It’s been tough watching Boston’s sports teams (aside from the Patriots) slowly fading away from the successes they enjoyed during the 2001-2010 decade, one during which the city became known to many as “Title Town.” And while Patriots fans are rejoicing following the signing on cornerback Aqib Talib – he very well could be the difference maker this time ’round- I can’t help myself in being more excited about the resigning of David Ortiz. The man is finally getting his due from the Red Sox.

Many have been critical of Ortiz’s public statements about his displeasure with the Red Sox front office – given his leadership role on the team, they see it as being inappropriate. I have always vehemently disagreed with this sentiment, although I understand it. Few players on any team, ever, have meant to their organization what Ortiz has meant to the Red Sox. In his 10 seasons in Boston, Ortiz has been an All-Star 9 times. He’s won the Silver Slugger at his position 5 times, and has come in the top 5 in MVP voting 5 times as well. Not to mention the fact that he almost single-handedly delivered the Red Sox their first World Series title in 86 years – that’s right, without David Ortiz the Red Sox are still the Cubs.

Given his production, the fact that Ortiz is viewed as an all-around good guy, and the fact that he is revered by teammates, the Red Sox front office’s treatment of him was inexcusable. If ever a player was to be given a “respect” contract based on his past contributions to the club, Ortiz would have been the perfect candidate. But given that his production hasn’t slowed one bit, Ortiz was owed a multi-year deal. Thank God he finally got it. You want to talk about “culture” issues with the Red Sox? It starts in the front office. Ortiz wasn’t making absurd demands, and it’s a telling sign that the Red Sox are finally showing him the appreciation he deserves.

Ortiz’s 2012 campaign was shortened to 90 games due to injury, but he still managed to put up numbers that would be a solid 162 game season for most of the league – a .318 average, 23 home runs, 60 RBI, 26 doubles, and a .415 OBP. But his own offensive contributions aside, Ortiz is the perfect fit for the rebuilding Red Sox. Will Middlebrooks recently said to ESPN, “He (Ortiz) always said if you’ve got any questions, call me. Any questions in the offseason — non-baseball-related, baseball-related – call me. It’s awesome. That’s why he’s loved like he is, he’s an open book to everyone. He’s been a huge help to me.” If the next generation of Red Sox hitters is learning from Ortiz, the future is bright.

Finally, there are the actual terms of Ortiz’s deal. He’ll be paid $26 million over 2 years, with incentives that can push his total pay to $30 million. Frankly, $13 million is a steal for Ortiz – and dangling a $4 million carrot in front of him for performance is a wise move as well. I would have been heartbroken if Ortiz had gone elsewhere, and I wouldn’t have blamed him given how he has been treated by the front office. I’m happy to say this worked out as well as it could have – I like your style, Ben Cherington.

When the the Red Sox were practicing their bunting down in Fort Myers this past spring, I would have told you that Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez, or David Ortiz would end up being the team’s 2012 MVP. Needless to say, 2012 didn’t go according to plan.

Superstars left. Bobby Valentine stayed. Injuries were abundant. All the excuses in the world aside, it’s a pretty damn tough task to come up with a MVP of any sort on this year’s squad. Alas, despite years at the bottom of the AL East the city of Baltimore continued to employ baseball writers, who hungrily awaited a season like this one. The coin has now flipped on me, and I must say it’s been hard to find any inspiration worth putting in (web) ink. But I’ll trudge on, regressing into Boston traditions of years past like by repeating “There’s always next season” much in the way that Dorothy willed herself back to her native Kansas by repeating “There’s no place like home.”

So while my TV will cower this October, hiding from the familiar sounds of playoff baseball until the Yankees are eliminated, I’ll at least make an attempt to highlight a few guys who did contribute in a big way for the 2012 Red Sox. This was no Marissa Miller over Petra Nemkova decision, but my 2012 Boston Red Sox MVP goes to…

2012 Boston Red Sox Most Valuable Player: Cody Ross – Cody Ross provided pretty much the only positive memory I have from the 2012 Red Sox season – a walk-off home run against the White Sox way back on July 20th. Ross’ numbers were also among the best on the team: .274 average, 21 home runs, and 75 RBI in 119 games. That computes to 162 game averages of 28 home runs and 102 RBIs – not bad for a $3 million player with one of the best arms out of right field in the game.

