Boo. Probably related to the flu. And no Tek tonight either. It's worth noting that no one got sick until they took the ice cream machine away. That can't be a coincidence.

I don't think there's anything to worry about, really. My "theory" is that Commander Kickass probably doesn't want to start a game without Captain Tek, who's out with the flu. Just wait and see... He'll make his next scheduled start (Sunday?) when Tek is back and healthy again.

BTW, TG I really looove your blog. I've been visiting for a while now, but this is my first time posting. I too am a big Beckett fan and L-O-V-E the Sox. I visit here all the time and it always makes my day. Thanks!

it's xwishuponstarx, don't feel like using that name anymore!

beckett is going to be like trot nixon with cookies. expect he's going to be the ice cream monster. he needs to get better and so does tek =]. i think it's related to the flu, poor things.

I saw the headline on my screensaver and said the *exact* thing.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I cracked up when I saw your title for your posting. classic.

Hi pattidd!

I like the ice cream idea. I do anything for ice cream, including breaking an incision last night to get the caramel sauce jar open.
I hope it's not the flu. Losing Tek and Beckett is bad news.
Pedroia catching is funny and scary at the same time.

Your title sums up everything.

I do want to just pipe up and reassure everyone that the flu is probably NOT going to be fatal in this case.

However, a sore neck is a very very very common side effect, and I remember the press saying Josh was suffering. Which probably means he's felt like death warmed over for the past few days.

Flu season won't last forever, everyone... patience.

FYI--this season was a particularly bad flu year... like, REALLY bad. The last one? 2004. And we all know what the flu did in 1918.

(I may or may not have been so intrigued by this that I investigated the success of the Sox as compared with influenza mortality rates over the past century, only to find it mostly completely unrelated, to no one's surprise. There's no proof either way.)

I just read the EB: "So, in a pinch, the second baseman will be heading behind the plate."

Can you just IMAGINE Pleats in Cleats behind the plate? While I don't want it to get to that point, what sight it would be.

OH NO--- fc is going to the game tonight. Her cell phone is dead. THERE IS NO WAY TO WARN HER.

She is not going to like this.

So this just might be a case of the flu then?

What is this I keep on hearing that Pedroia might be a catcher?

Yes, I promise all of you, with 100% certainty, that this is the flu.

"Stiff neck" is a scary sounding issue, but you have my solemn oath.

So do you get stiffness of the neck before or during the flu?

Can be the first symptom or the last one to go. Given that he's been sick for a few days, I'm guessing he's on the mend. Apparently he does feel better, but this is still bugging him. Definitely not unheard of or even unexpected.

I don't know if anyone else has had the kind of the flu with body aches, but that appears to be what's going around with these guys. Hell on earth, I tell you. Hell.

This might be a good time to remind all of you to get flu shots and wash your hands thoroughly. And eat veggies. Get enough sleep. All of that.

As I commented to another Sox fan, I thought the whole point of Josh wearing the hemp necklaces was to keep him from getting a stiff neck--that's what he told NESN. Uh-oh.

Trish--

I wonder if there are any peer-reviewed studies of grungy, nasty necklaces as influenza prophylaxis... will have to investigate.

Well, Tek's passing the bug around - supposedly he's been so sick that he needed to get picked up to get to the park the other night. All are on the mend. This Pedroia as catch thing better not become the "pinch", although it would be great to see!!!!

The necklaces also are researched, I think the brand is Phiten....

Jules, Hi to you, too! I just read EB myself and laughed also upon hearing Pedy might be behind the plate. I can just imagine him and his colorful language as he makes comments to the batters and the ump - ha-ha-ha! I'm actually surprised Youk didn't offer up to be the backup catcher... after all, he's pretty much done all other infield positions hasn't he?

I agree too that there is nothing to worry about with Beckett and Tek. As we saw on Sunday and Monday, our boys kicked ass even without superstar Manny in the lineup. It'll just be a few games without them, that's all...

No Manny Delcarmen tonight either. He was just sent home with the flu.

Poor fc, mhc. Expecting to see Commander Kickass and now stuck with a baby Sox. Let's hope he throws the ball tonight.

And for me, I get my eye candy finally as Heidi Watney has been hired to replace Tina Cervasio

Well....they just sent Delcarmen home too with the sickness.

