'Reverse Truck Day' Is Real Start Of Season

Photo by Providence Journal

Brian MacPherson, the excellent Red Sox beat writer for the Providence Journal, has reminded us that we are closer than ever to the actual start of the baseball season. MacPherson tweeted a photo (see at right) showing the Red Sox equipment truck loading up for the journey north. Now, that's a Truck Day to celebrate.

Theo Compensation Fiasco May Not Be Over

FenwayNation Photo Illustration

The "significant" bounty the Red Sox received in exchange for Theo Epstein's services underwent elbow surgery in Alabama yesterday, and Darth Lucchino is not happy. Word is that the Boston CEO will seek further compensation from the Cubbies—with the not-so-subtle implication that the Carmine Hose were snookered by their old GM. The whole episode had a surreal quality to it—four months of dancing around the issue in a (supposed) friendly manner—and then a far less than "significant" prize in the Sox red Christmas stocking.

Clemens Clinches Lead In Centennial Snub Poll

With the final votes in—from as far away as Brazil, Australia, Mexico and Switzerland—Roger Clemens is the clear choice to be snubbed in the Fenway Park Centennial ceremonies. The ex-Red Sox hurler garnered 43.7% of the vote, followed by the infamous Jose Canseco at 26.1%, current Oakland A Manny Ramirez at (20.4%), and currently unemployed Johnny Damon at 5.6%.

Some voters (4.2%) didn't think our list of snub-ees was comprehensive enough, and wrote in another player's name.

Ellsbury Leaves Friday Game With Foot Injury

It's an unfortunate way cap off your week, but we have to inform you that Jacoby Ellsbury came out of Friday's game in the fifth inning after fouling a ball off his right foot.  No further information is available at this time. Hopefully, this is just a short-term issue and the center fielder will be back in the line-up over the week-end.

Bobby V. Manages To Muddy Waters On Bard

In 1939, Winston Churchill gave this assessment of Soviet Russia: "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma". If you were present at today's media session with Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, you might think those words apply to him. Asked whether a decision had been made on whether Daniel Bard was in the starting rotation, Bobby V. replied: “It hasn’t really been made. I think the decision that he could start has been made, that he’s capable of starting.”

OPINION: In Defense Of Curt Schilling

by Ernie Paicopolos, Editor-In-Chief

We're pretty sure that Curt Schilling can defend himself from the slings and arrows of a jealous mainstream media. But, we want to chime in anyway. A few days ago, Curt stated on WEEI's air that—based on conversations he has had with current Red Sox players—things are going badly with new manager Bobby Valentine. This has been met by outrage from members of the local sports media—parituclarly Peter Abraham, Michael Holley and Chad Finn. Ironically, these are three of the finest members of the media—but they are dead wrong about Schilling.

Clemens Holds Lead In Centennial Snub Voting

In early voting, FenwayNation readers are choosing Roger Clemens as the ex-player they'd prefer not be invited to Fenway Park Centennial ceremonies. As the chart shows, 35.9% think the Sox should snub Clemens, followed by Jose Canseco at 28.1%, Manny Ramirez at 26.6%, and Johnny Damon at 4.7%. Also, 4.7% felt our list was not complete enough and suggested another player. You can still vote in this FenwayNation Poll HERE.

Doubront All But Certain Number Four Starter

(Patrick Semansky/AP)

It was only a minor league game against Single A players, but Felix Doubront was again sharp—giving up just two hits while striking out four. This, in conjunction with his solid starts in regular Spring games, all but cements his spot as the number four starter in the Red Sox rotation. Thus, the Red Sox will have two lefty starters for the first time in a while (if you don't count a few starts by Andrew Miller).

POLL: Who Shouldn't Be Invited To Centennial?

If Poll Not Visible, Click HERE

Theo Compensation Fiasco Gets Even Worse

Jair (L) and Xander Bogaerts

Just when you thought the ludicrous Theo Epstein compensation case had reached is loony limit, now there are two more absurd pieces to the puzzle. First, our huge windfall, Chris Carpenter, is getting elbow surgery with Dr. Andrews. Of course, he was such a bust in Spring Training anyway (21.60 ERA), that losing him for the year is akin to losing John Lackey—that is, a wonderful up-side!

Carl Crawford Likely Out Until May

Photo Credit: Big League Stew

According to the Globe's Peter Abraham, it appears that injured left-fielder Carl Crawford will be out until sometime in May. This estimate is based on information from Bobby Valentine that Crawford (who will take 20 bunts today) will need upwards of 50 ABs before re-joining the new club. Since he's not even taking full BP at this point, he is a long way away from performing at Fenway.

