Empyreal Environs

Riddles such as why do they play “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” in the seventh? To make a long story short, the general manager in the 1970s wanted to update the entertainment from golden oldies and organ music to popular music. John Denver’s song was a hit at the time but as other songs fell out of the rotation this one stayed. What was supposed to modernize games in Charm City became traditional, which isn’t that odd when one considers their park, something new that was made like a throwback to classic parks.

Orioles fans would rather listen to anything than the “Orioles Magic” song released for the 1980 season.

Puzzles such as the Tigers’ interest in Jeremy Guthrie. Not because his record is 4-13, as any pitcher can suffer from poor run support, but rather because his ERA+ is 89. He had just enough to hold the Red Sox to two runs, a particular feat after the visitors’ 15-run outburst in the series opener. The Yankees and Red Sox are both courting Ubaldo Jimenez, who isn’t pitching at a Cy Young caliber this season but maintains an ERA+ of 111.

Since the Red Sox didn’t make much news between the white lines I searched for Red Sox news off the playing field. I learned that Elizabeth Warren, who will oppose Scott Brown to represent Massachusetts in the Senate, is married to Bruce Mann. Mann is a Boston sports fan whose family has been in Boston thirteen generations. Warren hopefully won’t make the sports faux pas that doomed Martha Coakley.

Warren should refresh her baseball knowledge by figuring out which Red Sox player she is.

Last but not least there is a bank robber in Portsmouth, New Hampshire who left behind a bag thought to contain a bomb. Surveillance camera footage shows him wearing a Red Sox cap, but one of those alternate fashion hats that are even more hideous than the alternate hat.

Game 95: July 19, 2011
Boston Red Sox 58-37	2	L: Kyle Weiland (0-1)
		2B: Josh Reddick (6) HR: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (8)
Baltimore Orioles 39-55	6	W: Jeremy Guthrie (4-13) S: Jim Johnson (1)
		2B: Mark Reynolds (18) HR: Derrek Lee (10), Reynolds (21)