David Ortiz

There has been a lot of hype about the Red Sox and their pitching and defensive upgrades this year, but because of all the focus on the defense, many people are claiming that the Sox will have a lower caliber offensive season. While the Beantown boys may have lost a key player this offseason, they spread the offense out among multiple players, while improving the defense as well. Overall, the offense will not be worse, and may in fact be better than the 2009 version. Ahead is the 2010 Red Sox projected line up, 1-9, compared to their 2009 counterparts.

(Photo caption: David Ortiz showed off his leaner physique today at spring training camp in Fort Myers. He quipped to reporters: “you should see me naked”.)

David Ortiz started the 2009 season bearing the weight of extraordinary Red Sox Nation expectations. Fellow slugger Manny Ramirez had been dealt to the Dodgers at the previous trade deadline, and while Jason Bay was expected to roughly replace Ramirez’s production, the eyes of the Nation turned to Ortiz.

Johnny Damon blew it.

And not by signing with the Detroit Tigers a few days ago. That was just more fallout.

No, Damon blew it in December 2005, when he agreed to sign a free agent contract with the New York Yankees.

Let me start by saying this: I’m a Boston Red Sox fan, but this isn't a fan’s rant about how Damon turned his back on Red Sox Nation to join its most hated rival. The thought never really crossed my mind.

This is simply a practical look at a short-sighted decision made by Damon and his camp four years ago—one that will haunt him for years.

I've been getting ready for fantasy baseball and came up with this idea for a Battle of the Blogs league. I have set up the league on ESPN.com and would like to invite any bloggers interested in joining. This will be a great way to compete with other bloggers for bragging rights as well as promotes everyone's blog.

I am hoping to get bloggers from all over the country. Below are the details of the league.

Battle of the Blogs Fantasy Baseball League is open to anyone with a blog. Your blog name will be used as your team name.

What are the most important considerations that will help to determine the outcome of the AL East divisional race in 2010?

Is it the performance of new Rays closer Rafael Soriano or Yankees starter Javier Vazquez? Maybe it's the comeback of Red Sox DH David Ortiz or the development of Rays OF B J Upton? Or is it the productiveness of the Red Sox offense in contrast to the effectiveness of the Yankees starting pitching?

Here are my Top Ten Questions for the AL East for 2010.

Few teams in Major League baseball enter Spring Training dealing with both sky-high expectations and lingering scrutiny . But after an off-season makeover eschewing thump for pitching and defense, the Boston Red Sox begin their quest to return to the top of the Major League mountain with plenty of uncertainty. Do they have enough to overtake the Yankees?

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Foresight is blind.

David Ortiz is an established veteran. He’s also, suddenly, an unproven rookie. After a tumultuous 2009, the Boston Red Sox DH can’t afford to take anything for granted in 2010—which would be worse news if taking things for granted hadn’t always been the essence of earthly folly.

Clairvoyance means pretending that you can really see the future in a crystal ball.

Candor, on the other hand, means admitting that you can only glimpse the present through a dusty glass.

The New England Patriots are set to begin their quest for another Lombardi Trophy this weekend and the Boston Celtics are firmly entrenched in another battle for NBA supremacy, and yet if one’s only outlet for information was sports talk radio in Boston, he or she might come away believing it was the middle of July.

Article first found at Boston Sox Journalism .

As the old decade ends and a new one begins, let’s take a look back at the Red Sox “All-Decade Team” from 2000-09…in all cases, the choice was really pretty obvious.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
10 Seasons: .257 BA (1045 hits in 4060 AB); 148 HR; 596 RBI; 513 R
Best Season —2003: .273, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 63 R (.351 OBP, .863 OPS)