Trade Deadline Analysis

The 4 PM deadline has come and gone. Some thoughts on the deals that were and were not made;

• Yawn. LaRoche and cash for Kotchman looks even. Kotchman seems to be a better fit for the Sox. He is a better defensive first baseman , younger and reportedly will accept his role better than LaRoche.
• As reported by ESPN, the Sox could have had Halladay but would not include both Buchholz and Bard in addition to other players in the deal. I think JP Ricciardi was asking for far too much. I really think Halladay would put the Sox over the top but at what price?
• Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson, Nick Hadagone and Bryan Price. Sox get some much needed offensive punch. Martinez should bat either third or fourth in the line up and give Varitek additional time off. Who does this effect the most? I say Mike Lowell. Martinez is going to play in 95% of the time at either catcher, first base or designated hitter. My guess is Youkilis moves over to third for up to half of the remaining games. Masterson, who I loved last year, was expendable. The key to the trade looks like left hander Nick Hadagone. Big, former second round choice who is returning to action after Tommy John surgery. Overall, I like this trade .
• In Theo We Trust. Theo Epstein did not want to trade certain guys and he did not. Buchholz, Kelly, Bard, Anderson are all coveted by the baseball operations people. I have complete faith in their decision making. Epstein has made plenty of mistakes (i.e. Lugo, Renteria, Clement, etc.) but he continues to take chances. Bottom line is the Red Sox are a better baseball team right now than they were when the day started. This was done without losing some important pieces in the farm system.
• The Yankees (Jerry Hairston??), Rays, Rangers and Angels did not improve themselves today.
• Can Terry Francona mix and match Martinez, Varitek, Kotchman, Youkilis, Ortiz and Lowell into into four daily spots -- catcher, first base, third base and dh? Let's assume Kotchman gets one start a week, one of these other guys who are everyday players is not going to play. This will be interesting.

Check out the poll on the right of the screen

Reality Bites

I'm going to be realistic about David Ortiz's inclusion on the list of baseball players that tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED's) during the 2003 season. I am assuming that this New York Times report is accurate.

I am a big fan of Ortiz. His rise as a player for the Red Sox in 2003 coincided with the team's ascension to winning two World Series. Does this "tarnish" those two world titles? Yes. Just like the careers of Sosa, McGwire, Palmerio, Clemens and Bonds have lost some luster after their use of PED's become known. Does Ortiz look foolish following his comments earlier this year when Arod's name was leaked? Absolutely. Do I feel sorry for Ortiz? No. Am I less of a fan now? No. Should any of us be surprised by this announcement? No.

I am of the opinion that there is not one player from the past decade who I would guess never used PED's. There have been all kind of players named in the Mitchell Report or otherwise "outed"; middle relievers, sluggers, closers, light hitting shortstops, starting pitchers, European - Americans, Latinos, African-Americans, good guys, bad guys, you name it. Realistically, who is more likely to have taken PED's Schilling or Papelbon? Papelbon, but that does not mean he did. Still would you bet your life on the fact that either of these guys never took PED's. I wouldn't.

I do not consider Papi a bad guy.

I am in a profession that does not pay for performance (that is for another blog). Let's say I am an artist. If I knew there was something I could put into my body that would make me a better artist and thus allow me to provide financial stability for my family, I would take it. In 2003 baseball did not test for steroids. Be realistic!!! You take three or four cycles of steroids. You get into the weight room and build strength and muscle endurance. You recover quicker from injuries. You feel better about yourself. You perform better. Now instead of being a free agent player, you get a multi-year contract totaling $40 million. This is what Ortiz did. Whether or not he said something like, "everyone else is doing it, why not me?" I don't know but I'll tell you this -- If there was something I could take that would make me produce a painting that will
fetch a million dollars at an auction, I would do it. I am sorry that, I AM NOT SORRY.

Is that cheating? Yes, but look at how many minor leaguers have been suspended since drug testing has been administered. Those guys are trying to make a living. I may be in the minority but I understand where they are coming from. Arod takes the juice to prove that he is worth $252 million. Is there a difference? To me, yes. Clemens did not take PED's so that his wife and kids could have a good life. He took them because he is a competitive s.o.b. that wanted to win. I'm sure Papi is at least in part the same way. However, Ortiz will not be another ARod or Clemens.

