Let's still be friends.

Everyone has been there.

That moment when you see That Person again for the first time since they fell out of your life.

That Person who meant the world to you. That Person who changed your life for the better. That Person that you never wanted to hurt, but That Person who just didn't work out in the end.

And when That Person comes back into your life, even if just for a fleeting moment, all the good times and all the bad times come rushing back to you at once. You simultaneously remember all the highs that made this person mean so much and all the lows that drove them away.

And it really makes you wonder what to do with their old #7 replica jersey you have hanging in your closet, especially now that That Person is wearing #33 (#33?) in Cleveland.

Its no secret that I've had an irrational man-crush on Trot Nixon for the majority of my adult life. The original Dirt Dog played baseball like it was football, and considered a day a failure if his home whites stayed clean. What he lacked in skill he made up for in effort, and that is an attitude I have tried to adopt in my everyday life.

In an era where 90% of the Boston fandom bore a #5, #24, or #45, the #7 became a sign of determination, grit, and old-school baseball. Pink hat fans were not drawn to Nixon. His hard-nosed style was admired by scouts and derided by stats geeks. In the eternal battle against the Evil Empire, his pine-tarred helmet and always-adventurous facial hair expressed a pointed "F-You" to the corporate Pinstripes every time they came to town.

He manned the most difficult right field in baseball during the halcyon days of Pedro Martinez, when anything less than a win was not just a failure but a shock. He was there during the tough seasons in '01 and '02. He was at the heart of the Cowboy Up movement in '03 and beat the hell out of Tanyon Sturtze in the summer of '04.

He crushed that game-winning homer off Clemens in 2000. He ended the "Manny asks out of pinch hitting" 14-inning game in Philadelphia on Veterans Day '03 with a long ball that propelled the Sox through the playoffs, then dropped a game-winner on Oakland in the turning point of the '03 ALDS a month later. He knocked in the final two runs of the 2004 World series.

He was not without his faults either. He forgot how many outs there were and tossed balls in play to kids in the stands. He herniated a disc in his back driving to spring training. He was injury prone and couldn't hit lefties if his life depended on it. His range steadily decreased from his minor league days as a center fielder until he last left the Fenway field as a hometown hero on October 1, 2006.

And seeing Trot back in town in a Cleveland uniform this week felt the same as running into an ex-girlfriend when she's on a date with her new guy. You split on amicable terms, you have nothing bad to say about them, and it really does make you happy to see them with someone who will take care of them in a way you wouldn't.

But still, we had some good times, didn't we?

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"The Fault Dear Brutus...

...is not in our stars, but in ourselves."

You don't necessarily associate William Shakespeare with our national pastime, but in the quote above from Julius Caesar, the Bard offers sound advice which the Yankees and their fans should take to heart."


It is almost becoming silly to talk about the Yankees anymore as they "battle" to stay out of the cellar and are becoming an ever shrinking spec in the Sox rear view mirror (now 14 1/2 games back so stop talking about the 14 game deficit they overcame in 1978). But before the Bummers tumble completely into irrelevancy, I need to get this one off my chest.

As the wheels continue to fall off the $200 million lemon that has become the Yankees, Owner-in-Hiding George Steinbrenner, overturned soup pot on his head and wielding a rolling pin, crawled out of his bunker and fingered Yanks GM Brian Cashman for the unfolding disaster in the Bronx. The Boss, who is reportedly in various stages of mental and physical dissarray, snapped into perfect lucidity with THAT assessment.

While the New York and national media apologists (hello there Suzyn Waldman, John Sterling and Steve Philips) continue to pity the "poor" Yankees over their tarps-full of misfortune, Steinbrenner clearly has lurched uncontrollably into the truth: The Yankees current plight is not a case of bad luck, but rather of bad management.

To paraphrase ol' Will again, let us count the ways.

Let's start with the pitching. Was it bad luck or bad management for Cashman to dump Randy Johnson for two injured minor league prospects?

Was it misfortune when Cashman underbid for Dice K Matsusaka by nearly $20 million thus facing the double whammy of strengthening his chief rival while failing to shore up his own staff? The GM picked a peculiarly interesting time to put the Bombers on a self imposed budget reduction program, seeing as the Yankees needing to cut costs is like Jessica Simpson deciding she needs cosmetic surgery.

Was it then unlucky when the jilted Cashman OVERPAID for whatever Japanese pitcher he could lay his hands on which happened to be the eminently forgettable Kei Igawa? Was it also bad luck that Cashman had cut ties with former Yankee Mike Pagliarula's respected Japanese scouting bureau, as reported in the Globe Sunday, and decided to do his own scouting? Reportedly, if they had kept Pags' organization, they would have been told that Igwawa was not where they should be spending their money.

Cashman then went out and tried recapture the ghosts of Yankee past by bringing back Andy Pettite, who spent a couple of undistinguished years in AAAA Houston and re-signing Mike "Please Don't Make Me Be The Ace" Mussina.

So to recap, through the decisions above, Cashman made the CONSCIOUS DECISION to go into the season with a rotation of Chein Mien Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite, Carl Pavano, and Darryl Rasner. Take a look at that. That was the BEST CASE SCENARIO. Wang would have to continue to develop into the staff ace since the meek Mussina wanted no part of that. The 38 year old Moose would have to keep his stuff together and not grow old before their eyes. Pettite would have to come back and start pitching against real lineups with nine batters again. The fragile Pavano, who pitched in 17 games in 2005 and none in 2006 would have to go out their every fourth day and pitch like he did in the minors in Florida in 2004. And Rasner would have to...well...become a major league pitcher. Again. This was the best case scenario.

So what happened?

Shock. Pavano goes down faster than Howard Dean following the Iowa Causcuses in 2004. Mussina and Wang hit the DL early in the season and the Parade of Rookies begins. But let's take a closer look. Wang was activated April 24 (5 weeks ago) and Mussina came off the DL on May 3 (a month ago).

By contrast, the "lucky" Red Sox have had Mike Timlin, who was supposed to be their primary setup man, for two stints on the DL. He hasn't pitched since May 3. And the best pitcher in baseball, Josh Beckett is just coming off the DL after a couple of weeks. So how much worse is that?

The fact is the Yankees pitching coming into the season was a disgrace, considering their payroll, and everything needed to go perfectly for them to be merely adequate. But don't lay it all on bad luck.

Okay, so let's look at that Murderer's Row lineup. Clearly Cashman made another conscious decision that this awesome batting order would overcome any pitching woes and they would win a championship with offense instead of pitching and defense. The fact that this hasn't ever worked since the dawn of time when the cavemen were routed by failing to stop the rampaging sabre toothed tigers, never bothered Cashman. In fact, the young GM, who demanded full control of the baseball operation, wielded his new power by dumping the "fire in the belly" of the Yanks in Gary Sheffield to allow Walkin' Bobby Abreu to play right field.

Pause for reflection here. Cashman chose the light hitting, up-there-for-a-walk Abreu over Sheffield, who inspired fear in teammates and opponents alike with his practice swings in the on deck circle. Meanwhile Abreu has turned into the kid in Little League who annoys everyone by just standing there hoping for a walk to the point that the umpires have begun just ringing him up for spite. There is no question in my mind that the punchout last Saturday by Jeff Nelson on a pitch that was a foot outside was a message to the Swingless Abreu that he better get that piece of wood off his shoulder.

In the meantime, Sheffield is snugly in the middle of a frightening lineup in Detroit with Magglio Ordonez scaring the bejesus out of the league as usual. Come on, really. Do the Yankees scare you as much without Sheffield in the middle of the batting order? You think Abreu will inspire them by standing still in the batter's box? Apparently Cashmen thought so, since he had to choose between the two and he took Walkin' Bobby.

