SawxBlog

SawxBlog Endorsing Brian Wilson, I Mean - The San Fransisco Giants in 2010 World Series

Somewhere, deep in the hills of VT, Bill Lee is smiling at Brian Wilson. (ESPN Screenshot)

Since November is looming danger close, with political campaigns and debate roaring across America, I thought it'd be prudent to announce SawxBlog's endorsement for the 2010 World Series. The choice wasn't as easy as you'd think, as both the Giants and Rangers have teams full of great stories and characters, but San Fransisco Giants closer, Brian Wilson, has won me over with his heavy dose of weird. If the Giants end up winning it all, Ron Artest is in great jeopardy of losing his title as "Craziest Champion Alive". I never realized how bizarre Wilson was until being directed to the below video of him on Jim Rome, upon watching it, I instantly knew I had to root for this guy.

Sports fans are obese. We've been fed line after line of tired cliché's by athletes with no personality for much too long. Then - if an athlete does happen to have a personality, it only shines through to show off their enormous ego, a la Esteban Ochocinco. Brian Wilson is a horse of a different color though.

It's almost as if he's playing a caricature of himself, similar to Hunter Thompson's Dr.Gonzo. I see everything Wilson does as a wink and a nod. He stares down reporters with Manson eyes and says things that are bat shit crazy and absolutely hilarious. The whole notion of celebrity is silly, and Brian gets that. With his shoe polish black beard he stands on the mound laughing at us as we laugh at him. Much like Thompson, I think he may end up blurring the lines too much between life and act, but what the hell do I know?

I know this. Brian Wilson is bringing weird freaky fetish sex jokes to American sports fans across the country, and that makes me smile. Those two things usually don't mix well together, well - unless you're Tiger Woods or Brett Favre...but I can't go there now, that pool's too deep. He's slowly leaked out bits and pieces of his friend, Machine, with the patience of a Buddhist monk. From pulling out the "Machine Mask" on Jim Rome, to mentioning Machine in an interview after winning the NLCS, Wilson has brought the weird to our front doorsteps, and because of this, I full heatedly endorse the San Fransisco Giants in the 2010 World Series.

Hoops Over Hype - Celtics Beat Heat on Opening Night

Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics chose hoops over hype with a complete team effort. (AP Photo)

The Boston Celtics made witness again that any contenders will have to go through them to get to the Finals in the East, as they defeated the Miami Heat 88-80 on opening night at the Garden. Yes this was only the first game of a long year. And yes these two teams will look completely different the next time they square off against each other, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that as you sit today reading this, the Celtics are light years ahead of the Heat in every facet.

The Celtics chemistry is better. The Celtics starters are better (as a whole). The Celtics bench is deeper. The Celtics coach is better. The Celtics fans are better. The Celtics are just plain better. ESPN and others will be making excuses for the Heat, believe in that. They'll state how this was only Dwyane Wade's first full game back after missing the pre-season, but shit, at least the Heat had Dwyane on the court. The Celtics, mind you forget, are sans their starting center in Kendrick Perkins along with backup point guard Delonte West. The Celtics are only going to get better, and those are two guys already very familiar with the Celtics system - and aren't starting cold or learning on the job like the Heat. 

 

As the game progressed it looked like Wade began to find his rhythm, and for all the hate I throw on Lebron, he really is a special talent, and if he showed us anything, it's that he'll be no ones sidekick in Miami. But he also showed he's NOT Magic Johnson either, can we please stop insulting Ervin with those comparisons? Lebron is Lebron James, and thankfully for the Celtics last night felt like a game against the Cavs of last year. Seriously. Lots of talent and promise over there, but in the end it's just watch Lebron do his thing and get out of the way. There's no team continuity whatsoever. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Bosh is making as much as Wade and James, that is just an awful signing. Dude has his moments for sure, like when he beat KG to the baseline in the first half, but he's no where near the elite level of his counterparts. The Big 2 + 1 if you ask me, that's what the Heat are.

On the other side of the court the Celtics look like they're the Big 15. There's literally not a player on the court I groan at when I see them approach the scorers table. Huge minutes were given by Nate, Baby, and Marquis Daniels last night, especially by Marquis. It seems like this whole team has no ego whatsoever, which is pretty amazing, and a testament to their maturity, and Doc's ability to lead winners. Each guy with a Celtic jersey has bought into the team system, it's all very Patriot-like of the Celtics. The depth of the team is truly amazing as well. I'd be worried if I were the Heat, because Miami has no answer for our big men (please take note Orlando). Come playoff time Perk will be healthy and Jermaine O'Neil will know his role and be a lot more comfortable, because the Celtics won't be dependent on him. 

