So I Took a Little Balls Break...

Blogging is hard. It's as simple as that. And it's especially hard when you decide to do something as utterly ridiculous as... oh, I don't know... saying that you're going to write a blog post a day for 365 straight days. That's some serious pressure.

Some days I want to say, "eff it..." and call it a day. But I didn't and that's why I've been pretty much MIA for the past nearly two months. I was burned out. Every time I looked at my laptop sitting on the table beside the couch, I wanted to vomit. It was mocking me. My laptop was being a total a-hole. And it's not like there wasn't shit to write about. The Bruins were epically failing... the Red Sox were epically failing... you know, riveting subject matter.

Plus, it's really hard to write about the Red Sox when they're dead to me. DEAD. Although with this most recent three-game winning streak... they might be twitching just a little. Where did the magic go? (Personally, I think AJ Pierzynski sucked all the magic out of the team, but that's another story.)

Courtesy of the Boston Globe.

But what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't mention MANNY RAMIREZ'S HAIR!!! What in the deep depths of hell is going on there? I don't even know what to say. And from the looks of it, neither does Big Papi. In fact, he can't even keep a straight face. He looks like he's about to pee his pants. I think Papi liked those stupid dreadlocks better. Now he just looks like he was viciously attacked by a rogue Flowbee.

I've never been a huge Manny fan. The dude is just a total douche nugget. A lazy, 'roided up, meany. He pushed down old folks. He let his team down when the needed him most. And he likes to hit girls. I'm glad his hair looks stupid.

So this morning I tweeted about Manny. I don't tweet much which is something I really need to be better at if this damn blog is ever going to go global. And because I'm a big loser, I had to make sure my morning talk show buddies saw it because I thought it was pretty funny.

And GUESS WHAT?? Gerry Callahan RETWEETED it!! Why do I find such joy in shit like that? It's the little things, really. This is how Twitter is like golf. You could hit 97 bad shots but if you sink that one 35 foot putt, that's what you remember. Most of my tweets pass like a ship in the night. But when one gets a little attention, it makes me want to spend my whole day on the Twitter.

So I guess I'm back at it. Don't expect something every day because you'll just set yourself up for disappointment. What I recommend is signing up to receive an email when I do post... just a suggestion.

One Year Ago Today...

April 15, 2013—just another Patriots Day (for Maine and Massachusetts, at least.) That day when the Red Sox play early enough that you can watch while still clad in pajamas. (Isn't everyone still in their PJs at 11am on a day off from work?) That day that I mark as the deadline to get all that crappy raking done—that is if the snow has melted. And every Patriots Day, the Boston Marathon snakes through the streets as Fenway comes alive with the sounds of baseball.

But April 15, 2013 was anything but just another Patriots Day. At 2:49pm, as runners and spectators crowded the Marathon finish line, an explosion rocked a city.

One year ago today... a tragedy shook the Boston Marathon. A vile, terrorist act that took the lives of three innocent souls and injured over 260 others. When you think of how gravely many of those were hurt, it's a miracle there weren't more casualties.

One year ago today... we learned of a young man named Jeff Bauman who viciously lost both legs in the blast, but perseveres. He's not angry, he's thankful. He's thankful for the people who rushed to his aid, the people who saved his life, and the people who cheered him on throughout his recovery. Jeff played a pivotal part in the identification of the terrorists.

One year ago today... we learned of a man named Carlos Arredondo who, like many others, rushed towards the blast to provide help to the injured. He was the first to get Jeff Bauman and saved his life.

One year ago today... we learned about the Richard family. They stood closest to the backpack. Mother Denise lost an eye. Father Bill suffered damage to his eardrums. They lost their 8-year-old son, Martin. Their daughter Jane lost her leg, endured 14 grueling surgeries and had to learn to walk again.

One year ago today... changed the lives of hundreds of people, their families and the city. Two backpacks. Two bombs. Two loathsome and deplorable monsters. A day the people of Boston and the country will never forget.

One year ago today... a city came together to become Boston Strong.

I don't live in Boston. I didn't run in the Marathon. I didn't know anyone injured in this horrific act. I'm not going to pretend to know what the people involved went through or are still going through. But like many, I'm inspired by the stories of those who refused to give up in the face of adversity.

Day 365: Party's Over... Said the Girl.

Opening Day (yay, baseball) is one of my most favorite days of the year—right behind Christmas (oooh, presents) and Thanksgiving (hmmm, food). The beginning of six months and 162 glorious games that will make me happy and sad and angry all in the span of nine innings.

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago, on Opening Day of the 2013 baseball season, I began a quest. That quest was to start a blog and post at least once a day about sports for a whole year. I wasn't sure I would have enough topics to write about. I wasn't sure if my discipline was strong enough to complete the task. And I certainly wasn't sure if people would read what I was putting out there. Well, that quest is now completed and now I sort of feel empty. Please hold me.

