Spring Training & A Wedding

Well, Spring Training is now only a week away, 2-19. Also, it was just announced that two of Boston's biggest sports are getting closer together. The Sox' Yoooouuuukkk is engaged to marry Tom Brady's sister. Congratulations!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Well, according to a 'confidential source', the new Sox manager is Bobby Valentine. Pretty good choice in my humble opinion. More as it comes.

AL MVP

No, it wasn't either of the Sox prime candidates. Even though both Gonzo and Jake had world class seasons, neither of them won the award. Rather it was Detroit's starting pitcher and newly minted Cy Young winner, Verlander, who won the honor. However, Jake came in a not too distant second. He had an awesome season on his return from last year's injury-deleted season, becoming a 30-30 man, hitting over .300 and getting over 100 ribbies. Verlander is a reasonable choice as he won the pitcher's triple crown or most wins, lowest ERA and most K's for the season. He also tossed a no-hitter, and it is clearly the case the Tigers don't win their division without his season. So, he becomes the first starter to win both awards since the Rocket did so with the Sox in 1986. He also is just the second pitcher to collect Rookie of the Year, MVP and the Cy in his career.

The Laser's Redirected!

According to a bulletin from the Globe, Papelbon has agreed to terms with the Phillies. Hate to see him go, but wish him all the best. He was a major part of the Sox successes in the later years of the past decade, including most notably 2007.

Lackey's Out foe 2012!

Just released by the Globe: Lackey's having elbow surgery and will be out for the entire 2012 season. No info on exactly what's being done.

The Press Owes Terry (& Sox) An Apology!

As I sit here watching the Cards battle the Brewers in the background, I'm moved to write because I think that someone--anyone!!--has to say something about the absolute disgusting BULLSHIT that is being thrown about and on Terry now that the season's over & he has gone. Maybe you've seen/heard some/all of the crap that's being heaped upon the guy that got us not only the first Series win in 86 years, but also a second just three years later--the guy who got the Sox more wins than anyone else in MLB over his time in the Hub than any other team other than the Stripes. He's now alleged to have been "distracted" (the polite term) by, take your choice pain meds he takes for his knee or his alleged marital problems (I didn't know he had any marital issues and why should I? It's NONE OF MY BUSINESS!--or anyone else's!It's got nothing to do with the Sox! It's strictly his own personal business!! Period--end of sentence--no new paragraph!!). Forget the fact that the meds were not a recent thing, but also existed when the Sox, under his excellent guidance, were leading the league with the best AL record and the 2d best in all MLB! No commentary then--because it wasn't "news". I've got news for all of you assholes in the press/media. It's still not news. It's personal! I can tell you what knee pain is like because I've had both knees cut on and have arthritis in both knees. Fortunately, I can usually get by without meds, but when/if they're necessary, I use them and don't have to worry that some ink stained wretch will claim I'm 'distracted' due to the effects of the meds. Terry deserves the same courtesy--unless you media assholes don't understand the meaning of the word. However, if you don't, look it up in Webster's. It's right there--courtesy. Look it up--assuming you have the brains to be able to read the definition!
As for some of the other crap making the rounds, pitchers drinking beer and eating chicken during games when they are not playing that day, a big WHO CARES? If they're not playing that day, what the f--- difference does it make. It's certainly not going to affect their performance--because they're NOT PLAYING THAT DAY!
Terry Francona is by far the best manager the Hose had had in my 68 years, has accomplished more than all of the others in the period, and deserves better than this cheap sensationalism that you are heaping upon him. I'm sorry he's left the Sox. I worry that he may go to a team the Sox will have to face. I wish him well--and don't care how many meds he's taking or what the status of his marriage is.

It's Over!!

Well, last night's events were tragic. So bad I had to wait 24 hours before writing.It felt like the Sox players should have started by shouting the old Roman gladiators' salute over the PA system: morituri te salutamus, which, according to my old Haverhill HS Latin teacher, Maggie McCormick, meant "those of us about to die, salute you." The Hose were leading well into the game, 3-2. Lester gave six solid innings of two run ball on three days rest. The Hose were hitting and putting men on base and while they were doing this, the Stripes were lambasting the Rays in Tampa, seven zip into the 8th inning. It looked like the Hose were finally going to make the post-season after all of September's aggravations--LOOKED LIKE. Then, in Baltimore they had a rain delay, effectively taking Lester out of the game. Nevertheless, the Sox hung on to that slim lead while the Rays tied the Stripes at seven--after being down to a final strike. It was that close! Bard came on for the 8th and was vintage Bard--what we've come to expect, not what we've suffered with these past few weeks. He threw a perfect 8th. Sox went fairly quietly in their half of the 9th and then The Laser came to slam the door. Two men up, two K's--most of his pitches like 95+ mph missiles. Then, the O's final batter gets down two strikes--does this seem scarily familiar to a paragraph above? Bang--a double. The next guy duplicates this and it's tied. The next batter comes up and lofts a soft liner to left field. Beantown's $142MM outfielder dashes in to grab it and end the inning--and muffs the grab. It's scored a single, but hit or error, it makes no diff. The winning O's run scores and the Sox are reduced to cheering on the Stripes en masse to somehow recover and beat back the Rays. Eventually, in the Trop they reach the home 12th and Longoria, who already had a 3 run blast to his credit on the evening lines a flat bullet towards the left field foul pole. Will it be fair or foul? Will it stay in or find a nest in the cheaps? As everyone knows by now, it was the worst of both worlds for the Sox--fair and in the cheaps. Game over, season over, wait six months for the Sox. How cruel is fate?
Brief notes: Gonzo didn't win either the batting crown or the RBI title, two things he'd led for more than three quarters of the season. He did hit .338 and have over 200 hits and 117 ribbies, as well as almost 50 two-baggers. He also provided some good leadership, a trait that will continue to be valuable next year. Jake ended up over .320, a 30-30 man with 32 HR's and 39 swipes. More importantly, due to the aforementioned success and his 200+ hits, he had the most total bases in the league. The Hose also had two other season .300 hitters: Big Papi, who missed 30 HR's by one and 100 ribbies by just a couple; and Pedey. The Dustman, valiantly trying to will the Hose home to victory got another homer and ended with 91 ribbies and another .300 plus BA. However, just as last year, the key injuries were collectively too much to overcome. Youk played very little during the final month's collapse--bursitis and a sports hernia (what's the diff from a non-sports hernia, anyway?)being too terrible a duet to overcome. The only three of the season starting rotation still able to throw by September being JB, Lester and Lackey hurt. Lackey was still throwing, but for most of the season, it was a case of the Sox needing an offensive explosion to keep him in range of a W. In fact, he's only the third pitcher in MLB history to finish a season with 10 wins or more who also had a 6 plus ERA--not a distinction one really craves in this game.
So, we go into the winter despairing of what might have been--and, by necessity, if nothing else, looking forward t 2012 and hoping that the team can regain that magic that carried it through the better part of the middle of the first decade of the new century.