Then there's the 36 Chambers of Shaq. Of all the stars on the court last night, the crowd was most electric when he had the ball. His 18 minutes were as solid as anybody's, and if he can stay healthy (isn't that really the byline for any Celtics story?) - wooooooooooo boy. Look out NBA. The Celtics aren't back - because they never went anywhere, they're just better, retooled, and with a helluvalotta motivation from Game 7. Add on top of that that they're being labeled as underog's because of the Heat, and you have yourself a recipe of danger for opponents. They're focused, fearless, and fired-up. There's going to be some great basketball in the Hub this year, get ready for one hell of a ride Boston, we may very well be turning 18 this year.

Lebron James & the Miami Heat are Good for the NBA

The Celtics look to rebound from their nightmare Game 7 fourth quarter  this year.

The Anticipation
The anticipation that's been building for basketball heads around the world will finally be released tonight. The Boston Celtics kick off their season with a match-up against the now hated Miami Heat. Anticipation. That word weighs heavy on the NBA's shoulders, and as it waits for tonights opening tip-off at the Garden, there's more anticipation than there's ever been before. So what's happened in the NBA since last summer's spectacular Finals? The short answer. Everything.

The Game
I want to make one thing crystal clear before you get too far into this post. I hate Lebron James. My dislike for James was born well before his infamous decision, and it's a conclusion I came to over time, and particularly after the 2008 Conference Semifinals. This was the first time Lebron showed me his true colors. Game 7 of that series showed us, jammed together all in one game, everything that Lebron James is about, as well as everything Lebron could have been about. This was his "two roads diverged in a yellow wood" game, and I don't think he's taken the best path.

James had a phenomenal game as he went toe-to-toe with Celtics captain Paul Pierce. He didn't have the Magic-like numbers people now expect from him, his numbers were much more Jordan-like. 45-5-6 If you watch the video below, you'll also see how much of a leader Lebron was. He placed the Cavs on his back and just went for it, which is what we all admired about him. However, when he couldn't clear this particular hurdle, he retracted into his spoiled shell, and the angry Anakin James we now know was born. He went directly into the Cavs locker room after the game. No handshake, no congrats, no nothing. This is the one move that really turned me off of from "The King", from playing basketball for a lot years, I know it's just a move you just dont do, on the playground or in the gym. It's simple really, you have to show respect, or you get none back. And this showed no class or humility from Lebron, and helped lay the foundation for how James is perceived today.

The Decision
When Lebron announced he'd be taking his talents to the Miami Heat I wasn't shocked at all. It fell right in line with who I thought he was since that fateful game. This kid has no true sense of reality. He's been touted as a demigod since the 8th grade, and ESPN has been showing his games on primetime since he was in high school. Has there been a high school athlete who's gotten this much press and national attention before or since? I'd be hard pressed to think of one. 

I thought the amount of excuses people made for Lebron his last two season in Cleveland were pathetic. Come playoff time it'd always be, does Lebron have the proper people around him? Instead of people saying, is Lebron the proper guy to lead a Team to a Championship? In both of the last two seasons the Cavaliers had the best record in basketball. Better than the Celtics. Better than the Lakers. Better than the Magic. Better than everybody. But still, people pined over the fact the James didn't have the "proper cast" around him.

Give me a break. Seemed to work fine for him in the regular season, and if anything, adding talent like Antawn Jamison should have made him better. You think Jordan would have made Jamison a better player, and a compliment to his game? You bet your ass he would have. But there it is. The true ghost that's been around the NBA since he let that hand hang in Utah. Jordan's shadow looms as massive in basketball as any athlete in any other sport, except for maybe Babe Ruth in baseball. We as basketball fans have to accept that there will never, ever be another Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is part of the same family tree for sure, and it pains me to say it, but Kobe really is unbelievable. Still though...he's no Jordan. And neither is James.

What Should I Do?

What should you do Lebron? Play basketball. It's that simple. Don't act like you're bearing a cross. Don't tell me about how some people wrote some distasteful things to you on Twitter. Trust me, I just run a shitty Red Sox blog, and I still get my fair share of hate, but it's all part fo the territory, I'm putting myself out there after-all. Don't crush your hometown on National TV. Don't act like life is so hard for Lebron. Don't worry about any of it. People loved you for your game, let that be enough, and damn what happens in-between.

