April is over tonight and so are the first 25 games of the season. There are many negatives and positives to this month’s action, but it stinks that this month is ending on a negative note with today’s 5-4 loss.

Positives

– Papelbon set a club record with 10 saves in the month of April. After 13 games, he has yet to allow a run, has struck out 14, allowed 7 hits, and attempted to turn into the reincarnation of Rick Vaughn.

- Schilling and Beckett have combined for 7 wins, with both only suffering one loss all month. Together, the tandem have struck out 52 batters over the course of 10 games.

- Kevin Youkilis has settled in beautifully both at first base and at the plate. He has only committed one error and has saved the team from many more, stretching out well and digging balls out of the dirt like he has played first his entire career. He has a .317 average while knocking in 14 runs, and is second on the team (behind Manny Ramirez) with an OBP of .426.

- David Ortiz has not lost his touch after the long offseason. He set a club record for homeruns in April with 10, leads the team with 19 RBIs, and has a monstrous .624 slugging percentage. Theo Epstein also locked Ortiz up for four more years on April 10th, paying him $13 million a year and choosing Ortiz for the face of the Red Sox.

- The Sox started the season hot, going 11-5 in their first sixteen games of the season, one of the best records in the MLB.

Negatives

- The lack of offense that the Red Sox posses is glaring. They have reached double digits in runs once, and have only scored above five runs in 9 out of their 25 games. Worst of all, the Sox are batting a measly .235 with runners in scoring position, a statistic that is only worsening, as the Sox stranded 30 runners in 3 games against Tampa Bay.

- Coco Crisp’s hot emergence was cut short when he broke his left index finger’s knuckle in the fifth game of the season against the Orioles. In Crisp, the Sox lost a solid leadoff hitter and were forced to make a lineup change by moving Youkilis from the bottom of the lineup to the leadoff stop, creating a very weak bottom of the lineup.

- Josh Bard has done a pitiful job catching Tim Wakefield, allowing 10 passed balls and allowing 12 stolen bases. His dismal hitting has not earned Bard favor with Red Sox fans, as the backup catcher has only 5 hits on the season. He looks worse as the Sox are unable to score runs when Wakefield takes the mound, worsening Wakefield’s record to 1-4.

- The once pitching loaded Red Sox have found themselves pitching-thin. David Wells has been sidelined indefinitely with knee trouble after getting pounded in his two starts with the Sox. The late Spring Training trade of Arroyo for Pena is looking bad, with Arroyo off to a hot 4-0 start when the Sox desperately need a starting pitcher. Wily Mo Pena has not helped matters, as he has looked like a little leaguer in right field.

- The Sox ended the month by losing three straight series to the Blue Jays, Indians, and Devil Rays. They countered their 11-5 start with a 3-6 finish to the month, ending the month on a sour note.

The Red Sox start off May with a two game series against the rival Yankees. Anticipation is mounting as Johnny Damon prepares for his return to Fenway and the Nation awaits to see how he is recieved.

I got an e-mail from the Red Sox ticket agency saying "Red Sox Nation members now have the chance to bid for the opportunity to view a game from the Nation’s Nest, a special section located between the Green Monster and the Center Field bleachers, for the upcoming series against the Yankees on May 1 and 2."

I had signed up for the Red Sox Nation deal last year because it offered ticket opportunities. This year, they decided that fans who wanted special ticket opportunities would have to pay $50 for a membership, so I never renewed the membership. $50 is more than some seats at Fenway that my family can get from friends  who have season tickets.

Realizing that this might be my chance to go to a Yankees game, I clicked on the link from the e-mail to investigate a little further. That is when I realized what the Red Sox meant by bidding.

Basically, they are selling these tickets like an agency like ebay or acetickets are. Fans are actually bidding thousands of dollars to sit in bad seats way high up to see the Yankees game. So now, ticket "opportunities" from the Red Sox can net to $1200 dollars. Yes, $1200 dollars to get tickets directly from the Red Sox to sit in some of the worst seats in the park. It sounds a little like scalping to me.

vs. Type: Section: Row: Seats: Red Sox Nation Ticket Pack Monster Front Row! RSN Exclusive

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees + 2 Red Sox Nation Exclusive Seats, 2 Tee Shirts, 2 Green Monster Batting Practice passes, 1 parking pass, and a photo on the Green Monster Monday May 1, 2006 7:05pm

Current Bid: Bids: Ends: $1110.00 21 04/30/2006 4:00 PM EST View the Seats

It does not escape me how greedy these owners  are. I would not be surprised if they started charging fans to use the bathroom. The water is near $4. A small coffee from their new Dunkin Donuts is $3.79, compared to the $1.29 that D&Ds charges at their non-Fenway venues. I thought these guys are already millionaires. They can not possibly need all this money. It is not like our payroll is excessively high. We do not even have to pay the luxury tax this year. How much should I really have to  pay to see my Sox?

