Very Busy Days

So today was a big day, being the Trade Deadline and all. By 4:00, we knew that we had acquired Victor Martinez and Kotchman, but we lost good old Justin Masterson, who I just might miss. He'll be good someday. Like Cla Meredith, who we used to own. Saw him pitch for Baltimore tonight, and he was pretty good. Unlike when he pitched for us--I distinctly remember calling him "Clah" because I thought his name was weird and he sucked so much he didn't deserve the correct pronunciation.

So anyway (I ramble way too much), it was a productive day (did you see Ellsbury rob that home run today? AWE-SOME). Unlike yesterday, when the news about Ortiz broke. And frickin Dan Shaughnessy, whom I no longer like, pretty much ripped him a new one in the paper today. Said of the '04 Boston/NY series, "Our cheaters were better than your cheaters." He really tore into him, which kinda sucks, until we have the results of just what he took. It's so easy to knock A-Rod and Giambi for using, but now that the tables are turned...well, it really sucks. I wish he hadn't done it, but I won't be saying much more about it until we have more to go on.

Speaking of the 2004 World Series, I am watching the DVDs right now....Game 6, to be precise, and it is so ass-kicking to see all the "old Sox." Like my old favorite Mark Bellhorn, #15 Kevin Millar, my beloved Trot Nixon....oh man it is so exciting. And Bronson was on the team back then... I won't lie, when Ortiz came to the plate I was a tad sad, wondering....

But hey, watching the 2004 Sox/Yankees games never fails to put a smile on my face. And I need one now!

P.S. What I really need to watch is some 2006 footage with the Gonz. Man, I loved that foo.

Validation

A few things to discuss:

A) Validation. #8 and #9, but especially #8. Now, how about firing them?

B) Boy was I wrong about the women's final. It was like....well, a massacre. Incredibly boring to watch, and if the Federer/Nadal match goes like that I will be awfully mad.

C) Good old Kevin Millar has been informed that he's not going to be returning to the Orioles...which means I no longer like anyone on the Orioles (well...maybe Mora. But that's it). Here's what he had to say, "Yeah, the bottom line is, obviously, they want to go in a different direction. Now, what that means, I don't know. Are they going to win games this year? No. Obviously we know that going in. You've got to be realistic.

"I told Dave Trembley a month and a half ago, 'Listen, I'm 37 years old. I'm ready to make that transition and do whatever I can do to help the young guys. If that means playing against left-handers, coming off the bench, whatever.' I told him I'm ready to do whatever I need to do. They decided to go in a different direction, which is surprising to me. I'm not talking about this to sell myself. I'm low risk. I'm a one-year deal. I haven't been on the disabled list in awhile. I get along with everybody."

He is right, they won't win games, but I think that's less to do with the fact that Millar won't be there and more to do with the fact that they kinda suck. Plus they have Boston, Tampa Bay, and New York to contend with.

So Many Things to Touch On

I have a list in my head of so many things I want to say! Let's see if I remember them all (disclaimer: it's the 8th inning now and I clearly do not know the outcome of the game):

1) Dustin Pedroia, my love for this man knows no limits. Two home runs in a row, a walk, a single, and that is through the 8th. MVP, come on!!!

2) Jason Bay, how awesome are you? REALLY awesome. He's got 4 RBIs in this game alone, has hit a HR, and just generally seems to come through in the big moments. I cannot express how much I thank whoever got us this man (okay Theo).

3) My mind is filled with cell biology so I may be incorrect here, but remember back in the '04 ALCS when Johnny Damon could not get a hit, and then he hit the grand slam in Game 7? I feel like that is Jacoby Ellsbury right now. The poor kid is like 0-for-8 or some awful number, he is also the leadoff hitter, and he kind of looks like Damon (a very little, okay). I am waiting for him to do something huge like Damon of the Good Ol' Days. Waiting. Patiently. Unlike some people I know!

4) That's all for now. Except I hate the Rays. And where was 2003 Beckett tonight?!?? Yuck.