Schilling, Burks, Barrett Headed To Sox HOF

Curt Schilling, Ellis Burks and Marty Barrett lead a class of seven into the Red Sox Hall Of Fame for 2012. The induction ceremony at Fenway Park will take place on August 3rd before a game against the Minnestoa Twins. A total of 81 inductees reside in the Red Sox Hall and the aforementioned players will be joined by former Sox owner John I. Taylor, right-handed pitcher Joe Dobson, left-hander "Dutch" Leonard and hallowed groundskeeper Joe Mooney.

Josh Reddick Shines In A's Tokyo Win

AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

Former Red Sox right-fielder Josh Reddick went 2 for 3 with a home run in the A's 4-1 triumph over the Mariners in the final game of the Japan Series at the Tokyo Dome. With the A's already up 2-1 in the seventh (after Yoenis Cespedes clouted a two-run blast), Reddick lofted a high drive into the right field seats off left-handed reliever George Sherrill. This is the fourth Japan opener for MLB, a series that started back in 2000. The Red Sox, you may recall, faced the A's in the 2008 series.

Red Sox Roster Resembles M*A*S*H Unit

With less than one week to go before pitches are thrown in anger, the Red Sox have eight—count 'em eight—players from the 40-man roster on the disabled list. As the Boston Globe's Peter Abraham points out, this might be some sort of MLB record.

Schilling Raises Red Flags On Bobby V.

Curt Schilling (Photo: 38 Studios)

Curt Schilling, appearing on WEEI's Mut & Merloni Show, raised a boatload of doubts about the current state of the Bobby Valentine Era. In a wide-ranging interview (does Curt give any other type?), the former Red Sox ace said that, after talking to current players, "I don't think this is going well. And I think it's going bad quicker than I expected it to." When pressed to be specific about Valentine's deficits, he hinted that the new manager is too fixated on tactical things like the hit and run and bunting, and not enough on the people side of things. Said Curt:

Foreign Soccer Fever Grips Hub!

Before we get into the details, we want to point out that the Red Sox have nothing to do with the Liverpool soccer team. OK, got that? Tom Werner, who coincidentally is one of the principal owners of the Red Sox, announced that the Liverpool soccer team will play a "match" at Fenway Park on July 25th—you know, the place the Red Sox play in.

Bobby V. May Hit Aviles In The Leadoff Spot

Chairman Bobby Addresses Nation

Despite his .318 career on-base percentage, Mike Aviles might be Bobby V.'s choice to lead off for your 2012 Boston Red Sox. Valentine feels Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI potential is devalued when he leads off—not a crazy notion—and thinks Aviles offers an aggressive posture that can strike "fear into a pitcher's heart". Bobby goes on about Aviles in the top spot: "It gets a guy doubting his stuff in a hurry. We'll see." At least Valentine is thinking outside the box on the lineup—which calcified into the same guys in the same spots under Tito.

Bud Selig's Puzzling Media Blackout

(AFP Photo / Toshifumi Kitamura)

As you may or may not know, the Major League Baseball season began this morning at 6:05 AM Eastern time. The Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland A's 3-1 in 11 thrilling innings at the Tokyo Dome. King Felix pitched. Ichiro got four hits. But no one in the USA saw any of this. Somehow, Commissioner-In-Name-Only Bud Selig thought better of telecasting the game live. After all,

Josh Beckett Continues Strong Spring

Cody Ross—(Photo Credit: AP)

One day after Jon Lester went seven scoreless innings, Josh Beckett went five without a run. The big right-hander struck out five and gave up just two hits. He was a little wild, walking three and building up an 80+ pitch count in the five frames. The Red Sox beat the Rays, 8-0. The two strong performances by the "studs" in the rotation are a welcome sign—particularly since other elements of the team are less than settled.

Lackey Says Talk Of Beer/Chicken Is 'Stupid'

(Photo by Aaron Strader)

John Lackey, perhaps the most vilified Red Sox player in decades, recently talked with Boston Globe writer Dan Shaughnessy in the clubhouse at jetBlue. When asked if Red Sox pitchers were treated unfairly during ChickenAndBeerGate, he offered the following:

“For sure. This is stupid to even bring it back up . . . Even talking about it right now is stupid, because it’s just bringing it back up."

