Blogging BLOHARDS

NYC Boston Red Sox Meetup Group Gathers Friday

The New York City Boston Red Sox Meetup Group, which exists online at Meetup.com, will gather this Friday at Slate in Manhattan to watch the AL East leading Red Sox widen their margin over the Yankees. Slate is located at 54 West 21st Street, just east of 6th Avenue. Additionally, the Group has a Meetup scheduled for Saturday in Manhattan, location tbd.

You can RSVP and register for the Friday event here and the Saturday event here.

The group isn't directly affiliated with the BLOHARDS but with over 400 registered members it would be a statistical anomaly if a BLOHARD or two didn't exist therein!

BLOHARDS To Defend Thom's Quiz Record June 18

The next BLOHARDS' informal viewing party will be held at Professor Thom's (219 Second Avenue) on Monday, June 18th.  The Red Sox will be playing the Atlanta Braves on the road that night. 

The Monday night slot allows the BLOHARDS team (comprised of the sharpest minds available that night) to defend its all-time record score in Quizmaster Quinn's Monday Night Trivia Contest. All are welcome. Chris from Prof. Thom's has also promised us a few innings of Play-By-Play Karaoke for would-be Orsillos and Remys (and Suzyn "Goodness Gracious" Waldmans).  There will be a karaoke sign-up sheet available at the BLOHARDS table on the night of the event. 

Be sure to check the website and emails for future events.  We expect to gather on short notice should Roger Clemens be called upon to start one of the Fenway games next weekend. 

NJ Guapo: Garces Joins Pride, Faces Jackals In June

Former Red Sox Fan Favorite Rich "El Guapo" Garces and his new team, the Nashua (NH) Pride of the independent Can-Am League, face-off against the New Jersey Jackals for a three-game set starting on Friday June 1st at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ.

According to the Pride's website, the 250 lb. Garces joined the team on May 25th. In his first relief appearance the following day, he allowed one hit and struck out one, over two innings. His arrival in New Hampshire was held up until visa issues with his native Venezuela were resolved.

In addition to Garces, the Pride also features former Red Sox player and manager Butch Hobson. Hobson, manager of the Pride since 1999, has been immortalized as a bobblehead which can be ordered from the team's online store.

Tickets and more information on the games this weekend are available on the Jackal's website.

NYU's Dr. Vino Rates Wake, Schill, Manny in SI

Tyler Colman, publisher of the popular Dr. Vino wine blog, rates the Red Sox Charity Wines about to be released by Tim "Caberknuckle" Wakefield, Curt "Schardonnay" Schilling, and Manny "Manny Being Merlot" Ramirez in this week's Sports Illustrated. Neither the article, nor the wine, is currently available online but Colman hints at his preference in his blog posting about the SI article.

Info on Colman's NYU Wine courses can be found here.

Cafardo: Desperate Hours

Nick Cafardo in today's Boston Globe does an excellent job chronicling the Yankees' Desperate Hours.

Diamond Bill

Happy 10th (Diamond) Anniversary to the Sports Guy, ESPN.com's Bill Simmons! Bill notes in his Friday blog posting that today, May 20, marks the 10 year anniversary of the launch of his Boston Sports Guy column on the old Digital City Boston.

BLOHARDS and Red Sox fans everywhere wish you many more anniversaries, Bill.  Thanks for always being the voice of reason!

And The Monday Night Trivia Winners Are.....

Congratulations to the BLOHARDS team for their hard-fought win earlier this week in their debut foray into the Prof. Thom's Monday Night Trivia Contest.  In winning, the BLOHARDS set a new competition record for most total points and fewest incorrect answers. The questions and other details of the event are chronicled here on Quizmaster John Quinn's blog: The Mighty Quinn Media Machine.

The well-assembled, nattily-attired squad was captained by Peter "Gyroball!" Collery, and rounded out by six of the sharpest minds available on short notice.  Consistent with the sound logic displayed all night, the group reasoned that there is not a "T" in the native Hawaiian language "because there is no 'T' in 'Don Ho.'" 

As with the expectations around Roger Clemens pitching in a Single-A game, the BLOHARDS have more to lose than to win were they to compete every week at PT's.  That said, the team is expected to defend its all-time record next month, presumably after several members spend the month familiarizing themselves with current events in rap music, the BLOHARDS' only speedbump on the road to a memorable win. 

Barring any date conflicts at Prof. Thom's, the next BLOHARDS' highly informal viewing event will take place on Monday, June 18th (Sox at Braves). Stay tuned for final confirmation!

Daily Free Publicity

Thanks to reporter Ryan Menezes for his recent (99%) accurate account of the BLOHARDS in The Daily Free Press, the independent student newspaper at Boston University!

A Nation caught behind enemy lines

NEW YORK -- It's not easy being a Red Sox fan in the city, says longtime fan Joe Cosgriff -- New York City, that is.

"[Being] a Sox fan here?" he asked. "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I didn't choose it. It's just something that happens."