WE LOVE MANNY!

Delcarmen, that is. Does he throw cheese out there or what? If Dave Wallace can get his location consistent he is going to be a solid bullpen performer down the clutch. A live arm in the pen from the minors? We have not seen that in Boston since Jeff Grey and Calvin Schiraldi (oog, that is a bad, bad example!)

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YOUNG GUNS:

It was nice to see Jon Papelbon and Delcarmen pitching well on Sunday. I think the best move made by the Sox at the deadline was simply keeping the young horses in the pen. Papelbon, Jon Lester, Delcarmen, Anibel Sanchez, Abe Alvarez, Henley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Kelly Shoppach, Brandon Moss, et al are still in the organization and give the Sox an exciting future. Papelbon showed why everyone has been so high on the kid, as he came out throwing gas at the Twins. Having Curt Schilling and Jason Varitek around to get Pap (is it official yet? Is he to be called Pap. We already have Papi, why not Pap?) ready mentally to be a top of the rotation starter is a huge plus.

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SANTA NO TRADE CLAUSE:

Phil Nevin sure got the screws from San Diego? Use your no-trade to block the deal with Baltimore so you have to catch a couple games for the first time in years and then get shipped out to the hot sun in big Tex. Maybe it is just me, but I would rather spend August chilling with Eric Friedman in Bawlmer than under the hot sun in Arlington, TX.

I imagine that the trade market will heat up as the waiver deadline approaches at the end of the month as there were a number of teams ready to deal who just could not get the sellers down to reasonable deals. Also, the 4 pm deadline for trades is crapola. I like the old midnight deadline. Some of those general managers probably start making deals at the hotel bar after 10, and then you get a couple of interesting deals right before midnight (and right after the fifth gin and tonic).

The Sox, of course, did not really have to go overboard at the deadline because unlike last year, they have their speedy outfielder (Adam Stern), they have bullpen and rotation help from the minor leagues they did not have last year (Delcarmen and Pap), Schilling should return to the rotation by September as Keith Foulke works his way back to the closer role, and Trot Nixon hopefully will be back to full strength in a few weeks. A second lefty reliever is their big need? Those are the kind of problems that are the type you want to deal with at the trade deadline.

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ROIDS:

Oops, there goes the automatic hall of fame induction for Rafael Palmiero. What a jackass. Bend over let Jose inject steroids in your ass-cheek again, you chump.

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