ITM: Going Around the Horn, Friday Edition

(an old pic...but damnit it's a good one for a Friday)



It's Friday, 70 degrees and sunny, the Sox have somehow won 7 of 9, and their upcoming series against the O's means they'll effectively be playing a Double A ball club. With that, let's quickly go around the horn....


-The Sox are 6-3 on the road? Really? That's gotta be a record through 9 games for the Sox


-Lars Anderson took one step back last year, perhaps being stifled by the hype, but apparently he has taken two steps forward this year. He was just promoted to Triple A Pawtucket (lock your doors). The 22 year old prospect was hitting .355 for Portland in 17 games this season, with 5 taters, 16 RBI and a slugging percentage of .667 (leading the league). He'll be splitting time at first and DH....could it be that Theo wants to see if he can hit at a major league level this year??


-David Ortiz has struck out in 33% of his plate appearances. You gotta try to do that. In the words of Tony Mazz.....talk about a turd cutter.


-It's official, despite T Murph's last post...I'm worried about V-Mart. If he doesn't hit, he's not a catcher.


-Another quality Pedroia quote...(in regards to the last two games in Toronto) "We run prevented the sh*t outta them". Priceless.


-According to the Wall Street Journal, the Red Sox are the second most hated team in baseball. I immediately assumed the Yanks would be number one.....but the Indians??? Did they mean the most irrelevant team in baseball? How are the Yankess only fifth? Someone check the methodology, because that simply can't be right.


-I hate how excited we all are about getting back to a 500 record.....baby steps I guess.


-The Red Sox are pulling much lower TV rating thus far this year.....partially a product of the Celts and Bruins playoff runs. However, even when the Sox are on without local team challengers, they're only pulling a 5 share....as compared to years past when they routinely pulled in 10-15 shares (sometimes closer to 20). Safe to say this team is not as exciting.....and the novelty of winning has worn off a bit in Boston....certainly the pink hats don't know what channel NESN is anymore.


-T Murph and I were allowed back into Remy's last night....and he managed to make it through the night without throwing up in the bathroom. We took in both the Rays and Yankee games while we were there.....this just in, the Rays are scary good. I'm talking best team in baseball hands down good (right now at least). They're on pace for 123 wins (that's not a made up number, that's real). Their makeup of young and confident talent is terrifying. I hate to say it because they're in the AL East, but I love watching them play.


-Mike Cameron may be on the mend, but I'm willing to roll the dice on Darnell McDonald and run with the 31 year old's confidence. Surely his .333 average won't last all season, but he already has more taters and RBI than Ortiz and Vmart. I don't care about respecting elders if he's producing and the Sox are winning....


Buchholz and Lester have put this rotation back on track, it's up the Lackey to keep it there tonight against the O's.

Go Sox.