The Last Days of Joe Torre?

An ominous wind is blowing in New York City.

It wouldn't be the first time Joe Torre's job security has been questioned. One could argue his greatest managerial skill is his ability to hold the rudder steady when the tempests of the metropolitan market begin to kick up. Players who have spent the majority of their pinstriped careers look to Joe as a father figure, the stoic face of a legendary organization.

The Boss, however, has no such self-discipline. And this Red Sox fan is certainly hoping this lack of control leads to a coaching change in the very near future.


Let's look at the facts. Torre may be a very poor in-game manager; he has a tendency to find a reliever he trusts and run him into the ground over the course of the summer, and then Rivera is forced to pick up all the rest of the high-leverage innings. While some admire his even temper, others despise his passionless demeanor. Some highlight his ability to juggle the numerous egos in the highest-paid clubhouse in baseball, while others question the toughness and chemistry of his ballclub.

And there are a bevy of options waiting in the wings at Yankee Stadium. Don Mattingly is the bench coach. Tony Pena coaches first. Larry Bowa coaches third. Joe Girardi works for YES. Three of these men have significant coaching experience, and the fourth is a local legend. They would all bring a bit of a spark to a dead clubhouse, and their various approaches to the position could conjure up just what the Pinstripes need.

On the other hand, the Yankees may not know what they had in Torre until they push him away. And I am hoping they learn this lesson the hard way - and soon.

In a fantasy universe, I would love to see the cherubic Larry Bowa take the reins of this overpaid bunch of prima donnas. After over ten years of working under a manager who oftentimes appeared to catch naps on the bench, Bowa's bluster and fireworks just might infuse the listless New York nine with the fire they've been so desperately seeking for the better part of this millenium.

On the other hand, it could raise total anarchy.

It is no secret that the corporate atmosphere in the Bronx does not lend itself to team bonding or excessive chemistry. These men are all hired hands, a team of elite ringers brought together to win games like a rotesserie team. And it works, to some degree. I think Torre understands this, and knows he can't push them because they'll simply fall apart. He just needs them to embrace their individual responsibilities, move runners along, and hopefully score enough runs or shut down enough opposing batters to keep games close.

A hothead like Bowa, however, will never stand for it. He'll yell and scream and throw bases, and the fans will eat it up. Giambi and Abreu and Pavano and ARod, however, will more than likely turn up their IPods.

I know its been a long time since Steinbrenner made a move like this, but I've heard he used to make a habit of firing managers at the beginning of road trips. New York has tomorrow off, then hits the road for a week on Tuesday.

Stay tuned.

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What's to be done about Wily Mo?

As the giant man-child Wily Mo Pena strode to the plate to face O's closer Chris Ray last night with the bases loaded and one out and the Sox needing a run to tie the game, I turned to Kevin from New York and said, "Tito can't let Wily hit here, can he? We need Hinske. Or Cora. Someone who can put the ball in play. Don't we?"

Wily didn't put the ball in play. He put it in the Sox bullpen for a grand slam and a 5-2 Sox lead. Just the way Theo drew it up when he traded versatile journeyman Bronson Arroyo for him last year.

Wily clearly has the potential. But as the saying goes, potential means you haven't done anything yet. And therein lies the problem with Wily Mo.

Theo's thought process was flawless. The Sox have no righthanded power in the system. They had seven starters at the time of the deal. This 24 year old wunderkind was available. Let's build for the future.

The power numbers were eyepopping. Pena belted 45 homers for the Reds in 2004 and 2005, one every 14.4 at bats. Unfortunately, his propensity to swing and miss was just as glaring. He struck out once every 2.8 at bats.

Once in Boston, Wily Mo hasn't gotten the playing time and has only swatted 13 homers, while still creating a vortex with his massive, unproductive swings more times than not.

Wily has to start turning his "potential" into "performance" or he will go the way of several other notable Boston athletes with "all the tools." Do the names Bethel Johnson, Sebastian Telfair or Joe Thorton (before finally realizing his "potential" in San Jose) ring a bell?

You probably won't be shocked to discover that this is all the Yankmees fault. Pena originally signed with the Mets in 1998 but the contract was voided. A year later the Yanks signed him to a major league contract, then traded him to the Reds. With the major league contract wrapped around his neck, Pena was rushed to Cincinnati, never really had a chance to hone his batting eye and is now out of options.

What he really needs is a couple of months in Pawtucket learning how to hit and field without the bright lights of Fenway magnifying every whiff and muff. However that can't happen without any options.

So what is to be done? Play him on a regular basis and hope he figures it out. Unlikely to happen. Plus, where would you play him? Manny and Drew are set. Coco isn't hitting, but tell me you aren't scared to death every time the ball is hit to center when Wily Mo is patrolling out there. At least Coco brings solid and sometimes spectacular defense to the park every day.

There has been some talk about first base, but are you going to sit down Youk or Lowell? Makes no sense.

I think the only answer is to trade the big guy now while he still has some perceived value. Surely Theo can swindle some small market team that needs a DH and would be attracted to his $1.8 million salary and enormous "potential." We could probably get a high level prospect - a catcher perhaps? - that we sorely need. Remember, with the Sox payroll, they can always buy power in the free agent market.

The sad fact is that the high points like Thursday night will be separated by long stretches of strikeout frustration. He will never get enough playing time and even if he does, learning on the job in the American League is not a recipe for success. Maybe if he was in AAAA National League he might have a shot. Unfortunately, he is a born DH so he has to stay in the AL.

Theo needs to cut his losses on this one and see what he can salvage. Short of that, he should call Scott Pioli in Foxboro and see if the Pats need another big tight end.

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The next generation?

In the wake of Trot Nixon's premature retirement from the game of baseball, the Red Sox entered the season without an heir to the prototypical Dirt Dogs throne. Theo has trimmed the "blue collar" contingent on the active roster from its peak in 2004 (Millar, Bellhorn, Damon, Nixon, Varitek, Youkilis, Mirabelli, Timlin, Embree), and even the holdovers from that season, with the exception of Youkilis, have seen their skills diminish considerably since that glorious night in St. Louis. For 2007, the club has been rebuilt in the "Professional" style of Bill Mueller (led by J.D. Drew, but also a converted Varitek, Lowell, Cora, Wakefield, and borderline calls on Lugo and Crisp). But where have all the dirtdogs gone?

The fate of the blue-collar Boston ballplayer now lies squarely in the hands of young Dustin Luis Pedroia.

When watching Dusty's breakout performance this weekend against the Yankees, did you notice anything different about his appearance?

That's right, folks: the socks are up.

As I said on April 5, "If Pedroia wants to be embraced as the New Dirt Dog, he's gonna have to rock the high socks. Having pants all the way down to the cleats just does not add up here." Socks go up, and the boy starts ripping doubles and making game-saving dives up the middle. The first steps have been taken.

On the other hand, Dustin is hitting .191 so far in 2007 with 2 doubles, 2 RBIs, and a .309 OBP. This are numbers that could use some improving, especially for someone who runs like he has a piano strapped to his back and may need to wear lifts in his shoes to get on the good rides at Canobie Lake.

