The Fraser Faithful

Hello, Anyone

2009-03-17T20:45:00.002-04:00

Hello anyone, "DaveCo" here.

I was wondering how many people still visit this blog. I thought this might be a good opertunity to check in and give updates on ourselves if you still click this link every now and then.

I myself am still doing video stuff. i'm in my second year at the New England Insitute of Art in Brookline. I'm doing good thus far and my video-making skills have improved greatly. I'm also still working at LynnCAM part-time. Both of those are going pretty well for me currently. I can't wait until I can wokr there full-time though.

Otherwise I'm looking for freelance work, so **cheap plug time** if you guys or anyone you know need a cameraman or editor please send me an e-mail (DmstrDman20@aol.com). In my free time I've been making indpendent movies and a tv show on the side. if you guys are interested in the tv show we're currently making then here is the pilot: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=ABC6C031DB772726

So, overall I'm doing pretty good. So, leave some updates on yourselves here. I wanna try to organize something for everyone to go to and see everyone again in the near-future (for real this time), possibly the summer.

World Series Party?

2008-10-04T18:04:00.004-04:00

Victoria & I would be willing to host a playoff or World Series party again this year for the Fraser Faithful. Please spread the word & let us know if there's any ineterst.
Deb

So,who would be interested? Post here if you are......date to be posted at a latter date.
I, for one, would be.

EDIT: PARTY WILL BE AT 8 ON SATURDAY FOR GAME 3,SHOULD THE SOX WIN TONIGHT
EDIT AGAIN:Party is still on,Victoria still wants one. If you still wanna go either e-mail Deb Glidden or post here.

Nashua Pride Soap Opera At An End?

2008-09-26T21:29:00.004-04:00

Based on a Nashua City Council meeting last night, the Nashua Pride will be back, but might be renamed. Mr. Stabile did list the team for sale, and a new ownership group, with Dan Duquette (Pittsfield Dukes) and some other guys from the NECBL, will buy the team.

The last hurdle, renegotiating the lease with Nashua to let the owners put in some additional games with a military all-stars team ($1000 a pop) and up to 4 concerts ($2500 to the city). The new owners want the name to be the American Defenders, to stress the military tie-in--and have reportedly also signed for 3 years.

To follow this soap opera, go to nashuatelegraph.com, then click on Sports, and lastly click on Pride.

CanAm Playoffs Start Today

2008-09-03T11:44:00.002-04:00

Atlantic City @ Quebec
Worcester @ Sussex

Manny To LA.....thoughts?

2008-08-01T00:49:00.005-04:00

Me,Eric,and my family went up to Nashua for a game tonight. It was against Brockton and went into the 10th inning. Old friend Jamie Baker came in for Brockton for a couple of innings and held the Pride down....but they eventually played fundamental baseball and won the game on a walkoff single. It was fun up there,and me and Eric both enjoyed ourselves--I'd like to try to go to one more Can-Am game this summer before the season ends. Who's in? =]

Now......for some good discussion: What does everyone think of the Manny Ramirez trade?
Keep in mind that the Red Sox acquired outfielder Jason Bay from the Pirates and sent Manny to the Dodgers and outfielder Brandon Moss and RHP Craig Hansen to the Pirates in a three-team deal. While I think we should've got more then a decent outfielder out of all we gave up.......I'm pretty content with the trade.
It was evident he didn't want to play here the past few weeks and the mood in the clubhouse was definitly affected--and if the clubhouse is in a funk sometimes it carries over onto the field of play (wednesday night anyone?). Bay is a pretty good outfielder, and he is a decent hitter. He won't make up for Manny's bat in the order and won't make others fear him as bad-but at least he getds on base. At .282 Bay's hitting better then like half of the Sox,and has 64 RBI-making him 2nd on the team in that category. So he's a pretty good hitter,but like I said can't make up for what Manny brought.
Don't get me wrong,I love Manny. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have those trophys.......but now he was just another distraction the team didn't need,and it festered. I appreciate what he did and am happy he'll eventually go intot he hall of fame (anyone wanna disagree?) but this deal is good not only for the team,but for him too.

So when it's all said and done I'm happy we got the trade done and think Bay will do pretty good. So what do you guys think?

Crazy scheduling in the NECBL

2008-07-25T18:44:00.001-04:00

Link

Spirit alum watch

2008-06-29T01:36:00.000-04:00

Spirit alums in the Can-Am League

Brandon Martin

Vic Davilla

BROCKTON

Jamie Baker

John Kelly

NASHUA

Chris Torres

SUSSEX

Gary Galvez

Matt Bishop

WORCESTER

Shawn McNamara

Alex Trezza

BJ Weed

Spirit Alums in

AA
Chris Farley – Midland (Oakland)

New Navs Ads!

2008-06-20T13:35:00.003-04:00

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THEM!

Damn , it feels good to be from Boston.

2008-06-18T01:11:00.002-04:00

I love being a bandwagon Celtics fan!

Rest in Peace, Brother Tim

2008-06-14T14:18:00.001-04:00

Fail

2008-06-13T00:01:00.001-04:00

Another Little Game

2008-06-12T15:15:00.002-04:00

For fun,I'm wondering what everyones favorite call is (on the radio or TV). It can be from any sport and be from any time. If you wanna list more then one go ahead.

For fun,later on I may do a video including these calls in.
I'm already working on one with just strictly Boston sports calls.

Navs Opening Day!

2008-06-07T13:33:00.001-04:00

Check out reports from all the festivities over at the Navs blog.

A little game

2008-06-01T16:28:00.002-04:00

If you could go back in time and attend any 5 sporting events - all time, anywhere in the world - what would they be?

Don't look at others' answers before you post. Write the first five you can think of off the top of your head.

So,I Apeared In The Item Today...

2008-05-27T10:58:00.004-04:00

My story on me winning the Telly Award got into the Item today. If you didn't get it or don't usually get it then go to my blog to read it,if you want.

In other news,the Clancy Tournament was great ysterday....even though I wasn't there for all of the games yesterday. It looked like they had great baseball all day,and Joe did a great wrap-up of the day on the official Navs blog. =]

Official Navs blog launches

2008-05-24T17:27:00.002-04:00

This blog isn't going anywhere. I'll still be here, updating, talking about the wide world of baseball, the Navs, and Spirit alums.

But if you want in-depth coverage of the North Shore Navigators, my three fellow Sports Information interns and I have launced the Official North Shore Navigators blog.

That will be your source for inside information, stats, news, updates, and discussion about the Navs. Check us out!

CanAm final scores

2008-05-22T23:09:00.002-04:00

Wow. The Pride rallied back from a 6-0 3rd inning deficit to score a 10th inning walkoff win over the Rox. Luis Rodriguez hit the walkoff single off of Jamie Baker. Hooray old friends!

Speaking of old friends, Alex Trezza, BJ Weed & co. smashed Gary Galvez and the Sussex Skyhawks, 14-5.

Finally, Ottawa was rudely welcomed to the league, making 6 errors in their home debut and falling 6-0 to the Jackals.

Can-Am Opening Night live post

2008-05-22T19:28:00.007-04:00

I'll be checking in on CanAm games from time to time...

Looks like old friend Gary Galvez is starting for the Skyhawks, and he's picked up right where he's left off as Worcester is up 3-0 on Sussex in the first inning.

BJ Weed & Alex Trezza are on Worcester's roster but I haven't heard whether or not they are in the starting lineup.

Old nemesis Hideki Nagasaka is starting for Nashua against Brockton.

Atlantic City and Quebec got rained out up at Le Stade.

----

7:32 "Hi, this is Worcester Tornadoes catcher Alex Trezza and you're listening to the Worcester Tornadoes on WTAG." - just heard on the webcast

7:35 Francisco Lebron's 2run homer gives Brockton a 2-0 lead over Nashua in the 1st...

7:38 Trezza smoked a home run in the first as part of the 3-run outburst for the 'Nadoes

9:03 5-2 Worcester in the 6th (yay!), 7-2 Brockton over Nashua, also in the 6th (indifferent)

CanAm League Opening Day

2008-05-22T11:23:00.001-04:00

Atlantic City at Quebec - 7:05 p.m.
New Jersey at Ottawa - 7:05 p.m.
Brockton at Nashua - 7:05 p.m.
Worcester at Sussex - 7:00 p.m.

It's almost Navs time

2008-05-19T19:49:00.002-04:00

We had the first full staff meeting at Fraser Field. All the fun stuff is underway: contacting media outlets, getting the name out there, getting the mascot out there, doing ads and promotions.

What I can tell you is that the Navs have put together a committed and talented staff, the park looks great, and everyone is excited for the season to start.

I'll fill you in on more details when I get the chance.

The Red Sox indoors since 2003

2008-05-14T05:38:00.000-04:00

Pretty staggering stuff.
****

2003
@Tampa 5-5
@Toronto 4-5
@Milwaukee 2-1
@Minnesota 1-2

2004
@Toronto 5-5
@Tampa 6-3
@Minnesota 1-2

2005
@Toronto 3-6
@Tampa 4-5
@Minnesota 1-2

2006
@Toronto 3-7
@Tampa 3-7
@Minnesota 0-3

2007
@Toronto 5-4
@Minnesota 2-1
@Arizona 2-1
@Tampa 6-3

2008
@Minnesota 1-3
@Toronto 0-3
@Tampa 0-3

Something Different: Music Review - This Blue Heaven at Great Scott, 5/13/08

2008-05-14T05:18:00.006-04:00

Note: This is the first in what may or may not be a series of off-topic posts at the blog. Why? Cause it's my blog. Deal.

.

As you all know, most of my entertainment budget goes toward attending local sporting events. It's not that I don't have other interests, it's just that I often find the alternatives aren't worth the time or money - particularly when it comes to musical performances

The big time acts are so expensive that it needs to be someone that I really enjoy - and among major modern acts that list is pretty much limited to U2 and Muse. And the small local rock shows aren't really my scene even though I like indie rock just fine. For the most part I find most of the bands to be pretty good, but very noisy - and very few of them actually stand out from the rest.

But in October, I stumbled across a local band that truly did distinguish itself. This Blue Heaven, a Boston-based quintet, put on a splendid show at Boston College and instantly struck me with their deep, introspective lyrics and sweet melodies.

It's rare that I find a band that truly reflects my mood, but This Blue Heaven does just that. Their mixture of melancholy and bliss struck a chord with me. Their songs have the kind of lyrics that make you think and re-think their meaning for hours, combined with catchy hooks that also linger with you long after the show.

Thus, I sprung at the chance to catch them in person again at Great Scott in Allston. They did not disappoint.

This Blue Heaven are led by lead singer and songwriter MacKenzie Outlund, whose voice is powerful yet sweet; it sounds equally likely to come from a major radio star or the girl down the street who sings a mean national anthem.

She comes across as an awkward yet friendly, deep-thinking person, whose interactions get the crowd involved from the get-go. Her philosophy major background is evident in lyrics such as "the philosopher says there's no deeper despair / than remembering a future that will never be there."

Any group on the rise needs a likable leader, and Outlund is just that -she has the type of contagious on-stage personality necessary to help a small band from Boston take off.

To me, the backbone of the band's music is Aaron Rosenthal, the keyboard player, who adds effects whose moods can be chilling, relaxing, or very upbeat.

