Manny's the Man

Game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth. Jed Lowrie-who pinch ran for David Ortiz- is on second, Manny on first. 1 out. Brandon Moss at the plate. Moss gets a single up the middle, Lowrie tries to score, but he's thrown out by Vernon Wells. Fear not, citizens of Boston. Manny's on second.

Varitek comes to the plate, and similiarly singles to center. This time, Manny tries to score, and obviously beats the throw. Red Sox win 2-1 thanks to the outstanding hustle by Manny Rameriz.

Also...

It would be great to have a few more folks on here. I know Brandt has been asked before, but maybe we could try again or see if there are another couple fans from different teams...

I have a couple staff guys in mind that are fans of different teams, but I know that it started as a small group that knows each other...not that I have met John. Maybe someday. Anyway, just a thought.

When Is It "For Real"?

Checking the standings just a few minutes ago, it is almost ridiculous to see the teams at the top of their divisions: Baltimore (tied with Boston, who is only surprising in an 'underplaying' sense), the Sox (yes, there are other Sox, although from ESPN you'd hardly know it), Oakland (somehow tied with LAA), Florida, St. Louis, and Arizona (the crazy thing here is no one else is .500). And if we went back a couple days we would have the Rays tied up on top, too.

I know, it's still early. There is a lot of season left. Injured players will return. Hot bats will cool down. Teams will figure out some of those pitchers. Cliff Lee will allow another run (what is going on there?...if you said Lee would be throwing like this I'd swear they should have 20 wins by now with CC and Carmona...crazy). So...when does it become real? When is it not just a hot start? Or a fluke? Or...whatever?

I ask this in a broader sense as a fan of the game, but I also am really starting to wonder if the Cardinals will actually contend for the division. Should I get my hopes up? Maybe the longer I see them as 'overachievers' the less chance there is for a letdown and more chance to remain excited. Maybe.

They are just pitching so well. All of them, really. Kind of scares me that Mulder and Clement are scheduled to return in the next month...will that throw things off? Where will they put everybody?
The real issue is the hitting. When Ankiel is on, they seem like they have a chance. I am still wondering when Glaus is going to start hitting the HRs. He has one. Not a great power team. Still, they are scoring enough.

Is it real yet?

Signs of the Apocalypse

The Tampa Bay Devil Ra...I mean Tampa Bay Rays just swept the Boston Red Sox. Maybe the name was curse...

the first winning april since 2003

even though they lost today... i'm REALLY proud of the phillies right now. before today, they had a three-game winning streak and had won six of their last seven games.

that makes me really happy.

for how many years in a row... they've started off terribly slow and have [with the exception of 2007] missed the playoffs by a game or two. even though they're just floating right around .500... that's an improvement. i'm really proud of them.

and that's WITHOUT jimmy rollins and shane victorino... and WITH ryan howard slumping.

chase and pat have been on fire. werth has proven his worth. hahahahahahhaha. i just got that.

pedro, ruiz, jenkins, and bruntlett are doing okay. bruntlett's time is limited, obviously... as he's back on the bench as soon as j-roll comes back. jenkins will be more limited, too, after the flyin' hawaiian comes back.

i'm pleased with the pedro/dobbs combo at third. dobbs is great off the bench... and is a reliable back-up. i also like the ruiz/coste combo. chris coste is hilarious. he's batting .371 in 35 at bats... and has gotten a few starts for the fact that he's consistent at the plate.

so when it comes together... when rollins and victorino come back... and howard's bat wakes up... i have really high hopes for the phils.

i'm also pleased with the way old uncle charlie is shaking the line-up around to get the most effective 1-2 punch at the start. he's not just keeping things the way they are... he's doing what he needs to do as a manger to keep his team competitive. i even respect him sitting howard for a couple of games. let him find his swing again so he can contribute the way we expect him to.