But more than the late-game heroics or the numbers, Ross appears the be the rare player that thrives in Boston. He wanted to be here, was always smiling, and seemed to excel in front of a packed house of fans just waiting to heckle him to death. He seems to be cut out of a similar mold to Ortiz, and I see him as very much a part of the Red Sox solution rather than the problem. Keeping him around in 2013 should be an off-season priority. Well done, Mr. Ross.

Runner-up: David Ortiz – Big Papi got off to a blistering start this year (for once) and kept it going throughout the year until his season was derailed by injury. Sadly, his numbers are still among the best on the team despite that fact that he only played 90 games: .318 average, 23 home runs, and 60 RBIs. Had Papi stayed healthy he was on track for a 41 home run and 108 RBI season – not bad for an old DH deemed unworthy of a two year deal. And despite his injury Ortiz was standing on the front steps of the dugout, game in and game out, keeping his teammates lose and the fans entertained.

Honorable Mention: Scott Atchison – Scott Atchison is a right-handed reliever who is 36 years old and makes $510,000 per year – the guy must suck, right? Wrong. Atchison was the best pitcher in the pen for the Red Sox this year, putting together a 1.68 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. In 48 innings pitched he struck out 35 while only allowing 9 free passes. In other words, in a season full of bleeding Atchison was the closest thing the Red Sox had to a gauze pad. I just have a hard time giving the team MVP to a reliever who only pitched 48 innings.

As for next season, I’m picking Jacoby Ellsbury – although I have a growing suspicion that there won’t be a “B” on his cap come spring.

I was recently playing golf with an old school Red Sox fan in suburban Boston. “The Sawx are a mess, that’s for sure,” the old-timer muttered. “But I don’t think Bobby Valentine is the problem, he really knows baseball.”

I swallow hard in reaction, unable to formulate words. My hands begin to quiver, and I yip a 3-footer dead left for bogey. I just don’t get it – I really don’t. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard “Bobby Valentine knows baseball” I could afford to pay Adrian Gonzalez’s contract next season.

When I look at Bobby Valentine, I see a guy who has gotten as little as he possibly could out of the 2012 Red Sox. Want to know about someone who knows baseball? He may run his mouth, but look at the Orioles’ Buck Showalter. While the Red Sox have had a hugely positive run differential all year, their recently slide has dipped them to a run differential of 8 runs fewer than their opponents so far this season. The Orioles have had a negative run differential all season – they’re currently at -19, even worse than the Red Sox – yet they’re 14 games ahead of Boston. That’s what you call managing your team – getting the most out of what you’re given. The Orioles are currently tied with the Yankees atop the AL East despite having a payroll less than have the size of Brian Cashman’s.

This is certainly maddening, and while Valentine will finish the season as the skipper of the Sox, I have serious doubts about whether or not he’ll return for next season. With the terrible possibility that he does looming, here are a few players who should at least fit in well with Valentine’s scheme in 2013.

1) Cody Ross – Cody Ross is one of few Red Sox who has made a convincing case for making resigning him an off-season priority. Ross is coming off the most productive season of his career, despite playing in only 2/3 of the Red Sox games. He’s made it clear he thrives in the confines of Fenway and has provided several of this season’s relatively few highlights.

2) Franklin Morales – Franklin Morales is still young (26), and unlike Daniel Bard he showed this season that he’s capable of handling the additional responsibility of moving from the bullpen to a starting role. He maintained a lowish ERA of 3.77 throughout the season, and you better believe that Valentine’s trust in him will not be lost on Morales heading into 2013.

3) Will Middlebrooks – Similarly to Morales, Valentine’s trust in Will Middlebrooks will likely not be forgotten. Middlebrooks played his way onto the team, thus allowing Valentine to move the issue that Kevin Youkilis was becoming. There’s good karma flowing both ways here, and with Middlebrooks growing up in Texas, I’m sure he’s gotten used to playing for managers who aren’t exactly cut out of the Terry Francona mold.

4) Andrew Miller – After a tough end to the 2011 season under Terry Francona, Andrew Miller seemed to find his role in the bullpen under Bobby Valentine’s tutelage. Like Morales he’s young (27) and lefty, making him valuable to Valentine. He managed to maintain a 3.53 ERA for the season.

5) David Ortiz – I don’t think David Ortiz loves Bobby Valentine, but I think he showed this year he’s willing to play for him and assume a prominent leadership role on this team. His real issue is with the front office, as I believe it should be. Ortiz showed that despite whatever his dynamic with Valentine might be, he can perform on the field. He was on a torrid pace from the get-go this season before being derailed by injury.

