Marathon Morning: Red Sox Sweep The Orioles With A Twelve Run Rout

Its a good morning when you have a baseball game at 11 and you have nothing to do. Its even better when you get to see a young guy pull off a show-stopping performance on Patriots Day of all days. All while thousands of people ran in the 113th Boston Marathon.

Justin Masterson, usually the long reliever/eighth inning/all around lights out pitcher from the bull pen, got his first start of 2009. In 5 innings he struck out three, walked two, and allowed one earned run on four hits, all singles. Not a bad outing, considering he did all that on just 84 pitches. And thanks to the Red Sox very strong bull pen, that one run was the only one allowed all game.

The bats got going in the first, when Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a double. A single from Dustin Pedroia scored the speedy Ellsbury, and a ground out from Baldelli brought in Dustin, putting the Sox up by two.

In the second, Jason Varitek continued with his seemingly rejuvenated swing (its only a few weeks into the season, but I remain optimistic) and launched a solo shot into the monster seats, where fans were alternating between watching the game, and watching the marathon runners make their way through Kenmore Square.

The Orioles scored in the third, and it remained close until the bottom of the sixth. Another RBI single for Pedroia and a triple from David Ortiz made it 6-1, Red Sox.

The bull pen held the Orioles to a scoreless top half of the seventh, and then the Red Sox really got started. The Orioles faced 12 Red Sox batters, Mike Lowell had an RBI double and an RBI single in the inning. Also with RBI singles in the seventh were Ellsbury, Pedroia, and Youkilis.

The best part of today? With the exception of Ortiz, who's average is up to .196, the rest of the team is now hitting above .220. Pedroia got moving, so did Ellsbury, and Ortiz had a good day with two hits, two RBI, and a run scored.

Lefty pitcher Hunter Jones made his major league debut, and pitched a scoreless 9th for the Red Sox, while Rocco Baldelli left the game in the fourth with a mild hamstring strain, and Orioles third-basemen Ryan Freel left the game in the third after being hit by a pick-off attempt from Masterson. He went to the hospital as a precaution, but there is no news yet on when he will return to the Orioles line up.

The Sox now have a five game winning streak, are back over .500, and have now won their 66th Patriot's Day game, which started with a 21-gun salute from the Minutemen, and ended with a 12-run salute from the Red Sox.

Pink Hats, The Youk Fu, Some Aces and a Changeup

There's a lot to cover today, and since Spring training has officially started, we finally have news! On a funny note, Manny rejected another massively huge offer from the Dodgers. That's his fourth offer he's declined due to either: not enough money or not enough years. Really, at this point, Boras should be telling him to take anything because no one is going to pay as much as he wants for as many years as he wants because we know that Manny doesn't play unless its a contract year. Enough said.

Next on the list, the now-infamous and controversial pink hats. I've actually had several emails/comments/etc about the pink hats, either for or against. So here's the new plan: a poll. Its at the end of the article, so select your answer and we will get a clear picture of how Red Sox Nation (or any baseball fans, really) feel about the pink hats.

Moving on. A few days ago was Red Sox Photo Day. Probably one of the most ridiculous things in all of baseball, photo day never ceases to produce a few funny pictures.While we haven't seen all the pictures yet, here's the first few. We get a glimpse at the "Youk Fu" (to be explained later), we realize that the team as a whole is not particularly photogenic, and we see that Terry Francona looks a little like Ben Kinglsley. Click on the photos to seem them larger.

Here they are, from left to right, top to bottom:
Row 1: OF Jacoby Ellsbury, RHP Michael Bowden, 1B/DH David Ortiz, OF Jason Bay, RHP
Josh Beckett
Row 2: U Mark Kotsay, OF J.D. Drew, LHP Jon Lester, 3B Mike Lowell, SS Julio Lugo
Row 3: 2B Dustin Pedroia, RHP John Smoltz, RHP Brad Penny, RHP Jonathan Papelbon,
LHP Hideki Okajima
Row 4: RHP Junichi Tazawa, C Jason Varitek, RHP Tim Wakefield, 1B Kevin Youkilis,
Skipper Terry Francona

Along with being picture day, it also seemed to be father's day, with Little Papi and Little Lugo hanging out. Here are some super cute pics that made me go "awwwwwww"

Aren't they just too cute?

A few final things to address: The Youk Fu. I would try to explain, but I'll just let Kevin Youkilis do it for me.

The Youk Fu
by beisbolct


Guess the goatee is out...

Finally, lets take a look at the pitching staff. While Wake was a little rusty in his start, Beckett, Saito, Lester...they've all be sharp. Lester has even worked on his changeup a little more and if he continues to progress it through Spring training, he'll have a very dangerous pitch added to his already ace-like repertoire.

One thing you can't argue is that the Red Sox have massive depth with pitching. They have several guys who could start but will likely be in the bull pen because they don't need to start. So that makes the good bull pen even better. Then we have the consistent capstone himself in Papelbon, and I think with a pen this strong, he won't have to come in for any 5-out saves or even 4-out saves, which will keep him full of gas just a little bit longer.

What can I say, I'm excited about this season. I think they have great chemistry in the clubhouse with guys like Papi, Pedroia, Papelbon, Tek, Lowell, and Youk. They all relax and goof off in the clubhouse, but when the game is on, so are they. And I don't think we've seen the last of "Large Father" and "Pedroia Productions". I'm sure Pap's mom has a lot more embarrassing movies of her son that will make their way into the clubhouse this year.

A few final questions facing the Sox this year:
1. Will Jacoby steal his way back into America's heart by winning another free taco?
2. How much Double Bubble will Tito go through on average a game?
3. Will Pedroia attack the next person who calls him a "little guy" "jockey", etc?
4. Will the Youk Fu catch on as a national craze?

Finally, and, most importantly:

5. Will Pedroia ever beat Tito at Cribbage?

Your Pink Hat Opinion

I have no opinion. I\'m neutral. They aren\'t called the \"Pink Sox\" so why wear a pink hatNULL Real fans wear pink hats! Only for special events, like cancer awareness days They\'re okay if your a girl Other opinion.

View Results Free Myspace Poll

So You Wanna Be A Red Sox Fan? Part 2

Here's part two of your guide to being a Red Sox Fan.

As one of my lovely commentators pointed out, there are a few aspects of Fenway that I forgot to mention. So here's a brief guide to Fenway:

-It was built for the 1912 season, and the Red Sox owner at that time, John I. Taylor, decided to call it "Fenway Park" because it was located in a section of Boston called "the Fens". (If you were wondering, Taylor was also the guy who changed the club's name to the Red Sox in 1907)

-Duffy's Cliff: Around from 1912-1933, Duffy's Cliff was a 10' high mound that ran from the left-field foul pole to center field, and because of this, any left-fielder playing at Fenway had to play the entire game running uphill. Duffy Lewis, a star left fielder for Boston, had playing this way so down pat, they named it after him.

