Bronx & Beans

Here on the Beans side of the office, I've been guilty of neglecting some great baseball action this week.

First, we had Coco Crisp showing his featherweight chops against the loathsome Rays. Then there was this bizarre matter of Youkilis and Manny coming to blows in the Red Sox dugout during the same game.

And there were even some late-inning heroics in the Bronx, including old friend Johnny Damon, who, we should note, went 6-for-6 against the Toledo Mud Hens on Saturday afternoon. So congrats to Johnny.

But, no, we've been rather distracted by the Celtics, whose Big 3 and swarming defense are making us feel like we're in 5th grade again as they chase banner number 17 against the dreaded Lakers. In fact, I've retired the Sox hat for a few days and dusted off the vintage '80s Celtics painter’s cap.

And those two hours or so each day I would normally devote to worrying about Joba Chamberlain's next start are now spent breaking down who should guard Pau Gasol in the fourth quarter, and how we can get Sam Cassell some more shots.

Speaking of the Celtics, earlier this spring we shared a clip of what has become a fourth-quarter tradition at the Garden. His name is Gino (well, not really, but...) and when opponents see his graceful-yet-masculine dance moves on the Jumbotron, well, they know they might as well get the buses started.

Ah, Gino. Again, it's not quite Red Auerbach lighting the cigar, but it's fun.

But now comes this shocker: Gino's DEAD!. Thanks to some crack reporting by the Wall Street Journal, we learn that Boston's favorite '70s icon was named Joe Massoni. He was a California native. And he died of pneumonia in 1990.

So not only was he probably a Laker fan, he won't be strutting at the City Hall Plaza during the championship parade, and won't make a cameo appearance when Neil Diamond sings 'Sweet Caroline' at Fenway this summer.

I've got to be honest; I haven't felt such a pall over a championship game since we learned before Super Bowl XXXI that Bill Parcells would be bolting the Pats for the Jets after the game.

-- Dennehy

With this kind of range, it's going to be sweet watching Manny Ramirez roam the great expanse that is left field in the new Yankee Stadium in 2009.

Watch this awesome catch, high-five to a fan and a double play by Manny.

I know I'm a Bronx, but so is Manny and we'll be loving his dreads in his hometown next season. Please, Big Bank Hank, sign him, if only so we don't have to watch him kill Mussina anymore.

- La Monica

We sent two of our photogs up to the Stadium on Thursday night with a video camera and the task of chatting up some Sox and Yanks fans. Here's what they came back with.