Spring Training picture of the day

Why this photo and not another, you might ask? Because catchers are hot, that's why. Joe Mauer, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and now Dusty Brown. Maybe it's all that padding. Who knows. I dig it.

The Boston media is giving an undue amount of attention to the Bartolo Colon deal. This makes no sense to me. I fully expect Colon to get shelled for 8 or 9 runs in 12 2/3 innings over 3 games down in Pawtucket and then ultimately be released when he messily devours Jed Lowrie after mistaking him for a Twinkie with hair. Yes, it's tempting to think that everything Theo Epstein touches turns to gold, but my goodness have we ALREADY forgotten the lesson of Eric Gagne? I get hives just thinking about that trade. Anyhoo, the bottom line is that I'm not going to waste time browsing pictures of Bartolo when I can be drooling over our farm system instead.

Please note how well I'm resisting the urge to make a tasteless joke involving Colon's last name.

On a non-Red Sox note, can I just say how much I love the AP stories that make it into the ESPN.com headlines? They're always reports of someone saying something controversial with no source, location, or byline. Like this little tidbit about Cubs CEO Sam Zell apparently telling someone, somewhere (his barber? his dog? an uninterested Alfonso Soriano?) that he wouldn't care about changing the name of Wrigley Field. Which he shouldn't, because Wrigley is already named after a corporate sponsor, so what on earth difference does it make? In fact, I'd be excited to see a name change at Wrigley, if only because I have to imagine that the ensuing Jay Mariotti columns would be hilarious. I'm not going to lie: I kind of love reading Mariotti, if only because I get a kick out of the obvious seething contempt he has for his media colleagues, Chicago fans, and generally speaking everyone who is not him. He's like the Dick Cheney of sports reporting. Do I think Mariotti would "accidentally" shoot someone in the face on a hunting trip? Absolutely I do. I sincerely hope to see a "Let's Change the Name of Wrigley Field to We Are Purposely Allowing the Brewers to Win the Division Every Year for the Next Ten Years Field, and Chicago Fans Are Stupid Homers For Disagreeing With Me" column in the Sun-Times sometime within the next week.

Wait what

For pretty much the first time since he got traded to Boston, Manny Ramirez isn't voicing his desire to be traded to another team. On the contrary: Manny said he's very happy staying just where he is, and in fact wants to retire with Boston.

Well that's just peachy. Here's a picture of Manny arriving at Fort Myers and looking kind of like a shot of Fergie buying groceries or something in the "Stars: They're Just Like Us!" section of a tabloid.



Seriously, I don't get the pants. But as far as I'm concerned, Manny Ramirez can wear whatever the hell he wants as long as he stays in Boston.

Oh yes, here you go.

Spring Training Watch

Ahh, spring training. Here's fresh-faced shortstop prospect Jed Lowrie. He batted .300 with a .862 OPS in Pawtucket last year while playing decent defense -- he's known for his ability to work pitchers for quality at-bats, and his throwing power from SS. Plus, he was born in 1984, just like me. We have so much in common.

Looking at all those pictures from Fort Myers almost makes me forget that it's approximately 65 degrees below zero outside.

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!

It was just another chilly February day up here in Boston... but down in Fort Myers, some very special young lads in red stockings were convening on a muddy field to play a little baseball...

OH MY GOD

SPRING TRAINING IS FINALLY HERE!

Mmmm. Let's look at some of the pictures Boston.com had to offer up this morning:





As always, Papelbon's expression says so much more than my words every could. YAY BASEBALL! Also reporting yesterday was Kevin Youkilis:





Youk looks more like he's gearing up to tailgate the Pocono 500 (most fun sporting event I've ever been to, by the way) than to play baseball, but hey. As long as I'm in giddy, blathering baseball mode, I'm sharing my favorite Youkilis moment of this past season: One of the business school profs I worked for over the summer gave me absolute DREAM seats to a Sox/Blue Jays game: 10 rows up from home plate, smack in the center. That's VIP shit, baby. Schilling was pitching, so I decided to take Mommy dearest since I know she loves him. Bottom of the 1st, Youk steps up to bat and all of Fenway immediately chimes in with "YOOOOOOOOOOOUK!" as he gets ready to hit. My mom turns to me, deeply concerned: "Raquel, why are they booing him?!" Hee hee.

Moving on. Let us all take a moment to bask in the glow of up-and-coming talent and youthful good looks that emanates at all times from Clay Buchholz:



I can't WAIT to see Buchholz pitch this season. Joba Chamberlain, my ass. It would be tragically shortsighted, though, to let Clay distract me from the other fine young pitching prospects gracing the field yesterday:




Yowza. That's Michael Bowden, who has a distinctly Matt Damon-esque quality -- not to mention a 95-mph four-seam fastball that's supposed to be killer. And let's not forget Hunter Jones (hot name, so-so face) and Justin Masterson (sighhhhhh):





Forgive the blatant objectification of this post. Boys, you got the SI Swimsuit Issue this week, so let me indulge.

First spring training game is 2 FREAKING WEEKS AWAY, people.