As for the rest of the lineup. Was it bad luck that Johnny Damon is disintegrating before our eyes? Isn't that why Theo refused to pay the big bucks for four years? Just think, the Yanks have two more years after this one to watch Damon atrophy in center field. It will be like Bernie Williams II.

And Juicin Giambi is fading fast as well and can't play first. More shocks. Cashman couldn't have foreseen that?

The fact is that if Arod, Jeter and Posada weren't having career years, the Bombers would be even further out of first than they are. Arod cooled in May and the wins dropped. God knows what is going to happen if the Captain and Jorge stop hitting.

So let's cut the crap. The Yankees have suffered some bad luck, but no worse than anyone else. They built their team around hitting with no regard for pitching and now they are getting neither. But don't worry, Yankee fans. Help is on the way. Part Time Roger will be there shortly to give you five solid innings every fifth day. That should fix everything. (But he won't be starting in Boston. I guess you'd have to pay him a lot more than $28 million to get him to do that. Or perhaps he has a family cookout in Texas and won't be available for the weekend.)

So we'll leave it to the Bard to summarize. To paraphrase Richard III, Yankee fans can simply say, "Now is the (summer) of our discontent...."And of their tortured team. "Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time, Into this breathing world scarce half made up."

I may never stop smiling.

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A Night at the Dinner Table

Frankly, it doesn't get much better than this.

It’s seven-thirty and the aroma of spaghetti and meatballs is making its way up the stairs to my room. It enters my room, my eyebrows raise, and I lick my lips. I go down the stairs, stepping on five of twenty-five, triple hopping, unaware of the potential injuries one could face in this same situation, acting as if the food is going to be eaten by someone else. And this is where I see the setting put forth in today’s entry.

I’m fixated. With my mouth open and tongue out, I stare at a gigantic bowl of spaghetti (enough to serve 20-25 adults), garlic bread, sauce, salad (with assorted dressing), napkins, and plates. And of course the Sox on the TV.

This is the typical setting for any week night dinner. But this isn’t any normal night. This is a Wednesday! So the usual questions come out of Tom.

“Did you read my post?”
“No dad.”
“Why not.”
“I don’t know.”
“Find out”
“Okay dad.”

So at this point, the Sox are up to bat, I’m absorbed in my food, and Tom is talking about his philosophies. I noticed that this is where a lot of his ideas come from. He comes in from the commute home, fresh off of his talk radio session, and has now formulated all sorts of ideas. But these are mostly spur of the moment frustrations and grievances. More importantly is the commentary and play-by-play he does to the game. I can always tell what kind of mood he is in. Lugo will get up and get a base hit.

“Atta boy Lugo!” Happy.
“Its about time, I’m surprised he opened his eyes on that swing.” Surprised.
Or Lugo will take two big swings and misses, 0-2 count.
“I can’t believe they signed him, what a waste of money.” Regret.
“All right, you ready Cor? Here comes the weak ground ball to second.” Fed up.
Lugo grounds out to second base, 4-3 out.
“See, ha ha, I told you…he SUCKS!” Content with theory.

Now all these happenings are fairly normal. Tom has found who he seems to enjoy pestering on the team, and I have to admit, its pretty entertaining. But this particular Wednesday, Tom had a great reaction. Classic Tom move

Lugo gets up and has two big swings and misses. 0-2

“Here it comes Corey!”
“Okay Dad.”

Lugo swings and makes contact, but opposite field towards the shortstop. This odd happening catches my attention. I look up.

“You got to been kidding me, does he ever get a hit? What’s his trade value.” By this point, the ball is just reaching the hole. Tom looks down at his nightly crossword puzzle. The ball slips through for a base hit. Tom looks back up. “ATTA BOY NICE JOB, I TOLD YOU COREY HES THE BEST!”

This change of heart made me spit up half a mouthful of garlic bread and spaghetti. I looked at my father with my mouth open, and half a meatball on my lap. Not only did my father trash the poor guy (who is just trying his hardest to make a living), but it happened ½ way through the play! The ball hadn’t even had a chance to get to the hole for the hit. THAN when it was a hit Tom was basically wearing a Julio Lugo shirt. As my father once said, “That’s the way I am, and you can’t change me :-).” I guess that’s nothing but truth.

In other news, I want to simply throw my two cents in on Tavarez. I love the guy. He makes me laugh while he’s on the bench using his newly created sign language to communicate with Daisuke. He has great answers for the media requiring his spot on the team. To put it bluntly, he’s a great team player. Unfortunately the truth is he sucks. I just wish he were better. I only ask for a few things. Let this guy be better! (Note: this was written before his start on Sunday)

One last thing before I go, I went to the Pawsox tonight. They got decimated, but at least Timlin came in and only allowed two runs and pitched 1/3 of an inning to stop the bleeding. RETIRE.

Anyways, that’s all for me. See you on the next spot start.

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Drew Value?

We're going to do a before and after treatment tonight, focusing on what is fast becoming one of Theo's big busts of 2007: J. D. Drew. As Kevin from New York has pointed out, no one more than Drew has benefited from the fast Sox start. He has flown, or should we say wobbled, under the radar after tailing off from his fast start.

Time to get out the magnifying glass. I'll outline my opinion before the game and closely examine his performance tonight against the Rangers to see if that changes the way I feel.

You would have thought Drew was a child molester based on the reaction he got even before he got to Boston. Sox fans, stoked by vitriolic radio talk show hosts and poison penned sportswriters, universally panned Drew once he signed his $70 million, 5 year contract. I actually puked all over Kevin when I heard, almost setting a record for bailing out on the Sox in December. I bought into the hype and reputation and said Theo had no regard for team chemistry and blowing all that money on Drew was a joke.

The Dice-K mania stuffed Drew onto the back burner a bit and I mellowed, deciding to give him a fair shot once the season started. Although criticized for his lack of durability and his permanent time share on the DL, Drew was said to be productive when he was on the field. I figured tucked behind Big Papi and Manny he would not be in the spotlight and might thrive. Besides, he had to be better than anything we had in the five hole last year and it wasn't my money so let's see what happened.

Drew came in quiet as a church mouse and started the season rip-snorting hot. Things looked look as he was hitting over .400 and contributing as Ortiz and Manny struggled. I thought this might work out after all.

Then he hit the skids and things that you didn't notice before began to become more obvious. That sweet swing looked so natural when he was ripping doubles into the gap, but began to look feeble as he flailed helplessly at off speed pitches down and away.

As his batting average plummeted faster than Brittany Spears standing in the Mother of the Year contest, other disturbing things began to pop up. First was his taking a couple of days off with "virus like symptoms" which were probably legit. At this point, we began to notice that he plays the game with the same passion as someone mowing his lawn. I think we are starting to see why he aggravated teammates in St. Louis, Atlanta and Los Angeles so much.

Now comes this past Wednesday night, when the Sox are playing the rubber game of a three game series against the hated Yankmees. A win there and the Bombers are 11 1/2 out. Drew has had success against starter Andy Pettite and the following day is an off day. Tito asks Drew if he wants in and the ever competitive, do or die Drew responds: "Nah, I think I'll take a mental health day."

A mental health day??????

Neurosurgeons take mental health days. Air traffic controllers take mental health days. Elementary school teachers take mental health days.

Major league right fielders hitting .236 making $86,420 PER GAME don't take mental health days. Not when your team is playing the freaking NEW YORK YANKEES WITH A CHANCE TO BURY THEM!

The amazing thing is that this stunt went largely unmentioned. Can you imagine of Manny had responded the same way? Talk show hosts from Maine to Connecticut would have been screaming for Manny's dreadlocked scalp at the top of their lungs. And Manny has done more and means more to this line up than Drew can even think of.