There are two hidden numbers in Pedroia's stat line, however, that do offer some signs of hope. In 55 plate appearances (which is an infinitely small sample size to draw any conclusions, especially for a rookie who has just been handed his first starting job), Dusty has walked 8 times and struck out 5 - not a great rate, but definitely could be worse.

The other more promising stat, which will draw down the wrath of Tom from Boston the same way it did when I used it to defend another Boston second baseman, is the number of pitches he is seeing in each plate appearance. As Kevin Youkilis has shown, plate discipline can be the difference between a middle-of-the-road batsman and an OBP machine. Additionally, as the Yankees seem to prove every time they visit Fenway, the key to breaking down good pitching is to run up that pitch count early and often and get those starting pitchers off the mound and into the showers. When a number nine hitter can work the count without really being much of an offensive threat, the pitcher is forced to exert himself more than he would for a typical weak hitter and therefore is slightly less prepared to deal with the top of the order. As of this writing, Pedroia and his .191 average are looking at 4.04 P/PA, which puts him just behind Julio Lugo (4.06 P/PA) for the team lead and rates as the 37th best mark in the majors, placing him between Jim Thome and Richie Sexson.

Power can be developed. Bat speed can be improved. But a good batting eye, and the discipline to make the pitcher throw strikes, is an innate ability that not all major leaguers posess.

And he's cheap. And he's a homegrown rookie. And he's improved dramatically after settling in at each progressive level of competition he's reached.

So here's to you, Mr. Pedroia. A newly white-collar Nation turns its longing eyes to you. So get that uniform dirty and smear pine tar all over your helmet. Wear eye black when the sun is nowhere to be seen. Run over the catcher when the play isn't even really that close. Make a great play and flip out. Start a fight at second base with someone much bigger than you and let Youk hold you back.

And also, if you could get a hit every once in a while, that'd be great too.

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Broomin' the Bombers

Yes, I understand it's only April, but it feels a whole lot better saying "It's only April" after we've won three games from the Yankmees than if we'd lost them. And let's face it, the Sox really HAD to sweep the series considering the injury problems New York is struggling through. Which by the way reminds me, I don't remember hearing any qualifiers last August during "Boston Massacre II" when the Sox had to start the series with Jason Johnson and had to suffer through four games with Javy Lopez behind the plate with Tek on the shelf. As it was then, it is now. That's life. Suck it up. We won three games. Period.

So here are "Twenty Questions" to ponder as we "sweep" up the confetti from the glorious weekend.

1. Can the suckup national media New York apologists contort themselves any more than they did over the weekend looking for excuses for the Yankmee losses? Buster "I Love NY" Olney was talking on ESPN Radio this morning about how the Yankmee brass was concerned they would be crushed over the weekend but considering how close the scores were, Olney declared that the Yanks "had survived." Survived?!?!?! Buster, they lost ALL THREE GAMES!!! Did the Sox have to win four out of three to make it more definitive?

2. After watching Joe Torre panic this weekend, can we now agree that Terry Francona is the better manager? Pettitte on one day of rest? Rivera for five outs? Managing an April game like it was October?

3. With David Ortiz honoring Jackie Robinson Sunday night by wearing number 42, didn't you think for a fleeting instant as he crouched in the batter's box that the Sox had brought back Mo Vaughn for a cameo appearance?

4. Isn't it obvious that Josh Beckett has learned the hard lessons from last year and is now well on his way to harnessing his awesome stuff and becoming a devastating AL pitcher?

5. Even with a third of their starting lineup out with injuries, isn't the Yankmee lineup simply frightening? And with everyone healthy, doesn't the NY one through nine scare the bejesus out of you?

6. Which is the worse announcing team? Joe Buck/Tim McCarver or Jon Miller/Joe Morgan?
And the nominees are: Buck on Saturday "With Varitek struggling, many in Boston are clamoring for Doug Mirabelli to play more."
Morgan on Sunday night (With the Yanks putting the pressure on in the eighth down by a run and following a hit by Jorge Posada) "I just found out tonight I played with Posada's father in East Bumf***. He was quite a hitter."

7. Did you notice that after Dice K finally drilled ARod (what is Japanese for "the only Sox pitcher with stones"), Mr. April struck out his next two times up?

8. Even though the Yankmees lineup is still scary, wasn't it nice not seeing Gary Sheffield and his violent swings up there?

9. Despite the awesome New York lineup, don't you feel confident about a short post season series against them with the Sox pitching advantage? (Even with Mussina and Wang?)

10. Doesn't it look more and more like Roger Clemens will end up in the Bronx since he can more effectively pull off his "White Knight" routine with that joke of a staff?

11. Can we hope that Rivera has finally reached the tipping point and can no longer serve as the overrated Torre's binky and expose that staff once and for all?

12. Wouldn't you trade Manny ($20 mil), Mike Lowell ($9 mil) and Matt Clement ($9 mil) for ARod? They could do it next year, offer him $28 mil and still have $10 mil left over to take care of some other needs.

13. As Steve Buckley of the Herald pointed out Sunday morning, wouldn't you root for ARod to break Bonds single season homer run mark just to eliminate at least one Steroid Boy record from the books?

14. Aren't you getting the feeling that the Sox bullpen can be lights out this season?

15. Weren't you thrilled on Friday night when Tito went to Okijama in the ninth even though he had the putrid Joel Pinata warming up?

16. And speaking of Pinata, do you think he is really Matt Clement in disguise?

17. Aren't the Yankmees aggravating as they stand there at the plate and take pitch after pitch? Don't you love it when the Sox do that?

18. If Bobby Abreau is making $15 mil this year and $16 mil next year, what's wrong with J. D. Drew at $14 mil?

19. Do you think Wily Mo didn't make it five in a row Sunday night because he was using one of Coco Crisp's alleged bats?

20. What do you say, three more next weekend?

I can't wait.

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"Torre vowed all spring that he would not, would not, would not ask Rivera to pick up multiple-inning saves this year, hoping to maximize Rivera's platinum plated arm...Torre meant it, he swore he really meant it. And maybe he did. At the time.

"I lied," Torre said, still grinning. "What can I tell you? I didn't plan on lying."

-Mike Vacarro, today's New York Post

Who can blame Joe? If a manager as great as the be-ringed Professor Joe feels he has to go to his shut-down closer with the game on the line, even if it means risking the health of the bullpen ace, who could be expected to have the cojones to do otherwise?

Gentlemen, I give you Tito Francona.


Let us not underestimate the testicular fortitude displayed by the manager of the Olde Town Team in Friday night's contest to stay true to his word to young Jon Papelbon and to the medical staff by not bringing him in for a third night in a row. In the pressure-cooker of a Northeastern baseball market, even a man with four rings and national acclaim didn't have the spine to protect the health of the most vital arm in his bullpen and threw the closer, and caution, to the wind at the first opportunity.

