Just Win, Baby!

I could easily blog 24/7 about my Boston sports teams, but that doesn't pay the bills - ESPN, are you listening? Will keep this short and sweet, and get back to regular blogging tomorrow. The picture below says it all, and I'm sure you've seen it 1,000 times, but damn, it's good.

Courtesy Boston Globe

Not only did the photographer, Stan Grossfeld, capture the moment perfectly, but the arms and legs form an almost perfect W to signify the eventual win coming in the 9th. Now that's a perfect moment!

ShoreTel, the Giants and yes, the Blue Jays - Right Place, Right Time

I haven't blogged about baseball in a while, but that doesn't mean I'm not following it. If I didn't have to work for a living, I'd be doing that all day long, along with writing about cooking, music, cinema and culture. Otherwise, I'm happy to steer you to my previous posts - just scan the Boston Red Sox category, listed in the sidebar of the homepage of this blog.

Those who know me well  know that baseball is a major passion, and a few threads have come together this week that call for a quick post.

First, of course, is the World Series. Really, who thought the Giants would be here? Still hard to believe, but they sure made it look easy in Game 1. Different path, but same result last night. WHY did they try to score Fielder in the 2nd? Dumb move. Slowest guy on the team - hold him up and you have 1st and 3rd with no outs - I'll take those odds any day to plate at least 1 run in that inning. That could have been enough to win. The throw even missed the cutoff man, and they still threw him out - yeesh.

Giants have the mojo again this year - plain and simple. Detroit needs a parade so bad - I really feel for them. If the NHL lockout continues, there may not be a Winter Classic, and guess where that's supposed to be? Yup. U of M Stadium, Ann Arbor - Wings and Leafs. I've been there - now, that's a big crowd.

Oh, and speaking of the stars not lining up, the Giants are a decent team, but how cool would a Tigers-Cardinals WS have been? If you're old enough to remember 1968, you'll likely agree with me that's right up there for all-time great finals, especially if you like pitching. Bob Gibson and Mickey Lolich EACH pitched 3 complete games - it's just so unthinkable by today's pitch-count driven standards. Al Kaline is one of my all time faves - he fell 1 HR short of 400, but got 3,007 hits - how criminal is that? Only 8 players ever got 400 HR and 3000 RBI - soooo close to being #9. At least he got his WS ring in '68 - there is some justice in Tiger-land.

Back to 2012 - and some telecom too. Watching the opener on Wed, I just had to smile and think back to March, when I attended ShoreTel's analyst day, where they shared their initial roadmap for how the M5 Networks acquisition was going to tie in with their business.

Well, they hosted the event at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Naturally, it was a dreary, rainy day, but that didn't spoil our fun during the stadium tour. I included a few photos of the park on my blog post about the event, and if you're a fan of their stadium, you'll like this. You'll like it even more if you want to see what complexity looks like in terms of the telephony infrastructure that ShoreTel has replaced there.

I didn't think much of it then, but it was really cool to wander freely about an empty ballpark, and needless to say, I took a lot more photos. Thought I'd share a couple of shots that you're not likely to see anywhere else.

Behind home plate - how often do you ever see an ungroomed baseball field - no base paths, no mound, no plate area. Well, you have now!

The view deep and low in the right field corner - cool, huh?

Enough said and shown. Here we are, 7 months later, and the ballpark is a lot busier! Thanks for the event, ShoreTel, and kudos for making a big splash with M5 the same year as the Giants being here, in both of your home towns. Not to mention both of you having the same color schemes - that's good marketing - brilliantly simple, right?

This alone is enough for a nice baseball post, but there's more! Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Toronto Blue Jays first of back-to-back World Series wins. That was pretty cool, especially being the first WS title won outside of the U.S. It was also special for me, not just being in Toronto, but also because my first son - Max, whom many of you know - was born on that date. So, he's also 20 - wow - where did the time go?

Caber tossing, Brian Monty's blues benefit, and a missed exit - my Maxville, Ontario adventure

Sounds like a great title for a wacky movie, huh? Maybe someday, but it hints at the kind of weekend I just had. I know what you're thinking - here goes Jon again with another string of random words that he somehow stiches together. That's right. There's more to life than VoIP, telepresence, SIP trunking and fixed mobile convergence, and now you're going to hear about it. If this isn't your cup of tea, then move on, and go back to your Twitter feeds. I'm a big believer in serendipity, and sometimes, it's just more fun - and interesting - to let things unfold instead of trying to get things right all time. Life's just like that, and that's fine by me.

