Monday Ramblings

I love the job that Charlie Weis has done at Notre Dame and I'm glad that he has put to rest the persistent rumors of him jumping to the NFL by signing a new 10-year contract to remain in South Bend. But doesn't Urban Meyer at Florida -- sporting the same 5-2 record as Weis and the Irish -- deserve some praise for leading the Gators in the tough SEC? As much as I love Charlie, his wins came over the likes of Pittsburgh and BYU (although that Michigan win is looking better and better by the week) while Meyer has knocked off Tennessee and Georgia (both were No. 4 in the country at the time). Sure, losses to Alabama and LSU won't win over the Spurrier legions but Weis also lost to Michigan State (to go along with the epic battle with No. 1 USC). Again, not a knock on Charlie or ND, just a note of recognition for Urban Meyer and Florida. Glad to see Tedy Bruschi is healthy and playing but if the Patriots realistically want to win their third straight Super Bowl than they need the defensive secondary to step up their play. Hopefully cornerback Randall Gay will be back for the Monday Night tilt with the Colts. On the subject of the Pats, let's cross our fingers that Patrick Pass' apparent hamstring injury isn't major. The fullback was really sarting to come into his own lately and this team can not afford any more key injuries.

Weekend Football

Lady luck left me hanging last night. I teased Boston College (+13.5 to +19.5) and the Over (46 down to 40) against VIRGINIA TECH and learned the hard way that not all bets are meant to be. B.C. lost 30-10 so I missed the win by 1 freakin point. As for the rest of the NCAA... UCLA (-7) will roll at STANFORD and LOUISIANA STATE (-44) will rough up North Texas. Tease NORTHWESTERN (+3 to +12) versus Michigan, USC (-30 to -21) against Washington State and Georgia (+4 to +13) at FLORIDA. In the NFL... SAN DIEGO (-6) will cover at home against Kansas City and Washington (+2) will pull off the upset against the NEW YORK GIANTS. Cleveland (+2) will keep HOUSTON winless. Tease the PATRIOTS (-9 to -3) at home against Buffalo and Tampa Bay (-11 to -5) at SAN FRANCISCO.

And It Didn't Even Last A Year...

One year ago tonight, the Boston Red Sox swept away the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86-years. That was so 364 days ago. Last night in Houston, the Chicago White Sox swept the Astros to win their first Series in 88-years. The ChiSox will not be remembered by many baseball fans in the long run but they certainly should -- they were an exciting blend of dominating pitching, solid defense and timely hitting. If they re-sign Paul Konerko, add one more bat and make a few slight adjustments to their pitching staff, this could be a team in contention for the next 3-5 years. But as for the winner of the 2006 World Series? That must be Chicago's "other" team, the Cubs. Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the last Cubs championship team of 1906 and they will be sure to sweep the Yankees, Red Sox or Texas Rangers in the '06 Fall Classic.

Theo Staying Put?

With no Patriots game this weekend due to the bye-week and with some seriously blah! weather yesterday, my Sunday working at the Baseball Tavern was pretty dull. That is, until I noticed Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein walking away from Fenway Park -- busy on his cell phone. Epstein returned a few minutes later, with a take-out food bag and still on the phone, and went back to the Park. In my totally unfounded and unprofessional opinion, I say that this is a sure sign Theo will be staying in Boston. There have been reports of him signing a new contract this week and the fact that he was working hard on a Sunday makes me believe that Boston will not be hunting for a new GM any time soon.

Weekend Football

On to the NCAA action... I whacked Virginia Tech (-10 to -4) and Troy State (-9 to -3) last night in a two-team tease, good start to the weekend! On Saturday take Northwestern (+12.5) at MICHIGAN STATE and LOUISIANA STATE (-6.5) against Auburn. Don't be afraid to tease GEORGIA (-19.5 to -10.5) against Arkansas, Vanderbilt (+8 to +17) at SOUTH CAROLINA and TEXAS (-16.5 to -7.5) playing at home versus Texas Tech. In the NFL... ST. LOUIS (+3) should roll over New Orleans. Dallas (-3) will pass the ball easily versus SEATTLE (who is missing Ken Hamlin). Tease the NEW YORK GIANTS (-1.5 to +4.5) against a Denver team that is still Mile High after beating the Patriots last week and San Diego (-4 to -10) against PHILADELPHIA.

