I'm currently listening to Terry Francona on the Dale & Holley show fence with those hosts about Ortiz's productivity. Folks really don't learn, I guess. I would rather talk about how the Sox now have an official losing streak when playing the opening of an opponents ball park. Honestly, it's just absurd. Sooner or later, Ortiz is going to remember how to be Grimace, the hulking force that crushed balls into right center, or pulled them deep into the right field seats. That's if he can still do those things. If he can't, well, there are a little less than three weeks left in April. If Ortiz is still going to strike out looking at balls he should be protecting the plate on regardless of whether it was just enough off the plate to be a ball, then he probably will start platooning with Lowell. I don't think he'll be outright benched, but even Francona's loyalty will last so long. Papi, I have the solution to all your problems. Swing the bat. Don't check swing the bat. Swing the bat like you want to hit the ball, not like you're at the plate just struggling to stay alive.

So give Ortiz til the end of April. After that folks can start jumping on his suspiciously smaller back. He'll either start carrying folks, or crumble under the weight. Either way, we'll have our answer then. And until then, can we focus on more important issues with this team? ... Wait, we've only played Seven games this season? There are no important issues Seven games into a season. Lester has had two rough starts. Am I ready to sit Lester in favor of Wakefield? Of course not. Wake's even more deserving of a starting role than Lowell is, but we don't hear folks clamoring for his starting spot. Lester starts slow. He'll figure it out right around the time we all learn what Ortiz's fate will be.

This is a reloaded team. There are a lot of new personalities, and the chemistry is obviously still being tested. Ellsbury will learn he needs to go hard and call people off in Left field as often as he did playing Center. Given, he can't call off Cameron...but dear gods man, let the infielders know that you're in the area before you're already casting a shadow on your teammate. I understand the collision with Beltre, the two of you were running hard and watching the ball more than each other. All the same Yell. Make some kind of vocal announcement, even if its a Conan the Barbarian type roar. Pretend you're beheading someone and you might avoid having a teammates knee spear your chest.

This is pretty basic stuff. Stuff that should have been covered in Spring Training. All the same, once these early spring kinks are worked out, this team is going to be a force. Beltre is belting the ball straight up the middle game after game. His timing on the ball couldn't be better. Scutaro probably shouldn't trying stealing a base while the pitcher is still holding the ball, but he's hitting well to be on base so he's contributing. Pedroia is swinging like he's mad he's not on the cover of The Show this year. Youk "keeps his hands inside the ball" according to ESPN's Joe Morgan. Really he just keeps a loose grip on the bat, which is something Ken Griffey Jr. has been preaching for more than a decade. Can we talk about Hermida? I liked that guy's game when he was a Marlin. Now that he's on the Sox bench, J.D. Drew can have a sore back as often as he likes, so far as I'm concerned. When this team hits its stride, there are going to be a lot of fun October nights in its future.

So we're 3-4, with another two difficult road games against a solid Twins team, who is excited about their new park. If we can avoid a sweep there I'll be happy enough. We just better pull things together once we're back at home against the Rays, who aren't going to be happy about how the Yankees throttled them. They'll be here hungry to prove they're still a legitimate power in the East.