Terry Francona

Can you ever have enough starting pitching?

For some Red Sox fans, yes.

In Brad Penny's last start against the Twins, he pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three runs and striking out seven for the win. Immediately following that outing, speculation began to fly that Penny was expendable as the Red Sox had a "surplus" of starting pitching.

Penny has certainly pitched better as of late. And with the dominant Triple-A performances of Clay Buchholz and the imminent return to the majors by John Smoltz, the Red Sox do appear to be well-stocked with starters.

Through 154 at-bats, David Ortiz has as many triples as he does home runs.  Uno, one, un, or uno again.

Ortiz hasn't been big thus far in the 2009 Boston Red Sox campaign, and since it's officially after Memorial Day, it's no longer "too early" to pose the question:  Is David "Big Papi" Ortiz done?

In short, no.  Big Papi will hit at least 20 home runs this season.

But even I would be mad if that was the entirety of the article.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona continues his bumbling ways.

I mean, let's get Julio Lugo in the game, right? After all, his errors serve to deflect blame away from Francona's decision-making.

Assuredly, Francona is now happy that Lugo has returned to the Sox. Lugo, now playing shortstop with Boston, has an error-prone history.

He made 16 errors in 81 games last season, and has added two more in five games in 2009. And that doesn't count the ninth inning miscue. His mistakes allowed two runs in yesterday's game.

Okay, so here you are, you Red Sox fans. Another blown game by your manager Terry Francona, who some misguided fans have come to trust as the great hero of the game who can not be questioned.

But I do.

He simply makes mistake after mistake, and I have been following him for years. Not only is he NOT a great manager, but his tobacco chewing and spitting on the steps of the dugout reflects more as a guy who hangs around the corner liquor store.

My daughter, Kaitlyn, came home with her mid-term progress report the other day. Not sure why the teachers pick on her so.

Last time I checked 66, was not a C as she has been telling us since September. And she did do well in Music, Art and Gym. I'm sure that will get her into an Ivy League school.

In any event, her poor with an occasional gust to fair grades, has whet my appetite to grade the Red Sox at the end of the first month of the season.