Hub To Bid Wells Adieu?

43-year-old Red Sox pitcher David Wells would like a trade to a west coast team in order to spend what will supposedly be the last year of his career closer to hs San Diego home. The Sox will reportedly honor his request. One idea that pops into mind is dealing the reliable Wells (15-7 in 2005) back to San Diego (he pitched for the Padres in 2004) for center fielder and New England legend Dave Roberts. Roberts could replace free agent Johnny Damon in center and in the lead-off spot and the savings can be spent on the bullpen (B.J. Ryan anyone?).

Astros In World Series; A Few Red Sox Notes

Congratulations to the Astros and city of Houston for reaching their first World Series in franchise history (43 years). The Astros defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, making the Cardinals of 2004 and 2005 the best team to never win a World Series. Changes are on the horizon in the Gateway City -- a new ballpark and maybe an entirely different outfield will be in place in St. Louis in 2006. The Astros are now off to Chicago's South Side to face the White Sox. Game 1 is on Saturday night. The ChiSox have an even longer stretch of futility than the Astros -- they haven't won a World Series since 1917 and they haven't even appeared in the Fall Classic since 1959. This should be a World Series that will appeal to those of us who enjoy great pitching, solid defense and timely hitting. Both Houston (Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Roy Oswalt and Brandon Backe) and Chicago (Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia) have great starting pitching and both teams have above average bullpens as well. TheBostonInsider says the Astros will take this series in 6. As for the Red Sox, it was a year ago tonight that the Sox went into New York and defeated the Yankees in Game 7 to finish the greatest comeback in baseball history in the ALCS. Of course, as we all know, the Red Sox then swept the Cardinals to win the World Series. Third base coach Dale Sveum resigned yesterday to take the same job with the Milwaukee Brewers. Sveum will now be payed to get Brewers thrown out at home plate instead of Red Sox. Also in Sox news, USA Today is saying today that the Red Sox have offered Manny Ramirez to the New York Mets for Carlos Beltran. Beltran is one of the few (if not the only) players the Red Sox could bring back in a trade for Ramirez that could even imagine to replace No. 24's production.

