Johnny Pesky Photo by Matthew West

12:45pm – Tarp has come off the field and the game will start as planned at 1:35pm.  The tribute to Johnny Pesky and his number retirement ceremony will be happening at 1:15pm.  Remy keeps saying that the Red Sox “changed the rules” to retire Pesky’s number.  Seems to me that the Red Sox just set aside the rules – not necessarily changing them.

1:06pm – NESN is showing a montage covering the season and suddenly I’m sad that the regular season is over.  Sure we get post-season baseball and I’m certainly thrilled about that, but the end of the regular season always makes me a more than a little sad.

1:11pm – Mike Mussina has a chance to win 20 games for the first time in his career today.  Okay, so suddenly this game isn’t meaningless.  Beat him like a rented mule, boys, like a rented mule.

1:13pm - Johnny Pesky is on my tv.  Woooo!

1:15pm – It’s raining on Johnny.  Stop that please.

1:15pm - Carl Beane is reading a letter to Johnny from Bud Selig, congratulating him and all.  Still won’t let him sit in the freaking dugout though, huh?  Kudos to the Red Sox for reading a letter from Joe Torre in front of the Yankees.  Love it.

1:16pm – Dick Flavin narrating a video tribute to “Mr Red Sox”.  Yes, I’m getting teary.

1:17pm – Dom DiMaggio talking about Johhny.  Killing me.  Killing me.  Oh great, let’s show Bobby Doerr to finish me off…

1:20pm – It is POURING at Fenway right now.  Jim Rice just called Johnny  a “father/instructor”.  :weeps:

1:20b – NOMAR!!!  Nomar did a video thank you and said nice things about Johnny AND the Red Sox!!!!!!!!!

1:21pm – Nomar said “I love you”.  And now Curt is saying nice things.  I want more Nomar.

1:22pm – Schilling looks like hell.  Red, glassy eye, grey beard.  Dude needs a shave.

1:23pm – Johnny hit .307 lifetime.  Many people can eat it.

1:24pm – Carlton Fisk is there to take the covering off Johnny’s number.  And there it is.  Johnny breaks down into tears, I break down into tears…and they cut to Johnny Damon who looks annoyed.  WTF?  Also, there is no way this game is starting at 1:35…no way.

1:25pm – Johnny thanks everyone, especially the owners. Papi is behind him, smiling away.  All the players are behind him in the rain – in the red jerseys….could we maybe get our playoff team out of the rain????

1:26pm – Johnny says Red Sox fans are the “greatest on the earth”….yes, yes we are.    He also says “We’re going to win again this year…I need another ring!”.

1:27pm – All the players are hugging Johnny…even Julio Lugo…and the PA is playing “Young at Heart”.  Johnny gets the huggies from Cora and I can’t stop crying and smiling.  I’m a sap, I know.

1:29pm – Jim Rice and Rick Burleson are there.  Have I ever mentioned that we used to call Burleson “Juggles”?  You can figure out why.

1:30pm – Johnny is handshaking with the fans and taking pictures…he also told the owners that they “know how to put on a show”.  And they finally lead Johnny into the dugout and out of the rain.  Very well done, Red Sox.  Good show.

1:33pm – And the freaking tarp is back on the field. 

1:49pm – Game is scheduled to start at 1:55pm.  We’ll see.

1:52pm - Apparently, the Yankees rookies dressed as members of the Village People yesterday when leaving the park after the game that didn’t happen.  Why wouldn’t they do this at Yankee Stadium so the fans could see it?

1:59pm - No baseball yet…tarp still on the field.  Amalie Benjamin is evil.

2:08pm – Dear God, if you don’t want me to find Heidi Watney and stomp her to death you’ll start this game soon.  (NESN seemingly showing “All Heidi, All the Time” during the rain delay.)

2:09pm – Jim Rice and Johnny Pesky meet with the press and instead of talking about himself, Johnny is talking about Dom DiMaggio.

2:10pm – Johnny thought when the new ownership came on he’d be tossed aside.  Just hearing that breaks my heart and makes me love the the ownership even more.

2:11pm – “I’m glad my mother picked the Red Sox”.  Apparently, when Johnny was younger and being scouted, his mother preferred the “guy from Boston”.  He is cracking up Jim Rice.

2:13pm – He’s bragging about how smart his brother is and he’s talking about how long he’s been around.  “God has spared me and I say my  prayers every night  – say some for the Red Sox too.”

2:14pm - Tom Caron tells me this game is starting at 2:30pm.  TC wouldn’t lie to me, would he?

2:15pm - More Heidi Watney.  Please stop me before I kill.  I’m going to start a new post for the actual game-blog.

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