I am nearly certain that he will take responsibility for his actions. Ortiz will not blame his cousin. Or say he did not know what he was taking. Or deny it and deny it some more. Can you imagine Papi saying that he had some medical issues that were private? I hope he stands up and says, "I took PED's because I wanted to get paid. The Twins released me and I thought the Red Sox were my last shot. I apologize to my teammates, management, the fans and most importantly, the game of baseball. I am not proud of this and am embarrassed that I made a poor judgment and had a moment of weakness." Be realistic, could you fault him? No testing! Yes, steroids are and were illegal at that time. It is all about risk -reward. Was it worth it to him?

Lastly, would you admit to doing something that you knew was wrong but were pretty sure you had gotten away with some six years ago? Really, think about it. That list of those who failed the 2003 drug test was supposed to be concealed. If you were Ortiz and saw that Arod's name was leaked, would you had stood up and said, "Yeah, I took PED's at that time too." I am not a strong enough person to do that. If I was Papi I certainly would not have made the comments he did concerning penalties for users. He should have kept his mouth shut.

John Wooden once said, "A true athlete should have character, not be a character. " David Ortiz made a mistake and his image will suffer due to showing a lack of character. His standing among major leaguers and his place in the game will now forever be questioned. He should ask himself "was it worth it?". We should ask ourselves, would we had done it? Be realistic. The true test of character is what we do when no one is watching.

Trade Banter

Trade deadline (without having to go through waivers) is this Friday at 4:00 PM EST. A couple of thoughts concerning the Red Sox and their options;

• I truly think Theo is going to do something. He has been quoted as saying the goal is to outscore the opponent be it by adding offense or looking to reduce the other team's scoring. Translation = pitching or offense does not matter. Anyway to improve the club short term or long term.
• I would be willing to trade Buchholz. I like his potential but to help the club but he is not going to be a dominant starter. Maybe, and I mean maybe a solid number four starter.
• I rate the following (avoiding the obvious ones) as nearly untouchable; Bard, last year's #1 pick Casey Kelly, and Ellsbury. Everyone else is fair game.
• If the Gordon Edes' report -- Bowden, Buchholz, Westmoreland for Halladay -- is correct, I would do that trade in a minute. However, there is a better chance of Bigfoot landing Kim Kardashian than the Blue Jays making that trade. The Sox would have to add another player.
• I would love to see Halladay in a Red Sox uniform. We can sweeten the pot and so can the Jays. I'm sick of watching Nick Green's inept defense lose us games. The Jays are shopping Marco Scutaro. So how about this -- Halladay and Scutaro for Bowden, Buchholz, Lowrie, Delcarmen and another low level prospect not named Westmoreland or Kelly. We can hit Scutaro lead off and he can be the everyday shortstop.
• Victor Martinez has been on Theo's radar for a while. I love him as a hitter, even though he is slumping. I'm okay with his defense behind the plate and at 1B. Rumor was the Sox declined a straight up deal for Buchholz. I disagree.
• Martinez's teammate in Cleveland Cliff Lee is an interesting pitcher. Last year's Cy Young winner has struggled on a bad team this year. I would be okay with Bowden and Delcarmen for him.
• San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez is a pipe dream. No way the Sox would offer enough to get him. He (and his contract) is too good of a fit for the Padres.
• The Sox could use a left handed reliever but it is not necessary. They would likely have to over pay.
• A couple of starting pitchers to look out for -- Arizona's Doug Davis (rhp), Seattle's Erik Bedard (lhp), Florida's Josh Johnson (rhp). Johnson would cost the most.
• With all of the starting pitching to start the year, it is incredible we could use a guy. Right now our #3-#5 guys are Buchholz, Penny and Smoltz. Scary, scary scary.
• Beware of the Yankees!!!!!! The fact that they have not made so much as a peep so far worries me. I got a funny feeling they will be swooping in at the last second. i.e. ARod and Teixeira.
• You can bet I'll be watching NESN's trade deadline show on Friday at 3:00 PM. It may turn out to be like Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's vault or opening a room under the Sphinx but it should be must see television.