5) Oh, wait, one more thing. Can we NOT play Javier Lopez anymore?! PRETTY PLEASE. He threw one pitch, gave up a run, and was promptly taken out. Smart. But why was he in in the first place? Remember the Angels game??

He's Starting Early

It didn't take David Ortiz long to get back into his clutch-i-ness. What was a scoreless game in the 7th inning didn't last long--2 run shot from the man to put us on top, then a couple more runs and a HR from Captain Varitek. Puts our record at 3-1, not too shabby.

Thursday is an off day with a new series against the Blue Jays starting on Friday.

Bronson Arroyo pitches tonight for the Reds...yup, still following him. I do, after all, have his jersey!

Beckett's 20th Win

May I start off by asking what the hell the Sox did to make opposing pitchers want to hit them so much? We all know about Youkilis (and the Yankees) but tonight Hinske and Varitek got hit in the same inning! Then Ellsbury almost got hit in the 9th, and Pedroia did get hit! This is getting suspicious. We don't need anymore Youk-type injuries.

So Jacoby Ellsbury is definitely a new favorite. He ran into Boston's bullpen and over a chair, all to make a catch in foul territory that yes, he held on to. The Toronto commentators even said it was impressive, one of the best they've seen! Ellsbury and Pedroia, my two favorite players (remember the last 4 players I said that about were Bronson Arroyo, Mark Bellhorn, Alex Gonzalez aka The Gonz, and Trot Nixon...hopefully DP and JE will break the curse).

This is going to sound strange, but...the bullpen held a lead! Josh Beckett left after 6 fantastic innings, then Manny Delcarmen came in and pitched a 1-2-3 7th (2 strikeouts even).

Okay. 8th inning. Our new nemesis. A good start though, a solo Jason Varitek homer. But nothing else good for us. So who would guide us through the potential disaster known as the 8th inning? Delcarmen actually stayed in this time, unlike last time when he came out and Gagne killed it (in a bad, bad way). He got his first out, then as I'm witnessing Toronto's meltdown, they take him out! UHH, okay. Not what I would have done, but okay. Javier Lopez came in, got the second out, got the third out. Nice pitching, actually. You went against me, Francona, and it worked this time. Hopefully it will continue working.

3-run shot in the 9th from David Ortiz! He is "more dangerous than dynamite," said the Tampa Bay guy. Follow that up with a Lowell solo shot, 8-1, this one was over (even with Gagne pitching the 9th). Ortiz and Lugo gave Mike an excited hug in the dugout, how nice :) Brandon Moss hit the first triple of his career, which is very awesome.

And yeah, Toronto? I HATE YOU. Up 4-0 going into the 9th against the Yankees and the next thing I see, it's 4-4. HATE HATE HATE. It was single after single after single, and those add up. It wasn't bad enough you swept Boston, NOOO, you had to blow a 4-run lead against NY in the bottom of the 9th! Extra innings--at least they won. Took 'em 14 freaking innings and a large percentage of my sanity though!

Rant of the Day:
Many fans are saying "as long as we get the Wild Card..." To them, I say: Not good enough! Had we been in second place all year, yes, the WC would be fine. But getting it now, after we've basically been in first place all season...hell no, I do not accept the WC. Plus, the Wild Card is just not as legitimate, really. I want to win. I want first place in the AL East, and settling for the Wild Card is not in the gameplan.

Took 'em Long Enough

Most shocking ejection of the year: David Ortiz! I have the severe misfortune of not seeing the games, but I can only imagine how bad the call must have been to make the normally easy-going and jovial David Ortiz mad enough to be ejected. Man, I need to see footage of that!

In better news...Dustin Pedroia started the game off with a 2-run shot -- can you imagine the future of this kid? Good things will come, and the booting of Loretta for Dustin is looking better by the minute.