Stu Dietz does a solid job on guitar, while also occasionally contributing a deep, rich counterpoint to Outlund's lead vocals - most notable in the song "Insomnia," in which his voice helps create the ominous mood of a song about sleepless nights.

The group is rounded out by Mark Desrosiers, bassist and BC '08 (woo!), and drummer Brandon Erdos.

The band can rock with the best of them: they performed the dance number "Where the Living Starts," which almost sounds like it's ripped from a hoedown, and the piercing "My Disgrace." where Outlund sounds almost Gwen Stefani-like, belting it out while the rest of the band jams in the background.

But This Blue Heaven are at their best when at their most introspective. "This Time" and "You Can't Take Back What You Said" stole the show at Great Scott, creating that aforementioned mood of melancholic bliss.

While they are a musically talented bunch, what truly makes them stand out is not the instrumentation but the songs, which are strong right on down the line. Whether they have you thinking or have you dancing, This Blue Heaven's songs will have you waiting in anticipation for their debut album, which comes out this fall.

This Blue Heaven:

-You Can't Take Back What You Said-

-Where the Living Starts-

-This Time-

www.myspace.com/thisblueheaven

Forthcoming:

2008-05-13T00:23:00.002-04:00

...research that (I think) will prove my long-held thesis that the Red Sox suck in domes. Another series loss @ Minnesota. Luckily, the next stop on the 10-day road trip is Fenway South.

And how about those RAYS?

Spirit Ad Wins Award!

2008-05-12T15:48:00.003-04:00

A couple months back I asked for people's opinions on what to send into the Telly Awards, a distinguished video/film contest with over 14,000 entries a year.
Well........I DID IT! =D
I sent in the North Shore Spirit Championship Ad I made for LynnCAM in the "Commercial Sports" category,and took home a bronze Telly in that category. In order to qualify for the Bronze I had to recieve a rating off a 10-point system from a panel of judges that measures between 7.0-8.9. A Silver award would warrent a rating of 9.0 or higher.

So yeah.....I'm pretty excited that I won this thing-and I'm gonna opt to get the statuette & cetificate. Thought I'd share.....and for those of you wondering exactly which ad it was,here it is again:

NEW Navigators LynnCAM Ad

2008-05-09T13:38:00.007-04:00

The new Navigators ad that will be shown on LynnCAM TV soon.

Hope ya liked. =] I think it's a step above these plain ones I made before-but they're still as effective....

This one stings

2008-05-07T23:04:00.004-04:00

Did anyone else see the Sox' 10-9 loss tonight? I feel like I jumped into a time warp and came out in 2003 - complete with the terrible pitching, the crazy comeback, the exciting offense, the late-innings drama, and the end-of-game meltdown.

This is the first really stinging loss of the season, IMO - a chance to sweep a good team on the road squandered due to, for the most part, bad luck.

I feel for Papelbon. Take a look at how it went down:

A check-swing with 2 strikes that only resulted in an infield hit because it rolled so slowly
An indecisive butcher-job by Lugo letting there be runners on 1st & 2nd with 0 out. It's easy to be angry with Lugo, although this was also a bit of bad luck - everyone watching the game was thinking 'lead runner,' but once again the ball was rolling slowly which really screwed things up.
A successful bunt
A simple 4-3 ground-out, which resulted in a run due to the aforementioned bad luck -> Tie game
A little broken bat flair into very shallow left -> Loss

Papelbon was pretty good, things just rolled out of control with the crucial moment being the Lugo play and the subsequent sac bunt. Oddly enough, 'small ball,' which had been shooting Detroit in the foot all night (remember Magglio getting thrown out running to 3rd in the 8th? or the bunt with 2 on and 0 out while in the lead that resulted in 0 runs?), came back to be the deciding factor in the end, as without that bunt the tying run would not have scored. Go figure.

The only real questionable managerial decision I think was whether or not to intentionally walk Granderson w/ runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, but I still think they made the right call by pitching to him. Granderson was struggling (he continued to struggle with a weak groundout that just so happened to drive in the tying run) and you never want to create a situation where you can walk in the tying run or winning run.

This doesn't suck as much as it would have in the pre-World Championship days, but it still stinks. Gotta have some of these days though - it's all part of the journey of baseball season.

On to the next phase of the road trip.

EDIT: Also: That game was Four. Hours. Long. Eff that.

Celtics win, order restored to the universe

2008-05-05T04:11:00.009-04:00

Well, that was how the whole series was supposed to go, right? Bring on LeBron.

With the Sox sweeping the Tampa Rays and the Montreal Canadiens being eliminated from the NHL playoffs, I think it's safe to call this a victorious weekend.

On a whim, I picked up a $12 ticket to Game 7. It was pretty fun.

Celtic introductions

SHOUT! - panning the crowd (29)

Hey! the scoreboard told me to get loud! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (32)

Game over (51)

Red Sox Win In A Rainy Showdown In The Fens

2008-05-03T20:53:00.005-04:00

I went to the Red Sox game last night. For anyone interested I wrote up a game report and included a few pictures I took.

To see my post check out my blog or click HERE

Sports month in review: April 2008

2008-04-29T03:02:00.006-04:00

I'm going to try out a new feature here at the blog - the Sports Month in review. I've been working on it as the month has gone along, with the thought that it can be a one-stop place to reminisce about each month's great sporting events. Let me know what you think. -JG

APRIL 2008

Biggest local story - BC wins hockey national championship (So shoot me, I'm biased)
Most pleasant surprise - the Bruins make the playoffs & push Montreal to the brink
Biggest disappointment - the much-ballyhooed Celtics start the playoffs 2-2
Most exciting game - Bruins vs. Montreal, Game 6: Bruins win, 5-4
Player of the month - Manny Ramirez, who has absolutely gone off this year and is approaching HR 500
Overrated event of the month - NFL Draft
Underrated event of the month - NCAA hockey tournament

QUOTE OF THE MONTH – "THERE IS NO CALL!" – Jack Edwards, after a non-penalty call against the Canadiens in Game 6
---

To me, April 2008 will be remembered as the month that re-affirmed my belief that nothing is better than playoff hockey at its best.

And no team perfected high-flying, exciting, offensive-minded hockey like the Boston College Eagles late in the season. BC scorched its opponents in the Hockey East tournament by a combined score of 21-6, then bulldozed powerhouses Minnesota and Miami in the NCAA regionals to earn a berth in the Frozen Four. The offense didn't slow down in Denver, as BC smoked North Dakota 6-1, then outlasted hated rival Notre Dame, 4-1, to bring home the third national championship in school history.

The on-ice fun didn't stop then, as the Boston Bruins brought hockey fever back to Boston for the first time in a long time with a scintillating first round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens - proving once again that Boston can and will get very excited over a good Bruins team.

Despite prognostications of doom, the Bruins did indeed show up at Le Centre Bell for game 1 of the playoffs on April 10, but they were blown out by Montreal, 4-1. In game 2, however, the Canadiens' armor cracked. The B's trailed 2-0 in the 3^rd period, but they dominated most of the game play. Finally, they cashed in with two goals to force overtime. Unfortunately, the Habs drew an overtime power play on a patented swan dive by Markov, and cashed in shortly thereafter with a game-winning goal.

Game 3 in Boston was a wild, nail-biting affair. I was there in person, and I can attest to how absolutely insane the atmosphere was. Milan Lucic put the Bruins on the board in the first period, but Alexander Kostitsyn evened it up with a second period tally. The teams remained deadlocked until overtime, when Marc Savard gave the B's their first win over Montreal in 13 games:

A 1-0 game 4 loss derailed the B's momentum, and hope appeared lost. But the Bruins regained their composure and blew the doors of the Canadiens in game 5 with four 3^rd period goals. This thrilling, season-saving win unleashed a wave of Bruins frenzy that I hadn't seen since I was just a wee lad. I went online to buy tickets to game 6. Tickets were previously so easy to get at face value that 6-8,000 Canadiens fans were able to bus down from Montreal and infest the Garden. Now, all of a sudden, a ticket was an impossible commodity to find: people were selling nosebleed seats for $150 on Craigs list, and trading tickets to the Celtics playoffs, Red Sox field box seats, and just about everything short of their wedding rings to get in the door for the highly-anticipated Game 6.

As it turned out, the game proved to be very, very worth it. Words can't describe the insanity of the game, but this video can:

The victory resulted in wide-spread looting, mass riots, and burning cop cars. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that's what Montreal did after they won game 7. Still, Bruins fans had quite a time after game 6:

Bruins Fever then shifted into overdrive. I was in Boston for the Sox game at Fenway the next day, and I was one of many people rocking a Bruins shirt. There was a definite buzz in the air.

Sadly, once again, the Bruins were buzz-kills, losing 5-0 in the deciding seventh game. But Bruins fans can rest easy knowing that unlike the last time the Bruins lost in game 7 to Montreal, the future looks very bright for the black and gold.

The Garden's other inhabitants, the Boston Celtics, closed out the regular season in dominating fashion in April, then opened up what all parties assumed would be a very easy four-game coast against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, nobody alerted the Hawks to the fact that this was a goddamn show; they think it's a goddamn fight.

The Hawks made themselves look silly by celebrating their game 3 win like it was the NBA championship, with confetti pouring down from the rafters, many man-hugs shared in the stands, and Al Horford taunting Paul Pierce as the clock ran out. Everyone figured the Celtics would exact their revenge by kicking da ATL to the curb in game 4. But it didn't happen. The Hawks tied the series at 2, and the potential early exit of the supposed-juggernaut Celtics has the early lead for 'May 2008's biggest story.'

Meanwhile, the smell of beer, grilled meats, homeless people, dirt, grass, and a low-IQ mass of humanity returned to Kenmore Square in April. No, it wasn't the start of classes at BU; it was baseball – the return of the world champion Boston Red Sox. The Sox raised their flag honoring the '07 champs:

…then proceeded to have a bang-up stretch in which they started 15-6 despite a four-nation road trip to start the season. Unfortunately, they have hit the skids as of late, losing 5 in a row to the LA Angels and the Tampa Bay Rays (nee Devil), but they are still locked in a 3-way tie for the AL East division lead.

Also, this guy right here:

…had an awesome month, making pitchers shudder in fear and perfecting his patented 'stand there with his arms raised' technique. It won't be long before Manny joins the 500 HR club. I wish every year was Manny's contract year.

The next person who complains about Manny Ramirez is getting smacked in the mouth. Yeah, he's a kooky one, but that's all part of what makes him the most fun player to watch in all of baseball. Watching him hit is like watching Monet paint or Mozart compose symphonies.

Elsewhere in New England sports, the Revolution kicked off their much anticipated 2008 campaign, with millions of locals hoping and praying that "this is the year." OK, not really. But after 3 consecutive losses in the MLS Cup final, the Revs hope to finally take the next step in '08. They got off to an encouraging start, ripping into the hated Houston Dynamo, 3-0. Gambian sensations Mansally and Nyassi brought new life to the Revs attack, which was beleaguered early by injuries to Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, and Wells Thompson.

Since the opener, the Revs have been up-and-down, but they sit in a decent spot after a month of competition with a 3-2-1 record and 10 points, 2 behind conference-leading Columbus.