Red Sox Send Down Jose Iglesias

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Well, now the "shortstop of the future" really is. The Red Sox sent slick-field, little hit Jose Iglesias down to the minors today. So, the first major power struggle between Bobby V. and BenCher goes to the GM. As we've said before, we think this is a mistake. Iglesias should be the 2012 starting shortstop, with Mike Aviles as the all-around infield back-up. Nick Punto should have been released. But, we move on.

Jon Lester Shows Opening Day Form

Photo by Christopher Evans, AP

In the most promising development of the Spring, Sox ace Jon Lester went seven scoreless innings against Philadelphia today. Lester struck out 10 Phillies and gave up just two hits while walking none. This was a dominant performance from the man Boston needs to have an epic season. On the offensive side of the ledger, Dustin Pedroia clouted his second home run of the Grapefruit League season, while Cody Ross went yard for the third time. Minor leaguer Mauro Gomez sent his second round-tripper out of the park.

Are Kevin Youkilis' Back Issues 'Back'?

Kevin Youkilis

The scratching of Kevin Youkilis from yesterday's loss to the Blue Jays (back stiffness) may be nothing more than a passing tweak. Then again, you're looking at a guy who hasn't played 140 games in a season since the Bush Administration. Moreover, when division foes like Adam Jones recognize that Youk's absence was the single most important reason for The Collapse, you gotta be a little worried.

Uncertainty Is The Hallmark Of 2012 Sox

With just about ten days left until Jacoby Ellsbury squares off against Justin Verlander, your 2012 Carmine Hose are anything but a settled team. The question marks everyone pointed to on February 1st will still be there on April 1st. In fact, you could argue that more questions exist toward the end of the Grapefruit campaign than when pitchers and catcher reported. For all the refreshing newness of Camp Bobby and jetBlue Park, this team is an enigma—and it's got nothing to do with beer and chicken.

FN Youth Board: 2012 Season Preview-Part 1

by Nick Valeri, FN Youth Board Member

After what could have been the most controversial off-season that has ever taken place in our 111 year history, the Red Sox are now (hopefully) ready to begin a new chapter that is drawn far away from conversations of Popeye’s chicken and beer. From the man Bobby V. to the newest acquisitions on the roster, here is my look at the season we have ahead of us. In part 1 of a 2 part series, I will preview the lineup that I still believe is one of the most dangerous in the Majors, and in part 2 I will preview the pitching rotation as well as the bullpen once Bobby V. has made his final choices in both of those departments.

Shred-Ucinni Alfredo & Doubee-Do

Suddenly, Daniel Bard's 'unlucky' 7.11 ERA doesn't look so bad. The supposed new fourth starter, Alfredo Aceves, gave up nine earned runs in just three innings pitched. This consummate stinker allowed Aceves to pass Bard's mark—now sporting a 7.50 spring ERA. Amazingly, the guy who was once a longshot for the rotation, lefty Felix Doubront, continued his good run in the second game today. He pitched six strong innings—yielding just five hits and a single earned run aganst the Multi-Colored Marlins. Doubee's spring ERA is now a stellar 2.70.

Clash Of Titans Emerging On Yawkey Way

Every once in a while a member of the local mainstream sports media (read: not a blogger) has the intestinal fortitude to tell the hard truth. Just such a scribe is the Boston Globe's Chris Gasper. In his Saturday article, Gasper details the emerging power struggle between Bobby Valentine and Ben Cherington. The immediate centers of the conflict are: Daniel Bard and Jose Iglesias. Specifically, Valentine wants the kid to be his starting shortstop and Bard to return to the back-end of the bullpen.

Vicente Padilla No Longer A Starter Option

Bobby Valentine announced today that Vicente Padilla has been bumped from consideration as a starter—although he still could be a possibility for the bullpen. Padilla was hampered by various injuries this Spring, but occasionally pitched pretty well.

Bobby Jenks Arrested For DUI In Ft. Myers

Bobby Jenks was arrested on Friday in Fort Myers for driving under the influence, along with property damage and hit and run charges. The alleged violations took place after Jenks left "Babes" strip joint (insert 'Curse Of The Babe-Bino' references here). The Red Sox have acknowledged the incident, but have not made any further comment. Jenks (seen here in this flattering mug shot) has been virtually useless since joining Boston, performing poorly even during the brief period he was healthy (6.32 ERA, 15.2 IP, 22 H, 13 BBs). Needless to say, this incident will not enhance his standing with the organization.

