Pizza Chat

I missed lots of tonight's game, but heard a couple of early innings in the car. Wake gave up 4 runs and we had zip when I left the car. By the time I walked into the pizza place nearby for my dinner, the score was tied at 4. And I watched us take it to 6 as I waited for my buffalo chicken wrap (which was pretty tasty - although the fries were less than fresh. I didn't finish them and that says a lot.) It was an exciting little tear bringing us into the lead.

The pizza guy and I had a nice little chat. "Come on, Renteria, home run, home run" he said to the TV, as he ladled tomato sauce onto the dough. He looked over at me and said (like many have said before - not to me specifically), "he gets paid too much not to hit a lot of homers." I thought he was a cute old man, so I winked at him. He took this as the comrade signal. Soon, he was walzing over to me to talk nitty gritty baseball. "You follow baseball, right?" (I nod) "This Giambi - you ain't gonna tell me a guy like him goes from not bein' able to hit to hittin' like crazy without...you know...." (I nod with more purpose) I explain that I was just discussing this with a co-worker today, in lieu of Palmeiro and he did some emphatic nodding of his own. "Giambi ain't just chewin' gum!" he proclaimed, then pointed at the TV, as if Giambi was right there at the plate with those stupid lizard eyes of his.

Schilling just gave up a lead off walk. I'm sure he meant to do that. It's all part of his strategy tonight. Just like his balk, for instance. There's a greater plan we aren't aware of, nor should we be.

Gabe's going to be in the NESN studio tonight. I can't wait.

Thank you, Manny, for being so f'n great.