'Fi Were King (or at least Theo)

For some reason, a lot of FN readers think we are too negative. I can't image why (insert heavy irony here). "If you're so smart", these readers say, "tell us what you'd do if you were running the Red Sox". Fair enough. Here's my prescription to improve the 89-win, "missed the playoff" Carmine Hose. All these suggestions assume: the NOG is telling the truth about the available resources for non-soccer operations; the signing of David Ortiz and the non-signing of Beltre and V-Mart.

Job One—Fix the Manny Hole. Since Manuel Aristides (Onelcida) Ramirez departed for La-La Land, we have not had a feared right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup. Period. Jason Bay was a nice approximation for a year and half, but he never instilled the kind of fear that Manny did in opposing pitchers. Solution: out-bid everybody for Jayson Werth.

Job Two—Fix The Bullpen. J.J. Putz and Jon Rauch are minimum additions that can be had on the free agent market. Add in Brian Fuentes from the left side and mix in Bard and Papelbon and fans can once again spell "relief".

Job Three—Get Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox need to consummate the long-rumored trade for left-handed first baseman of the Padres. If it means giving up some combination of Ellsbury, Dice-K, Casey Kelly and Josh Reddick—so be it. A-Gon is that good.

Job Four—Sign Miguel Olivo as the primary catcher. Re-sign Jason Varitek to a one-year deal and make him the back-up again.

Thus, the 2011 Red Sox would have the following line-up:

1. Marco Scutaro, SS 2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3. David Ortiz, DH 4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B 5. Jayson Werth, LF 6. Kevin Youkilis, 3B 7. J. D. Drew, RF 8. Ryan Kalish, CF 9. Olivo, C

The rotation (assuming a trade of Dice-K) would be:

1. Lester 2. Buchholz 3. Beckett 4. Lackey 5. Wakefield/Dubront

I think this team can win another World Series now.

Sox Favorties In A-Gon Sweeps

According to Don Norcross of "Sign On San Diego" (God knows what those Left Coasters mean about anything) the Red Sox are the front runners to land the services (via trade) of San Diego superstar Adrian Gonzalez. Norcross surmises that A-Gon would love to pepper the Monster with an "oppo" swing and (maybe more importantly) the scout who signed Gonzalez (Dave Finley) is in the Boston front office. In our view, this is the move that needs to made this Winter. Anything less than adding an elite bat like Gonzalez (not to mention a revamped bullpen) will scream "Bridge Year Two".

Gammons: V-Mart Off To Detroit?

MLB Netowrk's Peter Gammons told WEEI's Big Show that, in his opinion, the Tigers will offer Sox catcher Victor Martinez a four-or-five year deal which will land him in the Motor City. He also thinks the Sox will go hard after Tampa outfielder Carl Crawford.

Papi: One Year Not An 'Option'

In an extensive interview with WEEI's Rob Bradford, David Ortiz made it plain that he does not want the Red Sox to pick-up his one-year, $12.5 million option. Instead, he wants a multi-year deal that may push this scenario to the brink if the Sox balk at signing the soon-to-be 35-year old beyond 2012. Papi's sense of frustration is patently evident and does not bode well for an easy resolution. Stay tuned!

Kalish Is FN Rookie Of The Year

The Editors of FenwayNation have named Ryan Kalish as the inaugural FenwayNation Rookie of the Year for 2010. Kalish stepped into the breach when the Sox suffered multiple injuries and proved to have a patient yet potent bat in his first year in The Show. In 53 games, Kalish hit .252, with 4 HRs and 24 RBI. The 22-year old outfielder (pictured above with a young fan at a recent BoSox Club luncheon) also swiped 10 bases and was caught only once. Kalish has all but assured himself a spot on the 2011 roster.

Soccer To Me!

The NOG made a good effort to "Sneak Sally Through The Alley" while we were distracted by the World Series, ShaqTopia and the mid-term elections. The whopping ticket price increases they announced on Tuesday affect 30% of all patrons and boost a grandstand ticket up to $55 and loge boxes to nearly $100. Of course, this comes days after assuring us all that the ridiculous purchase of the Liverpool soccer team in the English Premier League would not impact the Red Sox at all. Believe them now? Not bloody likely, governor!

