Soxcapades

The Red Sox version 2008.1 are on the cusp of making the playoffs. When you have the kind of talent and payroll the Sox have, you're supposed to qualify. In fact, the Yankees have convenient excuses (Wang, Posada, Hughes) for their showing, but what has that got to do with the Melk-man not delivering and Robinson Cano dogging it?

None of us can know how the Lowell injury will impact him going forward. He's obviously a gamer, but it became painful to watch him play.

Kevin Youkilis is certainly an insurance policy, especially with Lars Anderson coming fast from the minors. Anderson is that tantalizing 'Justin Morneau' kind of first baseman that Sox fans can look forward to.

L'Affaire Ramirez just won't die. However, the New Guy, a.k.a. Jason Bay has hit almost .300 (.299) with eight homers, thirty-six runs, and thirty-four RBI in 41 games. Not too shabby. He actually looks like he's having fun, too.

Jon Lester has been terrific this season, but is Rogers Center his Waterloo?

Jed Lowrie has 229 at bats, with a .788 OPS, 30 runs scored and 44 RBI. Julio Lugo has 267 at bats, with 27 runs, 22 RBI and a .685 OPS. Any questions?

Alex Cora has played some terrifically creative infield this season. But today's creativity was just a bit overdone as he had zero chance to make the play at home.

Jacoby Ellsbury seems to have coped with the inside fastball, now with an eleven game streak. Unfortunately, Jed Lowrie looks as though he's going to get the same treatment.

Speaking of Ellsbury, how many rookies have had 50 stolen base seasons (JE has 49)? Well, the rookie records are 66 (Kenny Lofton) and, gulp, 110 by Vince Coleman.
Paul Byrd-Tim Wakefield? Not exactly MaryAnn versus Ginger. Can anybody take Michael Bowden out of mothballs? Just kidding, just kidding.
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I'm sick and tired of the Rays. Kazmir, Shields, Garza, Sonnenstein. Iwamura rubs all of us the wrong way (right, Coco?) and why can't we get guys like Carlos Pena? The $%&#ing Rays have become Jason Voorhees. Even when they look vulnerable, they keep finding chainsaw or chain or axe or chair leg or something menacing. Of course, the Angels just bring nuclear weapons.

The Bartolo Colon experiment looks over. Injuries or genetics didn't help. I think if I said it were Father Time, Cedric Maxwell might say it was Aunt Jemima. Anyway, Bartolo, we barely knew ye.
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A Birthday present for Jason Bay? How about one of those Harmon Killebrew backspin flyball homerun to left field? Anybody old enough to remember 'the Brew' and Tony Oliva?

I didn't see all the tomato plants in the Sox bullpen.

My favorite athletes?I guess daughter Paula (right), part of the Dartmouth 2009 calendar, and her twin sister Karen would rank at the top. How 'bout them ups?