Manny's Return

My dream baseball matchup is about to happen (well the first part). The LA Dodgers (one of my favorite NL teams) against the Red Sox this weekend is a matchup I've been waiting for since July 31, 2008. That is the day when BoSox hero Manny Ramirez got traded to the Dodgers, which sent over Jason Bay from Pittsburgh as his replacement. For the seven and a half years Manny has been part of the Red Sox, his actions and personally were known (and still are) as "Manny Being Manny". Some of the famous acts with the Sox included hitting his 500th Home Run, making an unbelievable catch in left-field during a game, robbing a home run, in Baltimore which trigged a double play (I was at that game) or just sitting inside the Green Monster wall. In his post-Sox years, he got suspended 50 games for PED use and production value has decreased and has 7 home runs this year. Things are different now for the former Sox player as he makes his return to Fenway for the first time since being traded.

What do I expect? Honestly, I think the fans will give him a standing ovation for his return, but then I think they will boo him since he wanted to be traded for most of his tenure in Boston. The mayor of Boston has also rented duck buses for Friday's parade which will take place in honor of celebrating Manny's return to the city and it will feature both Dodger and Red Sox players. It's gonna be a fun weekend to watch this matchup.

Speaking of matchups, Dodgers manager Joe Torre and the team will host his former team, the Yankees next weekend in Los Angeles for a three-game set. That will also be good as Derek Jeter faces his former manager and mentor for a weekend.


OTHER SPORTS STUFF:
1) The NBA Finals between the C's and Lakers have been good to watch. There have been dramatic games but no buzzer-beater shockers or tie scores late in the game. It's been one-sided as far as performances go, like Ray Allen making 8 consecutive 3-pointers in a row for Game 2, and the Boston bench making a name for theirselves in Game 5. Game 6 proved to be a one-sided affair for the Lakers as they tie the series standings 3-3, with a one-game fight to the finish tomorrow night in Game 7. The Celtics had trouble all night shooting and rebounding and their bench didn't score any points until the 4th. Kobe and the Lakers outplayed the Celtics all game, and with Perkins out with a knee injury, it was hard for the C's to play.

Speaking of dates, on June 17, 2008, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in Game 6 to take home their 17th NBA Title. Tomorrow marks the 2-year anniversary of that game and in my opinion, the Celtics will bring home Number 18.


2) In my previous blog regarding conference changes, the Pac-10 tried to recruit schools such as Texas and Oklahoma to join the conference, but they have decided to remain in the Big 12, which should be the new Big Ten. Colorado has left for the Pac-10 and Utah has also accepted an invitation to the same conference, leaving the Mountain West. The MWC however has picked up Boise State starting in 2011. Nebraska does move to the Big Ten, which should be the new Big 12.


3) The U.S. Open takes place this weekend, held at Pebble Beach this year. The course will be different since the tour last played there in February, changing hole locations and distances. A full-field is expected including Tiger, Lefty, Vijay, Els and Garcia. Definitely one of my favorite PGA Tour events of the year. Like the Masters, I think Mickelson will win this weekend. Below is the TV Schedule for this year's US Open, in which coverage will be held later in the day including Saturday night primetime.

THURSDAY - FRIDAY
1:00-3:00pm on ESPN
3:00-5:00pm on NBC
5:00-10:00pm on ESPN

SATURDAY
4:30-11:00pm on NBC

SUNDAY
3:00-9:00pm on NBC


It's gonna be a great weekend of sports, including the World Cup, so have fun and watch.