Celtics Are Young But Entertaining

The Boston Celtics officially open their 2005-06 season two weeks from tonight at the TD Banknorth "Garden" against Larry Brown and the New York Knicks. Defending their 2004-05 Atlantic Division championship will be no easy task as vice-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers have decided to build around a very young core of talent. This approach will probably not bear winning results this year but in the future the Celtics should be built to win an NBA Championship. The young C's -- the oldest current player on the roster is Mark Blount and he will not turn 30 until November 30th -- will certainly go through rough periods this season as they learn how to play the NBA game but it should pay off sooner than later (similar to the Indiana Pacers earlier in the decade). Just because the Celtics are young does not mean however that they have no shot at contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Most young teams are not afforded the luxury of having a star of the caliber of Paul Pierce on the roster and to go along with Pierce are veterans Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz and newcomer Brian Scalabrine. The long-term future of Pierce in Boston is in doubt (if you believe some so-called "sources," Pierce could be gone before the start of the season) but as long as he is in Boston, the C's have a chance to win. (Here's my quick take on Pierce. I used to love his game -- a tough scorer who could defend, rebound, pass and make his team better. But ever since they made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002, it seems that Pierce's game has atrophied. He still scores but his defense has certainly fallen off and although the statistics will tell otherwise, he is not the same rebounder and passer he was earlier in his career. By that I mean Pierce will get rebounds early in the game but when the C's really need one he is nowhere to be found and as for his passing, when was the last time he rewarded a post player with a lead pass after the big man hustled downcourt and beat his man to the block? And his on-court attitude is flat-out unprofessional at times; he obviously is not buying into what Rivers is trying to do and that is a negative influence on such a young team. This February at the trade deadline it may finally come time to deal Pierce.) While considering that this Celtic team could be lucky to win 25-games, there are at least four positive things to look for. 1. The progression of Al Jefferson from promising rookie to a solid contributor in his second-year. Last year, in roughly 15-minutes per game, Big Al averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. Those are good numbers for a 19-year-old rookie straight from a Mississippi high school but more will be needed from the future of the organization. More like the 19-points he dropped on the Miami Heat in a late season game last year when he attacked Shaq like he would have attacked an opposing player in high school days. IF Al makes the leap to superstar in Year 2 than the C's could be better than some project. (That will not be easy as Jefferson has missed most of training camp and all of the exhibition games with a sprained ankle.) 2. The ability of the young triumvirate of point guards to lead the team. Second-year man Delonte West will most likely start and new Celtic Dan Dickau will probably be Doc's first PG option off the bench. After those two there is battle between third-year man Marcus Banks (a stud on defense but he has troubles running the team, currently injured with a stress fracture in his shin), rookie Orien Greene (a preseason favorite of the coaches) and rookie Will Bynum (a scorer from Georgia Tech). Banks will be kept because of Ainge's infatuation with his athleticism (and his status as a former first round pick) and Greene should beat out Bynum. There is a lot of talent mired in the inexperience of this group -- expect that for every brilliant game by the point guards, there will be two when you will hope for the return of Sherman Douglas. I have especially enjoyed watching Dickau on offense although there is a good chance that he could end up allowing more points than he contributes with his defense. 3. The Gerald Green watch. Remember that Green, taken No. 18 by the Celtics in the June draft, was projected to go as high as No. 3 in the draft. He is one of those players that has the capability to be an absolute superstar if he progresses the way he should. So far he has done and said all the right things but what will he be saying in February after getting handed his third straight DNP-CD? Hopefully Pierce, Davis and the other veterans will take the high-flying Green under their wing, show him the right way to do things so that he can start to take the necessary steps toward being a player. 4. The continued growth (or initial development) of Kendrick Perkins, Justin Reed and Ryan Gomes. You have to hand it to Danny Ainge -- he has built a roster of up-and-coming talent that no other team can match. He took Perkins out of high school three years ago and has seen him transform from an overweight project into a powerfully built prospect. Reed (2004) and Gomes (2005) are both second round picks that will be difference makers on the court in the very near future. Reed is a ferocious defender who has developed a jump shot and Gomes already looks to be the steal of the 2005 draft. If you haven't watched the Celtics play yet, they host the Chicago Bulls tonight. They may not bring back memories of the glory years but this is a team worth keeping an eye on.

Cardinals-Astros

In order to watch the city of Houston celebrate their first ever trip to the World Series, I fought off the urge to fall asleep. How many times does one get to watch a good sports city like Houston enjoy their maiden voyage to the Fall Classic, I asked myself? And the added bonus of seeing 43-year-old Roger Clemens pouring champagne all over himself kept me awake for an extra hour or so. Trailing the Cardinals 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Astros slugger Lance Berkman launched a three-run home run to left field and with just six outs to go before clinching the National League Championship Series for the first time in franchise history the party inside Minute Maid Park started to roll. The 'Stros retired St. Louis 1-2-3 in the eighth and then their nasty closer Brad Lidge came in for the ninth. The Houston-Chicago references started to pour out of the FOX broadcast booth. Did you know that yesterday -- the day the Houston Astros were to clinch their first ever trip to the World Series -- was the day that the Houston franchise was created 45 years ago? And that they were originally the Houston Colt .45's? Wierd, it took the Astros/Colt .45's 45-years to make it to the World Series. And I'll let you guess the city that the baseball poeple were in when they awarded the franchise to Houston. Can't get it? Well it was Chicago. (Interesting stuff, yes, but the announcers were a little too cheesy in delivering the info for my liking.) Anyways, Lidge absolutely blew away the first two batters with 97 and 98 m.p.h. heaters. Up next was the Cardinals scrappy lead-off hitter, David Eckstein. Eckstein fisted a single to left and was then followed by Jim Edmonds. In all honesty, I missed the Edmonds at-bat because I was slipping off to dream land but I came to with Edmonds on first and Eckstein on second with two outs and with Albert Pujols at the plate. To spare you some poetic words on the greatness of Pujols, he seized the moment and crushed a three-run home run to left. 5-4 Cardinals. And the party ended. St. Louis closer Jason Isringhausen finished Houston 1-2-3 in the ninth and the game was over. St. Louis was alive thanks to the probable 2005 N.L. MVP, Pujols. The NLCS is now at 3-2 with Roy Oswalt going for Houston tomorrow against Mark Mulder of the Cardinals. I can't say who will win this series but the dramatic way in which Pujols saved the season for his team was very similar to David Ortiz bashing the Red Sox off of the brink of elimination last October. And guess what yesterday was (other than the Astros 45th birthday)? The one-year anniversary of Ortiz hitting the game winning home-run in Game Four of the ALCS against the Yankees -- the game that propelled the Red Sox to the World Series. I would have liked FOX to mention that last night.