My preference is absolutely for Bobby Valentine to be shown the door immediately following the season, but if he’s not, it’s nice to know that there are some players who’ve shown they can play in his system.

ESPN’s Bustner Olney reports that the Red Sox clubhouse is toxic. David Ortiz, who has become a much more outspoken leader as of late (and is admittedly tight with Olney), vehemently disagrees.

“I run this (expletive) clubhouse right here. This clubhouse has no problem. The last problem this clubhouse had was last year when everything came down to what it was in (September), but since then everybody’s cool and everybody’s trying their best to win games. Everybody’s on the same page right now and we’re waiting for those guys who are injured to come back so our team gets into beast mode.”

God Bless you David Ortiz – you’ll assuredly land in Red Sox heaven one day. Your talk of owning the clubhouse and the Red Sox entering beast mode feels like Heidi Watney whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

While I don’t spend enough time inside the Red Sox clubhouse to be able to report on whether or not the atmosphere is toxic, I have a hunch that Olney is beating a dead horse this time around, trying to make an old story the current story. I’m sure there is displeasure among some of the players, but I think the picture he’s painting is likely well off base. They’re above .500, and they’re positioned to make a significant splash in the second half of the season. But toxic or not, I think that the Red Sox have three major reasons to be optimistic.

1) The return of the outfield – Many forget that last season Jacoby Ellsbury was 2nd in AL MVP voting – only a pitcher beat him out for the award. He’s the Red Sox spark plug, and his offense, defense, and baserunning will be a major boost for the squad. Sure, Carl Crawford struggled last year but every report out there cited that he had a great offseason – at the very least, Crawford’s speed will be a great addition to the lineup. With these guys coming back in the near future, the Red Sox have an additional two studs in their outfield. Better yet, they’ve got a stable of other outfielders who have played well in the absence and proven that they can contribute. Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross are day-to-day players almost anywhere else, and Daniel Nava and Ryan Kalish add even more depth if someone goes down.

2) The bullpen – So much has been made of the Red Sox bullpen, but they’ve really performed well as of late. Andrew Miller, Matt Albers, and Franklin Morales have all exceeded expectations out of the pen – Albers and Miller both have ERAs under 2.00. Better yet, Andrew Bailey (our true closer) should be returning soon.

3) Kevin Youkilis – There’s no doubt that Kevin Youkilis has been lousy this year, and I hate to say it, but I think it’s time for him to move on. Let me make on thing clear – Kevin Youkilis is not the problem here. Few players have played harder for the Sox, he’s great defensively, and he’s made a career out of being one of the most difficult outs in baseball. I think it’s fair to say that almost every Red Sox fan has huge respect for Youkilis and his contributions to the team. That said, I’ve seen enough of Will Middlebrooks to call him the future of the Red Sox at third base. Adrian Gonzalez belongs at first and not in the outfield, leaving Youkilis as the odd man out. I’d want to make room for him, except for the fact that he and Bobby Valentine (not to mention Josh Beckett) seem to not get along. Youk is a proud guy, a stubborn guy, and I don’t see him pushing his feelings aside. With so many potential suitors for Youk, the Red Sox could get something pretty valuable for him in return – hopefully in the form of pitching. It’ll be unfortunate to see him leave, but I think it’s the right move.

With 3 all-stars set to return to the lineup and one highly sought after trade chip, the Red Sox are in a position to make a significant push towards David Ortiz’s “beast mode.” The correlation between winning and clubhouse issues could not be more clear, and if the Red Sox get on a tear (as they did for most of the season last year) they could be a very tough team to beat.

Yesterday was a big day in Boston sports for me – I got to watch Tom Brady’s Funny or Die video, catch a Red Sox game from directly behind their dugout, and watch one of the finest performances of Rajon Rondo’s career. Phew – what a day. I think I learned a few things along the way…

Let’s start with the Celtics. First and foremost, they lost the game and this series is as good as over. Sure, there were undoubtedly missed calls, but those tend to even out over the course of any series in my eyes. But we did learn a lot about Rajon Rondo last night. I’ve been preaching the Rondo gospel for the past couple of years now, but also faulting him for the attitude that so frequently pisses off Celtics fans. That attitude was on display after game one, where Rondo blatantly called out D-Wade and Lebron James – a particularly ballsy move if you ask me. That said, Rondo put his money where his mouth was and stuck it to those guys to the tune of 44 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Better yet, Rondo was 2-2 from the 3-point line, 10-12 on free throws, and 16-24 from the field. It was a flat-out fantastic game, and it showed me that Rondo can play with anyone in this league. You get him ticked off enough and not only is the heart there, but he’s going to burn you – even if you are the NBA’s poster boy.