The Empire Shrinks Back; Pedey Hurt

After the Red Sox had tied the Evil Ones in the bottom of the ninth (on a suicide squeeze), the Bronx Embalmers refused to come out to play the 10th inning. Joe Girardi claimed that he was out of pitchers, but apparently that fact was not communicated to Bobby Valentine, who took umbridge with the ploy:

REPORT: Bard Headed Back To Bullpen?

According to a report by CSNNE's Sean McAdam, team sources say Daniel Bard's starter experiment is over and he'll be headed back to the bullpen. This shocking turnabout underscores the chaos in Red Sox pitching overall. Amazingly, it looks as if Alfredo Aceves and Felix Doubront will be your fourth and fifth starters. This, as five other AL teams have solid 1-5 rotations that suggest Boston may miss the post-season for the third straight year in 2012—despite the added Wild Card slot. Shameful mismanagemnt on the NOG and BenCher's part.

Bobby V: 'Iglesias Is Ready For The Majors'

Ah, Bobby V.—you gotta love him. The new Red Sox manager gave his assessment of slick SS Jose Iglesias before today's game against the Bucs. Said Bobby:

"I think he can hit and hit on the major league level."

BenCher, of course, responded in GM speak, just to make clear that Bobby isn't the sole decision-maker on this score:

Bard Feels Good About 9-2 Loss To Jays

Hey, it's Spring Training. Even when you lose 9-2, you can find things to feel good about. Daniel Bard went five innings, tossed 80+ pitches, gave up three runs—but his arm felt good. In the grand scheme of things, that's the important thing to come out of the night. As he looks to transition from reliever to starter, he needs to go deeper into games than he ever has. Mission accomplished.

Bobby V.: Bullpen Needs To Straighten Out

Bobby Valentine is seeing what the rest of us see: the Red Sox bullpen is a mess. No one has stepped up to give fans a warm and fuzzy feeling about innings 6 through 9. To his credit, Valentine is telling like it is—without the ponderous "company man-speak" we've been used over the last several years. In his own quirky way, he's refreshing. Of course, that could fade very quickly with a slow start this April. Of the 'pen, Bobby V. speaks:

REVIEW—"MLB '12: The Show" Still Amazes

Once again this year, the good people at SONY allowed us to have an advance copy of the PlayStation 3 version of their highly popular video game, MLB '12: The Show. This year, our new FN Youth Board helped out in the evaluation—with Adam Bloom-Paicopolos taking the game through the "test flight" for 2012.

Doubront Pitches OK Again; Bullpen Gags

Felix Doubront (who if he makes the team has to be called Doobie) pitched decently again—going 4 2/3 innings today and giving up just two earned runs (albeit on 8 hits). However, the crew that followed coughed up 6 runs to the Twins, giving the Polite Ones an 8-4 win in the crucial Mayor's Cup Series. Melancon and Atchison were the chief culprits in the defeat, which also saw the return to the lineup of should-be starting shortstop Jose Iglesias. In a AAA contest, Alfredo Aceves gave up three runs in five innings of work.

Lester To Be Red Sox Opening Day Starter

It's now official. Jon Lester will be the Red Sox Opening Day starter on April 5th against Justin Verlander and the Tigers. This is really the only logical choice—and Bobby Valentine even admitted that Josh Beckett feels the same way. As you may remember, FenwayNation readers overwhelmingly picked Lester as their choice to open the season (61.5%). Lester opened up last year, and nothing he has done since (on the field) justifies de-throning him.

A Gem Of A Book About Fenway's Centennial

This year, there will be a limitless stream of 'coffee-table' picture books about 100-year old Fenway Park. Here at FN, we were lucky enough to get a preview of Fenway Park—A Salute to the Coolest, Cruelest, Longest-Running Major League Baseball Stadium in America. What it lacks in pretentious title, it more than makes up for in content.

Here 's the deal. You know when you first pick up that fresh new copy of Sports Illustrated and rush to see the latest "how did they do that?" photos at the front? That's what this entire book is like. Photo after photo will make your jaw drop. Whether it's a casual pre-game street scene of Boston's "new" ballpark in 1912, or Curt Schilling standing on the dugout in 2007 showering the crowd with champagne, each image is unforgettable.

Andrew Miller Might Take Bobby V.'s Advice

Andrew Miller is receptive to a strong suggestion by Bobby Valentine that he ditch his full wind-up and pitch exclusively out of the stretch. There is some evidence that Miller is slightly better statistically out of the stretch, but it's unclear if this tweak will fix his overall inability to pitch to his talent. It is refreshing that Valentine is not shy about publicly commenting on player performance.

