Portland Sox Fan

And I’m not going to take it anymore.

I don’t read Shaugnessey often anymore. Yesterday, I got through 2 paragraphs. Today, I got through half the column, and it made me irrationaly irate. Reaction to the ‘Pedro leaving the park’ issue has been flat-out embarrasing, IMHO.

Why does this stuff always happen with the Red Sox? Why can't it just be about the baseball? Even for one day.

Indeed, Dan. Why not? Take a look in the mirror, that’s why.

The past two days are the prime reason why Red Sox fans are looked at by others in a not so flattering light. Why must the Boston media pander to the soap opera fans? Is the game not interesting enough?

Why is it that talk radio nitwits, Shaugnessey, and very popular tabloid-type web sites are the most vocal factions of RSN? Where are the unflattering articles/headlines about Lowe and the comments he’s made regarding his contract status? If Tim Wakefield left a game before it was over, would this have been mentioned at all? I doubt it…

So yeah; I’m officially sick of it. On day 2 of the season. The only Sox news links you will see on this site this year will come from the Courant. If you really need the Boston perspective, go check out Bruce Allen’s excellent site.

And before somebody brings it up…no, I don’t want to see nothing but rah-rah articles about the Sox. Do I wish that we were back in the days where a player showed up hungover and the writers gave him a wink and a nudge? Nah…but I have never believed that personal agendas/vendettas have a place in sports columns.

Oh, and this bit from Dano himself is laughable:

It's understood that many Sox fans don't care what Martinez does as long as he pitches effectively. If you are in that camp, good for you. Just don't accuse the media of "running poor Pedro out of town." He appears to be running from Boston all by himself.

Seems to me that he’s making a preemptive excuse for a year’s worth of Pedro-slamming articles. Thanks for the heads-up, you jerk. Hartford, Carl Everett, and that ‘piece of shit’ David Ortiz say hello.

EDIT: By the way, it was OK for Clemens to leave a game early in 1996. He shows ‘respect for the game’. What a hypocrite. LINK

Well, that’s that, right? We should just forget about it. Pedro got lit up in one inning, so he’s obviously done (until the Yankees sign him next year and he wins 3 consecutive Cy Youngs, that is). The Sox didn’t hit with runners in scoring position, so their offense is obviously going to perform at about 25% of the levels of 2003. It’s over…O-V-E-R.

Get a grip, people.

And no, I’m not referring to the majority of the regulars here at PSF.com. Take a look at the Boston papers (this morning I’m reminded as to why I so rarely do.) To be honest, I was so wiped out yesterday I fell asleep in the 8th inning. But damn; it was great to watch a baseball game that actually counted again.

I think we are going to enjoy the Pokey Reese era. He’s smooth as silk, isn’t he? That play he made covering 3rd when he was on the other side of 2nd base was something else. As for everything else…I think I’ll give it a game or two before I start complaining.

Well, here we are again, ladies and gentlemen. The day we’ve been waiting for since October 17th. Opening Day.

And, as is customary for we Sox fans…hope springs eternal

Baseball has never held my interest so consistently in an offseason like it did this winter. Ever played a video game, where you get really far in the game, only to die just before the end? And what do you do at that point? You reset and start from the beginning. (OK; I’m dating myself with that analogy back to the days of Atari, Nintendo, and Sega when we couldn’t save games..) But waiting over 5 months to hit the reset button has been a killer, hasn’t it?

And we have reason to be optimistic. A bullpen that improved greatly over the 2nd half of the season was shored up with Foulke. The rotation was vastly improved with the addition of Schilling. The up-the-middle defense will be much better with Reese out there.

Keys to the season, IMHO:

• Lowe pitches more like 2002 Lowe: I think the chances of this are pretty good; especially with Derek gunning for a big FA deal in 2005 (that I don’t think he’ll get from the Sox)
• Pedro’s shoulder stays strong: Hopefully the addition of Schilling and a stronger pen will take some of the burden off of Pedro. It seems to me that some people forget just how dominant he still is. Even if it is for 7 innings.
• No huge dropoffs from 2003 Career Years: I think Ortiz can be as good as he was last year. I’d guess that Mueller will drop off a little bit, but not as much as some think. And I’d like to think that a more typical Manny and Nomar will counter whatever dropoff comes from these guys.

This rotation is as strong as I’ve ever seen as a Sox fan. It’s also one of the better pens I’ve seen in my tenure. Does this mean they should start printing ‘AL East Champion’ t-shirts? Well, of course not. Everybody knows you don’t play on paper, and everybody also knows that there is formidable competition in the AL East.

• Yankees: The best team in the AL East last year didn’t get any worse. But I don’t think they improved as much as people are suddenly saying. Remember how before the ARod trade all the talk was how the Sox were the new class of the division? Did the ARod trade change the balance of power THAT much?

• Blue Jays: What was a potent offense last year didn’t get much worse, and the pitching staff is nothing to shake a stick at.
• Orioles: Added some good sticks to the lineup…but the pitching doesn’t scare me.
• Devil Rays: I think this team is going to surprise people this year. They are scrappy, they hustle, and I don’t think they are going to be better offensively and defensively. Pitching, however, is a huge question mark.

It’s funny; I just glanced at the ESPN preseason rankings, and they have the Sox 4th. They were first not long ago, and as I said earlier, the only change since then is the ARod/Soriano swap. That’s fine with me…can’t hurt to have expectations lowered just a bit.

The injuries could be an issue, though, as the Sox have a tough schedule out of the gate. Except for the last game in April, the entire month is AL East opponents. Orioles and Yanks 7 times, Blue Jays 6 times, and Devil Rays 3 times. Why 30% of the Sox division games are being played in the first month of the season is beyond me, but it could set the tone of the division early.

So kick back and enjoy. It’s going to be tough to improve on last season, but hopefully it’ll be fun to watch. Keep checking back during the season, and be sure to stop into chat during the games…there is always an interesting crowd in there.

Well, one more tuneup before the race begins! All site issues appear to be resolved, I’ve got my opening day preview ready to roll (saving it for tomorrow), and tonight UConn plays for a crack at the title..

Weather doesn’t look good for tomorrow…based on what I see now, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they don’t get the game in. Keep your fingers crossed…