-The Red Seat: There's a seat in the right field bleachers painted red. It marks the spot of the longest measurable homer hit inside Fenway. Ted Williams hit it on June 9, 1946, and it was measured at 502 feet. According to legend, the ball crashed through the straw hat of a man sitting in that seat, Section 42, Row 37, Seat 21.

-The Pesky Pole: The right field foul pole is named after Johnny Pesky. He's been a virtual fixture at Fenway since 1942. While he moved around a bit, Pesky has been nicknamed "Mr. Red Sox" and his number, number 6, was retired last year. The pole was officially named "Pesky's Pole" on September 27, 2006, Pesky's 87th birthday.

-Did you know that Fenway Park cost $650,000 to build in 1912?

-The largest crowd ever at Fenway was 47,627, for a doubleheader against, you guessed it, the Yankees in 1935.

-Behind the manual scoreboard (one of the last remaining) in left field is a room where the walls are covered with signatures of players who have played left field over the years. Maybe that's where Manny always disappeared to...

-No one has ever hit a ball over the right field roof.

-The screen behind home plate that protects spectators from wild pitches/fouls/etc was the first of its kind in the majors

-9 Red Sox players have pitched no-hitters at Fenway: George Foster (6/21/1916), Dutch Leonard (08/30/1916), Ernie Shore (06/23/1917), Mel Parnell (07/14/1956), Dave Morehead (09/16/1965), Derek Lowe (04/27/2002), Clay Buchholz (09/01/2007) and Jon Lester (05/19/2008)

-The Sox have currently sold out 469 consecutive games, and with the team as talented as it is this year, look for it to increase.

Now a few more clarifications/rules/tips:

-There is no curse of the Babe, we were not cursed and we don't believe in it. Some people did/do but its best, if you want to hide your newbie status, not to mention the "Curse of the Bambino".

-Before you go to a game, familiarize yourself with the roster and the starter's numbers. This will help you, trust me.

-The "Yankees Suck" chant. I know I already mentioned it, but I think I need to clarify. If you are a new fan, its best to avoid starting these chants simply because of your in-experience. Some fans believe it is applicable any time, any where. Others think there is a time and place. Save yourself the trouble and join in, but don't start.

-Don't ask stupid questions. What is a stupid question? Here's one: "I thought Manny Ramirez played left...who is that Jason Bay guy?" or "Why does that guy have the 'C' on his chest?" These will get you glares/looks of shock and will guarantee that everyone thinks you are a bandwagon jumper.

-if someone calls you a "bandwagon jumper" don't get defensive and start spouting off this whole sob story about how you've been a Sox fan since the '86 season (I'll give you a hint, ball rolling through Bill Buckner's legs...). Just say "you're crazy" or "okay" and brush it off. Unless you have asked one of the above questions, then just admit to it and say something nice about the fans/team/etc and all will be forgiven. Most of the time.

-Fenway is old. It has lots of bad seats, but lots of character as well. Just don't ask why they built it like that, because its been that way since 1912, as you've just learned, and its just the way it is.

Now, for a few pronunciations.This isn't all-inclusive, so if you run into a problem, go with their first name or just point.

David Ortiz = (or-teez)

Jason Varitek = (Ver-a-tech)

Jacoby Ellsubury = (ju-cO-bee)

Dustin Pedroia = (Pedroy-ya)

Kevin Youkilis = (You-kill-is) just call him "Youk"

Daisuke Matsuzaka = (Dice-K Mat-sue-za-ka) just call him "Dice-K"

Hideki Okajima = (Hide-e-key O-ka-G-ma) just call him "Oki"

That's it for part 2. If I hear of anything else, there will be a part three, if not, look forward to my next article which actually will be on the MLB's best fans.

So You Wanna Be A Red Sox Fan: Guide to 2009

So, its February, and its cold, and you've started thinking about springtime and baseball and you've decided to jump on the Red Sox bandwagon. While I, personally, feel like you need to cheer for your home-town team unless you are or have been raised (like me) by a transplanted fan. If, however, you choose not to do this, its all good. Red Sox Nation is always willing to welcome one more.

So, if this is the case, here are a few rules/tips/etc. to get you through 2009 without being called a bandwagon jumper.

First, the rules.
1. No pink hats. Unless there's some breast cancer day, pink hats are big no-nos.
2. When Kevin Youkilis is up to bat, he is not being booed, everyone is yelling "Yooouuukkk"
3. Never, EVER mention Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone without some sort of negative or
expletive.
4. If someone brings up Yaz during game, they are not talking about birth control, they are
talking about Carl Yastrzemski.
5. 99.9% of the time we will never root for the Yankees to win. The only exception to this rule
is if a Yankees win can secure the Red Sox the Wildcard or the AL East.
6. You cannot like both the Red Sox and the Yankees. Not possible, don't even try.
7. Starting the "Yankees Suck" chant when we are not playing the Yankees is a bad plan. It
either makes everyone think you are drunk or a brand new fan.
8. If someone brings up Williams, Fisk, Lynn, Yaz, Pesky, etc, and you don't actually know
anything about them, shhh!
9. You must know something about baseball, be sure to know what a sac-fly is, a hit-and-run,
what is and is not a save, drop third strike, fair and foul, and have a little idea what the
batting average means.
10. If you are surrounded by fans who start the whole "that's it, we're done" nonsense, they
are old fans, they've been around for a while, and they don't actually mean "we're done",
they still have hope, but its a lingering knee-jerk reaction, and the longer they've been a
Sox fan, the longer they will have said reaction.

Now, the traditions:

We'll start with songs. Songs at a baseball game are important. They take up the time in the middle of innings when we're switching sides, get the fans back into the game, and entertain everyone. The Red Sox have several which are played at almost every single home game.

First, is Sweet Caroline.
Sweet Caroline is played at every game in the middle of the eighth inning. The lyrics can be found here or on the big screen at Fenway.

Next, we have Tessie.
Tessie has some history. It was originally from a Broadway play and utilized by the Royal Rooters in the early 1900s to inspire the Red Sox and taunt opposing teams. In 2004, if was re-recorded by the Dropkick Murphys and several members of the Red Sox organization, and it tells the story of the Royal Rooters. It is the second of three songs played after every Red Sox win at Fenway Park.

This is from the CD Warriors Code, by the Dropkick Murphys, explaining Tessie:

"We recorded this song in June 2004 and after giving it to the Red Sox told anyone that would listen that this song would guarantee a World Series victory. Obviously no one listened to us or took us seriously. We were three outs away from elimination in game 4 at the hands of the Yankees and receiving death threats from friends, family, & strangers telling us to stay away from the Red Sox and any other Boston sports team and get out of town. Luckily for us things turned around for the Red Sox and the rest is history."

Then there's Dirty Water
Dirty Water was recorded by the Standells and debuted on the radio in 1966. It is the first song played after every home victory by the Red Sox and is a tribute to Boston. Lyrics can be found here.

