Our Bullpen, And A STUBBORN Wily Mo Pena

This post will be in two pieces. The first? From the Globe...and the subject? WMP.....I hope he knows what he's doing, because his defense? AHHH!!!! Well, read on....

"WMP.....is the lone Sox arbitration case left, and it looks like some time will pass before a resolution. Peña has asked for $2.2 million; the Sox countered with $1.725 million."

Peter here. Hey Wily, aren't you slumping horribly in the winter league? I also can remind you if you've forgotten.......HELLO!!! So please don't think you're God's gift to our outfield, because you are Fenway's WORST NIGHTMARE to play right, you idiot. So know your place, know the history of your club, which by the way, just to remind you, is THE BOSTON RED SOX. OUR team...not yours. Not yet. Maybe never. So GROW UP!!.

And........also from the Globe......

"The Sox' investment in the bullpen stands at $15.7 million......
The highest-paid member of the Sox bullpen as presently constituted is Joel Pineiro, who started in 148 of his 185 games in the big leagues for Seattle before being signed as a free agent for $4 million this season. Pineiro could become a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the rotation if the Sox change their minds about making Papelbon a starter.
The other Sox relievers under contract for 2007: Julian Tavarez ($3.1 million), Mike Timlin ($2.8 million), Romero ($1.6 million), Donnelly ($1.4 million), Okajima ($1.2 million), Craig Hansen ($700,000), Kyle Snyder ($535,000), and Craig Breslow (split contract, $400,000 in the big leagues, $130,000 in the minors).
Timlin, Tavarez, and Donnelly figure to be the top setup men, and Okajima and Romero (possibly Lopez) are the lefties. The dollars say Pineiro will be on the staff, possibly as the closer or fifth starter. That's six positions in the pen. With five starters (Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and Papelbon), that would appear to leave one position open, assuming manager Terry Francona carries 12 pitchers. Hansack, Hansen, and Delcarmen stand to be the leading contenders for that final spot. The competition should be intense."

Peter here again, and THAT'S ENOUGH. You see, I'm on a mission. And that mission is to make sure our team, the Red Sox, gets their sh*t together, in spring training, if that's the way they want to do it. Why? Can we say B U L L P E N? I know we can. The whole darn season rides on the decisions not yet made. Am I mad? Not yet. Well, maybe. But it's like we have a wonderful chocolate cake....without the icing. Because the icing on any cake is a pitcher, a pitcher we've not yet met. But that pitcher can finish the icing on the cake and let us all go home, and turn off the TV, cheering, after a Red Sox victory.

I bent your ears, and I only do so with good reasons. Or many reasons. Enjoy this Thursday, and I wish Theo was reading. Right now. I KNOW you, my readers, are! And I thank you for that. And yes, click on the title for the article that started me on this rant (rant?....too strong a word.) But I love our Sox, as do we all! Just as I love you too.............and my final word is a six letter word...CLOSER. Thanks for reading me..how lucky am I? I can answer that....wayyyy lucky!!!

And don't forget to click on this post's title. OK????