Thanksgiving

I remember October 2005, and I remember the reports Theo Epstein's contract was a "done deal" as well, and so it is with some trepidation I repeat here what I've heard elsewhere: it looks like the Mike Lowell Era will continue in Boston.

In the heady hot stove times we find ourselves in, particular when it comes to Mike Lowell, plenty of people have made plenty of probably good points about Lowell's age and performance track record (at which I still wonder why no one takes into account that during some of his "underperforming" years with the Marlins he either had, or was recovering from, FUCKING CANCER. CANCER OF THE TESTICLE, GUYS. Let's see how many of us would be able to play Major League Baseball in any form with cancer of the testicle on their mind).

But I think Lowell is important, not only because of his smooth glove or his solid bat, but because of all we've heard about his role as a bridge between Latin and Caucasian players in the clubhouse, and as a mentor to some of the young guys, in particular Pedroia. I think the Red Sox are a team with the money to deal with whatever the consequences might be of still having him at the age of 38, especially when they just resigned a 42-year-old starting pitcher. And most of all I am tired of the revolving door at our infield positions, and I'm tired of the thoughts we should tinker with what ain't broke. We won the World Series with this team this year, and the more of it that's in home whites for the ring ceremony next April, the better. Why screw with what works?

And then, of course, there's the emotional level, on which front I can only say that I am registering at least the same amount of relief. The idea of forsaking Lowell and picking up A-Rod for umpteen billion dollars a year had me envisioning wall-to-wall SOX ARE THE NEW YANKEES coverage beginning on ESPN approximately yesterday. Worse, I couldn't say I wouldn't have agreed.

These are amazing times to be a Sox fan, and they'd be amazing with or without Mike Lowell, or with or without any one player, really. But to learn Mike Lowell's probably staying and Barry Bonds is probably going to jail in the span of the same week?

God bless us everyone.

Comments

[Iain]

We won the World Series with this team this year, and the more of it that's in home whites for the ring ceremony next April, the better. Why screw with what works?

Damn right!

[Jai/MoonstarMA]

Amen to Lowell staying and Bonds going up the river. Let's add to that A-Rod and Boras having to return to the Yankees with their tails tucked between legs because no one else was willing to play ball with them. The public chastising is music to my ears ...

[mouse]

We won the World Series with this team this year, and the more of it that's in home whites for the ring ceremony next April, the better.

Of course, had the Sox FO abided by that sentiment after 2004, chances are the 2007 club would've suffered greatly and probably wouldn't have won the WS. It's all well and good for fans to feel that way, but roster inertia is dangerous in baseball, especially for a veteran club.

Cold, hard logic aside, my reaction to Lowell coming back for three years can be summed up thusly: WOOOHOOO!!!! :)

[Stephen]

Indeed. This is probably the best off-season baseball week in history. We've resigned Lowell, A-Rod had to crawl back to the Yanks (leading to the Yanks spending $400 million dollars this off-season without improving their club between A-Rod, Posada, Rivera and Abreu), Bonds was indicted and Jeter's in trouble with the IRS (he's our new Capone).

Ah, what a good week to be a Red Sox fan.

[beth]

mouse, you're right, but i think the 04 and 07 squads are very different. the 04 team had lots of veteran to downright old guys you knew were in the last year of their contract--it was that way almost by design. this team has many more young players and newcomers that haven't necessarily served out all their time here.

[mouse]

Oh certainly. The blend of youth and experience was/is one of the things I liked best about 2007. But since Lowell falls into the decidedly "experienced" category, if the Sox had let him walk because they didn't want to overcommit in years to him, I would've completely understood. That's all I meant. Two titles in four years buys a lot of faith in my mind!

And I'm very glad both sides reached a fair agreement; Lowell gets a raise and the Sox get a relatively short contract commitment. For awhile, I was getting nervous that a certain preening jackass really was a possibility for our hot corner next year. As awesome as it would've been to see that guy flee to the west coast, I think he was just made to don pinstripes.