Lebron is, was, and forever will be, a polarizing figure. It's because he has talents like we've never seen. He can do things on the basketball court that make us awed. There's nothing worse for people than to see what they perceive as talent being squandered, and to say Lebron's done that would not be fair to the man. I'm 31 years old, and if each and every decision I made as a 25 year old was scrutinized and watched in slow motion at a national level I'd probably get bitter too. In the end the expectations were too high for Lebron when he was in the eighth grade, and that's unfair. I don't feel sorry for the guy though, and think he's made an awful lot of bad decisions with his persona, but who am I to Judge, I'm just a guy with a blog.

The Heat
I think Lebron going to the Miami Heat may be the best thing to happen to the NBA in the long run. With their star power, they've instantly elevated themselves to a Dallas Cowboy or New York Yankee level. You either love or hate the team, and I think that's awesome. 

It's awful ironic that three friends getting together like this may help stir a little bad blood into the NBA pot finally. Ever since Michael left us (there's that name again) there's been too much hugging. Too much dancing. Too many friends playing against each other. Too many dinners and shared agents and groupies. Screw that.

The reason that basketball was saved by Bird and Magic was because of their rivalry and hatred for each other. Having the rekindled Celtics vs. Laker rivalry back was helping the league get some of its edge  that it had in the 80's, but the Heat are going to catapult people's allegiances even more, and that's great for everyone, especially us fans.

Really lost in the shuffle in all this is Dwayne Wade. I think he had the most potential to enter into MJ & Kobe land, however, this will taint his pursuit of that just a bit. Yes, yes, I know. Jordan had Pippen. Magic had Kareem. Bird had McHale & Parrish. But was there ever a question who the alpha-dog was in each those relationships? There isn't a clear line in Miami, and it's to be seen how they gel together. I can't imagine they're going to be bad. I will say that Chris Bosh is now the most overrated player in the league. He's going to become a super role player now for sure, but I have no memories of him really stepping up in an important game...well....ever. At the least it's going to be very interesting to watch this team, and they will eventually win it all, just not this year.

The Beginning is the End Is the Beginning
The result of tonights game will tell us nothing about how the season will end. It will however, officially mark a new chapter in the NBA. This may be the next transition. Bird & Magic. Jordan. Duncan. Kobe. Heat. As much as I'll be hating on Lebron and the Heat over the next few years, I do ultimately respect their decision to go at it full bore together, and even thank them for putting on the black hat. I already had my Laker rivalry back, now it looks like we have the Bad Boys 2.0 as well, and I can't wait to root against them not only tonight, but for the foreseeable future.

(Editors Note: Will write on the actual Celtics soon, but had to get this out today.)

Red Sox Pitching Coach No More - Blue Jays Choose John Farrell As New Manager

 John Farrell speaks to Clay Buchholz on the pitching mound.

According to numerous reports it looks like John Farrell will be leaving the Red Sox family and going North of the Border as the new Blue Jays manager. This is great news for Farrell and his family, however, it's definitely a bit of a loss for the Red Sox. Tito brought Farrell on board with the Sox after the 2006 season, and he helped coach the Sox to a World Series Championship the following year. From looking at the progression of our younger pitchers, especially Lester, Buchholz, and Bard - I'd say he's been a great influence on them. Our bullpen and veteran pitchers (See: Beckett, Lackey, everyone but Bard) were very suspect this past year, and with him being their coach, he has to shoulder some of that blame I guess - but regardless, it's a great opportunity and day for him, and maybe some fresh blood and change in philosophy is what some of the Sox pitchers need moving forward for 2011. You can read John Henry's thoughts on Farrell joining the Blue Jays via the Globe here.

Williamsburg 2.0 - Red Sox Look to Shorten Right Field Fence, Possibly for Gonzalez or Crawford?

The Red Sox bullpen has not been modified since 1940. (cerebusfangirl Flickr Photo)

As reported earlier this week on Boston.com, the Boston Red Sox are planning on expanding the bullpen in right field by a total of eight feet. This would make for a significant difference in the amount of room the relievers have to warm up, for as it is now, it's pretty cramped in the pirate ship.

Aside from letting our non-deserving relievers stretch it out a little more, it will allow the Red Sox to put another row or two of seats in front of the bullpen, as they continue to play seat maximization Tetris with Fenway, which I can't blame them for. I say the more seats the merrier, it's hard enough as it is to get seats to a game now...when they're winning of course.

