My fellow Red Sox Nation members,

I know that this is a troubling time to be a Red Sox fan. The offensive and defensive downfall of The Nation is disconcerting and the outlook for our baseball club seems to be grim, but I urge you all to keep your heads high.
However difficult it might be to focus on the positive things, we must to keep morale up. Some of you may ask what are the positives? Being 2-9 in mid-April after ESPN picked us to win the World Series may be all you can think about right now. But just look at that statement.
2-9... okay well that's not great but those two wins are against the Yankees. In one of those wins we saw Josh Beckett circa 2007. Seeing Beckett pitch like that against the Yankees shows that we at least have one pitcher who can get the job done and the others will follow, I assure you. The difference there was Jason Varitek behind the plate. He makes pitchers feel comfortable, and even though he is in no way an offensive threat, he may be what our pitching needs to turn things around.
Mid-April... It's mid-April, Nation! If it was August and we had a .22 winning percentage I would tell you we're finished. But there is plenty of time to pick things up. The Sox have played 11 games and everyone knows Jonny Lester and Kevin Youkilis need a month to get into a groove. Carl Crawford is still settling in to a new ball club and the Green Monster out in left. Let's not panic just yet.
ESPN picked us to win it all, and so did everyone else. That's a lot of pressure and no doubt it's on every one of the Red Sox's heads. Having "you're not supposed to lose" in the back of your mind cannot help you game in the least. Dustin Pedroia's wife told him, "You guys suck!" when he came home from the series with Cleveland and that lit a fire under him (I think it was good she wasn't beating around the bush when he stepped through the door). So maybe all of this talk about the Red Sox slipping will light a fire under everyone else.
Nation, just keep the faith alive. Dig down to that kind of faith that was with us in 2004. If Red Sox Nation believes then we can get through the toughest times. That's why we're the best fans in baseball.

The start of the baseball season is upon us. Tomorrow is a very early but highly anticipated opening day of Major League Baseball. The Yankees face off against Tigers and my home-away-from-home team the San Francisco Giants take on their rivals the L.A. Dodgers. Of course there are other games but those are the two that stand out for me.
I am first and foremost an avid Red Sox fan. Let's not get it twisted people I bleed the red, white, and blue of the Sox but when I go into Fenway Park and the Red Sox win a game against Oakland or Tampa Bay and and well all chant (because it's what we do no matter what team we play) "YANKEES SUCK!" I have to think, do they honestly really suck?
The answer is no, they don't really suck they have three Gold Glove winners in their infield alone and they did just win the World Series in 2009.
A friend of mine who is a Yankee fan... yes I am willingly friends with a Yankee fan... asked me if I could choose my perfect team between the two current Yankee and Red Sox rosters who would I choose?
Some Red Sox fans do not want to be honest with their team and would choose all Red Sox players but as a baseball connoisseur I can look objectively at each player, what they offer their team, and their abilities in the field. Here is what my team would look like and some other members' of the sports staff picks:

Catcher - Francisco vs. Salty: Francisco Cervelli
Starting pitcher - C.C. vs. Johnny Lester - Lester
1B - Tex vs. A. Gon - Tex
2b - Robbie vs. Dusty - Dusty
SS - Jeter vs. Scutaro - Jeter (any day of the week and twice on Sunday)
3b - A. Rod vs. Youk - YOOUUUK!
LF - Gardner vs. Crawford - Crawford
CF - Granderson vs. Jacoby - Jacoby (no one can beat his speed or diving catches)
RF - Nicky vs. J.D. - NICKY!! (Been following him since he was with Oakland)
DH - Posada vs. Big Papi - Papi

Sports Editor Dan Podheiser's picks
Catcher: Salty
Starting Pitcher: Sabathia
1B: Gonzalez
2B: Pedroia
SS: Jeter
3B: Youkilis
LF: Crawford
CF: Granderson
RF: Swisher
DH: Ortiz

