Man-Crush is in the Air

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Spring Training has arrived. Every baseball fan's hope springs eternal. World Series dreams gleam in their eyes. Some are even lucky enough to be in love.

I'm one of them. Okay, so it's a man-crush not actually love. I've had a void to fill ever since Petey joined the Mets. Not wanting to metaphorically find someone else to bed with before the sheets cool down, I’ve been waiting for the right Sox player to come along. Honestly, I can't say who my favorite Sox player was in 2005 or 2006. I’ve had fleeting moments in which I’ve pulled for Papelbon or Hansen to fill my psychological needs. No player has been able to completely do so until now. I have finally found a replacement for my lonely heart.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, I think I man-crush you.

I started visiting the "Matsuzak Watch" blog before the winner of his posted rights was announced. I was intrigued by his potential and mystique. I hoped the Sox would win his rights as he was considered the best pitcher available this off-season.

When the Sox won the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka I began reading more about him. I couldn't get enough. He's been in the spotlight since high school, where he threw a 17-inning, 250-pitch complete game in the Koshien. The more I read the more I saw his dominance and confidence. He actually began to remind me of a certain former Sox ace.

I’ve seen the videos (thanks, Youtube), read the stories, factual (Koshien dominance) and false (he throws the mysterious “gyroball”), and now I’m soaking up the Spring Training coverage. I’ve been watching his press conferences, painful as they may be, and checking out the pictures from Fort Meyers.

Last week I won two Matsuzaka-related EBay auctions. The first was for a Nippon Baseball rookie card. The second was for this sweet t-shirt. I’ve been trying to obtain one of the Nike Seibu Lions jerseys since the Sox won his posted rights. Unfortunately they don’t seem to be available, even in Japan. Now I need to find one of the good Seibu Lions baseball caps.

Daisuke has the swagger, confidence, charisma, and skill to be an ace in Major League Baseball. I’m pulling for him. I’ll be sure to watch every fifth Sox game with renewed zeal this season. Having digested the stats, I’m a true believer that Matsuzaka will be successful from the get-go.

If he isn’t, maybe Varitek will satisfy my cheating heart.

Brockton Ink

After 10 years of wanting to get a bald eagle tattoo on my right arm, I took the plunge today. I went down to Pins and Needles in Brockton with a colleague of mine and waited for the shop to open. I was like a kid on Christmas day, full of nervous excitement. I had formally decided to get the tattoo in the Fall and had to wait until after my flag football league was over. I had selected the image around the same time. I was anxiously awaiting for today to arrive ever since.

I have wanted a bald eagle tattoo for two reasons. First, I'm very proud to be an Eagle Scout. Second, the bald eagle is a patriotic symbol. My colleague pointed out to me that my feelings were not going to change 10 years from now, so there was no reason to continue delaying the process.



With the increasing popularity of shows about tattoo shops ("Miami Ink", "Inked") the public acceptance of tattoos has seemingly grown in recent years. I certainly have gained a greater appreciation for the artistry of tattoos in the last few years. I don't like all tattoos or all styles, but I think that the right piece on the right person can be very nice.

I had my tattoo done by Phil. I was very pleased with the line drawing and the placement of the tattoo before he began. The completed outline looked great. When he started to do the shading, I was really impressed. I was interested to see the blend of colors to achieve subtle shading and highlights. The overall progression was from dark to light.





I have to admit that the process hurt more than I anticipated. I expected a very sharp pain that would dissipate after the initial needle contact each time the needle was applied. The pain was actually very sharp initially and did dissipate, but would gradually build up again the longer the needle remained in contact with the skin. It also took a little longer than I expected for me to get used to the pain and for the overall intensity to plateau. I expected it to take about five minutes; it took closer to 15. The back of the arm was more intense than the side and front of the arm. I definitely got used to the pain, but I would never say that at any point I was totally comfortable. Repeated needle punctures hurt, plain and simple.






Overall I am very happy and impressed with the tattoo. I can't wait for it to heal and see what the final colors and shading look like. I would recommend Phil for someone looking for a tattoo. It took 10 years, but I'm glad that I got inked today.