So there you have it. In case you haven't noticed, I am disenchanted with the Disengaged One. I'm going to watch him very closely tonight against the Rangers (if the rain ever stops) and get back to you after the game.

**********************************************************************************
Well thanks to the rain delay, the game didn't start until 10 pm, which means here I am at 1:25 am finishing up this post. And I have to tell you, Drew was no help keeping me up. He is truly a problem.

He walked in the second and eventually scored on Pedroia's base hit. In the third, we were treated to a classic Drew Hoo. Leading 4-0, Papi was on third and Manny on second. This is where your number five has to come up with the hit and two big RBI's. Not our man Drew. Broken bat grounder to second, and Ranger second baseman Ian Kinsler was able to dive back and beat a napping Manny for the out.

In his next two at bats, Drew came through by ending both innings. In the 5th he bounced into a 3-6 double play and in the 6th he dribbled an easy grounder to second for the final out. His exciting appearance there also included what Jerry Remy called "a very tentative swing". Yuk.

In the ninth, Drew wrapped up a tidy 0 for 4 by striking out weakly against Eric Gagne. His average plummeted to .230.

The really scary thing is that with that albatross of a contract, we are stuck with him for five years. Meanwhile, David Murphy and Brandon Moss are starting to tear it up in Pawtucket, but there will be no place for them to go. What happens to them while the Sox shell out a ridiculous $14 mil per year for what appears to be a fading fast, underachieving Drew?

Meanwhile, Tito is showing more patience than Job by continuing to stick Drew in the five spot and watching him strand runners, kill rallies and end innings. Time to move him down to seven or eight and see if he can snap out of it.

Everything is beautiful right now, but eventually, the Sox might actually consider getting some production from their fifth hitter. It's getting more apparent that is not going to happen with Drew.

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To The Front!

Q: How can you spot the Red Sox fans at Yankee Stadium?

A: They're the ones looking at the field.

Tonight I had the opportunity to participate in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry for the first time in The House that Ruth Built, and the experience managed to disappoint me on a wide variety of levels.

I arrived at about 6:45 to my seats in the uppermost of upper decks in right field, just inside the foul pole. As the national anthem was played, the stadium was about half full - not just in my section but also throughout the entire lower bowl. I gave the fans the benefit of the doubt and sat down to score the game.

The Big Schill came out and looked like garbage even from five hundred feet away. I got the feeling we were in for a long day when Damon and Jeter started off the game seeing four balls in the first six pitches taken - Curt can't really "pitch to contact" if he can't find the strikezone - and Matsui cemented my fears with a home run that disappeared under my deck.

By eight o'clock, the place was packed and I had the distinct feeling this wasn't going to be our night. It was also around this time that the Yankee "faithful," who had now been "watching" the game for upwards of fifteen minutes, began finding other ways to amuse themselves. Whether this entailed taking pictures of themselves with their friends, talking on their cellphones to people sitting in other areas of the stadium, or responding like one of Skinner's pigeons to the awful noisemaking stimulators employed at ballparks with less saavy fanbases.

Another hugely annoying element of my seats (which weren't great but were by no means terrible) was the fact that the stadium provided almost no game information during play. Whereas Fenway provides the lineup on the Diamondvision in addition to several out of town scoreboards, batting statistic summaries, pitch counters and even pitch types, my vantage point at Yankee Stadium afforded me a view of the out-of-town scores and a "K Counter" (which was stuck at 1 for five innings; what a useful and informative tool). In an era where pitch counts are all-consuming, how can you not have one that is visible from anywhere in the stadium?

By nine o'clock, with the Yanks comfortably ahead by six runs, the fans at the Stadium seperated into two distinct groups: those who went home, and those who started or contributed to fights. It was during this period of the game where Ramirez doubled and was knocked in by Lowell, and I may have been the only person in my section who saw the sequence because there was apparently a much more interesting fight between a drunk guy wearing a Matsuzaka shirt and a drunk guy wearing a Munson shirt. Good times. I mean, its only a game featuring your most intense rival - why would you look at the field?

Now don't get me wrong - there were plenty of terribly embarassing Red Sox fans on display at the ballpark tonight as well. One of my biggest pet peeves regarding replica jerseys worn by fans that have last names on them when no names appear on the actual jerseys (this really only happens with Sox home jerseys and either Yankee jersey). Anyone who owns a #2 New York jersey with "Jeter" in arched lettering isn't really telling anyone they don't know, and those people with "Ortiz" across the back of a white #34 jersey are just as bad. In an case, the worst Sox perpetrator in my section was a skinny drunk obnoxious white kid wearing a home Sox #10 jersey with "Crisp" proudly displayed across the back.

What's the thought process there?

Anyways, this kid was gone long before the seventh inning stretch, and as the more obnoxious Sox fans were tossed out of the stadium, the ravenous Bronx denizens started heckling anyone wearing Sox paraphenalia in an attempt to rile them enough to get the boot. This was apparently more interesting than the actual "game" that I thought everyone had come to see.

By the bottom of the eighth inning, the stadium was three-quarters empty. I couldn't believe my eyes. The score was 7-3, and I could have walked down to seats in the first row on the field. There were so many empty seats in the lower bowl that I'm sure you could see it on TV. I turned to Jeff the Yankee Fan (thanks for the tix!) and said, "Is it always like this?" He frowned a little bit and nodded yes, sadly acknowledging that his fan base sucks.

Now I know its a Wednesday night - but its Sox/Yankees! There is absolutely no way Fenway clears out that significantly during a four-run contest, especially when the Sox are winning. I couldn't believe it.

So there you have it. Disappointing effort from the Olde Towne Team in what may be my only opportunity to see them live, disappointing effort from our rival's fanbase, and disappointing effort from Yankee Stadium itself.

And as I left and the chants of "Boston Sucks" poured down from the 15,000 or so hardy individuals who had managed to survive all nine grueling innings, I looked out towards center field where the pennants of all the American League teams are situated in an order corresponding with the current standings - and the red and blue "Boston" flag fluttered proudly at the far left of the display.

Can't get disappointed about that.

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Just what the doctor ordered

Monday night was the hard slap across the face. The splash of cold ice water. The vigorous shake of the shoulders.

Snap out of it Red Sox nation. It ain't over yet.

There appears to be no middle ground when it comes to Red Sox fans. We go from zero to 60 faster than a Porsche Carrera. It's either "they" really stink or "we're" going all the way. There never appears to be anything in between for the local fan base.

Now don't get me wrong. Just because the desperate Yankmees spanked us doesn't change the basic facts. The Sox have a much better pitching staff than the Bombers and over the long haul that will prove to be the difference. But all this talk about New York being "out of it" a week before Memorial Day is simply absurd.

Yes a $200 million payroll doesn't buy what it used to, especially when you throw away $15 million on a walk specialist like Bobby Abreu, $13 million on a fading centerfielder with a chicken arm and $28 million on a money hungry 45 year old egotist that will pitch four or five innings every fifth day and then head home. But make no mistake, even with all the holes, this Yankee team is far from being done.

Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada still know how to win. ARod will put up huge numbers until October and Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Juicin' Giambi are still dangerous hitters. This is a scary potent lineup and when the weather gets warmer and some of the bats snap out of it , they will put up a ton of runs. It won't be enough but they will not finish double digits out of first place. They will still probably end up with the wild card. They are built for the regular season and will eventually make things uncomfortable for the Sox.

