Big Papi is the new Daddy

Ok I am can now admit I wasnt very high on my boys from Boston coming into this weekend's series with the Yankees. I believe I even predicted the possibility of a sweep, with the Sox stumbling into the Bronx and the Yankees seemingly righting the ship, I was to put it in a word; concerned. Boy was I wrong.

Lessons we learned from this weekend.

1. Yankee Pitching still isnt any good - Sure the Yankees seemed to reclaim their pitching staff, but that was by feasting on the As and Mariners of the world. The Yanks had their top three starters this series and each was more dissapointing then the next. Randy Johnson while getting the win on friday still didnt look like the nasty (to borrow a word from Charlie Weis) Big Unit that we were used to. Carl Pavano was the whipping boy on saturday as the Sox scored two touchdowns and a field goal before the dust cleared. Then their was Mike Mussina who by all accords owns most of the Sox lineup throwing the shortest outing since 2002 as the Sox seemed to crush any and every pitch he sent to the plate. Someone move those Roger Clemens rumors to the front burner because its an almost lock that King George will get fed up with this staff.

2. Red Sox Pitching is Reborn - Ok forget the fact that Tim Wakefield went out their on Friday and did what he always does to the yankees; combine that great knuckle and control to not dominate the Yanks, but give the Sox a chance to win. Matt Clement and David Boomer Wells were the real stories of the weekend. Clement, who the Red Sox signed only after losing out on the Pavano sweepstakes, seems to be the dominant power pitcher the Sox need to contend. Clement combines fastballs on either side of the plate with a "nasty" slider which overmatched Yankee hitters. Clement is the real deal, but I cannot defend his goatee. Speaking of terrible goatees, David Wells reclaimed his mantle at Yankee Stadium as he exorcised the demons of opening day. After starting off with 2 solos shots in the 1st inning Wells did what all great pitchers do; he settled down and mowed down the rest of the lineup. With the emergence of Clement and the surge by Boomer can the Sox right the ship and defend their title?

3. Jason Giambi is still a Yankee - I wish I had a neon sign with that on it.

4. John Miller and Joe Morgan should call every televised baseball game - There was a moment in the 3rd inning of sunday's game when Morgan and Miller wished a happy dominican mother's day to Big Papi's Mother, and I couldnt have been more interested. Miller does the best spanish reading of any announcer on TV, and Morgan should do the voice overs for Calgon his voice is so soothing. I think every play by play guy should be able to incorporate a foreign language.

5. Big Papi was the best hitter in the Bronx this weekend - I think there was a point in Sunday's game when Joe Morgan remarked that the only way to get Ortiz out was to "not throw him strikes". Papi took a low hanger and drove it into the upper deck in his first ab, and the word came down on his next ab to go at him with high cheese. Well he took that pitch to dead, let me repeat DEAD centerfield into the black seats of Yankee Stadium. For a player who the Sox got off of waivers after the Twins decided a great pull hitter wasnt for them, Ortiz has become the lynchpin of the sox offense.

Ok I know it was only a 3 game series, what could it mean? But with the Orioles leading the East and the Wildcard looking like a tight race these games carry increased meaning (if thats even possible) , and coming out of this weekend the World Champs still looked like the Champs of old, while the Yankees just looked Old.

- BL