Rox & Sox Blogtoberfest - MLB

How am I supposed to summarize nearly 200 games in a single passage? How do I explain what it's like to go from spending every spare second writing about one one team to ... having a break?
 
You'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit out of sorts today. After all, fueled only by beer, Chinese food and caffeinated beverages, I'm wrapping up a blogging marathon here and on Red Sox Monster that began last night immediately following the Boston Red Sox winning their second World Series in four years.
 
Obviously, there's no reason Red Sox fans should have to apologize for the victory. It was earned on the field, and it came at the expense of the Angels, Indians and Rockies, all teams that have a bright future and the possibility of winning a title next year with some retooling.
 
What do I hope this postseason showed, then? Well, there's a list of things, so let's jump right into it:
 
1) The Boston Red Sox are one group of tough hombres: I say this because lest we forget, it was but a few days ago that people were dancing on the team's grave as it stared at a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians. "This isn't 2004, stupid!" the blogosphere seemed to say to Boston fans. For the most part, we ignored it. And hoped. And wondered. And, well, things worked out, thanks to big-game veteran performances (Schilling, Beckett and JD Drew, to name a few), selfless acts (Tim Wakefield choosing to be left off the World Series roster) and the energy of a quintet of inexperienced players: Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. That shows all we need to know about the 2007 Red Sox.
 
2) The Red Sox showed baseball can still be fun: Perhaps I'm overstating my point, but in an era where steroid talk dominates and Alex Rodriguez can announce his decision to opt out of a contract during the World Series, I think this is important to mention. Like them or hate them, there is no denying the Red Sox have an element to them that brings us back to little league, when we mocked teammates, played hard and didn't take ourselves too seriously. FOX beat the musical pirate ship bullpen story to death during the World Series, but how many other teams still do stuff like that?
 
3) The Red Sox showed a team can still act with class toward one another: Say what you want about the jazz-hands antics of Manny Ramirez this postseason, the Red Sox showed they respect one another. Mike Lowell and Curt Schilling, for example, both deflected questions about their impending free agency last night, even when it came up repeatedly. Coco Crisp politely took a seat in the World Series, allowing wunderkind center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to take his spot, even though it's probably on a permenant basis. And if you haven't seen the video of Mike Timlin publicly praising Tim Wakefield after the game last night ... well, maybe you'll go soft on this team with me for a minute.
 
Here's to the 2007 Boston Red Sox. Thanks to Yahoo! Sports for lending me this space for a week, and thanks to all of you for reading.
 
Now, if you'll excuse me. I need a break. I've got a petition on Mike Lowell's free agency to sign and a rolling rally to prepare for in spirit.
 
I might not be able to get there like I did in 2004, but I'm savoring this World Series win every bit as much as the last one.

Red Sox fans are perfectly clear that while most of the Boston Red Sox will remain intact through 2008, there are a few large question marks.
 
The first one, clearly, is Mike Lowell. World Series MVP or not, Lowell is a free agent, and his return is far from imminent. We can threaten to kidnap Theo Epstein all we want, but Red Sox fans have no idea how his situation will turn out, and that's terrifying.
 
The second one, however, is even more unclear: should Curt Schilling be back with the Red Sox in 2008, or not?
 
For all is his postseason bravado, Schilling finished 2007 with a 9-8 record and missed a substantial portion of the season to injury. Sure, you can make the case that he still has impeccable control and provides a veteran presence in the Red Sox club house. The Red Sox have many veterans, though, and young starters like Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester waiting in the wings for a shot at a full-time job.
 
The quick question: if Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are starters for the Red Sox next season, who's the odd man out? Schilling, or Tim Wakefield?
 
Schilling himself is obviously already aware of the situation. In his blog today, he makes what amounts to an Emmy speech, thanking everyone from God to the clubhouse attendants. Then, he says the following:
 
"I'll leave it at this. My personal situation will most certainly be talked about in the paper, on the radio and on TV. Many people will propose to know exactly what the Sox 'think' about me, and many more will claim to know what I am going to do, and what I want. They will claim to know what works best for whom, and who should say what to who, when. The only place that will be true is here. My thoughts are to post here once the process begins, and to keep anyone that cares about the situation informed via this blog."
 
Schilling goes on to say that "there will be no ill will" if he isn't back in Boston:
 
"If October 28, 2007, was the last time I ever wear this uniform, thank you. It was an honor and a privelage to be allowed to play here."
 
So ... classy farewell speech, or plea to return for one more season?

Baseball fans far and wide last night were "treated" to Brad Garrett, most famous for his role on Everybody Loves Raymond, taking a turn to introduce the Colorado Rockies lineup. Great. Terrific fun. But did you know Garrett's a huge buzzkill?
 
