American League East

Manny Being Manny?

2007-06-26T10:51:00.001-07:00

No All Star selection for Manny Ramirez this year.

As you can tell, I meant to say it that way. No All Star game for Manny Ramirez would not have meant the same thing, given that he's ducked out three times in his career.

I do have something to say along the lines of an opinion here, though. That is, I think Manny might be dogging it for the first near-half of the season SO THAT no one can bitch that he rejects his selection to the All Star game for the fourth time (a record?). Can you imagine these Boston Red Sox in the second half when Manny starts being Manny again?

Let see, that would mean what for stats?

Statistic	So Far	2nd Half	Projected Season
HR	12	30	42
RBI	44	79	125
Hits	82	92	174
2B	17	20	37

Actually, there are only two glaring numbers up there, HR and RBI. The others make it seem like Manny has BEEN Manny. Of course, he's not known as a hits or doubles machine. Manny has NINE 30/100 seasons. I don't see him as failing in that regard this season, either. However, I think he did succeed in losing some of the whiners complaining that he rejected he All Star game to stay in shape for the important baseball!

Sammy Sosa just hit his 600th HR

2007-06-21T10:36:00.001-07:00

Sammy Sosa just hit his 600th HR, and I'm fine with that. I've been pondering this whole steroid issue for some time now, and I think I'm ready to comment.

It boils down to a few issues for me.

1) What happens to the record books (did ya hear? Bonds is about to break Aaron's record!) when a player who is suspected or even proven to have used steroids prior to the current testing and penalty program breaks a record? In the case of Sosa, the question is "Does he belong in the company with Aaron, Mantle, and Ruth?"

2) Why do we care whether professional athletes "use steroids" under the guidance of well-trained professionals?

Let's start with the second issue. This is really a no-brainer. We don't want professional athletes/role models setting the example for younger generations that steroids are the answer to hitting the big-time. Although I believe that the use of steroid-products can be beneficial in some applications, by and large these applications have not been seen in professional sports.

Now, on to the number one question on everyone's mind these days (what, you thought Iraq & Afghanistan were important? we have steroids and Paris to worry about!). Some time in the next 2 months, Barry Bonds will hit home run number 756 to become (without any ambiguity) THE MAN to have hit more home runs during his professional MLB baseball career than any other, surpassing Hank Aaron. Notice how loaded that sentence is with qualifiers?

The question is, do we give this the Roger Maris treatment? (That one is agreed by MANY to have been wrong!) My answer is, we do not, and here is my reasoning.

Actually, I will take this one step further. I think that the witch hunt should end! I am saddened that George Mitchell would let this go on as long as it has on his watch.

Exhibit Number One: Why is Mitchell only speaking with hitters, even though about half of the players suspended under the new rules have been pitchers?

Exhibit Number Two: The home run race between McGwire and Sosa brought baseball back to life, and there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that the ownership side of the business knew nothing about it. Who is chairing their "witch hunt?"

I don't believe that any other argument holds water in light of those two items. The current witch hunt is another case of those in power trying to make scapegoats of those they are in power of. Regardless of how much money the players make, at the end of the day, the owners are the bosses. Congress (what? speaking for all us little men?) has decided that someone "needs to pay," and of course, no one on the ownership side knew about steroids until the early part of this decade (or at least, there's no proof they did!) Wait, what's that about there not being any proof?

Here's the bottom line for me. A baseball player should not be penalized in the history books for playing (at his time in history) on the same "playing field" as his peers. I think that enough pitchers have tested positive for steroids to negate any cheating advantage that some may claims Bonds had.

How do you know when you are getting old?

2006-12-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a different way of measuring how old they feel. I imagine that the birth of the first grandchild makes most people feel like they're getting up there in age. Others may realize they are getting old when a musician or actor they idolized as a teenager dies of natural causes (pretty sure the members of Poison, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard as well as the cast of The Breakfast Club are all still alive and kicking).

I remember marking the death of the first Star Trek original castmember (James Doohan as Scotty) in July 2005 as a possible sign that I was getting up there in age. Actually, I clearly remember commenting once or twice between 2000 and 2005 that the death of the first Star Trek original would be a clear sign for me. It was not.

On another occassion, I thought I would be safe until my childhood sports stars started passing away. Then again, Roger Clemens is still pitching (WE HOPE!)! Is that possible? More than 2 decades ago, I sat on a school bus on the way to high school listening to the radio announce that The Rocket had struck out 20 Mariners on a cold, damp April day.

But today I decided that when guys two years younger than me start retiring (and I mean, for example, guys with nearly 150 career wins, not guys with 64 career homers!) then I might be getting old.

mikelowelldoesntsuck.blogspot.com

2006-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

According to the "owner" of mikelowellsucks.blogspot.com, Mike Lowell is terrible. I am here to say that if "terrible" means that your streak of a major-league-leading 8 hits for doubles ends when you hit a homerun off Mike Mussina, I welcome "terrible" to the Boston Red Sox.

Presently, Lowell is competing with Shea Hillenbrand, Casey Blake, and Hank Blalock for the best 3B in the AL. Anyone think I should open up mikelowellforAL3Ballstar.blogspot.com?

Is Crisp checking out Lil' Pap's ass?

2006-05-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

I figured I would give our MFY fan friends some ammunition!

Red Sox beat the Yankees

2006-04-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

I've been playing that Da Vinci Code Google contest, and one of the puzzle types requires searching Google Video for a clip of the movie on which to answer questions.

So, I decided to try searching Google Video for Red Sox, and this was the very first hit I got.

Red Sox fans celebrate on the Green Line T (subway) in Boston after the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2004 playoffs.

And this one brought tears to my eyes!

It's real simple, Sox fans

2006-04-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

Would you rather lose one game 15 - 3 or three games 5 - 1? (or five games 3 - 3/5, not sure how a team can score 3/5 of a point, but leave it to the Sox! Maybe some funky Manny Ramirez baserunning mistake that causes a run to lose 2/5 of it's value?)

Let's all just remember that the season is still in its infancy. We've got a solid team, with Crisp coming back in a few weeks.

A little more fodder for Beth's fantasies

2006-04-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

Chris Snow wrote a piece in the Globe today about how well Foulke is pitching left-handed hitters this year. Here's an excerpt.

The Sox, meanwhile, began last night without a lefthander in the bullpen.

But the club has discovered a pitcher suited for the role, even if he throws with his right hand.

"[Keith] Foulke's been our lefty, and he's been a pretty good one," manager Terry Francona said before last night's game. "You're dying for that left-on-left guy. He's actually one of the better ones in the game."

