I am the Resurrection and the Life

That's not a melodramatic headline, right? What? A guy can't merge the symbolism of Easter and baseball once in a while?


A few impressions following a nail-biting, desperately needed (to the extent we can throw that term around in what is admittedly the first week of the season), 5-4 Sox victory over the Angels:


---Anyone else surprised to learn that Brad Penny has the best April record of any active pitcher in the big leagues? After today's outing, he's a regular spring nymph at 21-7. The Sox have got to be pleased with that outing.


---Reassuring to see that Penny's velocity is there, but when he got up to 95, 96, it didn't look like he could hit 'Tek's targets. Still, that he was in the mid-90's at all is encouraging.


---That goomba Mike Napoli had this look on his face the whole game like he knew something we didn't. It was pretty impressive. Not just the hitting, but the fact that he was not at all surprised by it. The Angels apparently expect to get an awful lot of production from behind the plate this season.


---Speaking of catching production, way to be, 'Tek. I'm gonna try to be cool about it and not say anymore than that. Just, you know, way to be.


---I know this is strange, but Jacoby looks younger to me every time he doesn't get a hit. I'm not saying that at all as a slight, just as a real, physical observation. When he crosses the base path toward the dugout, it's like Field of Dreams and he seems to be a teenager all of a sudden. It's freaking me out a little.


---Reggie Willits is back with the Angels. You'll remember he was one of the goats of the 2008 ALDS. Terrible circumstances (I can't even begin to get into how terrible), but glad Willits is getting another shot with the club.


---Holy crap was that a good (stressful) last at-bat of the game.


---Chone Figgins has really got to work on the throw across the diamond. I've seen him lift Morales up off the bag three times this series already. You know that one where Figgins made a diving stab and a surprisingly good throw from his knees, but Morales just sort of watched it sail by his glove like he was seeing double for a moment? I'm thinking that was just revenge for making Kedrick work. Nobody makes Kendrick work. Got it, Chone?


---Please, please everyone: start calling Jason Bay the 'Ragin' Canadgin'. It would mean a lot to me if that caught on.