In best news...we finally won a game! 10-2, and it feels good. And NY finally lost, which is also quite helpful. How did we get those 10 runs? Well, Pedroia of course, a Manny force out, a J.D. Drew 2-run double, a Pedroia single, a Drew single, Pedroia hit a 2-run double, and Wily Mo sent him home with a ground out. Really, if Pedroia and Drew can get into gear, they will be all the offense we need -- Pedroia was FIVE-FOR-FIVE with FIVE RBI!! Well...I didn't want to say it, but...I think I'm in love.

Best moment of the day: Dave Roberts received a loud standing ovation of nearly a minute when he dug in for his at-bat in the top of the first inning of Friday night's Red Sox-Giants game. Aww!! He said this earlier: "It's been marked on my calendar for a long time. Just flying in, it brought a smile to my face. Getting to walk around the city last night and taking a cab over here to Fenway Park and just seeing some of my old teammates, things like that ... it was just a special time and fans here, they waited a long time for what we did in 2004. To be a part of a great team like that and be a part of history, it's a humbling experience, it really is."

Good Pitching!?

Here's something you won't believe: Julian Tavarez threw three scoreless innings today in the win against Baltimore. I wish he would just do bad all the time, because I worry that when he pitches well, people forget just how terrible he was last year. My efforts to Keep Trot! may have failed, but I hope the new Tavarez Starts or Nothing! campaign will be considered.

Another guy who threw three scoreless today was Kason Gabbard, and he said afterwards, "My confidence right now is through the roof." Confidence is good, but don't get too cocky now. That never ends well.

But, uhh, he's looking pretty good there...

And because I miss and love Kevin Millar...
Terry Francona was chiding him from the bench, but Kevin Millar was too busy with Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis to notice. Then all of a sudden, "Hey Tito!"

Francona yelled back "You have a lot of (expletive) nerve having tendinitis. You can't throw 90 feet."

"Schilling ate your second baseman," Millar shot back. "That's unbelievable. When I looked at the picture (of Schilling's stomach), I couldn't find Dustin."

I miss Millar :(

Here are Manny and Papelbon sporting the green uniform I want so much:


Oooh those look good!

2 weeks left until Opening Day!

I'll Say More than That

I just want to say one thing (though I'll probably say more): What the hell is with the name Jacoby? Every time I see 'Jacoby Ellsbury' I immediately want to get rid of that extra Y. And you know what? When I refer to him on my site, I will drop that y. Because JacobY is NOT a name. I actually think I already did that, just because I refuse to accept that as a real name.

And what's up with Alex Cora making 2 errors against the Mets? You know who wouldn't have made 2 errors? Mark Bellhorn.

Ahh...Mark. Before the trade, he was a very handsome and good-looking fella:

And then after, when he became a dumb Yankee, he was just another guy with a bad haircut:


Memories.

And today I read that "Eric Hinske is a crucial piece of the Red Sox bench." Uhh...that doesn't bode well.

Hey! Green uniforms tomorrow! I LOVE the green uniforms!! I ordered one on MLB.com (an Ortiz jersey) but it never went through and I never got one. I will have to search eBay like mad to find one for this season. It will go great with my green hat!

Wily Mo and Keith

It's been a looong day and it's still not over, but while I was crazy busy, Red Sox news went down! A deal was finally reached with Wily Mo Pena: a one-year deal worth $1.875 million. They met in the middle (ish) and now he's here for another year. I would have preferred longer, but hey, at least he's here for now.

And Keith Foulke has decided to retire instead of suffer through a year of not being on the Red Sox roster. "Over the last few weeks, while preparing for the 2007 season, my body has not responded as it has in years past," Foulke said in a statement released today. "I feel strongly I will not be able to perform at the level where I need to be to help the Indians this season. They are a class organization and I wish them the best of luck in 2007." Over in Cleveland, they're all praising his "integrity," but you know they are secretly mad.

Josh Beckett's been talking (but we all know what's more important than talk): About new pitching coach Farrell, he had this to say: "We just sat there and talked," Beckett said. "I like a lot of his ideas, and I think he's going to be a big help." Apparently they chatted for three hours, and hopefully some of those new ideas will help Josh perform better than he did last year.

You Knew I Was Going to Say Something About...