According to Inside Track, Garrett says Curt Schilling owes him $4,000 from a Las Vegas poker game, and he took last night as an opportunity to make it known:
 
"'You write this — I want my money," Garrett told the Track after reading the Colorado Rockies line-up for Fox Sports World Series broadcast.

"You tell Brad that he's the worst poker player," the pitching ace told the Track around the dugout. "But tell him I said hi."

"Willard, who plays a sportscaster in the faux TV news sitcom, put Garrett to shame while reading the Sox and Rockies line-ups.

"Of course, Brad had a whole lot of tricky names on the Rockies to deal with, like Troy Tulowitzki and Kazuo Matsui!

"Why couldn't I do Jacoby Ellsberg as one of my people?" Garrett asked. (Maybe because it's Jacoby Ellsbury and he plays for the Sox?)"

Ellsberg?!?!? Please, please tell me you're joking.

Okay, now that we have officially been slaughtered by the Red Sox, it's a good time to take a quick assessment of what the Rockies need to do to have more success next season. I say it's obviously our deity's fault and we need to follow Lisa Simpson's lead and turn to Buddhism, instead ... just kidding.

Anyway, the Sox beat us by having better bats, better starters and a better bullpen. So, uhm, that's a start, I guess, we just improve everything ...

Actually, it could be a bit easier than that. Our starters had two clunkers and two well-pitched games this series. One of the clunkers was by Jeff Francis, who is well beyond his previous career high for innings pitched. He was letting the ball elevate a lot more than he had in his previous two playoff spots, and for this reason I still feel he's still a playoff-worthy pitcher. Maybe not Game 1-worthy against the opponent's ace, but more often than not, he’s up to the challenge of starting in October.

As he showed throughout the playoffs, Ubaldo Jimenez is tantalizingly close to being a legit Game 1-type starter. With just a bit more command he should be there. Throw in the excellent job by Aaron Cook last night, and that leaves our Game 3 starter, Josh Fogg, as the only member of the rotation that doesn't seem to fit in October baseball. Fogg's a free agent, and we should thank him profusely for everything he did to get the Rockies to this point, and then let him go to an overpriced salary elsewhere. I think the Rockies will get either Jason Hirsh or Franklin Morales to step up to an October-worthy level of starting performance in 2008, but we should probably target one more decent starter this off season for an ability to eat innings and general depth.

The bullpen is in line for a major overhaul, but that's typical of most teams. Despite his shaky Series performance, Brian Fuentes has proven himself one of the game's top left-handed relievers and I don't know if it's a wise idea to trade him unless we get a very solid offer from another team. Outside of him, Ryan Speier, Taylor Buchholz and closer Manny Corpas, the rest of the pen will be leaving in free agency. The Rockies should have a couple of decent replacements on the farm in fireballers Darren Clarke and Juan Morillo, but just like with our starters, extra depth needs to be added just in case those two don't work out.

As for our offense, a good chunk of our misery has to be credited to the Sox' pitching and Jason Varitek's game calling. That said, there are a couple of players that were decent in 2007, but I want to see take a step forward offensively next season like Tulo and Ryan Spilborghs. With Spilly, I really don't think he's much more than a fourth outfielder to begin with, but Tulo had a much better second half than he showed in the postseason. I'm hoping a full year of that takes him to the level of the elite shortstops in the NL. I think Seth Smith should be a better choice for our DH vs. the AL and our top bat off the bench next season. A few of his hits of late have been Texas Leaguers, but he's got a quick line drive swing, and more selectivity than Spilborghs. 

Next, I don't think we can get to the Red Sox' level on offense without much more production out of either our catcher or centerfield slots in the lineup. I'm hoping in 2008 catcher Chris Iannetta develops into the potential he showed in the minors, moving Torrealba -- or whoever replaces him this off season -- into a backup role. Willy Taveras is just a speedy, defense-first place holder in center. Expecting more offense out of him just doesn't make much sense. The Rockies have one guy who might have Ellsbury-type potential in the minors in Dexter Fowler, but Dex hasn't lived completely up to the hype yet and still seems a season away from contributing. In both his and Iannetta's case, some luck in development is going to have to take place for us to get to the next level next season. Would it be worth it to target Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter? I’m not sure about this yet, but I’m of the opinion that the club would receive more benefit from going out on a limb to sign someone like Aaron Rowand than they would by staying pat. It’s a luxury we’ll probably do without, however, as a starting pitcher will take precedence.

Second base might be more tricky -- which happens to be the name of Kaz Matsui's batting music -- but re-signing the free agent Kaz should be a big priority. He and Colorado fit together (check out his home/road splits), and neither will be as good next season should he leave. 

