Hardball Heaven

Amazing factoid for you today: since October 16 - almost a full month ago - the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics are a combined 22-0. Not too shabby.

We know what the Red Sox did, and what the Patriots are doing. But it's the Celtics that are the underrated story in town. Their offseason makeover is working quite nicely, thank you, as KG and Ray have fit in nicely with Paul and the boys. I've watched a couple of games - not in full - but have come away impressed with the overall athleticism on the floor and the unselfishness of the new Big Three. When news broke that Allen and Garnett were coming here, my first thought was 'are there enough basketballs to go around?' Watching these guys play early on, though, has calmed any concerns. Someone on the telecast last night made what I thought was a pretty salient point - each member of the Big Three brings something different to the table, and together, it all works well. Garnett's your presence in the post who's not afraid to pass before he shoots; Allen is your long-distance weapon; and Pierce, who had a monster game last night against the Pacers, is a classic slasher. Add it all up and it's been pure poetry on the floor so far.

Let's see... what else is on my mind?

The AL Cy Young went to C.C. Bigassia yesterday. I don't really have any qualms about him winning it over Beckett, but maybe MLB should re-consider its policy of having the voting only reflect regular-season performance. Shouldn't any best pitcher award take into account all clutch performances? The Indians also took Manager of the Year honors, as Eric Wedge topped the field. Again, it's deserving. Terry Francona - he of two rings and a soon-to-be fat bank account - finished fourth. But he's first in our hearts and minds.

Switching to pigskin, the big news of the last couple of days is the freefall that the Colts are in. They looked awful on Sunday night - minus Harrison and a couple other key players - and to make matters worse, they found out this morning that super-pass rusher Dwight Freeney is out for the year with a foot injury. This is a HUGE loss, and very favorable for the Patriots.

As far as hockey goes... rumor has it the season has started.

Back to football after that brief break - I wonder what Bill Belichick thinks about the NFL scheduling Gods. Due to the new flex TV schedule - which allows the league to shift game times around for TV - the Pats are now playing four of their last seven games at night time. This week's game against Buffalo and next week's game against the Eagles are on at 8 on Sunday night, and the following week has them playing Baltimore on Monday night. Lots of waiting around on game days.

Regarding the Pats and their mission to dethrone the 1972 Dolphins as the greatest team of all time, it seems like the stars are aligning. First Freeney goes down, and you know if he can't go in the playoffs, that's big for Brady & Co. And then we get word today that Bills stud rookie RB Marshawn Lynch is banged up and has missed practice.

And we'll end it on a baseball note, since that's our first and true love. The Yanks have made news in recent days, signing Jorge Posada to a 4-year, $52 million deal, and offering aging closer Mariano Rivera 3 years and $45 mill. Rivera still hasn't accepted what everyone believes is an overly generous offer, and the Yanks are a bit mystified. Also, A-Rod has supposedly been talking to the Yanks' brass without Binky Boras in the room. Interesting development. No news on any potential suitors for Mike Lowell yet.