Weekend Football

What a great weekend of college football. Along with the Southern Cal-Notre Dame game, the finishes of Boston College-Wake Forest and Michigan-Penn State were instant classics as well. Southern Cal (34-31), B.C. (35-30) and Michigan (25-21) all won on their last possession and both USC and Michigan won on the last play of the game. Other great NCAA match-ups this weekend included Alabama beating Ole Miss 13-10 on a last second field goal, Louisiana State holding off Florida 21-17 and Virginia upsetting Florida State by a 26-21 score at home. The point? That Sunday isn't the only day that football is played. It's sad that there are some fans out there that think the NFL is the only level of football worth watching -- a Saturday of watching college football surpasses an NFL Sunday almost every weekend.

Bruschi's Back?

If Yahoo! GeoCities is a Denver wide receiver than I am Duane Starks -- I just got burned again. After spending over an hour on a Tedy Bruschi comeback column, the damn thing froze (a common occurance on GeoCities). The gist of the column is that I believe when Bruschi went to Bill Belichick this summer and told him that he had decided to sit out the 2005 season, Belichick asked him to go on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list rather than injured reserve(IR). By going on the PUP list instead of IR, the door on a 2005 return by Bruschi would remain open. It is my belief that Belichick explained to Bruschi that he may get the urge to play once the season got rolling and that the team might be desparate for his services by the end of Week 6 (when the Pats were entering the bye-week and when players are eligible to come off the PUP list). It seems like both scenarios have come to be. Bruschi has remained a presence in the lockerroom and in the meetings and film rooms, he just hasn't suited up to play. And it is painfully obvious that the defense that is allowing an average of 27.3 points per game needs No. 54. Monty Beisel, Bruschi's replacement at middle linebacker, is starting to crack under the pressure of the complex New England defensive scheme, the pressure of replacing Bruschi's play making ability and the pressure from the fans of replacing a living legend. A return to form of Bruschi makes the talented Beisel a better player by default and the rest of the defense benefits as well. Just be prepared for the chance that Bruschi won't actually play. Remember, he has already missed three months of football and his conditioning -- no matter what he has been doing -- will not be what is shuld be. Will the layoff be too much for him to overcome? And with the bye-week, get ready for the Tedy Bruschi watch to begin. Every time he puts the pads on, makes a tackle or stops by the local Dunkin Donuts, the media will be there. The Super Bowl-like atmosphere may be what this team needs to snap out of its' 3-3 start and get moving towards defending their Super Bowl title.

USC-ND

More on Monday but I just want to point out that the Southern Cal-Notre Dame game was the best college football game that I ever saw. Obviously my range of games is limited by my age but what transpired in South Bend today was a true classic. My heart goes out to Charlie Weis and his team as they just fell short to the mighty Trojans. There was nothing more they could have done. Reggie Bush is the new front runner for the Heisman and Matt Leinart can start shopping for houses in either Miami, Chicago or Tennessee. And let's hope Pete Carroll stays in college and does not go to the NFL.