So today is my birthday. The Sox better win. (And I’m pretending last night never happened just so you know) I got my permit after waiting  forever at the RMV. I will only have it for six months, and hopefully will get my license in October, according to the guy working there. Remember, I live in the suburbs and it is very hard to find transportation that does not involve my parents’ cars to get anywhere. I am kind of depending on a license.

And on a side note, I am officially on the road in Massachusetts. You may not want to drive here any time soon.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I am incredible excited. I still look forward to getting older, especially turning 16. I get my permit tomorrow, though I do not know when I will get my license because Massachusetts thinks the smart thing to do is to change the age. I think drivers ed should be modified before the age is changed, but since I am not eighteen yet I do not have a say in it (stupid, since I’m the one who actually sees what goes on in drivers ed and talks to kids who have crashed their cars).

On a baseball note, I turned to www.bostondirtdogs.com today to see what they would have to say about Bard’s passed balls, and was taken aback to see this:

HE WILL COME AGAIN, IN GLORY: 4 DAYS UNTIL THE JOHNNY DAMON STANDING OVATION

Closer-of-the-Future Craig Hansen Promoted to PawSox

Gordon Edes Thursday Chat Transcript

The best at bat in baseball is the at bat after an intentional walk. In a way, intentional walks are offensive to the batter following that of the IBB. The opposing team is effectively saying "We are not scared of the man on deck, but the man at the plate is making us quake in our boots. Let’s go after the weak guy." That sentiment leaves the "weak" batter looking for vengance, aching to smash the next pitch over the fence.

That is why Ortiz in the three spot with Manny batting cleanup is genius. In no way is Manny Ramirez weak, and Ortiz is not on a different level hitting wise than Manny is. Boy did ManRam prove that last night.

Though he has not gone yard in Fenway yet this year, it will not be long. Manny has hit 3 homeruns in 4 games on the road, and had a 3 for 4 showing last night at the plate. He is managing to bat .300, has 12 RBIs, 16 walks, and a .430 OBP. Not too shabby.

For an All-Star caliber player, Manny sure does get complained about a lot. Yes, it is a distraction and a problem for the team when a player complains constantly and is always asking to be traded. However, sometimes, the player may be worth all the trouble. What makes Manny unique is the fact that whatever may be going on off the field disappears once he strides between those two white lines.

Manny may ask to be traded one morning, but that night, he’ll step up to the plate and hit a homerun, or a double, or make a great catch in left field. Many tend to complain about Ramirez’s spotty defense. This year, number 24 has been great in the field, making no errors at all so far this year. Last year, he only made 7, and he led the league with 17 outfield assists. While his gaffes always seem big, they are not as bad as other players have been.

As for losing count of how many outs there are in an inning, Trot does it too, as both flipped the ball into the stands with only two outs. His bathroom breaks in the Monster are only a problem for the scoreboard man, and in the long run they are entertaining.

Yes, he asks for days off a lot, but Manny also works a whole lot more than he gets credit for.

"he’ll spend the post-batting practice moments much like he did on Friday — taking more batting practice in the tunnel behind the Boston dugout."(Notes: Manny Trying to Find Groove, redsox.com)

It is not unfamiliar news. A person watching NESN will hear it said over and over again. Manny is a student of the game. He studies hitting until his eyes cross. There is a good reason why he is one of the greatest hitters in baseball today.

If what Manny says is annoying, get some ear muffs. Though he’ll say outrageous things, Manny is invaluable on the field, no matter how slow he seems to start the season. It’s just Manny be Manny.

So yesterday I commented on Bonds when I wasn’t really meaning to (it just came out somehow). Since it is an off day and there is relatively little news besides The Ball now residing in Cooperstown, why not waste some time on Bonds and ‘roids?

As for Bonds, I think he is guilty. Guilty of steroid use, guilty of perjury, guilty of destruction of MLB record books. Some people say that steroids did not help him steal bases. While his base stealing may possibly have been more natural than his home runs, Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery also used steroids (similar or same as Bonds) which made them run faster. So there you go.

I know that Bonds is not alone in use of steroids. I know that there are white men, latinos, nice men, quiet men, and any other stereotypical men who use(d) steroids as well. MLB is extremely lax in terms of disciplinary action taken against  steroid users.