Which is why I had a bad feeling about this series even before it started. Dopey talk show callers asking "so when we sweep the series will Joe Torre be fired?" is just ridiculous. The Yanks have what's left of their pitching staff lined up perfectly. Meanwhile, doesn't it bother you that of the three pitchers the Sox will run out there, the one who is throwing the best is Julian Tavarez? Wakefield got shelled last night just like he did against the Tigers. Schilling has looked awful in his last two starts. Shouldn't we start worrying about THEM looking old?

Plus the Yankees are once again desperate. If they lose two of three, they will come out of this 11 1/2 games back. At some point the numbers just get too big to overcome. The Sox, meanwhile, only have to take one of three to leave the Big Apple with a nine and a half game cushion. Teams in such desperate straits, usually play with a much better sense of purpose. Even this pulseless bunch of pinstripers.

Sox players have been saying all the right things as they do no wrong while the Yanks keep walking under ladders and breaking mirrors. After Monday's listless effort, maybe the Sox will actually begin to believe what they are saying. There IS a long way to go. And they better not forget it.

So please maintain a dollop of healthy skepticism. The "bad" Sox showed up Monday. They again left too many many on base (12 to be exact) as Youk, Drew, Manny and Lugo maddeningly failed to deliver the clutch hit that would have gotten them into the game. Wake was terrible again. Romero couldn't find the plate and we were even treated to the Pawtucket Arsonist Manny Delcarmen in the 7th and Joel Pinata in the eighth.

But there is no need to leap off the Tobin Bridge just because the Yankees took one from the Sox. Just consider it a wake up call.

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Good news from the front.

They're beginning to sweat in New York City.

There are several occurances in the city I've come to identify as barometers of the Yankees' success - the most prominent being my "Yankees hats in Time Square" test (amount of Yankee hats in midtown=level of on-field success).

A more accurate but lesser-used test is the "Jeff the Yankee Fan" examination - a close friend of mine from college is a dyed-in-the-wool Yanks fan, and his level of confidence or frustration generally echoes the sentiments of the Evil Empire as a whole. I placed a phone call to him this afternoon and was greeted at first by cursing, then a reminder that football season is only 100 or so days away. He then asked me where he could buy a Kansas City Royals hat so he could be spared the indignity of wearing his "NY" in public. These are all very good signs, for those of you scoring at home.

The kicker, however, was when I told him that my father suggested that the ten-game Sox lead gave me more than enough leeway to talk a little trash to my I start to talk a little more trash to my pinstriped bretheren. Jeff, long familiar with Tom in Boston's rooting habits, replied "Your dad is confident? Oh man, we are in trouble.

Yes, sports fans, things are bad in the Big Apple and starting to look worse. Especially when contrasted this weekend against a scrappy and talented Mets franchise, this year's Yankee ballclub is in desperate need of some shaking up.

The Mets, who this week shaved their heads in a show of team solidarity (a little early to "cowboy up," metropolitans), have already outclassed their listless crosstown rival twice this weekend. Where the Mets lift each other up and play exciting team-oriented baseball, the Yankees are devolving in front of our eyes; this is the downside of operating such a cold, corporate, and mercenary franchise. Team chemistry is a concept that is thrown around far too often and regularly blown out of proportion, but one would think a more condusive work environment would light at least a little bit of a fire underneath the Yank's collective behinds. (Maybe that's what Roger is for? Nah...)

And sure, part of this listlessness also must be attributed to the devestating rash of injuries the team has endured, including today's injury to Darrell Rasner. I'm sure seeing a different teammate go down on a weekly basis takes the wind out of your sails, but its the kind of thing all teams experience. The 2006 Red Sox suffered a similar fate, and it effectively derailed their season and kept the playoffs out of reach - and we can only hope the Yanks' suffer a similar fate.

And the fans are ready. If you want a bit of a chuckle, head on over to the Yankees' fansite nyyfans.com. The "We had a great ten-year run" threads are starting to crop up, much to the dismay of the more experienced and levelheaded bloggers who have noticed that it is still, in fact, May. We all know the Yanks will make a huge splash before the trade deadline - they didn't shill out $22 million for Roger to have him pick up meaningless wins in September. Teams with $200 million dollar payrolls do not pack it in before high school graduations have finished up. The Yankees will be sticking around for a while.

But if the fans are running up the white flags, I won't be stopping them. After all, they need to start preparing for football season.

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C'mon Get Happy!

Rereading our last two posts, I can understand why people are beginning to think that Kevin and I are head cheerleaders for the next depression. We have taken the phrase "cautious optimism" to stupefying levels. Enough of that. Sweeping the Tigers today and taking two of three from the defending pennant winners should dispel any unfounded worries.

Why should we stop to smell the roses? Let me count the ways.

Here then, in the interest of lifting the clouds, are ten reasons why the Sox will continue to roll through the summer.

1. Pitching
Good pitching wins games and ultimately championships and the Sox moundmen have been outstanding. They have the best ERA in the league (second in the majors) at 3.25 and have allowed the fewest runs and total bases in the majors. The starting staff has been phenomenal with even fifth starter Julian Tavarez putting together some great effors, including today's gem against the Bengals. Even with Beckett going on the DL and missing two starts, the Sox are still okay. Waiting in the wings is Jon Lester, playing the role of the thoroughbred being held back by a wise jockey just waiting to be let go. They also have some good arms on the farm in Devern Hansack, Kasson Gabbard and even phenom Clay Bucholtz in Portland should thing really unravel. The relief corps has been relentless with the surprising OkeDokie and Paps shutting things down at the end of games. Hitting can evaporate quickly (see Yankees, New York), but good pitching is more predictable over the long haul. They say momentum in baseball is only as good as the next day's starter, and the Sox can roll out a solid starter day after day.

2. Depth
Give Theo credit. He has put together one of the deepest Sox teams in years, probably the most versatile since the 04 championship squad. Today's nightcap win against the Tigers is a good example. They won 4-2 with David Ortiz, JD Drew and Julio Lugo on the bench and with Curt Schilling having nothing on the mound. Eric Hinkse makes the great catch and hits the game winning homer, Alex Cora moves the runner over which leads to another run and even Wily Mo walks three times. Brendan Donnelly, Javier Lopez and Oki pick up Schill and viola, another Sox win.

3. Manny will be Manny
The Sox have roared out to a 9 1/2 game lead in the AL east and are 16 games over .500 while possibly the best right handed hitter in baseball history has hit .255 with only six homers. You know he is going to end up around .300 with 30 homers so a hot streak is imminent.

4. JD Drew
The $14 million man started out like a house afire but has cooled considerably. He currently is hitting .250 with 13 RBI's hitting behind Youk, Ortiz and Manny. There was never any question about his ability. If he stays in the lineup, eventually he will be productive.

5. Julio Lugo
Theo traded the defense of Alex Gonzales for the offense of Julio Lugo, but so far hasn't gotten either. Lugo will not hit .252 all year so again look forward to a surge from him.

6. The Blue Jays
As Kevin from New York has said, we hope the Jays enjoyed their second place finish last year when the Sox were decimated by injuries. It's Toronto's turn now and it will make things a lot easier for the Sox to have this perennial pain in the butt team become a non factor. Looking forward to J.P.'s fire sale coming to the Rogers Centre soon.

7. Interleague play
The Sox feasted on the AAAA National League last year going 16-3. This year they play Atlanta, one of the better teams in the Major Minors, but then get to play 12 games against Arizona, Colorado, San Francisco and San Diego. Those juggernauts have a combined 80-84 record. I think we can survive a few games with Big Papi at first.

8. Sam Perlazzo
The Sox get to play the Boy Genius and his Orioles 13 more times. Can't wait. You can always count on Sammy boy to make the right move (taking out the hot, unhittable starter) to allow the Sox to steal a few more games.