The manager and the captain each offered different opinions as to why Foulkie has had so much success against left-handed hitters this season (They're hitting a mere .190 vs .231 for the righties). Francona said:

"Any [pitcher] with a split like [Jonathan] Papelbon or a changeup like Foulke usually has better success against lefthanders . . . Anybody with good offspeed pitches can get lefties out."

Meanwhile, Varitek has a different explanation, offered as a "caveat" by Snow:

Foulke's ability to precisely locate his fastball to both sides of the plate prevents lefties from sitting on his changeup.

An AL East matchup week

2006-04-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of those weeks during the season when four of the five AL East teams are matched up against each other, with the Red Sox pummelling the D-Rays while the Yankees pulled even in their series with the Blue Jays.

To recap, the Sox beat the Devil Rays Tuesday night to help the lackluster Yankees remain within a half-game of the Devil Rays, keeping them poised for their big move OUT OF LAST PLACE Wednesday night and into a tie with the Blue Jay, both playing .500 ball with 7-7 records.

In the meantime, the Orioles have split their series at home against Cleveland, and they maintain sole possession of 2nd place, a full game ahead of Toronto and New York. Baltimore boasts FIVE everyday players currently batting over .300 (three with OBPs over .400!), with the leader being their CATCHER RamÃ³n HernÃ¡ndez.

I've decided to end my (or, more fittingly, your) AL East blog fasting early

2006-04-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

At first, I was just lazy, trying to get up the nerve to actually start writing my baseball blog, you know, DURING THE BASEBALL SEASON. Well, with the exception of that little Bronson Arroyo thing on 4/5 . . .

But then, after about a week of the season had passed, I decided to make my delay have a purpose, I decided that I would not post to my blog until Manny finally had his first home run. Well last night he had his first extra-base hit AND his first 3 RBI game. I know, I know, that's pocket change to Man Ram. Hey, I needed an excuse to break my silence.

In the meantime, rookie Jonathan Papelbon has been NAILS on the mound as the Sox closer so far this season, making his 7th save in 7 chances last night, barely!

In the meantime, in my fantasy league I picked up Kevin Youkilis on the waiver wire (All Star possibility?) this past Sunday because some bonehead dropped him (huh, I thought this was a fantasy league full of Sox fans!). Since I already have Berkman playing first quite well, and Youk is eligible at third, I may just be putting A-Rod on the trading block, perhaps for Schilling or Beckett.

In the meantime, Curt Schilling has been nearly as perfect as Mr. Papelbon. In three starts, Curt has given up 4 earned runs, 11 hits, and only 3 walks, while striking out 16. That puts his ERA at 1.64, good enough for third in the AL. Oh, one of the guys tied for first happens to be Josh Beckett. What I love the most about the Sox pitching situation isn't the fact that everyone has either been nails (Papelbon, Schilling, Beckett) or shown sign of greatness (Wakefield, Clement, Timlin), it's that Schilling is playing his mentor role to a TEE!

Bronson Arroyo ties it up!

2006-04-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just in case no one believes me!

You Go Bronson

2006-03-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

All Bronson Arroyo did in his first start against his ex-mates was strike out nine while giving up 3 hits and no runs in 7 innings!

I'll miss him, but I still stand by my "it's a business" moto. And, maybe someday he'll be back! Stranger things have happened. Remember Buckner coming back?

what Julian Tavarez, Barry Bonds, and Pete Rose have in common

2006-03-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

After reading all the different posts on yesterday's incident where Sox set-up man Julian Tavarez cold-cocked the Devil Rays Joey Gathright, I feel like I have to say something here on the AL East blog. But first, let me apologize to all (6?) of my readers who had believed that this would be a blog different from the other JASBs (Just Another Sox Blog, thanks Beth) out there. For the past few months, I have posted nothing but Sox stories and opinions. Here is a chance to stop that habit.

After reading Beth's blog on this incident, and her subsequent link to Randy Booth's blog at overthemonster.com, and specifically the comment from Patrick Kennedy at draysbay.com, I was very surprised when I browsed to draysbay.com to get their entire take on the incident. According to Jake's Take, there is very little class remaining to dole out in Red Sox Nation.

I have not gathered from all this that RSN is feeling all high and mighty at all. Let's begin with the players themselves. According to published reports, Jon Papelbon and Ron Jackson came out of the bullpen and dugout respectively to pull Gathright out of the mess! That sounds to me like the Sox know full well that Tavarez is a ticking time bomb.

So, what about the fans? Where is all the "high and mighty" there? Already according to two blogs linked here, Tavarez is being chastised for his actions. As an aside here, though, and in some defense of the D Rays fans, I would like to say that, were Tavarez "part of the fold" (meaning if he were an established Red Sox player), I highly doubt that the chastising would be as great as it has been. Let's face it, Sox fans, didn't Jason Varitek stuff his mitt down A-Rod's throat and practically get crowned King of New England for it? I don't remember nearly as much huff after Pedro Martinez took down defending HEAVY WEIGHT champion Don Zimmer a few years back.

What I found to be perhaps the most interesting tidbit in the news I've read about yesterday's bash was the line at the end of the game summary.

"In the bottom of the eighth, newly acquired Red Sox first baseman Hee-Seop Choi was plunked by Rays pitcher Wayne Franklin, and the umps warned both sides."

What I find MOST amazing about the whole fucking mess is that the umpires actually ALLOWED the next inning to begin without a warning being issued. Please, D Rays fans, don't take this the wrong way. Surely the Sox player "deserved" the plunking in some twisted baseball sense. Actually, the thing I have a problem with is sort of the same thing I have a problem with around the steroids mess. Major League Baseball always waits until it's TOO LATE to do something about the fucking mess!

One of these days, mark my words, we'll be looking back at incidents like this and saying "if only MLB had done something about it back then, [insert very unfortunate player's name here] would not be paralyzed for life." It is very obvious from JTs comments afterwards that the slap-on-the-hand that MLB gives him shortly is not going to faze him!

To continue the parallel I had begun to draw between conduct on the baseball field and steroid use in the game, if MLB had done something about steroid use 10 years ago, we would not be in the situation where folks are calling for everything from Barry Bonds suspension to his head on a platter (a damn big platter at that!) Pete Rose puts it best when he says:

"I don't know what he did the last two years. All I know is the guy can hit," said Rose, calling Bonds one of the top five players in baseball history.
"Here's my take on steroids: We can say anybody took steroids," Rose said. "We don't know. Unless you took steroids the last two years, I don't care."

I believe Pete is saying that unless they catch Barry Bonds with a positive steroids test in 2005 or beyond, we're gonna have to live with the fact that the man who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth probably did so "on the juice." Let's face it folks, he may even break Hank Aaron's record for home runs in a career. Have we decided to put an asterisk next to Mark McGwire's record (at the time)? Have we banned him from baseball, making him ineligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot this year?

