Olson’s Observations

While a blizzard just struck Chicago yesterday (and today too) and the regular temp including the windchill over the past couple weeks has hovered around -15 I am feeling warm this week. Why you ask? No, it’s not because new (read: functional) windows are being installed in my apartment which actually keep the cold out it’s because Spring Training is beginning.

Pitchers and catchers report this week and I, along with the rest of Red Sox Nation, will be keeping a close eye on our new (and very expensive) pitcher, Daisuke Matsusaka (Dice-K for short). He showed up in Fort Meyers yesterday and appears to be comfortable with the media already which is a must for any Red Sox player.

I have to say that I am very excited about this season and the 2007 Red Sox. We (and by we I mean Theo Epstein) have put together a great team this offseason and they are almost ready to hit the field. We have returning greats like David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Jonathan Papelbon who will continue to grow this year playing alongside rookies like Dustin Pedroia (2B) who we have watched through the Sox minor league system while looking forward to his big league start.

Along with the guys from our organization we have some new talent coming in from across the league. J.D. Drew is probably one of the more notable offseason pick-ups. He’ll be helping us sure up the outfield in right field (we’ll miss you Trot!) and will add some more hitting to the lineup.

Here’s hoping we can make something happen with all of this talent. I’ll be heading back to beantown for the April 21 game against the Yankees which I am sure will prove to be a blast.

If you’re into the Sox (Red not White) I recommend the following reading:

BostonDirtDogs.com
Extra Bases
The Official Red Sox Site

For general baseball info my favorites are:

Baseball Musings
The Hardball Times

Here’s to America’s pastime. Play ball!