Random Thoughts (June 30, 2008)

"The times they are a-changin." - Bob Dylan, 1964 Although I'm not a music buff, I know that Dylan's timeless lyrics about the coming American counterculture revolution still have meaning in 2008. There is the war in Iraq, the upcoming Obama-McCain election and people paying over $4.00 for gas at a time of record home foreclosures. And, more importantly for this space, they also can be translated for the current generation of Boston sports fans. Since February 3, 2002, the city of Boston has celebrated three Super Bowls, two World Series and an NBA Championship. These are times we may never see again, an era of multi-team success usually reserved for New York, which hosts multiple teams in all the major professional sports. And after years of reading Dan Shaughnessy's whine-based columns and listening to WEEI's "Whiner Line" it seems like the people of this market are finally listening to Dylan's words. "Come writers and critics, who prophesize with your pen, and keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again." The Red Sox open a three game series in Tampa Bay tonight against the first place Rays. Think about it. The Sox, owners of a $150-million payroll and two world championships in four years, trail the Rays in the mighty AL East. It is like the Washington Generals wiping the floor with the Harlem Globetrotters. It's not supposed to happen. And still, there is no panic. We expect the Sox to finish the marathon atop the standings and compete for the 2008 World Series. We expect Tampa Bay to fade into the night (which, by the way, is not going to happen if they continue to pitch the way they have) as we get ready for an October of Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. We expect to win when it counts so a slight fall from first place at the end of June is no longer viewed by the masses as the second coming of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This is a good thing. Boston is finally granting their teams the benefit of the doubt and letting them find their way. Success has not come with a price, it has come with the added benefit of a mostly relaxed environment which is producing champions... Please allow me to play the part of movie producer Bob Ryan from HBO's Entourage. "What if I told that in spite of their number one and two starters spending time on the disabled list, the best clutch hitter of his generation spending time on the disabled list, the World Series MVP spending time on the disabled list and the lack of production from their All-Star setup man, that the Red Sox would be just a .5 game out of first place on June 30. Is that something you might be interested in?" Thank you... I would like to see Theo Epstein get serious value out of Double-A Portland pitcher Michael Bowden in 2008. Either use Bowden as a power arm -- his fastball clocks in around 93-95 mph -- in the bullpen or package him along with Ryan Kalish and send him to Cleveland for CC Sabathia. If the Sox land Sabathia, they could move Justin Masterson to a setup role in the bullpen. Bowden is a luxury item, a power arm in an organization loaded with power arms, whose value should be cashed in this summer... James Posey. Three year contract with a total value between $15-18 million. It makes too much sense not to happen... As a kid I read a pretty good book entitled "The Franchise" which was an in depth look at the 1988-89 Detroit Pistons. The Pistons drafted two players in the '88 Draft, wingman Fennis Dembo with the 30th pick and guard Michael Williams with the 48th pick. Dembo was an athletic wing scorer from Wyoming who was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1987. He spent just one year in the NBA, and was never heard from again. Williams played for ten seasons and was on the Pistons 1989 championship team. I metion this only because I believe the careers of JR Giddens (30th overall pick) and Bill Walker (47th overall pick) will mirror that of Dembo and Williams. Considering his character flaws, Giddens seems destined to spend his career on the fringes of professional basketball while Walker seems to have the intangibles (scoring, rebounding, defense) necessary to contribute in the NBA for at least a decade... It would not surprise me if the Pats brought in recently released Steelers running back Najeh Davenport. Davenport rushed for 499 yards and five touchdowns as a backup for Willie Parker. The Patriots could use depth at running back behind Laurence Maroney, Sammy Parker, Kevin Faulk and Heath Evans. A look at Davenport could be worth their while... Enjoy Justin Masterson tonight...