Game 34: Hey, hey, hey, it's the Detroit Sheffield

In the Motor City, Boston leads 2-0 in the bottom of the second after a 2 run homer from Mike Lowell. Matsuzaka against Bonderman.

Dice K is walking people, still, but so far it hasn't hurt him.

Detroit, who are not the weak sister that got stomped right out of the gate, are shaking up their roster, sending down Jacque Jones, who until recently was a major league player, and sending Gary Sheffield out to play the field. They are 14-18, which isn't very good until you consider that they dropped their first seven games of the season.

Very curious sequence of pitches from Bonderman to the Bad Man-slider strike, slider strike, then missed with three fastballs, then a hanging slider that Manny hit 410 feet to dead center. Pitchers in general have to try not to nibble so much-he got two strikes then got scared. In Fenway, that would have been up on the wall for a long double.

Bonus points if you know what song inspired the title for this post.

Two more walks for the Dice Man-stranded when Magglio strikes out and then Cabrera flies out. As Bob Ryan put it at one point, What's Japanese for "Trust Your Stuff"?

My IPod is acting funny. I'm going to be really upset if it quits on me. Like with cell phones, I have gone from mocking people who have them to someone who can't imagine living without them.

Now listening: "High Flying Adored", Evita

"The Fall of Saigon", Miss Saigon

When I went to see Miss Saigon on Broadway, my car broke down and I had to drive home on 3 cylinders, truly a harrowing experience. It was one of the times I allowed external factors to cloud what should have been an exciting experience.

In the fourth, Mike Lowell doubles, and then Kevin Youkilis homers to left for a 4-0 Boston lead.

"I've Loved These Days", Movin Out

Three songs from musicals in a row. I know random is random, I know. I just find the algorithm curious. I get patterns that seem impossible. Multiple songs by the same artist, or song after song without hearing an artist that it seems like should come up more.

"At My Most Beautiful", REM

"From Hank to Hendrix", Neil Young

A song that I don't mind, but that seems to come up, according to my faulty human reasoning, more than I think it should. A song, also, that cuts off after 1:41, I just discovered. A recording issue, obviously, that I will have to go and remedy.

"Rebels", Tom Petty
"Road Runner", Backbeat

A criminally unrecognized album. In conjunction with the release of the movie "Backbeat", about the young Beatles, a bunch of young (at the time) musicians from the punk and alternative worlds cut an album of the songs the Beatles were playing at that time-50s R and B covers-in the fast, intense way they would have played them in those German nightspots. Brilliant.

"Malted Milk", Eric Clapton

Dice K walks two more in the 4th, but finally pays for it, Granderson singling to center (their first hit!) to score the first run of the game. But Dice K escapes the jam with only one run.

"It's Your World Now", Eagles
"Love Is Blindness", U2

I thought all of these albums through this period got underrated-Rattle and Hum, then Achtung Baby and Zooropa. I loved them all, yet some people and critics hated them. They were wierd, and definitely different, but I thought they were brilliant.

Love is blindness, indeed.

"Air", Movin Out

That's what I'm talking about-two songs, out of almost 3000, from out of the same 12 or 15 on the soundtrack album?

"Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", U2

Great story on 60 Minutes about the Tillman family and how angry they are about the handling of Pat Tillman's death. Of course, there is the usual incompetence and madness that you always get in stories like this, but the overwhelming feeling for me is similar to the feeling I'm getting from my employer. When everyone knows what they want to hear, and the people who give them what they don't want to hear get disposed of, you don't HAVE to order people to lie, they'll just do it.

"Every Day", Les Miserables
"Spectacle", Velvet Revolver

'Ol Sleepyhead, Craig Hansen, is warming up for Boston, along with Julian Tavarez, who, according to the announcers, hasn't pitched in 2 weeks. That's both good and bad-the guy's got to get a little work. But then again, any game that Julian Tavarez is pitching in might not be one you win.

"One", Metallica

Dice K struggles again in the fifth, allowing another hit and another walk (his 8th!) but retires the side.

I have to think he's done at this point.

The drumming for the final movement of "One" is one of the most amazingly intense sequences of music. Incredibly fast, but still melodic and compelling.

This song is 21 years old.

"Only The Good Die Young" (Live), Billy Joel
"Wake Up Little Susie" (Live), Simon and Garfunkel

How ashamed am I of the fact that this album was the first time I had heard this song?

"Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffett

Cliched, I know. But I still love him. Not in that Parrothead Get Drunk kind of crazy way-I just think he's a great songwriter.

"Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me", George Michael and Elton John

"No Other Way", Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney has written a lot of songs. A LOT of songs.

"Manic Depression", Jimi Hendrix

Detroit has a kid pitching for them, Clay Rapada, who has a real funky lefty delivery, with a high kick and a kind of arms and legs, left handed Kent Tekulve lurch.

But Boston wastes no time, Pedroia doubling into the gap with one out, then Ortiz singling him home. 5-1 Boston.

"Born in The USA" (Live), Bruce Springsteen

Live 1975-85 was the second Springsteen album I bought, after Born in the USA, of course. That meant it was the first time I heard some great songs, like "Rosalita" and "Its Hard To Be a Saint In The City". I dont think I heard them on classic rock radio back then. But I could be wrong.

Bruce Springsteen has spoken about the Church of Rock N Roll, the notion of the concert being like a revival tent, bringing the gospel to the people. I have never been to a Springsteen show, and indeed I haven't been to a concert since I got married in 1994, but I love that idea.

"Yesterday" (Live), Paul McCartney

"(Dont Go Back To) Rockville", REM

"Falling of the Rain", Billy Joel



http://faculty.ucmerced.edu/smalloy/atomic_tragedy/photos.html

Any sociopaths like Hillary Clinton or John McCain who want to go around advocating that nuclear weapons are an acceptable solution or response to anything at all should look at these photographs, new pictures of Hiroshima, and feel ashamed of themselves.

"Aint My Bitch", Metallica

Bottom of the 7th, and Trouble Rears Its Ugly Head , as Sleepyhead allowed a single, a walk, and now another walk, loading the bases with two out.

Now its Okeydoke, facing Marcus Thames with bases loaded, two out.

"I'm Not Sleeping" (Live), Counting Crows

Before I can even finish typing that, Thames singles to left, scoring 2 runs. 5-3 Boston.

Renteria flies out to end the inning, but this game is a lot tighter than I'd like it to be.

Lots of things are not as I'd like them to be.

"Finale", Miss Saigon