How Sweep It Is!!!

A wise man once said "It's a long season," and I'm pretty sure he was talking about baseball, not winter. That's one reason I'm trying real hard (I said trying, not succeeding) not to get to excited about this weekend's sweep of the Yankees at Fenway. For starters, the Sox had their pitching lined up just perfectly for the series, as Schilling started Friday, Beckett on Saturday, and Dice-K making his debut against the Yankees on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Despite all that good pitching, the Boys from Beantown had to come from behind in every game. But who cares how they did it; the important thing is that they DID IT. Swept the bastards, that is.

Yankee fans can make all the excuses they want about inexperienced pitching, injuries, etc., but those excuses fell on deaf ears when the Sox collapsed last year. No sale. You play with the team you have, and that's baseball.

The highlight of the weekend had to have been Sunday night's third inning, when the Sox hit FOUR HOME RUNS IN A ROW. Manny, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek all went yard off rookie Chase Wright, welcoming him to Fenway. And although A-Rod stayed hot all weekend (bombing two homers on Friday night), he ended Sunday's game with a wimpy groundout off a fired up Papelbon.

So as I say, I'm really trying hard not to get excited, but these Sox look good, and I think it's going to be a good year. I still fear and respect the Yankees, but I'm going to enjoy the hell out of this sweep. Next weekend, to the Bronx.