know how loud she squealed when cold water came shooting out of the spicket all over legs and feet. She must have spun twice and jumped three feet into the air. Some other random guy parked in his pickup truck near Molly was shaking, he thought it was so funny. He must have seen the entire thing unfold as well.
What a great start to our day!
Ahh, Good times.

Random Molly moments to make you smile

This one time Molly and I were working at a Children's home in Lake Waccamaw, NC and living with 8 elementary age boys. Well, one day Molly was outside with one of the boys who was suspended from school. There are several hundred pecan trees that cover that campus and they were dropping pecans all over the ground at the time. She was having him pick them up near the house and collect them in a bucket so we could use them in the kitchen. Well, she was helping him pick them up and pointing to little piles of nuts everywhere for him to pick up and I was walking nearby. Now, knowing that when my wife is focused on the task at hand, she can get very intense. I bent over and picked up a pecan and threw it in her direction. It landed about a foot on front of her and she squealed. Thats right, she squealed. She picked it up and put it in her bucket and kept pressing on and never noticed that I was standing 20 feet away nor did she realize that I threw it at her. Being the loving, caring, compassionate, and hard working individual that I am, I decided that I couldn't let the opportunity for me to help her collect pecans to pass me by. So I started to pick them up around me and throw them at my wife still working diligently 20 feet away.

"Ooo look, another one." , "another one!", "*shriek!*", " *squeal!*".

At this point I was laughing so hard I almost wet myself watching her running around in little circles chasing after these little phantom nuts that seemed to be falling from the sky like manna from heaven. I don't think she even realized that there wasn't a tree close enough to her to be producing all of these nuts for her. It finally registered that someone was laughing nearby and when she figured out what I had been doing she threw all the pecans back at me.
Hilarious.
Only Molly.

Molly - My wife, my best friend.

Where to begin...





How do I love thee let me count the ways;


One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand...





Molly.
I sure do appreciate her.
She tries hard to be Betty Crocker, Suzy Homemaker, Martha Stewart, Heidi Fleiss, and Supermom every day. She has more projects in motion and unfinished than I will probably ever complete in my life. She has fantastic aspirations and wonderful dreams for herself and her family. Here are some things that I know about the amazing woman that is Molly.

She is a spiritual leader. If you are down and out, looking for comfort, and willing to share yourself with her, there is no better person on Earth to talk to.

She is very strong in her Christian faith. She loves Jesus and it shows in her daily walk. You won't have to know her for long before you can see the bond that she has with her risen Lord.

She loves with all of her heart. She gives when there is nothing else to give. She is fiercly loyal to her friends and family, and won't let them be taken advantage of.

She is enthusiastic and laughs alot. She has a tremendous sense of humor and delights in simple things. It does not take much to make her happy.

She would rather teach or play some silly game or read to our son than do pretty much anything else. As a stay at home mother, she has the luxury of spending oodles of quality time with him.

I cannot say how deeply that I love her and what a blessing it is to have her in my life.

Redsox Timeline

1901
-
Denton True "Cy" Young -- More commonly known as "Cy," the big right hander spent nearly 20 years in the big leagues and set the pitching standard for all of baseball to follow. He was the only pitcher in baseball's first 100 years to win 500 games, including three no-hit shutouts and a perfect game on May 5, 1904.


1907
-
Tris Speaker -- "Spoke" was born in a center fielder's mold, which he broke soon after he retired in 1928. Nobody manning center field has been able to recreate it since.


1908
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Smokey Joe Wood -- He arrived in Boston at the end of the 1908 season with a load of talent in his right arm, making him the successor of the great Cy Young.


1912
-
Fenway Park Opens. Built on his own land in the Fenway section of Boston, John Taylor, moved his Boston Red Sox from the Huntington Avenue Grounds, which they leased, to Fenway Park in 1912. The new stadium was built specifically for the Red Sox.
One writer called it "Louis and Dempsey in spiked shoes." Walter Johnson was the champion and "Smokey" Joe Wood was the challenger in one of the most hyped pitching matchups in baseball history.