Bronson! So this is old news but I have to mention it at least once. Arroyo will be making a lot of money now: a two-year extension will pay him an additional $25 million and keep him under contract through at least 2010, plus an option for the next year. “I honestly didn’t think they were going to even talk to me about a contract this offseason,” said Arroyo, who had two years left on his current deal. “But they were serious.” I like that Cincy is so interested in keeping him, it's good to see a team be committed to him and not jerk him around (...what?). But this is kind of sad: “Last year in the beginning of the season, I was still watching a lot of Sox games and I was kind of still caught up in the middle emotionally about being traded,” Arroyo said. “I’m a Red through and through now.” :( I still want him on the Sox.

Let's see....we also have Don Orsillo news! Don Orsillo agreed to a multi-year contract extension to remain the voice of the Red Sox on NESN, the network announced in a press release. I love RemDawg and Don, they are perfect together. Can you imagine a NESN without them?

And last but not least, it's almost Truck Day! The Sox equipment truck will leave Fenway Monday at approximately 1:00 p.m. to begin the 1,480-mile journey to the team's spring training facility in Fort Myers. And you know who else will be there Monday? Matsuzaka, of course! Can you feel the baseball in the air?

Time to Move On

I can't wallow in sorrow about the Patriots forever. Time to move on...and talk about my other favorite sports team!

From the Mailbag:
Can you tell me who was the last guy to start on Opening Day at second base for the Sox in back-to-back seasons?

-- John D., South Meriden, Conn.

Definitely a valid question, considering the turnover at that position in the last decade or so. But the answer to your question is a lot more recent than you would think. Mark Bellhorn started on Opening Day in both 2004 and '05.

A-ha! I always love seeing Mark Bellhorn news, and that's good enough at the moment.

As usual, nothing on J.D. Drew.

And because I love tennis, I must discuss it. James Blake played Gonzalez last night, and he played like junk. I was looking forward to him advancing far in this Australian Open after having such a good year last year, but he was not himself last night. Kind of like the Patriots!

Here's hoping Mardy Fish beats Andy Roddick tonight!

Updates

Good news out of NY: Pedro Martinez' recovering is going even better that expected. He said, "The Mets doctors told me that my shoulder is completely clean and it wouldn't be weird if I throw faster than in the last two or three years, when the pain and tiredness affected my shoulder." Glad to hear it!

Thursday, Mike Lowell received the Jackie Jensen Award for spirit and determination. "I was happy that the Red Sox gave me the opportunity, not only to come over here but to play every day," said Lowell. "I think that was big. I know they had [Kevin] Youkilis as an insurance policy and J.T. Snow -- all that stuff. I'm glad I was able to prove that I could play every day and have a solid year." We're all glad he had a solid year, too, and I have a feeling he will have another good year in 2007.

So this Rookie Development Program - I hope a closer will come out of it. Or at least the beginnings of one. Craig Hansen does have promise, and with guidance and some confidence he would be a possibility. Apparently there will be a mental approach aspect to the program, which young players (especially in Boston) really need. It can be such a high pressure situation - I really think that will be an important and useful tool.

A Flurry of Former Sox News

1. Keith Foulke officially signed with the Indians to be a closer again.

2. Mark Loretta will be signing with the Astros. Try not to get to cry too much, there has to be more good-looking players on the team, right? Oh, and we're losing a fantastic second baseman!

3. Former Red Sox first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz will now be a NY Yankee. Another one bites the dust.

The Yankees are improving by unloading Mr. Randy "Guaranteed Loss" Johnson.

But don't worry, we got Joel Pineiro.

This Could Be Bad

I just got home and I'm seeing there's Red Sox news. They are close to signing right-handed pitcher Joel Pineiro to a one-year deal worth about $4 million, and this man was REALLY bad last season. Think 8-13 with a 6.36 ERA. He'll have to do better than that in Boston, because I do NOT want another Rudy Seanez. I think I still have nightmares about him.

Also, Keith Foulke is in Cleveland getting his physical...I thought his family was in Arizona? How is Ohio close to Arizona?