Finally, Joy To The World
Joy to The World is a song by Three Dog Night, it is the last of the three songs played at home Red Sox victories. Check out the lyrics here.


Finally, here are some random 2009 tid-bits you might need to know.

-Dustin Pedroia's listed height and his apparent actually height are different. Say nothing, he's a beastly player.
-Kevin Youkilis is Mr. Intensity. He's not really called that. One of his nick-names is "The Greek God of Walks". He is also not generally called that. Mostly, we call him "Youk"
-Jason Varitek is one of 4 (3?) Captains in Major League Baseball. So the "C" on his chest is a big deal.
-Wakefield pitches knuckleballs.
-Terry Francona is also referred to as "Tito". He doesn't chew tobacco, but he does go through tons of double-bubble every game.
-"PawSox" refers to "Pawtucket Red Sox" the AAA team for the Red Sox organization.
-The mascot is "Wally the Green Monster", this is because the thirty-seven-foot, two-inch left field wall at Fenway, the tallest of such walls in the majors, is called "The Green Monster". It was not actually painted green until 1947.
-When they call Jon Lester a "southpaw" this means "lefty"
-The AL East is the division the Red Sox play in. It is a tough division, because the Yankees spend so much money and the Rays have had first-round draft picks for years, so they have a lot of young talent. The Orioles and the Bluejays are also in the division.
-The bull-pen band is a term for when the bull pen gets bored or wants to distract the other team and they bang on the fence and shake things to create music. They are actually quite good.
-A Fenway Frank is a hot dog.
-Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo are the NESN announcers for the Boston Red Sox
-Fever Pitch was not that good of a movie.

That's about all I can think of for now, so if you're just joining us, welcome to Red Sox Nation, you'll love it here.

Varitek, Sox Together Again. Officially.

Finally, the Varitek saga, which has kept us all hitting "refresh" on google news/Boston Globe/ESPN, whatever, is over. Reports are that Jason Varitek has agreed to the one year , $5 million dollar contract with the club/player options for the second year. All I have to say is hal-le-freaking-lu-jah!


Of course, now that the Captain is back, what am I ever going to obsess about? I mean, spring training doesn't officially start until Feb 14th, which is two weeks from now. And yes, there is that little game called the Superbowl on
Sunday, and I can obsess about the
Cassel questions and the NFL off-season.

Note to Patriots, if you are even listening: half the Baltimore defense are unrestricted free agents this year. Grab as many as you can get your hands on. Please. As for the Cassel/Brady drama...maybe that will be enough to keep me occupied now that the Tek saga is done, and the Sox unlikely to make any more off-season moves. But of course, since its the Patriots, the amount of information we'll be able to get on the Brady/Cassel situation (how is Tom's knee, are the Pats keeping Cassel, are they going to tag him...etc) will be slim to none.
Thanks for the closed-mouth attitude, Bill. Most days, I don't mind that, but when you want to know something, the Patriots can be down-right annoying.

Back to baseball. Red Sox Nation rejoice, we have a catcher. I know Tek was like an automatic out last season, but its not like there's anyone out there who can step in and take his place. Now we'll just ease Tek out of the position, introduce a new catcher, get the staff acclaimated to the new guy, so that we can phase Tek out in 2010. And you never know, he could have a brilliant season in 2009 and bounce back a little. Call me crazy, but it could happen.

Sox Reportedly Make Offer To Varitek

According to a Boston Globe article found here, the Red Sox have formally offered Jason Varitek a deal. While the specifics are unclear, it is likely that it is less than the previously offered $10 million arbitration deal, it may be for two years or contain an option for a second year contingent on at-bats or something.

If you ask me, its about time.

While there is no word on any deadline for Tek and the Prince of Darkness (Boras) to accept this deal, pitchers and catchers report on February 12th, a few short weeks from now.

Back In The Backstop: The Case For Tek

Of the Red Sox active roster, the average age of the pitching staff is 28. Take out the highest and lowest two ages to avoid any one larger or smaller number significantly affecting the stats, and the age you get is 26.7.

That's a young staff, and with such a young staff, we need, and everyone say it with me, a VETERAN catcher. I really think Schilling said it best. The Sox need Tek so they can wean our lovely young pitching staff off the Captain and acclimate them to the "catcher of the future".

This may take some time. In the big leagues, Bowden, Buchholz, Masterson, Lester, Delcarmen, and Paps have never had a different catcher. It has always been Varitek. You are talking about a potential ace, several potential starters, and a firecracker of a closer who have developed a really close relationship with the Captain. Schilling also went on to say that Varitek "knows some of us better than we know ourselves."

Strong words. Now, we know the Sox have a standing offer on the table for Tek, and we know it is not the $10-$12 million he would have gotten earlier, however, I have to believe that for his pride's sake alone (a Captain needs a bit of pride to be a good leader!) they're going to offer $2-$5 million over a year or two. I'd say two with an option for a third year, because though he doesn't need to be starting, you could have the "catcher of the future" training under one of the greatest catchers of all time.

Now what several people have suggested (and while I believe its none of our business, I think it might be true) is that Tek is waiting for his divorce to be finalized before agreeing to any deal. It makes logical sense from a financial stand-point.

You know what else makes logical sense? A collective firing of the Prince of Darkness (Boras) by all the Free Agents his greed has royally screwed over this off season. Or the baseball owners pool their money and have him "taken care of".

Regardless, I think Tek will be back in the backstop come spring training, with some new young guy watching his every move, trying to learn. And who knows, maybe he'll have a comeback year. Call me crazy, but it could happen.

Sox Avoid Aribitration While Tek Clears The Air

Theo Epstein has now gone six years without actually going to the arbitration hearing.

Papelbon signed a one year, 6.25 million dollar deal to keep him out of arbitration in his first year of eligibility, and they may not be finished. This was the biggest deal ever for a relief pitcher in his first year of eligibility.

Of course, after locking up Youkilis and Pedroia with multi-year deals, one can bet the Sox, with their available funds, would likely try and lock up their eccentric closer as well.

Javier Lopez signed a $1.35 million deal, which is a $500,000 raise from last year.

Also according to reports, the meeting that Jason Varitek had with the Red Sox without the Prince of Darkness (aka Boras), it was to clear the air with the team because they had been ignoring Boras's calls. He also stated that he had no idea that teams would forfeit a draft pick when he decided against the Red Sox earlier offer. How true this is, I don't know, but it is possible that our beloved Captain, baseball smart as he may be, may not know all the ins and outs of trade deadlines and arbitration deals. From his comments, Tek sounds sincerely apologetic and a little ashamed.

For my part, I'm going to believe him, and maybe that is why he decided not to take the $10 million, which I never understood why he didn't. It made no sense to not take that deal, and now I am starting to understand his reasoning behind not taking it. If he didn't know about the draft pick, and PoD (Boras) wasn't about to tell him, then he was going along, blissfully ignorant that taking him from the Red Sox would come at such a high cost for another team.