So where are we going this time? Ottawa - I drove there to visit a good friend this weekend. That actually went to plan - it's all the other unplanned stuff that brings me to this post. I'll begin by simply saying that everything happens for a reason, even when things go wrong. This adventure could only have happened to me, and when I connect the dots here, those of you who like surprises and the unexpected (c'mon, it's Halloween!), will totally understand.

I'll start with what is normally a very uneventful trip - driving from Toronto to Ottawa. Despite there being nobody on the road and perfect driving conditions, I inexplicably missed the exit for Ottawa and drove way further until reaching Quebec, at which point I realized I'm WAY off target. No big deal - just double back and I'll get there just fine. Well, I never take the easy route, and decided to follow some sideroads and discover parts of Ontario I'd never seen.

This plan worked just fine, and I made my way through towns and hamlets I'd never heard of. There really was no grand plan to my route, and along the way I come by a town called Maxville. First time I'd come across this town, and it made me smile; some of you would know that my oldest son - the real tech guru in our family - is Max. Neat, huh? I took that as a good sign and that all was not lost.

I kept driving merrily along, and Ottawa was still a good hour away. That would normally be the end of the story, and how was I to know that I would be back very nearby for my evening's entertainment? Not in a million years. The unlikely connections were only just beginning.

So, I get to Ottawa, where my old friend Roger is happy to see me, and we laugh about how I ended up getting there via Quebec. We talk about plans to go out that night, and then one of his friends calls to see if we want to join her. She asked if I like blues? Well, duh. Unlikely connection #2. If you know my life outside of telecom, you'll know that blues is #1. Music is my passion, and blues is what I enjoy playing, listening to and supporting. On that "note", as a sidebar, if you like Canadian blues, you should support the Toronto Blues Society, which I have served as a board member for about 20 years.

Back to the story. Roger and I say we're in, and then she explains the deal. It's a benefit event for a local and renowned guitar maker (luthier, to be more appropro) - Brian Monty - but it's a bit of a drive. Ok, so where is it?, we ask. Guess you figured that out by now - near Maxville. Aha! I told them how I JUST came from there via my misadventure on the road. Quirky huh? Now I get to go to the town with my son's namesake in the middle of nowhere - not once, but twice in the same frickin' day.

I dunno what the odds of that happening are, but for me, they're on par with the biblical events that unfolded for my Red Sox on the last day of the regular season a few weeks ago. I know people talk about Game 6 of this year's World Series being unprecedented for unlikely events, but c'mon, that's a minor footnote compared to the way things climaxed around midnight for the Rays to knock the Sox out of the wildcard. Time to move on - there's no joy in dwelling on that anymore...

Anyhow, I really like when stuff like this happens - it's all for a reason, and the fun would be spoiled if we ever found out why. If you live your life according to a fixed schedule, these things will drive you nuts. Relax. It's ok - take the wrong road every now and then - you never know where it will go, and how much fun you might actually have.

Coming back to tech/telecom briefly - some of the best innovation comes from happy accidents. You may think you know where you're going writing that cool iPhone app, but it's more likely that someone will use it in an entirely new way that's way more cool and makes way more money. Serendipity - have faith - it will provide.

I need a bit of coda here, as I'm sure you're looking to see how the story ends. So, what's the deal with caber tossing? Ok, it's a stretch - I'll admit it, but it just sounds so good in the title. I thrive on the obscure, and I'll bet at least one of you out there knows what Maxville is famous for. You can pipe in on this one any time, but for everyone else, I have learned it's been home to the Glengarry Highland Games since 1948, including the North American Pipe Band Championships. Who knew? I love the bagpipes, but I guess when you have this many blowing away, you'd better be out in the fields. And yeah, caber tossing too. Cool.

While I'm at it, there's another stretch in the story (you have a problem with that?). I may have been near/by Maxville twice in the same day, but I never actually went there. Is that so wrong? I drove through on my way to Ottawa, and the Brian Monty benefit wasn't in Maxville - that was just the biggest town nearby to give people an idea where it was. The benefit actually took place in neighboring Vankleek Hill - how's that for a name? There's actually a good story as to why Brian lives there, but I'll leave that aside for now. Being a blues guy, I know this would be a lot of fun, and it was one of the best blues outings I've had in years. Brian is battling throat cancer, and the event was hugely successful in raising much needed money to help him do that.