1914
-
Babe Ruth -- You'll rarely find a name in baseball recognized by so many people. From his portly physique to his legendary swing, to his affection for fans, George Herman "Babe" Ruth has often been called the best baseball player of all time.


1915
-
The 1915 World Series was marked by the strong hitting performances of the legendary Sox outfield of Duffy Lewis, Tris Speaker and Harry Hooper. After dropping Game 1, the Sox won the next four to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies for the championship.


1916
-
Babe Ruth was the season and World Series hero, with a 23-12 regular season record and a 1.75 ERA. In Game 2 of the Series, Ruth pitched a 14-inning, complete game 2-1 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers, while the Sox went on to take the Series four games to one for the second straight year. The Sox played their World Series games in 1915 and 1916 in the new and larger capacity National League Braves Field on Commonwealth Avenue, which held 40,000 fans.


1918
-
Babe Ruth extended his streak to 29 2/3 scoreless World Series innings, a record that stood until 1961, and also tied for the league lead with 11 home runs. In the World Series against the Chicago Cubs, Ruth and Carl Mays each won two games to lead the Sox to their fourth world championship in seven years.


1920
-
Babe Ruth is sold to the New York Yankees.


1933
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Tom Yawkey -- Tom Yawkey took over a struggling Boston franchise in 1933 and spent the following four decades building a successful ballclub that mirrored the passion of its owner.


1934
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Lefty Grove -- He came to the Red Sox with a resumé that was as impressive as the fastball his left arm uncorked.


1935
-
Joe Cronin -- If ever there was a man who deserved to be called "Mr. Baseball," it was Joe Cronin. His playing career as a shortstop began in 1926 in Pittsburgh. In 1928, Cronin joined the Washington Senators and was appointed player/manager in 1933, capturing his first pennant that year.


1936
-
Jimmy Foxx -- At first glance it would appear Jimmie Foxx and Fenway Park were made for each other. In fact, on his arrival in Boston after owner Tom Yawkey purchased the big first baseman from Philadelphia, Foxx said, "My dream has come true."


1937
-
Bobby Doerr -- Although he played in the shadow of players like Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx, Bobby Doerr has to be considered one of the greatest Red Sox players ever. During his 14 year Hall of Fame career, Doerr established himself as one of the most productive and consistent second basemen of his era.


1939
-
Ted Williams -- Considered by many to be the greatest hitter to ever play the game of baseball, Ted Williams is a true personification of the Red Sox mystique. He amassed 521 home runs, including a dramatic farewell homer on his last at bat in 1960.


1941
-
"Teddy Ballgame" Goes .406. In just his third year, at only 23 years of age, Ted Williams went into the last day of the 1941 season hitting .3996, an average that officially rounds up to .400.

1942
-
Johnny Pesky -- If anyone can say he eats, sleeps and breathes Red Sox baseball it is Johnny Pesky. Pesky started his Red Sox career in 1942 and with a few years off here and there, it has never ended.

1947
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Mel Parnell -- He is the winningest left-hand pitcher in Red Sox history and prior to the emergence of the hard-throwing "Rocket" Roger Clemens in the '80s and '90s, it was Mel Parnell who stood second on the Red Sox all-time wins list, second only to the immortal Cy Young.

1953
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A Record Breaking Day. Giving new meaning to the term 7th inning stretch, the Red Sox scored 17 runs in one inning against the Detroit Tigers

1955
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Frank Malzone -- Not since the World War I days of Larry Gardner (1908-1917) had the Red Sox seen so reliable a third baseman as they had in Frank Malzone.

1960
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Carl Yastremski -- In 1961, a highly touted rookie from Long Island, NY stepped into the hallowed shadow of Fenway's left field wall to guard an area just vacated by a legend.

A "Parting Shot" -- Never has an athlete finished in such style. In his last at bat of a Hall of Fame career, Ted Williams sent 10,454 fans into a frenzy when he launched a 1-1 pitch from Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Jack Fisher high into the damp gray sky and into the Red Sox bullpen for a home run.