So, what do these three have in common? Honestly, I didn't even have a title until I had finished the post to this point, so then I figured I needed to wrap it up with something like this. To begin with, all three have dishonored the sport of baseball. In chronological order, Pete Rose bet on the baseball team that he was managing. Barry Bonds knowingly used substances that, although baseball had no policy regarding, were illegal to use unless under the guidance of a physician. And Julian Tavarez has drastically lost his temper on the baseball field a handful of times in his career now, resulting in THREE suspensions (soon to be four). However, at least two of these guys, it could be argued, are products of their environments, mere pawns for the MLB machine to make more money.

I guess you heard it here first (also, Bronson Arroyo, a class act)

2006-03-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

When I said on Friday
"Let's see Foulke pitch like that against the Blue Jays tomorrow, and I'll say the Sox are ready to kick ass this season!"
I did not mean that he had to do EXACTLY the same thing against the Jays as he did against the Orioles AAA team. I mean, I would have settled for a 1-2-3 inning, or even a lone baserunner getting stranded. But, striking out the side for the second straight day on exactly 13 pitches again! What the fuck are the chances of that?

I have to share this piece with you. I found it buried at the end of a piece called Early look at the class of '06.

Displaced, misplaced pitcher
While the stat analysts look at Wily Mo Peña at 24 and see a young Sammy Sosa (or Dave Kingman) the number-crunchers look less kindly on what the Reds can expect to get from Bronson Arroyo. Here's Joe Sheehan in Baseball Prospectus: ''As much as I've talked up Arroyo in the past, he's established himself as a mid-rotation innings guy and he's about to move to a context that will absolutely kill him. Great American Ball Park is a terrible spot for pitchers, and when you consider that the Reds, even adjusting for ballpark, put a lousy defensive team on the field, Arroyo is going to see his numbers take a hit. Even if he rebounds from a poor second half of 2005 in which his strikeout rate plummeted, it's hard to see Arroyo as more than an affordable stopgap for the Reds. I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to determine what word in the previous sentence means the most to Arroyo's new team." But can we all agree that Arroyo could not have handled his parting any better, stopping short of lashing out at the Sox, though it would have been understandable to do so?

Foulke and Schilling on target

2006-03-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

Schilling pitched 7 innings against a triple A team today, 8 hits, 5 runs, 0 BB, 10 K. get this! 82 of 109 pitches were strikes!

Foulke pitched the 8th inning. All he did was strike out the side on 13 pitches!

Let's see Foulke pitch like that against the Blue Jays tomorrow, and I'll say the Sox are ready to kick ass this season!

Bye, Bye Bronson (He may not have lost the shirt off his back in this whole deal, but it's accurate to say he lost his Sox.)

2006-03-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

The Boston Red Sox just traded Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for OF Willy Mo Pena. As Beth points out, That's Cold! But, she also points out in her post that this makes a ton of baseball sense for the Red Sox. I would also like to add to Beth's counter-argument that at 24 years old (JUST TURNED IT!), if this kid can learn even a little patience at the plate (20 BB to 116 K last season), he could be the Sox new rightfielder when Trot leaves town. His career split stats certainly show that he has a sweet OBP against lefties.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm gonna miss Bronson just as much as Beth (although not in the same "Oh my god, he's so cute" kind of way!) I will miss him for a much different reason.

You see, October 27, 2004 was a very important day for my family and I, as it was for all of Red Sox Nation. On that fateful day, we welcomed our very first (of three to this point) litter of toy poodle puppies into this world. The two boys we named Manny and Bronson. Since Manny did not end up being a great specimen of the breed, we had him neutered and adopted him out last summer to a wonderful family here in Maine. Bronson, on the other hand, is a beautiful toy poodle.

'Tek's comin back to camp!

2006-03-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

This was supposed to get posted last Friday, but blogger.com was screwed up!

I am sorry to everyone who got so high on the WBC and were pulling for the U.S. to go all the way. But, I am damn glad they lost yesterday. Could this make the difference between Beckett and Clement winning 10 games each by the All-Star break? IF it's gonna happen, I would say it's hard to argue that there's a chance if Varitek only has like 5 days to work with them! Best damn news out of the Sox spring camp yet, if you ask me . . .

Took this pic two years ago.
yeah, my son could look a little more excited about it!

Blonde Lobster

2006-03-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

It's a competition. (There MUST be a few damn funny blonde jokes that can come out of this discovery!)

After reading this article on CNN.com today, I decided to start a competition. Over the next few days, I would like folks to comment on this entry with the best blonde joke they can think of after checking out the world's newest crustacean.

Is Barry Bonds finished?

2006-03-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

I believe that this will destroy Barry Bonds, and I have NO PROBLEM with that!

Bonds exposed
Shadows details superstar slugger's steroid use

My wife bought me a present last weekend

2006-03-01T04:59:00.000-08:00

My very own Manny Watch!

He has arrived!

Manny arrived in Red Sox spring training camp as promised today, with the following quotes courtesy of the Boston Globe staff.

"Oh yeah you know I'm back, I guess people want me to come back and my main focus is baseball right now and trying to help this team win and let me get this straight, I don't want no questions about the trade rumors about the winter this and that. You guys want to talk about baseball or whatever, you know I'm open to talk. We could talk all day."

"I'm here. I don't live in the past, I live in the present and that's it. This (is) a new year, I'm here. People want me to come back. People want me here so we're just gonna move on. I'm just gonna come, do my job, I get paid to play baseball. That's (why) I'm here. That's it. What else can I say?"

Was it a tough decision not to play in the World Baseball Classic?:
"Not really because my main focus is getting prepared for the season, to help Boston win."

Is there anything different that you feel physically?:
"My last three years, I had a lot of problems with my hamstrings, now they feel good and I'm great. I'm ready to go."

Is it weird not having Kevin Millar around here?:
"It is weird but you know that's part of life. This is a job and I guess when you don't perform right and you don't the things they want you to do, you gotta move on. He should be here, he's a great guy to have in the clubhouse but I guess he's in another place and we're gonna wish him luck and we hope he stays healthy out there and have another great year."

On the trade rumors and whether he thinks he'll finish his contract in Boston:
"I guess if you guys want to talk about that my agent is right there and he'll be glad to answer that question but I also want to get another thing straight," he said. "I got a beautiful career going on and I'm not gonna let little things like this mess [up] all the things that I accomplished because I think when I finish my career I'm gonna be a special player and I'm not gonna let nobody stop that and that's me. I got a goal for myself and I'm now gonna accomplish that."

I found it, I found it!