Dear John letter

Dear John Smoltz,

Let me start by saying, it is my opinion that you are a hall of fame pitcher. A seven time all star, 211 wins, 154 saves, 1996 Cy Young Award winner and a 15-4 record in the postseason. As part of the Atlanta Braves you won fourteen consecutive division titles and appeared in five world series including winning the 1996 world championship. However, as a Red Sox I must sing to you the title of my favorite Janet Jackson song, 'What you have done for me lately?".

I was enthused as was most of Red Sox nation when you signed with our club. The thought of you taking the ball in a postseason game for the Sox was thrilling. The team was replacing a big game pitcher (Curt Schilling) with THE big game pitcher. Management did not rush you back from off season shoulder surgery. Your first start on June 25th in Washington was must see television. After allowing five runs in five innings, we tried to give you the benefit of the doubt that night. However, you have duplicated that same type of performance in three of your five starts. In your six starts, the team has only one win.

It seems your forty-two year old arm has lost its gitty up. Though your velocity is still up in the low 90's and your slider still has some bite to it, batters are teeing off on your mistakes. Of the twenty-four runs you have allowed in thirty plus hours, fifteen of them have come with two outs. Pitching is about deceiving the batters and your ball is not moving enough to do this. Everything seems so straight. It is not like you have faced a great team (Baltimore twice, Washington, KC, Oakland and Texas) yet either. How can we continue to give you the ball to start games any longer?

It is with deep regret and an equally deep amount of respect that I type the next line -- I do not wish to see you start another game for the Boston Red Sox. Your services as a starter should no longer be desired. You are at the "twilight of your career".

Sincerely,

All Sox Blog

P.S. If you do start again, I truly hope you prove me wrong.

Jim Rice, Hall of Famer

A big time congratulations to Jim Ed Rice on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To say it was a long time coming is a huge understatement. The debate of whether or not Rice was worthy of this honor raged on for nearly fifteen years. All that waiting must make this feel even more special for him.

Personally, the Red Sox of the late 70's to mid 80's were a significant part of my childhood. Playing tennis ball baseball daily, I would copy the stances and swings of Rice, Fred Lynn, Yaz, Rick Burleson, Jerry Remy, Wade Boggs, Carney Lansford, Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman. Rice's stance was simple and felt great comfortable even for a left handed hitter. One of my earliest MLB memories is the 1978 Red Sox season. Though it did not end well, that was a fantastic season for Rice. He was as dominant as any offensive player of his era.

What stands out is the the quickness and speed of his bat. Look at the old footage. It seems with a flick of the wrist the ball was launched into the net above the Monster. This takes strength but also some serious quickness. Rice was also a great athlete. He played balls off the Monster as well anyone and also could run as evidenced by his league leading 15 triples.

One other memory from his career that sticks out was Rice's actions after he hit a foul ball into the stands. The screaming line drive hit a fan (I believe a young boy) and Rice went into the Fenway stands and carried the fan into the clubhouse where medical personnel waited. Imagine that scene.



BTW's from the ceremony;

• GREAT to see Yaz make an appearance to honor Rice. Yaz is the most beloved Red Sox player during the 60's, 70's and 80's .
• Rickey Henderson's suit was pretty sweet
• If you have never visited Cooperstown, I suggest you make it a point to go. The town is beautiful and the museum is amazing. Making it a day trip will not do the the Hall of Fame justice, plan for an overnight stay.
• I love the fact that a baseball fan can recognize 75% of the player's names in baseball's HOF. Football and basketball cannot say that. It is an exclusive club.
• The likeness on Rice's plaque looked nothing like him.
• Many wondered how Henderson's speech would go considering his tendency to refer to himself in the third person. I thought the speech was very well done.

"We're streaking"

Obviously, the Sox are struggling. Listening to the idiot callers on WEEI today panicking made me want to puke. Is it hard to watch the feeble at bats? Yeah. Is it frustrating to know that each deep fly ball is going to end up on the warning track? Sure. Do I shake my head when J.D. Drew overthrows a cut off man? Oh yeah. Am I going to bust open a bottle of $100 champagne when the offense actually scores five runs in a game? Yup. What you want find me doing is wanting to jump ship after a five game losing streak.

