today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: November 25, 2007

two years ago, Julian was my "Lugo" and if you had told me i would grow to like him, i would have given you The Stink Eye. i never would have predicted that as 2006 wound down, i would start to like him, just a tiny bit. and that by Spring Training 2007, i would outright admit to liking the guy. rest assured, though, that there is room for only one player to make that kind of complete metamorphosis. there will be no such change of heart for JFL.

2. All right, I'll admit it. My pre-Boston perception of Julian Tavarez couldn't have been more wrong. I thought he was a hothead, a lunatic, a selfish clubhouse cancer and unpopular teammate who didn't particularly care about winning. Oh, he's still a hothead and a lunatic, but it's become apparent that he's an endearing and extremely well-liked hothead/lunatic, one whose tantrums usually are the direct result of his frustration with letting his teammates down. It's funny, but he has many of the same characteristics, both positive and self-destructive, as Oil Can Boyd had back in the day. From his comical one-sided dugout chats with Dice-K to his part-time gig as Manny's unofficial spokesman to his willingness to pitch in any role and situation that the team requests of him, it's clear that Tavarez and the Red Sox are a good fit. Who knew? Surely not me.
(Touching All the Bases)