if chase [aka my baseball boyfriend] stays healthy through the whole year... i'm naming him the nl mvp. it's just amazing watching this guy. which... would be really fun to for 3 phillies in a row to get it. hee.

i'm even leaning toward the phils doing what they can to keep burrell. ::gasps:: i'm not ready to say that i've become a fan again... but hey... if he keeps playing with the same caliber has he has since the all-star break... i'll keep him!

the phillies are making me proud. : )

The Flu and the Paw Sox

The entire Red Sox team has the flu and/or is hurt. Varitek hasn't played in four games and won't start today. He might be available in the late innings. Manny DelCarmen can't pitch cause of it. In fact, the team sent him home. Not a big deal since he grew up in Boston, but still... It looked like Beckett was gonna get scratched Monday because of it. Thankfully, that didn't happen. He was warming up all set to go when all of a sudden his neck got really tight and sore (from the flu?) and he was scratched, causing David Pauly (who?) to be called up from Pawtucket to start. Diasuke couldn't pitch yesterday cause the flu and Jon Lester had to throw on 3 days rest. Add on top of that the fact that Lowell is still hurt, as is Youkilis who fouled a ball off a his foot. Crisp has something wrong with his wrist. Plus, tonight's Lester's turn to start. Obviously he can't, meaning the Red Sox racked up some more on their long distance bill and called up Justin Masterson to make his MLB debut tonight.

I read an article about him in the Herald this offseason. All I know about him is he's really tall, really goofy and a born again Christian. I guess he's a good guy who goes out of his way to befriend outcasts or something if I recall correctly. I just looked him up on redsox.com, and I found the most depressing stat about him, which is he is younger than me. I always get depressed knowing I could walk and talk and all that stuff before these guys could, yet know they're making millions and I'm watching them. Oh well. I just hope he can pitch at the Major League level. With the AA Portland Sea Dogs, he's 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in 4 starts.

Anyway, here's what's gone on with the Paw Sox since I last posted. Joe Thurston, Manny's backup, was optioned down to make room for David Pauly who started Monday. Good move, as we all know Manny doesn't need a backup. After the start, Pauly was optioned back to Pawtucket and the Sox called up Craig Hanson. Hanson was thrown in the middle of a tie game yesterday in the 7th and gave up a lead off homerun and got the loss. He's the guy in 2005 who the Yankees passed on in the draft because he was too expensive. Yes, you read that right. The New York Yankees passed on him in the draft because he cost too much. He's from Long Island and I guess on draft day his family were all wearing Yankees gear expecting him to be drafted when they passed on him. Thankfully, his one sober friend who was a Sox fan was there to give him a Red Sox hat after what transpired. Or at least I'm assuming he was the one sober friend, cause he was the only Red Sox fan. This guy Hanson was suppose to be what Jonathan Papelbon is- an amazing closer. He had a decent 2006 with Boston, but it's been a disappointment since. I read over the off season that last year he struggled with a sleeping disorder, and now that it was diagnosed he was suppose to be better. I think he pitched reasonably well, but it still sucks that the Yankees can't afford him and yet he still gets the loss. Anyway, now Hanson has been optioned back to Pawtucket to make room for Masterson.

Who's on second?

Who is normally on first, if you are familiar with the comedy routine. If you are not, shame on you. It is brilliant. Read it all here. There's probably an audio version out there too, but I'm not looking for it.

So, Who is normally on first, just like Albert. But for a few innings of this afternoon's game he was actually playing second base. Crazy?
Yes.
But when all your position players have been used up but your catcher, and your shortstop injures his arm, you have to come up with something.

So, Izturis goes out.
Miles shifts from second to short.
Molina comes in at catcher.
Larue moves from catcher to first.
And Albert moves to second.
I think he ended up having to make one play in those 3-4 innings, but it was sure weird to see.

