Photo of Clay Buchholz (just after he pitched his no-hitter and just before Tina made us all want to tar and feather her) taken by Kelly O’Connor
In a poll on boston.com, 86% of the voters said they’re relieved that the Sox aren’t getting Santana and the "kids" are staying put.
86 percent.
It’s a new world for us, Sox fans. A world where we can acknowledge that Johan Santana is, arguably, the best pitcher around, yet also say, "Meh, but we really didn’t need him", and mean it.
I had been mulling over what I would consider a good trade for him, and concluded that any prospects I would give up, the Twins wouldn’t want. How ironic that they ended up trading him for prospects from the Mets, without even getting the most coveted prospects the Mets have?
Now, admittedly, I know very little about the Mets farm system. Yesterday on ESPN, Peter Gammons said that none of the guys the Mets gave up would be in the top ten of Yankees or Sox prospects. That could just reflect the difference in the quality of players on the National League v the American League (which I doubt) or it could be proof that the Red Sox and the Yankees got tired of the games the Twins were playing, both pulled back, and left them with no choice but to deal with the Mets if they were to deal at all.
So the Mets win the lottery, the Twins fans get shafted, and Yankees and Red Sox fans both say "At least THEY (Red Sox or Yankees) didn’t get him.
The Yankees not getting him is sweet. Johan Santana being out of the American League? Sweeter.
Nice job, Omar.
Also happening yesterday – the announcement that Tina Cervasio won’t be with NESN much longer. According to boston.com (yet again), she’ll leave us at the end of March to go back home and spend more time with her family. Story of my life. I just get used to someone and they bolt. I have never hidden the fact that Tina annoyed me. (From her pre-game, giggle-fests with Amalie Benjamin, to her name-dropping blog…with a smattering of baseball ignorance thrown in. – The night she announced that Red Sox fans might not know who Roy Halladay is because he plays in Canada will live in infamy for me.)
But, as many have pointed out to me, the sideline reporter in baseball is a job NO ONE really deserves to have. (Except Eric Frede. Bring him back, NESN!) They interrupt the game at crucial moments, they ask stupid questions at crucial moments (Tina Cervasio is also infamous for, inadvertently, making Clay Buchholz look a little dim moments after his no-hitter was complete, by asking him questions not many would have been able to answer in that situation) and they don’t add much to the game. (Again, except for Eric Frede. Bring back Fredo!)
The fact that most networks seem to pick the person for this job based more on her looks than her talent continues to annoy me as well.
So, I say goodbye Tina. Good luck in Jersey. And, folks, check out Jere’s comments on Tina’s leaving. He brings up an interesting question in regard to her baseball loyalties.
(And, yes, I realize if the Mets don’t offer Santana the extension he wants, we could go back to square one…let’s not focus on that just yet, huh?)
15 days until pitchers and catchers report!
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