Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think the people who made the Guitar Hero game should come out with Pan Flute Hero. You could make real music and maybe become the next Zamfir. Of course the slobber all over the flute could make sharing a bit of a problem... In the Progressive Insurance commercial about "the bundler" I keep hearing it as "the bungler" and thinking they for some reason want to insure my bung... Interesting stat from Peter Gammons: [Josh] Beckett vs. Yanks, Rays: 4-0, 38 IP, 12 H, 2 ER., 5 BB, 37 K. Boston 5-0 in those starts... Originally Capitol One was supposed to protect from those raiding Vikings but now they are the company mascots. This is like Orkin turning cockroaches into your butlers... A photograph of Albert Einstein riding his bicycle in Santa Barbara... Last night while watching the extra innings extravaganza I couldn't help but think that if they stopped serving beer after 7th inning - probably everyone at game was stone sober by the time it ended... It should be noted that a possible explanation of why Bruce Feldman has been silent in all his media forms is not that he's been suspended but that ESPN is working on a settlement with Mike Leach regarding his lawsuit and ESPN is keeping Feldman muzzled just out of precaution until a deal is reached... Here's why I don't understand about those soccer penalty kick situations - why don't they just kick it down the middle? The goalie always dives one way or the other leaving the middle open... Interesting stat from Buster Onley: Jacoby Ellsbury has 28 steals, .504 slugging average. Last BOS player to have .500+ SLG and at least 25 steals: Tris Speaker, 1914

Dumb Rumor of the Week

Buster Olney supposedly mentioned a potential trade between the Red Sox and Braves that would send Coco Crisp to the Braves and 2nd baseman Kelly Johnson to the Sox. This is dumb on several levels - let me count the ways.

1. Does anyone think that the Red Sox aren't kinda occupied at the moment? Sure maybe Coco Crisp will be trade bait in the offseason but the Red Sox are currently busy trying to win the World Series. Would Olney have us believe that Theo Epstein is making trade offers between innings?

2. The Red Sox already have Dustin Pedroia at 2nd and Julio Lugo at short. Where would Kelly Johnson play? Does Olney suggest that Johnson be an utility infielder? Or does he suggest that he would start at short and Lugo would ride the pine at $9 million a year? If that's the case - why not just keep Coco and have him ride the pine at $4.75 million?

3. If a blogger had float this as a legitimate trade rumor they would be rightly ridiculed. I know that Olney has to fill time on his radio show but wouldn't he be better served by not floating rumors that make him look like a moron?

I have to admit that I'm biased against Olney. I think he's biased towards the Yankees (but to be fair - he likes the Yankees of old - say late 1990's - and can be a cranky pants toward the Yankees as well).