A MLB regular season is 162 games for a reason. Teams get hot, cool off and tread water all the time. Looking at the Yanks they have gotten hot since the All Star break. The week before, as the Sox built a three game, they looked pitiful. The Sox will heat up again. The offense is in a funk for sure. Bay and Drew are my biggest concerns. Their futility (.250 and .237 batting averages) and the lack of a true lead off hitter has rendered the offense stagnant.

A home stand is just what the doctor ordered. Adam LaRoche will help against righties. The pitching (except Smoltz) and defense have remained consistent. If you remember back to both 2004 and 2007, the team went through stretches similar to this. So please, do not be one of those Sox fans. We do not need to trade Ellsbury, Bard, Buchholz, Anderson, Bowden and Kelly for Roy Halladay.

Things will turn around; they usually do.

Toronto -- game 3

Aaarghhhhhhhhh!

Beautiful day to watch a game. Blah, blah, blah.

Lester gets squeezed by the home plate umpire and issues two walks. The immortal Rod Barajas dumps a two run double down the line and two runs score. Meanwhile, the Red Sox had scored one run on five hits and the outs went something like this --- Ortiz screaming line drive sac fly, Bay bomb to dead center with two on, Bay drive into the right center gap that gets run down. 2-1 lead by the Jays seems way more than that.

Halladay got stronger as the game progressed. He was as Eck says painting. I'm sure his price went up considerably yesterday. Nightmares of him going to the Yankees dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld in my head.

I did catch my first foul ball ever at a major league game yesterday. Our seats 25 rows behind home plate were in prime territory. The Rogers Centre has a low scrren which makes things knd of dangerous. My wife and I kept reminding our gilrs to be aware. Bottom of the sixth, Alex Rios up and he fouls one straight back. My eldest daughter and wife were on the concourse getting lemonade. Ball seemed like it was heading right towards my eight year old. I just stuck out the hand and the ball found its way there.

Still. losing two out of three to the Jays is not good. Believe me it is not panic time but the offense is becoming a great cause for concern. More on this later.

Notes from Toronto game 2

Forget the small talk, here we go;

• Dome was open today. What a huge difference from last night. The atmosphere was considerably better. Plus, with the roof open you have the CN Tower looming over the field. Pretty impressive. Beautiful day for a game.



• Me, the wife and three daughters all show up early to see the Red Sox take batting practice. We like to chase home run and foul balls. Unfortunately, the Sox chose to not take bp. Afternoon game after a night game. This is not an uncommon occurrence. But after the lack of firepower today, one must question the move.



• For some odd reason it seems the Sox struggle mightily against soft throwing lefties. This rookie guy for Toronto was nothing special. He pitched in and out of trouble all day. It seems after Rocco's rbi single and Lowell's hustle play going to third the ball game was over. Second and third, no outs. Lowrie strikes out looking, the Greek pops up and JD rolls over on a breaking pitch. Ball game.



• Annoying Canuck behind us today was really loud. You could imagine as the game went on he become more and more obnoxious. The guy started the game by saying how bad the Jays were and how awful their starting pitcher was. Then all of a sudden he is their biggest fan. I usually let guys like this have their day but when he said, "This guy (rookie pitcher for Toronto with all the constants) is better than Lester." I turned to him and simple said, "Easy." A couple of Red Sox fans around us laughed. I can sit and take a lot but when something way out of line is said ...



• Penny did not fool them too often today. He is a two trick pony -- fastball and slider.



• Home plate umpire was bad for both sides.



• Lowrie's two base error on the dropped pop up was originally ruled a double. Huh?



• Tomorrow's game will be interesting. Halladay vs. Lester. Rubber game.



• I'm starting to get used to the North People saying "Ay?" at the end of their sentences. I originally thought it was a way for them to ask you to respond to their statement. For example, "That was a great play Scott Rolen made, ay?" But I have found this to not be the case the majority of the time. I've been hearing more of the, "That Scott Rolen is a ballplayer. He makes plays like that all the time, ay." This "ay" serves as a sort of exclamation. Real interesting stuff.



