Before I get started this week, and as become customary of the other fantastic bloggers at YouGabSports, I want to extend my prayers to those who have suffered through the tragedy in Boston earlier this week. I also want to extend my appreciation that my friends and extended "Gab Family" members are all safe and accounted for.

As some of you folks know through Facebook, my family and I were in Boston on Saturday afternoon for the Red Sox/Rays match-up. It was a great game, one that turned out to be a 2-1 Red Sox win and featured a stellar pitching match-up between David Price and Jon Lester. Our seats were great, Loge Box 155, right off the third base bag, the first time I haven't sat in the bleachers at Fenway.

But that wasn't the memory I took away from the game.

No, my memories are of a hopping Boylston Street, a community that was out and about enjoying a moderately warm spring day. It was a true sign of the glory of spring in New England, where people are itching so badly to get outdoors that they flock together the first chance they get.

And it was that memory that made Monday's events so surreal. Seeing the photos after the fact, where Boylston Street was a virtual ghost town really sank in the impact of the bombing. The serenity of the spring blown away by a single act of unexplained violence.

That said, my thoughts and prayers go not just to those that were lost or hurt in the attack, but also for the hope that the serenity of spring can return quickly to the area, not only for the sake of peace, but also for the comfort of being able to move forward.

Speaking of moving forward, now on to baseball:

- One interesting note from the game I attended on Saturday. In the bottom of the 10th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury rapped a single with one out in the innng. Then, while stealing second, the throw went into center field and Ellsbury proceeded on to third. 

This is where it got interesting.

Joe Maddon, who is known for his odd infield alignments opted to bring left fielder Matt Joyce into the infield as a fifth infielder. I have never seen this done before. My only assumption was that Maddon wanted to cut off the runner if he was going on contact. But what struck me more was that the situation called for Maddon to walk Victorino and open up the double play option to end the inning.

In the end, Victorino hit it up the middle, just deep enough to bring Ellsbury in with the winning run, but I was left thinking that the great baseball thinker overthrought the situation.

- What more can be said about the Atlanta Braves, who are sitting pretty with a 12-2 record at this stage in the season. We all knew that they were going to be much better offensively this season, but the pitching has been just as lethal. Coming into Thursday's action, the Braves lead all of baseball with a 1.77 team ERA through 14 games and have surrendered the fewest home runs in the game. That's good for a team that has the Major League's leading home run hitter in Justin Upton.

- Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter suffered a setback in his rehab from a broken ankle when a CT scan revealed a small fracture in the ankle. Jeter is now expected to be out until after the All-Star break, another piece of bad luck with injuries for the Yankees, who are barely recognizable this season. Jeter is under contract through the end of this season, but has a $8 million player option for 2014.

- The Colorado Rockies were thought to be dead in the water this season, but somehow they've managed to post a solid 11-4 record. However, that could be an anomaly as the team currently has a 4.30 ERA from its starting five, and that's with both Jon Garland and Jhoulys Chacin over performing. The Coors Effect just won't let this team succeed despite a mediocre pitching staff for long.

- The Detroit Tigers have to be plenty pleased with their decision to bring aboard Torii Hunter this winter. The 17-year veteran is off to an amazing start, posting a .413 batting average and a 1.027 OPS in 63 at bats. With the Angels reeling and Josh Hamilton struggling in Los Angeles, Hunter is sitting in his locker in Detroit and laughing it up for a contender, suddenly feeling a lot better about the Angels letting him go.

- New York starter Matt Harvey is one of the few bright spots for the lowly Mets this season. The 24-year-old burst onto the scene in 2012, with a solid 2.73 ERA and 70 strike-outs in 59.1 innings last season, but he's been even better in 2013. The right-hander has a 0.82 ERA and 25 strike-outs in 22 innings this season. That performance helped reward Harvey with the National League Player of the Week last week.