Farrell To Be Named Jays Manager

ESPN is reporting that the Blue Jays will announce this afternoon that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will become Toronto's new Manager.

Red Sox: Team Of The Decade

With all the excitement of the Yankees going down in the ALCS, another event over the weekend assured the Red Sox a unique spot in baseball history. When the Phillies fell to the Giants on Saturday, it insured that Boston would be the only team to win two World Series Championships in the first decade of the 21st Century. The Carmine Hose averaged 92.4 wins over the ten-year period and made the post-season six times—finishing third only twice in the toughest division in baseball. So—all things considered—I'd say our Olde Towne Team can legitimately lay claim to the title of Team of The Decade.

Second Best Result

Poetic justice, indeed. Alex Rodriguez made the final out of the final game for the New York Yankees in 2010—in Arlington, Texas. Yankees lose...........theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees loooooooooooose. Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

We Can Only Hope, Nation!

HAPPY POTENTIAL YANKEE ELIMINATION DAY!

Lowell Named FN's First Citizen

The Editors of FenwayNation are pleased to announce that Mike Lowell has been named the 2010 FenwayNation First Citizen. For his numerous charitable efforts—and simply the way he treated people—Mike has shown himself to be one of the classiest people ever to don a Red Sox uniform. The Mike Lowell Foundation funds memorable experiences to help make the daily lives of patients, especially those dealing with cancer, happier and less stressful.

All you need to know about his character was summed up in his speech to Red Sox fans before his final game, "I just want to thank God for allowing me the privilege and the opportunity to wear this jersey, to play in this ballpark, to represent the city of Boston, and to share so many memories with all of you. Thank you very much.’’

Lowell joins Bill Mueller, Tim Wakefield, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Timlin and Curt Schilling as previous FN First Citizen Award recipients.

Congratulations to Mike Lowell, the 2010 FenwayNation First Citizen. We will miss you, Mikey!

'Farr-ell' To Arms

Multiple sources are reporting that the Blue Jays will announce that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will become Toronto's new manager. This will likely have a negative effect on the under-perfoming Boston rotation—which saw two of its high-priced arms cave in 2010 (Beckett and Lackey). Moreover, the progressive developments of both Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz has been credited to Farrell. Having said all this, the influence of pitching coaches is usually overstated—in both directions. Poor pitching is never completely due to bad tutelage and vice versa. In any event, another big decision now rests on the shoulders of Theo Epstein this Winter.

Beltre's Market Shrinks By One

When the Detroit Tigers announced the signing of third baseman Brandon Inge, one of Adrian Beltre's most talked-about landing spots evaporated as quickly as a solemn promise from Scott Boras. So, while there will still be a healthy market for Boras to mine, a big sucker is off the board. One would think this enhances the chances (at least a little bit) of Boston getting back their best everyday player of 2010.

Moronic Fans Interfere Again

The ghost of Jeffrey Maier lurked in the stands at the Concrete Bunker on 161st Street last night. You remember him, the 12-year old little twerp that propelled the Yankees past the O's in 1996 by interfering with a Jeter "home run". As the photo above clearly demonstrates, Yankee fans still have no sense of respect for the game—gleefully trying to obstruct Nelson Cruz's attempt to catch another Yankee "home run". Somehow, the umpiring crew refused to review the obvious violation— then (ironically) reversed another bogus Yankee home run later in the same inning. Not that it matters much. The Rangers are so out-classing the Pinstripe Posers that Yankee Elimination Day (a legal holiday in these parts) could come as early as this afternoon.

NOG Replaces Mickey Mouse Video

It's about time. As fans around the country have enjoyed new ballparks with 21st century amenities, we in Boston have endured cramped seats, visual obstructions and a video board in center field that is the technological equivalent of a 13-inch black and white Zenith with rabbit ears. So, after nearly a decade of ownership, the NOG has deigned to give us a real set of video boards. Gee, thanks, guys! Can't wait to see the impact on our 2011 ticket prices. Go Liverpool!

Whoa, Adrian!

According to the Herald's Michael Silverman, the price to fetch Adrian Gonzalez would be steep indeed. In fact, it would likely include: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie, Anthony Rizzo (1B prospect), and Casey Kelly. Yikes. Well at least it makes for a good survey question.

VOTE HERE: Should the Sox consider such a deal, or not?