The current policy reads as:

• First failure to comply: 15 to 25-day suspension or up to a $10,000 fine
• Second failure to comply: 25 to 50-day suspension or up to a $25,000 fine
• Third failure to comply: 50 to 75-day suspension or up to a $50,000 fine
• Fourth failure to comply: at least a one-year suspension or up to a $100,000 fine.
• Any subsequent failure(s) to comply: The level of the discipline will be determined by the Office of the Commissioner.

• First positive test result: 50 game suspension
• Second positive test result: 100 game suspension
• Third positive test result: lifetime ban

All suspensions are without pay.(wikipedia.org)

Under this policy, not agreeing to a test is not that big of a deal. 15 days off and it is over and done with. A player should not be able to choose whether or not he is tested and play baseball at the same time. A player can also be caught using steroids twice yet still be able to play ball (though surely issues with the team could ensue). MLB is basically saying "use steroids, and if we catch you enough times, we might ban you forever."

The other problem with steroids is that now, every player is doubted. Example: Chris Shelton. The guy barely makes the Tigers last year, and this year starts off the season leading the league in home runs. Questions of whether or not he is on ‘roids are starting to pop up all over the place. The same thing happens with David Ortiz. While I’d like to think both players are clean, I know there are steroids that do not show up in MLB’s testing. Now, every time some player does something great, a small voice in the back of my head doubts them.

I’d like baseball to be simply baseball again, like when I was seven and did not know about drugs. I would love to look at David Ortiz or Nomar Garciaparra and not have question marks in my head. Barry Bonds is not the only steroid user, the only player who has ruined the integrity of the game, he is just the poster boy. With Bud Selig and MLBs lackadaisical view on steroid testing and punishment, there will be many more like him to come.

Wild thing, you make my heart sing . . .

I am really glad to see Foulke do well. I know that Papelbon absolutely rocks as a closer, but if we can get Papelbon starting in place of Wells and Foulke closing like he did in 2004, we’ll be in great shape. Papelbon did not look very sharp early on today, but after I changed my seat he did much better. Funny how those little superstitions seem to work.

Bonds also hit his 709th home run yesterday. That stinks. There are many people, MC Hammer included, who think this whole steroid deal is about race. The reason why Bonds is targeted is because he is the one who has had the most success with steroids. Yes, McGwire broke the single season record for homeruns, but he slowly faded after that. Bonds consistently got better and better starting in 1999 with his use of steroids. With his pursuit of Ruth and Aaron, Bonds is making the most news over the longest amount of time. It also cannot be proven whether or not McGwire used steroids since he has retired and was never tested or investigated while using ‘roids. Bonds, however, has been both tested and investigated. From his testimony and documents discovered while Bonds was on roids, it can be deduced that his numbers aren’t real. He singlehandedly is ruining the record books of baseball.

Youk is back at first, Gonzo is in short, we have ‘Tek back in the lineup and Clement, a pitcher who is not going down to Pawtucket once the shuttle comes around, is on the hill. Today folks, the Red Sox are actually going to try to win.

The chances in this one look good. Towers is 0-3, and the Sox beat up on him last Monday for a win. Clement is coming off a pretty good start, and the regulars are definitely rested. Add to this combination the fact that the Sox have motivation (avoid the sweep) to win this game, and it looks like this Sunday will definitely be better than Friday and Saturday.

I had hoped the Sox would have at least won one of the games they played while I was in the land of the Evil Empire. In truth, I never expected DiNardo to do well in today’s game. With Halladay versus DiNardo, I would put money on Halladay. Once again, Tito put out his half-asked line-up, but it is very understandable as  last night’s twelve inning affair probably took a toll on the players. I wonder what the line-up would have been like if they won.

After a long day at Ithaca College and a longer (7 hour) car ride with my parents, I am pretty worn out (if you can’t tell by how much my writing right now *****). Maybe Clement can get the Sox started again tomorrow, they’ll beat up on the Indians and Tampa Bay, and then the momentum will be going the Red Sox way when Johnny Damon makes his return to Fenway.

By the way, nice mohawk Papelbon!

Wild thing . . .

I’m a Red Sox fan through and through, that I assure you of. But I am human too. My heart goes out to Yankees reliever Scott Proctor after seeing this news.

My good friend had a heart transplant four years ago, my neighbor had open heart surgery, and my cousin had a heart defect, so I’m pretty sensitive about heart troubles with kids. I hope Proctor’s little girl feels better soon.