The Redlegs defeated the Red Sox 9-7 on Tuesday in Fort Myers.

Aaron Harang got the win by allowing zero runs on a single hit through two innings. Harang was apparently not bothered by the shoulder inflammation that robbed him of his last start, but he did take a lovely line-drive to the side this time on the mound.

Michael Gosling got rocked, giving up four runs in a third of an inning. Jason Standridge gave up a run on three hits through one, and Todd Coffey gave up two runs on three hits through one. Michael Burns, Jake Robbins, Brian Shackleford, and Matt Belisle each held the Sox scoreless during their tenure. Belisle got the save.

It was a big day for the long ball as Scott Hatteberg, Edwin Encarnación, Andy Abad, and Brian Buchanan each contributed one. Encarnación's was his sixth of the spring.

After said game, the Reds spring record was 8-7. Had I gotten this game wrap up in a reasonable time period, it would have been relevant to tell you that they hosted the Pirates today at 1:05 p.m.

Hiya everyone,
I don't know what it's looked like to you guys, but my blogging has felt very erradic lately. It's been a wild couple of weeks, and I'm out of my groove.

However, on Friday morning I pack up the family and head to Sarasota for two weeks of spring training adventure. The planning and preparations for this trip have been enormous, but I have a feeling that it's all going to be worthwhile. So keep on hanging in there with me. I think you won't regret it.

Spring training is about to get a lot more interesting. To me, anyway.

In an article on STLtoday.com last week, Tony La Russa waxes philosophical on what it would take to get him out of managing:

“I've got a contract through 2007, but if I feel, or ownership feels that I'm not putting everything into it, we walk away. That's it,” he said. “I'm not going to take their money if I feel something slipping. And they have the right to pull the plug if they don't like the way it's being handled. It's always been that way for me. I'm sincere about it. Right now, you say no way something like that could happen. But I've seen it happen. You never take it for granted.”

Sounds to me like he can already feel it coming on. I expect we'll start to see the changes in TLR's style pretty soon. At first it'll just be little stuff: getting a decent haircut, taking off the sunglasses, passing up opportunities for the suicide squeeze. But before you know it, he'll be departing completely from his usual self. That's right: this may be the season that we see only three pitching changes in a game.

That's when we'll know we've seen the end of La Russa.

I've added a new entry to the Felipe Lopez Human League Profile about his collection of tattoos. It's a start, but I'd like to add more specific information, and ideally, pictures. If anyone can contribute details, I'd certainly appreciate anything you can offer.