Not Tito. When Francona tapped the southpaw from the Far East to baffle the heart of the Pinstripes order on Friday night, he sent three clear messages. One, Papelbon will be protected and kept healthy throughout the season, even if it means putting a game in the balance. Two, the rest of the bullpen may not be as weak as originally advertised - they look to be performing quite well to this point in the season, if I'm not mistaken. And three, Terry proved he has the grapefruits to be one of the best managers this club has ever seen.

As for Torre, we had the delight of watching just about everything go wrong in his dugout. Not only did Joe panic and go to Mo, but then Mo couldn't get the job done and probably pitched himself out of the Saturday matinee.

The New York papers all casually mentioned Joe's indiscretion with his preseason promises, but none have called him to task just yet.

To be fair, he almost kept his word until the end of April...that's gotta be worth something, right?

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The Empire Advances

A long time ago (2004), in a galaxy far, far away (New York)...It is a period of civil war. Red clad rebels, striking from a hidden base in Boston won their first victory in 86 years against the evil Galactic Empire. During the battle the Red Clad Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans on the way to defeat the Empire. Pursued by the Empire's sinister Cashmen, Prince Theo races home from California aboard the Flying Henry, custodian of the stolen Japanese secret weapon that can save her people and restore freedom, and the pennant, to the Galaxy.

"Pitching, Theo, Pitching," said the master. "The force is in the pitching.

The Empire, in all its offensive glory, decends on the rebel capital of Fenway Park tomorrow and we will find out which power is the stronger. The Yankmees swagger in with its gaudy offense featuring a relentless, patient hard hitting attack. The Sox counter with a dazzling, stingy pitching staff with its finesse and intimidation. Which is the greater power? This weekend, we are about to find out.

The Yankmees come in to town with a fearsome offense having bludgeoned there way to several walk off wins including today's 8-6 win over the Indians. Their eyepopping offensive stats have them ranked first in the major leagues in runs and home runs, second in team average (.283) and third in hits and OBP. The Sox meanwhile, are ranked 12th in runs and OBP, 14th in team average (.249), 17th in homers (they lead ARod 12-10) and 25th in hits.

So why are the Sox 9-5 one game up on the Yankees who come in at 8-6? Simple. It's the pitching stupid. If I've told Kevin in New York once, I've told him a thousand times. Good pitching beats good hitting most of the time. That axiom will be sorely tested this weekend. The immovable object meets the irresitible force. Something's got to give.

And the Sox certainly have the pitching so far this season. They rank 1st in opponent's batting average (.203) and runs allowed, second in ERA and tenth in strikouts. The Bombers rank 6th in opponent's batting, 8th in ERA, 13th in runs allowed and 28th in strikeouts.

The pitching matchups are ridiculously in favor of the Sox. Curt Schilling (2.84) vs. Andy Pettitte (1.50) back from the Minors in Houston; Josh Beckett (1.50) vs. Jeff Karstens (first start this year) and Dice K (2.70) vs. Chase Wright (5.40). But that is only on paper. What the Sox arms do against the new Murderer's Row will tell us a lot about the fortunes of these two teams going forward. The weather is expected to be pleasant, so that won't be an excuse for either team. It is mano a mano in this first round between the heavyweights of the American League.

Couple of suggestions for the Sox to slow down the Yankees potent offense.
1. Steal Giambi's needles
2. Hit a couple of long bombs into the triangle in center so Johnny Demon can impale himself on the bullpen wall as he did in 2005.
3. Sneak into ARod's hotel room and replace all the April calendars with October ones.

But seriously folks, one thing that Sox hurlers should do, and Schill should start it on ARod's first at bat, is to send some serious chin music inside. The Yankmees are way too comfortable at the plate. Who can forget the 2004 ALCS when Hideki "Shemp" Matsui was drilling Sox pitching. Pedro, God bless him, finally unleashed a screaming fastball at Godzilla's head knocking him on his pinstriped butt. He was never again heard from in the series. The Sox need to send that message again. And quickly before they get their bats ramped up.

Or failing that, Captain Tek needs to prepare another MittBurger for Mr. April, who is again on fire when nothing is on the line. Of course, the way Tek is going, he would go for ARod's head and miss.

In any event, fasten your seat belt for three great days of baseball. Pitching vs. hitting. Athens vs. Sparta. NY vs Boston. Evil Empire vs. the Rebel Forces. Let the games begin.

May the (pitching) force be with us.

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Oh, Captain.

We've been spoiled over the past ten years.

Catchers are a rare breed. On the baseball diamond, they are the quarterback, coach, and amateur psychologist all rolled into one. They are both the field general and the bearer of the tools of ignorance. There have been many great receivers throughout the years, but very rarely are they as outstanding with the bat as they are behind the plate. Jason Varitek, once as intimidating a hitter as any catcher in the bigs, has now lost just about all of his value inside the batter's box.

Before Dan Duquette fleeced the Seattle Mariners in the deal that brought Varitek and Derek Lowe over for Healthcliffe Slocumb (seriously: how did that deal happen?), the Red Sox hadn't seen any offensive production from a catcher since #27 served as the backstop in 1978. After laboring through the feeble bat handling of the Rich Gedmans, Tony Penas, and Mike Macfarlanes of the world, the Fenway faithful were thrilled to have a catcher who not only won critical acclaim from pitchers and coaches alike for his game preparation but also provided an able 6 or 7 hitter in some of the most dangerous Sox lineups many of us are likely to see in our lifetimes.

For anyone who has followed the Sox since Varitek appeared on the scene in 1997, his value to the ballclub is obvious. The pitchers trust him; his teammates respect him; the front office views him as the model for a Red Sox baseball player. All of these factors led to Varitek recieving a four-year, $40 million contract that runs through 2008 while also being only the third Boston player in history to earn the title of Captain.

Now don't get me wrong - I love Jason Varitek. He is the lifeblood of this franchise, and imagining Brian Schneider or even the acclaimed Josh Bard as the catcher for the local nine after 2004 is cringe-inducing. I remember sitting in the seats so eloquently described in the preceding Patriots' Day post and seeing Varitek's thighs from ten feet away, and they have to be forty inches around - truly terrifying, the man can barely walk. One could argue he turned around the 2004 season by punching Alex Rodriguez in the face.

But have you actually looked at the numbers on this guy?

When Varitek took over as the full-time starter in 1999, he hit 20 homers and batted .269 with a .330 batting average in 144 games. Not bad for a 27-year-old catcher, right? From there, however, his numbers aren't that impressive outside of an excellent 2004 (18 homers, .296 BA, .390 OBP): if we average his ten years of service to date into a 162-game season (which is deceptive, because he'd never make it to 162 games for obvious reasons), he'd hit 20 homers, bat .268, get on base at a .347 clip, hit 35 doubles and strike out 118 times.

To put that kind of a career in perspective, baseballreference.com lists his top five most comparable batters throughout baseball history in the following order:

5. Corey Koskie
4. Darrin Fletcher
3. John Valentin
2. Mike Lieberthal
1. Mike Macfarlane

That's right, folks - Jason Varitek minus intangibles equals Mike Macfarlane.

