Short and simple.  I have eaten crow.  After that debacle in Toronto I had no faith in this team as I felt like they ran out of gas and couldn't handle the pressure.  They proved me wrong as a few chips fell our way.  One, the Yankees ran out of gas too, which shocked me given how well they were playing.  Second and most importantly, Josh Beckett put the team on his back and inspired everyone, including JD Drew to do amazing things.  Congratulations Red Sox.  It's been a pleasure.

Random Note:  Ran into Jonathan Papelbon Friday morning on Boylston St.  He's now the second athlete in my lifetime, after Larry Bird, that I haven't said a thing to when the opportunity presented itself, which includes speaking the 5 Japanese words I know to Dice-K the day after he signed with the Red Sox.

The GM meetings are starting and A-Rod is sure to be all the talk of the volleyball tournament (How many team trainers make the trip to be there for this event alone).  Everyone in Soxville, including myself, is praying and hoping that they sign Mike Lowell.  Lowell had a classic "free agency" year, which to you lay fans means his numbers were outrageously good the season before reaching free agency.  Time and time again players bust hump, get a huge contract and then become shells of their former selves.  Mike Lowell does not appear to be that type of player and the only thing that could fail him over the next three years is his body and given the mistakes the team made after 2004 I believe they want to try to keep as many pieces to the 2007 team together to prove they can do it all over again. 

BUT BUT BUT BUT  One scenario that hasn't entered into the discussion which is going to make your head explode after you digest this, but  since Edgar Renteria was unloaded after one miserable season I cannot imagine the team isn't exploring the possibility of unloading Julio Lugo and signing A-Rod to play shortstop.  I know how much we collectively dislike A-Rod and his penchant for mannish and muscular strippers, questionable hand slapping sportsmanship, his diva-esque behavior and his glaring inability to deliver in the post-season but I need to ask each and every one of you this.  Would you take A-Rod and his regular season dominance (although he played this year like a classic "free agency" year) and poor post-season performance in exchange for Julio Lugo, who has not convinced me after one season that he actually has any plate awareness or understands what he's doing out there, along with his A-Rodish post-season?  Who wouldn't give up Lugo for A-Rod?  Can you honestly make a case for Lugo over A-Rod?  If and when it happens can you physically and psychologically handle it?  The signs are there.  We (We being defined as people who actually have the power to make this happen and not the fans who tend to think they own the team) can afford him.  We would all love to see less of Julio Lugo.  We have a cozy relationship with Scott Boras and have probably contributed to 2 more vacation homes this past year alone with the Dice-K and JD Drew signings.  Let's not forget how in love with A-Rod we were when the Manny/Nomar for A-Rod/Magglio trade was about to happen.  Admit it Sox fans.  You loved him once and I think you're capable of loving him again even if he's forced down you throat like castor oil.  A full moon just occurred followed by the remnants of a hurricane battering our coast.  To pile it on there is that PR rivalry with those undefeated Patriots and I give the Sox brass about two weeks before they plan something major to steal headlines away. 

Almost every single little factor (including a plethora of mannish and muscular strippers up and down Route 1) is in place to put A-Rod in a Sox uniform next year and I feel like the only one that can trump this opening of the 4th portal to the apocalypse is how desperate Frank McCourt (thee of the spurned by the league to purchase the Sox even though his group were the front runners) is to bring prominence back to Dodgertown.  After failing to build the Red Sox West he appears to be stirring the pot on a recipe for Yankees West au Jus with the Joe Torre signing plus attempts to sign one or two guys from the Mo Rivera, Andy PetRock, George Posada and A-Rod.  Depending on which side of the fence you sit Frank McCourt is going to make or break your hot stove season.

Then again I'll be re-heating the crow soon when a wildly desperate franchise like the Pirates swoops in and gives A-Rod $28 mil/year, the PNC Park concessions contract and Ben Rothlisberger's motorcycle.  Oh and I cannot even imagine what the strippers in Pittsburgh look like.

 

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