"Who's on first?"
"No, Who's on second."
"I asked who's on first."
"He's not. Who's on second."
"Fine. What's the name of the guy on second?"
"No, What's the shortstop."
"I don't give a darn!"
"Normally...he's injured."
"Who's injured?"
"No, he's not. Who's on second."
"That's what I'm asking. Are you going to tell me or not?"
"Sure. Who."
"The guy on second."
"Who."
"Nevermind. Who's on first?"
"I told you, he's at second."
"What's his name on second?"
"No, he's at short."
"Who is?"
"No, Who's on second."
"I'm not asking about him anymore! Ok...just tell me about the game today."
"Oh, he's at first."
"Who is?"
"Usually. Right now he's on second."
"Not that again!"

Man-Ram Strikes Again

Game tied at 3, Manny comes up with a runner on. Game untied as Manny deposits it over the Green Monster.

5-3 Sox.

Big Papi Wakes Up

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the third, with the bases loaded and 2 outs, David Ortiz came up to the plate. The first pitch he saw, he deposited over the Green Monster.

Final score was Red Sox 11, Rangers 3.

David Ortiz is back. The American League has been warned.

Classless Organization

As you can tell from the title of this post, it's about the New York Yankees. Whether it's blatent cheating (A-Rod slapping Arroyo, A-Rod tackling Pedroia, etc...), lack of respect of the game like A-Rod yelling "MINE" in Toronto, (saying fans do it to him all the time, so he figured it was ok...jerk), or Hank Steinbrenner and his profanity laced tirades about Red Sox Nation and curses, it's obvious the Yankees, especially these current Yankees have no class whatsoever. Rumor has it they're gonna sue the guy who buried the T-Shirt. Hank Steinbrenner was his usual self saying he hoped his coworkers "beat the (bleep)" out of him.

Tonight, Manny Rameriz hit two homeruns. That's cause Manny is the man. Then he came up to the plate and Kyle Farnsworth threw behind him. One of those "If you can't beat them, bean them." Or better yet, "If you can't beat them, odds are the front of your jersey has an interlocking NY on it."

Beckett was masterful, and pitched into the 8th. With two outs, and a four run lead, A-Rod came up to the plate. The announcers wondered if Beckett would retaliate and throw at A-Rod. A part of me wishes he did. A-Rod hasn't ever been thrown at by the Red Sox as far as I can remember. He was hit by a curve ball in 2004 by Bronson Arroyo and made a big stink about it which resulted in a bench clearing brawl, but he's never actually been thrown at. Maybe once by Okajima. I can't remember. Not enough based on all he's done. Anyway, a part of me wishes Beckett did drill him in the rear, but he didn't. Instead, he challenged him and got him to ground out. You could tell Beckett really wanted to get him, cause the ball was hit to second base, and Josh ran and made a diving attempt at it. He didn't get it, but Pedroia was there to throw him out.

Red Sox 7
Classless Organization 5

The Rivalry Part 2

It's the bottom of the fourth. Bucholtz should be out of the inning. With two outs on a 1-2 count, he threw strike three past some new Yankee catcher I already despise. First, cause he's a Yankee. Second, he wears number 19. I hate Yankees wearing that number.

Anyway, the home plate umpire calls it a ball. It's knee high right over the inside corner. But the seasick bum calls it a ball. New Yankee catcher gets a basehit, giving the Yanks a 4-3 lead. Jeter comes up and knocks in two. It's tough to beat New York when they get extra outs at home. It was a chicken call by an ump intimidated by New York. IN my mind, the Rivalry is back, based on that call alone. All the old hatred is seeping in.

6-3 Yankees in the bottom of the 4th. Updates to follow.

UPDATE: Julian "Automatic Win Day" Tavarez comes out of the bullpen, throws a wild pitch. Yankees score another. 7-3, heading to the top of the 5th.

UPDATE PART 2: Sox score 3 in the top of the 5th. Wang's outta there. No outs, two on. 7-6, good guys come charging back.

UPDATE PART 3: Tim McClutchen. He's been around forever. No excuse being intimidated. Either he's a horrible ump or he favors New York. Jerk. Anyway, Sox add on 3 more. Should have been more. Lugo and Varitek both struck out on horrible calls. Pedroia should have walked on a 3-0 count, but a pitch six inches outside was called a strike. Dustin drove the next pitch down the line for a ground rule double though. Oh well. In spite of the umps, Sox lead 9-7.

UPDATE PART 4: I've never seen such a horribly umpired game in my life...I take that back. Every game at Yankee Stadium except game 6 of the 2004 ALCS is this bad. 19, whoever he is, has the umpires in his pocket. On what should have been a double play to end the inning, he came 5 feet outside the baseline to tackle Lugo trying to make a relay to first for a double play. The ball went over Tavarez's head, who was covering first, allowing two runs to score which shouldn't have, cause the inning should have been over. 11-9 Evil Empire.

UPDATE PART 5: The Yankees won, 16-9. I have no further comment.

a pleasant surprise

well that was fun.

i checked on the phillies' game during the 9th inning. after seeing that they were down 3-0 moving into the bottom of the inning... i sighed and let out an, "aw come on phils! UGH. i can't stand it." then i moved on with life... swallowing another loss.

but lo and behold... i happened to catch a brief snippet of something [that i can't remember] that compelled me to check the scoreboard.

THE PHILLIES PULLED OFF THE WIN. a four-run ninth... including two homers, by chris snelling [who replaced the flyin' hawaiian on the roster] and burrell. chase also got hit by another pitch and scored on burrell's rocket. then... jenkins got on first after striking out b/c the catcher couldn't handle the ball [which i still don't understand]... and then scored from first on pedro's double... which was BEAUTIFULLY placed. apparently, jenkins ignored the stop sign from the 3rd base coach and just kept running. it paid off... cuz his run won the game.

the replays on sportscenter never get old. : )

April 15, 2008

The Day the Boston Red Sox took their rightful place a top the AL East.

Red Sox and Indians

When I got home today from school, the Sox were down in the bottom of the 8th, 4-3. Mike Timlin had just been summoned to pitch for the Red Sox, and the graphic showed his ERA this year was an impressive 81.00. That went down tonight, as Mike got the Indians 1-2-3.

So that set the stage for the ninth. The Indians brought in closer Joe Borowski. Due up for Boston were Julio Lugo, Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia. Last year, it would have been in everyone's best interest to just skip Lugo and Crisp and have Pedroia hit with two outs to see what he could do. However, with Cleveland in a prevent defense, Lugo led the ninth off with a double down the left field line. Coco Crisp came up and bunted one down the third base line in a beautiful place, past Borowski forcing Indains third base man Casey Blake to come up and field it, meaning Lugo moved up to third. Instant replays show Crisp beat the throw by a step, but the umpire, who MLB.com identifies as Jerry Lame...I mean Jerry Layne inexplicably called him out. Crisp put up a small argument, and Francona went to the top step of the dugout, but didn't leave. So, man on third, 1 out with Dustin Pedroia up to bat.

After a first pitch strike, Borowski threw one at Pedroia's head that had me jump off the couch shaking my fist at the seasick bum. Jerry Remy remarked that either the radar gun at the stadium was broken or Borowski was only throwing 83ish. The Rem Dawg will not accept any of that weak low 80s head hunting stuff. If your gonna hunt heads, it better be mid 90s. Anyway, Pedroia shoke himself off and the very next pitch hit a long fly ball out to the warning track in left. Lugo tagged and scored on the sacrifice fly. That brought David Ortiz up, and the trademark shift where everyone in the infield moves over to the right of the field besides the third baseman who plays where a shortstop would play for a normal lefty and the outfield goes straightaway back to the track. Ortiz popped up right behind where the third baseman should stand, but since the third baseman was on the wrong side of second and the left fielder was in the bleachers, it dropped in for a base hit. Fracona pinch ran Jacoby Ellsbury for Ortiz, which turned to be inconsequential since Manny Rameriz was up next. I said as soon as Manny stepped up it was a mistake pinch running for Ortiz. I was proven right, and it's a shame no one was there to hear me, cause Manny hit a rocket about 15 rows back over the left field wall. 6-4 Red Sox. And that's how it ended.