• For some reason, the Blue Jay fans hate Alex Rios. I guess it is because he signed a huge contract and has not performed well. Sox fans realize JD Drew is stealing money but don't hate him for it. I kind of admire a guy that got so much for seemingly putting 10% of his efforts into something. Drew is so talented but just goes through the motions. I am not 100% sure he even likes the game of baseball.

Canadian trivia of the day;

There have been 131 Canadian born players to play in the majors. Larry Walker was their only MVP. Jason Bay their only rookie of the year. George Kottaras is even Canadian. Who is the only player from Canada in baseball's hall of fame? No Internet help.

Notes from Toronto -- game 1

Observation time upon my first trip to Toronto to see the Sox;

• Trip stuff -- Trip took "only" 8.5 hours not including a hour stop over to see the Falls. Hotel, booked through Priceline in January, is on the longest (or so I was told) "street" in North America. Yonge Street has a section that is like a mini Times Square with the huge neon signs and the like. Time to the Rogers Centre from the hotel is like 10 minutes via the Subway. City is currently on day 26 of its garbage union strike.



• Clay looked good tonight. First pitch strikes showed how much he has matured. He challenged the hitters which was not the case last year. I'm very happy for him. No doubt, unless a trade, he gets sent back to the minors.



• Called for tickets the day of the game at 3:oo PM. Asked for best available and got two seats on the third base side about even with the shortstop. Eleven rows from the field. $52 per ticket before the exchange. Not too shabby.



• Rogers Centre had its dome closed. Chance of rain was about 10%. This made for a "stuffy" atmosphere. I have visited the Metrodome and caught a game there. There was a better feel here in Toronto. I am curious to attend a game with the roof open. BTW -- I was told it takes twenty minutes to open/close the roof and they delay the game when it is being closed. The stadium itself is huge. Best part is the concourse. You can be in line to get food and turn around and watch the game.



• Good to see Lowell's back. Pun intended.



• Jason Bay is either squaring up balls or looking feeble. No in between with this guy.



• Connecticut's own John MacDonald got into the game in left field. One of baseball's best defensive shortstops as a back up outfielder. Hmmmm -- interesting.



• It was odd not to hear the Dropkick Murphy's playing when Papelbon entered the game. My daughter and I hummed "Shipping Out to Boston" anyway. Words are tough.



• Crowd was about 35% Sox fans.



• The Blue Jays have this song they play and these "cheerleaders" that sing, dance and stretch to during the seventh inning stretch. Really weird to see many of the fans singing this song and stretching like Jack Lalanne to it. Actually I found it comical. Thank goodness they also played "Take Me Out To the Ballgame".
  

Today's Canadian Trivia:

We all know about our neighbor's health care system but how about this? There are FIVE hospitals within a city block of each other in downtown Toronto and one of them was the place where insulin was discovered.

All Star Game

Though I switched back and forth from the Joe Jackson interview here are a couple of quick questions regarding the All Star game;

• Do you really think selected players were okay with being named and not playing? I don't think so.



• When the Fox cameras "flashed" to that freaky, pale skinned, bald headed guy from Fringe, I jumped from the couch. Was he still in character as The Observer or did he just happen to be sitting in the front row?

• Did all the players get to have their kids in the dugout or is Maraino really that special? Those two even got into the celebratory Thatta Boy line on the field. Was almost as disgusting as seeing Drew "I don't take showers because it would ruin my greasy hair" Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon on the field after the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.



• Does that Murdoch guy or anyone else at Fox truly know how bad Tim McCarver is?

• Did Joe Torre tell anyone in the National League dugout to pack up their stuff when Rivera entered the game in the ninth?



• Did we really need a 45 minute pregame show? How about the MLB network's Red Carpet Show at 3PM as the players arrived?



• Did anyone else wonder who was going to win the MVP award? I am not saying Crawford was not deserving but I was thinking they give it to the Yankee closer for a lifetime achievement award. That's three mentions for him.