There was plenty of interesting sports action outside of route 128 in April as well.

The most hyped event, of course, was the NCAA Final Four, which was met with pants-wetting glee by Dick Vitale and other ESPN personalities as the 2^nd best thing to DOOK making it to the Final Four happened: all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four, and one of them was UNC. It was talking-head heaven. People were dubbing it "The Greatest Final Four Ever" before tip-off. As such, I was greatly amused by the fact that the two semifinal games were absolute blowouts, with Memphis and Kansas wiping the floor with UCLA and UNC, respectively.

The final, however, lived up to expectations, as plucky underdog Memphis squandered a late lead against equally-plucky overdog Kansas, who nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force OT:

It truly was a great all-time highlight, and Kansas backed it up with a dominating OT performance, earning Jayhawk Nation a national championship.

Colleges across the nation also eagerly anticipated the annual ritual of spring football. Tens of thousands of fans packed the stadiums at places like Alabama, Nebraska, and Georgia to watch their teams participate in glorified practice sessions, confirming nationwide suspicions that there really is nothing to do in places like Alabama, Nebraska, and Georgia. BC had its spring game, in front of a frenzied (defined here as 'kind of awake') crowd of maybe 7,000, in which Chris Crane officially took the reins of the up-and-coming program.

Matt Ryan, BC's star quarterback, became saddled with the burden of high expectations, as he was arguably the highest-profile pick in this month's NFL draft. He was picked #3 by the Atlanta Falcons, who hope they can rebuild their franchise around Ryan. He seems like the kind of guy Southerners can really embrace: polite, hard-working, motivated, clean-cut, and white.

The Patriots addressed their biggest need during the NFL draft: they set Ellis Hobbs on fire. No, seriously, they drafted a mess of linebackers and cornerbacks, including Tennessee inside linebacker Jerod Mayo at #10 overall.

Internationally, soccer once again provided great theatre, as the European Champions League, the world's most watch professional sports competition, moved into the quarterfinal and semifinal stages.

English clubs Liverpool and Arsenal clashed in the quarterfinals in what would become an absolute game for the ages. For those unfamiliar with the Champions League, the playoff rounds are contested as two-game playoffs. Each team plays one game at home, and whoever scores the most total goals between the two games wins. If the teams are tied on total goals, whoever scores more goals on the road wins. If both teams have equal away goals, the game goes to overtime, then penalty kicks.

Here was the situation going into game 2: Liverpool and Arsenal tied 1-1 at Arsenal in the first leg. Arsenal came out swinging in the first fifteen minutes of game 2, scoring a precious away goal to go up 2-1. Liverpool equalized before halftime, then added a thunderbolt by Spanish sensation Fernando Torres to go up 3-2 at the 60 minute mark.

Then, all hell broke loose. Arsenal scored with less than ten minutes to play to tie the score at 3, but because they had more away goals, Arsenal was poised to advance to the semi-finals. But less than one minute later, Liverpool earned a penalty kick which their talisman, Steven Gerrard, knocked home to give Liverpool a 4-3 lead. Liverpool added a late insurance goal to earn the dramatic 5-3 victory.

Following the game, Grant had the runner-up for 'quote of the month: "Oh, so that's why British people like soccer. What a game."

I strongly encourage watching this video, if only to see the goals. Most of them came on incredible efforts.

Chelsea and Manchester United also won their quarterfinal matches to put 3 English teams in the final four. Spain's Barcelona FC topped Roma to punch their ticket to the semi-finals.

Both semifinal matchups are through game 1 – Liverpool and Chelsea are tied 1-1, while Man U and Barcelona are tied, 0-0.

Back at home, NASCAR had another uninspiring month, continuing the once-proud sanctioning body's death march. However, its most recent race bucked that trend, as Kyle Busch won an incredible race at Talladega, which featured 53 lead changes, laps clocked at over 200 MPH, and two late-race incidents which totally shook up the running order. Jeff Burton leads the points standings, but who cares? They're going to re-set the points for the Chase anyway.

The Spanish commentary makes this the most unintentionally funny video of all time:

The NHL playoffs continue to be the nation's most exciting event, with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia on course for an all-Pennsylvania clash in the Eastern Conference Finals. Detroit continues to be heavily favored in the West.

With April coming to an end, the biggest stories in May are shaping up. Locally, the big question will be whether or not the Celtics can re-gain their once-dominant form, while the specter of RED SOX NATION!!!111 always looms large in the background. Nationally, the NHL and NBA playoffs will heat up, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes will go off, and an Indy 500 champion will be crowned. And internationally, a European champion will be crowned in soccer, while liberals and conservatives both will line up at torch relay sites all over the world for the right to throw rocks at the Olympic Torch.

The excitement never ends.

New Navigators Mascot Unveiled

2008-04-28T21:40:00.007-04:00

From the Navs website:

"The Mascot Alligator, still unnamed, threw out first pitch at Lynn Shore LL, marched in the Wyoma LL parade and visited the Capital Diner, then Ricky Ford's place in West Lynn and finally City Hall on Saturday."

Here's some pics of the new mascot......

Anybody got name ideas?

In other news.....see the post below. It's concerning a trip to Worcester later on this month.....

Worcester trip

2008-04-28T13:26:00.002-04:00

The Worcester Tornadoes home opener is Thursday, May 29, vs. Sussex at 7 PM.

Let's start planning this now. Who's in for a Fraser Faithful trip?

Look who made it onto the BC.edu homepage

2008-04-23T17:01:00.001-04:00

Two of the Fraser Faithful, getting autographs from the one and only Nate Gerbe. But where's Josh?

from www.bc.edu

A new one for the list of painful defeats.

2008-04-22T01:09:00.003-04:00

For the first time in a long time, I'm really, really optimistic about the future of the Bruins. The organization is undoubtedly on the road to being a true contender.

But that doesn't change the fact that losing to the FREAKIN' Habs in game 7 is painful. Especially since I really came to love this 07-08 B's team - they were a fun bunch to follow.

2008-04-13T00:45:00.002-04:00

Good article in the Item about the Navigators

2008-04-11T11:47:00.001-04:00

-I'm really excited that a BC player is on the Navs... sweet!

Rosenfield takes in baseball Beanpot tourney at Fraser Field

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item
LYNN -- After a fall and a winter of planning for the inaugural season of the North Shore Navigators, owner Phil Rosenfield finally got to see a baseball game at Fraser Field Wednesday.

And it was right up his alley.

The City of Lynn, for the third straight year, hosted the first round of the annual Beanpot Baseball Tournament (the finals will be held next Wednesday at Fenway Park). And since the Navigators will feature an exclusive array of college talent, the games Wednesday dovetailed nicely with Rosenfield's game plan.

"This is great for us," he said, "because these are the type of players we'll be having in here this summer."

Actually, this was the first time Rosenfield has seen a game here since the field -- and neighboring Manning Field -- were done over.

"It's impressive," Rosenfield said. "Of course, I remember the old Manning Bowl, and to look out and see what it looks like now ... it really looks nice."

Rosenfield also said that he puts the refurbished Fraser Field up with the best baseball fields in the state.

"Of course," he said, "there's Fenway, and then Worcester, and Campanelli (in Brockton), LeLacheur (Lowell) and this. It's going to be fun playing here. As an owner, knowing that we're going to provide all this entertainment for families, I think it's pretty neat."

Rosenfield hopes to do quite a bit more than field a baseball team. He hopes to make the field available for high school tournament games from the first round all the way up to the state semifinals. His team will play exhibition games against both Team USA and the Dominican Republic national team. There will be four fireworks displays in June and July, all on Saturday nights.

Between games of the Beanpot (Boston College downed Northeastern, 13-6, in the opener), Rosenfield also unveiled the plaque that will sit on the big rock just inside the Western Avenue entrance at Fraser. He also took the opportunity to introduce one of the players who will wear a Navigators uniform this summer: BC's Chris Kowalski, a pitcher and a first baseman.

North Shore Navigators president Phillip Rosenfield chats with pitcher Chris Kowalski on LynnCam during the unveiling of a new plaque Wednesday. (ITEM PHOTO / REBA M.SALDANHA)

"I asked him if he ever was called 'Killer' (after the pro wrestler who was famous in the '60s) and he said, 'All the time,'" Rosenfield said. "Even his coach, after the game, said to him, 'Hey, Killer, you have five minutes with these guys.'"

Rosenfield said that efforts to house the players are going well ("thanks to ads we've placed in The Item"), and that "We're about halfway there. We just had a family offer to take in two more today."

A new era

2008-04-10T08:31:00.003-04:00

I probably shouldn't say this since I'm proudly working for the North Shore Navigators, but seeing this in front of Fraser Field actually made me a bit sad. It's like throwing a patch over a bygone but very important part of the past.

As a Spirit fan, the final realizations leading up to Opening Day that it is, indeed, over, will be very sad.

But as a member of the Navigators organization, I'm excited and anxious to turn the page and begin a new era in Lynn baseball.

I'm sure I'm not the only one with mixed emotions.

BC, Umass win...

2008-04-10T08:25:00.002-04:00

It will be my BC Eagles against the UMass Minutemen next Wednesday afternoon at Fenway for the Baseball Beanpot championship. I'll be there with my camera.

Also, today's the big hockey day I've been looking forward to...
GO BOSTON COLLEGE HOCKEY, and GO BRUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baseball Beanpot

2008-04-07T13:12:00.001-04:00

The first round of the baseball Beanpot takes place on Wednesday at Fraser Field. I'm not sure about the schedule, I just know that BC plays Northeastern at 3 PM. I don't know if I can go or not - I'd say it's about 50/50 right now - but if you can, get down to Fraser and check it out.

A Fond Farewell

2008-04-04T19:23:00.003-04:00

Our good friend Spike sent me an e-mail today......this is the conents of it:

John asked me to mention this to the Faithful, but I haven't been on the blog for a while; David, would you please copy his letter there? As a Michigander, I replied that he will be one of the few migrant workers in that part of the state who is not picking cherries. And nashuapride.com says that our PA announcer and away webcaster, Ken Cail, is moving to the Lowell Spinners to do the radio broadcast.

Hello friends,
Well after many months of pounding away at the job hunt, I'm happy to say that once again I am employed. I today accepted an offer to become the new play-by-play voice of the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League. As all of you know, the North Shore Spirit went out of business after the 2007 season. It has been a long, stressful process (the job hunt) and this was the best offer out there. I will be leaving for Michigan on the 7th of May for the four month baseball season. I want to thank all of you for your great friendship and support. It's great to be back behind the mike again!!

The Kings will be on ESPN 1660 AM and all games will be streamed at www.kalamazookings.net. Again thanks everyone and GO KINGS!!!
--John Leahy

www.staatalent.com/sports/leahy.html
www.johnrleahy.com

I think I speak for everyone who frequents this blog when I say what I said in a comment in the previous post.....
John,it's been a pleasure to have known you throughout these past few years and listen to your broadcasts. The Kings have just aquired a great talent.
You'll be missed here John,thanks for what you did and hope you enjoy it there.

