CLEARING OUT THE LOOSE ENDS IN MY MIND

Let’s clear one thing up right now before the season starts: Pedro had to go. Here are the five key reasons:

He could not beat the Yankees.
He could not beat the Yankees.
He could not beat the Yankees.
He could not beat the Yankees.
He could not beat the Yankees.

I could go on, but I think the five reasons above pretty much clear up any confusion.

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D-LOWE

The number one reason to keep Derek Lowe was the number one reason to let him go: sentimentality. Jus because he finally perked up and pitched well in October does not excuse his inconsistency in 2003 and 2004, and his historical inconsistency in 2002, 2000, 1999, etc. Lowe is a huge gamble. He is not a strikeout pitcher who should command the big bucks because they have the one thing that makes them most valuable: a big strike-out in the seventh inning with runners on base in a close game. Lowe does not have that. Curt Schilling has that. Randy Johnson has that. Pedro used to have that. Roger Clemens has that. Johann Santana has that. Matt Clement has the stuff to be able to have that. So does Carl Pavano. That is why they were in demand. The starting pitcher who can rear back and blow away hitter will always be in demand and warrant the big bucks.

Lowe is no doubt going to do very well in Los Angeles where he can hang out with fellow head cases Jeff Weaver and Odalis Perez and win fifteen games in front of fans who show up in the second inning and leave in the seventh inning. But even he if wins twenty games, it does not mean the Red Sox made the wrong decision. They knew that Lowe would never be what they needed him to be in Boston. For that reason he had to leave.

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WHY THE SOX WILL WIN

First, let me clarify that by win, I mean win the division, win the ALDS, win the ALCS, and win the World Series.

1. The best bullpen in baseball, from long reliever to closer, no other bullpen is close.
2. The best lineup in baseball. They hit for average, hit for power, hit in the clutch, have some speed, and get on-base consistently from leadoff to number nine.
3. The best big-game, big-money pitcher in baseball (Sorry, but in October, I would take Curt Schilling over even the Big Unit if there was a one game winner-take-all Game Seven type of contest. Maybe not two or three years ago, but in 2005 I would take Schilling.
4. Excellent depth on the bench and in the pitching rotation and bullpen.
5. They have young prospects who they hopefully will not have to trade at the deadline, but whom they could trade if they needed to in order to make a big deal to put them over the top. (Note: see Yankees, New York, as an example of a team without this luxury).

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GIMME A BRUSCHI

Let me just say that, yes, for purely championship-hungry, team-betterment reasons I sincerely hope Tedy Bruschi is back on the field with no ill effects sooner rather than later or not at all; however, for purely personal reasons, I want to make it clear that I think he is a loon if he comes back to play this year. Too many NFL players have already abused their bodies in the name of making money playing a game, and I would hate to see a person who seems like such a genuinely good person (heck, I would not want to him to suffer just because he is a good guy. Whoever it is, I would not want to see an a-hole like Deion Sanders have to go through such an experience…OK, bad example. Let me just say I would not want Terrell Owens to have to suffer needlessly…no, another bad example…whatever, you get my point) go through something that could possibly cripple or kill him prematurely.

I just hope Bruschi is wise enough to take the season off, go get the cleanest bill of health there is available, and then goes out in 2006 and kicks some Jet, Dolphins, Bills, and the rest of the NFL butts all over the field.

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A-ROD MAY NOT HAVE THE EYEBROWS, BUT HE IS A JUICEMAN’

Yes, I believe A-Rod was on the juice. I have no proof, but I think all those Yankees fans waiting for him to hit fifty homeruns are going to be waiting a long time. Thirty-six home runs and one-hundred and six RBIs are about where he is going to be at best, post-steroid, post-Kingdome, post-Arlington, TX bandboxes.

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IS THERE A TRADE ANTOINE MOVEMENT AFOOT YET?

I think if the Celtics lose to the Hawks Greg will be on GoDaddy.com registering tradeantoinewalkernow.com.

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IDIOT:

As in, what is Johnny Damon. Good luck with the Yankees next year you self-promoting media whore. Why Damon had to write an idiotic book, potentially damage team chemistry, blast his ex-wife, and then blab about how he’d be such a good fit next year for the Yankees just makes me sick. As a father, seeing him cheating on and then dumping his wife while she is at home with young twins makes me sick to my stomach. Dealing with a child at home is never easy. Dealing with that with no support is unimaginable to me. Damon lost a ton of points right there in my eyes. I take fatherhood seriously. There is no greater purpose for us on earth than to prepare our children to live and lead in the future. I hope Johnny gets his money in free agency next year. I just hope it is not here in Boston.

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