Weekend Football

NCAA picks... TEXAS (-17) will roll over Colorado. The Longhorns are out to prove they belong at the top of the BCS standings. VANDERBILT (+16) will cover at home against Georgia. Tease NOTRE DAME (+12 to +18), playing against Southern Cal, with BOSTON COLLEGE (-14 to -8), at home versus Wake Forest, and the Irish Catholic schools will pay. NFL picks... Cincinnati (-3) will win at TENNESSEE. Houston (+9.5) are desparate for a win and they just might get it in SEATTLE. Throw in a three-team tease on the Patriots (+3 to +12), Chargers (-2 to +7) and Rams (+13.5 to +22.5). The Pats will be in a tough one at DENVER, San Diego is coming off a tough Monday Night loss and faces an OAKLAND team coming off a bye so they could use some points and St. Louis will need all the help they can get at INDIANAPOLIS (although the temporary loss of coach Mike Martz might just be what the Rams need to pull off the upset).

Doug Eddings

It's really not fair to either team to blame the outcome of last night's Game Two of the ALCS between the Angels and White Sox on an umpire, but.... Doug Eddings, last night's home plate umpire, made a terrible call in the bottom of the ninth inning on a third strike swing-and-miss by Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski with the score tied at 1-1. Angels catcher Josh Paul caught the low pitch from Kelvim Escobar. Eddings pointed to Pierzynski and called him out. Pierzynski glanced back at Eddings and then took off for first base as the Angels were walking off the field -- he then stole second base and scored three pitches later on a Joe Crede double. The series is now tied at 1-1 with the action heading back to California. The biggest problem was the confusion caused by Eddings. He raised his fist to make the out call and also admitted to not making a "No Catch" call to the catcher. Paul naturally assumed the play was over, rolled the ball out to the pitchers mound and headed to the dugout. Hopefully this will not take anything away from what has been so far a terrific ALCS. Both the White Sox and Angels deserve more than a memory of an blown call in a critical moment.

Red Sox Proudly Defended World Series ... They Just Didn't Have Enough

My final recap of the 2005 Boston Red Sox probably will not come any earlier than Thursday or Friday. But until then remember this about the 2005 Sox -- they played their asses off all season long in defense of their 2004 World Series and when it came to the playoffs, they just weren't good enough. This is not a knock on any member of the organization, it is just an objective look at the elite teams that are still playing baseball and realizing that the Red Sox just were not good enough to win. That said, they won 95 games, won the Wild Card and played in the postseason for the third straight year (and the fifth time in eight years). Now, members of Red Sox Nation, prepare to see this club be overhauled. There will be new blood coming from within and from the outside of the organization. The pitching staff needs a facelift and the everyday roster will most likely see some serious change as well. Theo Epstein is entering a critical offseason, one that will effect the future beyond the 2006 season.

165 Games And ... Done?

Ask yourself this question, "Can the Red Sox, with the pitching staff they currently have, win the World Series?" The answer is N-O! So don't worry if/when the White Sox beat our defending World Series champions. This was not meant to be. The pitching is not there and therefore the Red Sox were destined to fail. Tonight could be the last game of 2005. Make sure you don't rip on the BoSox, considering their starting pitching was average (at best) and their bullpen was abysmal (other than Timlin, Papelbon and occasionally Myers) we the members of Red Sox Nation should consider the 2005 season a success -- they won 95 regular season games and made the playoffs with a fatal flaw (pitching). Get prepared for an exciting 2006 ... the new era of Papelbon, Craig Hansen, Jon Lester, Hanley Ramirez, Manny DelCarmen and Dustin Pedroia is probably about to begin. (Then again, we do have Wake going tonight, Schill tomorrow and if we could just get to a Game Five....)

ALDS Game One Note

I know I wrote yesterday that history will have nothing to do with which team wins the ALDS series between Boston and Chicago (and it won't) but yesterday's White Sox win was their first home playoff win since 1959 -- an 11-0 win over the L.A. Dodgers. Of course, the Dodgers won that series. Will history (hopefully) repeat itself with the Red Sox, 14-2 losers in Game One?

