Boston Red Sox

There was an excellent article about Marco Scutaro in today’s Boston Globe. Columnist Nick Cafardo crafted an insightful story in which he detailed the shortstop’s health issues last season, providing a considerable amount of behind-the-scenes information that fans had not previously known. But does that mean Scutaro should be the Red Sox’ starting shortstop in 2011?

Craftsbury, Vermont, nestled in the forests of northern New England, is famous for two movies filmed on location: one film was made by Alfred Hitchcock, and the other stars Bill "Spaceman" Lee.

Alfred Hitchcock, The Master of Suspense who brought us Psycho and The Birds, went to Craftsbury in 1954. He was attracted to the rural small-town setting where for a few weeks in the autumn, the foliage and splash of colors roll over the hills for miles in every direction.

When Josh Beckett joined the Red Sox in 2006, he became an instant ace, anchoring the front-end of the Boston rotation, which at the time, was beginning to look a bit long in the tooth, thanks to the soon-to-be-retired Curt Schilling.

The year is 1941. The world is at war. Battles are raging and have been for two years now since the beginning of World War II in 1939.

At this point, the United States has successfully managed to stay out of this international conflict and remain neutral. All of that was about to change.

At 6 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941, six Japanese carriers with 423 planes took position in preparations to attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

It’s a sad day in baseball when humorists cannot find anything to chuckle about during Red Sox spring training. There is no laughing in baseball this season.

This year’s team is a sober group, unwilling to crack a joke along with the crack of their bats. Their breakfast is the cereal of champions.

When fans think of the Boston Red Sox, many players quickly come to mind: Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester and new comers Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez are certainly some of them.

But no player has become a bigger icon and face of the Red Sox then the man known around baseball as Big Papi, David Ortiz.

With 172 career starts before the age of 25, Felix Hernandez is the best pitcher in the American League.

Who's No. 2?

CC Sabathia? Justin Verlander? Jered Weaver? David Price? 

These guys are certainly all contenders, Price in particular. The 25-year-old, now the clear ace of the Rays, finished second to Hernandez in Cy Young voting last year and all signs point to him building off of his monster 2010 in 2011.

None of these guys, however, are the second-best pitcher in the American League.

The baseball world, and Boston in particular, is abuzz over the Red Sox bullpen this season.

Boston Red Sox fans, meet Alfredo Aceves.

The more Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield struggle in spring training, the more likely it becomes that Aceves could be counted on as the club’s No. 5 starter when the regular season gets under way.

Adrian Gonzalez is one of the top first basemen in baseball. He is just entering his prime at 28 years old and has surpassed 30 home runs and 100 RBI in each of the last four seasons—an accomplishment reached in Petco Park, a pitcher’s paradise.

Gonzalez is poised for a monster season in Fenway Park’s cozy confines with protection and run-producing opportunities he never had in San Diego.

Yet his contract is still an issue. While much of the groundwork for an extension was done before the Red Sox dealt for Gonzalez, nothing is in writing as of yet.