Post title is from Kris Kristofferson's great song Pilgrim's Progress. Seems to fit a conversation Hugo and I were having about keeping sane when all about you folks are saying 'the sky is falling'. Sometimes, if I spend too much time listening to that I start believing too, but really, we are about where I thought we'd be at this point in the season. The baseball is great, so why should I let people talk me into thinking the sky is falling.
Anyway speaking of great baseball, today we have our Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Romero. Boy did he come out of no where this year. Since the start of June he has a 2.22 ERA with a 5-1 record. Where would we be without him. The Orioles were to have Jeremy Guthrie starting but he has a viral infection so we get to see Rich Hill (3-2, 7.43) instead. How can you have a winning record with a 7.43 ERA?
Today's lineups:
I guess it says something about David Dellucci that I'm happy to see Kevin Millar's name in the lineup. Well, happy is the wrong word. Wouldn't the All-Star break be a good time to release the two of them and bring up Snider and Ruiz or Dopirak. I think Millar would be good at Rance's job.
There is a nice story in the National Post by John Lott about Arnsberg and BJ Ryan.
"I had tears in my eyes," said Arnsberg, whose wears his emotional connection to his pitchers on his sleeve. "Mostly, I felt bad for the kid that I wasn't able to help him, and I'm usually not in that mode. But we had tried anything and everything."
Gotta like that Arnsberg cares that much about his pitchers. I hope Ryan finds it again, he really was terrific before the surgery.
In other news, Aaron Hill might end up starting 2B in the All-Star game as Dustin Pedroia may miss the game to be with his wife who has gone into premature labour. I'm not a big Pedroia fan but I hope all goes well for him and his wife.
In better news....I'm enjoying watching the Angels thump the Yankees. Sometimes life is good. Join us in the thread.