Josh Q. Public: Wo! I feel nice, like sugar and ####e. I feel nice, like sugar and ####e. So nice, so nice! -James Brown
Public Service Announcement: OK, here we go! Life got you down, Binky? You need a little pick me up? Need a little feel good? Need it real good? Better than a Ferris wheel good? Well, I got just the thing. Just what the doctor ordered. Like Wycleaf Jean, I am your doctor. Here comes the doctor baby worry no more. I will bring the remedy baby I will bring the cure. Give you what you want and absolutely I am sure. Like my main man Alexander Pope always says: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be Blest.” Three feel good stories of this spring. Three stories of hope springing eternal. Three profiles in courage:
Josh Hamilton:Athens Drive High School. Raleigh, North Carolina. Phenom. Phenomenal. High School All-American. Two-time winner of the North Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award. USA Baseball’s Amateur Player of the Year. Baseball America High School Player of the Year. All that and a bag of sunflower seeds. The kid had it all. Standing tall. The most exciting prospect in all of baseball. He had the intangibles. He had desire. He had drive. He had composure. He had competitiveness. He had coachability. This was the stuff dreams were made. First pick in the draft. Four million dollar bonus baby. The Devil Rays drafted him instead of taking Josh Boom Boom Beckett with the overall top pick. Played some minor league ball. Got hurt. Got hooked on the horse. Oh, and I guess that he just didn’t know. Lost three years of his life. Lost three years waiting for his man. Lost three years twenty-six dollars in his hand. Lost three years up to Lexington, 1-2-5. Lost three years feeling sick and dirty, more dead than alive. Lost three years waiting for his man. But like Jack Torrance, he’s baaack. Back and as good as ever. Back with the Cincinnati Reds. Back with a vengeance. Back into spring training batting .476 (20-42). He has launched a 500-foot bomb. By April 1, he should be the Reds starting centerfielder. Pushing Junior to right. Look at me, I can be, centerfield. Teammate Ryan Freel: “He’s a great story.” He certainly is Ryan, he certainly is.
Jon Lester: Bellarmine Preparatory School. Tacoma, Washington. Another Phenom. Another Phenomenal. Another Gatorade State Player of the Year. Tore up the minor leagues. Portland Sea Dogs. League-leading 2.61 ERA. League-best 163 strikeouts. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League’s year-end All-Star team. Year-end Topps AA All-Star squad. On top of the world looking down on creation. Best young pitcher in the nation. More fun than 101 Dalmatians. The rookie lefty made his Major League debut in June. The rookie lefty went 7-2. The rookie lefty threw sixty Ks in eighty innings. The rookie lefty contracted the cancer. On August 27th, 2006 Lester was scratched from his scheduled start due to a sore back. The following day he was placed on the 15 day disabled list. Three days later, it was reported that Lester had been diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. There it was. There was a kind of hush all over the world. A deafening hush. Made my insides turn to mush. Another dream crushed. But this kid’s a fighter. He fights. He fought off the cancer. And just like Josh Hamilton, who just like Jack Torrance, is baaaack! On March 5, Lester made his first appearance in a 2007 spring training game. He threw 8 pitches and retired the 3 batters he faced. Good news. Real good news. Oh my baby’s comin’ home tomorrow, ain’t that good news, yeah, ain’t that news. My baby is coming home tomorrow, ain’t that news, yeah, ain’t that news. Diana Ross & the Supremes style.