At the end of the day, I think we need to add four or five more wins to this year's team to have a more legitimate chance at a title next year. We'll still be behind the Sox in quality at that point, but the talent gap will have closed to give us a better shot at the upset and we should be as good as many of the top AL clubs. I think we could make up a chunk of that ground just by not having the lame production off the bench we had at the start of 2007 -- in the forms of Steve Finley and John Mabry -- and by enjoying the fruits of full seasons from Jimenez and Morales. One more quality starter, whether via free agency or trade, a back-up catcher who can also be a decent Plan B if Iannetta doesn't mature, and re-signing Matsui at second base seem to me to be the team's three biggest needs heading into the offseason. 

At any rate, moving forward from here sure as heck beats where we've had to move forward from for the last decade. It's nice to finally have a bright future for the Rockies.

How do we know that the times have changed since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years? One sign is the way sports blogging has exploded, especially with the Red Sox. By my count, there are no fewer than 20 independent Red Sox blogs out there, and a good 10-12 of them update nearly every day. That's a lot of options, and it's something for which this Red Sox fan is faithful.
 
Without further ado, then, here are celebratory snippets from around the Web, and a thanks to everyone who has been reading here at Yahoo! this week. And yes, I just thanked you. After the emotional end to the 2004 series, it just seems like the right thing to say.
 
Lester, Sox bring another World Series trophy to Boston: "After Jason Varitek jumped into Papelbon's arms when the final strike hit his mitt, I just had to kind of laugh. Remember the last time Varitek leaped into a pitcher's arms during the playoffs? It was 2004 and our then favorite closer, Keith Foulke. How times change, right?" (Over the Monster)
 
Feel it again: "And howzabout a little love for Terry Francona. I've happily lobbed hot coals at the guy's nuts for four seasons now, but I appreciate everything he's done to steer the ship and stick to the game plan. He's 8-0 in managing World Series games, has very likely seen DeMarlo Hale without pants and lived to tell about it, and will be leading your American League All-Stars in 2008 at Yankee Stadium. At this point, if news got out that he was secretly banging Jessica Biel would you be surprised? 'Cause I wouldn't." (Surviving Grady)
 
Of men and baseball, this game we play: "I would never claim that the Red Sox fly under the radar. That's a preposterous assumption and one you'll never hear me make. But I made the point a while back that if the Sox won this World Series, it would introduce the new guys to the world on a huge stage and their careers would begin in the brightest possible light. And we could say "Look at them! They're our rookies! We made them!" And we did. And we can." (Basegirl)
 
Can you believe it? "There is so much to process. So much to write about, so much to say and do over the next few days. Tonight, however, just the simple facts about this team that have been read out over the airwaves or otherwise come up in the wake of the World Series win will do." (Cursed to First)
 
Even the reanimated corpse of John Henry is smiling tonight: "There's a lot to say, about WORLD SERIES MVP MIKEY LOWELL, and the Jon Lester storybook ending, and the many years of my life I lost in the eighth inning, and the B train I took home, which was full of drunk college kids who alternated between chanting "Let's go Red Sox!" and "Ex-press to Ken-more!" so loudly that the train shook, but for now: Jonathan Papelbon strikes out Seth Smith to end the game, pick up a save and win the World Series. Could you have scripted it any better if you'd tried?" (Papel-Blog)
 
THEY DID IT!!!! "This team won the division. They swept the LDS. They came back after being down 3-1 in the LCS to win and they swept a white-hot Colorado team to win the World Series. There are no loopholes. There are no goats. There are only rookies and veterans and fans who never gave up hope even after finishing third in the division last year." (Red Sox Chick)
 
Head in the clouds: "A lot of times, I'll do a post, and the time of day will reflect when I started writing it, as opposed to when I finished. I always go to change it to the ending time, but if it's, say, 2:02 AM, I might change it to 2:04, in honor of 2004. Eventually I started changing them so anything close to an :04 was changed to exactly :04. At some point recently, I finished a post and it was six minutes after the hour or something, and I went to change it. But I thought, Wait. We have to win this year. So I made it say :07. Ever since then, if I had to change it, I'd change it to a time ending in 7 or :07. Now, in 2007, we have our 7th championship." (A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory)
 
BOSTON RED SOX: 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!! "It seems fitting that this season ends with a victory for Jon Lester and a World Series ring for JD Drew as well. For Lester, who triumphed over a far more trying opponent this past year, this has to have been a monumentally exhilirating experience capped with a moment of immeasurable joy. And for Drew, who battled public sentiment but also the stresses of caring for a sick child, this has to be redeeming." (Yanksfan vs. Soxfan)
 
Also of note: Soxaholix's World Series champion cartoon, Joy of Sox's front page newspaper roundup and Red Sox Stat's Guys media criticism of the awfulness that was Buck/McCarver last night. Because really, they were. Awful, that is.