76 Days...

76 Days and counting.

That's how many days are between now and the season opener against Tampa Bay.

22 Days, 20 hours, and 24 minutes

That's how much time (as of this minute) there is between now and when pitchers and catchers report to Spring training. Arg! I need baseball!

Right now is like the black hole of sports. Basketball is on, yes, and Direct TV is giving us a free preview of NBA League pass (yay!) but there's no baseball, and there's no football (not that I particularly care about the teams left, but still...) I really hate the Steelers (as all good Pats fans do) and we absolutely crushed the Cardinals, so if they win the Superbowl...I'll feel a lot better about the 2008 season.

But back to baseball. So, being that there is only basketball right now, and I am suffering serious baseball withdrawl, I have been absolutely glued to MLBNetwork. This weekend, they showed the 2007 World Series, and are showing the 2007 ALCS later, I think. It was nice to watch the series again because I wasn't so nervous and I could actually enjoy the game a little more. It was almost enough to get me through the next month without the game. Almost.

Finally, for all members of Red Sox Nation who have been anxiously awaiting this moment, single season Red Sox game tickets are on sale! Yeah!

And one final, final note. I got one of the nicest Christmas presents from my Dad. He got me a framed poster-sized picture of Varitek shoving his glove into A-Rods face. Amazing!

Sox and Youk, Together Again

According to the AP (associated press) the Red Sox and Kevin Youkilis have reached a 4-year contract reportedly worth about $41 million.

So now the Red Sox have managed to sign both Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis and effectively limit their ability to seek arbitration and free agency. And Red Sox Nation heaves a sigh of relief. So now we have them both until 2012, if not longer.

This, I hope, is how the Sox are going to continue doing business. Both Youk and Pedrioa were drafted by the Red Sox, and raised in the farm system. I mean, look at the two of them! They both finished in the top of the race for MVP, which they both deserved, but I'm glad Dustin got it. Then, if you throw in Jon Lester, who is only going to get better...our farm system is looking pretty good.


Now the only hole the Sox have left is at catcher. And it's not like there's a lot of options out there, so just deal with the Prince of Darkness (aka Boras) and bring back Tek and all will be well.

Final random tid-bit, everyone's favorite Jockey, who happens to be the AL MVP, is going to be on the cover of MLB: The Show. There's no curse for that one, right?

Another random thought, I have a new obsession. The MLBNetwork. It is completely amazing. I watched highlights from the 1986 season the other night, and it was weird, because my dad always told me that he held me up to the TV during the World Series that year (I was all of a month old) and told me that I was watching the Red Sox, and that they always found a way to lose the last game that matters.

While that is no longer true, I found it really interesting to watch, since I clearly have no memory of watching it live. I haven't watched any of the re-runs from this year's World Series because I still have issues with cowbell. I'm not ready for more cowbell just yet, my ears are still ringing.

But you should check out MLBnetwork. They are airing Ken Burn's Baseball, which, if you've never seen it, its like Planet Earth, but for baseball. It's long, but they show it in segments, and it covers everything, from the curses, to the great players, the Negro leagues, the Black Sox...everything. I have really enjoyed watching it, you should look into it.

Epstein Arrives At GM Meeting Ready To Work

Theo Epstein arrived fashionably late to the GM meeting in Dana Point, California, after swinging by to watch Clay Buchholz pitch in the Arizona Fall league. With the Red Sox facing several key financial and player decisions this winter, the GM meeting has become more important than ever.

The Sox have depth in every position except for catcher (which we won't go into at the moment) which gives them a little wiggle room when it comes to personnel. If we like someone, we have lots of chips to trade, and with the loss of some big money contracts, this should be a good winter for trading - if necessary.

Theo spoke to the press, and has informed everyone that Timlin, who pitched six years in Boston, will not be returning to the Red Sox if he does not end up retiring. He also hinted that "The Mayor", Sean Casey, will likely not return. Epistein also confirmed that he has signed a contract for an undisclosed amount of years and funds.

If they can do it, the Sox may be interested in bringing in a big name pitcher, like CC or A.J. Burnett, but are more likely to get a strong starter who will cost significantly less than the headliners. Throw in another strong arm to Dice-K, Beckett, Lester and Wake and you've got an impressive pitching staff. If they all remain healthy.

The Red Sox have yet to decide what they will do with rookie pitcher Justin Masterson, who pitched beautifully from the 'pen in the second half. His flexibility is a big bonus for the decently strong Sox pitching staff.

You have to love the new owners and our GM, they really do put all the money we, as fans, spend on the Red Sox back into the team. Of course, this year Theo may have to do something he has never done before: got to arbitration. So far, he has always settled with his players, and with the money they have, the team should be able to give raises to a handful of their best players (i.e. Youkilis, Papelbon and Pedroia).

Jonathan Papelbon made just under $800,000 last season, and Kevin Youkilis went from $424,000 in 2007 to $3 million in 2008. Look for both of them to receive considerable raises. The Sox will also try to lock up Dustin Pedroia through his arbitration years, probably with a raise.

Epstein will also meet with the Prince of Darkness (Scott Boras) himself following the GM meeting to begin talks on Jason Varitek and whether or not he will be returning to Boston. While no deal is likely to be made, if they come to a quick agreement, Theo would not be opposed to wrapping it up early.

Oh Captain, My Captain

A quick message for Theo: BRING BACK TEK!

You knew it was coming. The Prince of Darkness AKA Scott Boras wants a four year deal for Tek. He's too old for four, but he won't take two. Here's what you do, Sox. You offer him two years with two additional option years. I realize that he's like an automatic out at the plate. I realize that he's expensive (mostly due to greed on Boras's behalf) but I'm worried about the team without him. If he retired, they'd be fine, but if he was playing somewhere else, like Detroit, it would end badly. I realize the Boston mantra is generally "out with the old" but this is not Nomar or Manny or anyone, this is Tek. This is the CAPTAIN. He is the leader, and I'd rather have us bite the bullet on a two year deal with options or a three year deal and keep the soul of this team.

Intangibles are important. Look at the change in the locker room pre- and post-Manny. They were a totally different team after the trade. But that wasn't just Manny being gone. They played for each other, not just with each other. Even if we brought back healthy vets like Lowell, you'd still be losing the rock of the team in Varitek.

Besides, its not like there is a stellar crop of catchers out there.

On to more free-agents-to-be.

Casey and Kotsay are both free-agents. I feel like we should keep one of them as backups, they both have decent bats (Casey more than Kotsay) and play good defense (Kotsay more than Casey). I'd rather keep Kotsay, as much as I love Casey, because he can play infield and outfield. Of course, with a healthy JD Drew, Jason Bay, Ellsbury, and possibility of Crisp returning, will we need it? (answer: yes. You never know who is going to get hurt. it's always better to be prepared).