• Did anyone catch McCarver's graphic comparing Youk (at $6 million a year) as a 1B/3B to the Arod and Teixeira combo? He actually said, "Now. I know he can't play both positions at once." Do you have to be a former major league to figure that one out?

State of the Nation Address

My fellow members of Red Sox Nation:

We are gathered here today to evaluate where our beloved team stands at the beautiful game's all star break. Best record in the league, three game lead in the division, six game lead in the wild card chase -- all of these are moot points. Playoff appearances are earned in August and September. Championships are won in October.

Let's see where we stand;

Starting pitching -- Beckett and Wake have been phenomenal. Lester, after some early problems, has emerged as THE top left hander (Seriously, who would you rather have? CC?) in the American League. Penny has done his job as the #5 starter. Dice-K seems to be a lost cause for 2009. Smoltz has been inconsistent.



Relief Pitching -- After being lights out up to June, this group has come back to earth but still ranks as the best in the league. Ramirez, Bard, Okijima, Delcarmen and Papelbon have all pitched up to or beyond expectations. Masterson and Saito need to pick it up



Catcher -- Varitek has regained his power. We can't measure how comfortable guys are throwing to him. His ability to throw out would be base stealers is suspect. Kottaras has done what the team needs him to do -- catch the knuckleballer. Offensively, he is not good.



Infield -- Youk's recent struggles aside, he has been very good. Pedroia is fine. He is not getting a lot of good pitches to hit. He'll benefit hitting with runners on base. Green has been a savior. Think where the team would be without his steadiness in the field. Lugo sucks. I know he has done well offensively, but watching him try to play defense is truly difficult. Lowell had a great start to the year. These next couple of weeks will be big. Kotsay is doing what he is supposed to do. Bates and Bailey are two fill ins that if they get important at bats in October means we are in trouble.



Outfield -- Bay's average is plummeting but his power and runs batted in have been impressive. He is very underrated defensively too. Ellsbury is hitting nearly .300 with 40 steals. The line up has far more balance when he bats lead off. Drew has been healthy which is nice. If Bill James and the boys did not come up with the OPS stat we would think he is awful. Drew, while not worth 14 million a year, has done his job. Rocco from Rhody has proved to be a good pick up.



Designated Hitter -- Ortiz has heated up over the last thirty games. Hopefully, he keeps it going.



Overall, there is room for improvement but the boys have performed well as a whole. Offensively, the team has yet to hit its stride. Bay carried them early while Youk and Ortiz have gone through hot streaks.



Things to look for in the coming weeks.



Lowell's return. This is big time. If he is not 100% the team will be forced to trade away a valuable reliever or minor leaguer.



Lowrie's return. If healthy gives great insurance at 3B and probably platoons at SS. Also means bye bye Julio.



Clay's day. Buchholz gets the start this Friday in Toronto. Can they really send him back down if he fires off a 7 inning, four hits, eight k's, no runs game? A great problem to have.



Smoltz's effectiveness. So far a mixed bag. He has shown flashes of dominance. Interesting to see how well and quickly he can progress.

Theo's Move. Hello Halladay? Victor Martinez? Garrett Atkins? Good Bye Penny? Bowden? Buchholz? Saito? We'll cover this in the next blog. This should be most interesting.

Home game, right?

To the Red Sox fan near the front row in between the third base dugout and home plate on Friday, July 3rd versus the Mariners --- Let Youk catch the damn ball.

Why you ask?

• Youk looks like the craziest guy on the team. That death stare he gave you looked like he had a beheading in mind.
• Think risk vs reward. Is the risk of you being put in the same sentence as Bartman ( I know it wasn't a LCS but still people will compare) and facing the ridicule from the Nation worth the glory of saying you caught a $4 ball at Fenway?
• I know you were assuming Wake wasn't going to give up those three runs but we were facing Felix Hernandez. He is really good and close to filthy at Fenway in his career.
• Assuming you are a Red Sox fan, I hope for your sake the team does not fall short of the playoffs by one game. If that happens you will become far more famous then you ever hoped.
• Red Sox are supposed to be some of the most knowledgeable in all of sports. This is a mark against us.