Well, I've gotten the flat screens installed on the walls, but something is missing.  Perhaps paying the electric bill would help.  The Tavern has been back in business for a week now and the first goon looking for "protection money" just left the room, courtesy of one of our favorite locals...seems ADF thought the dude was macking on his lady friend.  Congrats AverageDetFan, the best of everything to you. And here, have a coupon for 25% off your next Duffs after you purchase 5 at the regular price. On another, but related note,  As of yesterday, I celebrated by 12th anniversary.  Our man BOB celebrated 25 years last week, so we're really running the gamut here.  

I was pretty sure the opening of the baseball season would be a referendum of the entirety of the season.  I mean, when was the last time the Red Sox and Yankees were slated to compete for LAST in the division?  So, the beginning of the season turned out okay for the good guys, and by good guys I mean the guys wearing the Red Sox uniform.  Because, let’s face it, for me it’s all about the local laundry.

I was at a client this week and their office overlooks the Charles River in Boston.  Site of the Head of the Charles Regatta…in the near distance was the MIT dome.  To the left was the Citgo sign that lights up Kenmore Square in all of those Sox replays on ESPN.  Simply amazing…and they were embarrassed the terrace wasn’t open yet.  How many of us should have such working conditions as to have to bear not being able to people watch for during lunch hour from the terrace?  I work with a similarly situated company in Atlanta – they actually get a discount on their lease because their view is “obstructed.” How?  There’s a railing that obstructs their view of the skyline.  I wonder if I should call Bank of America and complain they should reduce my mortgage interest rate because if I sit on my deck, the neighbors pass judgment on my pajamas.

My least junior Mo has been entertaining college acceptances.  Truly, it’s been a hard time for me – accepting that my oldest was a high school student has taken me 4-years, now I have to accept that she’s going to college come the fall.  There’s always a lot to consider when choosing schools.  Like, say, who leads the school basketball program – especially when the school you’re choosing really only has a basketball team.  I’m sure there are fathers all over this great land weighing the same issues this one is – where to go, majors, financial aid…and well, how the AD is going to handle a student bullying issue.

So we find ourselves at Rutgers this week, where Mike Rice was shown the door after a video surfaced of him berating  players (oh, by the way, when I say player I do mean “student”) with homophobic slurs and kicking them.   Oh, and by the way, this behavior had been investigated earlier where Rice was fined and suspended.  I’m all for second chances – truly – but when we’re talking about kids, and certainly when we’re talking about people  in whom we entrust leadership positions to our kids, there has to be a high standard.  Bob Knight coached at Indiana for close to 30 years – I suspect largely because 1) he was a winner and 2) cell phone cameras were still in the future.  Rice had no such advantage…on either count. 

Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE football.  Really.  But, as I made clear a few weeks back, I think the NFL has a credibility problem.  Specifically, they’re mitigating liability through deliberately slow research and holding back what the public and scientific community knows and understands about head injury.  They make adjustments to the game on the basis of sponsorships and rule changes.  The latest announcement from the No Fun League is that they’ll start allowing cameras in the locker room.  The XFL remains only in our memories (“HE HATE ME”), but at least one vestage remains: in locker room cameras.  They nibble around the edges instead of dealing with the issues of import to the game.  That’s what cheeses me off.  Seriously?  Let’s have an authentic game, and we won’t have to worry about the crap in the locker rooms.

A parting shot:  The Bruins acquired Jaromir Jagr this week…only about 20 years too late.  I was going to grad school in Pittsburgh in the early 90’s when the Pens were hot and Jagr was winning Stanley Cups.  To acquire a guy that’s officially protected under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act as being over 40 to fill a need is a scary proposition.  God bless the man that he’s playing professional hockey after the age of 40 (good god, I can barely climb a flight of stairs), but this isn’t exactly a move that’ll put the B’s over the top.  Of course, in his first game, he scored the games lone goal to give the B's 3-points, so I could be wrong, but...it's risky putting your hopes on old guys.  

