Monday, June 04, 2007

Sox Kudos From A Cubs Writer!

I came across this article from the Herald of Chicago, and it's highly complimentory of our Red Sox. More on that later, after this...the entire article, from the Herald News of Chicago, is yours by clicking on the title of this very post. But read this excerpt and my comments that follow, and THEN click......

**RED SOX ARE WINNERS**
June 4, 2007

"In a lineup which features thumpers like David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, it's easy to see why Kevin Youkilis gets good pitches to hit.
Youkilis, a 28-year-old from Cincinnati, has taken full advantage of the opportunities opposing pitchers present him. In fact, Youkilis was the talk of Boston through the team's first 50 games this season.
Big Papi has been productive, and Ramirez still does his thing, but Youkilis was the team's best hitter through May. He began June with a slugging percentage of nearly .600, thanks largely to a hitting streak which had reached 21 games by May 30.
He can play first or third base, but his principal value is at the plate. He was batting .358 through his first 48 games, with 17 doubles, 8 homers (he hit a standup inside-the-park shot on Memorial Day), and 30 RBIs. Youkilis has been so productive that manager Terry Francona moved him into the no. 3 hole in Boston's lineup when Ortiz was sidelined with hamstring tightness.
Fifty games does not a season make, but the Red Sox will be home free if players like Youkilis, second baseman Dustin Pedroia, shortstop Julio Lugo and outfielder Coco Crisp continue to play with pizzazz. .
Pedroia's work out of the No. 9 hole has produced a plethora of unexpected RBI opportunities for Lugo, and the entire front half of Francona's lineup. Lugo, fourth in AL stolen bases two years ago, had 30 RBIs batting leadoff through May 29. Ramirez had 31 and Ortiz owned a team-high 38.
The 2007 season has already produced historic developments for the Red Sox. Boston scored 5 ninth-inning runs at Fenway to beat Baltimore May 13. It marked just the ninth time in big-league history that a team rebounded from a 5-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth...........the Red Sox organization is cut from a different cloth than that of the Cubs. It's a winning cloth."

Peter here, and I like that last sentence. Don't forget to click on the title of the post to read the entire article. It's short but sweet....most of it is here. But I did want to share it with you. And I think it's as much a statement of the Chicago Cubs and their fan's diminished expectations (Lou Pinella, fights in the dugout, etc.) than a rousing "way to go" to the Red Sox. But I liked it! And I would love to read and respond to any of your comments....please!

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