Game One Recap, Game Two Preview

Okay, so the Red Sox dropped an absolute bomb in Chicago yesterday but it doesn't matter if the score is 14-2 or 2-1, the fact is they lost -- end of story. The blowout was actually a blessing in disguise, at least Francona did not have to use his two best relievers (Jonathan Papelbon and Mike Timlin) in a losing effort. Other than Clement handing the White Sox the victory in Game One, the worst performance I have ever seen in a playoff game was my own (in 1993 I did not even last three innings for Kiwanis in the deciding Game Three of my Little League playoff series with Rotary). And the blame for that rests squarely on the shoulders of the rest of the team; if they hadn't played like the 1962 Mets during September than they could have clinched a playoff spot prior to the final game of the regular season which would have allowed Francona to set his rotation for the ALDS. My issue with Francona is with his handling of the bullpen. Seeing that Clement was obviously not on his game, Tito should have gone to Jeremi Gonzalez instead of Chad Bradford in the fourth inning. Isn't that why Gonzalez is on the playoff roster, to eat innings when the Sox are getting smacked around? If Gonzalez is not going to be used in that role then why not keep another middle reliever -- Lenny DiNardo, Manny DelCarmen, Chad Harville or Craig Hansen all could have filled that role. I also have a problem with the ALDS roster -- why not keep an extra pitcher (DiNardo, DelCarmen, Harville, Hansen) when there were obvious doubts about the durability of Clement and health questions concerning Schilling. The option of another arm for the tired bullpen or keeping utilityman Alejandro Machado is really a no-brainer -- the Red Sox need all the pitching they can get. If the Red Sox do advance past the ChiSox to the ALCS, would Epstein and Francona keep Clement on the active roster or would Arroyo take his spot in the rotation with DiNardo and either DelCarmen, Harville or Hansen joining the 'pen? As for Game Two, this is where having a big game veteran like David Wells will pay off dearly for Boston. Wells may be a pain in the ass sometimes and when he gets shelled in Detroit during the summer you worry that he may have finally passed his expiration date BUT having the 42-year-old lefty on the mound in a must-win is certainly a positive for the Red Sox. I say the Sox scratch out a 4-3 win today with Wells going 7, followed by Papelbon and Timlin.

ALDS Game One

The Red Sox starting lineup for this afternoon's game against the White Sox in Chicago: 1. Johnny Damon, CF 2. Edgar Renteria, SS 3. David Ortiz, DH 4. Manny Ramirez, LF 5. Trot Nixon, RF 6. Kevin Millar, 1B 7. Jason Varitek, C 8. Bill Mueller, 3B 9. Tony Graffanino, 2B Matt Clement - P The ChiSox will counter with 1. Scott Podsednik, LF 2. Tadahito Iguchi, 2B 3. Jermaine Dye, RF 4. Paul Konerko, 1B 5. Carl Everett, DH 6. Aaron Rowand, CF 7. A.J. Pierzynski, C 8. Joe Crede, 3B 9. Juan Uribe, SS Jose Contreras - P The game will be on ESPN and WEEI at 4:00 p.m.