2006-02-16T06:19:00.000-08:00

Red Sox fans out there, have you ever wondered what the single, most important reason was that the Red Sox finally won the World Series in 2004 for the first time since 1918, 86 long years ago? For some, my grandfather (Bumper) included, they lived their entire lives never getting to experience that euphoria we all felt one October evening in 2004 under a blood red moon in St. Louis. Human nature is funny; I cried that night, just like I did back in 1986.

I think it is part of human nature, to understand the root cause of certain major occurrences like the beginning of Christianity, the shooting of JFK, the Space Shuttles Challenger & Columbia disasters, and the end of the Red Sox 86-year World Series drought. In some instances, the need to understand the reasons (and in many, many cases the single, MOST IMPORTANT reason) are a necessity for improvement, as in the Space Shuttle disasters (solid rocket booster O-Rings and external fuel tank insulating foam, respectively). But, in most instances, I would say that human nature is taking over. WE NEED TO KNOW WHY!

What was different in 2004 from 1946, or 1967, or 1975, or 1978, or 1986, or 1988, or 1990, or 1995, or 1998, or 1999, or 2003? In each of these instances, I would say that lots of different reasons can be given for why the Red Sox didn't bring home the World Series Trophy in each of these years. In the most heart-wrenching cases, we have certainly created our scapegoats, deserved or not.

I will start at 1986 because I am not old enough to have first-hand experience from any of the previous gutwrenchers. In the 1986 World Series, I prefer to blame John McNamara for leaving Bill Buckner in the game. I also feel that if you want to lay the blame on Buckner rather than McNamara, why does Bob Stanley not get as much of the blame as Buckner?

In the 2003 ALCS, I think the general consensus within Red Sox Nation lays the blame on Grady Little's shoulders. However, it is interesting to note the differences between the popularly labeled scapegoat in 1986 (Buckner) and in 2003 (Little). Why, for instance, did Red Sox Nation ostracize the player on the field on 1986 rather than the manager that decided to leave him there, only to reverse directions in 2003 and blame the decision-maker? (Can anyone say DAN SHAUGHNESSY?) Pedro Martinez and Tim Wakefield met with very little criticism for their part in letting the ALCS slip away in 2003.

So, considering all the chances that the Red Sox had to bring home the trophy since 1918, what is the one, overarching reason that Red Sox Nation had to wait 86 years? The reason I have determined today, after reading this article, Henry, Sox feeling the pinch of revenue sharing, luxury tax by Michael Silverman in the Boston Herald, is an ownership philosophy. I would like to point your attention to the last paragraph of the article:

"All of the owners I have met - I cannot think of one outlier - place winning above profit," said Henry. "Baseball is trying to become a profitable enterprise despite that fact. You don't buy a baseball team to make money. I argued with David Ginsberg, who chairs the Red Sox finance committee, when we bought the team. He tried to tell me we were going to make money. I told him he was crazy."

More specifically, Henry's last two sentences hit me like a ton of bricks. "He tried to tell me we were going to make money. I told him he was crazy." I am reminded now of what I always used to hear when I was 16, 17, 18 and frustrated that I could not keep a girlfriend. "Stop looking so hard, and you will find someone." The new ownership of the Boston Red Sox found the key to bringing the World Series Trophy home to New England, run the team as if you want to win the World Series rather than to make money. I think they have also found that making money is the "girlfriend" in the analogy above.

Catching up on the AL East

2006-02-13T04:57:00.000-08:00

Gordon Edes put together a summary of what has happened around baseball this offseason. Here are the snipets that pertain to our favorite division:

Who's the funky guy in the oversized, black Elvis Costello glasses?
Gordo lets us know that there are two new managers in the AL East. He is referencing Joe Maddon with the Elvis Costello joke, new manager of the Tamba Bay Devil Rays. The other is the Oriole's Sam Perlozzo.

Both of these teams can brag about new general managers as well, with Jim Duquette taking over in Baltimore and Andy Friedman taking over in Tampa Bay, where I hear this will be the last year we are calling that team the Devil Rays.

Why is my accountant telling me to buy stock in Starbucks?
Let's not be caught by surprise when player production drops way off late in the season this year. During this offseason, MLB and the MLBPA enacted a ban on greenies (amphetamines, a stimulant used by as many as 85% of baseball players, according to former Yankee and Ranger Chad Curtis).

Who's going to play in the World Baseball Classic, and should I care?
Gordo's spin on this piece is "It may be easier to tell you who won't be playing." So far, his short list included only a few names from the AL East, Yankees Mariano Rivera and Hideki Matsui.

Since not everyone is as classy as Johnny Damon and buys a full-page ad to remind me, can you tell me some of the other changes of address I need to know about this winter?
This is a collection of players who switched teams during the offseason. Kevin Millar is an Oriole. So is Jeff Conine, again, with Kris Benson and Corey Patterson. He leaves out the new acquisitions made by the Blue Jays in lieu of the next piece.

I've never had money to spend, and now I've got millions in spare cash. Will that make a difference in my life?
This is a bit dedicated solely to the myriad changes the Blue jays made with their new-found riches. In case you missed my post from last week on this, here it is. J.P Ricciardi invested a total of $107 million signing free agent starter A.J. Burnett, closer B.J. Ryan, and catcher Bengie Molina. Ricciardi also picked up Troy Glaus and Lyle Overbay in trades.

Give me the names of some kids I should watch this spring.
WHAT??!! The Yankees don't have any young talent we should keep an eye on? The only current AL East player (the Sox traded two young infielders the offseason) mentioned is the Sox Jonathan (DON'T CALL ME JON!) Papelbon.

A Silent Ox?

2006-02-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

In case you are wondering where the hell the title of this post comes from, please carefully read Nick Cafardo's (from the Boston Globe) piece today about the Clemens saga. Hopefully, no one corrects the typo before you get the chance to catch it. The headline reads "ox silent on possible return of Clemens."

He's calling this a "well-orchestrated silence." I really love watching reporters who don't have a story because no one will talk to them scramble to make a story out of little shards here and there. Uhhh, no, I DON'T think it's a coincidence that Al Nipper was just named interim pitching coach and he's a close friend of Clemens. I think it's a conspiracy. The Hendricks brothers (Jimi had a brother?) paid off Dave Wallace's doctor to implant some fucking flesh eating bacteria in his damn hip just to set this up and get Clemens back to Boston.

I'm done ranting. I am still wicked hopeful that the Sox can pull this off. I was glad that Nick was able to get a quote from Francona on the issue. "I know they're trying very hard. Our interest is sincere. I know we've tried to give Roger his space and honor his privacy, but I know we're trying."