1963
-
Rico Petrocelli -- Rico Petrocelli joined the Boston Red Sox in 1965 as a shortstop that would develop a powerful stroke at the plate. His bat guided him into numerous categories of the club's record books but it was his family that guided him as a person.

1964
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Tony Conigliaro -- He was a hometown hero with a home-run swing and a Hollywood-handsome face. "Tony C," as he became known to fans, burst onto the baseball scene in Fenway Park in 1964, taking 24 homers over the "Green Monster" in 111 games while batting .290.

1967
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Making his major league debut in Yankee Stadium, 21-year-old lefty Billy Rohr came within one out of pitching a no-hitter. An Elston Howard single to left with two outs in the ninth ruined the rookie's shot at immortality, but his unforgettable performance will live forever in Red Sox lore.

Yaz and "The Impossible Dream." Has there ever been a better example of the cream rising to the top? With the Sox fighting for their first pennant in 21 years, Carl Yastrzemski picked up his team, placed it squarely on his back and carried them to "The Impossible Dream", that was 1967.

1969
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Carlton Fisk -- Carlton Fisk was in control from the start. He was a big, rugged, powerful presence both behind the plate and over it, in a Red Sox career that lasted a decade.

1971
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Luis Tiant -- Snatched from the minors during the 1971 season, Luis Taint resurrected his career and a pitching staff during the 1970's. After a 1-7 record in 1971, "El Tiante" re-discovered his magic the next year and went 15-6. Three 20 win seasons, a trip to the World Series, and countless chants of "Loo-ie, Loo-ie" followed.

1972
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Dwight Evans -- Dwight Evans patrolled the spacious right field of Fenway Park with a special combination of grit and hustle mixed with a rifle of an arm. He was a confident outfielder who loved to hit the ball.

1974
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Fred Lynn -- In 1975, a rookie from USC made baseball history while carving out a place in the hearts of Red Sox fans. Fred Lynn's classic swing and spectacular center field play earned him both the 1975 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Awards, an accomplishment that had neither been done before nor done since.

Jim Rice -- In the amazing fraternity that is left field at Fenway Park, it was only fitting that Jim Rice would continue the saga started by Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski before the famed green wall.

1975
-
A Rookie Ignites. Years before Robert Redford starred as "The Natural," a kid from California joined the Red Sox and played with such style and grace that it seems Roy Hobbs was patented after him. Fred Lynn started his first full season in 1975, and went on to set history as the only player to be both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Bernie Carbo's Biggest Hit. It remains as the greatest World Series game ever played. Baseball's two finest teams, both loaded with talent, locked horns for the 1975 Fall Classic: the Boston Red Sox vs. the Cincinnati Reds. Never has a World Series game encompassed everything baseball can be: dramatic defense, clutch hitting and extra inning heroics.

Carlton Fisk Makes History. If there was ever a game to use as a measuring stick for which future World Series games will be compared, it is Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Stellar defense, clutch hitting, extra inning theatrics and World Series pressure, all underscored by the nostalgic backdrop of Fenway Park, set the stage for a game that will never be forgotten.

Bucky Dent Prevails. In any other park, Bucky Dent's three-run home run likely would have been a routine fly ball for an out. But in Boston's Fenway Park, which isn't always friendly to the Olde Town Team, it was the final nail that sealed the coffin of the Red Sox' 1978 season.

1979
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Yaz Hits Number 3,000. A soft ground ball made a path through the infield, out of the reach of defender's gloves and into the plush green grass of Fenway. It was a defining moment of the game, a quiet single that reminded us of how simple baseball could be and a monumental statistic that told the story of a ballplayer for the ages.

1983
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Carl Yastrzemski's Last Game -- Yaz Day. "New England," he said. " I love you." Carl Yastrzemski was ready to play the last game of an amazing Red Sox career. It was "Yaz Day" at Fenway Park. A late summer afternoon where the hard-working left fielder would stand before the shadow of the "Green Monster" for the last time.