9. The Schedule
The amazing thing about the Sox run is they have done it without the benefit of a home heavy schedule. After today's double header, the Sox have played 40 games, an even 20 each on the road and at home. They have a couple of tough road trips in June, but come September the schedule tips heavily to Fenway. 17 of their final 27 games are in Boston, and the road games are against Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay. Advantage: Red Sox

10. The numbers game
While it is way to early to bury the Yankmees, the numbers are starting to become daunting. The Sox currently sit at 28-12. If they play two games over .500 each of the last four months, they will finish wiith 97 wins. For the Yanks to finish with 98 wins, they would have to go 80-53 in their final games. Not impossible, but do you really expect that from a team that is currently 3 games under .500 and is pinning all their hopes on a 45 year old six inning pitcher and a kid in Triple A that is currently on the DL?

Okay. Is that better? Time to take off the shackles and celebrate. We are rolling!

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"The Dirty Dozen"

Walking by the newsstand today, I was stopped in my tracks by the headline blaring from the back page of the Daily News.

"The Dirty Dozen: 12 Games that could decide Yankees' season."

Combined with the logos of the Yanks' next four opponents and a picture of a semi-comatose Joe Torre, the caption for the graphic reads, "With his team 8.5 games back in AL East, Joe Torre could face disaster in next 12 games."

Yankeeland is in full-fledged panic mode. It appears, from the News' viewpoint, that the Bombers could be out of contention before the first of June.

So why am I still afraid to start bragging?

Obviously, I am surrounded by Yankee fans here in New York City at all times. There are many with whom I am very close, whether they are colleagues from work, fellow students, or teammates. As one who is not afraid to dish insults and trade verbal barbs at the drop of a hat, I can not attribute my newfound silence to good sportsmanship or tact; I am also absolutely sure that if the tables were turned and the Yankees were riding high, I would be getting buried at every opportunity.

Generally, one would keep mum if he thought the lead was an aberration and things would eventually swing away from his favor; that really isn't the case here. There is significant statistical support to the theory that the Red Sox really are as good as their record indicates and that they could concievably maintain this historical pace, and the Yankees, despite recent roster moves (did they pick someone up?), could really be as bad as they look.

So what's the problem? When do I start wearing my Tim Wakefield t-shirt to the sports bar down the street? If the Sox take another three-game set from the Yanks in a week and half, do I bring a broom to work? When do the "At least you have Eli Manning reporting to mini-camp in two months" jokes start?

To be honest, I don't think I have it in me.

I know that the blackboard of history was erased in 2004 with the hoisting of the World Series banner. Supposedly, our luck has been reversed.

But doesn't it seem like we're always this far out front in May? And yet we haven't taken the East since Mo Vaughn was playing MVP-caliber baseball. The Yankees, like cockroaches, seem to survive everything we throw at them. When do we stick a fork in them? The All-Star break? Trade deadline? Stake driven through heart?

Maybe its just in the family bloodstream - a constant all-encompassing paranoia that constantly reminds us that things will more than likely fall apart right when we get comfortable. (As exhibit A, I reference you to the previous post on this blog about the winningest team in baseball.)

I will watch with great anticipation how this team holds up over the course of the summer. They've done what they needed to do early in the season - build up a nice cushion and put an immense amount of pressure on the rest of the division to overachieve through the dog days of summer. The Yanks will obviously acquire help by the deadline, but maybe it won't be enough...maybe this is the year we break through the pinstriped ceiling in the AL East.

But I think I'll just keep that between you and me.

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What Me Worry?

It's apparently official. Six weeks into the season and the Red Sox can do no wrong. For proof, you need look no further than today's improbable win over the O's, a game the moribund Sox had no business winning. But they won it. Everything is going their way. The Sox own the best record in the Majors and are playing at a near-.700 clip. They have an 8 game lead in the AL East and appear to be pulling away. Life is good.

So what is a self respecting, long suffering Sox fan to do during these giddy times? Make up things to worry about of course.

So here for your dancing and worrying pleasure are the Top Ten "What Ifs" That Should Concern You While the Sox Can Do No Wrong

In reverse order of the pain each would cause should they actually come to pass.

10. WHAT IF the Sox continue their horrendous LOB tendencies?
Yes I am aware that teams with high OBP's will always have high Left on Base numbers, but the Sox have a frightening way of going into prolonged dry spells at the plate. This weekend's series against the O's offers a preview of what life could be like once the pixie dust dissipates. In Friday night's 6-3 loss to the woeful Orioles, the Sox stranded 13 baserunners against Brian Burress, Todd Williams, John Parrish, Chad Bradford, Jamie Walker and Chris Ray (even Wily Mo hits him for God's sake). On Sunday "Arlo" Guthrie mezmerized them for eight innings and if Sam Perlazzo hadn't suffered a brain cramp and lifted the kid, the O's would have won the series. That is simply pathetic. Imagine what could happen when they have to face quality pitching like....Roger Clemens!

9.WHAT IF J. D. Drew can't make the conversion to the big leagues?
Kevin from New York described the cooling off of Drew and the fact that the Big Schill has taken heat off him. I also admire that Kevin didn't mention that Trot is hitting about 30 points higher than J. D., though I suspect he had to chew is typing fingers off not to. If Drew continues to struggle, you are going to start seeing mass pitch arounds of Papi and Manny which could lead to some frustrating nights. (See #10 above).

8. WHAT IF Julio Lugo continues to struggle in the field and at the plate?
Again, Kevin has noted the growing concern over the new leadoff man. He simply doesn't take enought pitches and doesn't get on enough. (And he gets picked off too much when he DOES reach) and is really below average fielding. He should be handing Youk some of his big money checks after every game. Youk digs out so many Lugo short hops at first that he should take a shovel out there with him. And yes Lugo created the winning play today, but let's not overlook the fact that it was a routine grounder to second and only the embedded Red Sox Kevin Millar ranging too far to his right, which he did too many times when he was here, allowed the Sox to escape.

7. WHAT IF Manny decides to take his annual summer sabbatical?
So far Manny hasn't really hit his stride but his reputation alone has helped Papi and the rest of the lineup. You wonder how long he has to hit .250 before managers realize he actually won't hurt them. Not for a while is my guess. When he does erupt, which he will, this lineup will really start to produce. So when he decides his hammy's need a rest, that great sucking sound will be the air coming out of that potent lineup.

6. WHAT IF Chris Hansen and Manny Delcarmen continue to struggle?
How the mighty have fallen. From being untouchable in trade talks to being eminently crushable in Triple A these two Sox hurlers are a real concern. They are not needed right now, but as the season progresses and injuries pile up, the big club may need some help. As evidenced by their performance last week when the two coughed up a nine run Pawsox lead faster than Mama Cass, the former dynamic duo is simply not yet ready for prime time.

5. WHAT IF Josh Beckett's blister problem recurs?
This one is rapidly moving from hypothetical to reality. He left after four innings with an "avulsion" on his finger, which sounds a lot like a blister to me. Beckett has been the ace of the staff thus far, mostly because he went to his breaking ball more. Did that cause the problem? When he comes back, does he go back to Batting Practice Josh because he will be afraid to throw his breaking stuff and risk aggravating his "avulsion?" This is one you should really worry about.

4. WHAT IF opposing teams start to figure out OkieDokie?
Okijama has been tremedous, but how much of his success is the result of his herky jerky, head dip motion unfamiliar to opposing hitters? Once he has been around the league once or twice, will the novelty wear off? If so, where do the Sox go for a reliable set up man for Paps? Timlin? Pinata? Hansen or Delcarmen? Not a pretty thought.

