One game out & a new back up?

The Sox have had a stellar week... let me repeat... stellar. After losing 6 straight... sorry let me say that again... 6 straight! They've (noticed I'm referring to them as 'they' now, not we- but let's be honest, they'll always be 'we' in my heart-) fallen 2 games back to the dreaded Spankees (sorry, Yankees).
What is our answer to this 6 game streak? We acquire two back-ups to fill an already jammed bench, and jammed positions. Now don't get me wrong... I'm a little excited about one of our transactions.
It seems Boston & St. Louis are trying to help Milk and I along in this blog as Boston traded high priced Shortstop Julio Lugo to St. Louis for Outfielder Chris Duncan. This trade, I believe, brings some pop to the line-up that we sorely lacked in our other trade.
That other trade brought Adam LaRoche from Pittsburgh to Boston. The one good thing about the trade is they didn't have to give up much to get him. Grant it, LaRoche seems to be a great infielder, and has some pop for a Pittsburgh team... but for Boston, who already has an All-Star at first base and a backup in Mark Kotsay, who could start for almost any other team... do we really need LaRoche? No.
What we need is some power implanted in the middle of the line-up. Duncan might have some power, but I doubt he is going to play everyday... especially after he struggled in St. Louis this year. In order to play everyday he'll need injuries to starters Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, or JD Drew... and if that happens... well let's not talk about that.
Basically, the Sox need to go out and find a bat either at short or at third. Grant it we have everyday players there right now, we really can't afford to displace any other position. You may make an argument for Catcher, but I'm not going to be the one who asks for V-Teks job. The man is a STUD even if he is moving on in age. So do we ask for aging Mike Lowells spot at third? Again that's tough. He's been faithful to Boston, even taking a paycut to stay with us and he still has some pop in the bat and a great glove. So what? Short? What big bats are at short? Maybe ex-Sox prospect and now star of the Marlins Hanley Ramirez, but that would be a blockbuster that I don't see happening. Arizona is struggling mightily this season, maybe making a move for JD's brother Stephen Drew, but that doesn't improve our power very much. Unless we part with some regulars, I don't see the Sox making any moves in the line-up.

Our rotation however has some room to grow. That is another area we need help in. First we need Lester to step up and pitch like the future number 1 that he is. We also need Dice-K to return to his rookie season form or really return to his Japanese form that Boston has never really seen. Finally, I think they need to make a move for a legit starter. Doc Halladay from Toronto would be great, but you can't send top prospects to a division rival. So we need to look out West and the NL, and I just don't know whose available.

So after a 6 game slide the Sox are looking up at the Yankees. I'll be watching to see how these two trades play out. There too big of a log jam at 1st for nothing else to happen. So we'll see. Does this mean the Sox need to battle for the Wild Card instead of the Division now? Not on your life.

Go Sox!

Waiting for Baby

For those of you who were at JFF on Wednesday night know that it looked like Amanda was beginning to go into labor. 10 hours later we are still waiting for that labor to begin.

She is contracting, but nothing is happening. Our daily lives continue as they have. It really feels like the calm before the storm. We're both really excited to have Robert Elijah join us. So excited in fact, that the waiting is making on antsy! This is a great test in patience and perseverance.

As a Father, I'm sure Milk and speak into the experience of going through childbirth with your wife. Obviously it is completely different for us compared to what our wives have to go through. But, we still go through a lot... I think. I know so far, while I may get frustrated that the baby hasn't come yet, my main role here to to support Amanda.

That role will continue at the hospital. Together, with God, we will welcome this child into the world. That's crazy to think about!

Please keep us (Amanda, Robert and myself) in your prayers as we await Robert's arrival. Stay tuned as we'll give an update when the big guy shows up!

God bless,

Jim

Bible & Bagels (doughnuts)

We had a great study Friday morning and enjoyed some fresh doughnuts from Krispy Kreme! We were going to have bagels, but as I was calling around looking for some, Krispy Kreme offered to donate doughnuts each week of the study! Sweet! So join us next Friday for our next round of Salvation History and eat some free doughnuts!!!

Our evening Friday Salvation History study will be canceled. No one showed up this week and so rather than have low numbers at each study, we'll just have one in the morning and have larger numbers. Hope you'll all be able to join us!

God bless,

Jim

2 Games

I caught the end of the Cardinals Cubs game yesterday and with Milk away from the known world for a few days at TEC I thought I'd make a few comments from what I saw. And thanks to MLB.com and my All-Star voting, I'm able to watch the Sox for a few days with a free trial of MLBTV. It's pretty sweet. So I watched my boys in a wild one last night!

