I hope this is the last time anyone will say Manny doesn’t give it 100% or Manny fakes injuries every September. Because I’m completely fine if Manny wants to miss a month if he is going to come through in the biggest at-bat in the biggest game of the year.  That homer was a bomb.  It left Fenway faster than I can eat a bowl of kibbles, faster than a swarm of Canadian soldiers can attack Joba Chamberlain’s neck.  Manny made the Angels pay for not pitching to Papi and that is bad news.  Bad news for the remaining teams in the Playoffs who watched that and said, "Dog poo, now we have to pitch to Ortiz".  Fausto- say hello to Papi, he is about to feast on your fastball like he feasts on a plate of pork chops.  Canadian soldiers can’t save you now.

Not to mention Manny’s homer made Francona look like a genius putting Papelbon out there in the 8th in a tie game.  So whether it’s a strained oblique, hurt knee, or broken dread lock, if resting for a month helps Manny to hit walk-offs in the Playoffs, to make the Angels pay in the most painful way, to save the bullpen and give the team a chance to sweep, to strike fear in the hearts of future opponents, let Manny do whatever he wants and leave him alone.  Like I always say, having a full belly and getting in a lot of nap time in the sunny spot always helps you perform at your best when it really counts.  There’s only one October, Dane.

Big Pupi

There may be bugs on some of you mugs,
But there ain’t no bugs on me.

Big Pupi

Hey!  You may have noticed some changes to my blog now that the election for President of Red Sox Nation is over.  I’ve heard your bark and I’m going to keep my baseball blogging from the perspective of a dog going.  Also, my website www.BigPupi.com will still be a place where the Forgotten Animal Fans can come together and share their love for baseball.  So email me your picture and why you love the Sox, and I’ll put you up on my site.  As for the first few days of the Playoffs, I have a few thoughts:

- People thought Red Sox fans were crazy.  Have you seen these Indians fans?  They were on their feet the entire game last night!  They have this guy who has been playing a drum in center field since 1973 and some other old guy who sits behind home plate and wears a different fluorescent hat from the ‘80s every inning.  These fans are so excited, it’s like they are about to be served a huge bowl of kibbles.

- Who are these Rockies?  They always play at weird times so I never see them but apparently they have never lost.  I know they have Todd Helton and Matt Holliday.  I think John Elway pitches for them.  Scary.

- I think watching Wang and Sabathia pitch last night just proved the Josh Beckett is clearly the best pitcher in the AL.  I think he should start moving some of his hunting trophies around to make room for the Cy Young.

-  Please refer to my Sept. 27th blog First Round of Playoffs is About Sleeping and Eating.  This Red Sox team is unbeatable when they are well rested.

- Some people have been giving TBS some heat for their Division Series coverage.  I have to say I think their coverage is awesome for one reason- the guy in the Game Break studio loves to use the word “feasting”.  In fact, he said “feasted” twice in one sentence when talking about Big Papi’s homer.  Made me want to lick my human’s TV.

- The one thing that frustrates me about the TBS coverage is all the Frank TV commercials.  I see them come on and I’m pumped that John Madden is on and I run up to the TV and start begging for a turkey leg.  Then I realize that it is just Frank doing an awesome John Madden impersonation.  Frank gets me every time though, he does John Madden so good that it’s like I can smell the turkey legs through the TV.

- I have nothing to say about the Cubs-Diamondbacks series because I am so afraid of Diamondbacks that I can’t even watch them on TV.  I just hope the Cubs can comeback and get rid of these guys.

Dice-K tonight.  Bark out to my dogs in Japan.  Howl at you soon.

Big Pupi

The Angels have the Rally Monkey, and now the Red Sox have Rally Big Pupi for the times when they need some runs. Big Pupi is doing everything he can to help the Sox in the Playoffs! Vote for Big Pupi for President of Red Sox Nation by Tuesday Oct 2nd at 5PM ET!

Just got back from an exciting weekend at the Pet Ranch where my humans left me because they had to go to their friend’s wedding (which I heard had a good feast).  Luckily, the Pet Ranch had the MLB package, so I was able to see the Sox clinch.  I then started a huge all weekend dog party at the Ranch with about 100 dogs.  We drank a ton of water and marked some serious territory for Red Sox Nation.  My brother Stanislaw was the biggest party animal there.  I started blasting The Vengaboys “We Like to Party” and he ran around like a crazy beast eating frogs and crickets whole.  I have to say we’re a little hung-over from drinking so much out of the toilet.  But I’m back home and I have a few days to recover before my hunting buddy Josh Beckett takes the mound!  Go Sox!

Vote Big Pupi!

I’m having a huge all-weekend dog party in celebration of the Red Sox winning the AL East!  All Red Sox Nation dogs are invited.  I have extra toilet bowls to drink out of and goggles to wear just like the Sox.  Bark at me!

Big Pupi

Now that the field is set for the AL Playoffs, everyone has started to break-down who would be the best first round match-up for the Red Sox.  From Buster Olney to John Kruk, Steve Phillips to Cesar Milan, everyone has some sort of complicated analysis based on pitching match-ups, monthly ERA trends, and batting averages against.  Being a dog, I will give you the simple answer.  The Red Sox want to play the Indians, no bones about it.

Here’s why:  When it comes to the Red Sox, the first round of the Playoffs is not going to be about match-ups between pitchers and hitters.  The Red Sox have the best starting pitching and the best bullpen, and their pitching staff is going to give them a chance to win every game.  That means they need to score some runs.  Like they’ve done all year, the Red Sox will only hit if they are in a groove, no matter who is pitching.  It doesn’t matter if they’re facing Byung-Hyun Kim or Catfish Hunter (tasty), the Sox either hit or they don’t.  The best chance the Sox have to hit is if they are eating and sleeping well. And that is what the first round of the Playoffs is going to be about: sleeping and eating.

That’s right, getting some good naps in the sunny spot on the carpet and having a full belly.  We’ve seen what the Sox can do when they are well-rested and their tummies are full.  Just look at the last few games.

The Red Sox do not want to be traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast to play the Angels, as it cuts into their sleeping and eating time. The Sox stink on the West Coast.  They got crushed by everybody last time they went out there because they didn’t have enough time to sleep and eat.  Playing in Cleveland gives the Sox more rest.  Plus Cleveland has good sausages.  When David Ortiz goes out to dinner in Cleveland, he actually orders 14 sausages and a Fausto Carmona fastball for dessert.

Also, if the Red Sox get the #1 seed in the Playoffs, they have the first round choice of playing 5 games over 8 days, or playing 5 games over 7 days.  What if the Sox could force the Yankees to play 5 games over 7 days and, on top of that, the Yanks had to fly to the West Coast to play the Angels?  A tired and hungry Joba means a cranky Joba by the time the Sox and Yanks meet in the ALCS. 

So when your head is spinning from too much first round match-up analysis, the best idea would be for you to just grab a snack and take a nap.  That’s how I roll, and that’s how the Red Sox roll through the first round.

Bark at you later,
Big Pupi