It's Time

Call it an irrational hunch, but somewhere deep down inside I feels it's true. It's time for these Red Sox.

Now is the time for this team to find its stride, build some momentum, and work their way back up the standings in the AL East.

Why? Good question, but here are some bullets laced with optimism:

- starting pitching: after throwing up all over themselves for their first few starts, collectively, the train appears to be getting back on track. Heck, even Dice-k threw a gem. Couple that with a surprisingly strong outing from Lackey (sad reality), and Buchholz remembering he's Clay Buchholz...and all of a sudden your pitching staff is on a roll with the two horses of Beckett and Lester up next to keep the ball rolling downhill against a relatively weak hitting Halos club.

- Carl Crawford: simply put, he can only get better...and he's starting to show signs of it. The pressure is off a bit, and he still owes Jed Lowrie a few steak dinners for keeping the media spotlight off of him lately. This guy will hit for us, and with any luck, it'll be a fatalist for everyone else in the lineup (looking at you Jacoby)

-Youk: don't look now, but he's coming on. He just missed a two tater game a few night la ago by inches, and he seems to be providing the Sox with the timely hitting they desperately need.

- comfort: I think we forget that this team (regardless of on paper talent) hasn't played together much. They're still getting comfortable in a new clubhouse, with new teammates, a new manager, and in a new city. The odds were somewhat stacked against them right out of the gate given the hype and expectations.

- It's a Marathon not a Sprint: 4.5 games back with about 378 to go, we'll be fine.


PS: I reserve the right to freak out on the flip side of all of the above stated items in my next list. After all, that's what we do.

PPS: typed this up at 4:30am on my iPhone while on a train to Gatwick for a long weekend away. See how much I poured?

Classy Crawford: Take Notes Randy Moss and Manny Ramirez

NESN:  Like any good multimillionaire does, Carl Crawford picked up the tab.

But the new Red Sox outfielder wasn't treating his family or friends to a night on the town to celebrate his seven-year, $142 million contract. Instead, Crawford arranged to buy lunch for the entire Tampa Bay Rays staff on Wednesday afternoon. at Tropicana Field, according to Marc Topkin of tampabay.com.

Roughly 150 employees were treated to the barbecue meal by the nine-year member of the Rays, who fled to Boston this offseason.

Take notes Randy Moss, Manny Ramirez and all you other DB's out there.  This is how real men operate.  Carl Crawford literally can do no wrong in my book right now (that said, wait until he pops out with runners on first and third on April 4th). 

How classic/southern/Floridian is the BBQ aspect?  In retrospect, instead of taking out a full page ad thanking his teams/fans, maybe AGon should have rented out a Mexican restaurant in San Diego and treated the entire staff to some serious empanadas. 

It's snowing again in the Back Bay, spring training can't get here soon enough.

Carl Crawford: Working Harder Than You Since 1981

Gordo Edes had this as a late night post, and I must say, I'm impressed (granted, at this point, Carl Crawford could spit in a baby's face and I'd be impressed). The real CC is doing some crazy workouts, stuff I've never seen before.


Either way, this video tells me Carl Crawford means business, I can see him and Pedey battling it out in the weight room while Big Papi just saunters through at a slow pace eating chips and his salsa.

"I know what other people do, and they don't do this." I love it.

Signing Studs and Bashing Cashman, Theo Can Do No Wrong

 

It's just Theo being Theo.  Dominating the Winter Meetings while making fun of Brian Cashman (who currently has crap in his pants) while yucking it up with Millar.

You can see it in his face, he's on fire, and probably half in the bag from sinking two bottles of champagne in his hotel suite.

Quote of the winter meetings:  "[Bleeping] Theo," one GM said of Boston general manager Theo Epstein. "What a brilliant move."

I can't say I'm as on board with the current offer to Russell Martin (a more expensive Salty....with similar unknowns and concerns?).  Regardless, Theo dominates!

Also, random fact of the day:  The last time Carl Crawford was thrown out by the Red Sox when attempting to steal? 2004. That's right, 2004.  Tail is wagging.

We're All Excited About Crawford, But This Dude is Downright Scary

Look, I got a text last night at 12:02am from my brother with the Carl Crawford news and couldn't fall asleep until 2:30......but this dude didn't sleep at all.


Clearly he's in his mother's basement, and it's entirely possible that he has a small child chained up in a pit somewhere behind him. Either way, this guy scares the crap outta me.

So thank you, random scary basement living dude, I went from having a chubby about Crawford to being scared for my life.

.....and no, contrary to popular belief this is not T Murph.



PS: We may actually run a legit post with our thoughts on Crawford this afternoon, one of these days, we may get back to normalcy.