Register Citizen's Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Robert's Picks

Catcher – Salty

First base – Tex

Second base – Cano

Shortstop – Derek Jeter

Third Base – Youk

Left field – Crawford

Center field – Granderson

Right field – Nick Swisher

DH – Posada

Register Citizen's Staff Writer Peter Wallace's picks:
Catcher: Salty
Starting pitcher: C.C.
1B: Tex
2B: Dusty
SS: Scutaro
3B: Youk
LF: Crawford
CF: Granderson
RF: J.D.
DH: Papi

Jim Bransfield's picks and commentary:

Catcher: Martin vs. Saltamacchia -- a draw; both aren't very good, but Martin has a potentail better upside. Cervelli is a distant backup.

First base: Teixiera edge over Gonzalez, only because Tex has done it in the AL.

Second base: Cano clearly over Pedroia. Cano is one of the elite players in the game.
Shortstop: A declining Jeter is still way ahead of journeyman Scutaro. The Sox still haveen't replaced Cabrera.
Third base: One of the great players of all-time, ARod, is well ahead of a very good Youkilis.

Left field: Crawford is way ahead of Gardner.

Center field: Granderson is clearly a better player than a disappointing -- and not very well-liked in his own clubhosue -- Ellsbury.

Right field: Nick Swisher plays hurt, and just plays much better than the I couldn't be bothered Nancy Drew.
Pitchers in order: Sabathia, Lester, Buchholz, Hughes, Becket, Lackey, Matsusaka, Burnett, Garica, Nove. Clear advantage Boston.

Closer. The Greatest Closer of All-Time, The Great Mariano. That Papelbon is even in the conversation is amusing.
Bullpen: Robertson, Felicano, Chamberlain, Soriano looks to have an edge of Boston's.

The Yankee infield may well be the best offensive infield in baseball history.

You may not like it you may disagree but there it is the sports department picks for the Yankee/Red Sox All-Star team

Submit your team in either the comment box or by emailing sports@middletownpress.com.

Enjoy Opening Day!

At The Press last night I sat and watched the end of the UConn vs. San Diego St. game. Before the game I chose San Diego over UConn in my bracket, and after hearing Walker had wrist problems I thought for sure he was on his last legs and the Huskies would not see the Elite 8.
Husky fans you have to admit if Kemba was not on the team the Elite 8 would seem like some kind of fantasy. Without Kemba UConn does not have much of a chance against the Wild Cats of Arizona.
But nonetheless, last night I believe I was converted into a Kemba Walker fan... not a Husky fan... a Kemba Walker fan. I was blown away by his dominance against San Diego. The Aztecs are a very good team, but Kemba just made them look foolish last night.
Walker ended his night with 36 points, 22 of those from the floor. The moment I realized I was rooting for Kemba was when San Diego's Jamaal Franklin gave him a hard shoulder and knocked him to the ground. Terrible act of non-sportsmanlike conduct and I was hoping Kemba sunk those two technical foul shots right in his eye... and he did.
I would have liked it even more if San Diego lost by two and Franklin really felt the consequences of his actions. But UConn took the 74-67 victory.
After that game I watched the Arizona vs. Duke game. Of course I had Duke in the finals in my bracket but seeing as I have no chance of winning I was rooting for the Pac-10 team I had come accustomed to seeing during my days of covering the Pac-10 and the WCC.
I missed the first half due to my hour ride home from Middletown to South Hadley, MA. But the second half was the part of the game to watch anyway. Mo Mo (or Lamont) Jones and Derrick Williams took to Duke's defense like they were playing a high school basketball team.
William's dunk over Duke's senior Kyle Singler sealed the deal for Arizona and put a big smile on my face to see Coach K sit down in disgust. To be honest, it wasn't Duke's defense that did them in, it was the fact that Arizona could not miss no matter what they threw up there and Duke couldn't put it in the ocean.
Two enjoyable games to watch last night and one game that I am looking forward to - UConn vs. Arizona. Kemba Walker, Derrick Williams, and Mo Mo Jones will be fun to watch. I would give a prediction, but so far I have been very, very wrong.