Awwww, c'mon! Blogspot has a neat little tool here that let's me spellcheck my post via a little pop-up window that notifies me of unrecognized words. I understand Nipper, Wallace, Jimi, and Cafardo. But "fucking?" If fucking is not in your dictionary, then you are a fucking idiot! There, that's three more fucking spelling mistakes, I mean four.

Hilarious dialogue

2006-02-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

In the absence of any substantive link for Jason, I'm gonna give him some kudos . . .

Dave: he says I should use the headline "Blue Jays pay $47 million for a BJ" at some point
Jason: i'd say they overbaid.
Dave: so, how much for a HJ?
Dave: well, we already know what an AJ costs!
Jason: Overbaid? come on, thats comedy gold.
Dave: OMG
Jason: Overbayed.
Dave: I figured you typoed, but there's like 3 inches between P and B
Jason: negative
Jason: im just that damn clever
Dave: I MEASURED IT!
Jason: lol
Dave: 3.5"
Dave: like, EXACTLY!
Jason: Shea Hillenbrand got 5.7 million from the jays
Jason: in laymens terms, that's like 1 mill for every walk.

Roger, please come home

2006-02-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

So, who wants to hear what I have to say about Clemens coming to play for Boston in 2006?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Well, tough shit! Here I go anyway, and leave the damn room if you don't like it . . .

I've read all the articles about the video tape. I've read a few (Beth, Matt, and Eric) blogs with folks weighing in on the issue. I've come to the following conclusion.

I am willing to lay my heart on the line and get my hopes way up that Roger will come back for another season in Boston in 2006. Please notice that I did not say that he would "play his final season in Boston," because at last count, that would make his fourth (1996, 2003, 2005, 2006) final season. OK, counting 1996 isn't fair to Roger because Duquette was the only one who felt he should retire.

I wonder, however, what the Sox would do to get him back. I've heard the number $15 million batted around. Does that mean that the Sox would feel like they needed to shed that much before signing him? Clemens said in December that he would consider playing for "Houston, Texas, New York and Boston. I love all those places, they have great players that I respect very much." If the Sox can sign him without trading away salary like Clement, I say go for it!

Let me explain why I am willing to risk getting burned on this one, because I see many people "hedging their bets" on the issue, worried that they'll get too excited about it and then have their hopes crushed. I don't have lots of crystal clear memories from my younger years. (I think 36 is old enough to start using that phrase, Bryan Adams must have been using it at 30! "Ohhh, thinkin' about our younger years, there was only you and me, we were young and wild and free") But, one of those memories that sticks with me all these years involves a cold, rainy morning in April way back in 1986. I was a sophomore in high school, waiting at the bus stop at 6:30 AM trying to stay warm.

The Sox had been playing on the West Cost, in Seattle, so I hadn't yet found out the result of the game the night before. Finally, the bus arrived to save us from the shitty weather. As I climbed on board, I heard the bus radio going to commercial from a hint at what was coming up in the news with something about Clemens and the number 20. I found my seat and waited patiently for the commercials to end and get back to the news. That brief, half-missed summary of the news had not prepared me for what I was about to hear, and I nearly went though the roof when I heard that Clemens had struck out 20 batters in Seattle the night before!

OK. Fast-forward about 6 months to October 1986. This is another crystal clear memory for me. Come to think of it, I believe that this proves to be the ONLY time in my life I have ever CRIED while riding a bicycle. Another cold one, but this time dry and around midnight. The Red Sox came within one strike of winning the 1986 World Series that evening, in the sixth game of the Series. Thinking back on it, that was only the SIXTH game, which meant that they had another chance in game seven. Yet, there I was, a 16 year old bawling his eyes out riding around on his bicycle after midnight.

Roger, this is one fan who is not going to worry about getting burnt by dreams forced upon me by the media. I want you to pitch one more season in Boston, no matter the cost, no matter the special considerations.

Hating the Yankees, "All in Good Fun"

2006-02-08T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Boston Red Sox Single A affiliate in Lowell, MA, the Lowell Spinners, have made a very gracious offer to Yankees teams across New England. No, wait, that didn't sound right. The Spinners announced today that they have offered to youth baseball leagues around New England the following deal if only they will change the name of their (often) Little League team from the Yankees to the Spinners.

The Spinners will pay the cost of replacing the uniforms.

The new Little League Spinners team will be allowed to play a game at the Lowell Spinners ballpark before a Spinners game this summer.

Following that game, the Little League kids get to burn their old uniforms in effigy on the Spinner's mound.

Alright, I made that last one up . . .

According to general manager Tim Bawmann's press release, "When you are a kid playing baseball it is pure fun, and worrying about what team you are on should be the least of your concerns. It becomes an issue where kids are devastated when they find out they are on the Yankees. Many kids actually pray they will not be on the Yankees when the rosters and teams are announced." I can't argue with that assessment. It never happened to me since my league used local business names instead (yeah, we're rednecks up here in Maine), but I now it would have sucked playing for the Yankees (That's your HW JD, write that last statement 5,000 times before tomorrow morning!)

The Spinners claim that they have already "converted" teams from three different youth baseball leagues in New England: the Chelmsford Little League (stay tuned to that website for the NEW snackshack duty list!), Methuen Instructional League, and Tewksbury Youth Baseball.

Word Clouds are neat

2006-02-01T05:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks Beth.

Go here to make your own Word Cloud.

Breaking News, Sox sign SS!

2006-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

No, it wasn't Alex Gonzalez. The Sox will hold a press conference later this week announcing the signing of their newest shortstop star, Toucan Sam!

I was delighted with the Coco Crisp signing. I am ecstatic that the Sox are forward thinking enough that they have been watching this guy for over a year.

As I told Beth, I was very glad to read this post from her. She said some things to the fanbase that I've been wanting to put into words for some time now. I did tell her, however, that no one will be able to remind her of the post come June because we'll all be so nucking futs over the Sox!

Pop Open the Bubbly, Miggy!!

2006-01-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'll bet Tejada is happy he rescinded his trade request now that the Orioles have gone out and signed a superstar! First-year manager Sam Perlozzo was quoted as saying "It's certainly a piece that helps us along the way. We're starting to fill some holes." Unless he pulls a Jeromy Burnitz and never reports for his physical (he's found passed out with a bottle of JD in his hand!), Kevin Millar has amazingly found himself a job for 2006!

I guess if you can't play for the Red Sox, Miggy, you can be happy that at least you get to play for the Orioles with the greatest underachieving cheerleader in baseball. Man, you gotta love them shades!

I guess now it's the Red Sox turn to sign the O's ex-first-baseman. I posed this possibility on instant message to my buddy Jason up in Northern Maine, and included the requirement (of course I wouldn't see it) that he wag his finger at me during his response. Here's what he had to say:

Jason: the red sox, and let me make myself perfectly clear, should never sign rafael palmeiro

did i say clear? i meant cream

let me take another shot at this...

i know this is a tough pill to swallow . . .