Sox Lose Ground In Mayor's Cup Series

Jon Lester was supposed to go five innings tonight—but he could only go four due to a high pitch count in a jam-filled outing. Once again, while it was not an awful performance, it was shaky, and reminiscent of Lester's occasional wildness from the past.

The lefty walked a man and hit two others—giving up 2 runs. The Red Sox, falling 2-1 to the Twinkies, lost critical ground in the race for the coveted Mayor's Cup.

Sox Step Up Pursuit of Pitching Mediocrity

Not content to throw every washed-up starter in camp against the Spring Training wall, the Red Sox have branched out to seek out other teams' bad pitchers.

Reports surfaced today that Boston is scouting Philadelphia's Joe Blanton. Yeah, that Joe Blanton. BenCher seems to be exhibiting growing panic as his grand scheme to solidify the 4th and 5th spots is looking shakier by the day. But Joe Blanton?

Bard Implodes Against World Champ Cards

Daniel Bard, the presumptive fourth starter who started the Spring so well, got shelled today at jetBlue (by the way, we will post a poll soon to pick a proper nickname for the new park). Bard went just 2.2 innings and gave up 7 runs.

Luckily, the contest was not a total loss, as Alfredo Aceves, the possible fifth starter, pitched well through five innings—at one point retiring eight straight.

This rotation is by no means set and can't compete with the Rays, Yankees, Tigers, Angels—or even Rangers. Do the math.

MLB's Enlightened Social Media Policy

As much as we've criticized the "Commissioner In Name Only", MLB has announced a fairly enlightened social media policy for its players. Other than a very rational list of banned activities, the policy encourages players to interact with fans. This is in stark contrast to some other professional sports. I guess we always knew that Bud Selig was a hip dude.

A New York-Boston Rivalry 100 Years Ago

Everyone knows this is the centennial year of Fenway Park, but perhaps the most amazing part of the Red Sox story in 1912 is that they christened the new ballyard with a World Championship over the New York Giants. As they entered Gotham City on October 7, 1912, the New York Times recounted their arrival. When they disembarked at Grand Central Station, cheers went up from onlookers, attesting to the fact that, as the Times said:

Sox Fans Need To Re-Ugly Empire Rivalry

Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal (who knew they had sportswriters?) has thrown down the gauntlet. The 2012 Red Sox, he avers, are too "namby-pamby" to hate. The reason? Many of the villains Yankee fans loved to hate (Papelbon, Theo, Tito) are gone and the replacements are—according to Barbarisi—"New York-friendly". People like Mark Melancon (the original heir apparent to Mariano Rivera), Andrew Bailey (New Jersey native) and Bobby V. (Mets connection).

Faux Commissioner Balks On Replay

So, let's see if we have this straight. Bud Selig did feel comfortable enough to shoe-horn an extra Wild Card team into the playoffs this year—even though the requisite travel day was not available for the Division Series. But he did not feel comfortable enough to institute expanded replay this year for "trapped balls, fair-or-foul rulings down the lines and fan interference". The reason? Not that we want to inject politics or anything into this, but it comes down to the refusal of two unions: the umpires and the players. And what would the umpires bargain for in return for expanded replay? The men in blue are actually asking for additional retirement and disability benefits. Unbelievable. So, it's OK to have a lower seeded Wild Card team have two home games at the start of a Division Series—but heaven forbid we tick off any union members. Nice going, 'Commissioner In Name Only'.

Doubront Bolsters Case For Fifth Spot

Felix Doubront (pictured at right) was the real story tonight—but all we have to say is, Ciriaco Fever: Catch It! For the second game in a row, Pedro Ciriaco has made the Red Sox winners—last time with a walk-off home run, tonight with a single bungled by into (effectively) a home run by the Yankees. Ciriaco's was the only tally, as solid Red Sox pitching brought in a 1-0 victory over the Evil Ones in Grapefruit League action.

Felix Dourbront went four solid innings, followed by Bowden for one, Padilla for three no-hit innings, and Junichi Tazawa closing it out in the ninth. Sure, it doesn't count, but the fact that Boston strung together nine shutout innings—four from a prospective fifth starter in Doubront—is huge. And of course, in the larger cosmic sense, it damn well does count.

Nationals Starter Lannan On Sox Radar

According to CBS Sports, the Red Sox are looking at trading for Washington starter John Lannan. The Nationals have let it be known that Lannan is available in a deal. The 27-year old lefty is well under .500 over five seasons (38-51) with a 4.00 ERA.