The Boston sports scene gave me more subject matter than I knew what to do with. I honestly don't think I could've written about a better year. Even though I started writing a week earlier, it really all started with my very first trip to Opening Day at Fenway Park—a gorgeous, sunshiny Monday afternoon that concluded with a Red Sox win. That day was full of promise and possibility after what had happened the previous disastrous year. And it just steamrolled from there.

There was the Boston Marathon bombing that unsettled an entire city and enlisted the sports community to rally Boston Strong around the tragedy. The Aaron Hernandez arrest for murder and the Patriots' subsequent release of the talented yet brainless tight end. The Boston Bruins incredibly determined run to the Stanley Cup final and heartbreaking loss. Let's not forget the magical World Series Championship season put forth by those lovable, bearded Red Sox—a worst-to-first miracle. And then there was the Patriots making a postseason run even after Wes Welker's departure and a yet again injured Rob Gronkowski—leaving Tom Brady with virtually no targets.

What I loved most about writing every day was the freedom to include whatever I wanted. There were no real rules—just as long as the post was about some type of sport. I loved being able to write about a good deed done by a baseball player, or a killer play made by a tiny person, or a sport that I knew absolutely nothing about, like sailing. I also loved being able to pay tribute to my parents on their birthdays for their part in this obsession and posting videos that made me giggle.

I also wanted to thank everyone who loyally followed Balls of All Sizes and didn't get annoyed that I spammed your Facebook timeline every single day. I know it was quite a commitment and I completely understand if you missed a day here and there. Thanks to those non-sports fans that supported me by reading even when, at times, you had no freaking clue what the hell I was writing about. And, even though he'll never read this post, thanks to my extremely understanding husband who could've gotten really annoyed at the hour plus I spent on putting forth what I hope was a somewhat intelligent blog post every single day for the past year.

Balls of All Sizes isn't going away... it's just taking a little siesta. There will be occasional posts, probably once or twice a week, after a little well-deserved break. I'd be lying if I said some days weren't just a bit stressful. I suffered from writer's block and brain cramps and drunky writing and oops, I almost forgot days. And there was that one time I thought it was over because I was on my way to Fenway for a evening game and I hadn't written anything—thank you iPads with 3G!!

And just like that... game one of 2014 is in the books. Unfortunately, unlike their Opening Day win a year ago, the Sox lose to the O's 2-1, leaving 12 men on base and wasting a perfectly good outing by Jon Lester. I was hoping to maybe end this quest on a high note. I'm trying to be optimistic that this isn't indicative of the season to come, but I'm a Sox fan—glass half empty, remember?

Anyway... the party's over. Elvis has left the building. The fat lady has sung.

PS: Bonus points if you can tell me what movie the title of this post comes from!

Day 364: And Like That... Baseball is Back!

The 2014 Major League Baseball season officially kicks off tonight as Sunday Night Baseball returns featuring a matchup between National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. But the real action doesn't start until Monday. At 3:05pm EST, the Red Sox open their season at Camden Yards to take on the Orioles for three.

If the weather reports are correct, it looks like a spectacular day for baseball with sunny skies and temps right around 60˚—a little better than the 39˚ and rain expected in Boston tomorrow. Winter really mistreated the northeast over the past several months and it doesn't appear to be in too much of a hurry to surrender and let spring take over. But after the deep freeze we've experienced, 45˚ sounds downright balmy!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for Monday and that doesn't happen very often. Monday is usually reserved for a belly full of dread as the impending work week looms with piles of shit to do. But I've already got my name on the calendar indicating I will be OUT of the office for the afternoon to park my ass on the couch and bask in the glow of yet another Opening Day.

The Orioles will send Chris Tillman (16-7, 3.71 in '13) to the hill against the World Series workhorse, Jon Lester (15-8, 3.75 in '13). I'm guessing the lineup will look a little something like this (let's see how close I get): (1) Grady Sizemore, CF; (2) Daniel Nava, LF; (3) Dustin Pedroia, 2B; (4) David Ortiz, DH; (5) Mike Napoli, 1B; (6) Shane Victorino, RF; (7) Xander Bogaerts, SS; (8) Will Middlebrooks, 3B and (9) AJ Pierzynski.

Victorino is a question mark for Opening Day after suffering a strained hamstring in the final spring training game, so if he's not available, it could be Jackie Bradley Jr. in right and I would guess he would bat 9th. My pick for Sizemore to lead-off is a shaky choice... so I'll be curious to see who John Farrell puts in that spot to replace the speedy and recently departed Jacoby Ellsbury. Sizemore has been known to have some speed and his numbers in spring training were pretty good.