And to relive a painful memory, the Marlins signed Aaron Boone. God, I hate that man.

I Hope It's a Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone out there. I hope this year turns out to be a great one, and here are a few things that will help make that happen:

1. Find a closer. The Red Sox once again have their work cut out for them when it comes to closing games - with Papelbon as one of the starting 5, the job is up for grabs. It would be nice if one of the guys we have on the team now would step up during Spring Training and take the job with ferocity.

2. Figure out what the hell is going on with J.D. Drew -- we're all sick of writing about him.

3. The Patriots need to win the Super Bowl. Because we can all use a little more Tom Brady pictures in our lives.

4. David Ortiz needs to be the AL MVP. We all know he has been for the past 2 years, a little recognition would be nice.

5. Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield need to improve in the way of reliability. Who can forget Josh Beckett's first inning disaster against the Yankees? No more of that, please.

6. Coco Crisp should have a better year. He wasn't right after the injury to his hand in Baltimore (I remember because I was there and I told him not to try to steal that base and he did it anyway), but he should be ready to go in the spring. Plus, he won't have to be leadoff now that Julio Lugo is on the team.

7. Somebody will have to free me from my depression over losing Trot Nixon, Mark Loretta, Gabe Kapler, and my beautiful beloved Alex "The Gonz" Gonzalez. His defense was incredible and, to me, made up for his not-so-hot offense. I will miss the hell out of him, but I am glad he will join Bronson Arroyo in Cincy. I hope he has another great year.

And Trot? What can I say. I wanted him to stay on the team more than anyone (even the Gonz), he was my favorite Boston player. It sucks going to the Red Sox roster site and not seeing Trot there, he's been a staple for so long. One month ago we were reading about the possibility that he might stay in Boston, but... Right field misses him already, and it will never be the same!

Matsuzaka Again!

Nothing but Matsuzaka news lately. Here's a few choice pieces of his contract:

- Once he spends one day on the Red Sox' roster, he has a no-trade provision.
- The Red Sox will pay the airfare for eight round trips a year between Boston and Japan.
- The Red Sox will not assign him to the minor leagues.
- His salary of $8 million in the third and fourth years, and $10 million in the fifth and sixth years, could escalate to $10 million and $12 million based on his finish in the voting for Most Valuable Player and the Cy Young award.

Nice deal that Boras made for him, huh?

This last bit comes directly from redsox.con (the Mailbag...I LOVE Mailbag Day!)

Is Pokey Reese still in the league? I was looking him up the other day and found nothing. -- Steve S., Ashaway, R.I.

Reese was in camp with the Marlins last year and basically went AWOL. He then let it be known that injuries had robbed him of his love for the game, and he considered himself retired. That's the last I've heard. It's a shame. When Reese showed up to Red Sox Spring Training in 2004, he had boundless energy. I'm not sure what happened between then and now, but he definitely seemed to lose his enthusiasm for the game.

I miss Pokey!

The Topic of the Moment

The Topic of the Moment = trading Manny Ramirez. Everyone seems to be talking about it, there's the question of getting equal value (which is almost impossible) and who we could get in return. Let's discuss.

Manny is an elite hitter. If he leaves, and we end up with pitchers (which we need), that is BAD. Of course, we need relievers (since ours are quite bad at the moment). But to screw Ortiz like that is just wrong. If he has no one formidable to hit behind him...I don't even want to think about it.

On the other hand, who can we get that's a power hitter? To trade one for the other seems odd and not likely. We'd have to take prospects, which wouldn't do the job. We can't just get pitchers in return. Could Drew fill the hole with a .283 average and 20 HRs? The answer is, of course, NO.

Simply put, without Manny, we lose a lot. A whole lot. And it's going to be really hard to replace him...oh wait, you can't replace him, you just try to make do.

FYI, Kevin Millar re-signed with the O's for another year, and the Patriots are currently in the 2nd quarter, down 7-3 to the Detroit Lions. But they'll come back!