Hale (DeMarlo) And Farewell?

In a different kind of free-agency, the Red Sox may be losing their trusted bench coach to the Great White North. Reportedly, the Toronto Blue Jays are serious enough about hiring DeMarlo Hale as their new manager to invite him back for a face-to-face interview. Hale was promoted from third base coach to bench coach last year and was replaced at third by "Windmill" Tim Bogar.

Soccer Deal Bad For Sox Fans

Well, now it's official. New England Sports Ventures (read: The NOG) has purchased the Liverpool franchise in England's Premier soccer league. Great!

So, instead of investing in an upgrade of the also-ran Red Sox, they will now be pre-occupied with corner kicks and boring 'nil-nil' ties.

Let's hope the Red Sox Medical Team doesn't have to diagnose all the fake injuries on the soccer "pitch". They did such a great job for Boston in 2010, they may be at a total loss across the pond. I mean, how do you distinguish between a legitimate injured rib and a phony injured shin? Oh, the humanity!

Bottom line: This deal—like the NASCAR one—is flat-out dumb.

Buchholz Is FN Player Of The Year

In the closest vote ever, Clay Buchholz edged out Adrian Beltre as the 2010 FenwayNation Player Of The Year. The Sox right-hander garnered 39.7% of the total vote by FN readers, compared with 37.4% for Beltre.

Buchholz was one of just two certainties in the Sox rotation this year (Lester being the only other) as he compiled a 17-7 record with a stunning 2.33 ERA. In 173.2 innings, he walked 67 and fanned 120—a solid 1.79:1 strike-out-to-walk ratio. Buchholz becomes the only pitcher to win the FN Player Of The Year Award—joining David Ortiz (2004, 2005, 2006); Mike Lowell (2007); Dustin Pedroia (2008) and Jason Bay (2009) as honorees.

Adrian Beltre was equally impressive in what may be his only year donning Carmine Hose, hitting .321 with 28 HRs and 102 RBI.

Casey Kelly Shines In Fall League

Sox pitching prospect Casey Kelly (pictured above with a young fan) hurled four impressive innings in a victory for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League. Kelly allowed only two unearned runs in his outing. The Red Sox will probably be a little more daring in trading a starter like Daisuke Matsuzaka if they are comfortable with the progressive improvement of prospects like Kelly.

NOG May Be Back On The 'Pitch'

The Globe reports that Red Sox principal owner John Henry is in London today—indicating the sale of the Liverpool FC soccer club to the NOG may be imminent. So, let's see: auto racing, soccer....ummm, baseball?

Player O' Year Vote Tightens

Clay Buchholz is clinging to a razor-thin lead over Adrian Beltre in the spirited voting for the 2010 FenwayNation Player Of The Year Award. VOTE NOW!

Buchholz Pulls Ahead In POY

Clay Buchholz has pulled slightly ahead of Adrian Beltre as the voting heats up for the 2010 FenwayNation Player Of The Year Award. If you haven't yet voted, DO IT NOW!

Sox Soccer Over-Reach Hits Snag

The grossly ill-advised leap by the NOG into the world of English Premier League Soccer may have hit a fatal corner-kick. Reportedly, a Singapore billionaire—one with apparently more idle time than even John Henry—is outbidding the Sox for the right to own one of the most putrid franchises in the UK—Liverpool FC. Let's hope this silly deal falls through, and helps the NOG re-focus on producing a 90-win baseball team again.

Brookline Elitists Target Sox Fans

The friendly members of Brookline's Parking Politburo are at it again. Not satisfied with their previous harassment of Red Sox fans at their pristine parking spots along Beacon Street, the New Five Year Plan is to slap a whopping $22 fee for on-street metered parking up until 10PM. Perhaps even more outrageous, there would also be a four-hour limit on parking of any kind. So, you go to a Red Sox game, say at 6PM. You somehow find an empty meter a mile or so from the park, put in your $22 for four hours (God knows how that will work), then come back at 11PM to find a ticket for violating the 4-hour limit. What else can this be considered than rank discrimination against one class of motorists? Ah, but in the People's Republic of Brookline, that's just par for the course. Stay tuned for a renewed effort by FenwayNation to combat this.