Not much to write about

2006-01-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

I was just now cruising through some of my favorite blogs. Came across this interesting post by Ron San.
Name Dropper
I liked this piece:
"Where do I stand on the Manny trade? Very simply, there must be something approaching fair value. Booting Manny's rear end out of town in an act of unquiet desperation doesn't work for me. Pete Rose was "Charlie Hustle" for his 4256 hits and 3 World Series titles, three batting titles, and NL MVP, not because he ran hard to first. The minors are loaded with 'all-effort' guys who can't play. If you want 25 of them on the Red Sox, then good luck to you, but chemistry and hustle take a backseat to talent."

and this piece:
"Manny isn't a criminal, he isn't a saint, he may not be the greatest guy in the clubhouse, and parts of his game could stand improvement, but the guy can hit. Unlike Jim Rice, sweating out a limited chance of getting to Cooperstown, Manny won't worry about it. Heck, he may not even know when it's happening."

and the last paragraph was great:
"Several years ago, a colleague's son worked for the Red Sox, and he felt there were only two 'difficult' (fill in your favorite adjective for difficult) players on the roster, a certain departed shortstop and a pitching diva. The former was entirely self-absorbed via his routine and the latter just the paragon of narcissism. As Paul Harvey would say, you know the rest of the story."

Adam Haalboom over at the talks about their Troy Glaus signing. As a Red Sox fan, I have gotten more and more worried about the Blue Jays with every signing they made this hot stove season. I mean, I was laughing as hard as anyone about the BJ signing. But this is getting serious! Adam makes a really good argument why letting Orlando Hudson go for Glaus was a good move:
"Toronto is a better team, overall, with a healthy Glaus, and while we will miss the defensive acrobatics of Hudson, it is the balls out of the park that win the most games, not the singles that Hudson occasionally took away from the opposition. Put another way, did Hudson actually save a run from scoring 27 times last year (the difference between GlausÂs homers and HudsonÂs, which is obviously a very rudimentary way of comparing their relative offense and defense, especially considering the variable of runners on base and number of outs)? I donÂt know, but I doubt it. At the same time would Hill necessarily have missed all of those same potential chances that Hudson had? I donÂt know, but I doubt it."

According to Jon Williams over at reports that Alex Rodriguez has decided to represent the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic this spring.
"Apparently a WBC without A-Rod is unacceptable. Most of the speculation claims that Rodriguez will play for the United States. Bud Selig probably wants to make sure the U.S. wins."

Manny, please take notes . . .

2005-12-30T05:42:00.000-08:00

Mr. Ramirez,

Please get out a pen and paper and start taking notes. Your fellow Dominican Miguel Tejada has "requested" a trade, but please take note that he has not demanded a trade nor mentioned that he would not show up for spring training if one was not made. Although he is "even more upset now than when he first floated the idea of a trade three weeks ago", Mr. Tejada did state that if he was not traded, he would still "respect the game as I have always done."

Although he had made recent comments that seemed to have put some fans' worries at rest, Mr. Tejada told the Associated Press on Thursday, "Now, I am more upset than when I requested the trade because it's been a month and they haven't done anything." Again, please pay specific attention here, Mr. Ramirez, because his request comes from a desire to win, not from a desire to make $20 million a year and never have to sign a frigging baseball for a fan!

Sir, there are several more opportunities to learn from Mr. Tejada. Although he has expressed frustration with the Orioles lack of major offseason acquisitions, he has carefully clarified that he has no problems with the Orioles recent signings of catcher Ramon Hernandez, first-baseman Jeff Conine, or outfielder Jeromy Burnitz. He simply feels that these moves are not what the club needs to win. He also states that he's "not asking for a team of superstars, [he] only wants a good group that helps [him] to win."

See you in spring training?

There's no crying in baseball

2005-12-22T07:26:00.000-08:00

What wonderful timing for me to begin my American League East blog. I have told most of my close friends as well as mentioned in my posts that I was going to try to keep this blog focused on the entire AL East division rather than get hooked into commenting on every move the Sox make, or complaining about certain actions taken by the Boston media. As Beth mentioned in her post of December 13, 2005 (subheading "When you can take the mouse from my hand, little blogger..."), I don't want to be JASB.

Johnny Danmon now plays center field for the New York Yankees. There, I said it! Yesterday, I created an online survey at www.zoomerang.com designed to poke fun at one particular co-worker who has been crushed by this development. Here are the results of that survey:

What's the worst thing about being a Red Sox fan right now?

Much of what I am hearing since the big news, though (from both Red Sox and Yankee fans), is leading me to believe that both factions are unhappy with the switch. Red Sox fans just can't believe he "turned on them." Yankees fans either feel they paid him too much or they still see him as the enemy. I would consider these reactions from both sides as deviating from the norm. Of course, there still are those on both sides reacting in more typical ways . . .

Cheryl has already bought herself a Yankee's hat. Funny, though, I seem to remember she was swearing allegiance to the OTHER New York team around this time last year!

Paul, my Yankee fan co-worker friend, has had this to say since the big move.

Ya’ll know that I can’t resist!

Merry Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Wiccan Day, Nihilist Day, Atheist Day, Agnostic Day & Felice Navidad!

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/376894p-320176c.html - The New Curse Story

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/376897p-320063c.html - The “He’s the Savior” Story

Pablo – Gloating while I can!

More damon stuff

And there’s more!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10566007/

Pablo

Here's my advice to fellow Sox fans for dealing with this difficult development. Up here in New England, we are prone to overreacting. Think back to February 16, 2004 when the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez to play third base. Talk about feeling slapped in the face!!?? We hated A-Rod (STILL DO!), Commissioner Selig, Sox ownership, and even Rangers ownership. All we did in the wake of the Yankees signing Rodriguez was win the World Series. I'm wondering if I've been in a coma for 85 years, because the state of Red Sox Nation does not seem too different from what it was when we were entrenched in an 86-year World Series drought! So, let it go. Keeping Damon in center field would have been awesome. It sucks that he decided to play for someone else. And it sucks that he decided to play for the Yankees. But:

He only did it because they offered the most bucks. (How many of you would give, say, your current employer a "hometown discount?")

Now, the Sox know they need to find a centerfielder.

There's no crying in baseball. Change is inevitable

What's the worst thing about being a Sox fan right now?

2005-12-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Please take this survey now. Tomorrow I will report out the results.