The more things change -

2008-03-31T19:10:00.002-04:00

Oh, those Cubs. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the 9th, the Cubs' new Japanese sensation, Fukodame, smashed a game-tying, 3-run homer off of Eric Gagne (yes, that Eric Gagne), only to give the lead right back in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the frame, David Riske (yes, that David Riske) came in and mowed down the Cubs in order to end the game.

Amazing, isn't it? I wonder how many times that's happened at Wrigley. It happened when I went there in 2006 - the Cubs rallied for 4 in the 9th, only to lose the game in 12 innings.

It's nice to have baseball back.

1-0: Thoughts

2008-03-25T14:04:00.001-04:00

-Any time your starting pitcher only goes five innings, you’re trailing in the ninth, Papelbon gives you a crappy outing, and you’re relying on a backup, rookie outfielder to drive in two runs, that’s definitely a win to put in The Bank – you know, the Bank you withdraw from when you blow leads, guys make boneheaded plays (see: Emil Brown today for Oakland), and you just have general bad luck overall throughout the year. Good win.

-I think everyone saw Dice-K’s early shakiness coming, but it was really nice to see him recover the way he did. I still say he is going to have a really good season. Also, how good was Bryan Corey? When it comes to reliable bullpen arms, you can never have too many – so let’s hope he becomes someone we can turn to. I don’t have much faith in Aardsma, although it is cool to have the first entry in the Baseball Encyclopedia on the Red Sox.

-I figured the game was over when Ortiz and Ramirez failed to drive in a runner in scoring position with one out in the 8^th. ‘Lowell, Moss, Varitek’ didn’t inspire me with confidence going into the 9^th.

-Why do teams continue to walk Ortiz to get to Ramirez in anything other than walk-off situations? Manny’s stats are absolutely absurd following intentional walks to Ortiz and he made the A’s pay again today. Didn’t they learn anything from the Angels series last year? Pitching to Manny is hard enough in general, doing it with runners on is even harder.

-The ‘6 AM opening game’ experience was pretty cool (although I think I’m ready for a nap now). As a college student, no time of day is weird to me, and I’m perfectly used to being awake for 6, 7, 8 hours after a Sox or B’s game. So the weirdest part of the experience for me wasn’t waking up at 5, it was the lack of gameday buildup on Opening Day. I walked out onto campus at around 11 and people had their Sox jerseys, caps and shirts on, but people are already talking about the game that was, rather than building up to the game. It’s odd.

Anyone else up & watching the Sox?

2008-03-25T06:27:00.002-04:00

Not a good start for Dice-K so far.

UPDATE: Sox came back to win 6-5 in 10! No win for Dice-K, but Okajima gets the win in front of his home crowd. Awesome. How about Brandon Moss?

It's become an annual tradition, so bear with me

2008-03-22T16:22:00.002-04:00

Happy BU Hockey Elimination Day!

Sending out Best Wishes to former Spirit Owner Al Melanson

2008-03-15T22:35:00.002-04:00

It was nearly five weeks ago that the Lynn Jets hockey coach suffered a near-fatal heart attack while snowmobiling on Lake Sokokis in Limerick, Maine. Although he still has a few mountains to climb in terms of his recovery, the biggest being the need for a heart transplant, he's making progress thanks to a heart pump that circulates blood to the left side of his heart.

"I have three pounds of titanium in my chest," Melanson said. "From what I understand, there are only 4,000 of these in the world. I was fortunate to be able to receive one and to have the people who had the expertise to put it in and get it to work."

Melanson is still at Maine Medical Center in Portland, the hospital he was taken to following the heart attack, but in a telephone interview he said he's hoping to return to Massachusetts to continue his rehabilitation at Youville Hospital and Rehabilitation Center

To read the whole article go to this link
http://www.thedailyitemoflynn.com/articles/2008/03/14/sports/sports01.txt

Al is a great guy and sure hope that he gets better soon, my thoughts and prayers go out to him,his wife Nancy and the entire Melanson family.

Jack

Navigators questions, comments, or suggestions?

2008-03-12T18:28:00.002-04:00

Email me (gravellj@bc.edu) or send an AOL instant message to NSNavs.

Navigators Exciting New Initiatives

2008-03-10T02:40:00.005-04:00

Hey y'all - I'm checking in with some exciting news from the Navigators.

We are looking into doing something that the Spirit should have done: creating a section for diehard fans who want to be loud and supportive of the Navigators. We are trying to come up with a name for the section now and figure out exactly how it's going to work, but the general idea is to create one centralized place where people are encouraged to be loud, heckle the opposition, and cheer on the Navigators to victory. We are trying to recruit local students and other enthusiastic fans to join us. If you are interested in this idea, please let me know by commenting here or emailing me at gravellj@bc.edu.

.

Since we believe that fan interaction is the most important element to success, I am setting up an AOL IM name tomorrow where anyone can contact me to ask questions about the Navigators. If you have questions or comments for the owner, the general manager, the ticket office, etc., I can pass them along to the appropriate party. The IM name will probably be "NSNAVS," depending on availability. I will post tomorrow when I set it up officially.

.

Exciting news: on June 14, the Navigators will be playing against the United States National Team as they gear up for the 2008 Olympic Games in China. You do NOT want to miss this one.

Also, I can't make any promises, but it looks like opening night on Saturday, June 7 will also be a fireworks night. I'll post when I know for sure.

.

As you can tell, I "sold out" by putting an ad on this page. I'm a college student so I'll take whatever little bit of income I can get. Please support our sponsor. It's an exciting web forum called 'We're Doing Just Fine' - a site dedicated to sharing upbeat, positive stories.

Worcester: Will Vic Play?

2008-02-28T10:02:00.003-05:00

As Victoria noted in the comments, there are several ex-Spirit on the Worcester roster:

Alex Trezza
Jerson Perez
Vic Davilla
Chris Colabello
John Welch
Ryan Bicondoa
Joey Siak
Shawn McNamara

Does anyone know if Vic is actually going to play? I find it odd that Sussex would trade him for Yohanny Valera, and after 3 semi-retirements, you have to think Vic might be actually retiring soon.

We have to go see the Tornadoes, and I'd like to check them out before the Navs season starts.

They have exhibitions on the 16th @ Brockton, the 18th vs. Nashua, and 20th vs. Brockton, and their home opening series against Sussex from May 29-June 1.

Sing Ottawa A Song Yonder Nottleman, Sing Them A Song Tonight....

2008-02-17T22:41:00.003-05:00

DURHAM, NC – At a press conference held today at Ottawa Baseball Stadium, Can-Am League Commissioner Miles Wolff officially announced the Ottawa Rapides as the name of the league’s newest member. Rapides was chosen from over 1,100 entries in Ottawa’s name-the-team’s contest and is a name that is synonymous with the rich river history of the city.

For centuries the Ottawa River waterway has been one of Canada’s major transportation routes. Extending for over 1,200 km (745.2 miles), the river starts far to the northwest at Lake Timiskaming and flows towards Ottawa and joins the St. Lawrence further east in Quebec. The Upper Ottawa River boasts Class III and IV rapids, the biggest whitewaters east of the Rockies. During spring flood, the water pounding down the river rivals some of the world’s big-water rivers.

The Rapides also introduced Ed Nottle as their first field manager. Nottle will be in his 16th season as an independent league skipper and his 29th overall as a minor league manager. Nottle’s managerial stops include Bend (Ore.), Brockton (Mass.), Duluth-Superior (Minn.), New Britain (Conn.), Pawtucket (Mass.), Sioux City (Iowa), Tacoma (Wash.) and Waterbury (Conn.). His 2003 Brockton club won the 2003 Northeast League championship.

He has managed at the Triple A level for both the A’s and the Red Sox and in 1981 he was Baseball America’s first-ever minor league Manager of the Year. He served as a major league coach with the Oakland A’s in 1983. Nottle has also been a minor league owner (the Sioux City Explorers), and his CD, To Baseball with Love, is played throughout minor league parks.

Rapides begin the season May 22 at home against the New Jersey Jackals.

===============
Thoughts/Comments?
We DEFINTITLY need to see a game with this new team now XD

Get Togethers?

2008-02-13T12:23:00.005-05:00

I know we've talked about it before,but I for one would like to try to have a get-together with you guys soon.
Go to a bruins game? Get a bite to eat together somewhere (Sports Depot maybe?)? Some other thing not listed?

If we do something who would be in and what would you wanna do?
I still have the emails for everyone so I'll probably send out an email in a day or two....
EDIT: When's good for people? I'm thinking in March or april....

ALSO,I suggest that we plan a trip up to Nashua for opening day--I'd like to go,as I think do a few others.......who would be in for that (and maybe another can-am game or two elsewhere)?

Have you ever?

2008-02-04T01:02:00.000-05:00

That was pretty bad. I'm kind of unfazed just because nothing can compare to 1) the ALCS in 2003 and 2) BC hockey losing the national title on a goal with 19 seconds left. I'm not as much sad or upset as I am stunned. Ya gotta love sports, even though they can be a b!tch sometimes.

It got me to thinking, though - where does this rank on your pantheon of sports heartbreaks?

I go: 1) ALCS '03, 2) BC Hockey '07, 3) Spirit going out of existence, 4) B's choking a 3-1 series lead to the Habs, 5) tonight.

I think. I must add honorable mention to: the Pats loss to Indy last year, BC football losing its perfect season against FSU then the ACCCG to VT, the Spirit's 3 game choke against the Jackals, and traveling to the MLS Cup with friends only to see New England lose.

Still here

2008-01-30T00:16:00.001-05:00

I'm still alive, y'all - just checking in. I know I haven't posted in a while.

Not much new is going on as far as the Navigators go. Things will be picking up soon. I'm currently working on a story about our reading program, which is being developed this week; it will be similar to the Spirit's program from the last few years.

As for everything else - well, life is life. Busy, but I can't complain.

Who else is still out there? What have you all been up to this winter?

Navs: Coming Soon.....

2008-01-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Navigators-Coming-Soon - Get Video Code

Just a little something I made up......I made one for TV too,saying the live games are going on TV in June. ^_^

It's People's Choice Time....

2008-01-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

Ok,here's the deal......my boss told me about this nationaly recognised contest that I could send something station-related into. It's called the Telly Awards
The only things I amde this year for LynnCAM,or really in general,I think could have a shot at winning are the ads I made up for the spirit this past season.

Below is a playlist containing the 5 ads I made.....I'd like it if you could all help me in deciding the best to send in. Let me know which one gets your guys' pick as the best,I figure if anyone can pick the best-it'll be you guys,the biggest fans!

ALSO @ http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4B7C35E0CCC87BF7

PS: I have until March 7th (my birthday! ^_^) to send it in,so it's no big deal right now.....but will be soon =p

Happy New Year.....& Here's A Video!

2007-12-31T15:53:00.000-05:00

First off I hope everyone had a good Christmas and hope everyone has a....
As some of you know,the float this year did happen,and I put some pictures online. If interested, you can find them by clicking here! =]

Now......I decided last night that I should make a highlight reel for the 07 season!
Unfortunately,I only have the foootage from my previous videos at my disposal as all other pics and videos I took over the summer got lost about a month ago when my laptop got busted. SO.....it won't be the best.
If you have pics or videos that you yourself took don't hesitate to send them to me at DmstrDman20 @aol.com.

