Kevin Youkilis to Angels: Lower your flags and march straight back to Anaheim*

Over the weekend, I saw a TV show called Deadliest Warrior, which pits historic and famous military figures and forces against one another using computer simulations to settle, once and for all, which barbarian of renown is most savagely brutal. Example: who is deadlier, Shaka Zulu with his battle axe or William Wallace with his broadsword?

Actually, as we learned last night, it's none of the above -- it's Kevin Youkilis with a bat. There was just something about his grim and determined facial expression, as he personally avenged the collective frustration of fans and team alike on Angels pitching, that suggested he was equally prepared to take on, say, Genghis Khan, Attila the Hun, Delta Force, or whoever happened to show up.

Once the smoke had cleared, 17 runs were plated, and Scott Schoenweis took the hill for mop-up duty in the ninth, most of the players were gathered at the front of the dugout, watching. My favorite face to watch, as always, was Josh Beckett's, as he stood with his arms tightly crossed around his chest, squinting toward the field with an expression that suggested that if Schoenweis somehow found a way to blow it, he could look forward to a hanging wedgie from one of the light towers post-game. 

There was reportedly a team meeting before the home stand began, and Theo Epstein voiced some Steinbrenner-esque public recriminations toward the team over the weekend. Clearly a fire has been lit under every ass on the roster. And so it seems the roller coaster is on the way back up...at least, for now.

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*Paraphrase of a line from Braveheart: "Lower your flags and march straight back to England...do this, and your men shall live."

Comments

[Shereen]

Cork, I saw your Tweet about tonight's game being only about 100 loppee over the season's average. Is that a telling sign that maybe it *is* the economy when Rays fans and (as much as it pains me to say it) area Red Sox fans don't show up? I mean, it's not like it's just Red Sox fans in the stadium tonight. (I don't mind if someone tells me I'm full of crap on this one I'm just trying to put a few twos and twos together.)I also wonder if this is a sign that the cord can be cut with the AL East (if reallignment happens) because the Rays aren't guaranteed 30k anymore when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town.