RED SOX EXERCISE 2009 CONTRACT OPTION ON RHP TIM WAKEFIELD

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today exercised the 2009 contract option on righthanded pitcher Tim Wakefield.

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

Wakefield posted a 10-11 record and a 4.

I’m not sad.

There are things I keep playing over in my mind, sure. The fact that Alex Cora started at short. The fact that JD Drew didn’t actually go around. The fact that Pedroia “just got under it.”

But I’m not sad.

It was a damn great series. And they’re one hell of a baseball team. They played us tough, and we gave it right back to them, and in the end they edged us out by just that much.

This just in.

You know it's a big deal when 88-year-old men feel compelled to blog about it the next day:

"In a surprise move, Red Sox manager Terry Francona last night accepted an offer from Senator John McCain to supervise every aspect of his faltering campaign for the Presidency in the period remaining before November 4th, Election Day.

If nothing else this October, we’ll have this.

Good Lord.

What is it with these guys?

Is there something hardwired in their DNA that makes it difficult to thrive in any situation other than teeth-grinding adversity? Are they like a writer (say, like me perhaps?) who’s able to produce only with a Damoclean deadline looming over his head?

Where to begin?

Well, a good, if counterintuitive, place, I suppose, is the first inning, when the sun was shining warmly on red-bedecked fans, and Jon Lester retired the side on just four (4) pitches.

Hot dog! It seemed from the get-go like we were in for another gem.

Here, for posterity, is a photo I snapped of Lester — avant le deluge — as he struck out Carl Crawford in the second.

Yes, it appears this series may be destined to be a long one.

One hopes so, at least.

Despite the Sports Guy’s incredulity that the run-up to the 2008 ALCS was “like getting ready to watch Floyd Mayweather fight Jonathan Lipnicki for the welterweight title,” these are two well-balanced, well-matched, and close-scoring baseball teams.

Don’t have much time for a long post today, but amidst the celebration, as we debate our rotation and size up the competition (good to be reminded that Lester is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA against the Rays this season), I did want to extend some condolences.

To Mike Scioscia, for having his shrewd small-ball tactical maneuver blow up in his face

Alex Cora grounded out to end the game.

And Javier Lopez was tagged with the loss.

Five hours and 19 minutes of baseball is far more than I’m inclined to recap here.

So, as you down your third cup of coffee, wondering what’s become (and, perhaps, what’s to come) of Josh Beckett and Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell's hip, here’s something that will hopefully lighten your mood.

In the words of Wayne and Garth, "Game on!"

And so it begins. The Red Sox, as you're no doubt aware, are about to embark on their second consecutive postseason, once again facing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the first round. The game will begin at 10:30, and I'll be here all night. I may need some extra caffenation to make that possible, but I'm up for it.

PITCHERS (10): Josh Beckett; Paul Byrd; Manny Delcarmen; Jon Lester; Javier Lopez; Justin Masterson; Daisuke Matsuzaka; Hideki Okajima; Jonathan Papelbon; Tim Wakefield.

CATCHERS (3): Kevin Cash; David Ross; Jason Varitek.

INFIELDERS (7): Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Mike Lowell; Jed Lowrie; David Ortiz; Dustin Pedroia; Kevin Youkilis.