» Josh Beckett

First off, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and to also congratulate the Boston University Terriers for winning the National Championship in hockey.

Now to baseball, where things got a little out of hand in the 1st inning of the final game between the Sox and Angels. Bobby Abreu called time as Josh Beckett was delivering his pitch, sending it near Abreu’s head. Both benches cleared, some words were exchanged, and when the smoke cleared Torii Hunter, LA batting coach Mickey Hatcher, pitcher Justin Speier, and manager Mike Scioscia were heading to the locker room. Beckett really isn’t to blame since the late time threw him off his rythem, as it does to all pitchers, and the ball happened to be near Abreu. Had it been anyone other than Abreu—a former Yankee—and had the Adenhart tragedy not been so fresh in their minds, cooler heads most likely would have prevailed.

Kevin Youkilis and JD Drew started the offense in the 2nd with back-to-back solo home runs. The Angels would strike for three runs in the 3rd then one more in the 5th to take a 4-2 lead into the 6th. The Sox then drew within one that inning, but could not hold off LA, falling 5-4 and suffering their fourth loss of the season.

Boston heads to Oakland to take on the Athletics for a three game series. Jon Lester gets the ball for Boston, opposing Dallas Branden. First pitch is 10:05 in the east, 7:05 out west.

*Cough cough* no. Joba is good, but he isn’t All-Star good. Yet. And the Yankees rotation isn’t very dominating. CC Sabathia was grossly overpaid and pitched well in the inferior NL. He will be lit up by every AL East team other than Baltimore, not to mention other teams in the AL. And does anybody remember how the Red Sox lit him up in 2007? I sure do.

Heh heh heh...

Wang is also good but he isn’t as good as the media has portrayed him as.Wang is also very hittable. Burnett had one good year—2008, a contract year. He was also well overpaid and he has never pitched under pressure. Chamberlain has great stuff but he has never pitched out of the rotation in the big leagues. 5+ innings is much different from the 1-2 innings he pitched before. And he will get thrown out many times if he continues to act the way he likes to—throwing two straight pitches at a batter’s head, like with Kevin Youkilis. And Pettite is old. He will be average at best this year.

But the Red Sox rotation is a different story. This rotation has the perfect balance of youth and veterans. Josh Beckett is both young and a veteran and he should have won the Cy Young in 2007. Daisuke Matsuzaka has been incredible in his two years in the Majors and he can only get better in his third year. Jon Lester is only the best lefty in baseball, and therefore must be better than Sabathia. Brad Penny should put together a solid year or better and John Smoltz is proven to be a terrific pitcher and a big game pitcher. Tim Wakefield is statistically the best pitcher on the Red Sox and the only problem he could have would be his catcher, who thinks he’s up to the challenge of the knuckleball. And Wake even said he has been comfortable throwing to him during Spring games.

Basically, no matter who’s out there for the Yankees WE are poised for a sweep every series. The Yankees have the offense, but the Red Sox have the pitching, defense, and consistency that never seems to come out of the Bronx anymore. All the Red Sox have to do is win the Spring game tonight and they will prove my point that the Red Sox CAN sweep the Yankees multiple times this year.