But I got bored last night and made a short video preview that I thought would be cool to do......so here it is!
Enjoy! ^_^

ALSO: Anyone got song ideas? Right now I'm using "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns N Roses.
SO....If you have any ideas put it here or e-mail me

It's official: North Shore Navigators

2007-12-18T12:49:00.000-05:00

Worst kept secret in town, I know, but it's official as of yesterday:
http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2007/12/18/sports/sports01.txt
we are the North Shore Navigators.

Check our our site at nsnavs.com (very much under construction right now).

I'll write more soon, but this is exam week so I gotta run.... go Navs!

Ottawa,Grays Set For 2008 Can-Am Season

2007-12-09T09:59:00.000-05:00

FROM CAN-AMLEAGUE.COM:
With a unanimous vote of the Ottawa City Council and a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors of the Canadian American Association, the Can-Am League welcomes Ottawa as the eighth team for the 2008 season. The league had been set to operate again with the Grays as a road team, but a strong push by fans and baseball supporters in the Canadian capital, led to a lease being available for the Can-Am League.

The Ottawa Stadium seats 10,000 which will make it the largest in the Can-Am League. A Canadian ownership group is being developed, and initially a two-year lease will be signed. A name for the new team will be chosen through a name the team contest. Front office and a field staff will be selected in the coming weeks.

Commented Can-Am Commissioner Miles Wolff, "Ottawa is a great addition to our league. With a great stadium and an area population of over 1 million, the city has the potential to be one of the top members of the league. We are excited about Ottawa."
====================================
So the talks from way back when have finally come true. Good for them.

ALSO: I pick the Grays as my 2nd favorite team next year ^_^

Bowl system in a nutshell

2007-12-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

First thing's first - I am NOT bellyaching about BC's fate. We had our chance to go to the Orange Bowl and got a big fat L. Period. But this tells you all you need to know about the system.

BC=#13 in the BCS computer rankings = Whogivesafuck.com bowl against 7-5 Michigan State who lost to Northwestern

Clemson=#15 in the BCS computer rankings= Peach Bowl (pretty good!) against Auburn

Illinois=#16 in the BCS computer rankings= Rose Bowl, the 'granddaddy,' against USC

How the Hokies got screwed

2007-12-02T14:14:00.000-05:00

Before this year, I was actually against a college football playoff. I honestly thought it was better to be able to have many teams end the year with a big win instead of just one. I think that going to the Orange Bowl and winning it makes it an awesome season, way better than going to the playoffs and losing. But the SCREW JOB that is happening to Virginia Tech right now absolutely proves that the system is horrendously unfair.

LSU is going to jump from 7 to 2 in the rankings and get to play tOSU in the national championship game, just as the ESPN morons have wanted all year. All year they've been drooling over LSU because they have the fastest and most athletic team, but the fact is they LOST TWICE TO UNRANKED TEAMS.

People say, yeah, but LSU beat Virginia Tech by 40 (earlier in the season before VT's offense came to life under Tyrod Taylor, but I digress). Fine. I agree.

LSU is a better team than VT, talent wise. There is no doubt about it.

BUT, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE POLLSTERS SAID LAST WEEK. Now when it comes time to pick the NCG contenders they are changing their tune. Explain this to me.

Last week, in the coaches poll which counts toward the BCS, Virginia Tech was ranked #5
in the country. They went out and beat BC, the #11 team in the country, by 14.

Last week, LSU was ranked #7. They went out and beat Tennessee, the #15 ranked team in the country, by 7.

Somehow, a win over the #15 team by 7 points is enough to boost you over a team ranked above you that beat the #11 team by 14 points. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

If the pollsters thought a 2-loss LSU team was better than a 2-loss VT team they should have voted as such in the polls last week. I am now utterly convinced that the people they have voting in these things are complete assclowns. The situation is the same now: 2 loss VT, 2 loss LSU, and all of a sudden the order is swapped. For real????

But the media has been dying to crown LSU all year because ESPN gets boners for certain teams regardless of what they actually do on the field because their players can run fast and jump high and are high in the recruiting rankings. That's why Notre Dame is always redonkulously overrated, they get all the top recruits and the media doesnt want to look dumb for ranking their recruits so highly.

The only time teams outside of the really big powerful ones ever get a chance is when ESPN gets a hard on for them for one reason or another - see; Rutgers last year and Hawai'i this year. Hawai'i actually got a first place vote today after edging out 4-8 Washington due to shady officiating. For real?

The whole system is stupid and it's rigged for the same 7 or 8 schools that have all the money and don't do bleepity-bleep for their non-revenue sports. And they usually have zero academic standards for their student-athletes to boot (although that is an entirely different argument and totally unrelated to this one.)

The only way it's ever going to change is if we have a 12- or 16-team playoff - NOT an 8 team playoff because then we'd see the same stupid teams every year regardless of whether they earned it or not.

But it will probably never happen, because Ohio State, LSU, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and a few others control the entire system right now, and why would they want to change a system that screws everyone else but them?

It's such a joke. It takes arguably the most exciting sport in the world, college football, and turns it into a big sham.

Congrats to the Virginia Tech Hokies, MY national champions for 2007. For some people, Hawai'i will be their champion. For others, it will be Georgia, or Oklahoma, or whoever wins all the other BCS games. But one thing is for certain: nobody except the fans of the winner of the title game, the fans of the team that loses the national title game, and maybe some of the morons at ESPN, will consider the "BCS champs" to be a true national champion.

There will only be one Division I national champion this year, and they will be crowned in the 'playoff subdivision.' Unfortunately UMass lost, so go Southern Illinois.

Can-Am League Update: Nashua Finds New Manager

2007-12-02T10:08:00.000-05:00

I just saw this article on the Can-Am league's front page and thought I'd share......

RICK MILLER NAMED NEW NASHUA PRIDE MANAGER
Former Red Sox Outfielder to lead the 2007 Can-Am League Champions in 2008

NASHUA, NH - After an extensive search, Nashua Pride officials today announced that former Red Sox outfielder, Rick Miller (pictured), has been hired to manage the 2007 Can-Am League Champions. Miller will be formally introduced at the third annual Nashua Pride Winterfest on Thursday, December 13th, beginning at 6 PM at Historic Holman Stadium. Rick Miller spent 12 of his 15 years in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox. He was a member of the 1975 team that won the American League Pennant, but lost to the “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to manage in a city with such a rich baseball history as Nashua and in one of the best baseball markets in the world, the greater Boston area,” said Miller. “I want to thank Mr. Stabile for giving me the chance to get back into coaching, especially at the professional level. It is great to be back in New Hampshire, and to manage for a championship caliber organization.”

Since his playing career ended in 1985, the 1978 Gold Glover has kept busy within baseball circles. In 1992, Miller took the hitting, outfield, and first base coaching positions for the San Jose Giants, the High-A Class Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Shortly after, he started the Rick Miller XSOX Baseball School in the New England area. From 1996-2006 Miller served as the assistant baseball coach for Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire. Miller was a 2nd round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in the 1969 amateur draft. Miller made his big league debut with the Red Sox in 1971 and enjoyed one of his best seasons in 1973 when he hit .261 with 6 HR and 43 RBI in 143 games. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native spent the other 3 years in the majors with the then California Angels.

=========================================
Congrats to Nashua on getting a new manager. He doesn't seem to have any managerial expereicne, but his experiences and input should be invaluable to some of Nashua's players.
What do you guys think about this?

Still alive, big news coming

2007-11-29T12:52:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, it's been awhile, but there is some big news coming soon - so be patient! Within days, we should have an official announcement about the name of the new NECBL team moving to Lynn. I am confident that everyone will like the name.

I will be serving as the sports information director for the new team, so I'll be very busy getting ready for the upcoming baseball season. Expect some neat new features at the blog next season.

We'll also be migrating over to a new, more generic URL soon - probably fraserfaithful.blogspot.com - but stay tuned on that.

What does everyone think of the Bruins and Celtics so far?

Get your questions answered

2007-11-20T09:25:00.001-05:00

A long-time follower of the NECBL and the Holyoke Giants has offered to answer questions about the team and about the league. I know we all have a number of burning questions about this league, so this is your chance to let me know what questions to ask.

New poll: name your team

2007-11-15T18:46:00.000-05:00

So, apparently our team name choices are down to:

-Wave (ew)
-Tidal Wave (double ew)
-Nor'easters (Not bad at all - North Shore Nor'Easters sounds cool, and it was already supposed to be the name of Lopardo's ill-fated Lynn hockey team)

Out of those three, I don't mind Nor'easters, but I'm not really enamored with any of them. I suggested a few more in a comment in the last post.

I put up a new poll on the right hand side asking you to chime in.

I vote "Sailors." "Lynn Sailors" would be a good way to honor the history of baseball in Lynn. Alternatively, "North Shore Sailors" sounds cool.

If you pick 'other', specify here in the comments. We know that the new owner reads this blog, so think long and hard about this!

Holoyke Franchise Officially Moving To Lynn

2007-11-15T10:43:00.000-05:00

It's official.
The Holyoke Giants are moving to Lynn.

They come here with a new GM most of us will remember.....Robin Wallace.
That's right,the GM of the 07 Can-Am League champion Nashua Pride is retunring to Lynn to help another baseball franchise in the city. I met with her and Phillip Rosenfield yesterday at LynnCAM to talk about broadcasting the games lives,like we did last year with the Spirit. Needless to say,he was happy to know we were interested and gladly said that we could. As to how many games,seeing as there are only 21 home games as opposed to (what?) 46,we don't know.

Like I said,I met with Mr Rosenfield--and I will say this: He seems like a very kind,good man who really wants this team to survive and be really involved with the community.

There's still one problem with this team that should be at least discussed.....a team name. At the moment,Phil said the name choices are down to the Nor'Easters, the Wave OR the Tidal Wave. BUT--fan input is always good. So,what do you guys have for name ideas?
And--I know some of us don't or won't like him,but what about a mascot?

Any other input would be valued =]

NECBL: Fun is Good.

2007-11-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

I've already given my take on the NECBL coming to Lynn in the comments, but I'd like to discuss it further here on the front page.

You won't find many people who were as emotionally attached the Spirit as I was, and thus, you won't find many people who will miss them as much as I will next year. I'll miss the familiar players and familiar opponents, I'll miss the length of the season, and I'll miss all the roster quirks of independent baseball.

I can't imagine for one minute that I will ever care about this new team as much as I cared about the Spirit.

But with that said, I am very pleased that the NECBL is coming to Lynn, for several reasons.

First of all, here's something we can all be happy about: the presence of the NECBL will help keep Fraser Field the beautiful park that it is. I was afraid that it would go to ruin when only the city held games there. Now that the field is held by a group that needs to appeal to paying customers, they will keep it at least close to the glistening condition the Spirit had it in, and for that, I am grateful.

Secondly, many people have mentioned the quality of play. I do think that the quality of play will be much spottier than Can-Am League ball, but we will also see players in the NECBL that are better than CanAm guys, younger than CanAm guys, and with way, way more upside. We'll also see many worse players. But it won't be too bad.

