Personality Plus, Version 1 : Boston Score

Personality Plus, Version 1

Posted by Mike Giardi May 10, 2008 at 8:43 am

On the weekends, we have a feature we call “Outside the Box.” Its when I fired off a bunch of questions to the guest that don’t always relate to the person’s area of expertise (though they sometimes do. Am I clear on this?). We’re going to start this on the web as well, using my guests, athletes and anyone else I find interesting to answer some tough, tough, tough questions. The only difference, I’m calling the blog version, “Personality Plus.” Truthfully, that’s what I wish we used for, the TV segment, but for some reason, I didn’t think of calling it that a year ago. Oh well.

This week’s victim, tomorrow night’s guest, Joe Haggerty. Hags writes for the Metro, Woburn Daily Times Chronicle, USCHO and is a regular contributor to Mike Felger’s radio show on ESPN 890. He also has a terrific blog, HackswithHaggs.com Call this is a cross-blognization, if you will. Without further adieu…here’s Hags managing to work killer viruses, Nomar and chain-smoking managers into one segment.

1) Biggest Surprise to the Sox’s start? That the Sox were able to get off to a 17-12 start through the end of April despite the travel issues, the raging Ebola virus that infiltrated the clubhouse and the fact that Mike Lowell not knocking in a run and David Ortiz ending the month hitting .198. I thought they would be two or three games under .500 at best. I was way wrong.
2) Best Interview in the Clubhouse? Love him or Hate him, Curt Schilling always has more to say than anybody else in the Sox clubhouse. I just need to make sure I bring a red light with me whenever I talk to him.
3) Best Interview You’ve Ever Done? There’s a few that come to mind. Boston pro sports-wise it would have to be Pat Murphy, Dustin Pedroia’s college baseball coach at Arizona State University. I still have the transcript up at my blog http://hackswithhaggs.com/2007/08/26/did-you-hear-the-story-about-pedroia.aspx and it was the single most popular thing I’ve ever put on there. I think that interview touched people because A) Murphy is really funny and B) People of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds can really associate with a fiery, undersized underdog. Outside of pro sports, I once interviewed a Stoneham High School quarterback who was playing in a summer football game designed to raise money for cancer research, and he was playing in the game as his older brother was dying of cancer at Mass General Hospital. I visited the older brother in the hospital and interviewed him, and it was the single hardest/most rewarding interview I’ve ever undertaken. It was a great reminder of how precious life is. Sorry to get so deep there.
4) Give me an off-the-radar name of a player the Bruins will chase in free agency or via trade (in other words, not Hossa). Good question. Brian Rolston. Yes, he’s 34 but this would also be a final mea culpa that the Jacobs, Harry Sinden and O’Connell completely botched the job coming out of the lock-out. If you can go out and get Mike Knuble and Michael Nylander, then even better. He would be great at the point on the power play with Zdeno Chara.
5) Is Dennis Wideman worth a big raise. I like Wideman and I think he’s going to get better. The fact that he is only 25 and was playing with a balky groin (that just sounds so bad) that needs surgery explains his slump at the end of the season. He has certainly proven he’s a top four defenseman, and something tells me Peter Chiarelli isn’t going to let go of the guy he traded Brad Boyes away to the St. Louis Blues for. Boyes scored 40 goals this season, right?
6) CD playing in your car right now. I have XM Radio, which has curbed my CD listening quite a bit. I’m a big fan of Ray LaMontagne. I have a shiny nickel for anyone in the audience who knows who that is. I’m just glad you didn’t ask me for the most embarrassing CD in my collection.
7) Worst Player Who’s Gotten a World Series ring for the Sox in 2004/2007? Nomar…oh, I’m sorry. I thought you said Worst Guy Who’s Gotten a World Series ring for the Sox. My bad!
Best Manager in Baseball…Love Jim Leyland despite the fact that the Tigers are underachieving. Gotta love a guy that still smokes in the visitors dugout at Fenway and then stamps out his cigarette with a Louisville Slugger. Good times.