Blow a nine run lead ... no worries

Last night's disappointing loss could drive some team's fans crazy. The Mets have suffered a couple of losses -- runner does not tag third and dropped pop up -- that could take weeks off a fan's life. The Cubs ... well they certainly have found interesting ways to lose. By the way Milton and Lou, dysfunction is spelled with a "y". So when the Red Sox lose a game after being up 10-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, with the best bull pen in the league, with the entire infield jogging in after the second out of an inning, with the manager removing the starting catcher (has anyone else noticed how uncomfortable the relievers, especially Papelbon, are with the Greek?), with all the crazy bloop, swinging bunt, seeing eye hits, with Lugo failing to get down a bunt what is a Red Sox fan supposed to do?

I watched the expressions / body language of the team. Francona sprinted to the clubhouse. Saito sat there in disbelief (I really like him), Papelbon had that crazed Jack Bauer look about him, and Pedroia quietly watched the Orioles celebrate their World Series win. I then turned off the plasma (and unplugged it because someone said if you leave it plugged in it still sucks your power) and calmly retreated to the bedroom to finish a good book.

Absolutely no increased heart rate, no heading out to bar to relieve the pain, no swearing, no throwing the remote (2003 ALDS game 1 vs Oakland - Ramon Hernandez lays down a perfect bunt with two outs and the winning run on third !!! Who does that?), no waking up the wife to tell her the play by play what happened and no way was I going to post an emotion filled blog at midnight. What has happened to me? Well, that's when the book comes in.

I have a big brother who I have figuratively (not literally since I was 13 and he was 20) looked up to. He sent me a Father's Day gift in the mail realizing I had recently had a minor disappointment and needed a little reminder that life was good. He sent me a book entitled, "No I Can Die in Peace" by Bill Simmons.

Bill Simmons is the popular columnist for ESPN.com's Page 2. He is a die hard Patriot, Bruin, Celtic and Red Sox fan. He started off writing a blog as the "Boston Sports Guy". No known simply as the "Sport's Guy", Simmons is very entertaining incorporating pop culture into his perspectives. This book was published in 2005 and includes many of the on line posts that Simmons wrote either for his original web site and then ESPN concerning his journey as a Sox fan up to Edgar Renteria's come backer to Keith Foulke.

I would read some of these passages and start laughing out loud getting quizzical looks from people on the beach, my children and most of all my wife. Two examples. Page 5 -- Simmons is explaining rules that people should live by when rooting for a team. Rule No. 5 was "If you marry someone who roots for another team, you can't be bullied into switching allegiances." His footnote to this had me crying. "By the way, I have to question any Red Sox fan who would marry a Yankee fan. Unless you have never been laid before and this is legitimately your only chance to having sex, it's simply unacceptable. Would you marry someone from Al-Qaeda?" I do have a friend who married a Yankee fan. Enough said. Page 314 -- Commenting on the AROD -- Arroyo play in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS, " (it) clearly exposed A-Rod as a liar and cheater of the highest order - the kind who would turn over an R in Scrabble and pretend it's a blank letter." Not less than a week ago my wife tried this on me in a game of Scrabble. She was "amazed" I noticed an extra blank on the board.

These are just two examples of things I could relate to in this book. Movies (Shawshank, Godfather, Rocky), television (White Shadow, Beverly Hills 90210) and people (Bush, Jessica Biel vs Alba) are used as examples or metaphors in explaining his point of view or what he was feeling. Made for an enjoyable read.

The message from this book is -- We are no longer a joke. Because what that group did and how they did it in 2004, baseball fans especially Yankee fans have a lot less ammunition. Even before the 2007 championship, we could hold our heads high and be proud of that one year. Now? We live in the Golden Era of the Boston Red Sox. It is just that simple. There have been many of Red Sox fans from 1918 to 2003 that would have negotiated parts of their lives to see the Red Sox win a World Series. Having the team in the playoffs, winning the division, going to the ALCS and winning it all not once but twice in our lifetimes makes us spoiled and very, very fortunate. So losing a nine run lead may make me wonder but does not discourage me.

I want to thank my brother for sending me this book and making me realize I have it as Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm would say, "Prettay, prettay good".