He has given up 36 more hits than innings pitched over his career, and has an under-whelming WHIP of 1.423. On top of everything, he is owed $5 million this year. All in all, sure sounds like a bad deal for the Carmine Hose.

Red Sox Hope It's Not 'The Old Bailey'

Yesterday's inaugural outing by new Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey was not ideal. He pitched one inning, gave up three hits and one run. He did manage to record strikes on 14 of his 19 pitches. And he got out of the inning well. But the big question facing the back end of Boston's bullpen is: "Will Andrew Bailey stay healthy?".

The "Old Bailey" (apologies to our barrister cousins across the pond) was subject to injury far too often for him to enter the ranks of premier closers—despite winning the Rookie Of The Year award with Oakland. His minor lat injury this Spring did not bode well for a "New Bailey"—free of injury. Luckily, he'll have ample time to get his work in before opening Day, but his fragility remains a concern. And, what this 'Team Full Of Questions' does not need is more cause for concern.

Ozzie To Bobby V.: Go (Expletive) Yourself

Put two of the most colorful and controversial managers together and what do you get? An ejection of one, a cavalier gesture by the other, and a unpublishable retort by the first. And it's Spring Training!

After Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen was ejected from today's game at jetBlue Park at Fenway South, he exited near the Red Sox dugout (where the visiting clubhouse inexplicably is located). Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine waved goodbye to the talkative one as he went by. Oops! When informed of the gracious gesture, Ozzie shot back:

“I didn’t see it. I would have told him to go and (expletive) himself, too. That’s the way Ozzie Guillen is.”

Yes, it is. Can the orange-clad ones get re-assigned to the American League East? The NL can have the Orioles. Oh, by the way, the Red Sox won the game, 5-3.

(Photo credit: Associated Press)

Why I Voted For Beckett To Start Opener

by Mark Lawrence, Down-Under Editor

Sydney, Australia—March 12, 2012. FenwayNation’s latest poll asked who should be Opening Day starter – the majority nominating Jon Lester. Our Esteemed Editor noticed that the votes from outside the Continental United States were largely for Josh Beckett – and invited us furriners to explain our reasoning. Naturally, I can only speak for myself and I’m more than happy to share with you the reason behind my poll decision.

I saw the poll and with hardly a moment’s consideration, clicked the mouse over Beckett’s name and went back to my morning coffee. Why Beckett? Simple – he was first on the list.

There it is, Nation – I’ve admitted it. As we approach the new season, I am wracked with utter complacency, lassitude and disinterest in the 2012 Red Sox. Well, what is there – really – to get excited about, anyway? This malaise has been bothering me for a while now – I haven’t seemed able to bounce back from last year’s ignominy at all. And this is the same guy who somehow maintained his passion after the devastating end to the 2003 season and all the minor tragedies since.

But how and why was I able to do that? How did I come back from the dark tragedy of 2003, with even more passion for the Red Sox than ever before? And why am I so indifferent to them now?

After a very long day’s journey into night, I think I’ve figured it out – you see, it’s all about two types of Bad - Bad Luck and Bad Attitude.

If the Red Sox lose out on a chance for the post season due solely to the whims of the Baseball Gods or some sudden, unexpected injury or any other kind of fate beyond their control, then that’s fine by me – I’ll accept the loss, as painful as it is, and simply start planning for next year, my passion still intact.

But, when the Red Sox blow an excellent shot at the post-season through a sorry combination of arrogance, laziness and plain old bad attitude, then maybe I won’t afford them the same level of support that I might’ve in other circumstances.

Simply put, I’m still not over the way my team let me down in 2011 – and until they show us that last year’s disgrace was a once-in-a-lifetime aberration, until they show us that they still care, that they still have that unique passion for the game, well, hell – it’s hard to write anything nice when your heart ain’t in it. I’ve not cobbled together my annual Ortiz-is-gonna-be-great-this-year piece, or one of my patented rose-tinted assessments of Boston’s chances this season – hell, I couldn’t even write a lousy hundred words of respect for Wake or Tek, guys I’ve long admired. And that disappointed me a lot more than you might think. Why couldn’t I do any of this? Well my best guess is that somewhere in my heart I’ve been thinking that if they couldn’t be bothered, then why the hell should I?

Coming out of the chute, we need to see something special from these new 2012 Boston Red Sox – the greatest baseball fans in the world deserve that respect as much as they deserve to have their Faith Restored. Let’s hope that it happens sooner rather than later.