Random Thoughts (July 8, 2007)

I don't put much stock in the Red Sox being swept in Detroit this weekend. Terry Francona was obviously using the weekend to rest some of his regulars. David Ortiz (Friday), Manny Ramirez (Sunday, though he did pinch hit) and Kevin Youkilis (all three games, pinch hit on Saturday) sat this weekend. Also, the Sox sent their fourth (Julian Tavarez) and fifth (Kason Gabbard) starters against the powerful Tiger offense on Friday and Saturday. All in all, with a 10 game lead on both the Blue Jays and Yankees in the East at the All-Star break, one has to be happy with this club. One three game sweep on the road against a top club won't mean much as long as the likes of Ortiz, Ramirez and Youkilis stay healthy all summer... One thing to worry about just a little about is the offensive production of Ortiz and Ramirez. Both Big Papi (.314 BA, 14 HR, 52 RBI, .434 OBP, .990 OPS) and Ramirez (.284/11/45/.385/.850) are having good seasons at the plate (with Ortiz having the better start) but they are not putting up the mammoth numbers that are expected. With a 53-34 record I shouldn't be complaining but at some point this season, the Sox will need these two to start crushing the ball and carry the offensive load. Hopefully they are up to he challenge... Julio Lugo -- he of the terrible first half and $36 million dollar contract -- had a very good game today, hopefully one that will get him going in the second half. Lugo went 3-for-3 with a homerun, a double, 2 RBI and a stolen base. He finishes the disappointing first half with a .197 BA, 5 HR, 40 RBI and 22 stolen bases... Time for more trivia. There are four U.S. colleges that have produced a Super Bowl winning quarterback and a U.S. President. Your hint is that one school produced two QB's that won Super Bowls. Answer below... With the Celtics needing a veteran point guard to play behind Rajon Rondo, one name that may be of note is Derek Fisher. Fisher optioned out of his deal with Utah to find a team close to a big city hospital that can treat his one-year-old daughter Tatum's rare form of eye cancer, retinoblastoma. Boston is an obvious possibility for Fisher, veteran of three NBA championships with the Lakers, with its' many world famous hospitals. The move to Boston would be about much, much more than basketball but Fisher would certainly help the C's... Trivia answer: University of Michigan (Tom Brady - QB, Gerald Ford - President) U.S. Naval Academy (Roger Staubach - QB, Jimmy Carter - President) University of Miami, Ohio (Ben Roethlisberger - QB, Benjamin Harrison - President) Stanford University (Jim Plunkett & John Elway - QB's, Herbert Hoover - President)