We must remember though that there also may be other ulterior motives at work here. To my knowledge, the last time the right field fence was moved in at Fenway was 70 years ago in 1940. This was the year after Ted Williams other worldly rookie year for the Red Sox. In 1939 the left-handed Spendid Splinter put up these jaw dropping numbers despite the cavernous Right Field at Fenway.

.327 BA - .609 SLG - 1.045 OBP - 31 HR - 145 RBI - 131 R

Every once in awhile when I go back and look at Williams stats I just shake my head. I mean, this was in his rookie year, and with the biggest RF in the league to contend with. Tom Yawkey (that racist asshole) saw this, and wisely decided to promptly move in the RF fence by 23 feet the very next year. Interestingly Ted's power numbers declined some in 1940 - but there was no doubt this move was done for him and no one else, especially not for the relievers "comfort". The Boston sports writers quickly dubbed the new bullpen "Williamsburg" in honor of The Kid, and the rest as they say, is history.

So who exactly are the Red Sox moving the fence in for this time if not for the relievers? It may not be for one person this go around, and an aging David Ortiz and J.D. Drew, both of whom are left handed, would certainly benefit. However, the two names the Red Sox are hotly interested in this off-season are Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez - both of whom are left-handed hitters as well, and this could be yet another high selling point they could make to compete for their services. This is all theory from me, but it makes sense historically, and seems like it could be the true ulterior motive to the "bullpen expansion".

Losing My Religion: Football Has Given Baseball a Concussion

 Baseball has become a boring part of our American past.

Trying to keep up with you

And I don't know if I can do it

Oh no, I've said too much

I haven't said enough

-REM, "Losing My Religion"

Baseball is a boring sport. This is a fact I've been wrestling with for well over a year now, and it's a conclusion I'm confident in stating. I consider myself to be what you'd call an above average baseball fan. I've been updating this blog for almost six years now, making this the 1,265th post made on SawxBlog - and in order to keep this blog breathing I've attended a plethora of games at Fenway, watched hundreds of games on TV, and have poured over statistics, websites, blogs, boards, and books at a pace considered ravenous. I've professed my love for the game continuously, and have claimed baseball as a religion more than once. After all of this, I think I may be losing my religion, and I have football to blame and thank for that.

I'm sure part of this is just me missing baseball because the Red Sox are no longer playing. But that right there proves my point. If the Red Sox aren't involved, I'm rarely watching baseball. The only honest interest I have in the post-season this year is seeing the Yankees lose. It's all I care about, and could give a crap who wins the World Series. I've watched a total of about five innings so far for the playoffs this year. A few of these were at The Tam on Tremont Street during Roy Halladay's no hitter. But the only reason I was watching that is because I was in a bar pre-gaming for the The Hold Steady show later that night. If I was at home, there's no way I'd be watching that game. The other game that I watched a few innings of was Game 4 of the ALCS. I was interested because of my hate for the Yankees, and because Cliff Lee is just amazing to watch. I was at home for this game, but honestly only watched during timeouts of the Monday Night Football game, and trust me, that game was AWFUL to watch. Bill Simmons tweeted the following this week in regards to these two games.

"Ratings for last night: worst possible NFL game with 2 crap markets (7.2); best possible MLB playoff game with 2 huge markets (6.5)."

That paints a very clear picture as to where American sports fans loyalty lies. I wrote a post on Opening Night of the NFL last year with the observation that Football seemed to be passing baseball in popularity. Well, there's no doubt in mind now that it has raced past, and I hate to say it, but I think I'm a bigger fan of football today than I am of baseball.

Let's go back to the Monday Night game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans. These are two of the smallest markets in the NFL, and currently have two under performing, sloppy, and boring Teams. In the latest Power Rankings poll at ESPN they're ranked 8th (Titans) and 25th (Jags) respectively, not exactly powerhouses, and I'd argue that 8 is WAY too high for the Titans. Yet more people watched this game then Game 4 of the ALCS? Really? This was just a divisional Week 6 game for the NFL, no playoff implications, no real drama, just a Monday night game. This wasn't a game that had two teams playing for the right to be in the World F^(%ing Series, with the best pitcher on the planet throwing against the most popular sports franchise on the planet - who happen to also be the defending champions. It's borderline unbelievable. American Pastime my ass. Baseball may very well be dying, and people haven't even realized it yet.

