Terry Francona

This Article Was Originally Published at GetOutofMyBallpark.com

With pitchers and catchers reporting TOMORROW (as well as many of the guys already in camp), it's time that we take stock of what has happened to the Red Sox in the past few months and accept some realities.

Jason Bay is gone. He's a Met now. The Sox let go of a guy who hit 36 home runs and had 119 RBI and replaced him with Mike Cameron.

This Column Originally Published at GetOutofMyBallpark.com

With the Boston Red Sox signing of former Toronto Blue Jay Marco Scutaro to (hopefully) become the steady shortstop until Jose Iglesias is ready for full-time duty (approximately the 2012 season).

Boston signed Scutaro for two years, with an option for a third, for $12.5 million.

Down 2-0 in a five-game series? Pshhhh, please. That's nothing. Try being down 3-0 to your blood rivals in the ALCS a year removed from them ripping your hearts out in Game Seven.

Sunday's Game Three against the Angels is just another day at Fenway Park...we hope.

This is getting to be old news for the Local Nine: down 3-1 in '04 against the afore-mentioned Yankees and down 3-1 in '07 against the Cleveland Indians - both World Series winning seasons. They were also down 3-1 in the ALCS last season but since they lost in Game 7, many forget the accomplishment.

The Major League Baseball American League Divisional Series is upon as and it features two of the most successful teams in the league over the last few years. The Angels, who have won their division the last three years will face off against the Red Sox, who have also been in the postseason for the last three years.

Ever since July 31, 2004, the Boston Red Sox have had issues with at least one position on their roster<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExp

Mother Nature was unleashed in Boston last night and the Red Sox and their fans quickly retorted.

After an afternoon full of rain and a start delayed by five minutes, the Boston Red Sox failed to solve the enigma that is Ricky Nolasco and his 7+ ERA last night.  Five innings of baseball ended up being played; a Kevin Youkilis home run, and a David Ortiz crawl to first base on the ever-typical Marlins' error later, the rain came back with a vengeance and sent the game into and two hour and twenty minute delay before being called in favor of the visiting Florida Marlins.

It all started on December 20, 2001 when the Red Sox were sold to a group headed buy John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino for $660 million. 

These men were not only shrewd businessmen but also baseball insiders.  They fired their general manager immediately and hired an interim one so they could take time to find their guy. They also fired their manager and hired Grady Little. 

The most important hire they made that off-season was for their assistant general manager position which went to Theo Epstein. 

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of Brad Penny. Come to think of it, that applies to Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield, too. Though they are radically different pitchers, they are the same in one awful, rotten sense: They throw it and pray—pray they hit the strike zone.

As a matter of fact, there is much NOT to like about this year's Red Sox team. Although Nick Green would be a decent backup, he's no Alex Cora! Neither Green nor Julio Lugo can field or throw better than most high school shortstops.

That's a problem.

Mike Port apparently needs to read the umpires' report before making any kind of determination of what should happen to Todd Tichenor, a fill-in umpire in yesterday's Boston Red Sox vs Minnesota Twins game.

There's no need for Port too look at the report, Tichenor messed up majorly and clearly has shown why he's usually umpiring down in AAA and even that seems too good for him now.

All the events occurred in the seventh inning as well.