1986
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The Rocket mows down 20. Red Sox manager John McNamara said it was the most awesome display of pitching he had ever seen. On a Tuesday night in April of 1986, Red Sox right-hander Roger Clemens shot down a record number of Seattle Mariners to break the Major League record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game.

Dave Henderson's Game Five Homer. Anaheim was preparing for a history's worth of celebration. Its Angels were one out away from the World Series, one strike from adding another chapter to the book of Red Sox playoff misfortunes and one moment away from labeling Dave Henderson as the goat of Game 5 in the American League Championship Series of 1986.

1987
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It was an unsatisfying season team-wise, as Boston followed its 1986 pennant by going 78-84. However, there were some terrific individual performances. Roger Clemens solidified his second consecutive Cy Young award by earning win No. 20 on the final day of the season. Wade Boggs won his third consecutive batting title, and fourth in five years. The hitting machine also set a career high in homers with 24.

1988
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The Red Sox made a managerial change after the All-Star break, as coach Joe Morgan took over for John McNamara. The Red Sox ripped off victories in Morgan's first 12 games, and 19 out of his first 20. They also won 24 in a row at home. The period became known as "Morgan Magic", and culminated with the Red Sox winning their second division title in three years. The joy ended there, as Boston was swept by the A's in four straight in the ALCS. On an individual note, Wade Boggs won his fifth batting title and Mike Greenwell finished second to Jose Canseco in AL MVP voting.

1990
-
In one of the most memorable plays in Red Sox history, Tom Brunansky made a diving catch in the right field corner to save the final game of the regular season and clinch the AL East for the Sox. It was Boston's third division title in five years. However, the Sox were again swept by the A's in the ALCS, extending their postseason losing streak to 10 games.

1991
-
Roger Clemens won his third and final Cy Young in a Red Sox uniform by going 18-10 with a 2.62 ERA. He also registered 241 strikeouts. Despite a second-place finish, manager Joe Morgan was fired the day after the season. He was replaced by former Sox third baseman Butch Hobson.

1995
-
Kevin Kennedy took over the managerial reins from Butch Hobson, and Boston proved to be one of the surprise stories in baseball. The Sox won the AL East with a record of 86-58. Mo Vaughn emerged into a superstar, earning AL MVP honors. Tim Wakefield was plucked off the scrap heap by GM Dan Duquette and shocked the baseball world by beginning the season 14-1. However, the Red Sox were again swept out of the playoffs, this time by the Indians in three games in the newly formatted Division Series. It brought Boston's postseason losing streak to 13 games.

1996
-
In his final season with the Red Sox, Roger Clemens tied his own Major League record by registering 20 strikeouts against the Tiger on Sept. 18. The Red Sox made a late wild-card bid, but fell short. Mo Vaughn had the best statistical season of his career, smashing 44 homers and driving in 143 runs. Manager Kevin Kennedy was fired shortly after the season, and replaced by Jimy Williams.

1997
-
The Red Sox were treated to the arrival of a rookie named Nomar Garciaparra, who immediately turned into a superstar. The dynamic shortstop won Rookie of the Year honors by hitting .306 with 122 runs, 209 hits, 44 doubles, 11 triples, 30 homers, 98 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. But the season was a disappointment, as Boston went 78-84 in Jimy Williams' first season as manager.

1998
-
After acquiring star right-hander Pedro Martinez in the winter, the Red Sox produced their first 90-win season since 1996. The 92-70 finish was good enough to vault them into the playoffs as the AL Wild Card. There was no sophomore jinx for Nomar Garciaparra, as he finished second in AL MVP balloting. The Red Sox snapped their postseason losing streak of 13 games by clubbing the Indians in Game 1. Mo Vaughn blasted two homers, pacing an 11-3 victoy. The Red Sox were eliminated by losing the next three games. Vaughn, a free agent after the season, signed a six-year contract with the Anaheim Angels.