Ask any Red Sox fan who the most intense player on the Sox is, and you'll get a large majority of Youk answers. Kevin was on 98.5 the Sports Hub's Felger and Mazz Show this week and said that he's tried to watch some of the games, but typically falls asleep by the fourth inning. Think about that. Youk is not a laid back guy. He's the most intense player on one of the biggest market teams with a passionate fanbase and he can't get excited for a game he's not in. He went on to say the below:

"I love playing, I just don't like watching... I'd rather watch football, even if I'm not a fan of the team I'm watching"

That sentence is what the rest of the country thinks too. That's why I was only watching the ALCS between commercials for the Titans vs. Jags game. If you're not a passionate fan, and your Teams not playing, you're not watching baseball. Plain and simple. People don't get the MLB package and end up watching random Pirates vs. Reds games on a Tuesday night. Why not? Because that's a God awful way to spend three hours of your life. They get the package because they no longer live in the market their favorite team plays in. People will end up watching a Bills vs. Lions game though. Why? Because football is inherently more exciting, not as over saturated, and  Fantasy Football. The three things that helped propel Football way past baseball  popularity in my opinion are:

1. Fantasy Football
2. More fun to bet on.
3. Only once a week.

Watching baseball is like buying the Sunday paper, laying it out on your kitchen table, and reading it cover to cover. You relax, take your time, and make a day of it. Watching football is like logging onto your computer and checking your Twitter feed, Facebook newsfeed, all the while dancing between five other open tabs within your browser, getting bombarded with information both global and hyper-local as it happens before your finger-eyes. Football has evolved with our culture, while baseball has become a link to our past. Sunday's are social now not because of church, but because of football. Whether you're watching with friends or not, you still have your stat tracker open as the games unfold, making it a true multimedia experience. Something necessary for a successful product in the year 2010.

I don't know how to "fix" baseball, but I would say 162 games is too much. I would rather watch a Celtic pre-season game over the MLB playoffs, and I RARELY watch the Sox in Spring Training. No lie. Shit, the NFL has the opposite problem right now, they want to add MORE games, and the people would eat it up like a Sunday tortilla chip. I was talking with my friend Ryan the other day and told him I had a football problem. I confessed watching, and getting into a CFL game on the NFL network. I'm still ashamed.

Another problem for baseball is that the generation coming up doesn't have the attention span, or bedtime allotment to watch the games. The majority of football games are on during the day on a weekend, while a typical baseball game is on during the week, and ends after 10:00pm, 11:00pm if you're a Red Sox fan. With a new generation coming behind me, they're not going to care about baseball like I did, it's just a fact. Is it sad. Sure. But I'm not one to fight evolution, and in America, Football rules, today, and for the foreseeable future.

An Over-Due Eulogy for 2010 Zombie Red Sox

 RIP 2010 Zombie Red Sox, you lived long, and died hard. (SawxBlog Illustration)

It's been awhile. It was the final weekend of August that I made my last post on SawxBlog. 48 long days ago. Heading into that pivotal series with the Rays, I knew it would either make or break the Red Sox 2010 season. That Friday night Jon Lester pitched seven strong innings for the Sox, helping win what seemed like a momentum changing game. I remember tweeting throughout the entire evening, something I rarely do, and was ecstatic when they won. The Sox needed a sweep, and winning that first game, they had a legit shot at keeping the Wild Card race interesting. So that Friday night, hazed with the aid of a Narragansett or three too many, I wallowed in fantasies of a miracle Sox run bleeding into October, with a cast of unknown, unsung, and under appreciated ballplayers leading the way. Simply put, I basked in baseball, stared at standings, and started to again get the itch of faith.

That was the last time I truly had hope for the 2010 Zombie Red Sox.

The next night the Sox had their collective hearts broken, ripped out, and stomped to a bloody mess on the artificial turf in St. Petersburg. The final punch was thrown by none other then Dan Johnson, as his walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th made every Sox player & fan bow their head in recognition. The loss dropped the Sox to 5.5 games back in the Wild Card race, and for all intents and purposes, ended their season. The next day, still reeling from the night before, the Sox were leading 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 6th, but they let that lead slip away too, as the Rays bounced back with four unanswered runs, winning the game, series, and eventually, a playoff spot. That was August 29th, 2010, and it was only six days later that I married the girl I love.

The timing seemed right for me to give up on the Sawx.