As I'm writing this, there is no doubt that the Red Sox locker room is a complete mess. The goggles have been handed out like happy meal toys, and the champagne is no doubt dripping from the ceiling.

What makes these guys so much fun? It's hard to explain, but for months now, baseball fans have been given a regular dosage of Red Sox insanity. 

Forget the playoffs, where even the most hermitted of hermits must have seen Jonathan Papelbon doing the jig. The Red Sox have been a source of comedy all season, whether it's Julian Tavarez petting Manny Ramirez's head, Jerry Remy playing air guitar or the team breaking into the Okajima Dance Party. 

There's also the team's willingness to let players take prototypical roles for the sake of keeping loose, whether it's Mike Timlin becoming the admiral of a fake pirate ship, Papelbon taking on an alter-ego or Josh Beckett inspiring such fear and respect that he ended up with a new nickname. 

There's also the fact that they didn't just say they appreciated the fans, they showed it, partying hard with them to the point where this photo gallery is now legendary. Who can't appreciate that? 

Listen, I understand there are people outside New England who wish the Red Sox didn't spend so much money. People who think Boston's fans take things a bit overboard and lose concept of what it's like to have their lives revolve around anything else other than baseball. 

For a minute, though, can we all at least agree that the 2007 Boston Red Sox are a damn fun bunch, whether you're rooting for them or not? That it's tough to dispute it's a team filled with cartoon characters who can be worth a laugh a minute?

Good. Glad we have that settled. Now, back to your regularly scheduled champagne bath. 

And to all the fans of Red Sox Nation. You've got a fantastic team that played like champions from the onset of this series. I wish the Rockies could have given you more of a run, but now's your moment to enjoy your second title of this century.

I've got to process the hurt of another crushing defeat, so analysis comes later. In the meantime, just make sure not to leave too many champagne stains in the visitors dugout at Coors. Oh, and Jacoby Ellsbury, may you never set foot in Coors Field again.

They did it!

I'm sorry, I'll try and get some perspective. For now, though the only kind of thoughts I can string together is "AAAAAAHHH DID IT AGAIN PAPELBON NUTS AAAAH!!!!"

I'll be back shortly, but for now, I had to get that out of the way. For the record, Jonathan Papelbon had the following to say when reminded that Josh Beckett promised he would dance with Papelbon if the Red Sox won the World Series:

"I'm going to hold him to that, believe me."

Perfect. And with all-around good guy Mike Lowell winning the Series MVP? Speechless.

Rockies fans get a bum rap, I think.

I've been to baseball games across the country in places where fan bases are reportedly somehow better for baseball -- St. Louis, New York (both teams), Boston, Chicago (NL), Detroit, Atlanta and Cincinnati, to be specific, Western clubs unfairly never seem to make the lists of best fans, and while the environment is different in Denver, there was a youthful exuberance that made last night truly unique and special and certainly good for baseball.

The East Coast stadiums I've been to have loud, boisterous fans that rightfully take pride in their glorious histories and have a sacramental feel to their cheering; everybody seemingly knows the points in the game where you have to stand and shout. Frankly, they are also insular and barely know their opponents, but their understanding of the game and their own team is deep and impressive.

Midwestern fans typically show a more expansive knowledge of baseball, and their fans are less rigid in their protocols for cheering. Not every two-strike count calls for a standing ovation to urge on the pitcher, for instance, but they can get every bit as loud and enthusiastic for their team and sometimes stay that way for an impressive and considerable duration of time.

Colorado has developed a unique fan character. Rockies fans get more jumpy than anywhere I've been to, and very buoyant. The games can get the feel of a rock concert if it's a packed house like it has been since the Arizona series. Don't get me wrong, the scoreboard cheerleading that shouldn't exist anywhere ("Make Some Noise" and "Wave Those Towels") shouldn't exist at Coors, either. It's unnecessary, as the fans are perfectly willing to break out into spontaneous or not-so-spontaneous bursts of noise on their own. Prime examples are the "Go Rockies" call and response appropriated from Broncos games but unique to baseball (kind of like the Braves' tomahawk chop), or the rhythmic "Tulo!" cheer whenever our shortstop comes to the plate (this is kept on beat by the stadium organ, but we were doing it unassisted and got the shuttle bus rocking with it on the way from the parking lot).

I'm not saying any of these fans are superior to others, I am recommending that everyone experience as many of these parks and fan experiences as possible.

Does it end tonight, or not?

That's obviously the question weighing on everyone tonight, as the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies meet for Game 4 of the World Series. As it has been widely covered, the game also features the compelling matchup of Jon Lester and Aaron Cook, pitchers who overcame life-threatening health conditions.

Consider this your Game 4 comment thread. Like last night, I'll be checking in throughout the game under the name of my blog, Red Sox Monster. Debate is encouraged, but let's keep it light and welcoming for fans of both teams.