3. WHAT IF the captain wears down or gets hurt?
So far Varitek has been outstanding. He has actually contributed at the plate and continues to do a stellar job handling the staff. But we all remember the Meltdown of '06 that began when Tek got hurt. How do you feel about Mirabelli, Kevin Cash or George Kottaras behind the dish on a regular basis. With this pitching staff, that's like putting bald tires on a Porsche. Truly scary to contemplate.

2. WHAT IF Big Papi gets hurt?
Only DH'ing prevents Ortiz from risking getting hurt in the field (although if he has to play first in interleague play there is real possibility Lugo could kill him.) However since he never learned to slide Papi always looks like a train wreck waiting to happen when he barrels into a base. How do you like the lineup without 34 in the middle of it?

And the number one hypothetical thing to worry about....

1. WHAT IF Paps reinjures his shoulder?
This is one from which the Sox would not recover. There is no other viable closer option within 300 miles of Fenway if this disaster strikes. Oh yeah, Piniero could step in right? Oh boy, how does that one look now as an option? This is the one that should truly keep you awake while enjoying the current run. If Papelbon goes down, the entire Sox season goes down with him. Gulp.

Looking for the cloud above the silver lining is an age old habit among older Sox fans like me. But I'm sure there is nothing to worry about. It's all in my head. Relax and enjoy the good times! *Cringe*

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The Lightning Rod

You may or may not have heard that Curt Schilling has a lot of opinions and he's not shy about sharing them. While some have called for Curt to just shut up, I think he should keep talking as long as he can still think of things to say.

Do I care what he's talking about? Not really. I'm more interested in Curt pulling the focus of the Boston media on to himself and off of his teammates.

If Schilling was a delicate flower of a man and started to wilt under the intense media scrutiny he attracts, I would be the first person at his locker with the duct tape. However, the righty has proved over and over again that the media does not affect his play on the field; this ability to mitigate the influence of the knights of the keyboard is a skill not often showcased by Sox players. And since Schill can handle this pressure, he should shoulder as much of it as possible.

In the past week, we've read countless stories about Schilling and Bonds; before that, the scribes declared war on G38's blog. While precious column inches in the sports section and hours on the sports talk airwaves were devoted to covering every angle of these gripping stories, think of the possible columns that have gone unwritten.

The first person who should be dropping Curt a Thank-You card is new Sox right fielder J.D. Drew. I thought Drew was a great signing this off-season, as he is the poster boy for Theo's new vision for the ballclub. My fear, however, was that he would be crucified in the press if he got out to a slow start (it started before he was signed, for crying out loud) and then we'd have to suffer through a contentious five-year contract that would make Keith Foulke's relationship with the city look positively rosy. Drew helped himself out early by playing lights-out ball for the first several weeks, but when his bat cooled and he missed a few games with a virus, where were the headhunters? Gathered at Schilling's locker.

Next in line should be Julio Lugo. Another long-time Theo man-crush, Lugo was expected to not only take a firm grasp on the leadoff spot but also to play defense comparable to that showcased by Alex Gonzalez in 2006. Lugo's defense has been solid, but his .309 on-base percentage has been anything but impressive. When Coco Crisp was a black hole in the leadoff spot last year, it took very little time for the Hub's ire to focus squarely on him; this year, Lugo is only beginning to hear some grumblings as the season approaches its third month.

I feel like there was another big-ticket acquisition this offseason as well that Schill is obscuring, but it seems to be slipping my mind...Oh yes, of course, how about the $108 million dollar man, Daisuke Matsuzaka? Don't get me wrong, Matsuzaka is still more successful than I projected him to be thus far, and I think he will absolutely be an ace in the next several years: however, aren't you shocked that there has been relatively little made of such a highly-touted import having such obvious control problems and barely keeping his ERA below five? Here in New York, the jokes are already flowing; Yankees fans tell me the Sox may have gotten lucky with the guy they brought over to keep Okajima company, or if I point out that Roger Clemens would be a #5 starter on the Sox they would reply "But you already have that Matsuzaka kid." In a time when he is making major adjustments both on and off the field and is already contending with the enormous Eastern media contingent, I'm sure Daisuke is happy to be getting a bit of a free pass from the Northeastern scribes.

So keep jawing, Curt. Draw all that attention to yourself, whether you're doing it for the right reasons or the wrong ones; your teammates should be thanking you.

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Back to the Future

New, York, NY. In a stunning announcement Sunday, the New York Yankees took another monumental step in their new strategy of getting younger and cheaper by signing soon to be 45 year old Roger Clemens to a contract that will pay him $153,000 per day.

The Yanks brass confidently announced that the Clemens signing was just the beginning of a complete overhaul of the Bombers' roster caused by their putrid start.

Brian Cashman asserted that he was not concerned about the Rocket's age or the fact that he averaged barely five innings of work in a watered down division in an anemic National League.

"We are confident that this signing will rejuvenate Roger," the Yanks' GM stated. "And to ensure that the "rejuvenation" takes place we have set Roger up in a locker right between Jason Giambi and Jason Grimsley, whom we have also just reaquired."

The 39 year old Grimsley, another member of the 1999 World Championship Yankee team, inked a four month prorated $12 million deal. Also signed yesterday to four month prorated deals were 45 year old David Cone ($21 mil), 40 year old Mike Stanton ($15 mil), 40 year old Hideki Irabu ($13 mil) , 40 year old Jeff Nelson ($12 mil) and 36 year old Ramiro Mendoza ($375K). The group will join Clemens, Andy Petitte and Mariano Rivera in reuniting the pitching staff from the 99 championship team.

The last piece of the staff was Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who was acquired in a trade with the Mets for Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano. The Yankees agreed to pay all but the league minimum of ARod and Cano's salaries. To plug the infield holes, Cashman resigned 41 year old Scott Brosius ($11 mil) and 39 year old Chuck Knoblach ($14 mil). Both played on the 99 title team.

The entire group was announced to the Yankee Stadium crowd during the seventh inning stretch of last night's game with Texas. Crowded into George Steinbrenner's box, the group sang a chorus of "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" as the crowd went wild. Reportedly Yankee Announcer John Sterling was forced to plunge a quivering Suzyn Waldman into an emergency ice bath to prevent her from reaching a full, on-air orgasm.

The Yanks also gave outright releases to the entire current pitching staff and will eat all their contracts. The signings will bring New York's payroll to just about $400 million.

"Who givea a f***," Cashman told reporters when this was noted. "Money doesn't mean anything to us. We have more money than God. For us, it's just all about winning, pride and self respect."

Cashman also announced that the entire roster was given the same perks as Clemens, meaning they can come and go as they please. The team met with Joe Torre and demanded that each player be given a schedule a week in advance so they can plan their trips home to spend time with their families.

"It's a little unorthodox," said the skipper. "But it's the Yankee way. They have lots of freedom and we'll play who ever decides to show up. Hopefully we'll have at least nine for most games."

Despite the changes, Cashman was adamant that the Yanks were drawing the line on allowing facial hair of any kind, "unless it is well trimmed," the GM added.

When asked why the Yankees focused so heavily on reacquiring the stars of the last century, Cashman finally admitted that responsibility for player acquisition has been temporarily taken away from him.

"Mr. Steinbrenner has taken over the day to day personnel role," Cashman admitted.

The Boss' health issues have been well documented and reportedly the Yankees' early swoon has triggered even more bizarre behavior. "It's like he has pulled a Rip Van Winkle on us," said one highly placed Yankee executive. "He's lost a whole decade. He thinks it's still 1999.

"We only care about championships around here," the confused, turtlenecked owner told astonished reporters. "We're coming off back to back championships heading into the turn of the century. With our overwhelming resources and unfair advantages there is simply no way I will tolerate going six or seven years without winning a championship. That's unacceptable."

