SoxSport

The greatest moment has to be winning the World Series in 04. And winning 8 in a row to do it.That destroyed the "curse of the Babe" nonsense. They hadn't won a Series since 1918, when the Babe was a Red Sox. That had to be it. They came close in 67 and 75. I won't mention that disaster against the Mets in the 80s. I'll tell you a story about the 04 World Series. They had just beaten the Yankees 4 in a row to get to the Series against the Cardinals. Just before the first game, I'm in an airport and I run into two TV-type baseball writers, one of whom I knew from having met him before. I asked them who they liked in the Series. Both emphatically said the Cardinals in 5 or 6 games. I replied no way. The Red Sox have much better starting pitching. That will decide it. Don't believe everything those TV guys say. Trust your own judgement. In a short series, it's all about pitching.

Colon looked pretty good yesterday. He looked like he even shed a few pounds over his last start. The question is how long can he last in the season? That's the dilemma for Girardi. They'll keep him and Garcia because they have nothing after Hughes in the rotation. Albers looked good for the Red Sox. He should get a spot, but Wake is really blocking those middle relievers. They have DuBrount, who will be available for a 6th starter soon, which makes Wake less critical. A pity that kid hasn't had much spring training yet. He may have lost his chance to stick. I understand Albers doesn't have any options, so he may stick. He's much better than Achison. The other guy they should keep is Reyes as the 2nd left-hander, but Wake is probably blocking that. The Yankees have politics, too, with their batting order. It should be Gardner-Jeter, but Cashman seems to be saying Jeter leading off. Girardi is a smart manager, and it looks like he wants Gardner-Jeter.Jeter is a perfect no.2 hitter. Pedroia, too. Ellsbury-Pedroia/Gardner-Jeter. Pretty similar 1-2. Both teams have to put their best teams out there if they expect to win. No room for sentimentality.

Watching that game with the Cardinals today, it appears Dice_K has rounded into form. When he's on like today, he's a no.2 or 3. Wake looks expendable, and there are rumors they are looking for takers--for him and for Cameron--and maybe even Dice-K. I suspect Theo would love to find a way to keep Kalish, though they are short of right handed hitting in the OF. That big lanky kid Miller had a tough day today. The Cardinals never hit him--they lucked out a few scratch hits and walks. His command sucks, but he could be another Randy Johnson if he can control his 95 fastball and curve. He has AAA written on his forehead for one year. They have to somehow keep this kid--he could be great. Atchison they should not keep. He comes in after Miller and gets hit for real. So Miller gets charged with the runs. Atchison sucks. Your typical mediocre middle reliever who can be hit. I think the Sox have bullpen problems. They have Wake who adds little at this point. They have Pap who is getting hit. They need a 2nd leftie along with Oki in their division, but they don't have the roster space. All is not perfect with this team. The holes are in the bullpen.

One thing Marvin Miller didn't figure on was free agency and no salary cap would push salaries up so high players would do anything to enhance their performance. He didn't figure on the corruption of riches. How many out there remember Yaz' triple crown year in '67? The last player to win the triple crown. He got more big hits that year than Papi ever dreamed of. Plus he is one of the best defensive left fielders ever--certainly the best in Fenway.

You know Lester will be good. Buchholz will probably be good. So Lackey or Beckett has to be good. If one is good, they'll be OK. If both are good, they'll be more than OK. If neither are good, they'll be in trouble. Dice-K? Strictly a wild card.

I'd like to see them move Dice-K and Wake. And make some room for other pitchers. A pity Dubront is hurt. They have some good lefties in camp, and should make room for two of them. I think they are looking hard at Aceves as a Wake replacement--Tito had him go a 3rd inning yesterday after a couple of good innings, but he got hit in the 9th. So much for starters closing games. You can't deny they need an extra starter or two. As long as Beckett and Dice-K are around.

Tough call because of the disparity between the leagues. Halladay, for example, was very good in Toronto, almost unbeatable in Philly. Sabathia is helped by Yankee stadium. Lee is better in the NL. Hernandez is a slow starter, and doesn't get much run support. Lincecum had a off-year last year, for him. In terms of expected performance this year, I would say Halladay, Lester, Lee,Lincecum,Sabathia. Dark horses: Jiminez, Kershaw, Buchholz. Buchholz had that one bad start at the end of the year, which may have cost him the Cy Young. He was ahead in ERA until that start.

He should hit for higher average with the LF wall so close and his good opposite field stroke. What hasn't been mentioned is the change in pitching he will face in a different league, and what affect that will have. You never know. He is in the AL now, and the toughest division. He won't see so many fastballs.

Buchholz looked pretty good against NY for 3 innings. I hope they extend him after April 5th, along with AdGon.

Looked good tonite against mostly Yankee regulars for 3 innings.