Thank You Johnny Damon

2005-12-21T04:45:00.000-08:00

Let's first deal with the most difficult reality we must face as Red Sox fans. Johnny Damon's career with the Red Sox is over. To continue a tradition started last week when Billy Mueller left for Los Angeles . . .

Thank you Johnny for:

A 2004 World Series Championship, the first in New England since 1918, a drought that spanned 86 years.
A .311 OBP with 4 home runs, 18 runs scored, 8 stolen bases, and 13 RBI in 132 postseason plate appearances spanning six playoff series.

2002 & 2005 All Star selections.

Leading off for some of the best Red Sox batting orders ever.

Scoring more runs, 461 (344 + 117), than any other player between 2002 and 2005

Recording the most hits in an inning (3) of any MLB player on June 27, 2003.

I hope this is the last one of these I have to put together for a while!

Among all the Reasons to be glad you are not a Red Sox fan, here's another . . .

2005-12-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

If you haven't had a chance to read The Chief's Dan Shaughnessy Watch (we read him so you don't have to), take some time now to do so. If you are a Red Sox fan, there's a pretty good chance you knew what was coming. If not, please refer back to the title of this posting. In his most recent post, The Chief lists 22 different Dan-isms, quotes from Shaughnessy that either contradict one another outrageously or totally fly in the face of common sense.

"How could anybody miss that butt?" (on Shawn Estes' attempted beaning of Roger Clemens, Boston Globe, June 16, 2002)

In his most recent column, Shaughnessy really has the pulse of Red Sox Nation with some breaking news:
"The betting here is that the Sox won't trade Ramirez and he'll arrive late in Fort Myers. We'll write a million stories about the disgruntled Manny, and at the end of September he'll have 40 homers and 130 RBIs to go with a .320 batting average."

I wonder how many hits he received on Google when he was trying to figure out what to predict about Manny's behavior and stats next season. I wouldn't exactly classify that search as a googlewhack, people! (There's my plug for googlewacking. It's kinda neat, a decent way to waste a half hour online.)

OK, back to Shaughnessy. I must say, he does bring a newsworthy story to us today. It seems that Manny is not only selling his condo at the Ritz-Carlton, he has also sold a bunch of his Red Sox stuff to a local memorabilia merchant. Here is what the merchant, Phil Castinetti, had to say to Dan about his visit to Manny's condo:

"Anyway, the guy called me and I went to Manny's house and Manny was there. I got the house tour before anybody else and he had stuff everywhere. Game-used jerseys and bats and gloves and cleats and baseballs. What a place. Manny's wife wasn't there. I think she'd already gone to Miami. Manny said he's been approached by a New York collector, but he wanted to keep the stuff around Boston. I asked him if he wanted to leave the Red Sox and he said, 'No, I'm staying right here.'"

Red Sox fans, let's take that for what it's worth!

Who's Playing in the World Baseball Classic?

2005-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

Since you're all just dying to hear the latest on the World Baseball Classic, I have an update. Below is a list of the participants from the AL East teams with the country they will represent. Most notably, the Yankees have two players that will not participate. Alex Rodriguez, the 2005 AL MVP, will not participate because he cannot decide whether to play for the United States or the Dominican Republic. "When faced with the decision to choose between my country, the US, and my Dominican heritage, I decided I will not dishonor either," said Rodriguez.

The Yankees have also said that they will not allow Jorge Posada to represent Puerto Rico in the event. According to the Star Ledger, teams are allowed to file objections to their players' participation. These objections are then heard by a technical committee. This committee upheld Brian Cashman's objection to Posada playing. According to a person familiar with the workings of the WBC, the Puerto Rican baseball federation did not fight the objection because of its depth at that position: Sandy Alomar Jr., Ivan Rodriguez and the Molina brothers, Bengie, Jose and Yadier.

Blue Jays

Burnside, Adrian: Australia
Catalanotto, Frank: Italy
Halladay, Roy: United States
Koskie, Corey: Canada
Ryan, B.J.: United States
Wells, Vernon: United States

Devil Rays

Cantu, Jorge Mexico
Colome, Jesus Dominican Republic
Crawford, Carl United States

Orioles

Bedard, Erik: Canada
Cabrera, Daniel: Dominican Republic
Chen, Bruce: Panama
Loewen, Adam: Canada
Lopez, Rodrigo: Mexico
Matos, Luis: Puerto Rico
Mora, Melvin: Venezuela
Stephens, John: Australia
Tejada, Miguel: Dominican Republic

Red Sox

Lowell, Mike: Puerto Rico
Ortiz, David: Dominican Republic
Ramirez, Manny: Dominican Republic
Varitek, Jason: United States

Yankees

Cano, Robinson: Dominican Republic
Jeter, Derek: United States

Around the Division

2005-12-16T06:09:00.000-08:00

Tampa Bay
The Devil Rays announced on Thursday that they will spend $10 million before the 2006 season opener (April 10) trying to make Tropicana Field more appealing. Is that all it costs to bring in a team to play INSTEAD of the Devil Rays? Since the D-Rays had the lowest home attendance in Major League Baseball last season, the team hopes the improvements will "give fans a better experience - and . . . draw more of them to games." New principal owner Stu Sternberg also plans to spend another $10 million over the next few years on other upgrades, including a new scoreboard.

Toronto
With their most recent acquisition of Lyle Overbay, the Blue Jays have made Shea Hillenbrand worry a little about what position he'll be playing for them in 2006. Hillenbrand found a computer program that "breaks down the swings of the game’s top offensive players, allowing him to study certain traits and adopt them." Hillenbrand says, “I’m very confident that it’s now going to allow me to become a player who can hit 30 home runs and drive in 100. I’ve been in this game a certain number of years and I felt it was time to take things to the next level. You can quote me on that: I think I’m going to hit 30." He qualified his remarks though, "Of course, it’s one thing to say it and another thing to go out and do it. But that’s how good I’m feeling.’’

New York
Even as the Yankees continue to be among four teams on Nomar Garciaparra's list, newest Red Sox-turned-Yankee Mike Myers is making a push for Johnny Damon to join him in New York. And according to the Bronx Pride, everyone in New York except Robinson Cano has personally spoken to Nomar about coming to play in the Bronx. The only Yankees fan I associate with (no choice, he works with me!) sent me the following email yesterday:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10464742/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10452580/

The New York Red Sox??? What’s happenin’ to my team??? Hell must be freezing over again!

So, it sounds like he dreads the possibility as much as we Red Sox fans! Add to that the possibility of Roger Clemens returning to the Yankees, and you're talking about a nervous Red Sox Nation.

