I am Derek Lowe's uncle

Mona Clark <philatelist@...> wrote: Hope everyone enjoyed the seasons first
Vitamin "B" shot! I did. And I loved Josh Beckett's response when asked why he
didn't cut the college kids a break. He said, "I'm not paid to cut anyone a
break...I'm paid to get in shape for the regular season." That is just what his
attitude should be!!!!! Enjoy the following article.
Mona in Maine

Sox could have repeat performance...
Defending champs ready for good times, winning it all again...

FT. MYERS, Fla. -- Life is good at City of Palms Park. And why not?
As the home team takes the stadium field for the first time in 2008, the public
address announcer offers the only introduction that matters:

"The world champion Boston Red Sox!"

And there they are. Galloping away from the 86-year championship drought, the
Red Sox have become the only team to win two World Series in the 21st century.
If they cannot yet be described as the new millennium's first dynasty, they are
the closest thing to a dominant team that the current competitive balance of
baseball will allow.

Nice week for the Red Sox. On Wednesday, they went to the White House to be
honored for the 2007 championship. On Thursday they opened at home with a
day-night collegiate doubleheader, Boston College and Northeastern University.

It seemed like a bit much, but in fact, it was ideal. "This is great," manager
Terry Francona said. "This is a perfect way for us to start."

To Francona's way of thinking, the two seven-inning games beat the conventional
intrasquad games, which Francona described as "nine guys playing and 40 guys
sitting."

Boston College couldn't get a man on base and struck out four times in two
innings against starter Josh Beckett. You can say: "Well, they're just college
kids," but the last time we saw Beckett, the Angels, Indians and the Rockies
weren't exactly driving him to cover, either. Beckett posted a 4-0 record and a
1.20 earned run average in the 2007 postseason.

"I'm out there trying to execute pitches -- doesn't matter who you're facing,"
Beckett said.

Come to think of it, that was almost word-for-word what Boston's ace said while
he was mowing down the Angels, the Indians and the Rockies last October.

The Red Sox eventually triumphed over Boston College, 24-0. This normally would
not be cause for comment, except for those of us who had seen the University of
Michigan team tie the New York Mets, 4-4, two days before. You can take
absolutely no one for granted in these days of baseball parity, which is why
Josh Beckett's approach remained sound.

The Red Sox were coming off what Beckett described as "the longest day ever," on
Wednesday: the trip to Washington, D.C., a visit to the White House, a trip to
the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit wounded soldiers, and then the
return trip to Florida's Gulf Coast.




News and features:

• Sox notes: Beckett shows no mercy
• Masterson picks up spring victory
• Bauman: Sox could have repeat performance
• Beckett sparkles vs. Boston College
• Red Sox reflect on trip to D.C.
• Minors: Lowrie moving up Red Sox ladder
Multimedia:

• Everett on Manny, bullpen 400K
• Masterson looking forward to start
• Masterson on his approach
• Masterson not trying to overdo it
• Pedroia on games finally beginning
• Pedroia on what he plans to work on
Spring Training info:
• MLB.com coverage | Schedule | Ballpark | Tickets


A number of the Red Sox said that they were both touched and humbled by the
visit to Walter Reed, seeing individuals who had made real sacrifices in the
service of their country. But the White House visit, it was generally agreed,
was a lot of laughs.

"The White House was fun," Francona said. "...The president was hilarious."

The occasional eyebrow was raised when President Bush said of an absence on the
part of Manny Ramirez: "Manny Ramirez isn't here. I guess his grandmother died
again."

There was more general agreement on the entertainment value of Bush's remarks
regarding Daisuke Matsuzaka. "I'd like to welcome Dice-K to the White House
South Lawn," the president said. "His press corps is bigger than mine. And we
both have trouble answering questions in English."

Morale was high on the South Lawn and it is still high at City of Palms Park.
These are high spirits without smugness and there is no reason for any other
approach. It is not simply that the Red Sox are the defending champions, or even
that they have won two World Series in the last four years. It is the sense that
there is reason to believe that the good times -- the great times -- don't have
to stop here.

The 2008 Red Sox will be tough to beat, whether they are playing Boston College,
the Baltimore Orioles or, much closer to home, the New York Yankees. Boston's
40-man roster features only three players who were not with the Red Sox last
year. That kind of stability is rare in the contemporary game, but it is also a
measurement of how little needed to be done with this roster.

Curt Schilling's right shoulder injury is a troubling development, but the
argument could be made that, even without him, the Sox still have five genuine
starting pitchers. If Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz are young in that role, they
are also extremely talented. And the way things are going for the Red Sox, maybe
Bartolo Colon could be of real help.

Of all the entrants in the Johan Santana derby, the Red Sox were the one team of
which it could safely be said: "They can get along without him." A solid, deep
bullpen, anchored by the overpowering work of closer Jonathan Papelbon, is also
not a cause for concern.

The worth of the lineup that the Red Sox put on the field every day is beyond
dispute. For those who said that nobody could win a championship with Julio Lugo
at shortstop, well, somebody just did. Beyond that one position, there cannot
even be a hint of a debate. And the Red Sox could be even better this year,
particularly if Jacoby Ellsbury can sustain the kind of performance, not to
mention excitement, which he generated last September and October.

Celebrated at the White House, welcomed back to their spring home as returning
champions, the Boston Red Sox begin the new season as baseball's lead team. This
is not like the aftermath of the stunning breakthrough of 2004. This is much
more like; "The Boston Red Sox? They could very well win it all -- again."



Enjoy...I did.
Mona in Maine

Earn $$ for Sylvio J Gilbert Elm Sch, Search the Internet at www.GoodSearch.com
Childhood is lost when you see mud-puddles as obstacles instead of
opportunities.
Great acts of love are done by those who habitually perform small acts of
kindness.


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