Remember, many people wouldn't come support the Spirit - they would rather drive to Manchester or Pawtucket, or just stay in and watch the Sox on TV - because they scoffed at the idea of going to see low-quality independent baseball, refusing to believe that entertainment could be derived from watching the 'riff raff' of the Can-Am League. We know that that wasn't true at all.

As far as the league being 'small-time,' well, it is, but so was the Can-Am; average attendance isn't that much lower than the Can-Am's, save for Brockton and Quebec.

Additionally, I am approaching this season the way I approached the Spirit's first season early on in 2003. I never expected that I would wind up going to every home game, taking road trips all over, making a blog, etc. etc. etc. I was just pleased that not only would I have something to do 20-30 times during the summer, I'd be able to see affordable, live baseball in a nice ballpark. What could be better than that?

Who knows, maybe I will develop the same affinity for this group that I did for the Spirit, but even if I don't, I'll enjoy having baseball to watch close from home.

Also, the fact that an NECBL team filled the vacuum right away proves that people still view this as a viable baseball market - meaning that some owner might plunk down here with an independent team in a few years if we adequately support this team.

Finally, remember how we felt when the final out was made against Nashua? We felt awful for a number of reasons. Obviously, I was upset that we lost, and upset that the team was going out of business, but as much as anything, I was upset that I probably wouldn't see all of the people who comprised my 'Fraser family' ever again.

I can't speak for everyone, but it seems like we all had that same reaction. Who didn't get emotional when reading the story about our group in the Globe? I was going to miss the experience of going to Fraser with some great people. Fortunately, this won't be the case - not even one dormant summer will pass at Fraser Field.

I just can't wait to get back to Fraser and watch baseball.

Won't you join me?

Quick Sox note - then more NECBL

2007-11-12T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Sox are on the clock - this is the last day for exclusive negotiations for Lowell. I have a feeling that it's not getting done today. I think Lowell wants to see what's out there. WEEI reports the Yankees, Angels and Phillies have interest.

Dustin Pedroia will most likely be named AL Rookie of the Year today.

Soon I will make a post responding to the issues raised in the comments re: the dawn of the NECBL era at Fraser Field.

Also, I appreciate healthy arguments, but no more crazy attacks in the comments, please. I don't like to delete/regulate/moderate stuff. I've always had that policy since the blog started.

NECBL Might Move Team Into Fraser ; Decision As Early As Tuesday

2007-11-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item
LYNN - Fans who feel the void left by the departure of the North Shore Spirit may soon have a new team to follow.

The New England Collegiate Baseball League - which consists of players culled from various college teams around the country - is on the verge of agreeing to move its Holyoke franchise to Lynn in time for next season, Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. said Thursday.

The new team could be officially approved Tuesday, if the Lynn Stadium Commission votes in favor of the proposed lease, Clancy said. The New England league, Clancy says, is analogous to the Cape Cod League, which is a wood-bat league consisting of the most promising college players in the country. The Cape Cod League was the subject of the movie "Summer Catch" a few years ago. Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan is a graduate of the New England Collegiate League.

Clancy said the lease compares with the one the city gave the Spirit: $1 from June 1 through Sept. 30.
"We're not in this to make a dime," he said. "We want to have the facility used, and kept in pristine condition, and be available for a people to go out and have nice, affordable family entertainment."

That was the Spirit's objective too. And Clancy said that the city's experience with the Spirit and its owner, Nick Lopardo, is one of the reasons that the NECBL and Holyoke owner Phil Rosenfield, a Swampscott native, were so anxious to enter the Lynn market.

"The Spirit's presence, and what Nick did, and what the city did in partnership, speaks volumes about the marketability of Fraser Field," Clancy said. "Fraser Field has been deemed a safe, family-friendly location for sporting events for people and families all summer long."

Rosenfield said he thought of Lynn immediately after the Spirit left. "First," he said, "I'm from here. I know Fraser Field and what kind of a place it is. And I go way back. Lynn always was a great baseball town. Second, it's a lot closer to where I work in Woburn (as the owner of J.M. Phillips Glass). And third, that is an absolutely gorgeous field."

Moreover, he said, Lynn is the type of community that might attract college-age kids. "It's on the waterfront, and I think there are a lot of attractions for the players we have."

The NECBL operates a lot like the Cape League. Families house players and the teams attempt to get them jobs in the community. "That's actually the hardest part of the operation," Rosenfield said. "Getting the kid situated is very challenging."

But, he says, it also makes them more of a part of the community, "and that's one way to get the whole community involved."
Games for the NECBL begin in early June and end around Aug. 1, Rosenfield said, with playoffs to follow. The league plays a 42-game schedule, split evenly home and away.

Like the Spirit, the NECBL team will have first rights to scheduling, which Rosenfield feels is necessary "because we're in an organized league, and we have to have a schedule in place, as we have teams from (all over New England) coming in. It won't be quite as intense, though," Clancy said, noting that the new team will play only half as many games as the Spirit did, and end a month sooner. "So if there's a chance we can get some other games in there, we might be able to.

"We're very pleased that someone is going to come forward and fill the void that the Spirit left," Clancy said. "And we'll all go forward, hopefully

==============================
Well.....I told you guys I heard rumblings. What do you guys think about this?
And will you go to the games if they come in?

I think that this is a good thing for the city. For one,the field will have upkeep and be in use regularly.
Another thing is that it.liek the Spirit,promotes the city in a positive light.

And if this team comes in,I'll be sure to both attend games and try to help this franchise with video things much like I did with the Spirit--but hopefully moreso.

Yook=1B Gold Glove

2007-11-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Well deserved.

Sox re-sign Schil

2007-11-06T10:37:00.001-05:00

Buster Olney reports that Curt Schilling & the Red Sox have agreed to a one-year deal worth $8 mil. base salary and $2 mil. in incentives.

This one was a no-brainer.

Next step: Lowell.

LITHEN! COLTH!

2007-11-05T17:25:00.000-05:00

Let's examine the evidence:

-Amazingly bad referee calls
-Piped in crowd noise
-Pats' coach-to-QB communication system was broken
-Bill "Conflict of Interest" Polian constantly gets the competition committee to change rules based on what benefits Indy and hurts the Pats
-Colts defensive players simulating Pats' snap count

I am not a Pats apologist - in fact, I wrote a column in The Heights about how Spygate and Rodney Harrison's HGH use tainted the team somewhat, and has tempered my enthusiasm and excitement about the Pats' season. But I think it's pretty funny that the ~holier than thou~ Indianapolis Colts also have some skeletons in the closet.

I think it's pretty obvious to anyone with a brain that the NFL is a vicious, ruthless league and you are naive if you think the Patriots are big, bad cheaters and the Colts are the innocent force of good, trying to win with 'integrity.'

Someone else put it best: the biggest impact of the punishment by the league over Spygate was that now, the Pats need to buy a camera with better zoom, so somebody can film the opponent from the stands instead of from the sideline (which, for the record, is not illegal -- the rule the Pats broke was having an unauthorized cameraman on the sidelines, not filming the Jets' coordinator). If the league were to stop the Colts from piping in crowd noise, it would actually directly impact their home-field advantage.

Who's tainted now?

UPDATE: Yes, the very audible 'glitch' from yesterday was supposedly a "CBS problem," but you're naive if you don't think the Colts are piping in crowd noise --- it's been accused for years. What the CBS glitch did was make the public talk about it.

After eight seasons, face of franchise leaving Pride managerial post

2007-11-01T15:15:00.000-04:00

FROM THE NASHUA TELEGRAPH:
NASHUA – The Nashua Pride are certainly coming back for the 2008 season, but Butch won't be. Speaking from his Bakersfield, Calif., home on Wednesday, longtime Pride manager Butch Hobson acknowledged that he will not be back for his ninth season in Nashua. Instead he will be taking over as manager of an undisclosed team in the Atlantic League, a league the Pride played in before joining the Can-Am League in 2006.

Despite all his success here – Hobson has an overall record of 514-458 (.529) with two championships, six playoff appearances and four finals appearances in eight years – his status has always been in doubt for various reasons. He had officially resigned following the 2003 season before changing his mind and returning after a few weeks later.

He had to reach an agreement with new ownership groups in both 2005 and 2006. When the Pride announced they were joining the young player-oriented Can-Am League two years ago, Hobson initially balked before signing a three-year deal. But this time, it's for real. The 56-year-old Hobson, 63 days shy of attaining a full major-league pension, feels managing in the Atlantic League will get him back on a major league coaching staff someday. Because of the previous uncertain future of the franchise after it swept the now-defunct North Shore Spirit for the Can-Am crown in mid-September, Pride owner John Stabile allowed Hobson to field offers from other or organizations despite having a year remaining on his contract.

Teams came calling, and Hobson is being offered a package that Stabile – who is trying to make the Pride fiscally viable after announcing last week the franchise would return – can't match. But that may not matter.

"It's time to move on," Hobson said. "I've decided that (getting back to the majors) is what I want. I've been dickering here and there, but (managing) is all I know, it's what I do and I think I'm pretty good at it. I think I'm going to have to go back to the Atlantic League to get back with an (affiliated) organization in some capacity."

The Pride have held off on any official announcement in deference to Hobson's negotiations with his new team. "Butch and I are working out the details of the final year remaining on his contract," Stabile said. "There are some details to be ironed out, and we're hoping to announce something in the near future."

Hobson said the move was bittersweet. As a former Red Sox third baseman and manager, he immediately became the face of the franchise when hired by then-Pride owner Chris English in December 1999. After living in Vermont, he eventually moved to Nashua, where he lived until his family moved to California in July 2006. A few days ago he sat down to write a good-bye to the fans of Nashua, something the Pride are expected to include in a release or newspaper advertisement.

"It's very, very tough," Hobson said of his expected job change. "When I sat down to write what I wanted to say, it was real tough." The team had conversations with Hobson about putting together a day in his honor and for him to officially say good-bye to Pride fans, but nothing's been worked out.

"I hope I could do that, but I really don't know," Hobson said. When he took the steps of City Hall in celebration of his second championship earlier in the fall, Hobson seemed to sense the end was near. He said he didn't know what to expect when he first took the job, but he also didn't expect to be here through eight seasons. "No, I didn't," he said. "But it was a wonderful eight years."

You gotta admit,as crazy as he was he was a damn good manager. Nashua could possibly have a hard time finding a manger as good & dedicated as Butch. As we read this let's remember the good times we had with Butch....

What to watch for

2007-10-31T19:23:00.001-04:00

The biggest bummer about baseball season ending is the fact that there's no game on every night to have in the background and keep me company while I'm doing work. You have to search around during the offseason.

Luckily, this is a pretty good weekend. These are still exciting times - the doldrums don't really come until late Januaryish.

The 6-4 Bruins have a fairly big game tomorrow night (as big as the 11th game of the season can be) against the Buffalo Sabres, one of the beasts of the east. This will be a tough stretch for the B's without Bergeron.

Friday night, the much anticipated Celtics season begins. The new lineup is definitely exciting - I might even watch the whole game (usually I plan to watch the whole opener, then give up after 5 minutes).

Every BC game is huge at this point because every game in college football is like a playoff, and Saturday is no exception as we are taking on Florida State at 8:00 in Alumni Stadium. It'll be on ABC.

We all know that there's a pretty big football game on Sunday in Indy.

Happy viewing to ya.