Cooper Brannan: Cooper Brannan, San Diego Padres. Cooper Brannan, United States Marine Corps. First to fight for right and freedom, and to keep our honor clean. We are proud to claim the title of United States Marines. Fighting for right and freedom in Falluja, Iraq. Squad leader. Second tour of duty. He noticed that one of his Marines was missing a grenade. He moved to lend one from his own supply. Brannan: “I reached back on the left side of my flack. I had an extra one. And as I handed it to him, it just went off in my hand.” Went off in his hand and blew off three fingers. Purple Heart. The doctors were able to save all but his pinky on his glove hand. You’re in the big leagues now. His fastball touches 93 mph, but a curve ball’s what his pitch is. So here he comes, like dum ditty dum. He keeps all five boroughs in stitches. Cooper Brannan will try to distinguish himself once again. This time in a different uniform. This time in a Padre uniform. Another uniform he is proud to wear.
josh q. public. For the public, by The Public. Irreverent sports opinion from a Bostonian in New York. The one blog to read, when you’re reading more than one. Good to the last drop!
Josh Hamilton: Athens Drive High School. Raleigh, North Carolina. Phenom. Phenomenal. High School All-American. Two-time winner of the North Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award. USA Baseball’s Amateur Player of the Year. Baseball America High School Player of the Year. All that and a bag of sunflower seeds. The kid had it all. Standing tall. The most 
exciting prospect in all of baseball. He had the intangibles. He had desire. He had drive. He had composure. He had competitiveness. He had coachability. This was the stuff dreams were made. First pick in the draft. Four million dollar bonus baby. The Devil Rays drafted him instead of taking Josh Boom Boom Beckett with the overall top pick. Played some minor league ball. Got hurt. Got hooked on the horse. Oh, and I guess that he just didn’t know. Lost three years of his life. Lost three years waiting for his man. Lost three years 
twenty-six dollars in his hand. Lost three years up to Lexington, 1-2-5. Lost three years feeling sick and dirty, more dead than alive. Lost three years waiting for his man. But like Jack Torrance, he’s baaack. Back and as good as ever. Back with the Cincinnati Reds. Back with a vengeance. Back into spring training batting .476 (20-42). He has launched a 500-foot bomb. By April 1, he should be the Reds starting centerfielder. Pushing Junior to right. Look at me, I can be, centerfield. Teammate Ryan Freel: “He’s a great story.” He certainly is Ryan, he certainly is. 
Jon Lester: Bellarmine Preparatory School. Tacoma, Washington. Another Phenom. Another Phenomenal. Another Gatorade State Player of the Year. Tore up the minor leagues. Portland Sea Dogs. League-leading 2.61 ERA. League-best 163 strikeouts. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Left-handed pitcher on the Eastern League’s year-end All-Star team. Year-end Topps AA All-Star squad. On top of the world looking down on creation. Best young pitcher in the nation. More fun than 101 Dalmatians. The rookie lefty made his Major League debut in June. The rookie lefty went 7-2. The rookie lefty threw sixty Ks 
in eighty innings. The rookie lefty contracted the cancer. On August 27th, 2006 Lester was scratched from his scheduled start due to a sore back. The following day he was placed on the 15 day disabled list. Three days later, it was reported that Lester had been diagnosed with a treatable form of anaplastic large cell lymphoma. There it was. There was a kind of hush all over the world. A deafening hush. Made my insides turn to mush. Another dream crushed. But this kid’s a fighter. He fights. He fought off the 
cancer. And just like Josh Hamilton, who just like Jack Torrance, is baaaack! On March 5, Lester made his first appearance in a 2007 spring training game. He threw 8 pitches and retired the 3 batters he faced. Good news. Real good news. Oh my baby’s comin’ home tomorrow, ain’t that good news, yeah, ain’t that news. My baby is coming home tomorrow, ain’t that news, yeah, ain’t that news. Diana Ross & the Supremes style.
back on the left side of my flack. I had an extra one. And as I handed it to him, it just went off in my hand.” Went off in his hand and blew off three fingers. Purple Heart. The doctors were able to save all but his pinky on his glove hand. You’re in the big leagues now. His fastball touches 93 mph, but a curve ball’s what his pitch is. So here he comes, like dum ditty dum. He keeps all five boroughs in stitches. Cooper Brannan will try to distinguish himself once again. This time in a different uniform. This time in a Padre uniform. Another uniform he is proud to wear.