Red Sox-White Sox And A Few Playoff Predictions

As the 2004 Red Sox will gladly tell anyone who will listen, history means nothing. A history of losing to the New York Yankees meant nothing to the '04 Red Sox as they knocked off the Evil Empire in the ALCS. Going 86-years without winning a World Series did not mean much to the Idiots either as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic. So the history of the Chicago White Sox -- the team from Chicago's South Side hasn't won the World Series (or any playoff series) since 1917 and have not won a home playoff game since 1959 -- will not make the Red Sox take their opponent in the 2005 A.L. Division Series lightly. The Red Sox know the truth, last year (or the last 80-plus years) mean nothing. The better team will win. Mistakes and curses will not determine the outcome of this series. And the better team happens to be the defending World Series champions. The White Sox are a very good team, good enough to win 99 games and the A.L. Central division. But they did not finish extremly strong (19-12 in September and October) and some serious flaws -- namely the bullpen -- have developed over the course of the summer. Head-to-head, the White Sox have slightly better starting pitching than their counterparts from Boston but a group of Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland does not overwhelm a group of Matt Clement, David Wells, Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling. As for the bullpens, both teams are weak in relief. The ChiSox will add starters Orlando Hernandez and Brandon McCarthy to a corps of Dustin Hermanson, Bobby Jenks, Damaso Marte, Luis Vizcaino and Cliff Politte but other than the experience of Hernandez, the fastball of Jenks and the lefty-on-lefty success of Marte, nothing about Chicago's bullpen stands out. The Red Sox bullpen isn't a solid strength either but Mike Timlin, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Myers, Chad Bradford, Bronson Arroyo and either Craig Hansen, Manny DelCarmen, Chad Harville or Lenny DiNardo will give manager Terry Francona some solid options in relief of his starters. Timlin and Papelbon have also formed a nice 1-2 punch in the late innings during September. With the pitching staffs of both teams being a virtual wash of each other, this series will come down to who can score more runs. And the favorite to do so are the Red Sox. Sure, Paul Konerko, (old friend) Carl Everett, Tadahito Iguchi, Scott Podsednik and Aaron Rowand form a solid lineup but they can't compete with the likes of David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Bill Mueller, Jason Varitek and Trot Nixon. The Boston coaching staff, led by Tito Francona, also has more playoff experience than Ozzie Guillen's -- whatever that is worth. Expect the BoSox to outscore the ChiSox on their way to the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox will take Game 1 in Chicago before dropping Game 2 and then will come home to close out the White Sox at Fenway Park on Friday and Saturday. As for the other three Divisional Series', I believe the power pitching of Bartolo Colon, Francisco Rodriguez, Scot Shields, Ervin Santana, Kelvim Escobar and Jarrod Washburn will combine with the big bat of Vladimir Guerrero to beat the Yankees in five games. In the National League the Cardinals will sweep the Padres and the young Braves will do the same to the Astros. Looking beyond to the ALCS and NLCS, the Red Sox will squeak out a win over the Angels in six soul-wrenching games while the Braves upset the Cardinals in five. The Red Sox will then beat the Braves in the World Series to defend their 2004 World Series. The Boston bats will just simply slug their way to another championship.

Red Sox ALDS Roster

The Red Sox are off to the Windy City to play the White Sox in the American League Division Series -- certainly a winnable series for the Red Sox. Although the 25 man roster is not due in until Tuesday, here is my take on who should be playing against the ChiSox. Starters (9): Johnny Damon (CF), Edgar Renteria (SS), David Ortiz (DH/1B), Manny Ramirez (LF), Trot Nixon (RF), Jason Varitek (C), John Olerud (1B), Bill Mueller (3B), Tony Graffanino (2B) Bench (5): Alex Cora (2B/SS/3B), Doug Mirabelli (C), Kevin Youkilis (3B/1B/2B), Kevin Millar (1B/RF/LF), Adam Hyzdu (OF) Starting Pitchers (4): Matt Clement, David Wells, Tim Wakefield, Curt Schilling Bullpen (7): Bronson Arroyo, Lenny DiNardo, Craig Hansen, Mike Myers, Chad Bradford, Jonathan Papelbon, Mike Timlin There will be some debate on whether or not to carry 10 or 11 pitchers but Theo Epstein would be wise to give Francona 11 arms to play with because, frankly, they might need them all. Chad Harville is a possibility for the bullpen and either Hansen or DiNardo would be expendable in that case; I hope both of them survive the cut (Hansen could be a difference maker if he gets a shot and DiNardo gives Francona another lefty as well as an innings eater if necessary).

A.L. MVP

Two quick thoughts on who should win the American League's MVP in 2005... 1. Alex Rodriguez isn't even the best candidate on the Yankees. Derek Jeter is by far more valuable to the Yankees than A-Fraud is, no doubt. 2. David Ortiz should win the award regardless.