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. As opening day is just around the corner, I planned to wade deep into baseball today. My plans changed after watching the ESPN 30 for 30 Tuesday night. If you have a chance, check out Survive and Advance. We bash ESPN regularly, but they hit the sweet spot with this documentary about the 1983 NC State championship team. Last week, I talked about the state of college basketball. As I watched this program, I was reminded just how damn good college basketball used to be. Most of remember State’s improbable…no that is not the right word. I guess impossible would be more accurate in describing the victory over one of the all time great college teams. What I had forgotten is how far down NC State was after Derek Whittenburg broke his foot. They were forced to win the ACC championship to even get a NCAA tourney invite. A one point victory over Wake Forest, a victory over MJ’s Tar Heels, and the Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavalier’s had a pretty good player named Ralph Sampson. As I watched this show, I was blown away at the talent playing the college game. Do you remember the starting five for Houston? Olajawan, Clyde Drexler, Larry (Mr. Mean) Micheaux, Michael Young and Benny Anders…great players. I think it is time for the NCAA to revisit the one and done rule. There is much to be learned in college beyond basketball. If you watch this program, you will understand what I mean. Each player on this team was enriched by Jimmy Valvano. As a parent that recently gone through the process of trying to help a student athlete find the right program…Valvano’s approach really hit home with me. Coach Valvano learned something from his father that made him a successful coach. Regardless of the situation, he believed in his players. We hear the phrase, “I got your back” used often today. Coach Valvano was the epitome of this, but is not alone. Let’s put talent back in the college game…I think it will be a great benefit to all concerned. Sports Illustrated called State’s victory over Houston the top ranked moment in college basketball history. Also, Coach Valvano left us with this…don’t ever give up. In his fight against cancer, this was his rally cry. Although cancer took Valvano, he left behind a legacy that is still fighting the battle against cancer. Since Coach V’s death, the Jimmy V Foundation has raised $100 million to date. Coach V has to be smiling seeing his fight being carried on. I am not big on donating for causes, but this is one that I have proudly helped. Don't ever give up indeed!

                                                       Jimmy actually had his players practice cutting down the net...very cool.

Opening day is fast approaching. Can you feel it? Spring is here and baseball is preparing for another season. This is one of my favorite times of year…I freaking can’t wait! Did you see that the new plan that the Red Sox have to continue their consecutive sell out streak? The Red Sox have sold out 793 games and want to keep it alive. Sox management has decided to reduce the cost of a 12 oz beer to $5 in April. They also will be offering a 2 for 1 hot dog deal. I think it is a fine idea, but would it be in bad taste to ask for chicken too? It would seem that the best idea for keeping butts in the seats was to send Valentine packing. Going to a game at Fenway is not tough duty…I suspect that if the Red Sox play good baseball, they won’t have any trouble keeping that sell out streak alive.

The Brewers went with another approach. They are offering tickets for 9 games for a total of $99. The seats are located in the nose bleed section known as Bernie’s Terrace (Bernie is the one that slides down the slide). If the Brewers win the game you attend, you are able to upgrade your tickets to the next level of seating…for only an additional $2. If the Brewers continue to win, you could watch the last game from behind home plate. Sounds like a pretty cool deal to me!

With spring training winding down, the Yankees and Angels struck a deal that looks to help both teams. Vernon Wells (remember him?) leaves the Angels to join the Yankees. With the many injuries they have had this year, the Yankees are hopeful that Wells can recapture some old magic and restore some missing thunder to their lineup. Although the Angels will still pay 28.1 million of the 42 million owed Wells, they will only pay 9.5 million this year. This structure helps the Angels stay under the luxury tax amount this year and helps the Yankees stay under next year. The Yankees also signed recently released Lyle Overbay. How about it Yankee fans...are you confident now? The short left field porch will surely help Wells, but don't think it will be the missing piece to push the pin stripers back to the top of the conference.