When Tom Hanks said, "There's no crying in baseball!" in A League of Their Own, I assumed that people knew that applied to all sports and not just baseball. Apparently no one informed the players of Pitt and Cincinnati this weekend of this little tidbit however.
This weekend there were a lot of upsets in the March Madness tournament which made bracketologists scratch their heads. Obviously VCU beating Purdue was an insane game and now there's a Cinderella story in the midst of the tournament.
Syracuse losing to Marquette was somewhat of an upset but for people who follow 'Cuse know they haven't been playing to their potential. The other big upset was Pitt losing to Butler.
For those who have read my previous entry know I had Pitt in the final four along with Notre Dame who was also upset by Florida St. I currently have pinned my hopes against Duke who is the only team I have left in my final four.
I might not win the pool in my office or the one I have on Yahoo! but do you see me shedding a tear? No way.
I was watching the UConn game in my neck of the woods at The Toasted Owl in Northampton on Saturday night and had to do a double take at the screen when I saw members of Cincinnati crying over losing to a number three ranked team.
Guys, get a grip. It's just a game and to have the honor of playing in the third round of the March Madness tournament should be a feather in your cap nonetheless.
Coming from an athlete who has played in championship tournaments, I could never understand crying over a game. Hold your head high and be proud of the way you played.
When I saw this I thought it was an isolated incident but then I caught Pitt's Nasir Robinson's interview on ESPN, and there it was again... crying. I know he might have blew the game for his number one seeded team in the biggest tournament of the year but keep it together, Nasir.
Obviously his foul at the end was an important factor in his team losing, but allowing the 8 seed to be that close to you in scoring throughout the game was also their downfall.
No one factor can be the deciding nail in the coffin when it comes to basketball, it is a culmination of inconsistancies.
So for future reference fellas, in the Sweet Sixteen just bring your game not your tears and be proud of how far you've gotten in this tournament instead of how your team will not be announced as champions.

So yesterday was the first day of the March Madness. There were upsets and blow-outs and people wearing green. I am Irish, I love March Madness, and I love the sun, so yesterday hit the trifecta of a great day.
Although I did have to come to The Press last night, I was able to enjoy the festivities of screaming at Old Dominion over wings as I watched them lose to Butler. I cheered up when I found free St. Patrick's Day beads, pins, and hats at The Hanger in Amherst, MA. For those Connecticut residents who enjoy wings and love to watch sports, The Hanger is worth the drive.
So after the first round of games my bracket wasn't looking to hot, but as you can see below I am not totally out of it. Some of my friends call and ask me who my pick is for the National Champion and they think I can help them because of my profession.
I will let you followers of my blog in on the secret I tell my friends. The less you know about the teams the better.
So I believe I am at a disadvantage because I do watch college basketball, being new to Connecticut I found out more about the Big East through the success of UConn.
I also am very familiar with the WCC after going to the University of San Francisco and covering St. Mary's, Gonzaga, etc. I also brushed up on my BYU info because I know they are going to be in the WCC next season and could not be happier that the WCC will have another strong team besides the Bulldogs in Spokane.
So going through my bracket I foolishly went against Gonzaga because of years of pent-up hostility from watching them take it to the Dons at War Memorial Gym. Making choices based on
your knowledge, or sometimes cases of sheer hatred for a school, our brackets suffer. Having a non-biased and uneducated third party have input might be the way to avoid pulling your hair out and losing your money in the pool you entered.
But who's to say what works and what doesn't. All you can do is fill in those lines and hope for the best.

Below are my picks - feel free to pick them apart.

If you are fan of Middletown sports you know that the very impressive girls' basketball team, the Mercy Tigers, lost in the SCC finals on Tuesday night. Everyone, including myself, thought that they would take down Hillhouse and put the cherry on top of their almost perfect season. But Mercy fans watched as their one point lead at the half could not carry them through the second half and lost on a couple of foul shots.
To be honest, girls basketball isn't something I enjoy watching. Coming from a former basketball player I know that sounds strange but I find the boys games more entertaining and fast paced. But I went to watch the Mercy girls play at the beginning of the season and I have to say I enjoyed watching them. I had only been in Middletown a couple of weeks prior to the Mercy game I went to when they played Lauralton Hall in the Mercy Christmas Classic. I saw the Tigers take the court and I saw that none of them were over six feet tall and none had a lot of girth to them. I didn't think these girls looked like your typical female basketball players.
The game commenced and boy was I wrong. Sadie Edwards is one of the best guards I have seen in quite a long time including my high school years of playing. I couldn't believe that although Amber Bepko is about 5'8" or 5'9" she played like she was 6'2". Bepko scored 29 points that night. I found myself actually enjoying a girls basketball game. Maybe because the Tigers defy the rules of what typical basketball players should look like or the fact that most of the girls are sophomores, minus Amber Bepko being the only senior on the team. Although Bepko will be gone for the 2012 season, the Mercy Tigers should remain a threat for the years coming due to all of the underclassmen that are making strides on the court.
I was not able to attend the Quinnipiac finals but when the news came in that Mercy had lost, I was shocked to say the least. Maybe my hometown biased got the best of me but I couldn't imagine another team being better than the Tigers.
Even though Mercy has lost the SCC finals, they have a bigger title that they could possibly win: The state title. Mercy being ranked no. 2 (Trumbull is ranked no. 1) has a bye week and start the state tournament on March 4 at home in Middletown. I think Mercy has an excellent shot to redeem themselves and take home the biggest title of them all. Although these girls have not won anything yet, I believe what this town already knows, Mercy is the best girls basketball team in the state.

So today everyone is wearing red, eating heart-shaped chocolates, and desperately trying to find a dinner date so they don't feel so lonely on this day deemed Valentine's Day. Over the years I find this holiday to be a waste of time, money, and people get way too worked up for nothing. It's nice to do something for the one you love but shouldn't that be all the time rather than just on February 14th?
I find that the greeting card companies needed a boost in sales with the lag-time between Christmas and Easter. I went out this weekend to Target and saw all of these men racking their brains in the card isle trying to find the card that said the right thing and spending more than $5 for it. Honestly, I don't get it. Not like I haven't experienced Valentine's Day with someone, I just think that something that has more genuine meaning should be celebrated today.
I made a resolution about a week ago that I would find something that was better suited to be celebrated than Valentine's Day today, and that is the beginning of baseball season. And some people call today "Singles Awareness Day." It certainly is... it's awareness that the Red Sox will have a lot more singles with Adrian Gonzalez in the lineup.
Today pitchers and catchers for the Red Sox reported to Ft. Myers. My love for baseball runs deep, and my love for the Red Sox is above all other teams I choose to cheer for. Today isn't a reminder that I don't have one man, it's a reminder that I have nine. Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Marco Scuturo, Jacoby Elsbury, J.D. Drew, David Ortiz, and my favorite pitcher Jon Lester will always be there for me at a 7:10 start at Fenway Park. My family and I have already planned our yearly trip to see the Sox this year. Nope not at the Cathedral of Boston, but in Anaheim where our seats will be closer and the air will be warm on Easter weekend.
Not only is it comforting that baseball season is starting but the weather outside today was warm enough that I could walk to my car to the office in a t-shirt and could still feel my limbs.
I can go home tonight, turn on NESN, and find the Sox almost excited as I am for them to get out on the field and start batting practice.
So before you go to bed tonight thinking, "Why didn't he buy me flowers? Why did I have to be alone today?" don't. Just think the Red Sox are only about 8 weeks away from opening day, the warm spring weather is almost upon us, and there is something better to watch than the NBA.