I’ve also been saying for quite a while that Derrick Rose is the single quickest player I’ve ever seen play, and hence, has a better first step than Rondo. Rondo’s entire game was elevated to another level last night – I saw him make crossovers and other moves I’ve never seen from anyone before, ever, Derrick Rose included. But it was Rondo’s ability to hit jump shots that truly showed the player Rondo can be if he continues to develop even a decent mid-range jumper. With his speed and a shot, Rondo would be perhaps the most difficult guard in the league to defend. It’ll be very interesting to see who is suiting up for the Celtics next season.

Transitioning to the Red Sox, I think this team is going to be just fine. While we’re still a little thin in the pitching department, our pitchers have started to actually pitch and I suspect we’ll land another arm at some point this season. Daisuke is still set to return, as are Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Cody Ross, and Carl Crawford. And even without those guys, the Sox have a surplus of talented players – so much so that we’ve got Adrian Gonzalez playing right field. Ryan Sweeney has been fantastic which was unexpected, Will Middlebrooks may be the future of the Red Sox, Mike Aviles is arguably the best offensive shortstop in the AL at this point, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia may very well be the starting catcher for the AL in the all-star game. The Red Sox are now two games over .500, and the entirety of the AL East is within 2.5 games of each other. Craziness.

Yesterday’s game saw David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, and Will Middlebrooks go yard, and a struggling Adrian Gonzalez drove in the go-ahead run. All that said, it was Jon Lester’s performance last night that showed me first hand why Boston is the best place in the world to play baseball. So much is made of the pressure and the expectations that come along with playing at Fenway that often the benefits are left behind. Lester pitched OK last night, pitching 6 2/3 innings while allowing 4 runs and striking out 7. He allowed three early runs, then generally settled down and kept the Red Sox in the game while eating up close to 7 innings. Lester was visibly upset at being  yanked from the game, but received a thunderous standing ovation for his efforts (he’s struggled in general this season) as he walked to the dugout. How many fan bases have you ever seen support a struggling pitcher by giving a guy that went 6 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs a standing ovation?

It certainly feels like this team is starting to come together after beating Detroit in 3 straight games, with Beckett on the mound for the series finale tonight. Following tonight’s game, the Sox open series with Toronto and Baltimore – and could very realistically be sitting atop the AL East standing at the end of that stretch. Will they? Who knows. But with so many key pieces returning later this year, there’s reason for optimism.

In the past couple of days it has come out that following Josh Beckett’s start on May 10th – the now infamous 2-inning outing in which he allowed 7 earned runs after playing golf – David Ortiz called a mandatory players-only meeting. Ortiz, who has shouldered a lot of unwarranted blame along with Dustin Pedroia for failing to be team leaders (they couldn’t stop the collapse last September all by themselves!) apparently gave the team something of a tongue-lashing and specifically called for the pitching staff to step up.

It seems as though the staff, and Josh Beckett in particular, took Ortiz’s words to heart.

Beckett has been lights out in his past two starts, throwing a 7-inning shut out with 9 strikeouts in his previous outing and throwing 7 2/3 innings last night while allowing only a single run. Perhaps more importantly, he out-dueled Cliff Lee. As one of Beckett’s only proponents left here in the Boston area, this is absolutely a “told you so” moment for me. Peter Gammons called Beckett a 4th starter last week, my roommate is calling for him to be traded, and the entire city sees this guy as being lazy and unmotivated. I for one see an incredibly talented pitcher – a pitcher with the type of talent that doesn’t grow on trees. Once again I will cite my favorite Beckett stat from last season – the man had a 2.40 ERA entering September, and he still finished the season 5th in the league in ERA (and better than the Yankees’ ace) at 2.89. If he had also received the “average” run support that the Red Sox gave to their other pitchers last season, he would have been 19-3 on the season. In other words, the man still has it.

My Beckett ranting aside, the Red Sox are now one game below .500 which also happens to be one measly game behind the Yankees, who seem to have put a very mediocre season together without much criticism of their own. But enough about the Red Sox and the Yankees, THE Baltimore Orioles continue to reside atop the AL East standings and are even the second best team in baseball at the moment behind the LA Dodgers.