It was a very unlikely setting for a show, but people came from all over Ontario and Quebec - totally packed, and totally fun. The bands were great, including Toronto-based Blues Angels. Also performing as The Lincolns, they include the father-son tandem of Prakash and Jordan John. We were in top company as Prakash is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - it's worth the trip to Cleveland, btw. There were actually two father/son tandems on the bill that night - another reason to smile, as my youngest son is a budding guitar god. I got him started playing blues on guitar together, but he's way beyond me technically now, and is on a pretty good path to being in the music business.

I've gone on long enough, and think I've tied everything up now. It's all about Maxville - one way or another - and now you know a whole lot about what makes me tick. Anybody want to go on a driving trip with me with no maps or GPS?

Last thing - for the blues fans out there - here's a photo taken by my friend Roger on his iPhone - it's the Stephen Barry Band, mainstays of the Montreal blues scene:

Home - for now, and that's a good thing

Being home sure has its virtues, and that's where I'm going to be over the next while. I'm not a heavy traveller, but over the past month, my travels by plane or car have taken me to or through the most number of states I've ever been to.

During that time, the Red Sox tore out the hearts of the Nation again, and it was strange not needing to keep checking on baseball scores at this time of the year. I'm over it - the purge is underway, but it's time to move on and focus on defending the Stanley Cup, and seeing if the Patriots can get back to the Super Bowl.

Starting with last month's IT Expo in Austin, I've been to Texas, New York, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, California and ending last Thursday, Nevada. Am definitely feeling like a displaced person, but the pace will slow down over the next few weeks. It's quiet today, and I'm looking forward to getting back to a more normal rhythm.

Without any baseball to obsess over, that should leave lots of time for more blogging - at least until new projects come along - and it looks like that just happened this morning. That's probably the best part about being home - getting new business and starting on with new clients. Back to work...

Baseball - Not Even the Sox can Help the Blue Jays

I went to the Red Sox/Blue Jays game with my older son Max last night. The Sox won a ridiculous 13-12 game here the night before, and this game was the exact opposite - a very well-pitched National League style 2-1 game. Very dull, but the Sox win again - their 6th in a row by 1 run - and we've now climbed into a 3rd place tie with the Jays. Happy days.

Nothing beats a family outing to the ballpark, and these days just about anyone can do that here in Toronto. I love living here, but the city tries too hard to be NYC-North and loves to talk about how this is such a big world-class city. In many ways it is, but the state of baseball here is abysmal. Things were just OK til Roy Halladay moved on to Philly, but it's gone off the cliff. Attendance is at all-time lows, and they can't even break 15,000 for the Red Sox. That's not good.

Toronto is definitely a major league caliber sports town, but c'mon. The Jays have a lock on our sports dollar right now. There's no NBA or NHL playoff action in this town, so they have zero competition - and this is the best they can draw? Yeesh. Just try getting a ticket right now for the Sox or Celtics or Bruins. All those teams are playing and Boston is a smaller city than TO. Just doesn't add up.

Sorry for mini-rant, folks. There was a time when the Jays were a perennial sell-out, drawing a full house - 50,000+ - every game. It's sad to see such an empty and quiet - really quiet - stadium, and it's hard to see what's going to change it. Winning is always the best solution, but even with aces like Halladay or even Roger Clemens pitching, they were hard pressed to draw 25,000 fans. No doubt, fans have gotten tired of waiting and endless re-building. It's even harder to take when you see the great job Tampa Bay has done in the past few years going from worst to first with a crappy stadium, indifferent fans, a small market and a small market payroll. The Blue Jays don't have these problems, and they've been totally passed by now by the Rays. Ugh.

Anyhow, there photos tell the story pretty well. I always love going to see baseball, but this ain't much fun.

Spring News - I'm a Focus Expert

Technically, Spring is a week away, but I've been in renewal mode for a while now. We all evolve at different times and speeds, and this is the first of several posts I have coming about the new things I'm up to.

As the weather gets warmer and the Bruins and Celtics both lose relevance with each passing/passive defeat, things come into sharper focus. To finish the thought, my sports focus is now almost entirely on the Red Sox, who are having a good spring training, and a promising season ahead. Not only has Ortiz finally hit a HR, and Casey Kelly looks like the second coming of Roger Clemens, but RSN - Red Sox Nation - has quietly scored a coup that will be sweet payback for the Yankees luring Johnny Damon away. He may be on the Tigers now, but we have long memories, especially when things like this happen.

