Updates from Red Sox Nation: 2nd Edition

Opening day has come for another season. Many are unaware of this as sports fans continue to look on as their respective clubs and teams chase down those all-important playoff spots in the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association.

Included in this most recent post are firstly, thoughts on and from General Manager Theo Epstein, a female umpire making her way to the big leagues, Boston making the final releases and send-downs to get their roster to 25, former red sox favorite Nomar father of twins. Dice-K a top-seller through the spring, baseball becoming a constant scene for the big screen, I will also profile the first game of the season for everyone to see, while also sharing what some have projected as Red Sox award winners.

I am classifying Theo Epstein as a statistical General Manager who relies on the philosophy of what have you done for me lately it seems. Epstein has been quoted in saying for his off-season acquisitions “I’m very happy with the transaction process,” Epstein said “The rest of our players deserve credit for taking something that could have been a distraction and turning it into a positive.” Comments directed for the most part at the Daisuke signing and how it has affected the team. Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia have struggled, to put it lightly, in the spring. Varitek has no doubt been distracted by all the attention from a huge number of reporters most being from outside the states. His manner and enthusiasm was felt when first approached about Matsuzaka, but as of the end of spring training he has been less forthcoming with encouraging comments of the upcoming season. So I will watch from a distance to see how the spotlight of one pitcher will affect the overall play of trusty old ‘Tek.

The 25 is set!
(This is officially-unofficial but thank me for trying)
Starting Pitchers are as follows
1-Schilling 2-Beckett 3-Matsuzaka 4-Wakefield 5-Tavarez (the five spot may become interchangeable)
->The pen just got a heck of a lot better and bigger
Donnelly-Lopez-Okajima-Papelbon-Pineiro-Romero-Snyder (Timlin is injured at the moment but looks to return soon, so look for this list to be shuffled a bunch this year- with the big closer in Papelbon and the six-foot-eight hurler Snyder now guaranteed in the pen, it has truly gotten bigger and better.)
C-Varitek and Mirabelli no big surprises as Kevin wasn’t expected to “Cash” in.
1B-Youkilis and Hinske to share time
2B-Pedroia to start and hopefully excel in first full year otherwise Cora will gladly step in.
3B-Lowell getting older can he put up the numbers?
SS-Lugo an upgrade and solid with the bat, will his bat make up for throws he shouldn’t make for errors to first?
LF-Man-Ram still in need of DH spot as his defensive deficiencies haunt left field that is the biggest reason Manny doesn’t want to be a lifer in Bean town.
CF-Crisp check player profile for what I think. Pena is said to back-up as fourth fielder.
RF-Drew an upgrade, but can he stay healthy?
DH- Big Papi still the man will he get the pitches?

Dice-K merchandise has gotten out of hand as most Sox fans have been seen sporting Japanese Dice-K shirts and products throughout the Boston area. This trend is quickly going to spread through the Red Sox Nation as I can already feel it coming. This seems to be a second coming of the impact of a player of similar circumstance in center for the Houston Rockets Yao Ming.

I look on this year as a follower of baseball and the Red Sox with enthusiasm as some have predicted Dice-K as the American League Rookie of the Year and few even saying AL CY Young. But I even feel that is really far fetched in the first season of the mythical gyro ball. Big Papi David Ortiz has been pegged by several as the AL-MVP for a second consecutive season in the running.

Ria Cortesio has been making some noise ever so quietly as after umpping in exhibition games for Major League Baseball has remained unnoticeable during games as most umps tend to think is a good thing to be for any official.
The last female umpire to take part in an MLB game was in 1989 when Pam Postema made calls in a split-squad game. Ria has continued to make a name for herself, in hopes of getting to the triple-A level in this upcoming year as soon as a spot comes available. But for now she is on her way back to the Southern League.

Nomar Garciaparra has just been given twin Hamm’s for the upcoming season. Lots of luck to his wife Mia as she thought US soccer stardom was tough. Both twins are healthy and over five pounds, quoted from a Dodgers spokesman. Truly his life has come full circle from his younger days as the face of the Boston Red Sox.

I have been catching up on my baseball themed movies as I am looking forward to getting all jacked up for the upcoming ’07 season. I took in the classics and some new contenders for comical takes on the great pastime I love. The classic Major League series is always good viewing and I have even seen a commercial with “The Wild Thing” which is cool and shows that baseball is coming. The Rookie is not bad, *61 is a must see for any baseball fan, Mr. Baseball is a good look into life and baseball from other countries and a new Happy Madison production Bench Warmers. I have heard mixed reviews of Beer League so I will check it out soon I am sure.

Tonight’s opening game has an intriguing match up of last years hopefuls as the St.Louis Cardinals and Chris Carpenter take on the New York Mets and Tom Glavine. It will truly be an exciting opening night as the Cards do it right opening with excitement abound for the upcoming year and they are looking forward to rekindling the match up of last year.
It should be a good game of two of the games best but I do have to give the edge to the NL’s CY Young winner as the ace for the Mets is on the shelf as of now. Pedro Martinez would make me at least consider my pick a little harder. Am I the only one in baseball or otherwise that when they hear the name Pedro I think Martinez and World Series champ, rather than the Napoleon Dynamite movie and character, just a thought.

Also look for my pre-game and post-game summaries on game day, that being April 2nd. Feel free to comment on any or all articles as we at Sox Nest love the fans and feedback received.

This has been brought to you by your contributing editor Scott Penny