Are The Red Sox Ready To Lead?

Cue the cheesy patriotic music, drop the huge flag for a backdrop and stand at the podium to make a soaring speech about the future of the Red Sox Nation. We’ll need Jerry Remy to fire up the base, Theo Epstein to make some final moves (see Mark Kotsay) and Wally to climb the Green Monster and get the crowd all riled up. It’s playoff season and the race for the top spot is on.

In that vein, look towards the final series between the Red Sox and the Yankees at Yankee stadium as the Iowa of this race. Remember, way back in January when nobody said he could do it, Barack Obama pulled out an incredible victory in the Iowa caucus? He was the under dog, but found a way to win. Hilary Clinton was unbeatable by most accounts and nobody, especially not an inexperienced Senator from Illinois was going to upset the apple cart, but that’s just what he did on his way to the nomination to be President of the United States of America.

So this, friends (had to throw that in there, because isn’t it sick how all the candidates say that now? I am not your friend. Nor will I ever be your friend. Just take the country in the direction I want to go and we’ll be good, but you’re not inviting me over for dinner at your house anytime soon.) is our Iowa. This is where the underdogs will become the favorites. This is where the Boston Red Sox, for all their injuries, all their Manny drama and all their time in 2nd place, will rise to the occasion and finally beat back the Tampa Bay Rays for the top spot in the AL East leaving the Yankees to play golf in October.

How can I be so certain? Isn’t this surge only working because we are playing the Yankees? The same Yankees who used to be the powerhouse of the AL East and now can’t find their ass from their elbows. Yes, the Yankees are terrible. Yes, the Red Sox should beat the Yankees. No, that is not why this surge is happening. It is happening because the Red Sox bats are alive and just in time for the playoffs.

Jason Bay has been on fire since coming to the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury are still pulling their weight. Yooooooouk is being mentioned as a possible MVP candidate (although he will never win it, even though he should.) Pitching is still a bit shaky, but is getting there and with some good relief coming in the form of Justin Masterson and of course Pap, we’ll be fine there as well. It remains to be seen whether or not Mark Kotsay will make a huge impact on the team or not, but he is always a threat when he steps to the plate, so it never hurts to have an additional bat in the lineup.

So wave your Red Sox Nation flags high and proud today. The Red Sox are bringing the change we need to the AL East. They have the experience and the wise leadership to lead the American League to another World Series crown. We can’t afford to let Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra continue the same old west coast dominance (hahahaha!!) and receive that shiny trophy at the end of the season (hahaha like that’ll happen.)