Did you hear that Rob Dibble was coaching a high school baseball team in Calabasas, California? Well, he was until this week. Things did not start out so well and the ex-Nasty Boy found his team on the wrong end of a 2 and 8 record. Dibble got the heave ho in his team's last game. Was this the reason he got the boot or was it because he let the school know that he would not be back next year due to getting the broadcast job for the Angels? I am not sure, but the school felt that "he was not a good fit". Dibble not a good fit for coaching high school sports? I am shocked! Can you imagine this...
 

Speaking of tattoos...it turns out that some temporary tattoos are worse than the real things. In the age of the FDA and our government attempting to protect the consumer at all costs...how can this be? It turns out that the "black henna" type temporary tattoos do not agree with everyone. Many are allergic to the ink and are left with very unslightly scars. You know the warning they have on carpet cleaners and other products..."test a small sample to make sure"...common sense people. How pissed would you be to be left with scars like this...

                                                                                    OUCH!

I am not sure if you are a Duck Dynasty fan...but I know I am. Bad news out this week as the year 4 renewal has been put on hold. The family is asking for a raise from the $200,000 per episode...which when you think about it, is not that much for cable's most popular show. With the tremendous popularity, it is time to pay the rednecks, A&E! Or as Si would say...time to pay up, Jack!

                                                                      I almost forgot...have a Happy Easter!

That is all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey…

If you're a horse, and someone gets on you, and falls off, and then gets right back on you, I think you should buck him off right away.

The first thing was, I learned to forgive myself. Then, I told myself, "Go ahead and do whatever you want, it's okay by me."

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…

Virgil “Fire” Trucks, one of 5 pitchers to throw 2 no-hitters in a season, and the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers oldest living ballplayer passed away at the age of 95. He also was only one of two pitchers to win a World Series game without wining a regular season game. Virgil also tossed 4 no-hitters in the minor leagues.

In 17 seasons Trucks was 177-135 with a era of 3.39 and 1,534 strikeouts.

Trucks was the uncle of Butch Trucks, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, and his great nephew Derek Trucks is also a member of the Allman Brothers Band and has his own band with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, called the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Virgil’s niece was my supervisor at the post office for 11 years. I have never met Virgil but I have met Butch before.

Tiger and Von, not a well kept secret, World Baseball Classic, NCAA Tournament in this weeks edition of…

Man this overtime at work is draining my batteries.

Working flat mail that has to be manually sorted and my eyes are hurting.

So Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn are an item. Woods posted the following on Facebook:

``This season has been great so far and I'm happy with my wins at Torrey and Doral. Something nice that's happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating.''

On Vonn’s Facebook page she stated”

``I guess it wasn't a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods. Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy.''

All they wanted to do was make the public aware that they were dating and that everything else is private between the two. I don't think it worked.

It is a disgrace that the United States did not even make it to the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic. There is just too much talent. I know the $$$’s that ballplayers make, make the decision hard as to avoid injury.

Changes need to be made to the classic.

I must of missed something in my geography class back in the day when I went to school. Can someone explain how San Jose, California is part of the East Regional. I could understand if I lived in Alaska that maybe that would work, because its East of where I live. Here is more stupidity: How about Philadelphia, Pa. in the South? Austin, Texas in the East? Dayton, Ohio in the West? Be real, the NCAA college basketball selection committee had to smoking some funny stuff.

Got to give props to the Miami Heat. They were getting beat pretty bad by the Cavaliers. Down by 27 points the Heat pulled it out.

It will be a long season for the New York Yankees. There pitching better hold up, otherwise a long season will become even longer. They have the chance to finish last in the Division. Its been a long time since that happened.

Do the Houston Astros really have a chance? Nah.

I think the Tampa Bay Rays need to think about relocating to another City or State. They have a good team but no fan support.

Nothing would please me more than to see the Los Angeles Dodgers not make the playoffs. $$$ can't by happiness.

Til Next time

Scott