Boston Red Sox

This hoopla surrounding Greg Paulus is starting to get out of hand. For one, I don’t even understand how he can have college eligibility remaining. But that’s not even the point.

Sample size, sample size, sample size!

Remember the thing that increases the accuracy of whatever the available data happens to be? 

The offense has stunk it up, there is no denying that, but the hitters have had to face some pretty good pitching so far too.

Matt Garza has great stuff. Scott Kazmir may have a little Dice-K in him, but he too flashes brilliance at times. James Shields is either a good pitcher or a great pitcher.

Joe Saunders is solid, maybe better. Jered Weaver is above-average, and he too might be better. 

Not only is Daisuke Matsuzaka's arm fatigued, but Red Sox Nation is also after suffering through a 12 inning, four hour and 24 minute, 6-5 extra innings loss to Oakland.

Matsuzaka went just one inning—citing arm fatigue after being taken out of the game—giving up five runs on five hits, two walks and no strikeouts.

Boston spotted Dice-K a 3-0 lead after the first inning. It was the only lead the Red Sox would have.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett has been suspended for six games and fined by Major League Baseball, which determined he intentionally threw a pitch near the head of the Los Angeles Angels' Bobby Abreu last week.

According to the Associated Press, "Beckett also was cited for aggressive actions after the pitch that led to the benches clearing Sunday, according to Bob Watson, vice president for discipline in the commissioner's office."

This prompts several questions from me. First, just how does Bob Watson determine a player's intentions?

The Red Sox claimed second baseman Travis Denker off waivers from the San Diego Padres; the Padres nabbed him from the San Francisco Giants last year.

Denker, 23, has a .243/.333/.486 line in 37 at-bats with the Padres this year. It was his major league debut, and TSN.ca says he is "a true gamer with some pop in his bat, decent speed and pretty good plate discipline. Has solid gap power."

With the Red Sox off to a sluggish 2-5 start, their worst since 1996, it leaves fans wondering where this premiere-looking offense is hiding.

While Boston's pitching thus far hasn't been exactly stellar itself, the offense looks even worse.  Following a 5-3 win on Opening Day, the Red Sox have dropped five of their last six games leading up to the 2-5 record. Through those six games, the Red Sox have allowed 23 runs across the plate.

It's all downhill from here...

It's been a tough week for baseball. A week that should make us stop and realize how precious life is.

"Live every day is if it were your last, and then one day you shall be right."

Only four days ago, the Major League family lost Anaheim rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a deadly hit-and-run accident hours after making a stunning Major League debut.

Tonight, the family lost one of their most colorful characters when former All-Star pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych passed away in an apparent accident on his farm in Massachusetts. Fidrych was 54.