In case you missed it, renowned Irish tenor Ronan Tynon - who sings God Bless America at Yankee games - has been abruptly cut loose by NYY, and yup, he's singing for the Red Sox now. It's an incredible story, and comes just in time for St. Patrick's Day, and will make the season opener against the defending-WS-champion-but-aging Yankees extra special. Sure wish I could be there!

Now that I've completely switched gears, let's return to the main focus - Focus. I have been affiliated with Focus for some time, and we are now working more closely together. If you don't know them, Focus runs a family of widely-followed portals, a few of which fall into my everyday sphere.

As of today, I have been added to their roster of Focus Experts, and you'll be hearing from me regularly, particularly about VoIP, SMB communications and marketing strategies. Their portal is well worth exploring, and it's hard to visit and not find a topic you want to jump in on and add your thoughts. I hope to see you there soon, and if I can't answer your question, I'm sure someone there can.

Red Sox, White Sox

Back to baseball. Since my last post - Good Sox, Bad Sox - the last seven Sox games have been against teams with black and white uniforms, and they've gone a disappointing 4-3 during this important homestand. The Yankees series last weekend was a mind bender - the Sox scored more runs in both the fist two games than the Patriots mustered against a pathetic Bengals team last week. Ugh. The ChiSox are a pretty mediocre team, but it's never easy to sweep a 4 game set, especially for a Sox team that's still trying to center itself for the last quarter of the season.

Anyhow, yet again, you just never know which team will show up. The lineup from the 14-1 game on Saturday is by far the best they've fielded 1-9 all season, and if that lineup is clicking, I still think they're the best team in MLB. That's a big IF, of course, and the Yankees hitters last Friday were just so INSANELY good - nobody can match that kind of production. On the other hand, that same lineup was held to 1 run the next day by an Tazawa, a no-name pitcher, so go figure.

And the same Tazawa gets bombed last night, giving up 9 runs before you even knew the game had started. Go figure again. Gee, maybe Nick Green should have started instead of finished - he was actually pitched pretty well all things considered. Not only that, but even after spotting the White Sox to a 9-0 lead, the Red Sox had several chances to chip away and get back into the game. All those solo homers went to waste, but with the confidence from winning the first three, and the walkoff Ortiz HR the night before, it looked do-able. If the game went another 2 innings, they probably could have evened things up. Again, go figure.

Anyhow, between Good Sox, Bad Sox and Red Sox, White Sox, these posts are starting to sound like Dr. Seuss. The way the Rockies are playing right now, I can just see the next post being something like Our Sox, Your Rox, and then we'll be back to 2007 again. A very unlikely rematch, but October is pretty far off right now.

Back to the present. Actually, a small detour to last Friday. There are three things I've come to dread about my teams - 2 for the Sox and 1 for the Bruins. For the Sox, it's Friday night games and extra innings. Last Friday was the 20-11 blowout, which actually exposed the Yankees as much as it did the Red Sox. Sure, there was the perfect storm of their hitters being on fire and terrible pitching, but we did score 11 runs. We also left the bases loaded in the 7th and 8th innings, at which time the score was 16-9, or something like that. A couple of big hits in those innings, and that could have been a winnable game. The Yankees have their flaws, and they're not going to score 20 runs every night.

However, it was a Friday night game. So was the 10-9 game the Sox won in Toronto the previous Friday night - and that was one of the weirdest games I've seen in a long time. It was a laugher early on, but somehow, the Jays kept coming back, again and again. Something about Friday night games with these guys that is worrisome. And - oh! - it's Friday, and we're playing the Jays again tonight. Should be interesting...

Quickly - the other two things I dread. For the Sox, it's also extra innings games. On paper, they're 4-6 this year, but it seems much worse than that. They have had some crushing OT losses, esp to the Rays and Yankees, most notably the 13 inning game with Tampa and the epic 2-0 game in NY that went 15. The moral of the story - we need more clutch hits in the late innings and walkoff wins - I don't like our chances when the game goes past 9 innnings.

Finally, I don't know why, but I've noticed a pattern with the Bruins the past few years. Whenever they have a Saturday matinee (usually when double-booked with the Celtics), it's almost a guaranteed loss. These games almost always are against dreary teams like Ottawa, Chicago or the Islanders, and for some reason the Bruins never score more than 1 or 2 goals, and the outcome is almost always the same - losing 2-1, 4-2, etc. It doesn't keep me up at night, but it sure is hard to figure out.

Enough sports. I've got more important things to figure out today, so back to work.

Good Sox, Bad Sox - Who Can Tell?

Is it just me, or are the other Sox fans out there scratching their heads after a convincing sweep over the roll-over-and-play-dead Jays? This is a very different team compared to when I last posted after being swept in the Bronx.

Aside from adding V-Mart and Gonzalez, the cast is basically the same, and you just can't tell which team will show up. I was at a game when the Sox last came to Toronto, and they were just so lackluster. Now they return to Toronto and look like the championship-caliber team I've always felt they could be.

Not much more to say other than to vent a bit. If they could play with consistency, they would have stayed in first place and not be fighting for their lives to make the Wildcard. And now I'm not so sure they'll get that far. Sure, the pitching has holes, but it's the uneven offense that is killing them, and they just don't seem to have the ability to sustain a solid attack for more than a few games at a time. It's like the whole team has ADD - they just can't focus for long periods of time.

You'd like to think the Toronto sweep is a sign of getting on track, and with the Yankees up next at home, they'll have a true reality check. If they continue swinging the bats and sweep, all of a sudden they're in contention for the AL East. But if they revert being the Bad Sox, nobody hits and the Yankees blow them away. In that case, their only hope is the Wildcard, and their confidence to beat good teams will be totally shot.

It's coin toss to me. I'm certain that one of those scenarios will unfold this weekend, and opening with the #4 and 5 starters, this could be an ugly series. If they can keep hitting, they can probably overcome weak pitching, but the Yankees are playing so well right now, and will be pretty motivated to put the Sox away at Fenway.

Something tells me Texeira will have a lot to do with this, and that would be a painful reminder of how costly it was for the Sox to lose him to NY. I can't think of any recent scenario where one player could impact the balance of power so much between these two teams. The Angels didn't lose any ground seeing him go to the Yankees, but the Sox sure did, and I think it's going to haunt them for a long time. I'd better stop now and get back to Smart Grid - this is starting to ruin my weekend...

No Tex, No Tomorow for the Sox

We may never know if the Red Sox were serious contenders in the Mark Texeira sweepstakes, but it was made clear with an exclamation point this weekend, how costly it was for him to sign with the Yankees.

No need to dwell on the painful details of the last 6 games, but as I've said before, their weaknesses have been exposed and exploited completely. The road trip started out with promise, sweeping the Orioles, and being within a half game of the Yankees. But, just like they did in their recent visit to Texas, they got swept by the teams that matter the most. They have a hard enough time as it is beating hapless teams like Oakland and Seattle, but they can't even win ONE game against the good teams. So, just like that, they've fallen completely flat, with no answers in sight.

Plain and simple, once again, the Yankees are our daddies. The Sox have stayed competitive this long by good fortune, but weak hitting catches up sooner or later, and as expected, the injuries to older players are taking their toll as the season wears on. When everybody is clicking, I still think they're the best team in baseball, but that's become the exception rather than the rule, and they simply lack the consistency to stay on top.

We've seen these crushing sweeps by the Yankees before, so there's nothing new there. It's just so hard to take when our pitching goes the distance with theirs over the final 3 games, but to get shut down/shut out over that many innings puts the onus squarely on the hitters. We know the Sox have aging hitters and overpaid hitters playing well below their potential - but hey - so do the Yankees, and they managed to get their late inning heroics and two out rallies - and that's really the difference.

Aside from those intangibles, though, when you go up and down the positional rosters, the Yankees simply have the edge in almost every area - Posada/Varitek, Texeira/Youkilis, Cano/Pedroia, Jeter/??, A-Rod/Lowell, etc. The Sox have good - even very good players at almost every station, but theirs are simply better. The only edge I'd give the Sox is at second base, and not by much. On a good day, I'd give Jason Bay the edge in left, but he hasn't had many of those lately. Rivera is still the best, and the pitching is a coin toss. Both staffs have holes, but we have more right now, especially with only 2 reliable starters.

Enough said. I concede that the AL East belongs to NY - that race is officially over. I'm not optimistic about the Wild Card, unless the Sox suddenly revert to early season form. It's just so hard to see how that can happen, let alone sustain it through October. Stranger things have happened, but without a bona fide slugger - Texeira - there's nobody in our lineup that makes everyone play better or instill fear in the other team. That's what Texeira would have brought, and we're paying the price. Since Manny left town, there's no serious punch in the lineup, and it looks like now, NY will finally spend its way to another championship.

The future all of a sudden doesn't look too bright. It could be time to blow up the roster and re-tool - the problems are too fundamental for some spot fixes. There's still lots of good pitching in the system, but not nearly enough good bats. The competition keeps improving, and we're going to have to give up a lot to get those bats. Even the Angels - who lost Texeira to NY - have managed to stay strong - probably even stronger after losing Tex. I don't see the Red Sox getting better if Bay moves on next year.

Ugh - gloom is setting in and I don't want to go there right now. There's still some baseball left to be played, and we're just trying to hang on for the Wild Card. Maybe the Sox have enough character to shape up, but if we had Texeira, I have no doubt we'd still be the frontrunners. But we don't, and we're not, and may not be for quite some time.

Red Sox Slide - Worried? - You Bet

Not much to say, really, but the Yankees have finally caught and passed the Red Sox and taken first place - and that cannot pass unmentioned. The Sox do not hold up well under pressure, esp when it's NYY-related. Well, we haven't played the Yankees in a while, so there is more going on. The offense has dried up completely, and today's post from the Joy of Sox blog tells the story very effectively.

You know what this is?

0 000010 000 100 100 000 000 100 100 010 000 001 001

You might have guessed by now. Yeah - it's the box score for the last 40 innings the Sox have played. Yeesh. Not going to win many games when you can't score more than 1 run an inning. I don't know binary code, so maybe there's a clue in this - but I highly doubt it.

In true RSN (Red Sox Nation) style, it's panic time, and the Sox are in freefall. Their flaws are being exposed, and outside of Youkilis and Pedroia they don't have any big time hitters or anyone who scares opposing pitchers (maybe Lowell on a good day). You could well argue that age and injuries are catching up, and this will soon start to look like a tired, broken down team. It will also make us regret not getting Texeira, as this may well turn out to be the big difference maker by season's end, and the Evil Empire will prevail again.

To be even more bleak, Tampa Bay is just hitting their stride now, and could easily glide by the Sox, leaving them gasping in third place and - strange as it may sound - out of the playoffs. See what happens when you release Lugo?!?!?!? Between him and his pal Manny, there may be another curse shaping up.

How can things go from so bright to so bleak so quickly? I was at the Jays/Sox game on Sunday. Halladay pitched his heart out, and it was clear to me from the third inning on he was in shutdown mode, and the Sox weren't going to get anything more off him. Well, they got one more baserunner, but nothing else.

When everyone is hitting, they ARE the best team in baseball. However, they are just as likely to fold as a group, and then nobody hits. Right now, they've just been too inconsistent, and of course they're going cold just as the Yankees are getting hot. Topsy turvy. I can only hope the tables turn again, and the Sox come back to life in time to save the season.

Today, I'm not too optimistic, and it's looking more likely that they'll need to trade for a big bat by next week to rejuvenate the lineup. I really think it's necessary and my money in on Victor Martinez. That would be great, but short term, let's hope they just get back on the winning track and whimper out of Texas without getting swept. Oh, the joy of Sox...

Baseball Time - Red Sox/Yankees - Separated At Birth?

I haven't posted much on baseball lately, but coming out of the July 4 weekend and being exactly at the mid-point of the schedule, it's a good time to evaluate the Red Sox season so far.

In absolute terms, they're a bit ahead from this point last year, although with the WBC, they've played 10 less games compared to 2008. We're 17 games above .500 now, compared to 14 over this time last year (and should be at least 20). The big difference is Tampa Bay, who were 23 games over last year, and 5 games in front of us. They've come back to earth this year, and we're clinging to a 1 game lead over NY, with TB being 6 back. I still think the Rays will stay in the race, but the magic just isn't there this time.

Last year, absolutely everything went right for them, and I don't think they had any key injuries. On the other hand, nobody had a career year for them, so most people figured they would be even better this year. As a team, the Rays just seem to be missing something this year (not to mention fans), but interestingly, there's at least one Ray near or at the top of every individual performance category this year. Strange. Enough about them...

On a good day, it's easy to pick the Sox as the AL frontrunner, and then how can you NOT think ahead to the possibility of a Red Sox - Dodgers WS with Manny and Joe Torre? A bit like dreaming of another Celtics-Lakers final - maybe next year for that one.

The problem is the Red Sox are a true Jekyll-Hyde team, and they have their share of bad days, when they are just so laughably lame. I don't know how this can be, and you never know when their mojo is working, but there's not much middle ground with this team. When they're on, they ARE the best team in baseball - everybody hits, each day it's a different hero, the defence is sound, and the relievers do their job. But then you see the team that showed up against the lowly Orioles and Mariners during 4 of the last 5 games and then you see just how vulnerable they can be when the mojo goes missing. How many times did Bay and Youkilis strike out over that stretch? What happened to Mr. MVP, Pedroia? How many rallies did Ellsbury and Drew kill? And it didn't matter who got the ball in the bullpen - NOBODY could get the job done. Not even Paps for that ugly, historic 11-10 meltdown. Scary.

That brings us to the Yankees, who almost got their share of first place yesterday. Both teams trailed in their games yesterday, but the Sox rallied and held on to their 8-4 lead, while the Jays could not, and dropped their 3rd straight to NY, 10-8. Ugh. I know this is hard to say, but right now the Yankees are the best team in the AL - they know how to win with clutch hits, late rallies, and lately a solid bullpen. However, as we know, they have their flaws and streaks, and at the season mid-point, I really don't see much to choose between them and the Sox. I really wonder sometimes if these teams were separated at birth, and of course if you're from the Northeast, these things matter - big time. Anyhow, just a few things to consider along these lines....

Both starting rotations have not performed as expected.

Both have a top starter that has lost it for the time being and nobody is sure what the problem is - Dice-K and Wang.

Both have great closers who save almost every game they pitch, but have had their lapses and blown winnable games.

Both have aging DH's who are on the decline and can't really contribute on the field.

Both have elite players at first base.

Both have solid third basemen who are coming off hip surgery. No doubt that A-Rod is the better player, but he's streaky.

Both have aging catchers who can still come up with clutch hits.

Both have had pleasant surprises - who expected Damon to still be hitting home runs? Who knew Gardner was so fast? Nick Green being Boston's best clutch hitter?

Both teams have solid, dependable players - not flashy, but real pros. For the Yankees Jeter and Cano - for the Sox, Pedroia and Bay (and at times, Drew).

Both are solid at home, but also play well on the road.

As much as I love the Red Sox - and hate the Yankees - it's really hard to say right now who's the better team. Offensively, the Sox have more balance and speed, but the Yanks have more power. Both starting rotations should have 2-3 20 game winner each, but I doubt either will produce even 1. The Sox have more question marks in terms of players who are on the decline or playing below their potential - Ortiz, Lowell, Drew, Varitek and Ellsbury. Shortstop remains a work in progress, but I think we're past the worst of it, and I don't think that spot will cost us any more games now. The only tangible edge I can see is our bullpen, which until recently has been the best in baseball. But when you see these recent blowups you have to wonder, and if we lose that edge, I think the Yankees have the upper hand.

We may have a tangible edge with the bullpen, but the Yankees have the intangible edge that will trump everything if our bullpen falters big time. Winning is simply in their DNA - they have the killer instinct and know how to win when the going gets tough. Just like the Celtics and just like the Canadiens. Every sport has its one killer franchise, and the Red Sox know this better than anybody.

The Yankees have mental toughness in spades, and don't let our 8-0 mark against them this year fool you. Five of those games were at home, and many came before A-Rod was in the lineup. I fully expect they'll split the remaining games, and I think we're going to be in for a great second half of the season. The Jays and the Rays will kill each other off and will do their share of damage to keep the Sox and Yankees in check.

The biggest wildcard I see right now would be a trade to change the balance of power. It's very possible the Sox will panic and give up some pitching to get a solid power bat. Without Nady, the Yankees are thin in the outfield and the bench, and may deal for a swingman. Both teams have holes, but both teams are very good when everybody shows up. Since they both lack the consistency we've seen from the Dodgers all year, there's no way to tell who's really the better team. They can get hot or tank at any time, and it all comes down to which team plays well in the big games. I'm pretty sure both will make the playoffs, but beyond that it's a coin toss. Who do you like?

Springtime Sports - Other Things to Follow

It always takes a few days to catch up from being away, and I've been pretty heads-down trying to line up new business. I'm hardly alone, and it's tough out there, no matter who I talk to. Blogging has taken a bit of back seat as a result, but I'll get things going again once I've got the pipeline going. Sound familiar?

Aside from that, I'm wearing my sports hat a lot now, with my Bruins and Celtics starting the playoffs - Bruins tonight - and the Red Sox off to a very worrisome start. Putting food on the table is by far more important, but I need bandwidth for these things too, especially now. It's a golden age for Boston sports, and things haven't looked so promising since the mid-80's. Up til this morning, actually, it would not be unreasonable to think there could be 3 titles coming with these teams in 2009. If the Bruins stay consistent, they can go all the way. Same for the Celtics, but now that KG looks to be done for the season, it's looking much more like a Cavs/Lakers final. You never know, but if he's done, things would have to go amazingly well, which means getting lots of bench production and winning some big games on the road.

And then there are the Red Sox. They've only faced tough teams so far, and very little has gone right. It was great to see the Yankees get demolished today - esp against CC for their new stadium debut - but the Sox have their own problems to deal with. On paper, they should be WS material, but a lot of big questions are coming up only 9 games into the season. Hopefully Wakefield's strong start yesterday gives them a lift - plus some rest for the bullpen - and coming home to play a couple of weak teams should hopefully get them on track. So much more to talk about, and feel free to jump in. Just wanted to get those thoughts out there, and then back to business.

Red Sox 2009 - better or worse off?

Well, Spring Training is officially underway today, and despite the crappy weather, it's time to think a bit about baseball. If I had the time and the money, I'd be heading down to Fort Myers to see how the Red Sox are shaping up for 2009. I've never done that, but know people who do - it's on my bucket list for sure.

Can you imagine a WORSE time to be getting excited about this sport? Between A-Roid, Tejada and now this AIDS lawsuit with Robbie Alomar, it's sure hard to have faith in a game that seems more ruled by agents, owners and TV networks. Where's the fun gone? And for all this to be happening on Abe Lincoln's 200th birthday! He would not be amused.

Let's just suspend disbelief and hope that somehow the game will rise above all this. With Spring Training starting now, I'm going to put on my Boston sports fan hat for a sec - it doesn't come off very often. A year ago, the Patriots were supposed to win, the Celtics had a shot to win, the Sox were the defending champs, and nobody cared about the Bruins.

Today? It's pretty much the opposite. Pats lose to the Giants (but Tyree never makes another completion again) - and miss the playoffs this year with an 11-5 record, the Celtics get their 17th title, the Bruins are legitimate Cup contenders out of nowhere, and the Red Sox are a mixed bag following an offseason of big possibilities. Isn't sports fun? I certainly can't complain - I don't think there is any other major market anywhere with bona fide contenders these days across all 4 team sports. It's a nice problem to have.

Back to the Sox. I just wanted to mark Spring Training with a few thoughts on how their season looks to me. Some things are easy to feel good about. Starting pitching is probably the best in baseball, and the fire brigade will be pretty close to being tops as well. Not getting Texeira could be a big mistake, but there are no guarantees in NY, and with A-Rod being so toxic, Tex's talent could go to waste there.

The offence is definitely middling given all the question marks - is Ellsbury ready to be the killer table-setter he's supposed to be? With Pedroia and Youk getting big money now, can they sustain the career years they had in 2008? The heavy hitters - will Ortiz, Lowell and Drew be healthy and focused enough to return to championship form? Can Bay stay at this level in the AL and make us forget Manny? Is Lowrie ready to be their #1 SS? Is Tek done, or can he improve from 2008? Was trading Crisp a mistake? Can Baldelli contribute? If we get a lot YES's here, they should be good to make the postseason. That's a lot that needs to go right, and the Sox have a knack for getting surprisingly good production where you least expect it.

If the offence does not improve, I'd look for them to make a major trade to get a big bat. They've done a great job of stockpiling quality arms at a reasonable price, so they have lots of leverage in the pitching department, which every team needs. Regardless, it's going to be a 3 team race in the AL East, and I feel bad for my local team - the Jays - they haven't done much to improve and unless Tampa falls apart, it's going to be a long season for them.

At this point, I'd say the Sox will be good for 90-95 wins - just like last year - but it may not be enough if Tampa Bay is no fluke and if the Yankees get their money's worth for these mega-players. Nothing is a sure thing here, and frankly I think the Sox are the most balanced of the 3.

Tampa Bay lost some good players in the offseason and didn't do much to replace them. Of course their youth had great upside, but it remains to be seen if they're a one-hit wonder or the team of the future. The Yankees spared no expense to buy top talent, but we've seen how this has turned out before. And - mark my words - A-Rod has never won a World Series, and now that he's been exposed, the baseball gods will get even and make sure he never does.

The Red Sox didn't make any huge moves, and on the whole will be a similar team to last year. They're a pretty stable bunch, esp with Manny gone. They'll never replace his bat, but if everyone else plays their part, they'll be great to follow in 2009. Spring should be a pretty fun time for Boston fans - by the time MLB starts, the Bruins and C's will be making their stretch runs, and I'll likely be posting about more often on my teams. Sure hope so!