By the way
-I'll have my pictures up from the rolling rally at some point this week;
-Anyone interested in going to a Bruins game sometime later on this winter? Maybe we could even get enough people to get a group rate.

CAN-AM LEAGUE SET WITH EIGHT FOR 2008

2007-10-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

CAN-AM LEAGUE SET WITH EIGHT FOR 2008

The Canadian American League is set with eight teams for the 2008 season.

At the completion of the annual meeting, the Board of Directors announced that the following teams that will operate for the 2008 season:

Atlantic City Surf, Brockton Rox, Grays (traveling team), Nashua Pride, New Jersey Jackals, Les Capitales de Québec, Sussex Skyhawks and Worcester Tornadoes. The North Shore Spirit and the New Haven County Cutters will not operate.

The league will again play a 94 game season, starting May 22 and ending September 1. The league will play a split season with the second half starting on July 14. There will be two, best-of-five playoff series starting September 3, with the winners of each half meeting the two teams with the next-best overall records.

“We are excited about the potential for the 2008 season,” commented Can-Am League Commissioner Miles Wolff. “We are disappointed that North Shore and New Haven will not be part of the league, but the remaining teams are in strong markets with outstanding ownership groups, and the future of the league is bright. We are looking at expansion for the 2009 season and have some outstanding potential markets in our sights.”

A meeting of all independent league presidents and commissioners will be held in Charleston, SC, on November 5-6 in conjunction with the Mike Veeck Promotional Seminar. As part of those meetings, Can-Am League general managers will hold their annual meeting on November 6.

ROLLING RALLY TOMORROW: 12 PM

2007-10-29T13:18:00.001-04:00

"The parade will begin at on Lansdowne Street, circle Fenway Park and take Boylston Street to Boston Common. It will go left on Tremont Street and follow Cambridge Street until the intersection of New Chardon Street, where the parade will stop near City Hall Plaza." -Boston.com

My current plan is to meet at Copley Station at 7 AM, but that's all TBA - I'll post something more definitive later.

These are "The Days."

2007-10-29T00:45:00.000-04:00

1903
1912
1915
1916
1918
2004
2007

I love you guys, it's been a thrill. The offseason is coming and as it goes along, people will begin to drift away from this blog, never to return. So while you're all still reading -- thanks for making these the best years ever.

World champs. :)

One last event: the parade. Stay tuned if you want to make plans with us to go together. I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Now: ENJOY!

World Series Game 4 Open Thread

2007-10-28T15:34:00.000-04:00

Tonight's the night, y'all. Let's go Lester!

Sox Lead W.S. 3-0!

2007-10-28T01:11:00.000-04:00

First off,let me say that seeing a few of the Fraser Regulars at Victoria's party tonight was awesome.
But let's get back to topic: THE RED SOX %^$&ING OWN!!
Winning 6-0,leading 6-5,then blowing it open and winning 10-5.......amazing!

Comeon boys,let's win tomorrow & bring another one home!!!

ALSO: Remember to pray that Patrice Bergeron comes out of his ordeal without too much wrong with him. I just saw the hit and feel the hit might've just been a regular body check gone VERY wrong. He's got a concussion and broken nose (according to the Bruins website)....so let's hope it doesn't affect it to much.

Agony

2007-10-27T17:24:00.001-04:00

As much good as there has been in recent days, this just makes me not care about any of it... the Bruins' young superstar Patrice Bergeron just got very very very very badly injured - he got his head knocked into the boards from behind. He got taken out on a stretcher and was motionless on the ice for at least ten minutes. I am sick to my stomach...

This is what a Heisman winner looks like

2007-10-26T23:12:00.001-04:00

8-0. 2-0. 7-0.

2007-10-26T14:21:00.001-04:00

It just keeps getting better.

WE MADE IT! Just a little too late.

2007-10-24T16:15:00.001-04:00

After 3 years of bloggin', Spirit Fans HQ has become the #5 hit on The Google when you search North Shore Spirit. (As of 5 months ago, we were #1 when you searched 'north shore spirit fans' but mired on the 2nd page for just searching 'north shore spirit'.) Unfortunately, I don't think too many people will be Googling North Shore Spirit any time soon, unless they're looking to do historical research. :(

Game 1 tonight. Let's do it!

An awesome time to be a Boston Sports Fan!!

2007-10-22T10:04:00.000-04:00

Hope you all are aware of the incredible time we have going on right now in the city of Boston and our sports teams. The level of success that we are seeing now are the likes that we have never seen.

Red Sox- Won the AL East and AL Pennant coming back from 3-1 for the third time in a row, when it comes to times that the Red Sox have made the World Series. With making the World Series for the 2nd time in 4 years, we have a win a chance to win a second title in that short time span, not bad for a team that went 86 years without winning one before 2004.

Patriots- Now 7-0 and looking absolutely unbeatable. Tom Brady is putting up incredible statistics the likes that the NFL has never seen, 27td and 2 INT! With Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and the others we have an offense that clearly rivals the best of all time. Oh and by the way our defense isnt too bad either and having Bill Belichick as our coach doesnt hurt. I do understand that it is still early in the season but if we can keep this up it seems very likely that the Patriots can win their 4th title in 7 years which is just amazing.

Boston College Eagles- Right now the BC football team is at a level of attention that they have never seen. Ranked currently at #2 in both polls and the BCS ranking, which right now would put them in the National Championship Game against Ohio State. The 7-0 Eagles have been taking care of business so far this season led by current Heisman front runner Matt Ryan. Now I do know that we have an incredible challenge Thursday Night in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, but we have a real chance to have a special season on the Heights, so I hope the boys are ready to live up to the hype.

Boston Celtics- Have decided to rejoin the NBA this season after basically a 15 year layoff, ever since the original Big 3 retired the Celtics have become mostly an after thought in this city, I know we had a few moments of promise in the early part of the decade when we had Pierce and Walker, but overall teams been pretty Mediocre. Now fast forward to this season we get Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen two proven All Star caliber scores and leaders that with along with Paul Pierce you have a trio of great players that have the potential to make for a great year along Causeway Street this year. Obviously the season hasnt started yet and you never know how this will work out, but the chance to contend for the NBA title is certainly possible.

Boston Bruins- Even the other tennant of the Garden is off to a decent start, lost in the shuffle of all the excitement about these other teams is that the B's got off to a really good start on the road, and continued that so far at home with winning the first two games there. Right now they have a record of 5-2. It is indeed very early but if they can keep this play up they have a chance to really start to get some attention in this incredible sports city that we have.

Well thats all for now, but hope you get to enjoy this great time we are going through right now, but it probably wont last cause sports are so predictable. If you have any comments or anything else to add feel free to do so.

Jack

GAME SEVEN: $51.1 mil, all worth it for this one win

2007-10-21T14:19:00.001-04:00

Unlike Sparky, I DO think that Beckett might pitch tonight, if you need someone to get you from, say, the 4th thru the 6th - or if we have a marathon in the making. But hopefully, Dice-K comes up big and has his best outing of the year.

I'll be here sporadically to comment and discuss the game, so feel free to drop by and react. GO RED SOX.

Watch it and smile

2007-10-19T01:02:00.000-04:00

2004 ALCS Documentary Red Sox Yankees
Uploaded by BigRedSoxFan

There's joy in Fenwayville again tonight -- huge win. Grant and I will be heading to Fenway very early to camp out for tickets to see Schilling win Game 6 on Saturday night.

"Don't let us win tonight..." -Kevin Millar

BREAKING NEWS: Torre Turns Down Yankees Offer

2007-10-18T20:02:00.000-04:00

That's right,foor the first time in 12 years the Yankee will NOT be lead by Joe Torre. The following is the article from the NY Times Blog......

The Yankees offered Manager Joe Torre a one-year deal with a base salary of $5 million and the chance to make another $3 million in performance bonuses. But after 12 years and 12 postseason appearances (including four World Series titles), Torre turned it down.

“We respect his decision. We appreciate everything he’s done. But it is now time for the New York Yankees to move forward, and we will be doing it very quickly,” team President Randy Levine said.

General Manager Brian Cashman said that Torre’s successor has not been named, nor have potential candidates been formally identified. “I can promise you that the process is going to take some time,” Cashman said. “I ask for everyone’s patience as we review the individuals and make recommendations to ownership.”

Under the deal he was offered, Torre would have received a $1 million bonus for reaching the playoffs, another $1 million for reaching the American League Championship Series and $1 million if the team made the World Series. If he did lead the Yankees to the World Series in 2008, there would have been an $8 million option for the 2009 season.

Torre flew to Tampa earlier today and meet with Yankees officials at Legends Field, a day after George Steinbrenner, his sons and other Yankees executives held two days of meetings about the manager’s future.

Torre arrived at Legends at around 1:30 p.m. Eastern time. The meeting lasted a little more than an hour. Torre left the complex .

All of the higher-ups were present at Legends, including principal owner George Steinbrenner and his sons, Hank and Hal; President Randy Levine; General Manager Brian Cashman; and Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost.

What's your guys' responses to this?

ALSO: GO SOX!!!!

I'm still confident...

2007-10-16T17:31:00.000-04:00

...Sox in 7.

It starts tonight.

Let's go Wake.

P.S.: Don't go to the Spirit website unless you want to get upset.

News from GlobeNorth:

AGREEMENT REACHED - Lynn and the North Shore Spirit baseball team have reached an agreement for the city to pay $74,660 for 1,339 seats the team installed at Fraser Field. The professional baseball team, which folded last month, installed them at a cost of $200 per seat as part of a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the city-owned park. The city will pay $60 per seat for 1,197 flip-up seats, and $20 per seat for 142 fixed seats. A five-year lease signed between the Spirit and the city gave the team the right to remove any fixtures added to the ballpark. The Spirit has removed the video scoreboard, modular buildings used as team offices, and locker rooms, City Solicitor Michael Barry said. - Kathy McCabe

Also, from the Nashua Telegraph:

-Nashua will announce whether or not they are returning on Oct. 25.

-According to 'league sources,' one other un-named CanAm League team is in jeopardy of folding.

Boston College=#3 in the BCS

2007-10-14T18:25:00.000-04:00

Wow. I've basically been floating on air all day ever since the rankings came out. #2 in the coaches poll, #3 in AP, and #3 in the BCS rankings. I can't believe it.

This pretty much is the epitome of unbelievable. We're one of just two private schools in the top 25 and by FAR the smallest school with an enrollment of 9,000 and just a 46,000 seat stadium. We have the 3rd highest graduation success rate (93%) in all of D-1 behind Navy and Northwestern - both of whom suck at football. We also haven't been top 10 since 1984. We have a long way to go, but to be in the national title mix at this point is simply unbelievable.

Since I like you guys and gals, I'll allow you to jump on the BC bandwagon without accusing you of being fair-weather. Climb aboard!!!! 11 days until the biggest game in BC history: BC @ Virginia Tech, Thursday, October 25, at 7:30 PM.

On an unrelated note, Eric Gagne should never pitch for the Red Sox ever again.

Go D-backs tonight!

ALCS TOMORROW NIGHT!

2007-10-11T15:53:00.000-04:00

The ALCS starts tomorrow night.......Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabthia take the mound for the Sox & Indians.
Sabathia is 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA in his career at Fenway Park.
Beckett is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA lifetime in the postseason.