Let’s just say I think there will be some shuffling as the season continues. What are we going to get out of Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Daisuke Matsuzaka once they return?

This past weekend I attended my first Red Sox game of the season, a 13-5 route of the Rays. We’re now 11 whole games into the 2012 baseball season – a whopping 6.79% of the regular season is complete. While it’s still far to early to draw any significant conclusions (hell the Orioles are leading the AL East at the moment), it’s not too early to have learned a bit about who this team is. Here are my five early takeaways from this young season.

1) Papi’s still got it – Hell with Stella, I say. David Ortiz never needed to get his groove back, yet it seems as though every year he ends up defending himself against the “he’s washed up and old” argument. Ortiz is off to a torrid start this year – through the first three games against the Rays this weekend, Ortiz was 9-13 with 1 home run, 3 doubles, and 8 RBIs. He’s hitting .395 on the season, and I think it’s fair to say he appreciated Bobby Valentine immediately flying down to the D.R. when he became manager and letting him know that he was wanted and was a priority. Better yet, Ortiz is hitting lefties this year – historically his weakness. In his own words, “they throw the ball over the plate just like righties do.”

2) Felix Doubront’s got some filth – Sure, it’s not like Felix Doubront has pitched a great game yet. But having watched both of Doubront’s starts, this guy has a serious opportunity the help the Sox this year. He’s lefty, has fantastic accuracy with a 92-94 mph fastball, and his curveball in particular has been impressive to me. I’m not saying we have an ace in the making – far from it – but I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen out of Doubront.

3) Bobby Valentine is a clown – We’ve all known this in the back of our minds, and I know I’ve been calling for patience. No, Valentine hasn’t had a fair shake yet and if the Sox go on to do anything good this year we’ll hear all about how people wrote him off so early. Regardless, I think this guy is an absolute clown. I saw it in person on Saturday for the first time as Valentine charged out onto the field and caused a stink (and interruption) about a phantom balk that no one else saw. He then made comments that were far to easy to misconstrue about Kevin Youkilis of all people, which were bizarre to the extent that Dustin Pedroia had to shut him up. “Maybe those tactics work in Japan, but not here,” was Pedroia’s sentiment. “He’ll learn.” When you are hearing that from Pedroia of all people, you know you’ve got a problem.

4) Your move, Benny boy – While the Red Sox still have a plethora of talented players, an injury to a starting pitcher could really derail the season. If the Sox are serious about contending this year, they’ll need to add another pitcher – and a good one at that. Whether it’s Roy Oswalt or somebody else, Cherington will need to make a move. Seize the day Ben.

5) The AL is as good as advertised –  In what I’ve been calling the most competitive season in the AL that I can remember, I think the teams we all expected to be great will live up to the hype. Sure, the Angels and Red Sox aren’t off to hot starts, but they’ll stick around. The Yankees have been pretty good, the Rays have proven to be better than expected (as they always do), and let’s just say the Rangers pounded the Red Sox 18-3 yesterday. Detroit is far and away the best team at this point and they show no signs of slowing down.

It’s a young season still, and I’m not as optimistic about the Sox as I have been in past years (see 2011). That said, this year is going to be one hell of a fun season to watch unfold. What will the standings look like at the All-Star break?

David Ortiz has officially arrived at Red Sox Spring Training, and in typical Big Papi fashion, he’s been no stranger to the media. Ortiz spoke at length yesterday, sharing insight into every Yankee fan’s  favorite collapse, his offseason, and his new contract with the Red Sox. Ortiz is now the elder statesman with the Red Sox, with Tim Wakefield retiring and Jason Varitek out of camp.

While Ortiz may be 36 years old, his production last year won him a Silver Slugger at the DH position; .309 AVG, 29 HR, and 96 RBI. For the $14.575 million that the Red Sox will pay him this year, that’s an absolute bargain. While Ortiz was really looking for a multi-year deal, he also lucked out to some extent – as opposed to the 2-year $18 million deal the Red Sox offered him, he’s getting paid only $3.5 million less for a single season worth of work. But while his offensive production will be crucial to the team’s success, his leadership ability is more important than ever before. Ortiz has always had a leadership style of his own, as evidence by his comments yesterday, “There’s a difference between being a leader and a babysitter,” Ortiz said. The man seems to know his role.

