Road trips and off days... in some ways they make me restless, since I can't pick up the cameras.  But since I'm always, always behind on editing, it does give me a chance to try to catch up!  So if you will, let's set the wayback machine for June 15, in Cincinnati...



A beautiful Sunday morning!  Justin Masterson smiles at Daisuke Matsuzaka wielding a bat.




More smiling! Jacoby Ellsbury with some warmup throws.


It's officially an epidemic! Sean Casey with a big grin.  One of my favorite things about seeing the Red Sox on the road is actually what I'm documenting here: a full BP session, which usually starts with stretching and joking around.


Mike Lowell continues my theme.


Manny and Alex Gonzalez.  I miss Gonzo.


... Does Gonzo miss me?


Well, he gave me my belly shot!


Looking at these then, I was nostalgic for these two as teammates; now there's a different edge with Manny gone.


Bronson Arroyo inspects Coco's cornrows.  Sorry, Bronson, he's got you beat there!




Justin fields a tough hop.  (He seems to have a tough audience back there, but you'll notice that they're all far enough out not to have to do much!)


Whoops--looks like Justin's got critics in the infield, too!


I can't tell if Kevin Cash is laughing with Dustin Pedroia, or at him!


More nostalgia, since Brandon Moss now calls Pittsburgh home.


Bartolo Colon, not satisfied with three balls in hand, goes for a fourth.


Dusty Baker's son threw out the first pitch.  (Dusty tried to leave him out there too long, of course.)


Uh oh.  The real action is starting, and Mike Timlin will not smile.
 

There's a part of my heart reserved for players I ought not to have any connection to, like Homer Bailey.  I just like the kid.


Ells with a successful slide into second.  It's hard to shoot anything else when he's on base!






Josh Beckett on the mound.


Mmmmmmm... Jason Varitek samples his batting gloves.


Coco Crisp with a biiiig swing...


... followed by a nice lope around the bases...


... and a helmet skritchie from Tek.


Not to be outdone is Jacoby...


... with a big swing and a lope of his own!


Tek in his Father's Day accented gear.  I'm sure you've noticed the ribbons and the blue eye "black."


Pedie has a big swing to end all big swings...




... but it won't be quite enough this time.


Josh Beckett at the plate.  I was hoping for a home run...


... but had to settle for Coco looking philosophical about being left on base.




More laughter!  And here a little sympathy for Julio Lugo, despite my love for Jed Lowrie.


I admire many things about Jacoby Ellsbury's game, but there just no point in denying that he's alarmingly photogenic, too.






David Aardsma.  Note that it gets a bit easier to shoot this angle when the fans thin out a bit.


A skip ahead to postgame; Manny attempts some unexpected therapeutic massage on Colon, with a baseball. 


Have I been busted?  Javy Lopez smirks, Gary Tuck smiles, Craig Hansen... well, hang in there, Craig, in six weeks you'll be safe from me!

Thursday, at the trade deadline, I could feel a whirlwind of emotions.  Relief that there was resolution.  Shock that there had really been a trade (my heart knew it had to happen, but my head thought the deal would never go through).  Apprehension at a team without Manny.  And anticipation to see what we had in Jason Bay.

I had a ticket for Friday night, and while I was a bit disappointed I hadn't had one for what turned out to be Manny's last game, I was very happy to have one for Jay Bay's first!

I was delighted to see that there were already T-shirts for sale--and already people wearing them!  Not to mention one young man in a Sox hat and a Bay Pirates jersey.

It had to be overwhelming for him, but he already seemed to take it in stride.



And I was very moved to be part of the first ovations for him.  I'd been a little anxious about the fan response, but it was a magnificent showing of the best that Boston has to offer.  And he himself looked both moved and a touch uncomfortable, in a very endearing way, to be receiving accolades before he'd even had a chance to show what he could do.


Accidentally shot with the shutter speed too slow, but I kinda liked the effect!




Oof!  Well, it's one way to get on base...


Of course, he went to score the first run--the one that looked like it might be enough, especially if we had good defense...


...like the kind he showed on a magnificent sliding catch, for which he's getting a pat from Lowrie here.  And it was at that moment that I realized I was smitten, in a baseball sense.
 


Perhaps it would have been the perfect capper if the ball he hit high off the Monster had cleared it, but as a longtime fan of Jed Lowrie, I guess I'm not sorry that they could both celebrate!





I couldn't be at the park for Saturday's heroics, though I did see Sean Casey that day and he was effusive in his praise of Jay Bay.  But I was back at the park Sunday, in my brand new Bay 44 shirt!


Youk pointing something out.  I'd like to think it's the hawk.  "And if you see that... just make sure it's not carrying its lunch.  Sometimes it likes to... share."


Pregame warming up.


I took a shot like this Friday but he looks much better here; it could be a better seat and better light, but I'd like to think it's my growing affection!






At the risk of undermining my baseball credibility, I have to note that Jay Bay's got a very nice, er, stance.


















Too late, Rob Bowen!

We're no strangers to embracing new players midyear in Boston, of course; 2004 is enduring testimony to that!  But I'm a little surprised myself by how happy I am to have Jay Bay in the fold.  No, I don't think we're going to win out the rest of the way, of course.  But it's funny how a solid, capable, down-to-earth guy has made my Sox-loving heart soar again.