So now Tek is aging faster than ever, and fans are starting to turn on him a little bit. He is still on the hook for this year and next year for about $22 million dollars, so he's not going anywhere. The top Sox catching prospect, the Greco-Canadian wonderkid George Kotteras, isn't going to be ready anytime soon.

So settle in, sports fans. We have entered the "crafty veteran" stage of Tek's career - no more homers, lots more strikeouts, much talk of his off-field preparation and value to the team. We've heard from numerous pundits that the Captain is worth his salary for his work in the clubhouse alone.

Let's hope so, because it surely doesn't look like he'll be earning it with a bat in his hands any time soon.

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Patriot's Day: A Father and Son Tradition

The Red Sox have played their quirky Monday morning game on Patriot's Day since 1960. For a dozen years, Kevin from New York and I established our own traditional celebration of this unique New England holiday.

Beginning in 1990 and continuing through 2002, Kevin and I would truck into Fenway on Patriot's Day morning for the Sox game. It became our tradition. From the time he was 6 and just making his first baby pencil marks in the scorebook, until he was 18 and spending his first year in college we would make the trip to the Fens. The only thing that interrupted the streak was the strike in 1995 which delayed the start of the season and aborted the the annual early April game. The streak finally had to end when the demands of being a college sophomore prevented Kevin from taking the day off from classes. Leafing through the old box scores and score cards of those twelve games and recalling the experiences we had reveals a lot about the Red Sox, the baseball development of Kevin and the growing relationship between a father and son.

Despite the Sox playing .521 ball (988-908) during those 12 years (eliminating the 95 season), Patriots Day turned out be be a losing experience more times than not. The home team was 5-7 over that stretch and were shut out four times, including a pair of 1-0 losses. During the stretch, we saw the Yankmees (twice), A's, Devil Rays, Indians (three times), Orioles, White Sox (twice), Blue Jays and Brewers.

During the period, we would park at one of the T lots (usually Wellington), climb onto the Orange Line, transfer at North Station or Haymarket to the Green Line and then get off at Kenmore and wade through the crowds building not only for the game but the Boston Marathon which came through the same congested Kenmore Square where Fenway is located.

In the early years, I would hold Kevin's hand for dear life for fear of losing my little boy as I negotiated the moving mass of people. As Kevin got older and finally bigger than me, he would use his learned skills as a center on the football team to lead me through the crowd like a running back.

Once in the park, we would make our way to our seats. Every year I would get my company's seats for one game, and I always picked this one. The seats were awesome, three rows from the field just off the Red Sox on deck circle. We were so close we could see Mike Greenwell's unshaven face in 1991 and Jose Canseco's steriod enhanced muscles in 1996. The seats were so good I actually always worried that I would be spoiling Kevin for life having his first experience in these premier box seats. I also had to warn Kevin he had to pay attention since we were seated in prime check swing line drive territory. One time, I saw a fan sitting about five feet away not paying attention and then getting his face caved in when a right handed hitter half swung and launched a missle into the stands.

The omens were not good for our first Patriot's Day game in 1990. We were barely settled in our seats when the Brewers teed off on Mike Boddicker (yes he from whom we traded Brady Anderson and a young Curt Schilling to the Orioles) scoring 4 in the second and 2 in the third. That was just the beginning. They would amass 18 runs on 20 hits on the day while the Sox lineup led by Wade Boggs, Greenwell, Ellis Burks and Dwight Evans came up with three hits.

The final score was 18-0. A couple of interesting events in the game. I continued the education of scoring a game with Kevin that had begun in September of the previous year at his first game. By this game, he was able to handle most situations and would go several batters before getting bored and handing the book to me. Not bad for a six year old. To this day, he does not attend a game, and neither does Corey Almost in College, without scoring the game. In the early days, this got us some sideways glances from fans who had no idea what we were doing.

A couple of interesting sidenotes. Kevin recently reminded me that the Brewers scored their 18 runs without hitting a home run in the game. Also, late in the game, the Brewers inserted a pinch runner by the name of Terry Francona to run for Greg Brock. That would be Tito's next to last game. He would make his final major league appearance three days later and was released by Milwaukee the following week.

Finally, a lifelong precendent was set in this game. Losing 13-0, the Brewers exploded for another 5 runs in the eighth to make it 18-0. I turned to Kevin, and assuming a normal six year old would be ready to pack it in by then, asked if he wanted to leave. He looked at me as if I told him there was no Santa Clause. "Leave? No Dad, we have to stay to the end." The deal was struck. Again, to this day, we NEVER leave a game before the final out. No matter the circumstances, we stay to the bitter end.

In 1991, we changed things up a bit. Patriot's Day started by me waking up seven year old Kevin at 4:45 and stuffing him half sleeping in the car so I could take him to the Lexington Green to view the reenactment of the shot heard round the world. For those not aware, this starts at 6 am and the British win every year. Kind of like the Sox and Yanks in the AL East regular season. After the show, we sat on the curb on Mass Ave in Lexington and watched the parade which started at 8:30. From there we hightailed it to the nearest T stop and headed into town for the 11 am Sox start.

The Indians were in town and the Sox were shut out again, this time 1-0 Boggs and company came up with six hits in this one. So after two years, the sum total of Kevin's Patriot's Day experience from the Sox was this: Two losses by a combined score of 19-0, nine hits, no runs and one serious case of sleep deprivation.

In 1992, eight year old Kevin saw the Sox score their first run on Patriots Day in the fourth inning against the soon to be two time World Champion Toronto Blue Jays. Trailing 2-0, Greenwell singled home Boggs who had doubled to cut the lead in half. They would score three more times on the day but that wasn't enough to prevent a third straight Patriot's Day loss, 6-4 to the Jays. Jimmy Key got the win and Joe Hesketh got the loss.

Kevin was making scorebook progress. He did the first three innings before handing the book over to me.

We finally broke the P-Day streak with a 6-0 win over the White Sox in 1993. All the scoring took place in the bottom of the sixth when the Sox sent 11 batters to the plate in scoring their half dozen. John Dopson got his first win of the year and nine year old Kevin scored the last seven innings by himself.

Following the game, I had the bright idea that would avoid the massive crowd jam at the Kenmore T stop by walking to the next station, watching the Marathon as we went. Well, little did I know that several of the stations were closed and we ended up walking from Fenway Park to Park Station, about a 2.5 mile walk. Kevin never complained, but I don't believe he every walked the same again.

Our big win was followed by two more rout losses, 12-1 to the White Sox in 1994 and 8-0 in 1996 to the Indians following the strike year of 1995. 11-year old Kevin got to see Tim Raines go 4 for 5 with three homers, touching up Danny Darwin twice in 94. In 96, 12-year old Kevin saw a young Manny Ramirez go 1-4 while Dwayne Hosey led off and played center. Tim Wakefield took his second loss of the year.

