Go Sox!

AL East Standings
Red Sox 11-4
Orioles 9-7
Yankees 7-7
Blue Jays 7-7
Devil Rays 7-8

ok so the Yankees are no longer in last place. that would be partially the Red Sox fault anyway since the current series has consisted of the Sox being victorious over the D-Rays twice now. doesn't matter anyway. without getting too smug too early (we *are* only 15 games in after all...) i like seeing the Boys from Boston firmly in first. not to mention Schill 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA. Beckett at 3-0 and an ERA of 1.29. Papelbon closing with a solid 7 saves. some fine defensive work in the field--highlights-worthy plays & some real hustle being shown. and finally, finally, the bats starting to show some life. i have to say...if the NFL is my first love, the Red Sox are an almost imperceptible second!

in closing, some particularly favorite quotes from Surviving Grady:

All in all, it was just what you'd like to see every night. Seven strong from your starter, set-up and close. Good defense and plenty of offense. Spring is here. Baseball is back. All is well. ("Brining Down the House" 4.12.06)

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Such a curious thing, this 2006 Red Sox team. Last night's offensive hero, Alex Gonzalez, began the evening hitting .167. Manny Ramirez looks like a guy who can't find his ass with both hands whenever he steps to the plate (now checking in at a most un-Mannylike .200). Mike Lowell, who I previously feared would be the official team albatross, is absolutely crushing the ball at Fenway. The Mighty Wily Mo Pena is, as Men at Work once sang, "six foot tall and full of muscle," but reduced to spare change whenever he takes a bat in his hand. And Curt Schilling has been reborn as the heart, soul and fury of the team. ("And Just Wait 'Til Clemens Gets Here..." 4.15.06)

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Attention Kevin Youkilis:

What can I say? I'm sorry.

Ever since it was reported that you'd be taking over first base duties, I've led a one-man campaign to smear your good name. The bat would go dead, I promised. The defense -- even though a fancy hat rack might prove an effective upgrade over Kevin Millar's glovework -- would be deplorable. It was time, I thought, to climb upon JT Snow's shoulders and let him carry us into the promised land.

But, like so many other things, I was wrong....Most recently, you've wormed your way into my heart by single-handedly resuscitating a game that, for all intents and purposes, was lying cold on the floor. Hauling your prodigious ass down the first base line, you injected more adrenaline into this city than the twenty-two thousand marathoners ambling up Heartbreak Hill could ever hope to." ("I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends" 4.18.06)

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Seriously, I can't recall another season that packed more drama into the first couple weeks. Between the one-run nailbiters and walk-off homeruns and balls-out saves and diving catches, I've already pushed my blood pressure well out of the safety zone. And it's only April? Sweet Melissa!...

...And it all came down to a spectacular holy-crap-did-he-really-catch-that? snag by Adam Stern to seal the deal. Before you could even wrap your brain around what was happening, Papelbon was pumping his fists and "Dirty Water" was in the air. ("The Famous Final Scene" 4.19.06)

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Suffice it to say that last night, our pals from Tampa Bay looked woefully out of sync, as if some of them were channeling a baseball game happening in an alternate universe. The Sox, meanwhile, continued to tear it up, with the offense delivering a seven-run third inning, and Schilldog, while not quite as sharp as previous outings this season, striking out seven and holding the Rays to one measly run. Our Man Curt is 4-0. The Greek God of Walks (3-for-4 with a home run) has been reborn as the Greek God of Kicking Y'alls Azz. ("I Saw an Angel, Of That I'm Sure" 4.20.06)