Alex Cora is up for free-agency, and I don't think we'll keep him if we can't dump Lugo off on someone. That's a shame because he's a decent back-up we can groom to become a really great manager. Have you ever heard this guy talk about baseball? He is so smart! And Tito loves him. Personally, I'd rather have a Lowrie-Cora infield than a Lowrie-Lugo one. Yipes! I'd like to keep Cora (if we can) and shift the infield around. Have Pedroia play short, Youk play second, and Lowell at third, picking up Texiera to play 1st. Then we can have great back-ups in Cora and Lowrie so the guys can have a day off on occasion.


Timlin and Schill are both up, but guys, you need to retire. Do it now when you can go out with people still loving you. Don't do a Brett Farve. You're done. Go play golf and look at your shiny World Series rings.

Byrd and Lopez I have mixed feelings about. If we can keep them for a bargain, good, if not...eh.

Up for arbitration:

Paps. We need to get him a raise and an option deal. I wouldn't tie him up for years because of shoulder injuries/etc. but he's a great closer. Maybe give him the same option Wake has? Or something similar.

Cash. Wake is back and he will likely be too. Tek can catch Wake, but if we get a new catcher (shudder) we'll need Cash and his experience with the knuckle-ball.

Pedroia. Give him a long-term deal (with a raise). This kid is for real, and he's young. Lock him up.

Lester. Same as Pedroia. In about three years, Lester could be the best pitcher in baseball. Period.

Youk. This one is a no-brainer. Give the man a raise and lock him up for a few more years.


So that's my picks for the off-season. We need a pitcher. Maybe another bat. And bid on CC to raise the price for the Yankees. (he he)

Sayonara Cinderella, Goodbye Billy Penn Curse!

For all you Red Sox and Cubs fans, skip the next section, it doesn't apply. For everyone else, keep reading.

The Phillies have finally done it. It has been 28 years since the Phillies were here last, and 25 years since any professional sports team from Philly had won anything. This is called the "Curse of William (or Billy) Penn". It dates back to the construction of One Liberty Place, which became the tallest building in the city, rising over the height of William Penn's statue on City Hall. One year and four months ago, the statue was moved to the Comcast center, the new tallest building in Philadelphia. With the Phillie's fall classic win, it breaks the Curse and frees all Philadelphia sports teams to start winning again.

This is not the only curse to have been broken in the new millennium. The so-called "Curse of the Bambino" (insert eye-roll) ended in 2004 when the Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. The "Curse of the Black Sox" ended in 2005 when the ChiSox won their first World Series since 1919 and the Black-Sox scandal. Curses still in effect: The Detroit Lions' Curse of Bobby Layne and the Chicago Cubs Curse of the Billy Goat (which, by the way, is even more fascinating and superstitious than the Red Sox curse)

Of course, the curse of Billy Penn is the only curse to have an effect on ALL professional teams in a city, the other curses only applied to a specific sport.

Okay, its safe for everyone to read again.

I have a house mate who is a Phillies fan and she is ecstatic today. I gotta say I am glad that game 5 is finally over. I am also glad the Rays are still ring-less, because that means we will not have to hear about how the Rays won game 7 and went on to win the World Series every time they play the Red Sox. Now, its only "they beat the Red Sox and went on to lose to Philly 4 games to 1". Not as much of an accomplishment. Thank goodness!

It was a series marked by rain storms, and the first time in over a century that a game was suspended. I think the suspension was unfair, because the game should have stopped in the 5th, even if they were going to finish all 9 innings at some point, but it seemed like they waited until the Rays had tied it up. Because a good portion of the country wants to see Cinderella win. Everyone wants to see the little guys do well. For my part, I wanted the Phillies to sweep little Cinderella away with blow-out after blow-out. I'm not sure if that's bitterness over losing in game 7 or annoyance that the AL East's power has shifted to a Ménage à trois that I, personally, never wanted. I was happy with the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

Brad Lidge notched his 48th save in 48 tries to be perfect in the 2008 season. Cole Hamels ended his Becket-like post-season by winning World Series MVP.

All I have to say is congrats Phillies, and now that the World Series is over, we can officially look towards next year, where (hopefully) the red Sox will be in the Phillie's position. For now, we cheer on the Brady-less Pats, who are tied for division lead with Buffalo (how weird!) and the Celtics, who are calling this season: Unbuntu II: The Return (or repeat?), and I will continue my campaign to keep Jason Varitek and get Dustin Pedroia and/or Kevin Youkilis the honor he deserves: MVP!

Rays Relief is a Relief For the Phillies

Well, the Phillies took game 4 in spectacular style last night, and being that I am temporarily a Phillies fan, this is a good thing.

The game was close-ish until the later innings when Philly just opened up on the Rays 'pen for homer after homer. It makes me begin to think that maybe the Rays didn't beat the Red Sox, the Red Sox's injuries finally caught up to them and they lost. I mean, really, the Rays being in the World Series is really a giant scouting game for the Yankees. They are mostly locked up until 2009, but the next year, the Evil Empire will come calling.

As for the Sox, I hope we rob the Jays of one of their starters, like AJ Burnett or something, keep Tek on a two year deal and phase him into the coaching staff slowly while grooming a young guy. I think bringing in a guy from another team would not be good for the pitching staff, but as all of you who read me regularly know, I'm a Tek supporter. The players have already come out and said they will be shocked, disappointed, sad, worried about the kind of team they are on, etc. if he isn't signed. Now all we gotta do is keep Boras from being too greedy...(like that's going to happen)

Without the big money contracts of Manny and Schill, we have a good bit of money to work with and really, not that many holes. We have the Cora-Lowrie-Lugo shortstop debate, and there's no one we can dump Lugo on at the moment, but this means we don't need a shortstop. Pedrioa and Youk are solid infielders and even solider bats. If Mikey comes back from the surgery OK, then yay! If not, we should pick up Texiera, maybe we should pick him up anyway, since Mikey might be on the way out at the end of next year...(hopefully retiring... I don't want him to play for anyone else) Papi will be back to his old self, so no need for a DH, but we'll probably keep Casey around as a good overall backup. Then we've got Bay, Drew, Coco, and Ellsbury in the outfield. The starting rotation of Beckett, Dice-K, Lester and Wake is still pretty potent (I know Wake led the team in losses, but go back and look to see how many of those were 1-run losses where we couldn't generate the offense)

So, we add a pitcher, maybe an infielder, or a good backup like Kotaras who can play both pretty well, maybe bring up a new guy to work in the 'pen. We'll be good. The big question is catcher, and with limited prospects around the league, and Tek meaning so much to the team, it would be a stupid decision on Theo's part not to keep him around.

Here's to game 5. May it silence the Cowbells forever.


Also, Congrats to KEVIN YOUKILIS who won the Hank Aaron Award! Yeah! Here's what he had to say (and it makes me love him even more!)


"Well, I don't think I can ever compare myself to Hank Aaron in any way," Youkilis said. "I'll never see myself in that level. So to win this award, I don't know, I'm a little humbled by it. But it's great just to be able to have an award that's named after somebody that exemplified so much in this game and has brought so much history to this game. It's an honor just to be named in the same sentence. So for me, I'm thrilled."