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Not quite a storybook ending

For hours and hours at a time, I'd launch baseballs at the chalk-outlined strike zone on my chimney. I'd mix my pitches - start out with a four seamer away, then go to a curve on the inside black of the dish; I'd waste another heater high, and then get the invisible batsman to chase a devastating forkball that would dive out of the zone at the last second, then richochet off the brick and down the driveway. I'd pump my fist and walk tall off the worn patch of grass on my front yard, a dominant power pitcher for the next generation.

Just like the Rocket.

Roger Clemens signed with the Boston Red Sox when I was eleven days old. He made his first start with the big club less than a year later, and went on to be a fixture in the rotation for the next twelve years - the twelve years I spent playing Little League baseball and dreaming of someday playing for the Sox. Every fifth day through my formative years, Clemens would take the mound and we would watch the "K's" line up along the wall in deep center field.

And for a pudgy pre-adolescent who read every book on baseball that could be found in the libraries of Lynnfield, the husky Rocket provided a much-needed athletic role model. In an era where the aces were often tall and lanky with perfectly fluid pitching motions in the style of Orel Hershiser, Dwight Gooden, and Frank Viola, the Rocket's burly, explosive clenched-jaw style provided a blueprint for the "power pitcher" of the future.

When I would hurl in my front yard and picture striking out twenty batters in a single afternoon, the pitches did not actually move. I tried different grips, but the tailing two-seamers and the sweeping curves were as imaginary as the lineups I faced. My control was abysmal, as evidenced by the two broken windows and the subsequent league-wide equipment change to tennis balls, as enforced by Commissioner Mom. Some kids had imaginary friends; I had imaginary opposing lineups and combative umpires who would squeeze me on both sides of the chalk-lined plate.

In a strange and adolescent way, it was a romantic interpretation of an inherently romantic game. In an era where baseball's even pace and slow-burn drama has been pushed aside for the car-crash violence and pageantry of football or the me-first showmanship of basketball, the inherent poetry of the game as immortalized by the likes of John Updike and Roger Angell can easily go unnoticed by the impatient eye. Individual football plays tend to exist in a vacuum; they are remembered primarily for their feats of athleticism and can be strung together to make easily digestible highlight reels, ideal for the sports segment of the local news or ESPN's Plays of the Week.

Baseball moments, however, exist in the context of an entire series, season, career, or even lifetime. One of my favorite baseball highlights is the final pitch of the 2003 ALDS, which featured Derek Lowe striking out Terrence Long on a devastating two-seam fastball that painted the black on the inside corner. In a vacuum, the pitch isn't that special. A guy throws a pitch, it moves about ten inches at the last second, the guy at bat just stands there, and everybody goes crazy. That's it. That's one of my top-five baseball moments of all time. People who hate the game mock moments like this, referring to tomahawk jams on a fast break, triple dekes in a shootout, or one-handed catches in the back of the endzone as much more exciting experiences. In the context of the series, the season, or Derek Lowe's Boston career, however, this moment transcends any mere athletic achievement.

Sox fans had lived and died with Derek Lowe for six years; we'd watched him grow from a young setup man to a lock-down closer to a basketcase of epic proportions to a Cy Young candidate to the last man out of the bullpen. His 2.58 ERA in 2002 inexplicably ballooned to 4.71 in '03, and few in the Hub thought the local nine could scratch out a win in his Game 3 start. He ended up having to pitch in relief in Game One and taking the loss in the bottom of the 12th inning, then came back on two days rest to start Game Three and throw seven innings of shutout ball. On only one day of rest, Lowe got the call in the bottom of the ninth of Game Five, with the series in the balance and runners on first and second with no outs. The first batter bunted (thanks for the out, Oakland), and Lowe struck out the next batter looking to secure the second out of the inning. Losing a bit of control, Lowe walked the next batter to load the bases; the tying run stood at third, the winning run (and the end of the season) sat at second. Lowe ran the count full, and with the season hanging on a single pitch, he broke off the aforementioned offering and sent the A's packing and the Sox on to face the New York Yankees in their first ever postseason confrontation.

Most people don't have the patience to read the previous paragraph. Diehard Sox fans had been developing the background for that single pitch since 1998.

But that is baseball. It is a game of organic drama that rewards those most who pay most attention. There is more talk of history and tradition in the ballparks of America than any other because this is the only game where that tradition really matters. Football is a short-term fix; baseball is a lifetime addiction. To fully appreciate the 2004 Boston victory over New York in the ALCS, for example, you not only have to consider the win in the context of that series (Sox come back to win the series after being down 3 games to none), but also in the context of the Sox/Yankees confrontations from that entire season (Varitek punches ARod, Jeter's dive into the stands) and the season before (Pedro tosses Zimmer, Boone's homer and the echoes of Bucky Dent), and beyond that the history of the franchises dating back to the sale of George Herman Ruth. The series had over eighty years of history behind it; that's baseball.

With a game so steeped in legend, we constantly seek storybook endings fit for the silver screen. Parables as old as time can play themselves out on the diamond in ways that would be laughable in any other forum: parables such as the prodigal son, exiled by a long-gone regime, returning to where it all began to offer closure to an entire region and find that self-same closure for himself after a ten-year absence; having the opportunity to win a the World Championship that evaded him in his first tour of duty; and finally, to cement his reputation with a gesture that would surely be memorialized on a plaque in Cooperstown.

But baseball is also a business. This is no secret. Maybe in an era of escalating salaries and artificial storylines hyped up to appeal to the football crowd, the romance of a cool summer evening listening to baseball on a scratchy AM radio has become as antiquated as telegrams and drive-in movies. Maybe I shouldn't be so sentimental about watching a 45-year old baseball player pass up his last opportunity to finish his storied career with the flourish it so richly deserves.

Or maybe the next time I go home, I'll see if I can still strike out twenty in my front yard. I'm sure my chimney would appreciate the closure.

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Oh what a relief it is

In years past, the news that Mike Timlin was heading to the DL would be enough to send hordes of Sox fans to the window ledge. This year, no such angst occured when the 41 year old Timlin checked out with tendinitis in his shoulder. The reason: Timlin wasn't even in the top five of what is turning into the most effective Red Sox relief corps in recent memory.

About two months ago, I ripped Theo for his awful track record in acquiring pitching "talent." Well after the stellar start of this years bullpen gang, it's time for me to swallow a large helping of crow. The boy genius "done good" this offseason.

A major reason for the upgrade has been the dramatic shift in strategy for Theo and his minions in selecting this year's relievers. He finally abandoned the failed policy of trying to pick up injured or washed up National League pitchers and hope that by some miracle they would be resurrected in the cauldron of the AL East. Alas, the flotsam and jetsam from the AAAA league of the past few years that washed ashore in Boston - think Jermaine Van Buren, Rudy Seanez, Wade Miller, Mike Remlinger, Matt Mantei, Byung Yun Kim, Lenny Dinardo, Jeff Suppan, Scott Sauerback (the list is scary, no?) - predictably crashed and burned once they hit the Hub.

What about this year's relief pitching pickups? Brendan Donnelly, JC Romero, Kyle Snyder (really last year) and Joel Piniero. What do they all have in common? They all pitched for Major League teams (i.e. the American League) last season. They faced real nine man lineups as opposed to the National League seven man faux-batting orders which feature light hitting middle infielders in the eight slot and the exciting futility of the pitcher "hitting" ninth. Epstein also added Hideki "OkieDokie" Okajima, who pitched in Japan last season, which come to think about it, is also probably a step up from the National League.

The difference has been stunning. Let's review after 29 games.