The best thing the Red Sox could do at this point is to get the thought of repeating as World Series Champs completely out of the conversation. This is a new year, with some new faces and, most certainly, some new challenges. They need to play it one game at a time like they did in 2013. They need to play as a team... and grow those gnarly yet magical beards like their lives and wins depend on it.

As the team's spring training t-shirts read: Turn the [Bleep]ing Page. If they can focus on making a fresh start, I'd say there's a pretty good chance it will be another fun season to be a Sox fan.

Day 363: Fastest Hat Trick Ever?

Growing up, I spend a lot of time at the hockey rink. I didn't play (helloooo... contact sport!), but my younger brother did so naturally, we all made the various treks to ice arenas all over the state to cheer him on. It was fun to watch all the little kids skating around—and while some could barely stay upright, others skated circles around the competition.

So today I read about a kid from Canada named Brayden MacIntosh who did something no other hockey player at any level has ever done. He scored three goals—a hat trick—in 10 seconds. Pretty efficient work by the eight year old. The fastest hat trick in the NHL happened 62 years ago when Chicago Blackhawks' Bill Mosienko scored three goals in 21 seconds. This kid completed his in less than half that time. But aren't Canadian kids pretty much born with hockey skates on?

Do you need to see it to believe it? There are probably a few NHL teams that could use his services right now...

There's still a question of the game clock and if the goals were all scored within 10 seconds but either way, it's a pretty impressive display by this youngster. Oh and in case you were wondering, MacIntosh has scored a staggering 107 goals this season.

Remember this name, hockey fans... Brayden MacIntosh should be ready for the NHL draft somewhere around 2025.

Day 362: Grady Sizemore Wins Opening Day CF Job

Opening Day is in four days. You know what else happens in four days? I will have officially reached the Balls of All Sizes goal of 365 straight days of posting... Opening Day of 2013 to Opening Day of 2014. And I have loved every single moment. You know what else I love? I love surprises. I especially love surprises like Grady Sizemore.

If there was one guy I was rooting for this spring, it was Grady Sizemore. The 31-year-old former Cleveland Indian hasn't played a big league game since September 22, 2011. Yes, 2011. He has been out of major league baseball for more than two full seasons. And now? Well, Red Sox skipper John Farrell has just named Sizemore as the starting center fielder for Opening Day.

Sizemore beat out Jackie Bradley Jr. who started last season's Opening Day, but never fared as well in regular season, big league action than he did in spring training. And Bradley has yet to bounce back and was optioned back to Triple-A Pawtucket prior to today's game. Sizemore is having an outstanding spring with a .333 batting average in 39 at bats and a home run and he's also made some pretty spectacular catches too!

I feel sort of bad for Bradley though. With the departure of Jacoby Ellsbury, that center field job was most certainly his for the taking. But what a difference a year makes. After batting a staggering .419 in spring training back in 2013, Bradley is batting just a .158 this spring. He never hit over .200 in his short time with the Red Sox last year—it's like something just broke him.

And who knows... maybe Sizemore won't be able to handle the strains of playing every day. I mean shit, he's had like seven surgeries in the past few years and his knees are going to be the issue—if there is one. But if Bradley can't prove he can successfully hit on the major league level, the Sox will have to use someone like Jonny Gomes to take the pressure off Sizemore.

Whatever the case may be... I'll be rooting for Sizemore to do well and stay injury free. This guy truly does deserve a break.

Day 361: Vince Wilfork is Staying in New England

There are some players that just belong with the New England Patriots. Some that you can't imagine wearing any other colors... a never donning a helmet that doesn't display the Flying Elvis. Tom Brady is one of those guys. I would probably die of heart failure if I ever saw him in a different uniform. And Vince Wilfork is one of those guys too, having been a huge (literally and figuratively) presence on this team since they drafted him in 2004.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous times between the New England Patriots and Vince Wilfork. A couple weeks ago, under the cloud of contract restructuring rumors, Vince decided he wanted to be released. He wanted no part of that restructuring crap—making less money was not appealing to him. But coming off an injury-shortened 2013 season, the Pats were looking to alleviate some of his $11.6 million due in 2014. And then it got real quiet... there was no word from either side... shit was eerily silent.

Then, earlier this week, there was a rumor that Wilfork cleared out his locker and angrily ripped his nameplate off at Gillette Stadium. Whut? What does that mean?? Sounded like Vince was pissed off at everyone and for fans, it appeared his departure was near.

But then... good news today! Recent reports say that the Patriots and Mr. Wilfork have finally found some common ground and have reached an acceptable restructured deal good for both sides. Although the particulars are not available, initial word says it's a 3-year deal worth $22.5 million. That's a pretty good gig for a big fella who turns 33 in November. Just hope that repaired achilles can hold up!

It just wouldn't have been the same without the hulking nose tackle. I'm glad he'll be back... and I think he is too. Vince issued this statement via Twitter: