International Men of Misery: Sox swept by Jays

Toronto 7, Sox 4
WP: Halladay (1-1)
LP: Beckett (0-1)
SV: Accardo (3)
HRs: BOS- Drew (2), Varitek (2), Ellsbury (1); TOR-Thomas (2), Wells (2)

Going...going...and the road trip is gone...along with confidence in Delcarmen

Superstar: Frank Thomas 1-4, R, 4BI, GS
The Big Hurt continues to live up to his nickname, especially in this series. Thomas had the big blow for Toronto for the third straight game, this one a game-changing grand slam off Manny Delcarmen in the 5th, and he wound up going 4-12 with 2 homers and 8 ribbies in the series to help the Jays pull off the sweep.

The Biggest Loser: Manny Delcarmen 1/3IP, 1H, 1ER, 1BB, GS
His stat line might not show it because three of the runs were charged to Josh Beckett, but this guy cost Boston the game more than anyone. When you come into a close game with the bases loaded and two outs, all you gotta do is get your starter off the hook.

Instead Delcarmen served up a meatball to Thomas on his first pitch of the afternoon that sailed over the leftfield wall and effectively ended the game right there.

(Dis)Honorable mention: Julio Lugo 0-4, 3 errors, 1 misplay that led to a run

RECAP:
Boy do I wish I could start this recap the same way I stared the last two -- by saying I missed the game.

Instead I sat through every agonizing minute of this road trip from hell-ending debacle, and like every other member of the Nation out there I was disgusted by most of what I saw. For example:

-four Sox errors, three by Julio Lugo, as well as numerous other miscues

-another terrible outing, the second in a row, for the once heralded and now dreaded Mattapan Manny Delcarmen

-another unproductive game from the trio of Ortiz, Manny & Lowell (2-12, RBI)

-the TBS announcing team of Chip Carey & Buck Martinez ( a couple of Carey-isms included "Manny Ortiz" and "exhibit # A"-ugh)

Don't get me wrong there were some good things that happened in this game, including a decent performance by Josh Beckett (4.2IP, 3H, 5ER, 4BB, 6K, HR) in his first start of the year, who looked very healthy before tiring late; three Sox homers, all coming from the 6-7-8 spot in the lineup; and the fact that Boston outhit Toronto, 10-5, a stat that ultimately is meaningless when you check the final score.

But for the third straight game the bad far outweighed the good, and it was painfully obvious that this long, season-opening road trip has in fact exacted a mighty toll on these road weary road warriors, despite earlier claims to the contrary.

The loss was made all the more painful because the expectation and excitement level was at a peak heading into the game. Not only because Beckett was making his 08 debut after spending a few weeks on the DL with a bad back and hip, but the game was the first to be broadcast on TBS' new Sunday afternoon national baseball package, horrible announcers be damned.

And for the first four innings the game lived up to the billing. Beckett began the game with a 98 mph heater for a strike to Shannon Stewart, and then proceeded to bring the blowtorch for most of the outing. Jacoby Ellsbury gave Boston an early lead when he homered off Roy Halladay (8IP, 8H, 4ER, 1BB, 6K, 3HRs) to lead off the third, at which point he was 4-4 with two longballs against the former Cy Young winner, and after Beckett gave the lead up on a two-run shot to Vernon Wells in the 4th, Bsoton tied it right up when Cap'n Tek hit his second homer of the season to lead off the 5th.

Alas that would be the end of the good times for Boston and the Nation. In the bottom of the 5th things unraveled in a hurry for Beckett, as he loaded the bases after getting two quick outs on a single by Aaron Hill and back-to-back walks to Rios & Wells, and by the time Tito went to his struggling bullpen, everyone in the Rogers Center had a pretty good idea of what was coming next.

And by next I mean the very next pitch, as the struggling Delcarmen tried to sneak a first pitch fastball past the veteran DH Thomas, who has been around a little bit too long and is too good a hitter to be fooled by that kind of crap. Thomas turned on the pitch quicker than Mike Vick's cousin, and just like that a close, winnable game became a rout in the blink of an eye for the second straight game, and despite tacking on a couple of runs late you could tell Boston was in full "get us to our home and our beds" mode as soon as the ball cleared the fence.

So the Sox wound up the trip 3-4 and in last place in the East after traveling around the world and back in the last three weeks, and it may be too early to tell what kind of lasting effect this journey to the ends of the Earth will have on this club, suffice it to say it definitely will not be looked at as a positive influence on the situation the team finds itself in now.

Nothing a little home cooking can't cure.

Not to mention a homestand that kicks off with fellow struggling pennant contenders, the winless Tigers.

RECORD: 3-4
STREAK: L3
AL EAST: 2 GB
UP NEXT: Off Mon; Tue vs. Det @ Fenway 2:05

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Beckett returns from the DL not a moment too soon

Boston (3-3) @ Toronto (3-2)
Beckett (NR) vs Halladay (0-1, 3.86)
1:00 Rogers Center TBS HD

Last year Josh Beckett was the savior of the Sox pitching staff. While compiling a 20-7 record with a 3.27 ERA en route to a second place finish in the Cy Young voting, Beckett was counted on many times to stop Boston losing streaks and subsequently start a Sox winning streak, all while sending a statement to opponents by matching up against their own aces.

Today, as Beckett returns from the DL due to spring back troubles, will be no different than last year.

After taking 3 of 4 from Oakland to start the season, Boston has traveled back to the Eastern time zone to run into trouble with their AL East nemesis to the north, the Blue Jays. The Sox have dropped 2 straight at the Rogers Center to start this series and 7 in a row to the Jays dating back to last season, and with the starters struggling and the bullpen faring worse, it will be up to the Sox Superman to save the day.

Trouble is Beckett doesn't bat, and the Boston batters haven't exactly been hitting the cover off the ball early in the season. The team is hitting .242 with 5 homers and 19 runs scored in 6 games, while big boppers David Ortiz (.091, 1HR, 2BI), Manny Ramirez (.250, 1HR) and Mike Lowell (.208, 0HR, 0BI) have yet to get untracked.

But the one thing Becks can contribute is stability to the staff, and that is what Boston will be hoping he can provide for them today. The team ERA is currently at 4.50, the starters have a record of 2-2, and members of the pen are touting ERAs of21.60 (Kyle Snyder) and 11.25 Bryan Corey), prompting the release of Snyder and a retooling of the relievers.

Facing Beckett will be Toronto's own perennial Cy Young candidate, Roy Halladay. Doc was a victim of bad defense and no run support both in the spring and in his first outing, in which he allowed 7 hits and 3 runs to the Stanks over 7 innings but lost 3-2, and he's had little success against the Sox over the years. But with Boston's pen in shambles and the hitters yet to show up this season since the opener, this could be the day he dominates the Boston lineup.

All of this adds up to the perfect time for Superman to fly in and save the day. The Sox don't need much from him; 7 or 8 scoreless innings of 2-hit ball will suffice.

Nothing he hasn't provided before.

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Bullpen woes continue as Sox fall to Jays again

Toronto 10, Sox 2
WP: Litsch (1-0)
LP: Buchholz (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: Tor-Thomas (1)

Superstar: Jesse Litsch 5IP, 5H, 2ER, 3BB, 2K
He wasn't spectacular, but the former D-Rays bat boy from down here in Pinellas County pitched well enough to earn the win.

The Biggest Loser(s): the Boston bullpen 3IP, 5H, 3BB, 0K, 6ER, HR
For the second straight game the supposed strong suit of the Boston pitching staff shit the bed like an old timer at Sunny Acres nursing home. While starter Clay Buchholz kept the damage to a minimum, the duo of Kyle Snyder and Bryan Corey dumped a can of butane on the game and tossed a match to it.

You know it's pretty bad when Julie Tavarez (2.1IP, 1H) is the lone bright spot.

RECAP:
Thankfully I didn't have the misfortune of catching this game today.

Stop me if you've heard this before. Because it was the same opening I used for my last game recap, and the sorry thing is it is just as appropriate today as it was yesterday.

I did miss the game today, thanks to the f-ing FOX blackout that trumps the Extra Innings package, and I am glad I did because it appeared, from trying to follow it on GameCast, to be the type of game that many expletives would have been flung around, possibly along with some small, tossable objects (like my clickers need any more tape on them.)

This loss was especially painful because unlike the night before Boston actually held a lead today, albeit a slim and short-lived one. But when Manny (1-3, BB, BI) doubled Papi in for a 1-0 lead in the first, and then Mayor Casey, making his first start of the season, singled in JD Drew for a 2-1 lead in the top of the 4th, it looked as if the offense was going to get on track and Clay Buchholz (5IP, 6H, 4R, 3ER, 2BB, 7K) was going to be able to put his horrible spring behind him and get the club back on the winning track.

In the words of coach Corso, not so fast my friends.

The high-fiving for Casey's first Red Sox ribbie barely subsided before the team would soon be lamenting his first Boston error, and it proved to be a costly one, too. In the bottom of the 4th Lyle Overbay (2-4, R, BI) singled with one out, Aaron Hill reached on a bunt single, and after Marco Scutaro walked to load the bases, 9th place hitter Ger Zahn hit a routine grounder to first that should have been an inning-ending double play.

Except the man who just set the consecutive game errorless streak for a first baseman, Kevin Youkilis, wasn't on the bag today, and his replacement, Casey, booted the ball for a 2-run, 2 base error that gave the Jays a 3-2 lead, and when David Eckstein (2-5, R, 3BI) followed with an RBI single it was just about over.

Not that a 2-run deficit would be impossible to overcome, but the Sox batters have been unable to muster any substantial offense against the Jays pitchers, and once again the bully was abysmal when called on to hold the game to a manageable deficit.

Kyle Snyder continued his rapid descent to being a has-been reliever when he gave up two walks, a sacrifice and a wild pitch to the three batters he faced, and Bryan Corey continues to make the Nation wonder why the fuck Theo ever picked him up last year when he immediately allowed RBI hits to Eckstein, Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and then a 2-run blast by Frank Thomas to cap a 6-run sixth inning and turn a close contest into a rout.

For his efforts this season Snyder (1.2IP, 2H, 2BB, 4ER, 21.60ERA) was shown the door after the game, given his outright release, but the question remains what to do about the hemorrhaging pitching staff. None of the starters have turned in a dominant performance so far this season, and not only has the bully not been a strength, but it has appeared to be more unstable than Britney Spears on crank.

What's that, the ace, savior and shoulda-been Cy Young winner Josh Beckett comes off the DL to start the nationally televised contest against the Jays' Roy Halladay tomorrow afternoon?

Well in that case, never mind.

Thankfully I will be able to catch that one.

RECORD: 3-2
AL EAST: 1 GB
UP NEXT: Sun @ TOR, 1:00EST, TBS HD

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Bullpen falters to blow JD Drew's game-tying homer vs. Jays

Toronto 6, Boston 3
WP: Marcum (1-0)
LP: Aardsma (0-1)
SV: Accardo (2)
HRs: Bos-Drew (1); Tor-Stairs (1)

Superstar: Shawn Marcum 7IP, 3H, 3ER, 1BB, 8K, HR
Toronto's talented young righty stifled the Boston batters on 1 hit and no runs through 6 innings; his only blemish was the 3-run bomb he surrendered to JD Drew in the top of the 7th, which tied the game and could have cost him the win if it weren't for a horrid outing by Boston's bully.

The Biggest Loser(s): Boston pitchers 8IP, 10H, 6ER, 4BB, 6K, HR
Tim Wakefield did alright in his first start of the season--until he surrendered 3 runs in the 6th, starting with a solo shot from fellow AARP member Matt 'Lumpy' Stairs; after Drew tied the score at 3, reclamation project David Aardsma walked the only batter he faced, Javier Lopez surrendered a single to the only one he faced, and Mattapan Manny D., after recording two foul outs, served up a 2-run double to Big Frank Thomas to put the seal on this one.

RECAP:

Thankfully I didn't have the misfortune of catching this game tonight.

I went to a company-sponsored function at the Clearwater Threshers game, and suffice to say that game was more exciting--and fun--than this debacle. Throw in the fact that my son won $87 and change for tossing a tennis ball from the stands into a tire on the field after the game, and the decision to take in an A ball game on a beautiful Florida spring evening over this major league mess was a no-brainer.

Actually, from what I could gather from highlights and recaps, this game wasn't ALL bad; J.D. Drew did hit his first homer of the year to tie the game late; Tim Wakefield (6IP, 6H, 3ER, 3BB, 4K, HR) pitched pretty well and shut out the mighty Toronto lineup for 5 innings before stumbling in the 6th; and Wake's new personal catcher, Kevin Cash, had a double and no passed balls in his first game behind the dish.

That's where the good side of things end. The bad included Wake falling apart in the 6th when he gave up a home run, two singles, two walks and a wild pitch; Boston batters being held to four hits - Cash's double in the 3rd, a single by Mike Lowell followed by Drew's homer in the 7th, and a 9th inning single by Manny; and of course the collapse of the Boston pen, which was supposed to be the strength of the depleted pitching staff.

Maybe it had something to do with the Jays wearing the Garth Iorg-era powder blue unis.

After Delcarmen's latest effort, the time is coming where many in the Nation will doubt if he will ever have what it takes to be an effective set up man, let alone superstar closer some day. Blessed with a live arm and calm demeanor, he has what it takes to shut down opponents, yet time and time again he cannot seem to get the necessary outs the team must have to pull out games like this.

Had he been able to get Thomas, who was just 1-7 with 3 Ks against him before tonight, the game might have gone in a completely different direction. But after falling behind 2-1, Thomas put a big hurt on Delcarmen's next offering, slicing a double to the left center field gap to score David Eckstein and Shannon Stewart, and the game was essentially over.

Luckily for Boston they will have a chance to immediately redeem this loss when they take on the Jays for a 1:00 game Saturday afternoon. That's when two young studs, Clay Buchholz and Jesse Litsch-will try to see which one has the moxie to lead his team to a big win.

And if Buchholz can't pitch a complete game, maybe the bully will get the chance to prove that it can be the backbone of the staff, and not the Achilles heel.

RECORD: 3-2
AL EAST: Tied for 1st
UP NEXT: Sat @ Tor 1:00

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Papi powers Sox to series win vs. Oakland

Sox 5, Oakland 0
WP: Lester (1-1)
LP: Embree (0-1)
SV: None
HRs: Bos- Papi (1), Tek (1)

Superstar: Big Papi 2-4, R, BB, 2BI, HR
Ortiz finally broke out of his 0-11 slump, first with a single in the 5th and then in a more Papi-like way with a 2-run bomb in the top of the 7th. His shot gave the Sox all the runs they would need to win the game and the series and put to rest any doubts that despite several injuries and surgeries Papi will still be Papi.

At last he's back where he belongs - in this category and not the next one.

The Biggest Loser: Manny 0-4, BB, 2K, GIDP, 6LOB
He left 2 men on base in the 1st and 5th innings when he whiffed both times, then grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the 8th. In between he failed to budge from home plate when he smashed a deep drive to center following Papi's homer, proving that despite several signs to the contrary, Manny will still be Manny.

Just a flat out awful game for ManRam.

RECAP:
Jet lag, what jet lag?

Boston continues to stifle any talk that the opening trip to the Far East and the West Coast will diminish its ability to successfully defend its title as the Sox swept the two games in Oakland thanks to a quality start by Jon Lester and another big, timely hit from David Ortiz.

Coming off a dreary performance in Japan Lester (6.2IP, 3H, 3BB, 3K) pitched a solid game, allowing just a pair of singles and a double in 6+ innings of work. Although he walked three batters he was bailed out when his teammates turned 3 double plays, including a catch & throw to first by J.D. Drew to nail Mike Sweeney to end the fifth.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see most of the first six innings since the start time for this one didn't coincide with my work schedule, but by following it on ESPN GameCast it seemed as if this one was shaping up to be a heartbreaking loss due to a number of missed opportunities by the Boston offense.

Oakland starter Rich Harden (5IP, 4H, 4BB, 6K) wasn't nearly as effective as he was in Japan in Game 2 of the series, but he still kept the game scoreless before giving way to the pen to start the 6th. The Sox loaded the bases in the first with no outs before Harden fanned Manny & Lowell and got J.D. Drew to--what else--ground out to first in his first at bat of the 2008 season to squelch the threat, then Harden worked out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 5th when he caught ManRam looking at strike three.

Boston would load the bases again in the 6th against Andrew Brown and had four men reach base in the inning, two on HBPs, yet still couldn't score thanks to a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play and fielder's choice grounder by Pedroia, but in the 7th Boston and Papi would finally break through and score all the runs they would need to take this series.

Lucky for me that's right when I got home from work and turned on the trusty Extra Innings feed.

Youk (2-4, R, BI) got the party started with a hustle double to left center, then stood and watched as Ortiz launched Alan Embree's second pitch high and deep over the wall in right center for his first homer and RBIs of the season, and just like that Papi's early season slump was over and the so was the game.

The Sox would tack on a few insurance runs to take the pressure off the pen, two in the 8th on five consecutive base hits, including RBI singles by Pedroia (2-5, BI) and Youk, and a single run in the 9th on a solo shot by Cap'n Tek, runs that allowed Tito to rest his closer and get Manny Delcarmen his 2nd appearance of the season.

Now the team will head toward home to play a game in the Eastern time zone for the first time this season when they open a 3-game set against the Jays in Toronto Friday night. After two games at 6:00 am , one at 10:00 pm and one at 3:30 in the afternoon, it will be nice to sit in front of the set and see the Sox playing meaningful baseball games at a normal hour of the day.

What a quaint idea.

NOTES:

Youk's the man at 1st base: When he fielded Jack Cust's grounder with two outs in the 9th and beat him to the bag it was an appropriate way for Youk to end this game; he became the all-time record holder in consecutive error less games played at the position, besting Steve Garvey's mark of 193 games in a row. In honor of the achievement the As gave him the first base bag as well as the ball, which should both be headed to Cooperstown. Throw in the fact that he got two more hits and is now batting a robust .400 on the season and it appears the legend of Youk, along with his goatee, is only going to continue to grow.

Drew's back is back: After sitting out the first three games of the season with back spasms, J.D. Drew returned to the lineup and played right field, and as usual he had an interesting game. He was 1-5 with a single, struck out twice including once leading to a double play, and nailed a runner at first for an outfield assist. Fitting his first at bat of the season resulted in a ground out to the left side of the infield. Some things will never change, playoff grand slam or no.

Hit Show: for the second time in the series the Sox reached double digits in hits (13), with every starter except Manny & Lowell notching at least one and 6 players (Pedroia, Youk, Papi, Tek, Coco, Cora) racking up a pair of hits apiece.

Altered states: With the day game today and an off day tomorrow, Francona mixed up the lineup today, sitting Jacoby Ellsbury and Julio Lugo in favor of Coco Crisp and Alex Cora. The moves paid off as the two replacements combined to get on base 6 times with 4 hits, a walk and a HBP.

Beckett set for Sunday: more good news for the club came when Josh Beckett pitched in a minor league game and was declared ready to start his season Sunday against Roy Halladay and the Jays in Toronto. It just so happens that game will be the first on TBS' new slate of Sunday afternoon games, and it should help the upstart net garner nice ratings for a game this early in the season.

UP Next: Friday @ Toronto 715EST (yay!)

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Sox @ Oakland, Game 4

Red Sox (2-1) at Oakland (1-2)
Lester (0-1) vs. Harden (1-0)
3:35EST Oakland Mausoleum

The Athletics gave permission to MLB to allow this game, previously scheduled to be a night contest, to take place at 12:30 Pacific Coast Time in order to accommodate the road-weary Red Sox. This way they can get out of Oaktown later this afternoon and head to Toronto instead of waiting until after a night game and arriving north of the border in the middle of the night.

Thank goodness for small favors.

The other bonus of this switch is that it allows us sleep-deprived members of RSN get to bed at a normal hour tonight, helping to make up for the late-night/early morning contests that have been hallmarks of this crazy beginning to the 08 season.

In the getaway game today Jon Lester will try to do what Dice K did last night: shake off the rust from his first start in Japan and hang in there long enough to earn a win. Lester was pretty lousy in the Sox loss in Tokyo, allowing 4 runs on five hits and 3 walks in four innings in game 2, and his performance didn't exactly make everyone feel confident that he can pick up the slack in the absence of Curt Schilling.

On the other side of the hill Rich Harden was damn near perfect in Japan, shutting down the Sox lineup on 1 run and 3 hits while fanning 9 in six innings of work. Not bad for a kid who missed most of last season with an arm injury.

The other thing to watch for today is whether or not David Ortiz can finally get off the schneid. Big Papi has been the Big 0-Fer this season, hitless in 11 at bats while leaving numerous men stranded on base. Sure it's early, but these games count, too, and if he can't get untracked soon it's not gonna get any easier when the Sox start playing actual playoff quality clubs starting next week.

So sit back, relax, watch (or follow) the game today and then enjoy getting to bed early and waking up at a normal hour before we get to actually watch the Sox at a normal hour tomorrow night in Toronto.

Although they have to travel to another foreign country to do so.

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That's more like it: Sox look like champs in 2-1 win over As

Boston 2, Oakland 1
WP: Matsuzaka (1-0)
LP: Blanton (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (1)
HRs: Oak- Cust (1)

Superstar: Daisuke Matsuzaka 6.2IP, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 9K
Away from the bright lights of his home city, Matsuzaka was near perfect in his 2008 stateside debut.

After surrendering a solo shot to Jack Cust in the 2nd inning, Dice K went into operation shutdown mode, limiting Oakland to one hit the rest of the way and giving his team a chance to come back and win it. They did, but unlike in the opener he actually benefited with a victory this time.

The Biggest Loser: Big Papi 0-4, 3 LOB
I know its early, but Ortiz notched his 3rd straight 0-fer tonight, and once again he came up with men in scoring position and couldn't do what he is paid handsomely to do- drive in runs.

He is now 0-8 on the season and has stranded 11 baserunners in 3 games. Ay Papi!

RECAP:
With some sense of normalcy finally taking hold for the first time this spring, Boston played like the team that calmly, coolly and collectively won the world championship last season.

Daisuke Matsuzaka overcame the Opening Day jitters that plagued him in his homeland and an early deficit to record his first win of the year; the Sox offense, though far from dominant, was opportunistic enough to take a late lead despite being robbed of a home run; and Jonathan Papelbon shook off the rust with an impressive 3- strikeout 9th in what was an all around team effort this evening in chilly Oakland.

I won't go into details here, because it's 1:00 am and I have to get up in 6 hours, but let's just say that this win temporarily put to rest any doubts that this team has what it takes to battle for another ring.

Down early and facing a tough opposing starter in Joe Blanton (6IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K), the Sox chipped away at the burly righty for to tie the game in the 5th on an RBI single by Jacoby Ellsbury (1-5), and then took the lead the next inning after a triple by Youk (3-4, 2R) and a double by Tek that should have been a home run.

After being handed the lead Matsuzaka buckled down even more, retiring the next 6 batters on 2 strikeouts, 2 flyouts and a ground out before giving way to Hideki Okajima with 2 outs in the 7th. Oki walked Cust but then got Game 2 hero (and Game 1 goat) Emil Brown to pop out to Pedroia to end the inning.

When Oki allowed a single to Bobby Crosby to lead off the 8th, Tito let him retire the next two batters before bringing Paps in for an early season 4-out save despite the fact that Papelbon looked shaky in his appearance in Japan.

Not this time as Paps got pinch hitter Mike Sweeney to ground into a fielders choice to end the inning, then plowed through the trio of Travis Buck (0-4, 4 Ks), Mark Ellis and Daric Barton in the 9th to earn his first save of the season and give the Sox a chance to take this long, strange series tomorrow afternoon.

What, an afternoon game? By the time the Patriot's Day 11:00am tilt is in the books the Sox will have played at every conceivable hour within the first month of the season.

As long as they keep winning, who cares what the fuck time they play.

UP Next: Wed @ Oakland, 3:35EST

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Opening Day, take 2.

Red Sox (1-1) vs. Oakland (1-1)
(resumption of 4 game series from Japan)
Game 3 Tue 10:00EST: Matsuzaka (0-0, 3.60) vs. Blanton (0-0, 4.76)
Game 4 Wed 3:35EST: Lester (0-1, 9.00) vs. Harden (1-0, 1.50)

Raise your hand if you've ever seen a series in which all four starting pitchers pitched two games apiece in cities 5,000 miles apart?

Anyone...anyone...Bueller?

Didn't think so.

The maddening mystery tour that is the start of the 2008 season for the World Champs continues tonight when the Sox resume their 4-game set with the A's, this time in glorious Oakland, which last time I visited the Bay Area was a far cry from the site of the first two games of this series, Tokyo.

And luckily for us on the East Coast, instead of waking up before dawn to catch our Sox we have to stay up past 1:00am to see the entire first game of the regular season to take place in America. Yipee!

Wait, aren't the champs supposed to have the scheduling advantages the following season? What is Bad Hair Bud taking his scheduling cues from the NFL?

All lamenting aside it's just nice to see the Sox playing actual games that count in the United States. And it will also be nice to get away from the media circuses that have plagued this club since they set down in Tokyo a week and a half ago. Between that surreal scene over there and the farce exhibition game against the Dodgers last Saturday that drew 155,000 spectators, it will be a welcome change to play in the cavernous yet quaint (attendance-wise) Oakland Mausoleum.

Dice-K will get a chance to redeem himself far away from the fanfare befitting a movie star he received in his homeland, and hopefully being away from all those distractions will help him focus on the task at hand this year: pitching consistently and becoming the dominant pitcher everyone has been waiting for.

He's shown flashes of brilliance since coming to the Sox last season, but the up and down aspects of his starts have started to look more like a pattern than an aberration. perhaps pitching in front of 22,000 fans who couldn't care less about him will help improve his game.

It's almost time for Opening Day number 2, and we should be in for a late night.

Let's hope we at least go to bed happy.

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2008 Season Preview

On the eve of the Sox season opener on American soil, here are five burning questions RSN will be looking to answer this year:

5.) Will the pitching staff be healthy--and ready--enough to guide the team to the postseason

Josh Beckett's already on the DL. Curt Schilling will be out until mid-season at the earliest, and then who knows how long it will take him to provide any meaningful contributions this season, if any. Tim Wakefield is approaching retirement age, has a history of back problems and lost his designated catcher this spring. Dice-K is starting to resemble the type of pitcher that makes you cross your fingers every time he comes to the mound, just praying that this isn't the inning or game he implodes. Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are like SNL's "also featuring" cast members-young & talented but maybe not quite ready for prime time just yet.

This is the biggest question mark the team faces this season, and obviously everything hinges on Beckett's health; if he can make this trip to the DL a distant memory by mid-May and come back to dominate the league like last year, then we can all hope everyone else falls into place. But if the ace encounters a year's worth of arm and/or blister problems, then the failure to trade for Johan Santana is going to hang over this team's head like an April raincloud.

4.) Will Manny be Most Valuable Manny?

Everything is in place for ManRam to have a monster year: he had a disappointing season last year, failing to reach 100 RBIs for the first time in a decade, hit his fewest homers (20) since 1997 as well, and slugged at less than a .900 clip for the first time in his career (in a full season.) So why does that make Manny my choice for the AL MVP? All together now: "Because he's in a contract year!"

If anything can motivate the mercurial ManRam it's the thought that if he has another down year the Boston brass might not pick up his option for 2009, forcing Ramirez to actually leave the team he's threatened, promised and hinted at leaving for the better half of the last decade.

Notice the early arrival at spring training, the lack of any MBM issues like grills and wheels for sale, the mashing of 5 ribbies in the Japan series? Not a coincidence folks. Sure he'll still Cadillac it on balls that stay in the park and intercept a stray cutoff throw now and then, but all signs point to Manny having a major offensive season, and those signs look like this: $$$$$$$$$$$

3.) Will the Coco/Ellsbury situation be a distraction?

Only if Crisp makes it one. If he's smart he'll keep his mouth shut, play a few times a week, come in for the occasional pinch-running and late-replacement duties and try to get another ring on his finger. If he really wants to be the superstar starting center fielder he thinks he is, he can go to a bad team, play every day, hit .255 with 15 highlight-reel catches a year and watch the playoffs on television.

Your choice Coco. Well, until Theo dumps you in a deal for another arm. Then it's the team's choice. Until then, in the words of native new Englander John Tortorella, shut your yap.

2.) How long before brittle JD Drew is replaced by Brandon Moss as the starting right fielder?

May 17th.

1.) Can the Sox repeat?

It may be an unpopular thought in the Hub and throughout the Nation, but all signs point to "no". Between the crazy opening to the season, with trips to Japan, California and Toronto, followed by 13 of 17 contests against playoff-caliber clubs and the rash of injuries and questions with the rotation, it would be a near miracle if this team could pull off the repeat.

Do I think they have the talent to get it done? Absolutely. But a lot of things will have to fall into place, not the least of which is Beckett's health, as well as that of Drew, Papi and Wakefield. Let's face it, the decision not to alter the makeup of the championship club was a noble one and certainly placated the now-zillions of Sox fans Nationwide, but with the brutal schedule and injury bug already playing a factor this early in the season, a repeat seems like a lot to ask for from a club that has already accomplished what no diehard ever thought they'd see in their lifetime: another championship flag flying over Fenway.

But here's to hoping they can beat the odds and put a third banner up before the next generation of misery begins.

For more on the 2008 baseball season, visit my other blog.

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Circe de Sox continues: 115k watch exhibiton game vs LA

As if a trip to the Far east weren't punishment enough, Boston had to play an exhibition game in a Coliseum with Little League dimensions in front of an MLB-record crowd in Los Angeles yesterday.

Does Bud Selig have pictures of Theo, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino and John Henry in a foursome with Eliot Spitzer's mistress or what?

Whatever the reason it seems that MLB is doing everything in its power to prevent the Sox from successfully defending their championship. I mean has anyone ever heard of a defending champ opening the next season with two regular season games in Japan, then coming back to the states to play three spring training games 3000 miles away from home, followed by two more regular games against the team it played in Japan, followed by a trip to Toronto for a three game series, all before stepping foot on home soil?

Save the thinking cap, the answer is no.

On the heels of that travishamockery that was the goodwill trip to the land of the rising sun to play regular season games comes this preseason spectacle. Over 155,000 fans packed the LA Coliseum to witness a glorified softball game between the Sox and Dodgers in honor of the team's 50th anniversary of bolting New York for LA.

With the distance down the left field line a mere 201 feet and a 60-ft high net atop the stands, the field looked more like an MTV Rock & Jock set than an actual major league game. Safe to say this one took the word 'exhibition' to a whole notha level.

The Sox would end up winning this dog & pony show, in which there were 5 homers hit, 4 to the Williamsport Porch, but that really doesn't matter. What matters is MLB is treating this team like its very own personal teacup chihuahua, wanting to prance it around and show it off to anyone and everyone who wants to fawn over it, or comment how disgusting it looks up close.

When you throw in the fact that half the team has bad backs, Dice K looks about as stable as a wind sock, and the team is going to rely on young players at key positions, all this nonsense adds up to make it look like a near impossible mission for Boston to become the first team to repeat as champs since the 1999-2000 Stankees.

But if they should happen to survive this early season circus and weather the storm, hang around near the top of the division until mid season and shake off all the early season adversity to win another title, well then this team would go down as possibly the greatest Sox squad of all time.

Or at the very least of all time zones.

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As, Harden send Sox packing with series split

Oakland 5, Boston 1
WP: Harden (1-0)
LP: Lester (0-1)
SV: None
HRs:Bos: Ramirez (1); Oak: Brown (1)

Paris & LA got nothing on this City of Lights

Superstar: Rich Harden 6IP, 3H, ER, 3BB, HR, 9K
The oft-injured Oakland righty tossed a brilliant game in his first start since last July 7th. Despite falling behind in the count to 8 of Boston's first 11 batters, Harden minimized the deficits by tossing strikes on the next pitch every time, and when he did get in trouble he recorded a big out to escape a jam.

The Biggest Loser: David Ortiz 0-3, BB, K, 3 LOB
This title could've gone to starter Jon Lester, who was anything but solid, but for the second straight game Big Papi had opportunities to drive in key runs and couldn't get the job done; his foul out with 2 on & 2 out in the third was an early momentum killer.

RECAP:
Now that the trip to the Far East is over, the one thing I learned is that it's a lot more rewarding waking up at 5:45 in the morning to watch your team play when they end up with a win.

But when you get up before the crack of dawn for the second straight day and witness another lackluster pitching performance that is not backed up by clutch offensive fireworks, the end result is a long, lumbering day marked by moments of sleepiness interspersed with baseball-related cursing like "why the fuck did I get up that early to watch that friggin turd of a game?!"

Game 2 of the first series of the regular season started much like the first one, with Boston falling behind early thanks to some heroics by Oakland's merry band of nobodies and has-beens, but instead of the better team rallying for a late victory, this time the As held the lead on the strength of a huge pitching performance from onetime phenom Rich Harden.

The pomp and pageantry that marked the opener that was mainly due to the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka was considerably muted this morning in Japan, and with jets waiting on the tarmac to take the teams stateside as soon as the game was over, you got a sense that everybody was already in getaway day mode.

That includes this audience member.

Whereas yesterday I was somewhat bright-eyed despite the ungodly early start, today I may have woken up at quarter til six, but after flopping down on the couch and toning down the surround sound I didn't actually open my eyes until about an hour later.

By that time Oakland had already grabbed an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single by someone named Chris Denorfia, and Jon Lester (4IP, 5H, 4ER, 3BB, 4K, HR) was clinging to the hope that he could be like Dice and keep the score close until his offense could bail him out.

No such luck, sushi breath.

After Boston failed to score in the top of the 3rd when Big Papi fouled out to third on a nice play by Jack Hannahan with two men on base, Oakland seized control of the contest in the bottom of the inning thanks to a redeeming hit by last night's goat, Emil Brown.

Brown went from hero to zero in the opener when his one out, 10th inning RBI double off Jonathan Papelbon sliced the Sox lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the extra frame, but he squashed any hopes of a comeback when he was inexplicably nailed off second even though he represented the tying run.

The gaffe hurt even more as the next two batter laced base hits off Paps, virtually ensuring that Brown would indeed have scored to tie the game and making him the butt of Little League-esque jokes from Kyoto to Quincy.

But Brown would get the last laugh today when he came up with two on and one out in the bottom of the third. No sooner did Gary Thorne, a walking, talking gaffe machine himself, declare that this was Brown's opportunity to redeem himself did the former Royals prospect do just that, ripping a 1-0 meatball from Lester deep into the left field stands for an emphatic 3-run homer, a shot that erased the bad memories of the game prior for him and guaranteed a plane ride full of new ones for the boys from Beantown.

Staked to a 4-0 lead Harden wasn't about to fold like a house of cards as his teammate Joe Blanton did the day before. Harden, who never pitched again after that July 7th start last year, culminating what has been 3 injury-riddled seasons as Oakland's future ace, only got better after being handed the big lead. He allowed just three baserunners over the next three innings, one erased on a double play, and the only run he surrendered came on a Manny solo shot in the 6th that merely served as a shutout breaker and got the mercurial rightfielder to within 9 homers of the magical 500 plateau.

The only thing that followed was adding a bit of salt to the wound as former Sox relievers Burger Keith Foulke and Alan Embree slammed the door shut on any comeback hopes with a pair of scoreless innings in the 8th and 9th, and no sooner did Jason Varitek make the final out did the team start heading for the buses for the long return trip back to this country.

A trip that is guaranteed to be even longer thanks to that depressing loss.

NOTES:
-No red bats, no problem: Ramirez finished the trip 3-9 with 2 doubles and 5 RBI but fanned 4 times, 3 today including looking at three straight strikes from Foulke to end the 8th. This after he was forced to buy new bats in Japan because league officials wouldn't allow him to use his special Red Sox red models.

-What have you done for me lately?: Following his 0-3, 3K performance today, Game 1 hero Brandon Moss learned about the harsh realities of life in MLB when he was given the news that he would be heading to Pawtucket, not to LA with the rest of the club, upon his return to the States. Something tells me he won't be there long, and that something is J.D. Drew's brittle body

-Coco's back: Crisp made his debut in CF today after sitting out the opener in favor of phenom Jacoby Ellsbury. He went 1-3 with a double in what was probably the beginning of an early season audition for any teams that may need a center fielder when they break camp

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Manny, Moss power Sox to Opening Day victory

Boston 6, Oakland 5 (10 inns)
WP: Okajima (1-0)
LP: Street (0-1)
SV: Papelbon (1)
HRs: Bos- Moss (1); Oak: Ellis (1), Hannahan (1)

Superstar(s) of the Game: Manny & Moss 4-9, 2R, 2 2Bs, HR, 6BI
Ramirez knocked in 4 of the 6 Sox runs with a pair of two-run doubles, including the game winners in the 10th, and Brandon Moss, a late fill in for J.D. Drew, knocked in the other two with an RBI single in the 6th and the game-tying solo shot in the 9th, his 1st career home run.

The Biggest Loser: Huston Street 1.2IP, 3H 3ER, BB, 2K, HR, BS, L
The stellar young As closer blew the save when he allowed Moss' shot in the 9th, then got torched for 2 more runs on 2 hits and a walk in the 10th to take the loss. No sushi for you!

RECAP:
At times it wasn't pretty.

Other times it was downright terrific.

All of the time it was damn early.

But either way you look at it the end result was Boston stole a victory in the Land of the Rising Sun in a game that began just after sunrise on the East Coast, squeaking out an extra-inning win over a bunch of relatively unknown baby As after a shaky performance by starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and reliever Kyle Snyder.

Matsuzaka (5IP, 2H, 2ER, 5BB, 6K, HR, HBP), making his first start in his homeland since defecting to Boston prior to last season, pitched 5 innings of topsy-turvy ball, allowing 2 runs on 60 pitches through the first two innings before settling down and holding the As at bay, allowing his teammates a chance to climb back in it with their potent offense.

Except that offense was being stymied by the bend-but-don't-break attack of Joe Blanton (5.2IP, 7H, 3ER, BB, 3K), who despite getting into mini-jams in each of the first 3 innings inning held the Sox scoreless through the first five of this early bird special.

The game began with Dustin Pedroia ripping a single up the middle at just after 6:10 EST this morning (7:00PM tonight Japan time) and ended when Jonathan Papelbon got Kurt Suzuki to ground out to Youk just before 10:00 Eastern, and in between the game featured a little bit of everything, including helmeted waitresses in the stands, geisha girls dancing on the field before the game, Hub-centric tunes like "Shipping off to Boston" and "Sweet Caroline" playing on the LOUDspeakers, and raucous ovations for Boston's two Japanese imports, Dice-K and Hideki Okajima.

Too bad once the game actually got started the hospitality and goodwill Boston had been receiving throughout the entire trip came to a sudden and screeching halt.

First came the news that J.D. Drew, who had homered in each of the two prior exhibition games vs. Japanese League teams over here, was a game-time scratch due to a back spasm of some sort, forcing the green Moss (sorry) into the starting lineup just 3 minutes prior to game time.

Pedroia then promptly sparked what appeared to be an early rally for the away team with his solid single to center and after Youk's fielder's choice got him into scoring position it was up to the big boys to get the early run in. Except Papi (0-4,BB, R) popped out to third on the first pitch he saw and Ramirez fouled out to right 4 pitches later, and suddenly it was time for Matsuzaka to make his Tokyo Dome re-debut.

Unfortunately what followed was a lesson of how not to pitch when you are being welcomed back to the place your career began as Dice-K looked like a Little Leaguer on the hill for the biggest game of his life. Matsuzaka got Travis Buck to ground out on the first pitch he threw, then proceeded to serve up a gopher ball to Mark Ellis two pitches later to give Oakland an early (literally) 1-0 lead.

It didn't get much better from there as Dice walked unknown Daric Barton, hit Jack w/ a 'K' Cust on the foot on a 2-2 count, then after wild pitching the runners over, loaded the bases on another free pass to the feeble Emil Brown. Only a slow roller to the mound by plummeting Bobby Crosby that plated one and a strikeout (on a 3-2 count) to Jack Hannahan, who was replacing the injured Eric Chavez, prevented the A's from blowing the game open before the first Sapporo of the evening was downed.

The 2nd inning brought more of the same as Boston wasted a leadoff single by Mike Lowell only to see Matsuzaka get himself in another predicament thanks to his inability to throw a breaking ball for a strike, resulting in a bases-loaded situation courtesy of two walks and a single by Suzuki in the bottom of the frame.

This time only a strikeout of Kust prevented an As uprising as Matsuzaka escaped the inning unscathed to keep the deficit at 2-0, but by this time it looked as though Dice would be gone from the game before the last wisps of darkness faded from the morning sky here in the States.

Things settled won from there, with the teams trading 1-2-3 innings for a bit until the Sox finally broke through against Blanton in the top of the 6th.

Pedroia (2-4) began the uprising with a ringing double off the wall in right center that was misplayed by Buck, and after Youk drew a 4-pitch walk, Papi had another chance to do some damage and slice into the As lead. But he fouled out to third.

Luckily Manny brought his hitting shoes in the first game of his contract year -is it any wonder why he's so focused & prepared this early in the season?- as he laced the first pitch he saw from Blanton down the third base line and deep into the corner for a 2-run double that tied the score and brought the fans from both nations (of course RSN was well represented for this ultimate roadie) to their feet for the first time since the beginning of the game.

After Lowell fanned, Mos began his rise to cult status and started the murmurs of "play him instead of the oft-injured Drew" when he ripped 1B to RF to score Manny, and the Sox had the lead at 3-2 and a potential win for Matsuzaka, who gutted it out despite his early struggles and deserved a W here.

Too bad Kyle Snyder didn't follow the script, as he allowed a single to Crosby and a homer to Hannahan 5 pitches into the bottom of the 6th, and now Boston would have to play catch up again.

The next few innings featured a parade of relievers, including a couple of familiar faces on the Oakland side in Lenny DiNardo and old friend Keith the Burger King Foulke, who threw a 1-2-3 8th that included a whiff of Manny to end the frame, and then the Sox were down to their final at bats.

Thankfully Huston Street was willing to play the role of goodwill ambassador today.

Moss spanked Street's 1-out, 2-2 offering into the stands in right for a game-tying solo shot that sent the crowd into a frenzy, and even though he retired the next two batters, you could sense the momentum had definitely shifted to the home-away-from home team.

Sure enough after Oki, who received a louder greeting from the fans than fellow countryman Matsuzaka, set the As down in the bottom of the 9th, Boston quickly went to work on ending this thing in the 10th when Lugo reached on an infield single to lead off, and then after an intentional walk to Papi, Ramirez roped a double high off the right field wall that scored both runners and effectively sent the fans home happy.

Sure Papelbon struggled in the bottom of the 10th, letting in a run on three hits, but by that time everyone was either too spent to worry about it or had already left for work assuming that Boston had lost in regulation.

But on this day (night? morning?) the Sox would prove to be just as resilient as they were 5 months ago, when no deficit was too large and no game was unimportant enough to brush aside.

Especially one where the psyche of two nations was resting on their shoulders.

Hey, whadda ya say we all do it again tomorrow morning?

See ya at 6:00.

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Hours away from Opening Day

Boston Red Sox (0-0) vs. Oakland A's (0-0)
GM 1 Tue 6am EST ESPN2: Matsuzaka (NR) vs. Joe Blanton (NR)
GM 2 Wed 6am EST ESPN2: Lester (NR) vs.0 Harden (NR)

As most of the country sleeps, two nations will be awake with the giddy anticipation that the new baseball season always brings. Or bleary-eyed and groggy while watching our national pastime kick off the 2008 season 7,000 miles away from home at an hour reserved for pre-dawn pee trips and nauseating early birds.

But definitely one or the other.

The Boston Red Sox begin their title defense in the land of the rising sun at about the time the sun is rising in the West, which is why it will feel so odd when the first game between the Sox and A's starts at approximately 6:07 a.m. EST. After all, there are still Grapefruit and Cactus league games being played stateside, and after this 2 game set is complete, Boston will play three additional "preseason" games against the Dodgers this weekend in LA.

Preseason games. After the season has officially started.

And baseball fans thought Bud Selig fucked up with the All Star Game tie.

But no matter. When the game starts it will be all about Dice K receiving a hero's welcome in his homeland, Jacoby Ellsbury continuing his quest to be the home-grown folk hero Judas Demon never was, and Big Papi attempting to put his sub-par (by his standards) 2007 season behind him by winning that elusive MVP he so rightfully deserves.

The Sox tuned up for this odd goodwill mission that is a marriage of horsehide and greenbacks by taking a pair of exhibition games from Japanese League teams the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers, a surefire way to prepare for 'real' MLB teams like the San Fran Giants and Detroit Tigers if there ever was one.

The only major news to come from the trip to Japan was the sore neck incurred by backup 1B Sean The Mayor Casey, as the combination of the 17-hour flight and a poor sleeping position proved debilitating for the aging vet, and proved the Sox brass were quite wise to keep rehabbing ace Josh Beckett back home for some fine tuning on his injured back.

Beckett was officially placed on the DL before the trip, but he pitched a couple innings against scrub minor leaguers yesterday and is progressing nicely with his injury and should be ready for the Sox first real series back home next week sometime.

In the meantime his mates will try to win a couple of games in a foreign land at an odd hour with a pair of Nations glued to the sets to see what this opening series will bring.

If the Sox take a pir and come away with no major maladies, food poisoning or super strain of jet lag, all should be well.

But god forbid Boston drops a pair, Dice-K gets a hold of some bad sushi from a disgruntled Seibu Lions fan, and JD Drew goes 0-8 with 3 Ks and four groundouts.

Then the real grumbling will begin.

I can hear the mid-summer mantra now: "if only they didn't have to start the fucking season in fucking Japan..."

Play Ball and Go Sox!!!

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Good news: Dice is a daddy, Becks' back's better

In this abbreviated spring filled with more bad news than good, the Sox get a couple of encouraging signs heading into the opener in Tokyo

First Dice-K's wife had the couple's first child on Saturday, 10 days ahead of schedule, enabling the Japanese starter to return to his homeland and pitch in the opening series against the A's in Tokyo. Then word came that Josh Beckett's back has gotten exponentially better, and that even though he will not make the trip overseas, he should be able to start in the team's first series back on the mainland against the A's on April 1-2.

Matsuzaka's wife Tomoyo was scheduled to give birth on March 25, Opening Day, but even though she insisted her husband make the trip back home with his team, Dice, ever the gentleman, decided to stay behind with her for the birth.

Luckily, as all the parents out there know all too well, the baby was not born on time, probably due to the prayers of millions of fans from both nations, so the issue became moot. Matsuzaka will now make the trip and start the opener in what should be a raucous Tokyo Dome, while Jon Lester will most likely get the start in Game 2.

So for at least one day Boston got some encouraging news to help brighten up what had been shaping up to be a depressing start to their title-defense season.

Now as long as they survive the grueling schedule of the first few weeks, maybe they will actually be able to defend that title.

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Beckett's bad back=bad news for Bosox

It was one thing to have the defending champs open the season 6000+ miles away from home in what promised to be a most untimely road trip, but now it appears they will have to do so without the services of their number 1 starter, ace Josh Beckett.

Talk about things going from bad to worse.

The Red Sox righty and reigning Cy Young winner (shut up, I know he didn't win, we're just ignoring that small fact) tweaked his back while warming up for a Grapefruit league start on Saturday, and after initial diagnosis downplayed the significance of the injury and an MRI confirmed no serious damage to the area, the last couple of days have only seen his condition improve mildly, therefore putting his opening day start on March 25 in Tokyo in jeopardy.

According to a report in today's Globe, Tito and co. have not ruled out Beckett making the Tokyo trip, where the Sox will play two exhibition games and two regular season games against the A's before returning to the country, but as ESPN.com's Jayson Starke put it, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that a 17-hour plane ride is not the best therapy for an ailing ace with a balky back.

Combine that bad news with the fact that Dice K was already doubtful for the trip back to his homeland due to the impending birth of his child (anyone else see the irony in that?),and what you have is a team trying to defend its title by travelling halfway around the world to play 4 cash-grab, errrr, goodwill games without its two best starters.

Sounds like a surefire recipe for a repeat to me.

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Magic words: Pitchers and catchers (& Sox bloggers) report

After a winter of celebrating the title, contemplating the new season and recuperating from the championship run, it's time for the me & the boys to get back to work

It's been a long offseason, but after three months of rest and following the Patriots painful finish to what was shaping up to be an historic season, I think it's safe to say that I am ready for baseball season to start.

I know I haven't been very timely with my posts since the Sox tasted the champagne from winning its second World Series in four years, but after what seemed like perpetual blogging at all hours of the day and night from March to November, I was on the verge of blogger burnout out before my blog's 1st birthday.

So I took a few months off, started a new job, coached my son's Little League team (yup, we play baseball all year 'round down here in FLA, suckers) and generally steered clear of the blogosphere for a while.

But the Pats chase for perfection brought me back to my other blog, and the sour ending to their sweet season dovetailed nicely into the day that baseball lovers yearn for: the start of spring training.

Now I'm back and ready to post my ass off, and what better way to start than with a recap of everything I've missed, Sox-wise, since my last champagne-soaked post on November 14th:

-MLB announced the Sox would open the regular season in Japan with a 2-game series against the A's. This money grab, errr baseball goodwill gesture, means that spring training will be shorter, angering scalpers in Florida who will lose thousands of dollars in revenue charging World Series prices for Grapefruit League seats

-Boston agreed to terms with hotly contested free agent Mike Lowell, keeping the WS MVP from the clutches of the archrival Stankees. Granted they probably overpaid (3 years, 36 million) for a 34-year old whose skills could erode at any time, but with the Stanks reportedly offering more money and years, and with the potential fan backlash letting the team's most beloved player this side of Papi leave, Boston had no choice but to bring him back.

-The hot stove nearly scalded Sox fans as rumors of a deal with Minnesota for ace Johan Santana alternated between simmering and boiling for a couple of weeks. The names mentioned brought groans from the Nation as young studs Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury were floated in various scenarios, but the thought of 2-time Cy-tana alongside (shoulda been Cy) Beckett, Dice K, Wake and whichever young hurler didn't get traded had others frothing at the mouth. In the end the worrying/hoping was all for naught, as Santana signaled the end of his dominance by inking a record deal with the Mets

-Aging reliever Mike Timlin resigned for another season of topsy-turvy relief, but uber goat Eric Gagne refused arbitration and became a free agent. Milwaukee would later ink the stinky pen man, who was linked to HGH use in the infamous Mitchell report, to a one-year, $10 million dollar deal, prompting Senator Mitchell to call for an doping investigation into the Brewers' front office

-Speaking of the Mitchell report, the only recent Sox players named were Gagne & Brendan Donnelly, both when they were with other teams; but much to the Nation's delight, the roster of users was chock full o' Stankees, including Chuck Knoblach, Andy Pettitte, Garry Sheffield, Jason Giambi, and Hub pariah Roidger Clemens.

-Jim Rice fell 16 votes shy of getting into the HOF, proving that Red Sox hating has officially become a national past time

-C Doug Mirabelli resigned for another year. There was no police escort, but he did immediately give half his salary to Tim Wakefield, the man single-handedly responsible for him still being employed

-Shoring up the mediocre middle relief corps, Boston resigned Kyle Snyder and Javier Lopez, then inked Julian Tavarez, failed former closer Dan Kolb and 57-year-old Dan Miceli to deals. Righty David Aardsma also signed. And the Nation prays Hanson, Manny D and Breslow mature very quickly

-Boston also signed veteran 1B Sean "The Mayor" Casey to a 1-year deal to back up Youk and Lowell and replace the departed Eric "Big Hit" Hinske, who made some memorable contributions to the Championship season. The Sox clubhouse guys reportedly threw a fiesta in honor of the arrival of one of the game's best tippers

-In what could be the biggest news of the offseason, Curt Schilling, who agreed to a 1-year, $8 million dollar deal after the season, came up with a shoulder injury right before the start of spring training--you're right, that's not news from a 40+ pitcher with a history of shoulder trouble. What is surprising is that Schill's doctors and the team's doctors disagree over the severity of the injury and the best course of treatment in order to get him back to the rotation as soon as possible.

Schill's doctor believes the tendon is torn and recommends surgery, which would sideline the aging righty for most of the season, while the Sox doc says the tendon is damaged, not torn, and with rest & rehab the vocal vet should be back by mid-season. Big disagreement, big questions, like whether or not Schill deceived the club by signing the deal and then coming up with an injury that could have been diagnosed earlier, and which doctor is right, seeing as each as a different best interest at stake.

Right now Schill is taking cortisone shots and not saying much, but should this thing linger and not go the way the Sox planned, look for the situation to get very ugly by the time the All Star Break rolls around.

Lots of changes, lots of drama, a season opening across the globe, and the difficulty of repeating will be front and center on everyone's mind...

..ah baseball is back in Beantown, and I am ready for it.

Play Ball!

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2007 *Sigh* Young: Beckett robbed by Sabathia

Beckett definitely should have won the Cy, and not just because he signed my son's glove at a Rays game this season

We knew it had to end sometime, this inexplicable run of good luck and positive news surrounding the Red Sox this season, but no one in the Nation ever expected the gravy train to come to a screeching halt like this:

Cleveland Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia bested our own Josh Beckett for the 2007 American league Cy Young award.

Stats aside, and we can all agree that the pair's numbers are extremely comparable, how can anyone in their right mind select Captain Cheeseburger over bad-ass Becks?

From Day 2 of the 2007 season, when Josh won the first of his ML-leading 20 games, the focus from all corners of the baseball globe has been centered on Boston's hard-throwing righty.

He went on to win his first seven starts, shrugged off a trip to the DL to post victories in his first nine decisions stretching into early June, and was the backbone of a staff that helped Boston climb to a 14 1/2 game division lead.

He was also the winning pitcher in the All Star Game, where he struck out two batters and allowed one hit in two innings of work, and following a mini-slump in which he went 4-5, he reeled off a 7-2 streak to end the season as the majors first 20-game winner in three years.

And although it does not matter in Cy balloting, for good measure he crushed all competition en route to another fantastic postseason, winning four games, including two Ws against Sabathia and the Tribe in the ALCS, and another in the World Series against Colorado, to cement his reputation as one of the best playoff performers in modern history.

And what does he get for his epic season for the ages?

Second place in the Cy.

Well, that and another World Series ring.

Guess that'll have to do.

But let me go on record saying that it's absolutely ridiculous that a man who arguably might have been the second best pitcher on his own team, let alone the entire league, win the award.

For what reason was he bestowed this honor? After all, Beckett bested the beefy lefty in nearly every significant statistical category; in fact, Becks was first in the entire AL in wins, winning %, WHIP and Ks/9 innings while allowing the fewest hits, runs, earned runs and lowest batting average against in the league.

The only categories that Sabathia was better than Beckett were ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts, and so it's pretty shitty when you realize Becks was robbed of the only meaningful trophy that's missing from his mantle over 41 innings,.06 runs per game and 14 strikeouts.

See what happens when you let fucking sportswriters decide major awards?

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More Medals: Pedroia wins AL ROY; 3 Sox in top 6

The diminutive second baseman becomes Boston's first ROY in a decade Not known for the longball, Pedroia hit a couple of big blasts in the postseason

From people clamoring for him to be replaced by Alex Cora (did that really happen?) to becoming a clutch offensive catalyst and pee-wee sized postseason hero, Dustin Pedroia's season certainly ran the gamut from unnerving to invaluable.

Now the kid has something to quiet all those cries that he's too...fill in the blank (short, free-swinging, weak-armed...) to make it in the majors.

The 5'9'-ish 23-year-old second baseman became Boston's first Rookie of the Year since Nomar Garciaparra swept us off our feet in 1997, and the vote wasn't even close; Pedroia easily outpointed Tampa Bay's Delmon Young, 132-56, and he garnered 24 of the 28 first place votes available.

Dustin's unexpected meteoric rise to the top 5 of the Nation's faves list has been an achievement that is nearly Disney-esque in its cliche-filled sappiness.

Picture this: undersized overachiever is told by players, scouts, and coaches at all levels of the game that he is too small, doesn't have the prototypical tools necessary to make it very far as a baseball player.

Kid ignores all objections, takes his sluggers' swing and sailor's swagger to the big leagues, shakes off early-season slump and catcalls for his manager to replace him in the lineup, goes on to bat over .300 (.317), provides excellent defense, and goes on to tear it up in the playoffs, batting .283 with 2 homers and 10 ribbies in the playoffs, including a herculean .385 in the ALCS.

So the kid with the wind-producing swing and "I think I can" demeanor triumphed against all odds, becoming just the sixth Sox player to win the award and fourth second baseman ever, leading his team to a World Series sweep while riding the wave of Boston sports mania that has people treating him like the son they wish they had.

Did I forget to mention that he's played with a broken bone in his hand since early September?

Yeah, he's a gamer.

And a World Champion.

And now he's the American League's Rookie of the Year for 2007.
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Not to be forgotten, preseason ROY favorite Daisuke Matsuzaka finished fourth in the balloting, behind Pedroia, Young and Kansas City pitcher Brian Bannister, and fellow BoSox and Japanese countryman Hideki Okajima also shocked a lot of people this season and finished 6th in the voting.

Not bad. Three of the top six rookies of the year, a Gold Glover, a World series MVP, and a Cy Young winner to follow.

No wonder everyone hates us.

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Post-Title Notes: Schill's back for '08; Youk's glove is Golden

Sorry I've been gone so long--I was busy sipping champagne out of my official 2007 World Series Champions hat and watching the replay of Game 4 on my iPod Touch all day at work for the past two weeks or so.

Also, I was completely spent after a long, arduous but fruitful season of following and blogging about our favorite team.

But now the hangover has subsided (obviously it wasn't as long or as intense as the one that followed the dream season of 2004), and the reality of having witnessed two Sox championships in my lifetime has sunk in, and combined with the onset of the awards/free agency season, I knew it was time for me to pick up my keyboard and start typing about the Boston baseball club again.

Talk about a short off season.

Anyone possessing a Red Sox Nation membership card and/or an avatar on a fantasy baseball website knows that the end of the post season signifies the start of another wild and crazy period on the baseball calendar: the free agency and awards season.

And true to their spotlight-hogging, critic-flogging, media-centric ways, Sox players are already garnering major attention in both categories.

Schilling signs 1-year deal worth $8 mil plus incentives, will retire as a BoSox
From the early days of spring training to the latter days of the playoffs, no one associated with the Red Sox, media, fan or front office personnel, believed that Curt Schilling would be back with the ballclub after the 2007 season.

Schill was an ageing, injury-riddled vet whose best years were clearly behind him, a player who came into The Fort out of shape and seemingly content to rest on his "I helped break the curse" laurels. To make matters worse, he declared that he would not resign with the club for anything less than the $13 mil he was slated to pocket in 07, and if the deal didn't get down in the spring then talks would have to wait to resume until the fall.

Throw in a mid-season shoulder ailment that forced him to the DL for two months and helped drop his velocity from the mid-90s to the mid-80s on the gun, plus a late-season bombSchill in which he stated he seriously would not mind pitching for the D-Rays in 08, and it looked for sure like the last time he took the mound in 2007 would be the last time he donned a Boston uniform as a player.

Surely a future Hall of Fame pitcher who nearly threw a no-hitter this season and then added three more W's to his closet full of October wins would command a multi-year, mega million dollar deal, despite the fact that he's 41 and coming with serious injury baggage, right?

But then something...strange...happened.

The big blogger agreed to a one-year deal with Boston for a paltry $8 million bucks, a contract laced with enough incentives to bring the total to the figure he half-demanded earlier in the year, $13 million, provided the vet can reach certain innings and weight clauses.