I don't know about you guys--but I never liked the playoff broadcasters and wished I could still listen to Remy & Orsillo instead. I saw the comic belw and laughed--so I figured I'd share it...

IN OTHER NEWS: Jonathan Papelbon has won the DHL presents the MLB Delivery Man Of The Year....congrats Paps,you deserve it.

PEACE OUT YANKEES

2007-10-08T23:52:00.001-04:00

See you next year, choking turds

Yankees-Indians Game 4

2007-10-08T22:19:00.000-04:00

Anyone watching this game? It goes to prove what a difference the crowd can make in a game. The Indians are clearly on their back heels right now.

Come on Tribe, settle down.

S.O.S: City Hall....This Tuesday

2007-10-08T13:24:00.000-04:00

I know everything is down at Fraser Field and the Spirit probably won't come back. But I have over 700 signatures and am going to give them to Mayor Chip Clancy on Tuesday evening at Lynn City Hall 3 City Hall Square in Lynn at 5:30 p.m. City Hall is open until 9pm on Tuesday and the Mayor will be there.

PLEASE spread the word. We'd like everyone who can to come and wear Spirit gear if you have it. It may not make a differnce and save the team but at least we can let Chip know how we feel about our North Shore Spirit and to let Nick Lopardo know how much the Spirit means to us . Please come. I'm hoping TV and newspapers will be there too.

Thank You,
Victoria

She has a goood point......at this point it will probably not make a difference,but anyone that can go should go and show how much the Spirit meant to us and the city. The more people that are there the bigger the message.

Red Sox Advance To 07 ALCS!

2007-10-07T19:10:00.000-04:00

Behind a strong pitching performance from Curt Schilling and back-to-back homers from Big Papi & Manny the Red Sox swept the Angels and advance to the ALCS for the first time since 04 with a 9-1 win!

Now we need to wait and see if the Yankees' aging starter,Roger Clemens, can hold off the Indians and keep the Yankees' playff dreams alive....or see if the Indians can beat the future HoFer and advance to face the BoSox.

As of 7:21 PM it's the Indians 2, Yankees 0 after 2....
7:32 PM: Clemens stirkes out batter and is pulled from the game. As he leaves he meets a standing ovation. Will this be his last game ever? Who knows.......especially with his actions these past few years. Phillip Hughes now in for the Yanks,still losing 2-0 in the 3rd
7:59 PM: Damon rbi-single makes it 3-1 Indians after 3. Inning ended on a Jeter double-play...the Yanks 3rd of the game so far--ouch!
9:54 PM:Took an hour and a half trip to Wendy's,CVS,Flax Pond and back.....I come back in and the Yanks are up 8-4 after 7.5 innings. We should now add the Yankees to a list of things that won't die that includes Freedy Kruger & Jason
10:16 PM: Yankees hold on to force game 4, an 8-4 win

=========================================
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES TV SECHDULE:
*Times TBA*
2007 NLCS: Rockies @ Diamondbacks -- Game 1, Thursday on TBS
2007 ALCS: TBD @ Red Sox -- Game 1, Friday on Fox

Game 3 NLDS Action TONIGHT

2007-10-06T19:05:00.000-04:00

So....tonight's an off day for the Sox. However,there's still good MLB Postseason action going on tonight on TBS....
6:00pm - Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs, Game 3
9:30pm - Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, Game 3

Arizona & Colrado both lead their series' 2-0. One more win each and they face each other in the NLCS.

And is anyone else happy that the Indians have become Yankee killers? Last night's game between those two was an aweomse game,if anyone watched. The only thing that dominated besides great pitching was the presence of all those bugs. My God.....I've NEVER seen so many insects flying around like that in such a small area.

I think the following picture basically embodied New York's late innings,and another pic I just found funny......Both courtesy of BostonDirtDogs.com:

^^ There were MORE bugs than that latter in the game... ^^

ALSO: If you didn't get enough of that walkoff homer then take a look below.... =]

EDIT: 2007 NLCS is set....Rockies Vs Diamondbacks on Thursday!

MANNY RAMIREZ

2007-10-06T01:09:00.001-04:00

exclamation point

There's Only One Actober....Or Not

2007-10-05T19:46:00.001-04:00

I was listening to TBS and saw their ad for the playoffs. At the end they had a website at the bottom and I checked it out.
It's a video contest.....So I'm considering entering this "Actober" contest MLB is putting on.

At this point I'd have to choose a moment from these. They'll keep updating throughout the playoffs and more clips will become available to mimic.

The object is to create an original recreation of one of the mometns they put on their site. I figured I'd ask peple here the following:
Does anyone have any ideas for a video and does anyone want to help?

No guarentee iy'll actually happen,but since I'd have until Nov. 1 to enter I'd like to think that it's a good possibility I could put something together =]

OR---and this would probhably be a goood idea as well......
What if instead of a famous MLB moment we reenact a Spirit moment,or moments,that we recall and think woould be cool to copy. Just a thought.....

Women's Hockey Game CANCELLED

2007-10-04T18:48:00.000-04:00

In case anyone was planning to come, tomorrow's BC game has been CANCELLED due to unplayable conditions in the rink (ice melting, causing fog...2nd time this has happened, what a joke)

We are still getting together in the lounge in my dorm building to watch Red Sox/Angels ALDS Game 2 at 8:30. You are more than welcome to come, but keep in mind that if you're relying on the T to get home, you might be out of luck if the game goes too late.

Hope to see you there, call me (781-632-5610) if you're coming so we know how much pizza to order.

JG

Reminder: Tomorrow Night

2007-10-04T10:23:00.000-04:00

7 PM: BC vs. RPI - Conte Forum at BC - free admission.
845ish - Watching da' Sox game in the lounge of Welch Hall at BC... flipping to the Bruins for comic relief from time to time

The hockey game will be about an hour and 45 minutes, so the timing works out perfectly.

Ottawa hoping to land Can-Am franchise--from the Nashua Telegraph

2007-10-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

NOW for something different.....
by TOM KING, Telegraph Staff

NASHUA – With the Nashua Pride’s future up in the air, a move north of the border cannot be counted out.
Nashua Pride owner John Stabile said he has had no “direct” contact with anyone from the city of Ottawa, Ontario, which is expected to lose its Triple-A team this offseason, but the Can-Am League is clearly interested in placing a team there for 2008.
“I have not,” Stabile, who was to be interviewed on Tuesday night by the Ottawa Citizen, which sent a reporter to Holman Stadium for the team’s Can-Am semifinal series against the New Jersey Jackals. “The (Can-Am) League called me up to make sure I (followed protocol).”

While Stabile says he hasn’t talked to anyone official about such a move – a source in Ottawa confirmed he hasn’t – there is clearly interest on the part of the Can-Am League to place a team in Ottawa’s 10-year-old, 10,200-seat Lynx Stadium. According to reports in the Citizen, Can-Am League commissioner Miles Wolff met with Ottawa city officials months ago about the Can-Am League taking over the final two years of the Ottawa Lynx’ lease, which expires in 2009. The Lynx are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. As part of the deal, the Lynx would drop litigation against the city over parking issues. Wolff has long sought a geographic rival for the Quebec Capitales, a team he owns. “Baseball stays (in Ottawa) and everybody is happy,” he told the Citizen of the proposal.

According to published reports, there is another proposal by Ottawa businessman David Butler to turn the stadium into a $40 million domed entertainment complex that would include baseball. Such a project, though, would preclude having any baseball played in Ottawa next year.
There would be two ways Wolff could go: he could find an owner in Ottawa as an expansion franchise and fold the traveling Grays, or see if a Can-Am League owner would be interested in selling or moving his team to Canada. Reportedly, the North Shore Spirit, based in Lynn, Mass., are up for sale. But what does the future hold for the Pride? It seems clear that if the team does return to Nashua, it won’t do so with Stabile as the sole owner.

“I have four options,” Stabile said. “One is to find someone who wants to keep the team in Nashua and take the team in whole or in part. Two, find another location that wants it, in whole or in part. Three, sell the franchise in its entirety. Rather than pay the league, they pay me. Or four, a sabbatical. Shut it down for a year and at the end of the year decide which way to go.”

Stabile reiterated there is perhaps more he could do for the health and well-being of the franchise, but wonders in the long run if it would be beneficial because of the existence of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Double-A team in Manchester and the Red Sox’ Single-A franchise in Lowell, Mass. Stabile says he has not had any discussions with any possible local investors.

What I have decided, given what I know . . . (is) I’m losing my shoulder people,” he said. “The Merrimacks, Amhersts, Milfords and Hudsons. And to the south, I should be drawing (fans) from places like Pelham. Instead, we’re seeing the same old faces every night.
“Today I was on the phone with my consultants. Whatever we do, we want to do it right.”

Stabile would not release a dollar figure on his losses for 2007 but did say it was less than the $500,000 he lost in 2006, “but not significantly less.”

One thing I found interesting is in the article it says "Reportedly, the North Shore Spirit, based in Lynn, Mass., are up for sale. "I haven't heard any real reports of this,has any of you?
As for the possibility of a team in Ottawa,I'd like to see another Canadian team in the league. It would be good for Quebec to have a team within a reasonable distance for them to have a healthy rivalary with....even if they are owned by that damned snake in the grass ^_^

Red Sox-Angels, Game 1

2007-10-03T18:09:00.001-04:00

"America's Team," the Colorado Rockies, just finished off a game one victory over the Phillies. Nice. I didn't catch any of the game but it sounded like a good performance by the surging Rocks.

The Sox are about to get underway against the Angels in Game 1. I probably won't be near the computer during the game, but if anyone else is around and wants to talk about the game here, feel free to do so. I may pop in from time to time.

GO SOX!

P.S. Impeach Remy from that stupid F!@$!@#ing 'Red Sox Nation President' office.

State of Fraser / Pride Updates

2007-10-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

As I said,I went to Fraser yesterday after work. It was a sad sight.....
all of the outfield padding/ads are gone as is the big video/scoreboard. It looks pretty barren right now cause of those things missing.
Bobby K was able to get some pictures of them taking that stuff down. Here they are,althugh they dont show the fence as it is currently from the parking lot area lookign in........

And now for the Pride Update let's turn to our New Hampshire correspondent,Spike:
Further to the Pride's survival--nashuatelegraph.com has two articles. The Can-Am League has given the Pride extension--until way after the league meeting next week--to decide whether it is in; the owner says it's more than 50/50, but has abandoned selling part-ownerships in favor of a new push to sell season tickets; but Butch Hobson has been given permission to talk to other teams just in case. Whew!
--Spike

Thank you Spike. It looks like the Pride are still clinging to life,but barely. This is decision by ownership/management that looks like it may come down to a last-day choice.
I hope they stay,as do others--but there's no good or bad signs in my opinion (they kind of balance out). Anyone wanna weigh in on this?

IN OTHER NEWS: "North Shore: Sold the contracts of INF Gilbert Gil, INF Gary Roche and OF Joe Hough to Edinburg (United League). OF BJ Weed played out his option in 2007 and is now a free agent."--I think now we have no players left,or 1.....
='[

ALSO: FROM WBZ NEWSRADIO 1030.....