When I turned to Cards game on the Cubs were up 5-1 with Marmol was pitching and he was doing all he could to give that lead up. Finally, after letting a run in and loading the bases, Gregg came in and got the win. It was an interesting end to the game and the Cards fought hard. The loss let the Cards lead drop to two games.

The Sox, however, with the win, moved their lead up to two games with a Spankees loss earlier in the day.
The bats came alive in a big way last night jumping out early to a 9-0 lead. Smoltz looked like his old self and the Sox looked to be coasting to the win. That was until the bullpen took over and allowed the Royals to chip away at the lead. By the 8th inning the score was 12-9 and Paplebon warming up. Luckily in the bottom of the 8th we tacked on a few more and Paps got to sit down.

The bullpen sure didn't look pretty and that has to worry me going into the allstar break. But according to the announcers (Dennis Eckersly being one of them), the pen has been going through a tough spurt right now and that is to be expected. Let's hope he's right.

One of the brightest signs from last night heading into the break had to be Big Papi. His bat was alive... I'm watching the game as I write this and David was just named the Sox player of the week, go figure... anyway, Big Papi hit his 1,000th career home run (12th of the season). Way to go Papi!

So things look to be going well heading into the break. Sox won last night, are winning 3-0 in the 4th today and its a beautiful day in Boston.

FYI, the Cards are losing again in Chicago but I think its early still.

Out of office Friday afternoon: See you tonight!

Office is pretty quiet today so I'm going to head on out. Hope everyone is having a great Friday afternoon. We'll see you tonight at 6pm for our Salvation History Bible study!!

God bless,

Jim

Red Sox

As we head into the All Star break you would think we would be in a good spot. We've got 6, count them 6 All Stars headed to the game in good ole St. Louis and the last time the Sox were in town in 04 things turned out alright for us. 

But, of course, with a Spankees (that's Yankees for you non-New Englanders) win and a Sox loss to the not so lowly Royals last night we have slid into a tie for the top spot in the American League East. 

With that said, let me pause for a moment and say how excited I am MILK has decided to journal the rest of the season with me. We're both big baseball fans and when it comes to Cards and Sox we're diehards. Go Sox!

So now, back to the team. It's been tough this year for me. Being away from the team and without cable I have to rely on the Sox website more than I would like. My friends back home say they like the feel and make up of this years team. And although we've won two world series this decade, I'm still not at ease with being in first place. I'm use to looking up at those darn spankees... and well, as of today we're tied for first place. Don't get me wrong. I want to win! I believe we will win! But to do it convincingly isn't the Sox style.  Just look at the 04 Sox. I'm reading a book right now about them and when the Sox made the trade to send Nomar to the Cubbies you would have thought the world was ending in Boston. According to the authors we didn't get anything back for him. Well, those two "nobodies" helped lead us to a World Championship. (Those nobodies were Orlando Cabrera of the A's and Doug Minchevich {that's not how you spell his name} of who knows where now).

This year isn't much difference. The team has certainly been filled with adversity. Dice-K dominated in the World Baseball Classic AGAIN, but only this time his arm has decided to fall off during the regular season. Our 100 million dollar boy has been sitting on the DL most of the season. Our other Big boy, or should I say Big Papi, hasn't looked like himself at all this season. When the first few months of the season went by with no home runs, even David Ortiz's Big Smile was wiped off his face. I'm happy to say that Big Papi hit his 10th, and 300th of his career home run last night. Looks like he's beginning to turn things around. Reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia has had a solid season, as has "The Greek God of Walks" Kevin YooooooouuuKalis, until recent injuries had slowed him down. My boy Jon Lester, cancer survivor and all around American boy, struggled mightily to begin the season, but has showed promised as of late. Only a few weeks ago he brought a perfect game into the 6th inning. Not bad for a guy who got smacked around his first 4 starts!

Our main stay has been Josh Beckett, having another All Star year and pitching like the Josh Beckett of old. That is a good sign, because when Beckett is on the Sox win. I don't mean just when he pitches either. When he wins the team usually roles and we can usually count on him heavily when it comes playoff time.