All Good Things...

...must come to an end. I have to say, in the bright (and cold) light of morning, I am almost glad its over. I would have liked it to be over after another four games and a ring...but my stress level goes down and my number of hours sleeping goes up.

I will watch some of the fall classic, but only when they play in Philly, because if I ever hear another cowbell, it will be too soon. Maybe the Rays should have Christopher Walken throw out the first pitch?

Anywho, the Red Sox are gassed. Last night everyone just looked tired. So I think in a small way, they're glad its over. Now its time to marvel at the fact that they never should have made it as far as they did, take a few days off to rest, and start figuring out how we can get CC or some other pitcher without giving up anyone we like. I really like our line-up next year. For the first time in my memory, the Red Sox are young. Pedroia, Lowrie, Coco, Ellsbury, Masterson, Lester, Bay, Papelbon, and Youk have many years left in them. If you look back on the Sox, this rarely happens. And these kids are battle tested. There are only two things the Sox must do this off-season: get Tek back, and get another starting pitcher, whether we take one from somewhere else or develop them.

I'm going to take a few days off of hard-core baseball following to catch up on that all-important school work which has fallen by the wayside. I continue my campaign for the Captain, because you can't just get rid of a captain, even one who has struggled so much at the plate, you have to phase him out, into retirement. Just the reactions from his homer in game 6 proved one thing: they need him. He is the soul of the team, and if we get rid of our soul we'll turn into the Yankees.

One final note before I head off to get lunch (yum!) Our playing season may be over, but the Nation still has work to do! The 2008 This Year In Baseball Award has several Red Sox on the ballot!

Vote Pedroia for Hitter, Dice-K for Starter, Jacoby for Rookie, Tito for Manager, Paps for Closer, Dustin for Defense, Lester's No-No for Performance, and Youk's on-the-wall triple for Oddity (this one is under Damon's name).

And the best part is you can vote as many times as you want and it's really very easy! So go vote HERE

Well, Someone Has To Go

Okay kids. Here it is, game 7 of the ALCS. Anyone else but me incredibly surprised to be here? (Think back to Thursday before the 7th inning and be honest with yourself)

Tonight, Jon Boy takes the mound against Garza.

We're putting our best foot forward, I have my lucky shirt, and join my incredibly superstitious friends in keeping my fingers crossed. Look at this survey on the Boston Globe's website:

See the choices? You gotta love superstitious baseball fans.

So I was all kinds of cursing TBS last night. I don't care if you have a power outtage, the Steve Harvey show was a BAD CALL. The Office would have been a little less annoying. So I logged in to all the various websites, watching TBS Hotcorner (which I am not a fan of) listening to WRKO (love them!) and watching gameday pitch-by-pitch. So of course I found myself yelling agrily at BJ Upton before long. I called home and my mother, though I love her, occasionally choses the "hometown" boys over the team that the rest of my family is insane about. Not a very nice thing to do in the regular season, but a cardinal sin in the post-season, especially when facing elimination.

Note on the "hometown": I graduated high school with Justin Upton (DBacks), BJ's little brother. BJ did not go to my school, he went to a local private school, though I have met him, David Wright (Mets), and Mike Cuddyer (Twins) - all local boys. Thus, he's a "local" boy and my mother loves it when anyone from our area does well. I usually do too...just not in the postseason when they're playing my team.

Back to the game. The Rays lead 1-0, but never fear! Youk is here! Youk launches a solo shot to tie the game. Thank goodness, because with the way both Sheilds and Beckett were pitching, it was going to be a tight one.

Yay for Youk, because he hits a sac-grounder which scores Pedroia on the go-ahead run in the third. Then Becks gives up a solo homer to Bartlett, and we're tied again in the 5th. But it could have been worse, had the Rays not put on a hit-and-run which allowed Tek to throw out Navarro at second. So we come to the 6th. Two outs, Tek is up. We love the Captain, and watching him struggle is more painful than most players just in a slump. On a 2-0 pitch, Shields hung a fastball to the corner and bam! Tek hit the go-ahead solo homer and the Sox never looked back.

I mean, if you're going to have only one hit this series, that was a really great time to do it. It got the Sox pumped up even more and the 2-out rally continued, thanks to an E by Bartlet and some clutch hits from Coco, Dustin, and Papi, who, by the way, hit a double and an RBI single last night.


The bull pen, which came in for the 6th, shut it down. Oki went two beastly innings, Masterson settled down marvelously after hitting a batter, and Paps, even though he looks a little gassed (yipes!) got it done in a big way.

So now there's one game left. Winner goes to the World Series, loser starts shopping for Halloween costumes. Tonight we hand the ball to the de fecto ace of the team, Jon Lester. To be quite honest with you, win or lose, they have done a GREAT job. And I really feel that if we can hit with men on (stranded TWELVE last night!) and Lester can keep the game under control, we'll be golden. Though I'd like us to blow them out so Paps can rest. We need him and he needs it.

So good luck Sox, the Nation is behind you.

That Dirty Water Never Tasted So Good, So Good, So Good

Goodbye Angels, it's been nice...

Watch Jed Lowrie's Walk-Off Single!




Sox win. Yay!

Lets talk some post-season baseball. First off, what a start for Jon Lester. The Angels were a tough team, and, as Tito said, "we had our hands full [with them]". So now the best team (record wise) in the AL and the best team (record wise) in the NL are both gone.

Good, good things happened last night:
-Dustin snapped his October slump by hitting a rocket RBI double off the Monster (or "Monstah" depending on where you live)
-Tek chased down a young guy like a Teddy Bruschi or Rodney Harrison going after a quarterback, getting the out on a suicide squeeze that didn't quite work.
-Lester finishes the ALDS going 14 innings, scattering 10 hits with 11 Ks and 3 BBs and a 0.00 ERA (that's right, ZERO point ZERO ZERO. As in goose-egg) Can we just say beast?
-Bay leads the team in post-season BA (.412), OBP (.474) and SLG (.882) with 7 hits, 5 RBIs and scoring 3 runs. He hit what could have been an inside-the-park home run, had it not bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double.
-Lowrie got quite possibly the most clutch single of his career (more to come, I hope!) scoring Bay for the walk-off single with 2 outs in the 9th.

As with all things, we will take the day to celebrate, then look to the future and the extremely tough Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. After battling the Angels, I feel like the Sox are up for any battle that gets thrown at them. Dice-K is pretty good against the Rays and excellent on the road. Beckett looked rusty in game 3, but I think he'll be much better when he faces the Rays. Then we have Lester, who is probably the best pitcher in baseball right now. Throw in Masterson and Oki who are tough, and Manny D and Paps, both with 0.00 ERAs this post-season, and the Sox are looking pretty good, if we can just get that offense going a little more. Now that Dustin got his first hit, I think we're going to be just fine.

