Hardball Heaven

Game 5 is underway and it's already more of the same. B.J. Upton just hit his 6th home run of the postseason and third against the Red Sox. The guy hit 9 all year in 531 at-bats. Do they stop testing after September?

Anyway, Iwamura - who must drive Dice-K batty (get it? batty. I kill me) - led off the game with a single, and then Upton hit another shot into the Monster seats, just over the yellow line. Fenway is silent once again as the Rays have staked Scott Kazmir to a two-run lead. The Sox bats really need to plate one or two soon to get the fans revved up. They've sat through too many hours of depressing baseball.

Couple of random thoughts:

Do you think TBS' Craig Sager actually lays out all his clothes on the bed before a big road trip, mapping out which ridiculous outfit he's going to wear each day? He's baseball's milder version of Don Cherry.

I don't want these guys celebrating in our ballpark tonight.

The crowd seems to be a lot more into it right now, as Dice-K is settling into one of his grooves.

Manny lost first. Na, nah, nah, nah. The greedy, lazy, contract-breaking Ramirez is now headed directly for his favorite place in the world: Free agency. Money quote, literally, in today's LA Times following last night's season-ending defeat to the Phillies:

"I just want to go home [to Florida] and spend some time with my family," Ramirez says, while adding with a grin, "I want to see who is the highest bidder. Gas is up and so am I."

Do the Sox consider making a play for fellow free-agent-to-be Derek Lowe? That would be a hell of a rotation.

Lots of debate around here on what the Sox will do with Jason Varitek next year. Hard to see them giving 'Tek anything long-term, so this could very well be his last game ever in a Red Sox uniform if he decides to chase money and years. I'm hoping they can sign him to a one- or two-year deal and keep him around so he can help groom the next catcher. It's clear, though, that his at-bats need to be fewer.

If I'm Theo, I'm looking to get a high-upside catcher, a shortstop and a first baseman in the off-season. That's all. I think you have to be worried about Mike Lowell's hip surgery, and the jury's out on Jed Lowrie. Lowrie should be in the Alex Cora role. That, or maybe look at a third baseman so Kevin Youkilis can go back to first. The sure-handed Youk should be touching the ball on defense as much as possible. Oh, and make sure Clay Buccholz makes progress this off-season. We could use that scrawny bastard right about now.

Who'da thunk a backup outfielder would be our starting first baseman when the games counted the most? Mark Kotsay has done a pretty damn good job, and he's been one of the few guys swinging the lumber.