But the greatest treat, but not biggest surprise, has to come from one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Red Sock players ever and that is league leader in wins mr. 42 year old TiMAY Wakefield. You have to love this man! He's throws a nasty nuckleball that when on NOBODY can hit and he combines that with a 77 mph fastball (possibly the slowest in the league) and a 70-75 mph change-up (you ask: is there a difference- apparently so). But this guy is what the Sox are all about. He's a man of the community, for years now he has been taking PAY CUTS to stay with the Sox, now signing 4 per year each year, and is a decision king. If you take a look at his record over the last few years you'll see he'll have 15 losses, but he'll also have 15-20 wins as well. And he's pretty good at keeping them even. If he only gets 10 wins in a season, you can be he only got 6-10 losses in the season. But not this year! He's holding steady at 3 losses and dominating with 11 wins! Best in the league! You go TiMAY!

But despite our success, we're still only tied with the Spankees, and well... that's how it should be. Tampa I will admit is a new kink in things... but lets face it, its the Rays! The Sox won't let last year happen again (as far as losing in the playoffs to Tampa). But I'm happy with where the Sox are at coming into the All Star break. Maybe its the defeatest in me, but I'll be happy with the Wild Card spot. We won the Division a couple years back, and the Spankees didn't make the playoff last year, so all in all, things aren't so bad. I don't have that crazy desire that I need to win the division each year... I'll take a World Series ring over a division title any day. 

Do I think the Sox can make the series this year? Heck yeah! Will it be tough? Of course! But that's what makes being a Sox fan so great. It totally reminds me of being a Catholic.... but I'll leave that for another blog. Do the Sox need one or two more players to win it all? Probably. I wouldn't mind seeing Dice-K healed up and throwing like last year, along with bring Lester back to form. We probably need another bat as well, but I don't know where we'd put him. Maybe an upgrade a short. (I hear Nomar wants back in Boston). We'll see where the season takes us. For now, I'll keep an eye on the standings and only hope, PRAY, we can hold onto first as we enter the break. I'll be watching the All Star game this year, hoping the Socks can play a role in bringing home field advantage to the American League.

Thanks for reading.  God bless, and talk to you soon.

Go Sox!

TEC

I've never been on a TEC before, but I have been on a Koinia (I'm pretty sure I spelt that wrong) which is a college form of TEC at U of I and ISU, among other colleges in the area, and I have also be on a Cursio (pretty sure I spelt that wrong too), which is an adult form of TEC in Massachussetts.

Both were positive experiences for me despite my hesitations about going on them in the beginning. It was Cursio back in 2004 that helped me realize my calling to serve God in what I am tempted to call a more dramatic way. But really, it wasn't a more "dramatic" way at all. What it really was, was a living out Christ's love in my life more fully, more completely. I wasn't suddenly a "Jesus freak", what is a Jesus freak anyway and can it really be that bad? I wasn't suddenly awkward (no more than I am now...ha), all I was doing was trying, and I stress TRYING, to follow God's Will for my own life. And low and behold I was happy! I was complete! I found what I wanted to do with my life (ministry) and I found my wife! Pretty amazing. I'm not saying things haven't been tough since then because they have. But like in Jesus' parable about the men who built their houses on rock and sand... no matter what the storms will come. But with Christ as my foundation I can stand firm.

As far as my college experience went with "TEC" that too was a positive also. I was able to meet new students from across the campus who I had never met before and made some really good friends.

So please know that all of you who are going on TEC will be joined with my prayers for the weekend. If you haven't been on a TEC yet, I encourage you to find out when the next one is. Go. You won't regret it.

For those of you who are going or have gone, my only words of advice concern you experience after TEC. Keep the faith alive! Make it your own! Because when you are away from your community temptations will rise. You may... you will... fall. It's okay. Don't be afraid to give your life completely to Christ after this weekend. By doing so you will live a much fuller, joyfilled life. There are plenty of opportunities for you.

You can find fellowship through Life Teen on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Mass is offered multiple times a day at Epiphany, and we have a 24 Adoration chapel, including a LT Holy hour on Fridays to help to spend more time with our Lord.

In the words of our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, "Be Not Afraid!" God will not let you down.

God bless,

Jim

Drop In hours

Starting next week I'll be changing our weekly drop in hours to Wednesday through Friday, still from 1-5pm. I'll be using Tuesday's as a "business day."

If you haven't made it to a drop in hour yet you should come on by. It's completely unorganized! :) No, really, that's a good thing. I'm here in the office for you. If you want to come by and talk about something going on in your life... you can do that. I'm here. If you want to come by and play X-Box... you can do that. I'm here. If you want to come by and play Risk or another boardgame... you can do that too. I'm here. Open Hours are just that, open. Open to do what we feel like doing. If it's a nice day out, lets go out and throw the frisbee around. Have some work to do and need a place to come by and get it done? Why not the LT office.

This place is for you. You're always welcome here and I hope I'll get to see you soon.

God bless,

Jim