Baltimore
Should He Stay or Should He Go Now? David Steele asks, "Why is it so hard for Orioles to just say no to Tejada trade?" He makes a pretty darn good argument. I agree that for a team that made a run at the AL East Division title with a record of 42-28 through June 21 and then finished the season 14 games below .500, trading your franchise player could end up being a huge mistake. Following the problems the Orioles dealt with in 2005 with Palmeiro and Ponson, "players like Tejada have to stay." Or, as Dan Connolly says, the "Orioles may be left with one option: Deal Tejada." He points out that "Tejada's tremendous ability can't magically rub off on his teammates," and "his fervor for winning can only take the team so far, like first place in early July."

Boston
Perhaps the biggest news in Boston over the last few days is that there has been no news about Theo's return. Then again, Christmas ain't here yet! The Red Sox are on the short list of teams interested in trading with the Orioles for Tejada. However, the Sox did "balk at dealing a pitcher with Ramirez," reports Michael Silverman. The lastest on The Buzz over at The-Boston-Globe-owned-by-The-New York-Times is that the Red Sox are waiting for the Indians to sign Nomar Garciaparra so they can trade newly acquired prospect Andy Marte and reliever Guillermo Mota for Coco Crisp. Reportedly, the Indians are interested in getting Bronson Arroyo in the deal.

Keep Checking Back

2005-12-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

This is the birth of a blog . . .

I want to encourage everyone to bookmark my blog and keep checking back daily because we're experiencing some pretty radical additions to the page lately. Even though this is a relatively slow time for major league baseball, (I SAID RELATIVELY!), I am going to attempt to post every day.

I think the coolest new addition here is the sidebar section for AL East Team Blogs. I am not sure how extensive I want to make this listing, but I've started with at least one blog for each AL East team. (If any of you D-Rays fans know of another blog, please let me know!) At some point, I may decide to switch to a pull-down list for each team, since I am sure I could find 15 to 20 active Red Sox blogs and most likely 10 active Yankees blogs. I have also considered rotating through active blogs for teams with more than 3 or 4.

As you may be able to tell from my first two posts, I am huge into linking out to other websites. The only catch is that I will always do this into a NEW browser because I obviously believe that my ranting and raving is more valuable to you than anyone else's! I want you to stay on my page until you have exhausted all it has to offer.

Another feature I would like to add is to accept guest posts from interested AL East fans. Of course, this feature would probably be more active during the season. Being a Red Sox fan, it will be difficult for me to keep my bias from creeping into my decisions about what to write. And, it will be a struggle to not always write about the team that is in first place. [ :-0] By allowing people to contribute who are as fanatic about the Blue Jays, Orioles, Yankees, and Devil Rays (should I be using people, in the plural, for the D-Rays?) as I am about the Red Sox, perhaps I can maintain the blog with a little more balance.

Thank You Billy Mueller

2005-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

I wanted to try something different with this blog. Considering that there is a plethora of Red Sox Blogs out there, I thought I would expand my blog to cover the entire American League East division. I'll do my best to keep my Red Sox bias from creeping into my posts, but every once in a while (like this post) I'm just gonna do it, so live with it!

Thank you Billy for:

the 2003 AL Batting Championship

our first World Championship in 86 years, a world series in which you batted .429

hitting .303 during your 3 years in Boston, second among third basemen only to Baltimore's Melvin Mora. second among switch hitters only to Detroit's Carlos Guillén

becoming the first player to hit a grand slam from both sides of the plate in the same game. you added a third homerun to bring your RBI total in that game to 9, a career high

Since the Season Ended . . .

2005-12-14T11:12:00.000-08:00

Let’s take a look at what’s happened in the AL East since the Red Sox and Yankees were ousted in their respective first-round playoffs.

We all knew this would be the year for the Blue Jays to start throwing money at players. But, HOLY SHIT! Is B.J. Ryan worth $47 million over five years? That’s a steep price for any closer, much less a closer with a measly 47 career saves. “He stands among the few pitchers in baseball worthy of a five-year contract," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. He then turned around and signed A.J. Burnett for $55 million over five years. Goodness, that’s pretty darn good money for a guy whose win-loss record is 49-50. But, let’s give Ricciardi the nod on this one, because Burnett’s career ERA is a fine 3.73. Rounding out their off-season acquisitions, the Blue Jays traded for first-baseman Lyle Overbay, expanding their payroll from $45 million to $75 million with just three major acquisitions.

In Boston this off-season, every move, every hint of a move, each and every inkling that a move may take place (GET IT?) is mentioned in the context that the Red Sox are still looking for someone to replace Theo Epstein as general manager. It was announced this week that the Red Sox have appointed co-GM’s for an indefinite period of time. The dynamic duo of New Hampshire natives Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer will split the duties of general manager. Of course, this all happens with the possibility of Theo’s grand return looming. Anyhow, onto roster developments.

Taking advantage of the Florida Marlin’s housecleaning, the Red Sox traded highly touted prospect Hanley Ramirez and change for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and Guillermo Mota. Previously, they had begun shoring up a questionable bullpen by signing Mike Timlin to a one-year contract extension. The Red Sox also traded Doug Mirabelli for second baseman Mark Loretta. (Sorry Timmy W., time to start breaking in a new catcher.) Most recently, rumors have been a dime-a-dozen about to whom they can trade Manny Ramirez and for what. Perhaps their best chance materialized when Miguel Tejada spoke up about his frustration that the Orioles have been quiet this off-season. Some heard him saying that he wanted a trade, but I think in the end, the Orioles convinced him to stay. (btw, this is all I’m going to say about the Orioles here.) So, let’s keep looking for someone who wants Manny . . .

The Johnny Damon lottery is about to heat up between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Red Sox have an offer on the table of $40 million over four years and the Yankees have told Scott Boras they are willing to give Damon a “strong” four-year deal. The Yankees have also reportedly spoken to Nomar Garciaparra about playing first base. Three years ago, the three premier shortstops in baseball were Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciaparra. Now, these three may comprise 75% of the Yankees infield next year? Why stop there, Mr. Steinbrenner? I think Miguel Tejada would be a great fit at second! By all accounts, though, this has been a quiet off-season for the Yankees so far. They bolstered a strong bullpen anchored by Mariano Rivera by first signing Tanyon Sturtz to an extension, then signing free agent Kyle Farnsworth for three years and $17 million, and finally adding lefty Mike Myers.

The biggest news out of Tampa Bay this off-season is that Lou Pinella will not be back as manager in 2006. The Devil Rays new manager is Joe Maddon, signed for two years with club options for 2008 and 2009. Perhaps most striking is the lack of action in Tampa. It has been rumored that several teams may be interested in shortstop Julio Lugo and first baseman Aubrey Huff. I guess the Devil Rays are looking at what is taking place to their south in Miami and saying, “No thanks. We’ll keep our talent around and try to compete next year.”