Perhaps more importantly, it seems as though the player-leaders on the Red Sox are on the same page. With regards to his relationship with Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz said, “In the offseason I talked to Pedey almost every day, because at one point, I kind of missed him.” I certainly have no doubt about the commitment of these guys to this team, and their focus on leveling the clubhouse ship this season. I for one am predicting the best season of Dustin Pedroia’s career.

Despite Ortiz’s famed post-season heroics, his personality is always what has made him such a unique player in the league – few players in the game as beloved as Ortiz. Luckily, the feeling is mutual. ”What motivates me to play the game, to do my thing out there, is when you walk out there and have all those people cheering for you. That has no price, to be honest with you. When I’m walking to the plate at Fenway and I hear all these fans, it puts me in the mood,” said Ortiz.

I for one am thrilled to have him back.

The Red Sox and their fancy new GM Ben Cherington are slowly starting to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. With baseball’s winter meetings underway, the Red Sox made some definite strides in the right direction yesterday. No, it was not assurance that John Lackey will never return or news of a new major signing. But it now appears that both Andrew Miller and David Ortiz will be back, under favorable circumstances.

Let’ start with Miller, who was mostly lousy last year after some early promise. The guy went 6-3 with a 5.54 ERA, far from stellar. This guy had one of the most successful baseball careers possible up until the major league level, where he has shown very little. That said, he’s got undoubtedly great stuff and is a left-handed arm. At the very least we’re looking at some lefty middle relief, and Miller should contend for a spot in the rotation throughout spring training. We wrapped him up for one year and $1 million, a contract I’d sign him to in a heartbeat. Solid move, Ben.

The real news is it looks like my boy David Ortiz is on his way back to the Red Sox. After initially offering Ortiz a 2-year deal worth $18 million (which he rejected as he should have), the Red Sox have now offered him arbitration which he must decide today if he’ll except. It would likely bring Ortiz back for one season at around $15 million. Supposedly Ortiz would like a 2-year $25 million deal, which to be honest I’d give him. But it seems as though both sides are close, and I’m for anything we can do to get David back at $15 million a year or less.

So why is this so exciting to me? Obviously because of the offensive production and leadership that Ortiz brings, but also because of how this whole scenario went down. Bobby Valentine flew to the Dominican on Friday, surprising Ortiz at a charity golf event that he was hosting. Said Ortiz, “That speaks to me. I’m impressed. That’s good stuff.” That’s exactly what Bobby Valentine needs to do – in winning over the hearts and minds of his players, he’s winning over us fans as well. A fantastic play by the Red Sox organization on this one.

So, why the hell would we want Ortiz back? I know that’s what I’ll hear in regards to this article. He’s a 36-year-old DH, limited shelf life, etc. We’ve been down this road before, and I’ll keep it as short and sweet as possible. Let’s take a look at David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, and Alex Rodriguez’s average season since Ortiz landed in Boston (2003-2011).

Albert Pujols
.326, 41 HR, 40 2B, 119 RBI

David Ortiz
.289, 36 HR, 39 2B, 114 RBI

Alex Rodriguez
.295, 37 HR, 27 2B, 113 RBI

Needless to say, Ortiz’s numbers during this stretch are on par with the two hitters considered the best of this generation. This also does not take into consideration his post season heroics, his breaking of an 86-year curse, and all of that. Not to mention the value that Ortiz has brought to his team over this period – he’s been paid $81.5 million, to Pujols’ $103.5 million, to A-Rod’s $241 million.

Yes, keeping him for another year or two should be a priority. High-fives all around to Ben Cherington and Bobby V.

While the Boston Red Sox weren’t able to get it done on a team basis this past season, several of their players certainly did shine individually. Since Major League Baseball began handing out 2011 season awards, no team has racked up as much hardware as the Sox thus far.

First were the three Gold Gloves awarded to Red Sox players, tying them for the most given to any individual team with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Adrian Gonzalez won his third Gold Glove (and first in the AL) at first base, Dustin Pedroia won his second Gold Glove at second base, and Jacoby Ellsbury won his first Gold Glove in center field.

A day later Ellsbury and Gonzalez were back in the spotlight, each also capturing the Silver Slugger, awarded to the best offensive player at each position. David Ortiz also got in on the action, capturing the 5th Silver Slugger award of his career at DH.

That’s a lot of hardware, and as I said before, a lot of talent for the Sox to work with going forward. Theo’s making moves out in Chicago – time to find us a manager, Benny boy.