Our boys need to stop sharing this stuff....go get some ice cream and straighten up!! :)

BTW, I'll volunteer to bury Beckett up to his eyeballs in rocky road, if that's what it will take to keep him happy and full of awesome for the rest of the season. :)

And laughing out loud at hearing the wee one is the emergency catcher. I can only imagine. Sound bytes would be a MUST on that one.

Maybe just maybe they all got sick from sharing the ice cream machine and that's why it disappeared.

Bryan Corey decided to accept his assignement and is heading to Pawtucket

I hope to god that I get to see Dustin behind the plate, even for one at-bat ((crosses fingers))

Amalie Benjamin told DO that they had to find special sized catcher equipment for him. The stuff they have doesn't fit him. That's kind of amusing.

Happiness is coming home from work and ditching the boots!

More happiness is NESN and the Sox.

LOL, Bethie, I'm sure there are a lot of volunteers for that duty ;-)

I'm sorry to hear that MDC is sick, too. They'll bounce back with some time to heal.

Old news:

Gagne blew another save today. 4th on the year

In other news...Gange blew another save.

How's that $10M working out for the Brewers?

Thank god he's gone.

It is obvious that our Sox are in need of a qualified public health professional to step in and assist them as they ward off this outbreak. And I, for one, am willing to answer the call of duty!

(Please please please let this not be an indicator of their hand-washing habits.)

(also picturing Josh Beckett buried in rocky road, and finding it amusing)

Hey, mhcranberry, are you in the health care field too? I've been doing transcription and other medical records type work for 15 years so have seen it all...on paper, at least. ;-)

I feel for our flu-stricken fellas, I really do. No fun. At least it's not pneumonia.

It looks like I have something in common with Commander Kickass. Ice cream addiction! Mine is to the chocolate varieties, especially those that include chocolate chunks or ripples of fudge or both. And peanut butter mixed in with all of the above. I would probably die and go to heaven if I found a good chocolate raspberry ice cream. For now I make do with pouring raspberry sauce over chocolate ice cream. (purring in delight)

Okay, off to dig for the audiostream du jour.

one thought: can you IMAGINE the trash talking that would come out from behind that mask to try to throw off the batters should Pedroia step in?

It would probably be some pretty impressive stuff.

mh, do you REALLY want to tend to all the detritus associated with a bunch of guys with the flu? Now THAT'S dedication to both the job and the team!

ecl--

Yes, I work at one of those behemoth hospitals as a researcher on several projects and I'm getting my MPH right now (graduating on the 18th!!!).

Lots of chart reviews, lots of case-finding, lots of epidemiology, LOTS of disgusting infectious disease.

Medical records... jeez. I feel so bad for you guys--I still don't know how you turn those documents around so fast. And medical records themselves are just insane, electronic or no. So kudos to you-- you're a braver soul than I.

mh -- congratulations on your MPH! That's a real accomplishment, much more impressive than being an electronic medical record grunt. An old friend of mine does epidemiology with the CDC and I seem to remember her talking about disgusting infectious diseases as well, LOL...

Transcription as a profession has pretty much been rendered obsolete by the EMR, so now I do a LOT of chart entry instead...patient histories, immunizations, etc. This is for a residency program, by the way. I don't mind sitting behind a computer all day. I'm so used to it that I come home and do the same all night, especially when I'm following a game on line! So I may be brave, but more than anything, I guess I'm just CRAZY for living on a computer! :-D

TG, I must say that I love the idea of seeing all of the rookies following Josh around with ice-cream cones. Although, I think since you're now officially a New-Englander, we need to teach you that sprinkles are actually called "jimmies".

ESPN indicated that while a stiff neck is the reason he was out, the Red Sox also confirmed Josh has been suffering from the flu as well. Poor guy! In the meantime, someone needs to disinfect that clubhouse!

And good lord, the image of Dustin as catcher is pretty gosh darn hilarious.

If anyone's still around - your concern for me is touching - but please, save your concern for our boy Josh! Yes I was disappointed but hey, that's baseball - and it was a kick-ass game anyway, and we won! And I'm sure before the summer's out, Josh and I will get to spend some quality time together. Cherry on top of the win: Timlin gets the W.
And