Just for a little fun, here are some post-season pics for your enjoyment! (from www.boston.com, click to make them larger!)

Finally, because life wouldn't be complete without some Papelbon antics:

Those shirts, by the way, say "Cinco Ocho: He don't know how he do..." and on the back it says "He just do".

Hopefully, Cinco Ocho (Papelbon for those of you who don't know) will be doing what he do and hopefully we'll be singing Dirty Water again soon! Go Sox!

LIVE Blog of the Jays-Red Sox Game

What a comeback last night. Whew. Scary. Live blog time!

Holy cow. What a match-up today. Halladay (on short rest) vs southpaw ace Lester.

Crap. Home run Toronto. Lester is throwing rockets but his control is off. Good thing we have game-manager extraordinare behind the plate (thank goodness for Tek!)

Batter up.

Single Jacoby! Yay! Here comes MVP Dustin Pedroia! (What? I can hope, can't I?)
Steal Jacoby and Sac-bunt for Dustin, Jacoby to third and here comes big Papi. All we need is a single or sac-fly. I tell you what, Dustin does it all, home runs, sac-flies, doubles, triples, bunts...Papi's out at first but Jacoby scores, tie game.

Youuuuuuuukkkkk. After a long at-bat, Youk hits a bat-shattering single. Mikey up.

Okay, I get that Toronto really wants to win, but pitching Halladay on three days rest is really not a good move, especially in September. Mike is out at first, and we go to commercial.

Overbay is up. And Lester got him. And the Yankees are leading the Rays 6-3 in the bottom of the 2nd (wow). Say it with me everyone. "Let's go Yankees!"

Okay, count is full on Rolen and Lester walks him. He is really not finding the strike zone right now. Wacko chopper, nice stop Pedroia and a bang-bang play. He's out.

Lester is up 0-2 on McDonald. Come on Jon, just one more strike and we're good. McDonald is battling. Lester really needs to get some control down, because he's thrown WAY too many pitches for it to only be the 2nd inning. Swing and a miss, he's out. Commercial time.

Back to the game. JBay is up. Bottom of the third, Yankees up 6-3 bottom of the third. Oh! JBay hits a double. Yay for JBay! Here comes the Captain. Come on Tek! We love Tek. Whatever he can do to get JBay to third or to score, he'll do it. And you can talk about how his average is down - good eye Tek! - we need that man behind the plate as long as we can because that man is a beastly fabulous leader. Good job, Captain, sac-single to get JBay to third.

Cora is up and the infield is in. I have a feeling we're in for a pitchers duel. Both pitchers are up over 30 pitches in the 2nd. The 'pens will be getting some work tonight. Okay, I think the TBS is in love with Halladay, because they are fawning all over him. Yes, he is a great pitcher, but come on!

Oh, Cora out on strikes. Coco is up. I'd recognize that batting stance anywhere. Oh, and announcers, its impossible to take the Fenway crowd completely out of the game, you underestimate the fan-base.

Coco hits a 2-out RBI single and Ellsbury is up. He has caught fire again, and I am hoping he can make a big push for Rookie of the Year. Bunt, but they got him. Inning over.

Lester seems to be getting things under control...big hit but Coco is there...1 out. Come on Lester, get them up. Liner back, Lester misses, Pedroia scoops it up and gets the out at first. 2 down. Next up, Alex Rios. Lester gets ahead 1-2. Lets close this one out with a K, lefty. Rips one...they try for it but its in the alley. Double for Rios. Next batter. He pops up and Cora gets it. Inning over.

Dustin is up. I love him, he doesn't think any pitcher should be able to get him out, and he goes up knowing he's going to get a hit. That's the kind of batter I like. Fly out, out 1. That's okay, here comes Papi. 2-2 on Papi, and he is really not happy with himself. And he strikes out swinging. Top of the 5th and the Yanks are still beating the Rays. Remember that old adage "I root for the Red Sox and anyone playing the Yankees"? Well, things sure have changed.

Youk's up, down 0-2. Seems like Halladay has found his zone, but Youk is battling. Hit to third, out at fist.

While the Jays are up, here's a score update: Yankees lead TB 6-3, Os lead Twins 5-0. Good things for the AL East and good things for the AL Wild Card.

Nice catch by Ellsbury for the second out. Wow, what a play by Lowell and Youk! Three out.

Three-up, three down. Crap. Anyone else think the strike zone on this guy is a little off? Oh well, at least he's consistent.

Batista against JLes, Ellsbury has the catch. You gotta love the Sox outfeild right now. Coco and Ellsbury are speed demons and can move all over to catch the ball. And Jason Bay isn't exactly slow either. Line out to Mikey and its 2 out. Lester is 2-2 on Batista, got him.

Okay, back to the game with 2 outs in the fifth. Jacoby up. Come on buddy, get a rally going. At least stop the Halladay streak of retiring batters. Nope. Took a swing at a bad one and struck out.

Bring on the 6th.

I have a theory about the TBS annoucers. I think they are biased, they clearly want Toronto to win this game. Now, in a nationally broadcast game, where there are many more Red Sox fans. Grounder to Pedroia, out at first. Grounder to Mikey and out at first. Liner and foul. 0-2. They are really swinging at Lester. Swing and a miss and Lester has taken out 8 in a row.

Dustin is up to start. Lets break the Halladay streak. He's thrown 85 pitches, they have to be getting close to pulling him. Pedroia hits it to third, thrown out at first. And here comes Papi. Yankees still beating the Rays, bottom of the 6th. Papi's wrist is still kind of bothering him, but he won't rest until the Sox are done for the season, because that is how Papi plays. Full count. Fly out. Youk is up, Halladay is behind 3-0 on him. A few pitches later and its full count. Infield ground ball, out at first.

Lester is looking pretty good. Got his sixth K. Dang, Mikey couldn't make a play, but good stop anyway. I don't care if Halladay has retured 13 batters and Lester only retired 9. Scoreboard!

Walked him. Two on. Come on Lester! Masterson is warming up in the 'pen, I love watching him pitch!

DP for Cora, DP and Youk, inning over.

Mikey is up. Halladay is at 105 pitches, full count on Lowell. Base hit Mikey. Lets get a rally started! Bay-man is up, popped out. Bring on the Captain, base hit for Tek! Cora is up and takes one high, ball 1. Hits it, Tek's out at 2nd, but they can't get the double play on Cora. Coco is up to bat. Line to left, drops down for a hit and Mikey is in. Coco gets his second 2-out RBI. Jacoby is up. Pops out. Inning done, but another run to pad the lead. Yay!

Okay, I'm gonna shut it down so I can go and get ready to watch the Patriots game. This has been fun, but I'll blog later.

Chasing the Rays is Fun, Especially if your the Sox

The Wild Card-leading Red Sox dropped one in the ninth at home against Tampa Bay last night, but relax Red Sox Nation. It's all good. Listen to the dugout quotes following the down-to-the-wire loss last night:

Sean Casey: "This is my 11th year in the big leagues, and this is one of the best teams I've been on, in terms of people...Talent-wise and people-wise, I don't think I've ever played on a team like this."