I was busy as hell, and the bad taste of that weekend in Tampa, along with the anticipation of planning a wedding, had me waving the white flag earlier than I ever have with the Red Sox. The moving parts of the wedding were overwhelming us, and I was heads down helping secure the final details that complex the day. There were obviously more important things at hand other than baseball for me.

The past season, more than any I can remember, felt like a long distance run gone awry for the Red Sox and their fans. Setting out for the run the weather looked great, new shoes were on our feet, and we felt ready for a nice, long, and evened paced jog. Shortly after venturing out of the house though - the skies began to turn an awful black, and they eventually opened into a loud and wrathful storm. We were too far from home to turn back around, and the storm was something we just had to ride out. Things didn't get any easier though. We twisted our ankle on an unseen root, were getting frequent cramps in places we didn't know existed, and with each new turn the temptation of quitting became more and more alluring. The jog had became a battle for us much earlier than September or October, and was an endurance test we knew we'd eventually have to succumb to.

The perpetual and consistent injuries sustained by the Red Sox throughout 2010 are obviously what ended up making Theo Epstein's "bridge year" statements fact. It's been written and talked about so much throughout New England that people are actually starting to call it an excuse. Trust me here, that is not an excuse. The Red Sox ended up finishing the year with an 89-73 record, six games behind the Yankees for a playoff spot. Do you really think that the loss of Pedroia and Youkilis didn't cost the Sox at least six games? We're not even talking about the other players we lost during the season, whom were plentiful and important.

Our opening day roster was in tact for a total of eight games. Digest that for a second, it's ridiculous. Every team has injuries for sure, but not at the rate the Sox were going down, that's why they morphed into the Zombie Red Sox, because despite all of this, they were never truly out of it. The way guys like McDonald, Nava, Hall, Kalish, and others stepped in and up made every Sox fan proud. And despite me giving up on the Sox in late August, the Sox were true to their Zombie form, and were technically in it until basically the last weekend. That second to last series against the Yankees suddenly had some Yankee fans getting the fear, and Red Sox fans, despite their better judgement, started to believe again.

That's what I'll take out of this season. It's like we were sitting at the coldest of poker tables, getting dealt shitty hand after shitty hand - but we played what we were dealt as best we could, and still almost made the final table. Yes, there were a lot of things that could have helped us make up those final six games. First and foremost on my list is our bullpen, and really, aside from the rising star that is Daniel Bard, the whole lot of them sucked. Papelbon, who's championed himself as the next great closer, whenever Mariano Rivera decides to get off of HGH that is - was AWFUL this year. He blew eight total games and had an ERA (3.90) almost double what he had last year. No true Red Sox fan thinks that it's lights out when he hits the mound anymore. And remember that Dan Johnson homer that crushed the Sox chances? Hit off of Scott Atchison. Need I say more? The Red Sox bullpen was flawed from day one. Talk about a bridge year, we had NO bridge to get to the back of our bullpen.

The only other thing I can really blame is Red Sox management. I believe we got very lucky with Beltre, and doubt he'll ever have a year like he did this year. If he's with the Sox next year (he won't) then I hope I'm wrong, but either way, no one thought he'd do what he did, not even Theo. Cameron was an idiotic move, and Scutaro was the best that was available, but not a solution. Don't forget, this was the most expensive and rich Red Sox Team in club history, and they failed to even make the playoffs. Don't forget that.

Lackey's looking to be a HUGE bust, and the Red Sox really did nothing to make the team better during the year. No big trades, no big free agent signings, nothing. They tried to appear interested in making the team better with things like the Damon fiasco, but in reality, they sat on their hands, extended rainouts, and counted their sellouts and money gathering. I'm saving this for another post, as I'm already well past 1,000 words, but I'm realistically pondering giving up on the Sox well before August in 2011 - the ownership doesn't care about "Red Sox Nation" - they care about profit, and in the process of giving us championships they may have killed the true culture that made the Red Sox so great. I'm sure these words are that of a jaded lover, and come spring I'll fall back into line, but there's truth there, trust me on that. But like I said, I'll save that topic for another day.

What I'll take from the 2010 season is the effort the ballplayers with a 'B' on their hat gave. Those kids played their asses off, and made a lot of us proud. There's no reason we should have been as in it as much as we were. But they never gave up, and that's a quality I strive to have more, and is one I wish the Red Sox management subscribed to as well. It was a tough run, but we gutted it out as best we could. 

There's always next year I guess, but with a payroll like we had, it should have been this year - again.