1999
-
Without Mo Vaughn, the Red Sox were not without hope. In fact, the Red Sox improved upon their win total from the season before, finishing 94-68. Jimy Williams was named AL Manager of the Year. Nomar Garciaparra won his first batting title. Pedro Martinez was the best pitcher in baseball, going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts. The Sox again won the AL Wild Card. They also won their first postseason series since 1986, rallying back from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Indians in five games. Martinez was heroic in the Game 5 clincher, tossing six no-hit innings out of the bullpen despite an injury to his right shoulder. Boston lost the ALCS to the Yankees in five games.

2000
-
Nomar Garciaparra earned his second consecutive batting title. Pedro Martinez earned his third Cy Young award in four years. But it wasn't enough to get the Red Sox to the playoffs for a third consecutive season. Boston finished 85-77, 2 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

2001
-
The Red Sox signed superstar slugger Manny Ramirez off the free agent market. Ramirez's impact was felt immediately. He clubbed a three-run homer in the first pitch he saw in a home uniform at Fenway Park. On April 4, Hideo Nomo pitched Boston's first no-hitter since 1965. The start against the Orioles at Camden Yards was Nomo's first in a Boston uniform. But injuries to Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez and Jason Varitek decimated any chance Boston had of qualifying for postseason. Manager Jimy Williams was fired on Aug. 16 and replaced by pitching coach Joe Kerrigan. The Red Sox went 17-26 the rest of the way.

2002
-
The Red Sox began a new era, as the ownership group led by John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino officially took over on Feb. 27. The next day, GM Dan Duquette was fired and replaced on an interim basis by Mike Port. On March 5, Joe Kerrigan was fired as manager. He was replaced on March 11 by Grady Little, who had formerly been a coach in Boston under Jimy Williams. The Red Sox went 93-69 under Little, but missed the playoffs for the third straight year. Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe gave the Sox their first 20-win tandem since 1949. The highlight of the season was Lowe's no-hitter at Fenway on April 27 against the Devil Rays. Manny Ramirez, despite missing six weeks with a fractured left index finger, won his first batting title.

2004
-
It is a season that will live on forever in the minds of Red Sox fans. After a 98-win regular season -- the most victories posted by the club since 1978 -- the Sox, led by stellar performances from Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez and newly acquired Curt Schilling, went into the postseason as the American League Wild Card entry. They swept the Angels in the Division Series. The Sox were nearly swept out of the American League Championship Series, trailing the Yankees, 3-0, in the best-of-seven series. But that was when they officially became historymakers, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to recover from a 3-0 deficit. After thumping the Yankees in seven games, the Sox swept the Cardinals for their first World Series championship in 86 years. Ramirez was named MVP of the Series.
2005
-
It's tough to follow a dream season, but the Red Sox did their best in 2005. Retooling in the offseason by bringing in veteran starters David Wells and Matt Clement, the Sox were primed to repeat as world champs. After a stop-and-start first two months, Boston reclaimed first place in the American League East on June 24, and held the top spot for most of the second half of the season. David Ortiz was the lynchpin of the offense, putting together a season (.300, 47 HR, 147 RBIs) that would see him finish second in American League MVP voting. Outfielder Manny Ramirez threw together another stellar year, hitting 45 home runs and driving in 144. After hobbling into the playoffs in the final weekend, a banged-up Sox pitching staff couldn't hold off the eventual World Series-winning White Sox, and Boston fell in an AL Division Series sweep.

2006
-
It looked like the Red Sox were primed to play postseason baseball for a fourth consecutive October. Led by perhaps the best defense in team history, manager Terry Francona’s team bolted out to a 59-36 record and led the American League East by 3 ½ games on July 21. But the bottom fell out of after that, as the team was decimated by injuries to key players such as Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon and Tim Wakefield and went 27-40 the rest of the way. However, the season still had plenty of excitement, none bigger than David Ortiz setting a club record with 54 homers. Jonathan Papelbon (0.92 ERA) established himself as an elite player in his rookie season. Curt Schilling bounced back from his injury-marred 2005 with 15 wins. Boston’s .98910 fielding percentage was the best in Major League history.

