Sox Watch

Today's Globe has two good pieces on the Sox. In one, Bob Ryan is one of the few who gets it when it comes to Manny. It's a tradeoff: the occasional Manny Moment in exchange for the sublime gifts he brings to the plate. Only a moron or a sanctimonious fool would not take that trade. In the other, Gordon Edes argues that the Sox are in "great shape" as we head out of the All Star break and into the early stages of the pennant race.

There is ample cause for optimism to emanate from Yawkey way out into the farthest reaches of Red Sox Nation. The team is in first place in the AL East, comfortably in position to continue to be so for the near future. They have the best defense in their history and the best in the league. The starting pitching is holding up despite some key injuries and the fact that the Sox showed up at JV practice last month at Cambridge Rindge and Latin to find a fifth starter. Some young arms have come through big time -- Papelbon, obviously, but also the heavily touted Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, and Manny Delcarmen. On the offensive side of the ball, if we do not quite have the juggernaut that carried us through the past few seasons, we still have one of the very best in the league, and whenever you have one of the greatest 3-4 tandems of all time in Manny and Big Papi (I'll entertain Gherig-Ruth, but other than that will take on all comers) runs are going to flow. recent history also suggests that we are the best home team in baseball and we get a huge percantage of the next month's games in Fenway.

So, what, heading into the trade deadline, would I like to see the front office acquire? Like every team in the game, the Sox could use another starting pitcher. The key, however, is not to ger dragged into a bidding war with the Yankees, Blue Jays or anyone else. I would encourage them to strike quickly -- the closer the 31st is, the higher prices will go. Better to make a firm offer with a short deadline now then to wait until the last minute and overpay. There have been whispers about Dontrelle Willis, but that would be both expensive and in any case unlikely as long as Florida is looking frisky both for this year but more importantly for the near future. There have been rumors about Bobby Abreu and a few others. This is one year, however, when standing pat might be the best move of all. We trade from a relative position of strength this year, which we all hope Theo does not squander -- and the best way to make sure he doesn't is for the guys to play well.

How far can this team go? It seems like everyone is touting both the White Sox and the Tigers. The experts think that the Sox will win the division, but then when talking about World Series contenders they forget all about Boston. The White Sox are surely a strong team, and as defending champs warrant the pole position. The Tigers are another matter. The Sox manhandled them in their one series meeting. The Tigers are very young with a lot of pitchers who have never thrown a lot of innings (Verlander) or have faded on those occasions when they have (Kenny Rogers, come on down!). Both Central teams have a spectacular record, largely because they play in what must be one of the most disappointing divisions in all of baseball -- the Indians have underachieved, the Twins have both underachieved and mismanaged personnel, and the Royals are just lucky that we do not have relegation like European soccer leagues (an eventuality I would welcome with open arms, by the way). The Red Sox, meanwhile, face the Yankees and threatening Blue Jays, a Tampa team that by all accounts is better than they ever have been, and the Orioles who are, as always it seems, mediocre but still would be fighting for third place in the Central. Furthermore, the Red Sox are a perennial contender and as such are prepared to go deep into October. Everyone else can pencil in the White Sox or the Tigers, but I am pretty pleased with our options as they stand. With Schilling and Beckett and the ever-reliable Wakefield, with Lester having three months to get himself in the Fenway mindset, with Papelbon and the others trotting from the pen (Rudy Seanez aside), and with Manny and especially Papi, the greatest clutch hitter of this generation, always just around the corner, and with able guys like Loretta and a rejuvenated Lowell and Kevin Youkilis as the sort of guys who are always essential to a championship team, why not?

It's traditionally atypical for Red Sox fans to be this optimistic, but I suppose that is the one thing 2004 did change: We know it can be done, that collapsing is not inevitable. We fans are as intense as ever, still swear at the television and lament the slightest lapses, but we are not sitting and waiting for catastrophe. We just want them to win, desperately, but now at least we know that they can.