6/14: Live game chat tonight for the Sox-Rays opener

Boston Red Sox (39-26) @ Tampa Bay Rays (35-31) Tim Wakefield (3-1, 4.84) @ James Shields (5.4, 2.85) 7:10 PM…

Who is most important for Sox to bring back?

We have officially hit the off season and can continue to root against the AL East for the next few…

The Return of Judas? If Not, Who Could Help?

“Looks like Jesus, Acts like Judas, Throws like Mary.” Remember when that happened? Well, Judas may be on his way…

Can Jacoby Ellsbury add power to his game?

At NESN, I wrote an article theorizing if Jacoby Ellsbury could add power to his game.

I drew quick and dirty comparisons to Johnny Damon and Carl Crawford, arguing that Ellsbury can expect to see an uptick in power production in the future. I wanted to expound on this here.

Baseball is a game of evolution. The game that's being played on the field now, while under similar rules hearkening all the way back to the inception of the game, is drastically different.

I think the evolution of Johnny Damon puts things in proper perspective for Ellsbury. (Click 'Read More' or the headline to read the remainder of the article and leave a comment.)

All-Aughts Team of the Decade CF: Johnny Damon

Johnny Damon came to Boston for the tail-end of the previous regime, getting a taste for how unpopular the club was among players at the time. Damon's autobiography, Idiot: Beating "The Curse" and Enjoying the Game of Life, related that an unnamed Red Sox player told him he made a mistake signing with the team. That was back in 2002, when Damon led the American League with 11 triples, erasing the memories of Carl Everett from our mind. The following year, the tide began to turn for both Damon and the Red Sox, as both became fan favorites. In the offseason, Damon grew lazy and allowed his hair and beard to grow out, coming across as a "Caveman" and being referred to as Jesus.

Assessing Boston’s other left field candidates

Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Okay, let's take a break from the two obvious left-fielder candidates and focus on other free agents that could be manning left field for the Red Sox in 2010. I'm thinking that Theo's going to give this club another run with a fill-in left-fielder because as comprised, the team is still very good. As comprised, the team can still hit 95 wins -- if things go right. To compete in a transition year, however, we're going to need a left-fielder that can produce.

Johnny Damon or JD Drew?

Johnny Damon has played much better, on the wrong side of 30, then most would have expected. In fact, he has been a better player the past two seasons, than he was the previous two. But how could anyone have foreseen that? How could anyone have known that he would age so well?

The Red Sox made a choice to let Damon walk, they let him accept more money. And that is the other part of this equation; the Yankees offered him more money and an extra year if I recall. So naturally, Damon went elsewhere.

But comparing him straight up to Drew isn't necessarily fair. Coco Crisp was Damon's successor, not Drew. Crisp was brought in, and the results were mixed. Sure, he couldn't hit much at all. But Crisp was arguably the most valuable defender in all of baseball during a 2007 World Series run that resulted in a bunch of rings. Crisp was then moved to give the role to Ellsbury of course. So let us just say that it could be much worse in center field. Ellsbury is still learning the game, and should be a solid all-around player, eventually.

Know Thine Enemy 2009: New York Yankees

The other half of the best rivalry in sports, The New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers "only" ended up with 89 victories last season. And the key players they inked this past off-season, have them looking incredibly strong on paper for this upcoming 2009 season.

The philosophy about building a strong farm was basically put on hold for a year. But Brian Cashman made some nice maneuvers, and the result--whether it was intentional or not--allowed the Yankees to lose their first three picks this year. And that is better than losing a first-round pick in three consecutive seasons, of course.

BOS 6, NYY 4: Sox rally back

Josh Beckett had trouble in the first inning, but Mike Lowell picked him up launching a three-run home run in…

Know Thy Enemy: 2008 New York Yankees

Much like this year’s political campaigns, Yankee fans want change. Ever since the Luis Gonzalez bloop single fell into shallow…