Information courtesy of Redsox.com

The sporting world

First and foremost I need for everyone to understand that I am above all, a sports fan, not just a team fan. I am passionate and loyal to my local and hometown sports teams and will be forever a fan for as long as I live. I follow the other teams as well and even if my team is on the wrong end of the competition, I appreciate the sport in and of itself. That being said, I am going to blog each week about the sporting week as it applies to me, and any noteworthy happenings.
So look out!
Blogging to commence presently.

Blogging: Day 2

Yea, this is pretty cool. I spent the majority of the morning reading my friends Rich and his wife Caroline's respective blogs. Boy, they have a lot to say let me tell you. All very interesting stuff.

It is funny to me that in general conversation it can be hard to guage the intelligence of the person that you are speaking with. But when you read their personal thoughts and how they express themselves on paper or the screen it gives you a better perspective.

Which leads me to my friends Rich and Caroline. Caroline is more verbally articulate than Rich, as are more women than men. Rich sounds more like a good ol' boy. His words can be simple and few, but don't let him fool you. There is depth to Rich than most will not see if you don't get to know him.

I have decided to dedicate a blog about a person per week that is special in my life somehow. It may not have any particular direction to it, but just thoughts, observations, feelings, and experiences surrounding our relationships.

I am excited about this journey I am about to take and I can only pray that I can bring some along with me.

My Inaugural Rant

Inaugural. Why use such a big word? Does it make me sound smarter? Sometimes I don't feel very smart. Maybe possessing a large vocabulary and coupling that with proper use of the Enlish language is the only leg up I have on most people. It is how I feel sometimes.
I have been at work for the majority of the day and am feeling supremely taken advantage of. The part-time job that I have is a good one. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that I have someone willing to employ me part-time every other week while pretty much allowing me to set my own schedule. I work at a drive-through convenience store and I have made the place very much my own. I was hired originally three years ago by different owners. They were on their way out and I filled the hours they needed to secure new ownership and see themselves out the door. I have been there for nearly three years now. A year longer than the current owner. It was an awful transition and a lot of the customer base left when the store changed hands. I won't get into all of the reasons why, but I know that I am probably the reason that he was able to even keep the store open after the first year. I knew all of the customers. I helped the new guy reorganize the entire store. I told him the kind of products that we needed to get in the store and keep in the store to attract new customers (i.e. expanded wine selection, assorted micro-brews, high gravity beer, etc...). I painted the interior myself and re-arranged the signage while I was working a 15-hour shift one Saturday and my boss was in the Bahamas. Needless to say I am invested. Customers come in just to see me. But I am considering quitting.
I don't really want to, but none else seems to give a rip about the place but me. I come in for a shift and the place always looks like a trailer park after a tornado hits. Noone cleans up after themselves. Every trash can is always fill. I swear the floor did not see a broom since the last shift I worked. The boss employs his significant other's son to work the morning hours. I am being as tactful as possible by saying the kid is an idiot. He can't count so the register is always off. He refuses to clean anything let alone re-stock anything. He tells customers that we are out of things that we aren't rather than take a couple of minutes and walk to the storage cooler and see what we have. Sometimes the have come in later in the day when I am here and asked for the same item and I have had it to give to them. The customers tell me this. That's not even all. I just don't have all of the words necessary to tell all that he does and doesn't do. How does the owner not see that this kid is driving the customers away.
The owner is never here. He will leave the store for days and come in just to pick up the money from previous days business. He doesn't get orders in on time. We have a regular customer base that come in every day and expect for us to have what they have been buying from us each time they come in. It is inexcusable for me to have to tell someone that we don't have their wine or beer because the ones responsible for ordering those items neglected to do so. All I can do is shrug my shoulders and say I will do my best to see that we have it next time and watch them drive off to Walmart or the store across the street. I can't ask for a raise because the store doesn't make enough. He doesn't work the store himself he would rather pay out his earnings in labor.
Well I need to start getting the store ready to close. I need so set myself up for success (imagine that!) since I am going to open up tomorrow.
Sweet.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling