Boston Red Sox

Beyond Hanley Ramirez and the mammoth 2005 deal that sent the slugging shortstop to Florida in exchange for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, and Guillermo Mota, who are the best former Red Sox toeing the rubber and flashing their leather today?

You know some of these, but some may surpise you. Who else in your fantasy draft was once a Red Sox? Who should have called Fenway home, but Fenway shut the door?

Here are my top ten.

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I've been getting ready for fantasy baseball and came up with this idea for a Battle of the Blogs league. I have set up the league on ESPN.com and would like to invite any bloggers interested in joining. This will be a great way to compete with other bloggers for bragging rights as well as promotes everyone's blog.

I am hoping to get bloggers from all over the country. Below are the details of the league.

Battle of the Blogs Fantasy Baseball League is open to anyone with a blog. Your blog name will be used as your team name.

In the words of the great LeRoy Brownlow, "There are times when silence has the loudest voice."

Ever since Theo Epstein took over as the Boston Red Sox GM, he has made sure the Red Sox have gone into each season with a quality starting rotation.

Starting with moving Derek Lowe into the starting rotation back in 2002, Boston has always had two upper-level pitchers at the top of their rotation.

The 2010 version of the Red Sox rotation might be their best ever under Epstein. With the addition of John Lackey in the offseason, Boston will go into the season with three potential No. 1 starters.

The Yankees' bats were on fire last season. They led the league with 915 runs as one of only three teams to break 800 runs scored in 2009 (the Red Sox came in second with 872).

Enter John Lackey, who's now a member of a revered Red Sox rotation. With Boston and New York the clear one-two front-runners for the AL East crown, the Red Sox could certainly use some ice-cold pitching to cool down their nemesis in 2010.

But will they get it from Lackey?

Here are his career numbers against some of New York's finest hitters:

What are the most important considerations that will help to determine the outcome of the AL East divisional race in 2010?

Is it the performance of new Rays closer Rafael Soriano or Yankees starter Javier Vazquez? Maybe it's the comeback of Red Sox DH David Ortiz or the development of Rays OF B J Upton? Or is it the productiveness of the Red Sox offense in contrast to the effectiveness of the Yankees starting pitching?

Here are my Top Ten Questions for the AL East for 2010.

Believe it or not, it has been 43 years since a major league baseball player captured the Triple Crown. The jewels in this elusive crown are batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.

Only a blessed few are in this elite class. Sixteen men, yes only sixteen men in the history of major league baseball have achieved such an incredible individual feat.

The Boston Red Sox have done a wonderful job of overhauling their roster this winter. After being swept out of the playoffs by the Angels, GM Theo Epstein knew major changes needed to be made, and he did just that.

John Lackey, the top free agent pitcher, was added to provide depth to the rotation as well as give a wealth of big-game experience to the staff.  Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro were brought in to retool the left side of the infield.

Chants of "We're No. 2" are sure to be heard echoing through the air around Landsdowne Street when the Red Sox take the field for the upcoming 2010 baseball season.

The anticipated chatter will not be a predication of the Red Sox impending finish in the American League East, however, as much as acknowledgement of left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury's entry into an "exclusive club" of players who wore the number two on the back of their Red Sox uniform.

On April 4, the new baseball season will open on a Sunday night in Fenway Park. The visitors will be the New York Yankees, renewing the greatest rivalry in sports against the hometown Boston Red Sox.

Most baseball analysts will tell you that the key to winning in baseball is pitching.