According to Curt himself, via 38Pitches, the contract breaks down as follows:

-Base salary:$8 million
-Innings pitched clauses: $3 million ($375k for pitching 130 innings, plus $375k for every 10-innings pitched up to 200 innings)
-Weight clauses: $2 million ($333,333 for reaching six team-designated weight goals during the six months of the 2008 season)

Other reported contract perks include a million dollar bonus if Schill receives a single Cy Young vote, the standard game tickets, luxury suite use for his family and friends, and a lifetime membership to the Boston sports legend HOF.

I, for one, am glad the man is back on the staff, if for no other reason than to provide the all-to-cliched veteran leadership and stability to a rotation that will be in a state of transition over the next couple of seasons.

Not to mention the fact that his post season heroics gave birth to the best name in the blogosphere.

Welcome back, Curt. Let's make 08 a memorable swan song.

Youk's the only Boston man with a Golden Glove in 2007
MLB's version of the Oscars (ie long, drawn out award program) kicked off yesterday with the the naming of the 2007 Gold Glove award winners, and although its no surprise Boston had a recipient, the name of the winner may have come as somewhat of a shock to the casual fan.

Kevin Youkilis won the Gold Glove for his stellar fielding at first base this season, when he did not make a single error in 1,080 total regular season chances and a span of 135 consecutive games, a feat made all the more incredible for the fact that this was only his second season of playing the position full time.

Nation favorite Yooooouuuuk became the first Sox first baseman to win the award since Boomer Scott in 1971, and only a minor miscue in Game 4 of the ALCS against Cleveland prevented the goateed one from having a flawless season in the field.

So instead of Coco Crisp, whose nightly highlight-reel catches were not enough to get him past the phalanx of Torii Hunter, Ichiro and Grady Sizemore in the outfield, winning his first Glove, we get to see the newest king of the Dirt Dogs take home one of baseball's shiniest trophies.

Here's hoping that he sees his reflection in the thing and decide to eradicate that mini-monkey from his chin.
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In other Sox news, Big Papi got that troublesome right knee scoped, a procedure that had been announced nearly three months ago, and the Boston brass continues to negotiate with free agent Mike Lowell in hopes of signing the World Series MVP to a new deal soon.

Guess he ain't considered a throw-in any more, huh.

More to come as the hardware rolls in.

Up next: Pedroia's R.o.Y., Beckett's Cy.

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Tell me I'm not dreaming?

In the daylight hours following a long night of celebrating, as I wipe the champagne out of my eyes (man I need a pair of Papi's special goggles), it still hasn't hit me that the Red Sox are World Champs once again.

After all, it was just four short seasons ago that this franchise was considered one of the unluckiest in all of sports, wading through eight decades of disappointment and heartache with the same sorry mantra serving as their psuedo-rallying cry: wait 'til next year....

Now, as RSN basks in the glow of Boston's second title in four years, that "woe is me" lament hasn't been replaced, but merely altered, to sound more like this: wait 'til next year!

That's right, the 2007 Boston Red Sox accomplished something that not even that special 2004 squad could achieve during that curse-busting 2004 Series sweep--they validated the current incarnation of the franchise as a true winner, not merely a high-payroll, flash-in-the-pan team.

The scariest thing about winning the title again is that with the arch rival Stankees in utter disarray thanks to the jettisoning of Joe Torre and the defecation, I mean defection of A-Rod, the Sox have now officially become the standard bearer, the hunted, the Vegas lock as the team to beat when it comes to winning titles for at least the next 5-10 years.

In other words they've become the New England Patriots.

Wait til next year.

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Red Sox Win 2007 World Series!

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World Series GM 4: Potential sweep is in Lester's hands

Game 4 @ Colorado 825 EST FOX
Jon Lester (0-0, 4.25) vs. Aaron Cook (NR)
Boston leads series, 3-0

STARTING LINEUPS:

Colorado-
1. Kazuo Matsui 2B
2. Troy Tulowitzki SS
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Todd Helton 1B
5. Garrett Atkins 3B
6. Ryan Spilborghs CF
7. Brad Hawpe RF
8. Yorvit Torrealba C
9. Aaron Cook P

Boston-
1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. David Ortiz 1B
4. Manny Ramirez LF
5. Mike Lowell 3B
6. J.D. Drew RF
7. Jason Varitek C
8. Julio Lugo SS
9. Jon Lester P

And so it's come to this.

Jon Lester, the 24-year-old lefty who fought the toughest real-life opponent of all, The Big C, and won, has been entrusted with winning one of the biggest games in Boston Red Sox history.

A victory tonight would simultaneously elate Boston's Nation and infuriate its legions of haters, and who better elicit those kinds of emotions than a man who has stared cancer in the eye and said "I will not be defeated by you", who not only overcame the disease but returned as an above-average young major league pitcher?

And now, 13 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, that courageous young starter finds himself starting a potential World Series-deciding game. In his first career playoff start.

Funny how life turns out sometimes.

The Red Sox can wrap up their second Series sweep in four years tonight with another win in frosty Colorado, and as long as the offense keeps producing like it has for most of this postseason, Lester won't have to worry about shutting out the Rockies lineup.

Boston has been scalding the ball all over the yard this postseason, averaging nearly 7 1/2 runs per game in 13 games while scoring in double digits in six of those contests, and with the new lineup in place, rookies Ellsbury leading off and Pedroia batting second, setting the table for the heart of the lineup, it looks as if there is no stopping this team of destiny.

The job of trying to slow down the Sox juggernaut falls on the right shoulder of 28-year-old Colorado starter Aaron Cook, a man who also has survived life-threatening illness as well as season-stalling injury to find his way to the mound as a World Series starter.

After overcoming blood clots on his lungs in 2004, Cook went on to become one of the Rockies most reliable starters over the last two years. He was Colorado's opening day starter this year, but a rib injury sidelined him for two months in early August, and he hasn't pitched in a major league game since August 10th.

Now he will be entrusted with extending Colorado's magical season at least for one more night.

Two starters who have overcome enormous obstacles to get to the game's biggest stage as the World Series title hangs in the balance. Two teams that have appeared to be on destined paths, riding surreal highs and improbable wins all the way to the brink of greatness.

But only one club will walk away from this series with a satisfied feeling.

I've already got the bottle of bubbly and Montecristo waiting, fellas.

Let's end it tonight.

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World Series GM 3: Boston's 1-2 punch decimates Rockies title hopes

Sox 10, Colorado 5
Boston leads series, 3-0
WP: Matsuzaka (2-1)
LP: Fogg (2-1)
HRs: COL-Holliday (5)

SUMMARY
The revamped Boston lineup produced 15 hits and 10 runs, but it was the top of the order that did the majority of the damage as the Sox took a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Boston's first two hitters, Jacoby Ellsbury (4-5, 2R, 2BI) and Dustin Pedroia (3-5, 1R, 2BI), combined to go 7-10 with four doubles, three runs and four RBIs as the duo became the first pair of rookie teammates to notch at least three hits apiece in a playoff game. Mike Lowell also had a big night with a pair of hits including a huge, 2-RBI single in Boston's six-run third inning, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (5.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K) threw 5+ quality innings before faltering in the sixth, and then the bullpen nearly blew the game.

Leading 6-0 after that explosive third, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen combined to allow seven hits and three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, lowlighted by a three-run homer by Matt Holiday on Okajima's first pitch of the game that trimmed the Sox lead to 6-5 in the seventh.

But after allowing a single to Todd Helton following the homer, Okajima bounced back to retire the next three batters, two by strikeout, and when Manny D. allowed a pair of baserunners with two outs in the 8th, Papelbon came in and retired Holliday on one pitch to effectively end the game.

Other highlights of this 4 hour, 19 minute affair, which by the way is also aa major league record for a 9-inning playoff game:

- Dice-K's first career hit that drove in a pair of runs in the third

- Julio Lugo made two sensational defensive plays, the second a leaping grab of a liner that would have scored the tying run in the seventh

- Ellsbury was 3-3 after three innings, and the scintillating rookie, who has effectively ended Coco's career with the Sox with his play this past week, became the first rookie to have two two-baggers in an inning in WS history

- when J.D. Drew doubled to lead off the fifth it meant that every member of the lineup had reached base at least one time

- Manny Ramirez was tagged out on a questionable play at home in the third, partially due to his wayward batting helmet/horrible hairdo affecting his baserunning

- Mike Lowell became the first player to steal third base in a playoff game since the immortal Juan Beniquez in the 1975 ALCS.

All that record-breaking offense added up to another sound Red Sox beating of a helpless opponent, and if the last few games are any indication, this series should come to a quck conclusion tomorrow evening in the thin, chilly air of the Rocky Mountains.

Get that bottle of Dom ready and prepare to call in on Monday, RSN, cause it looks like we are about to witness history--again.

Tomorrow night: "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!"

Right now: sleep sleep, sleep.

Go Sox!

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