In 1997, Kevin, now 13, saw the Sox win for the second time on Patriot's Day, this time beating the Orioles, 4-2. Rookie Nomah led off and played short and Wil "Answer the phone" Cordero belted a homer. Aaron Sele picked up his third win.

Another win for the Sox in 1998 despite a 2-4 day by Manny, including a home run in the fourth. Jim Leyritz tied the game with a pinch hit homer in the bottom of the ninth and Tom Flash Gordon picked up the win in relief.

Back to our losing ways in 1999 with the All Star Game logo festooning the left field wall. The Devil Rays bested Bret Saberhagen and the Sox 4-1.

The new millenium brought similar results as Kevin the high school junior watched Oakland's Felix Heredia shut down the Sox for seven innings enroute to a 1-0 A's win. Only four hits for the Sox.

The final two games of the streak fitting came against the Yankmees and resulted in two wonderful wins. in 2001, the Sox cruised to a 4-1 win over the bombers behind Frank Castillo. The Sox rocked Mike Mussina, always a pleasurable event, for 11 hits. Darren Lewis, Now Our Manny and Troy O'Leary all had two hits. Rod Beck got the save.

In 2002, Kevin, now a freshman at UNH, had to cut classes to make his final appearance to date on Patriot's Day. It was worth the trip. the Sox held off the Yanks to win 4-3. D-Lowe got the win and Ugeuth "Walking Boss" Urbina picked up the save.

It may be awhile before we get to go to another Patriot's Day game. I did get tickets for the family in 2003, but Kevin couldn't take time away from school. I think we'll try to do it again some day. But until then, we'll have to relive the wonderful memories of those special Monday mornings in April.

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Time for The Rocket to land

With Yankees starter Mike Mussina slated to miss at least one start thanks to a note from his mother, the Yankees rotation has degraded to Pavano-Pettitte-Igawa-Rasner-Brian Cashman. They are in need of another arm more than ever. And that is exactly why the Boy Genius needs to bring Roger Clemens' career full circle in the next month.


Many fans, including Tom in Boston, are of the opinion that the Rocket will be in for a rude awakening if he returns to the AL East from the fuzzy confines of National League pickup games. I don't disagree with this idea at all - Roger's 2.30 ERA from the 2006 campaign would probably double if he made a coastal curtain call.

What these fans have to remember is that even with an ERA pushing 5, he will still be a huge improvement over whoever he replaces in either the Yankees or Red Sox rotation. Would you rather have Julian Tavarez or a 44-year old Rocket? If you're a Yankee backer, would you rather have the big Texan on the hill or whichever dreg they're planning to have toe the rubber at the back of the rotation?

One mitigating factor for both teams is the presence of a stud starting prospect in the upper levels of the minors. Yankees farmhand Phillip Hughes, now 20 years old, has been drawing acclaim ever since the pinstripes plucked him out of the 2004 draft. Bronx denizens have been calling his name since they saw "Rasner" pencilled in the pitcher's line, and Kei Igawa's slow start made the howls of agony resonate even louder.

The Yankees, however, know better. Hughes is the real deal, and there is really no reason to bring him up at this point. He has too much potential to risk having it ruined by an early entrance to the big leagues, and quite frankly he probably isn't ready to make the kind of immediate impact the Bombers need.

The kind of impact a seven-time Cy Young winner could make.

The Sox, of course, have lefty powerhouse Jon Lester working his way back through the minors this spring. Lester was very promising in his cup of coffee last season and people are expecting big things from him. However, we can not for one second discount the injury he is recovering from right now: cancer. Let me say that again - John Lester is recovering from cancer right now. This is not a hamstring pull or even Tommy John surgery - it is cancer. We should not rush him back at all this season; we should make sure he takes all the time he needs to make a full and healthy recovery and is ready to contribute down the road.

In the meantime, however, there is only one former Sox farmhand I want to see take the mount every fifth day for the rest of the season, and that's Roger Clemens. He doesn't need to be an ace. He doesn't even need to be a number two or a number three. Quite frankly, we have a very good number 4. All we need from the Rocket is someone who is going to be an improvement over Julian Tavarez and who will give us a chance to win.

Oh yeah, one more thing - we need the Rocket to not go to New York, so that we won't be cheated out of any more Darryl Rasner starts.

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Brain Dump

Random thoughts while watching Felix Hernandez one hit the Sox.


*It's tough forming opinions after only a week and a half of play and with the horrible weather we've had, although Kevin from New York does always accuse me of making emotional snap judgements. But despite the opening day outburst against the Mariners, doesn't this Sox lineup appear to be very "soft"? And with Manny and Big Papi not hitting, it looks "scary soft". You just get the impression that any half decent outing by any average pitcher is going to shut them down. And it's not just Hernandez last night, who arguably is much better than "average". The very ordinary Gil Meche, Robinson Tejeda and Kevin Millwood also quieted this lineup down pretty easily.

*And speaking of the lineup, whatever happened to "working the count?" The Sox went out weakly in the first two innings against Seattle eating up all of 20 pitches from Hernandez. And doesn't it always go this way? Dice K gets all the hype, but Hernandez comes out and outpitches him. *Remy update: He always jokes about not having a hair "system", but looking at him in the opening, he may want to reconsider. His forehead is beginning to look like a fivehead.

*Prior to the game they showed Youk and Crisp practicing handshakes. Maybe Youk should be spending his time showing Coco how to hit instead. Coco looks hopeless at the plate. Might as well put Wily Mo in center and see what he can do.

*The American League schedule makers must be pleased with themselves. They take a dome team (Seattle) and send them on the road for the first week of the season so they can get snowed out four straight in Cleveland. Then they send them to Boston for two 40 degree games and a possible sleet-out. They they really had some fun by taking warm weather Los Angeles and bringing them to Fenway for four days of Arctic Baseball and perhaps a snow out on Monday. With these geniuses running the game, is it any wonder that most people consider football the National Pastime now?

*JD Drew broke up Hernandez' no hitter in the eighth. Granted he unfairly came in with negative expectations, but hasn't he been the most pleasant surprise of the season so far? We'll see what happens if he goes on the DL or falls into a bad slump, but for now, I agree with Kevin, he looks like Bill Mueller reincarnated.

*Matsusaka was slapped around pretty good by the Mariners. Makes you wonder how he will handle the Monsters of the AL East. Still too early to panic. Even for me.

*I don't know about you, but I've already had enough of the Joel Pinata Era. Let's add him to the ever growing Rudy Seanez Memorial Theo Epstein Failed Pitching Experiments List, eat the $4 million and move on. He is absolutely brutal.

*We are going to know a heck of lot more about the Sox by the end of April. Starting this Friday, they play 17 more games this month, 15 of them against the Angels, Yankmees and Blue Jays. The other two games are against the revived O's. If the the boys don't start hitting during that stretch, there is going to an awful lot of stress on that pitching staff to shut down some pretty tough lineups.

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The Unbiased Opinion: A Summary of a Different View

The majority of my baseball knowledge comes from two men, infatuated with arguing with each other, but in the corner I have always sat listening. Waiting for my chance.

Call me Julian Tavarez or Kyle Snyder. Heck, call me David Pauley. Tonight, I sit here on my computer, where I have read just about every post of this blog. Requested to act as the “5th starter”, as my older brother Kevin stated, beseeched to fabricate a post for him. (Slacking on April 9th…I’m not impressed) Anyways, lets get to it.

Some people might not understand through words how true some of the statements made going back and forth between Tom and Kevin are. Trust me, you have no idea. Living in the same house and playing the part of son to Tom, I know first hand. This friends, is no joke. Nothing is made up. It’s all, sadly enough, real. I honestly wish that some of this were juiced up for the blog. Simply enough, I have the behind the scenes look at all that happens between the “Fear Strikes Out” writers. I feel inclined to share this information with all you readers.

When Papelbon came out last night and closed up the game I’d never seen Tom run so fast. He jumped out of his seat, about 10 feet high, and left a trail of fire as he sprinted down the stairs to find his wife. Immediately I hear him loudly gloat, as he made sure she knew he was right and her eldest son was wrong. (In my opinion, I’m guessing she could have cared less. Disney plans and gardening are far above “Fear Strikes Out” on her priority list.) I guess the little things make Tom happy. Good for him. :-)

So what’s my position in all of this? First of all, Kevin tries to trick me into all this statistical mumbo jumbo. Tom lures me into bunting ideas and team moral junk. I pass on the equations of Kevin, and the psychological thoughts of Tom. I side with neither. I’m the unbiased force, which keeps these two men in competition. Trying to convince me to side with them, saying things like “I am the better one”, “the other is wrong”, “He is a bad influence”, “Don’t listen to him.” Stuff to that degree.

The Red Sox have become more about keeping up to date on this blog than anything. In my opinion, no show on TV is as hilarious as getting a phone call from my brother at 12:15 am on a Friday night, telling me how he plans to rip my father the next day. So in order to enjoy the battle of wits, I have to really take note of all the news and games, which create Red Sox baseball. Otherwise I can’t put words in Kevin’s mouth, and convince Tom he actually said it. That’s the real fun in it. I know I’m horrible.

Moving along to present time. You might wonder, why am I up so late on a Monday night? Well I can answer that with great delight. Kevin brought to my attention, as he often does, a very interesting stat tonight while conversing with him on the phone. I may not have a degree in writing, or the desire to read every book in sight as my elders do, but I can tell you I have surpassed them in one achievement. This stat: At age seventeen, I will be making history, as the first of us three to attend Opening Day at Fenway Park.

Tom always said, “Life is about connections. Experience and connections.” You’re so right Tom. Having a friend with the access to four tickets is what I call a useful connection! I made sure to let Kevin and Tom know about this. In fact I believe it was something like every day, twice a day, for the past 5 to 7 days. So what’s my opinion on this years opening day? Well, I can’t tell you what is going to happen as far as a box score, but missing school and seeing Josh Beckett equals nothing but a complete definition of my senior slide.

So, with that, I must go to my closet and find all my blue and red clothing. Prepare to bundle up in the morning and set my alarm for 9:30. For tomorrow is a big day. A day that I shall make history. Oh, and Tom and Kevin, I will call you to let you know how the games going. Have fun at work!

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Blinded By The Daylight

Rant Warning! Rant Warning!

I hated this opening week of Red Sox baseball. And it had nothing to do with the results of the games.

Not that they weren't exciting. You had the festive opening day, despite the fact that the Sox threw up all over themselves like a baby who had consumed a bad can of Gerber's. Then we had Dice K's memorable first game as a member of the Sox. Followed by an impressive but fruitless effort from Tim Wakefield in the series opener at Texas.

So what's the problem?

I DIDN'T GET TO SEE ANY OF IT. You see, I WORK FOR A LIVING! There's this thing called a paycheck and to get one you have to go to a place of employment where you do stuff during the daytime hours and when you are all done, you get to go home and enjoy the game on TV.

Except when it's baseball. And it's April.

MLB must use Nick and Tony's Marketing Firm when it makes decisions on how to promote its sport. "Hey Tony, I have an idea...let's take the biggest, most anticipated day in our sport...Opening Day... get some famous celebrities, deck out the park in red white and blue bunting, paint some fancy logos around the field, get someone well known to throw out the first pitch and sing the national anthem, do a flyover with fighter jets, release the pigeons and balloons and we can stage it on....MONDAY AFTERNOON!" "Great idea, Nick...then we can take the debut of the league's newest and biggest international star, who's been in the news more than Anna Nicole and who's first start has been breathlessly awaited by everyone from Taunton to Tokyo for months and we'll show that one on....THURSDAY AFTERNOON!"

Then they clink bottles of Guiness beer and scream " BRILLIANT!"

I'm telling you this idea could catch on. I hear that NFL commish Roger Goodell is trying to talk the owners into having Peyton and the Colts kick off the football season on the Tuesday afternoon after Labor Day.

I did get to see Josh Beckett turn into a pitcher on Wednesday night when he actually threw curves and off speed stuff instead of simply pounding the fast ball until Tek's hand started to bleed. But that night game must have been an aberration. I think that Wednesday afternoon's must be a big Bowling League day in KC and they didn't want to interrupt that.

I also tried to trick myself for the opener by asking my wife to tape the game so I could watch it when I got home Monday night. Then I spent all day telling the Sox fans in the office NOT TO TELL ME THE SCORE so I could make believe it was live when I watched it.

I should have known I was in trouble on that one as everyone snickered as they passed my office door on the way out late Monday afternoon. Jim the Sales Guy said slyly, "Well it's not over yet." Bad sign. You see, they were aware that Curt had already conducted his official NESN Bowel Movement sponsored by Depends. I on the other hand just covered my ears and mumbled loudly as they passed. I would have to wait several hours to see, not the bloody red sock, but the lumpy brown bottom of Schilling's uniform. At least I was able to fast forward once the wheels came off.

So look. I understand that they have to play the games in the afternoon the first few weeks in April because in many major league cities there is still snow on the ground (or in the stadium in the case of Cleveland), but guys, this is nothing new. Let's not be shocked by this but instead DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

You could decide to start the season two weeks later, but that's never going to happen because then they might have to actually play doubleheaders, remember those?

More realistically, if you insist on on starting in mid winter, then play the games in non weather affected sites for the first two weeks. In the AL, you can use, Toronto, Minnesota, Seattle (domes), Tampa Bay (dome and hot anyway), Texas, Oakland, Los Angeles/Anaheim/Disneyland. Then make a rule that all weekday games have to be played at night.

Give those teams two week homestands while the Sox, Yankmees and the rest of the cold weather teams hit the road. Then all the games can be at night and I can watch them.

So I would like to conclude with a few words about Dice K's great debut. There were a lot more red dots then green dots superimposed on the layout of a baseball diamond on the Gameday screen. Gee he must have pitched great.

Wish I had seen it.

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Matsuzaka!

The Matsuzaka Era begins today. And what better way to mark the occasion than to keep a SportsGuy running diary through the afternoon?