TIGHT PLAYER O' YEAR RACE

Readers from all over the world are weighing in on FenwayNation's choice for 2010 Player of the Year. From Manitoba to Michigan and from Italy to Indiana, voters are producing one of the closest races in POY history. As we write this, Adrian Beltre holds a slim lead over Clay Buchholz. If you haven't already voted, DO IT NOW!

VOTE FOR FN PLAYER O' YEAR

The FN Board has nominated five players for the 2010 Player Of The Year Award—David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, Victor Martinez, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. CLICK HERE to cast your vote!

Adrian Gonzalez Rumors Persist

When the Padres came out of nowhere to contend in the NL West, the hopes of the Nation to land Adrian Gonzalez faded. Then San Diego caved, lost a playoff berth in Game 162, and now the knives are back out in Padre management and A-Gon may be gone before his contract is up in after the 2011 season. Of course, the logical landing spot is again Yawkey Way.

TEK-Nical Knock-Out In 2011?

Red Sox manager Terry Francona may have dropped a not-so-subtle hint about team captain Jason Varitek. In a very odd interview on WEEI, Tito goes out of his way to express his love of Tek, while making clear the need to make the team better. Pedroia might think about measuring his 2011 uniform for a "C".

Title Wave

It was bittersweet, but sweet nonetheless, to see the Red Sox make the Yankees wave "bye-bye" to a division title on Sunday. Watching hundreds of Bronx Bandwagonners at Fenway walk away with dreams of WILD CARD paraphernalia and not AL EAST CHAMPION stuff was quite satisfying. Their level of obnoxiousness hit its peak when the Pintrsipe Posers tied the game at 2, but they headed for a quick exit once the 8-4 Red Sox victory was evident. So, the Red Sox will head to the links and re-tool big time for 2011, and the Empire will travel to Minnesota to get bounced in a short five-game set. From my lips to God's ear.

Split Ends

You can't get more rag-tag than this. At one point the Red Sox had the bases loaded and the principals were Kalish, Reddick, Patterson and Navarro. Huh? And yet, the Quadruple A line-up managed a split with the reigning World Chumps, losing the first game in 10 innings (some guy named Papelbon took the loss after a lead-off walk), and walking-off with the night-cap (at 1:30 AM) thanks to the aforementioned Mr. Patterson. Thank God this horrific year ends today.

A Lowell Connector That Worked

Unlike the perennially clogged highway spur north of Boston, the Mike Lowell Connector between the player and the fanbase has been a rousing success. As a 'throw-in' in the Beckett-Hanley Ramirez trade during the infamous Gorilla Suit Interregnum, all Lowell did was become a World Series MVP. His slick fielding at the hot corner and his ability to deliver clutch hits (most of which I remember as ringing doubles), quickly made him one of the most popular players in a long time. Who can forget the "Sign Lowell" placards at the 2007 Rolling Rally? And who can forget this year's home run in his first at-bat back off the DL? So, as the Red Sox fete him on Saturday night, we should all be grateful that a classy, competent guy like Mike Lowell serendipitously fell into our laps. We will miss you, Mikey!

V-Mart: September Player O' Month

FenwayNation has named Victor Martinez as its September Player Of The Month. The dependable backstop had a blazing offensive month, hitting .333 with 7 home runs and 25 RBIs. In addition, he had an on-base percentage of .387 and an OPS of .979—both leading the team. He also slugged .593 and collected 64 total bases in the month. While Adrian Beltre also had a stellar September, Martinez gets our nod for the honor.

Twenty-Win Skidoo

It was "lights out" on a 20-win season for Jon Lester, as he yielded 8 runs in just four innings as the Sox were drubbed by Chicago, 8-2. The lights at U.S. Cellular Field literally did go out for a time, forcing a 20-minute delay in the proceedings. The fact that Lester still loses focus in some outings (we can recall at least two other major floggings this year) is troublesome. But, no one can deny that he and Clay Buchholz will be the solid core of the rotation going forward. The offense, which was so potent early in the year, was again limited to just one or two contributors—Victor Martinez drove home Marco Scutaro with his 20th home run. V-Mart's average is also now back over the .300 mark. These are rather sad, almost pathetic losses to a White Sox team that had no life going into the series—not that these games mean anything anyway. So, now we are spoilers in the last three games, gunning to put the Pinstripe Posers in Wild Card purgatory.