Once again, I would like to point out Ortiz had a shot to hit a game winning homer, but couldn't. Once again, I would like to point out Manny bailed him out. I do like Ortiz, but I think he often gets a free pass from Boston whereas everyone always jumps down Manny's throat. It's my goal to fix this injustice, one reader at a time.

The Rivalry

A few things to report:

On the field, the Red Sox got the best of the Yankees this weekend, winning 2 of 3. Friday night was pretty much all New York. Aside from a J.D. Drew homer, Wang was pretty much unhittable, though an error charged to A-Rod should have been a base hit for Pedroia. Shrug. Game two was Beckett's time to shine, as he evened the series and pitched much better than the three runs he allowed alludes to. Tonight, the game competed with a Bruins playoff game, so I didn't see as much of it as I'd have liked. My brother really likes the Bruins, so we comprimised and flipped back in forth, each making certain concessions. For instance, we watched when Manny hit cause Manny's the man. The Sox had a 5-1 lead, and then the Bruins went to overtime, so I agreed he should be allowed to watch them. Anyway, when we flipped back after the Bruins won, it was 7-4, and the game ended 7-5.

Mike Lowell got hurt Thursday night, and ever since Youkilis has been playing third and Sean Casey has been playing first. I must admit, he's been pretty awesome filling in. He's driven in 4 runs, and he's made some awesome defensive plays, even when compared to Youkilis , the best defensive first baseman in the league. Ortiz has been slumping and is hitting .073, so he got the night off. Manny on the other hand, has been awesome. I like both Ortiz and Rameriz, I'd be a fool not to. But for some reason, Ortiz always gets a free ride, and Manny always gets picked on. Shrug.

Anyway, speaking of Ortiz, and an earlier post, the Yankees came out Friday denying any shirt burying occured. Then they went and dug up the visitors club house anyway...idiots. It turns out there was a shirt... a David Ortiz jersey. Maybe that's why he's been struggling? It'll be interesting to see if he turns it on again now that his jersey is out of that filthy place.

The Rivialry

Well, it begins tonight. Chien-Ming Wang vs Clay Buchholz, Mike Mussina vs Josh Beckett, Phil Hughes vs Daisuke Matsuzaka.

It's been a trend in recent memory, ever since 2002ish, to have an April series featuring the Red Sox and Yankees. I am personally against it. It seems to early for me, and its still up in the air as to who actually has the better team. I think the first weekend in May would be a great time to start. Let everyone get settled into the baseball season and whatnot, but that's just my personal opinion. The teams enter the three game series tied for second place, a half game behind the Baltimore Orioles, at 5-5.

In somewhat related news, the rivialry always gets played both on an off the field. The Yankees are building a new stadium, and I suppose the Red Sox already won the first game there...

A good day for the Phils

The Phillies made me really happy today. Not only did they win... but they beat the Mets [to make it nine in a row dating back to last season]... and... they spoiled the Mets' home opener.

Does it get much better than that?

Chase had a record-tying day. He got hit by three pitches AND on a throw from Delgado to second that bounced off of him and went into the outfield. How he mangaged to not rush the mound is beyond me.

It'll be interesting to see how the series continues. Will the Phils keep winning? Will someone hit someone else tomorrow and cause a brawl??

Gotta love a heated rivalry. And as long as my team keeps winning... I'm happy. : )

It's Only The First Week, Right?

Certainly we shouldn't make too much of the first week...or so I keep telling myself. But then I keep seeing the Cardinals' pitchers doing so well, see the 5-1 start...and it is hard not to think, "Well, they could actually do this, they could keep this up." It just feels like their old winning ways. It feels right.