Even if he actually did do a Running Diary himself this afternoon. Oh well.

I (conveniently enough) have the afternoon off and thought it would be best for posterity to keep a running record of my first impressions on this highly-touted import.

And to add a slight degree of difficulty, I'll be watching the Kansas City feed on mlb.tv. What a delight. During last night's broadcast the KC announcers were encouraging Royals fans to come see Matsuzaka's American debut this afternoon, with 8 dollar tickets still available. I think that's all we need to know about KC baseball "fans."

2:09 - And we're off. The KC announcers are beside themselves with all the media that are in the building; its quite a change of pace from the coverage they'd usually get for this game (i.e. Zach Greinke's dad filming the game on his videocamera from behind home plate). There is no doubt in my mind that more people are watching this game in Japan than in Kansas City.

2:11 - So Greinke suffers from social anxiety syndrome. I'm sure the 650,000 cameramen pointing at the pitcher's mound are really helping him through this start.

2:16 - It looks like Manny hired Jeff Hardy circa 2001 as his personal stylist.

2:17 - And he drops an RBI double into right. One of the things you realize when you listen to the out-of-town announcers is just how terrifying the Ortiz-Ramirez combination really is. We take it for granted, but it is mentioned without fail every time by these guys every time they come through the order. We've come a long way from the Boggs-Clark combo.

2:23 - Here we go!

2:24 - Dejesus tags him for a single. Tom in Boston just gave up on the Matsuzaka Era.

2:30 - And he wraps up his first half inning of work by sawing off the batter and starting a nifty little double play. That'll do, kid. That'll do.

2:33 - Brian Stokes Lowell starts off the second inning with a sharp single. Let's see if the bottom of the order can get something going today.

2:35 - I love Jason Varitek, but he has to be the #9 hitter on this ballclub by the end of the summer. Because we all know how well Francona is at dropping those veterans down in the lineup.

2:38 - Though Coco may give him a run for his money. At least he's applying the Mark Bellhorn principal of "if I'm going to strike out, I'll at least make the pitcher throw five or six pitches."

2:43 - Nothing makes me more angry than when sports announcers refer to players by their first name as if we're all buddies. It sounds stupid. That's what last names are for. All I'm asking for is a little professionalism from these pink hat markets. No wonder you have no fans.

2:46 - There's our first K of the season. He's on cruise control, and I'm digging that.

2:53 - Papi gets punched out on the second questionable call of the afternoon. He's not happy, and as a general rule an unhappy Papi will make for an unhappy pitcher later in the game.

3:00 - KK

3:02 - Daisuke grabs a grounder and flips to Youk with a little miscommunication, and in the next shot they're laughing with each other. This guy's English must be way better than he's letting on.

3:04 - The KC announcers just made the first suggestion that Matsuzaka is a Rookie of the Year candidate.

3:08 - The announcers went on to mention Greinke doesn't throw his slow Eephus-esque curveball anymore. That's a shame, because it was an absolutely filthy pitch back in MVP 2004 for Gamecube. I used to hustle people by saying I'd let them be anyone and I'd be the Royals, and then shut them down for seven innings with his looping 52mph curve. But now, why would anyone be the virtual Royals?

3:14 - If Pedroia wants to be embraced as the New Dirt Dog, he's gonna have to rock the high socks. Having pants all the way down to the cleats just does not add up here.

3:19 - KKK

3:20 - Everybody run to the Royals website to sign up for "Meet Mark Teahen on T-Shirt Tuesday!"

3:22 - KKKK

3:24 - KKKKK, struck out the side. I think this kid may make the big club.

3:28 - Lugo steals third and scores on a wild throw from the catcher. He must think he's still in Tampa Bay - we don't do that minor league stuff like "stealing third" in Boston.

3:31 - Ortiz strikes out for the third time? Is everything okay?

3:36 - "Daisuke Matsui is throwing very well today."

3:40 - KKKKKK. Matsuzaka takes a quick lead over Ryan Shealy in the ROY voting.

3:49 - Varitek just went out to have a chat, and they seem to be able to communicate comfortably. That is very reassuring.

3:50 - And Matsuzaka gets out of a first-and-third jam by inducing a little nubber out in front of the plate and making a nice play on it. He's at 80 pitches through five full innings. How long do you think Tito will let him throw?

3:56 - Coco is being noticeably more patient so far, looking at a ton of pitches. However, he also keeps striking out. At least he's not at the top of the order anymore.

4:00 - DeJesus takes Matsuzaka deep. Tom in Boston gives up on the season.

4:05 - KKKKKKK on a strike-'em-out-throw-'em-out double play. Thanks for the out, meatheads.

4:06 - And the next batter promptly doubles, scoring the runner from first...oh no wait, they lost the baserunner on the stolen base. Thank God for old-time baseball decisionmaking.

4:10 - KKKKKKKK on a filthy pitch on the outside corner. He's at about 97 pitches, and I'm guessing that's going to be the end of his afternoon. We'll see how much of a leash the front office gave Tito this afternoon.

4:15 - mlb.tv is starting to play games with me. Everyone back home count your blessings that you get the games on cable with red sox announcers without any hassle.

4:17 - Matsuzaka back out there for the seventh. Hmm.

4:19 - KKKKKKKKK. Double barrelled action in the bullpen.

4:21 - KKKKKKKKKK. Wow.

4:23 - Gets the side in order in the seventh. That's gotta be it for today - 7 innings, 1 run, 10 Ks, 650,000 cameramen. Not a bad little debut. Can't wait to see how he deals in his first Fenway start.

4:27 - Ortiz greets the relief pitcher with a double. I think he's not a Zach Greinke fan anymore, which is good for Zach because it will relieve his psychological problems a little bit. Also, the Sox have had the leadoff man on in all but one inning today - this is a good pattern that we should try to uphold.

4:31 - Drew takes the intentional walk. Uh oh. If the bottom half of our order doesn't come to life soon, we may see a lot of that.

4:32 - Ortiz shows off the wheels and steals home on a wild pitch. MVP! MVP!

4:38 - Paid attendance for todays game: 23,000. Imagine?

4:51 - Romero comes on and looks pretty good. If both he and Okajima can keep it together, I'm pumped about having two solid lefties in the pen for the first time in my life.

5:01 - 4th K of the day for Ortiz. Tom in Boston is exploring trades for him.

5:04 - Thank God we have Jon Papelbon to come on here for one inning to protect this precarious three-run lead over the ever-dangerous Kansas City Royals. Surely we have no one else in the bullpen who could take care of this. On a completely unrelated note, who do we have starting on Saturday?

5:11 - So Paps closes the door and picks up his first completely meaningless three-run save of the season. But hey, I like padding the stats too.

So there you go, straight into the history books. He lived up to the hype - for one day, at least. Here's hoping he can keep up the pace throughout the rest of the season.

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Man The Lifeboats

Control. Control. It's only one game. Must maintain Control.

The hell I do.