1. Okajima- 14 appearances, 1 run (his first batter of the year in KC) 5 hits, 19 strikeouts, 0.61 ERA and 1 for 1 in save opportunities. If he keeps this up, Oki will prove to be the best Sox pitcher of the year from Japan.

2. Donnelly - 12 appearances, 1 run, 4 hits, 1.04 ERA. The bespectacled one appears to have regained his form from the Angels championship run.

3. Snyder - 8 appearances, 2.25 ERA. This former high draft choice from the Royals, may have finally solved his arm problems and could be another Theo find if he continues throwing the way he has.

4. Piniero - 11 appearances, 2.31 ERA. Up to this point, Tito has wisely used Pinata in situations that didn't mean anything. That changed last night against the Twins and he came up with a pair of scoreless innings. That is a good sign for Piniero who up to now has looked like a $4 million gamble that was going bust. But even with this tiny ERA, tell me you would feel comfortable with him coming in to try and close games.

5. Romero - 12 appearances, 4.00 ERA. The highest ERA on the active staff ( Timlin sported a 6.23 when he was shelved) but the former Twin and Angel has pitched well lately. With Romero and OkieDokie, the Sox finally have a lefthanded antidote to the powerful Yankmee lineup. That's a far cry from the massacre last August when the only lefthander in the Sox dugout was Tito.

All told, the Fab Five has allowed 13 runs in 50 innings for a 2.34 ERA. We don't yet know about Hansack but Papelbon has been lights out (except for one bump) at the back end. It is clear that Theo's decision to go to the AL for reinforcements was a solid one.

And it's showing up in the results.

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Loser walks.

As the old saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." When it comes to the New York baseball universe, however, the phrase should be something more like, "When the going gets tough, the Yankee fans get out their Mets gear."

I have worked in or around Times Square in the middle of Manhattan for the majority of the two years I've spent in New York City, and one of my favorite activities has been observing the ratio of "Yankee success vs. amount of Yankee hats in Midtown."

The most striking round of this game occured during the summer of 2005, when the Sox held a lead in the AL East for several months until they were finally overcome by the pinstripes in late August. The first morning that the Yankees took the lead, the number of "NY's" easily and shamelessly quadrupled.

Today is no exception, and the prestigious New York Times will serve as my Exhibit A. In today's Sports section, the front page features articles on the Mets, video replay in hockey, Barbaro, De La Hoya/Mayweather, and Nadal/Federer. Page 2 covers the Giants and a pair of articles on the NBA playoffs. Page 3 has some insight into the NHL playoffs and a half-page feature on Ornskoldsvik, Sweden (i'm not making this up), a hotbed of young NHL prospects. Page 4 has the box scores and standings from the Majors (headline: "Beckett Powers the Red Sox And Gains his Sixth Victory") and an article on NCAA basketball. Finally, on Page 5, right above an article on Tiger and MJ, is a mention of that other baseball team in the Big Apple who play in the American League.

In my personal interactions, I've met fans here of all eight major franchises. They all have one team in each sport that is their team. The problem lies in the way they handle the runner-up. A lot of Mets fans say they hate the Yankees...but then the next week they show up wearing a Yankees hat. A die-hard Giants fan may bleed blue...but their ears perk up when the boy genius with the Gang Green makes a big move. I suppose you can't blame these people for liking both teams, as they are still representing their city. I do, however, think less of them as sports fans because of this blasphemous bigamy.

Sports bigamy in a situation like this makes an individual less of a fan, in my opinion, because they never have to suffer the truly dark times. For example, the Celtics and the Bruins suck right now, so I basically am on the outside looking in regarding the NBA or NHL. If I were a Knicks fan, I'd probably be watching Jason Kidd and the Nets seventy times a year, and when the Knicks resurface as a professional franchise, I can jump right back on their bandwagon.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. I should really savor the Bronx's silence while I can. As we've seen time and time again, the Pinstripes will be back...and their fans will remind us how little we've missed them.

And even if the Yankees are sunk for good, it just means that the Metropolitans will aquire a bunch of obnoxious free-agent fans during the heart of the pennant race.

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Spring Fever

Oh what a glorious April! Palpitating partisans of Sox nation, trying to maintain their composure, have been innoculating themselves against PPF (Premature Pennant Fever) with heavy doses of "It's only April." The feeble effort isn't working as a giddy fanbase marvels at what the Sox accomplished in the first four weeks of the season and is experiencing feverish delusions of what may follow.

Back on April 11, I posted the following: "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."

So what have we learned?


Well we couldn't have hoped for much better. Beginning on the ominous Friday, the 13th, the Sox won 12 of 16 (with one rainout). They took 5 of 6 from the reeling Yankmees and swept the Angels and O's. Only those pesky Blue Jays marred the streak, sweeping the Sox at Fenway during the hangover series following the Yankee visit. The Sox did manage to take 2 of 3 at the Rogers Centre to at least earn a 3-3 split with Toronto in the span.

The Sox started the stretch with a 4-4 mark, in second place a half game back of the 5-4 Blue Jays. When April 30 dawned, the Sox sported a sparkling 16-8 record, best in baseball and good enough for a 3 1/2 game lead in the AL East.

So here then are 16 things (one for each game in the string) we have discovered about the Olde Towne Team in the past two weeks.

1. The Sox starting staff is as good as advertised and the relief corps, despite last night's meltdown against the A's, might be the best in the league.

2. Hideki "OkeDokie" Okijima, has been a revelation and is proving to be a solid bridge to Papelbon.

3. Josh Beckett has learned his lesson and is poised for a monster season. By year end, if not already, he will be the ace of this staff.

4. Dice K can pitch in this league and will post solid numbers once he gets acclimated. The Japanese phenom was 2-1 during the stretch, besting Torre's Walking Cadavers twice. Interesting (and revealing) stat: Matsusaka allowed 12 runs in his three starts, but was unscored on in 13 of the 19 innings he pitched. In two of those games, he allowed runs in only one inning, the fourth. Once he gets used to his surroundings, he will be fine.

5. The Sox can win without Manny hitting. He has popped a few key hits in the stretch, but for the most part, Manny has struggled below the Mendoza line.

6. The Sox can win without Pedroia, Crisp and Pena not hitting as well. All three were flirting with the .200 mark throughout the two weeks, yet the Sox still continued to win.

7. It's the pitching stupid.

8. Last night's hiccup notwithstanding, Paps might be the best closer in the league.

9. Wakefield better start getting some run support or the Sox will be wasting some solid pitching efforts.

10. Drew continues to be solid, hitting right around the .300 mark. Although should we be concerned that he called in sick last night with "virus like symptoms." Let's hope not.

11. Alex Cora is becoming this generations Super Sub a la John Kennedy ( the utility infielder jof the early 70's, not the president of the early 60's). You young tykes can look it up). Cora showed he might be much more than that and Tito may be hardpressed to continue running out the punchless Pedroia with the sizzling Cora sitting next to him on the bench.

12. The captain may not be dead yet after all. Varitek will not be posting the eye popping numbers of earlier in his career, but neither will he be an automatic out. He will show flashes of brilliance which is all that lineup needs.

13. Where is the famous Julio Lugo offense? He started off strong, but has fallen back to the mid .200's. Thankfully his defense has been better than average.

14. Mike Lowell can still hit and might be fine in the six hole.

15. Crisp valiantly tried to fight his way out of his slump and it may be happening. Bunting for basehits is a great idea and the game winner against the Yanks was a huge shot of confidence for the kid. His defense continues to be strong. I think he'll be ok.

16. Tavarez is holding on by a string. Let's get Lester up here fast.

April was gorgeous. May started off with a thud. I hope I'm not coming down with "virus like symptoms." Stay tuned.

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