JD Drew

Red Sox fans are just getting used to the idea of Mike Cameron patrolling left field for the Red Sox next season. And for many, it's not a particularly sexy idea.

After all, Cameron is 37 and has a lifetime .250 average. Among active players, only Jim Thome (2,313) has struck out more times than Cameron (1,798).

It's tough to get excited about that.

At the end of the 2005 season, Johnny Damon's agent, Scott Boras, was seeking a seven-year contract valued at $84 million for his client. That amounted to an average annual salary of $12 million.

Everyone is well-aware of the season-long struggles of Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, whose numbers (.208-0-15), would be cause for grumblings even for a player such as Jason Varitek, who struggled heavily last season.

As we all know, yesterday we all celebrated Mother's Day. Since all 30 teams had scheduled games, making a day to spend with their mothers impossible, Major League Baseball had something different in mind.

The MLB has been issuing pink bats on Mother's Day for some time now, but I feel that it has never meant more than this year. It is not only a great thing to do for Major League ballplayers, but it has become a fashion statement.