After all the hysteria, hoopla and high hopes, the 2007 Boston Red Sox opened the season by taking a hot, steaming dump in the fountain at Kansas City's Kaufman Stadium. Owner John Henry sat in the front row and watched as he spent the first million of his $160 million payroll. What did he get for his cool mil on this warm KC afternoon? Not a million dollar effort, that's for sure. Let's look at the litany of horrors.

- A disgusting 7-1 loss
- Four innings, eight hits and five earned runs from Curt Schilling who was awful from beginning to aborted end.
- 3K's and a putrid relay throw from Julio Lugo (good thing we gave up AGon's defense for some offense eh?)
- Two boneheaded baserunning plays (Pedroia being thrown out at second by 150 ft. He wasn't even in the picture when the second baseman was waiting for him. And Youkilis who was only thrown out by about 40 ft.)
- A towering home run on the first pitch from Hideki Okajima
- 1 for 11 from Lowell, and the Pathetic Twins Crisp and Varitek. At least Pedroia had a couple of hits or the bottom of the lineup would have been even more of a black hole.
- 10 K's. Everyone in the lineup except Drew and Pedroia struck out at least once.

Ugh. Many more games like this and you won't have to worry about Tito going back to chewing tobacco. He's going to start smoking crack.

Yes, yes we know it's only one game and there's a long way to go, but the Sox need to get off to a fast start playing the dregs of the AL West. You know the Yankmees are going to devour this trash when they come out here. Sure they will be a series of 11-10 games, but they will all count as W's. The Sox can't give these ones away, which is clearly what they did on Monday. The scary thing is that the Sox looked like a very flawed team, inexcusable with their payroll. Curt looked old, Manny looked disinterested, Crisp, Lowell and Varitek looked lost and the pitching staff looked weak. It was so...2006...that it was jarring.

The offense was particularly offensive, although you have to take into consideration that the Sox were facing future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens....what?...that wasn't the Rocket out there?...that was Gil Meche?...He the butt of everyone's joke this winter when he scored his 5 year/$55 million? The only joke yesterday was on the Sox as they flailed helpless at the offerings of the Royal Ace (Isn't that an oxymoron?). Excuse me. I couldn't help but thinking that must have been a past Cy Young award winner knifing through the high priced lineup like a sickle through dry wheat.

The Sox have been roundly beaten for 48 hours and only a solid Josh Beckett outing will reignite pennant fever on Wednesday. If Bonehead Josh comes out and tries to throw fastballs through the backstop and the Royals starting depositing balls on the grassy knoll, there will be a regional suicide watch for all Sox fans.

But I'm okay. I will be patient.

By the way, is there such a thing as a must win game in the first week of the season?

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Let the games begin.

Somewhere in the middle of the country, the defending World Champions of baseball (regular season record: 83-78) are doing battle with the enemies of our enemies (and therefore our friends), who live in a big ugly blue donut down the street from me.

No, I'm not on drugs - but I do have a bad case of Baseball Fever!

(April Fools! I bet after reading that intro, you thought you wandered across the sports page for the New York Daily Post News, didn't you?)

The Cardinals and Mets play tonight, and then real major league baseball begins tomorrow with 1 o'clock games in New York and Detroit, and then our beloved Boston Red Sox take on the Small Market Regal Martyrs at 4pm. And quite frankly, I'm giddy.

Once again, I will log on to my mlb.com account (motto: "Grainy Pixelated Baseball Is Better Than Relying On espn.com's Gameday, and Only $100 More"), connect my computer to my TV, and try to make out what the hell is going on. I'm banking on the Sox coming out hot to start off this season, as our pinstriped friends are experiencing a bit of trouble in their starting rotation, but its only a matter of time until they fleece somebody and end up with a fresh mercenary arm.

If you haven't heard, Carl Pavano is the Yankees opening day starter. To put that in context, Carl Pavano would probably just barely be the fourth starter on the Sox. And that makes me feel good. To go a step further, let's check out the current state of the Yankees rotation according to their website: Wang, Pavano, Mussina, Pettite, and Igawa. Wang just went on the 15-day DL to start the season, and Pettite is day-to-day with a horse face, although it won't cause him to miss any starts. Two weeks ago our rotation would have blown the doors off of a Pavano-Mussina-Sissy Pettite-Igawa-Darrell Rasner ("who is darrell rasner?") offering, but since we made sure to appease the short-sighted "this is the year!" crowd and offered a spot in the rotation to friggin' Runelvys Hernandez or whoever at the expense of the health of a flamethrower, I suppose we don't have that advantage.

(Now I'm not saying Jonathan Papelbon is the next Roger Clemens. But let's say for a second that Jonathan Papelbon is the next Roger Clemens. Imagine if John McNamara had looked out at his bullpen in 1985 and decided the young Rocket would be much more effective than Steve Crawford or Bob Stanley as the closer, and that the starting rotation of Boyd-Hurst-Nipper-Ojeda-Lollar was good enough. Roger Clemens would have been Lee Smith. But no, its great to have Paps in the pen. I can't wait to see Kason Gabbard on my pixelated computer screen on Saturday.)

And here's a little scenario I could see playing out over the next several months: Kei Igawa will go nuts against teams that have never seen him before and put up similar numbers to Matsuzaka, and the Daily Post News will run wildly offensive headlines suggesting the Yankees got the much better Japanese import. This is exactly the kind of situation that makes me hate living in New York, because Yankee fans (a) won't listen to the suggestion that they wait and see how they compare over the course of the year, and (b) at the end of the year when Matsuzaka is head and shoulders better, they'll deny the conversation ever happened.

And one more New York note before I sign off for the evening - there can't be a player more overrated by their fanbase right now than Jose Reyes. I can't believe how Yankee fans are talking about him. There was literally a picture of him on the paper of one of the free newspapers this week with a headline suggesting Willie Mays better look out because Reyes was going to replace him in our collective memories.

Are you kidding me? Willie Mays? Reyes' most similar players through age 23, according to baseballreference.com, include Jim Fregosi, Wil "It's For You" Cordero, and the illustrious Edgar Renteria. Suffice it to say, the Say Hey Kid did not appear anywhere on this list.

(Side note: Jose Reyes is one day younger than me. Guess its too late for me to break into the big leagues.)

Now I know Reyes is a flashy defensive player who busts his butt and is entertaining to watch, but this guy is rapidly becoming a first-round draft pick in fantasy leagues. And that's crazy.

What's even more crazy is the Mets have a much more exciting player, in my opinion, to Reyes' immediate right in David Wright. PETCOTA projects Wright to put up a .386 OBP this season, hitting 32 homers and batting .302 with 20 stolen bases while manning the hot corner. Reyes, on the other hand, is looking at a .335 OBP with 14 homers and a .290 batting average while swiping an amazing 63 bases.

I'm not going to go too in-depth with this, but Scoop Jackson at espn.com has written dozens of columns about similar disparities in public attention between teammates - situations where one player is clearly significantly better than the other, yet the weaker player is a media darling and the subject of public adoration.

I'm guessing Scoop will let this one slide under the radar.

I wonder why?

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