Of course, if I were a Tigers fan (I'm watching the game right now...1-1), Red Sox fan, Phillies fan, etc I would be telling myself it is just a slow start, things will turn around, this is not who we are...and there is good reason to believe those things. It is harder on the other side of things--being pretty sure the team is playing over its head right now (Baltimore or Kansas City anyone?). But those are the kinds of things people said about Detroit and Milwaukee before. "Sure, they're off to a great start, but it won't last." Most of those surprise starts that continued were aided by young guys maturing sooner than expected. I don't see much of that happening with STL, but I'm more than willing to be wrong.

What can we really know or tell at this point, then?
I would say some of our suspicions (whether weaknesses or strengths) can be reinforced...like my question of whether the Cardinals really have enough bats to win over the long haul, knowing that their pitching is not likely to carry them. They have won games by pitching well, not so much with hitting. Ankiel and Molina have been huge so far, but I still don't see much happening with Schumaker, Glaus, Izturis, Kennedy...there are a lot of holes in the lineup. So, if they don't pitch like this all the time...ouch.

And then some of those teams like the Phillies (sorry Shunta) are showing that questions about their pitching, and bullpen especially, may be valid. Not to say that should keep them from competing for or winning their division. They'll be there despite that. Still, maybe just a few weeks into the season, if those questions are still there, it should be enough to prompt a move of some sort.

So, let's see what happens!

wouldn't you love a day off after working for one day?

hahaha... john, your last paragraph cracked me up. it's stupid to boast about your team when they suck.

the phillies had many years of sucking. i would have looked foolish had i boasted about them. i could say, "i loathe the braves." but never... "the braves suck... the phillies are awesome!" that would have sounded really dumb. clearly, a team can't "suck" if they win the division 10+ years in a row with hardly any competition.

this year, however... the phils have a "phighting" chance... as they say. the approximate lineup:

j-roll
victorino
my boyfriend
howard
pat the fat wallet oops bat burrell
pedro the new guy feliz
werth
ruiz
the pitcher

i don't know much about pedro. but hopefully... phillies' fans will have a reason to create a "vote for pedro" shirt of their own. hahaha. i had to do it. sorry.

as for the rest of them... jimmy through ryan howard... an obvious solid heart of the lineup. [which is fitting since chase has clearly stolen mine.] can't wait to see what they'll do this year with victorino playing every day and hitting second. burrell... well, if he keeps up his pace from last year... he might be worth about half of what they're paying him. hopefully he continues to stay out of his multi-year slump. werth and ruiz proved to be of value last year... and i'm glad to see them playing every day.

dobbs, taguchi, and jenkins should be good off of the bench, as well.

the offense looks promising... as should be expected after nl-leading scoring season last year.

the pitching, however, is a different story.

here's my problem. every year... the phils dish out meager cash and pick up these old guys or not good guys to come in and pitch for a year. they just got this new 39-year old guy, rudy, to jump into the bullpen from the dodgers. his era last season was over 6.00.

please tell me how that's supposed to help our bullpen woes??!?

my suggestion: get rid of adam eaton [$$$$], ryan madson, and possibly tom gordon [or at least don't let him close]... and drop some cash for some young talent. citizen's bank park is a hitters' ballpark. they can't keep bringing mediocre pitchers and hope that maybe they'll find their golden stuff. we shouldn't have gotten rid of billy wagner. or curt schilling, for that matter. and we never should have picked up adam eaton or freddie garcia. and quite honestly, i'm not even sure they should have gone with brad lidge. we'll see what happens after he comes off the dl. i'm not convinced that he was a fantastic grab.

the starters obviously have the upper hand on the relievers. myers and hamels should hopefully shine like the stars we're hoping they continue to be. notwithstanding yesterday's outing by myers. moyers and kendrick both did well last year. moyers' record doesn't necessarily show it... but he did pitch pretty well. i had him on my fantasy team last year so followed him pretty closely. a lot of his losses came in close games with very low scores. had the offense played "normally," they would have easily bailed him out. as for eaton... well, we all know how i feel about him. he'd better get his act together... cuz he's in the dog house after last year's horrendous performance.