After seeing Iglesias against the Yankees tonite, it looks like the Red Sox won't have any SS needs for awhile. This kid is already at the all-star level defensively: very quick, fast release, great arm. Speedy on the bases. Can take a pitch. Flashy-looking SS. They beat most of the NY regulars tonite with mostly a minor league team. Doesn't mean much, of course. Kalish looks like he belongs. Reddick made a great catch in LF. Nava is a switch hitter. Drove in the first run batting RHd. Lowrie, another switcher, can play every infield position. Played first base tonite. Super-sub. That lefty Williams pitched an inning and looked OK. They have a bunch of lefties competing for a BP job, and you hope they keep a couple, looking at that Yankee lineup. You look at their pitching and their bullpen needs, and you wonder how they can possibly keep Wakefield hanging around another year.

I see a lot of people are leaving Wakefield out of the top 25. I suspect there will be a moment of reckoning in ST, unless Wake shows something. They need his spot for a second LHd reliever. That is almost essential. I see Tito is going Ells-Pedy-Crawford 1-2-3 in the batting order. Which a few of us predicted. Next, hopefully he will platoon Papi against most LHP--for Cameron or McDonald.

Well, I hope Murph gets some PT. Danny trades his starting center for a good player, Jeff Green, but Green played 9 minutes? last game. Doc Rivers said he has to figure out how to use Green. Is he on the same page as Danny? I don't know. Hurry back, Shaq. Players like Bibby and Murphy are going to teams where they figure they can get the most PT. Makes sense.

Pedroia is a sure HOFer if he can put together 8 more good years. Youks has a shot if he can do the same. Lester has to win a few Cy Youngs. Still a ways to go. Papi, no. DH and steroids hanging over his head like Manny and ARod. Enough sportswriters will block anyone who has used steroids. Pedro, of course, is a lock. Schilling deserves consideration-figuring big in two world championships with two teams. Crawford is now a Red Sox, so he figures in. He has the tools to make it playing out his career in Boston. AdGon as well.

Which is why you have to pick your words carefully with the media.

Bob Ryan pointed out the Celtics got the best player of the four in the deal--Green--who was the no.5 overall pick Ainge traded for Ray Allen. Ainge still likes him, obviously. He has been in Durant's shadow in OKC, and figures to have some upside. He makes them stronger offensively up front, but they still have to replace Perkins' defense and rebounding. Hopefully, Danny still has some cards left to play. He has cleared plenty of roster space, so something has to be up.

My hope is Ellsbury leads off and Crawford bats 3rd. Pedroia in between. If Ellsbury looks good in ST, I think he'll lead off. If not. he'll bat 9th, which I don't like because of fewer at bats. Scutaro would be better there. If Ellsbury leads off and Crawford bats 3rd, Ellsbury will probably have more SB opportunities.

What's interesting is 50 years ago, nobody complained about the size of the seats at Fenway. Is everybody getting fat, or what? Maybe the seats are getting smaller. Maybe there are too many fast food restaurants these days. The other thing is the bleacher seats used to be long benches. Now they are separate seats. Lucchino et al must have figured out they could cram more people into narrow seats than benches.

The Red Sox are not a running team. Maybe that will change with two speedsters in the lineup. Imagine, Ellsbury and Crawford back to back in the lineup can score a run just by walking and stealing. Who will steal more bases? Maybe whoever plays more games, and where they bat in the lineup. Whoever bats leadoff. You want both these guys at or near the top of the lineup where they can get the most at bats.

Too bad Drew is untradeable. Kalish is ready to star. Maybe they can buy out Drew's contract.

The conclusion is to use the bullpen less.

What are CCs splits pitching in Yankee stadium vs on the road? Like most lefties, he's much better in Yankee stadium. Don't you think he knows that? He ain't goin' anywhere.

I wouldn't trust Orza and the MLB players union as far as I could throw Selig.

Some talk in the media about the Red Sox going after Pujols? Maybe a better chance of oil mixing with water. The Red Sox do not give long term contracts to players over 30--certainly for no longer than age 35. So Pujols at 31 would never get 10 years in Boston. Nor would he get ARod money. And besides, they have a first baseman--AdGon--who they will extend shortly for less money. I also read that some NY reporter suggests the Yankees might not pick up Sabathia's option, and instead sign Pujols--and make Teixiera the most expensive DH in history. Moneywise, anything is possible in NY, but more likely the Yankees would sign both Sabathia and Pujols. I still think, however, Pujols will wind up staying in St Louis --for close to whatever AdGon signs for after April 5th. Maybe a bit more. You have to wonder about the timing of all of this--and whether the Red Sox and the Cardinals are communicating. There is also a misconception out there that the Red Sox suddenly spent through the roof this year--Yankee style. Not quite. Epstein signed one star free agent, Crawford, for $20+ mil. The other star, AdGon, was obtained via trade, and comes cheap this year at $6 mil. He gets extended after April 5th so he doesn't become a big ticket until next year, when $55 mil comes off the books. Mighty fine shopper, that Epstein is. He gets two stars this year for the price of one.