Like a scene from the beloved long-running television drama, I feel like I'm looking through a one-way window at the Boston Red Sox. Indeed, I fear the word "lineup" has taken on a conotation with a decidedly more law enforcement feel at this point. "Mr Francona, take a look at these men and tell me if you recognize anyone."

Exhibit A: The Red Sox lineup, circa April 2008
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury
2B - Dustin Pedroia
DH - David Ortiz
LF - Manny Ramirez
3B - Mike Lowell
RF - JD Drew
1B - Kevin Youkilis
C - Jason Varitek
SS - Julio Lugo

Exhibit B: The Red Sox lineup, Friday night
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury
3B - Jed Lowrie
DH - David Ortiz
2B - Dustin Pedroia
RF - Mark Kotsay

Continue reading "Law and Order"

It seems I can't post a comment in response to John Keller's diatribe (entitled Boston Red Sox: Masters of the Mediocre) because I'm not a member of the New York Yankees site, and I refuse to defile myself in such a way as to sign up for it. So here is my simple response to his over-caffeinated, ill-timed (given the Yankees utter futility this season) and strangely aggressive post.

Anyway, as I was saying ...

Guys you've heard of (IE legit Major Leaguers) produced and not "purchased" by the Red Sox - Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Jon Lester (and you could throw in Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson) - a list, by the way, that includes two MVP candidates (Youk and Pedroia), the best closer in baseball (sorry Mariano "Skeleton Face" Rivera) and a potential future Cy Young winner (Lester).

Continue reading "The Tables Have Turned"

Memo to all ESPN studio analysts:

Please keep disrespecting the Patriots. This morning, as per usual, everyone but Keyshawn Johnson trashed the Pats and predicted an easy Jets victory. Leads one to wonder what it takes exactly to become an ESPN "expert" anyway. Any panel on which Keyshawn Johnson is the voice of reason needs some signficant retooling.

This is a fascinating phenomenon - that certain ESPN personalities, Tom Jackson in particular, make no secret about their hatred for the Patriots and find any reason to announce their demise publicly. So much for objectivity. Jackson is nothing more than a bitter ex-player who never tasted a title and has to find reasons to discount the dynasty the Patriots built.

It goes deep with him. It was he who announced that the players in the Pats lockeroom "hated" Belichick when he axed Lawyer Milloy early in the 2003-04 season. (Point of order: The unified Patriots hoisted the Lombardi trophy later that winter). It is he who is always "yeah buts" to any statement or commentary about the Patriots dynasty and Belichick's resume. And it was he who was loudest in his vocal opposition to the Patriots spygate scenario last season, routinely trashing them on the morning pregame show.

Continue reading "Dear Mr. Jackson"

Lost in the shuffle of Matt Cassel beating Brett Favre in the most hyped Week 2 game in years around these parts on Sunday afternoon, Jon Lester continued his march toward becoming a truly elite pitcher by outdueling a man largely respected as perhaps the best hurler in the AL, in a game the Sox needed to have. Any question marks that surrounded Lester at the All-Star break have been officially converted into exclamation points. In fact, pencil him in for Game 2 right now - it doesn't matter who we are playing or what Daisuke's record ends up being ... Lester's earned the spot right behind Beckett in the playoff rotation.

And, in so doing, answered what could have been one of the bigger questions heading toward the beloved month of October. That's one down ...

But there's plenty more to learn on the remaining journey into and hopefully through the postseason. With that in mind, the following is a list of major questions that remain, with my best guess at how they might be answered.

Continue reading "Q & A ... well, at least some Qs"

Can I stop listening to Curt Schilling now? Please?

Is it alright with Red Sox Nation if we all stop listening to Big Schill? Does anything he says really matter anymore? I mean, the guy has sounded off on Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, steroids, Roger Clemens ... and during that time he's thrown exactly zero pitches. So why are we paying attention?

This week, in typical Schilling fashion, he went on WEEI and hammered Manny, saying his antics "disrespected" his teammates. Interesting point. Here's why I don't care.

For one, I haven't thought about Manny in weeks, and have been a happier person for it. Secondly, this is hardly an enlightening point. You mean people were growing tired of the Manny show? Your kidding. Did that have anything to do with all the veterans marching into Tito's office to demand the Sox get rid of him?

Continue reading "Is there a public appearance DL?"

Wouldn't you know it, in the midst of my involuntary sarcastic wise cracks about Jason Giambi's facial hair and all things Yankee on Sunday night, I actually got a little emotional about the closing of Yankee Stadium.

Not tears-in-my-eyes emotional, necessarily, but certainly a little melancholy. Perhaps I've softened with the playing field between the Sox and Yankees a little more level and with a few more years of life under my belt, but instead of screaming obscenities about A-Rod I found myself coming back to the same question in my head:

What if it was Fenway?

The fact of the matter is, there's history in those halls. Whether it's history I care to relive or not, it's still there. It means a lot to a lot of people, and that was obvious and tangible Sunday night. I even found myself admitting that I don't hate Derek Jeter - it would be so much easier if I did - and allowing myself to agree that he's a fairly classy individual. (Don't worry, I still think he has a smug Yankee face and root against him any chance I get - I just don't think I can hate him).

Continue reading "Before they blow it up ..."