El Capitan (Varitek): "We need to continue what we've been doing. Playing the game right and going out and playing good baseball."

The ever-venerable Tito: "It's just a bunch of guys who seem to like to play baseball, it makes my job a lot more fun."

So while we're now 1.5 games behind the Rays instead of a half game up, we have some good games coming up, and good news is, we probably won't have to face Halladay.

Bring on the rubber-match. Go Sox!

Red Sox Blank Rays, Close In On AL East

Red Sox 3 Rays 0. Lester pitched into the 8th, allowing 0 runs on 6 hits, striking out 9 and walking 3. Paps came in and got a 4 out save allowing 1 hit and striking out 3. With this win, the Red Sox pull into within a half game of the AL East-leading Rays and move up to 7 games in front of the idle Twins for the Wild Card.

Not really the best night for the bats, considering the Sox had 9 hits and only 3 runs, all of those coming in the bottom of the 1st. Lester pitched 7+ innings of shut-out baseball, and Jackson pitched 6 shut-out innings. Fortunately for the Sox, that early jump proved to be enough to win the game.

Tonight the Red Sox made baseball history, breaking the streak for most consecutive home sell-outs with 456, beating the Cleveland Indian's streak of 455. In honor of that, we will look at the 15 greatest moments at Fenway since May 15th, 2003 (when the sell-outs started).

Why 15? Well, 456 is reasons is way too many to cover in one blog, but 4+5+6=15, which is a much more manageable (not to mention readable!) amount.

15. April 22, 2007: Home Run Bonananza The Sox tie a major league record high 4 HR's
back to back to back to back home runs in the third to help the Sox onto their first sweep of the Yankees in Fenway since 1990. Hitting HRs were Manny, JD Drew, Lowell and
Varitek.

14. August 1 2008: A Brand New Bay Jason Bay makes his debut after the down-to-the-wire trade which sent Manny to LA and a few prospects to Pittsburgh. He has a great night,
hitting well and making a spectacular catch, even scoring the winning run on Jed Lowrie's
single in the 12th. This is not so great because of the game itself, but the fact that energy returned to the Red Sox as they played like a completely different team after ridding
themselves of Manny being Manny and his dramatic unhappiness.

13. October 25, 2007: Schill's Last Game: In the last home appearance of the Red Sox in
the 07 World Series, Schil and crew hang on to win a 2-1 pitcher's duel with the Rockies.

12. July 2, 2007 Ellsbury Scores from Second on a Wild Pitch: Three days into his major league tenure, Jacoby Ellsbury did the nearly impossible. He scored on a wild pitch from
second base. Texas reliever Willie Eyre hit catcher Gerald Laird in the leg with a pitch,
and Ellsbury was gone. He never stopped, never thought twice as third base coach waved him home.

11. October 5, 2007 Manny's First Walk-Off Home Run: Manny knocks a three-run shot out of the park to give the Boston Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five American League
Division Series, beating the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim) 6-3.

10. September 21, 2006 David Ortiz hits Red Sox Record Home Runs: David Ortiz
cemented himself in the Boston record books by hitting 54 home runs in a single season in
2006. It was his 51st, on this date, that put him past Jimmie Foxx’s single-season record,
and made him (officially) Boston's Home Run King.

9. April 5, 2007 Dice-K's Debut: Dike K strikes out ten in his major league debut and gives Sox fans a preview of all the Ks that are to come.

8. July 24, 2004 The Fight: A-Rod is hit
by a Bronson Arroyo pitch and
proceeds to jaw about it all the way
down the first base line. He and Varitek
have words, and bam! A-Rod gets a
face full of angry catcher's mit. A
bench-clearing brawl later, Tek, A-Rod,
Kenny Lofton, Gabe Kapler and Tito
were all ejected.

7. September 28, 2007 Red Sox vs.
Twins: A Red Sox win and a Yankee's loss gives Boston's its first division title in 12 years. Dice-K
racks up the K's and bows to the fans, while
Papelbon dances barefoot and thousands of fans
hang around for almost an hour to see the results of the Yankee's game.

6. May 13, 2007 The Mother's Day Miracle: Bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox are down 5-0 to
the Baltimore Orioles, Julio grounds out, then Coco singles on a throwing error by Ramon
Hernandez and Papi scores him. Mo Pena somehow manages a single that moves David to third. After both JD Drew and Youk manage a walk, scoring Papi, Tek comes up and
doubles, scoring both Drew and Mo. Hinske walks, and Youk is out at home (its very
close, though). Back up to bat is Lugo, who made the first out of the inning. He reaches on a throwing error and Hinske and Tek score to win the game.

5. October 20, 2007 JD Drew's clutch Grand Slam in game 6 of the ALCS: the Sox down to the Indians 3 games to 2, proved to be the straw that broke the Indians' back and
propelled the Sox to their second World Series win in four years. It was the shot that was
heard 'round Boston and will probably always be known as the 14 million dollar grand-slam, simply because with the bases loaded and no out, Fausto Carmona had struck out Manny and gotten Lowell to pop out, very few people had faith in the then-struggling outfielder.

4. September 1, 2007 Clay Buchholz's No-Hitter: In his second Major League start, rookie
pitcher Clay Buchholz tossed the 17th no-hitter in Red Sox history, striking out 9, walking three
and hitting one batter in the 10-0 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles. Why is this ranked behind
Lester's? Keep reading.

3. May 19, 2008 Jon Lester's No-Hitter: The reason behind this being ahead of Buchholz's
no-no is because not only was it the first Red Sox lefty no-no since 1956, it was also a
record for Jason Varitek, who has now caught 4 no-hitters, more than any other catching. Aided by a spectacular catch by Ellsbury and some heads-up infield plays, the Sox beat
the Royals 7-0.

2. October 18, 2004 ALCS Game 5: After going 12 innings the night before, the epic game 5
outdid it by going 14, ending when Big Papi's single brought in Damon for the win. The Sox would go on to Yankee stadium for the Bloody Sock game, and as the 26th team in playoff
history to face a 3-0 series deficit, become the first to force a Game Seven.

1. October 17 2004 ALCS Game 4: The Sox go 12 innings, with a walk-off homer in the
12th. But they never would have gotten there if Dave Roberts hadn't stolen 2nd and scored on Bill Mueller's single, tying the game 4-4 in the 9th. This sparked the Sox comeback,
down 3 games to none, to win it in seven take their first World Series in 86 years.

So there you go, 15 great moments from the sell-out period of Fenway park. Next up: A big time pitching show-down as Rays ace Kazmir takes on Sox stud Dice-K. Should be a great game, with the AL East being given to the winner. (If only for a day) So put on your best Papelbon glare and watch the game!

Here's a video that the Red Sox showed to thank the fans for record sell-outs: