Rich Garces has returned! Well, to the Nashua (N.H.) Pride at least. The once-rotund hurler, now (allegedly) tipping the scales at a feathery 235 lbs. on his lanky 6 ft. frame, is expected to serve as the Pride's closer and provide leadership in the clubhouse. I hope he does well for them. I was always a Garces fan. (Well, except for in 2002, when he was released by the Sox after sporting a 7.59 ERA, a stat that does not suitably demonstrate the damage he did to the ERAs of his teammates.)
Daisuke will be the starting pitcher for the Sox Friday, March 2 against Boston College in a game that will now be televised by NESN at 6pm. (Pre-game coverage starts Thursday, February 22 at 7am. Daisuke will be trying grits for the first time.) BC-UNH hockey is scheduled for NESN at 7:30pm that night, so I'm guessing that only the Daisuke innings will be covered? I am wicked excited to see some baseball! Though I'd prefer to see Daisuke debut against major leaguers, I understand that is the day for him to pitch to keep him on turn, as he is projected to follow Snyder and Hansack as the #3 starter. As long as Dice-K doesn't shake off Tek, I'm sure he'll do fine against the vaunted BC lineup.
The Bruins continue to edge closer to a playoff spot with a 3-0 win over Toronto. Tim Thomas had 44 saves in the shutout and thanked his defense corps for their effort afterwards. (Yep. 44 shots allowed. Way to go, D!) I am still a little concerned about Thomas' workload, as he made his 10th straight start. The schedule I e-mailed Dave Lewis 2 months ago clearly indicated that Hannu Toivonen was to be the Bruins' starter in goal Monday night in Philly, but David, apparently, feels that this schedule was merely a "suggestion." I just hope the Bruins don't mortgage too much of their future when they are forced to trade for a Belfour or a LaBarbera to replace an injured Thomas. If Hannu doesn't get the start against the Panthers, there will be repercussions, Mr. Lewis...
USC ice hockey goalie Mickey Meyer was ejected (and ticketed by a police officer) from a game against BYU when he protested the officiating by "riding his stick like a horse, mooning the crowd, and slapping his buttocks." In a post-game interview, Meyer indicated that he "had his fill of these refs." (Thanks for clearing that up for us, Mickey!) This kind of questionable behavior brings to mind an obvious question- since when do USC and BYU play ice hockey?
In Britney news, the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League have offered "an all-expenses-paid trip to northern New York" that would "provide Britney with a stress-free environment and the chance to experience a high level of hockey." While the therapeutic value of watching hockey, obviously, cannot be disputed, I wonder if watching the 2nd worst team in the AHL would bring the "high-level" part of the comment into question. I would like to commend Syracuse Crunch management, however, for looking out for Britney's best interests. While they could be concerned with attendance for the 27th ranked team in the 28 team AHL, in a city buried under 8 feet (1.19 Zdenos) of snow, their concern is for Brit. It's good to see there are still people like that left in this world.
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