overall, i'm looking forward to a good season. i think it'll be rough/fun... with the mets in their prime and the braves coming back from the dead. i don't think the marlins or the nats are much to worry about... though the nats have a pretty new stadium. : )

to summarize: the phillies have a great offense. a half-stellar group of starters. and a bullpen that makes me put my head in my hands.

spend money on pitchers.

money cash... money cash hoes!!

and go phillies!! : )

Nonsensical Ramblings about 2008 and beyond

So, this outlook comes 2 games into the season, right before game three. I didn't watch the first two since they were on at God-awful times, and I might not watch the third tonight since the Massachusetts Minutemen are in the Final Four against Florida tonight. Don't let the liberal/conservative media fool you. The Final Four is UMass, Florida, OSU and Ole Miss.

Anyway, I when I started this post, I didn't feel very confident about this season, which is weird as pretty much everyone's returning from a World Championship team. Then I began writing and I realized how good this team can be. Granted, two of the top three in the rotation are on the DL now, though Beckett is eligible to come off Thursday. Schilling's on the 60 day DL, and besides, he's really old. I don't know how much he has left in the tank.

At first glance, age appears to be a huge factor with this team. Wakefield, Schilling and Timlin are all 42ish. Varitek did rebound from a horrible 2006, but he's gonna be 36 in a week and a half. How long do catchers hold up? Even the heart of the order, Manny and Ortiz, are perhaps starting to show signs of decline. Rameriz will be 36 next month and had a huge decline last year. Compare his 2006 and 2007 numbers. 15 more home runs, 14 more RBI, a 30 point batting average drop and a 50 point OBP drop. Plus, he played more games in 2007, so the power numbers bug me. Ortiz on the other hand had his worst power year as a Red Sox since 2003, hitting 19 less homers and driving in 20 less runs then last year. The only thing is, in 2003, he played in limited time sharing with Hillenbrand, Millar, and Mueller. I'm not as worried about Ortiz, as he did have a career high batting average last year. The other area of concern with age is the throw in, Mike Lowell. He had an unexpectanted great year . I'm just hoping now that he's been paid, he'll still show up. I believe he will. He doesn't seem like that much of a jerk to just cash it in, but what do I know?

Throw J.D. Drew into the areas of concern list. He's not that old, he just really sucked last year. He gets a pass only because he hit a grand slam in game 7 of the ALCS. But he has to contribute something, anything during this regular season.

The nice thing is, the Red Sox are acknowledging their age problem and have begun phasing in the next generation. Everyone knows about Papelbon, but the pitching staff also includes Manny Delcarmen in the bullpen and Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester in the rotation. Concerning the everyday nine, last years rookie of the year Dustin Pedroia is returning as is October hero Jacoby Ellsbury. It would have been nice to have traded for Santana, but being set for the future is a good consilation prize.

The Red Sox will win the division this year. No one else scares me. The other day, I was wearing my Red Sox jacket on the T, and someone in Cardinal gear started yelling at me "Forget Red Sox Nation. It's all about Cardinal Nation. The Red Sox are a joke." I politely pointed out the Cardinals didn't even finish above .500 last year, and though they won the World Series the year before, they, in fact were the joke and shouldn't have qualified for the playoffs seeing as how the Phillies (not to mention the Blue Jays, the Red Sox, the White Sox, and the Angels) had a better record but due to the foolishness that is the division rule, the Cardinals somehow qualified. He kept yelling about how great the Cardinals were. Eventually, someone approached me and said "Hey man, don't look to me for help. I'm a Yankees fan." I responded "How's the millenium been? I don't even know why you bothered single yourself out like that. The Yankees are irrelevenant." It was beautiful because it's true.