Red Sox & Rednecks

Why some Red Sox insist on lambasting A-Rod all offseason (and now heading into spring training) isn't quite clear to me. Is A-Rod a nerd? Yes. Did it seem ridiculous when he tried to snatch Bronson Arroyo's purse when running down the first base line during the ALCS? Yes. Does he seem to be a poor fit personality-wise for the Yankees? Why not. But whatever the case, why do guys like Curt Schilling and now Trot Nixon feel it important enough to rip the guy?

Boston's outfielder praised Rodriguez's playing ability but said New York's third baseman wasn't the "Yankee type."

"I don't look at him as that. He might be in a lot of people's eyes," Nixon said. "He's done some great things on the field. He's one of the best baseball players in the game and probably will be when it's all said and done.

"But when people ask me about the Yankees, I tell them about (Derek) Jeter and Bernie Williams and (Jorge) Posada. I don't tell them about Rodriguez. ... He can't stand up to Jeter in my book or Bernie Williams or Posada."

It's all kind of weird to me. And as my buddy Mike pointed out, "Where the hell is Millar? That might be the first time i've ever read 3 straight sox articles and not seen Millar quoted."

Hmmm. Is it bad when Millar is made to look like the voice of reason (simply by not saying anything) when Schilling and Nixon are popping off? Just for future reference, anytime you've sided with Schilling in a discussion, you're probably wrong (or at least it will be made to look that way).

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Speaking of crazy people, I found this little nugget pretty funny:

The Red Sox insisted that the timing was purely coincidental, but hours after Derek Lowe's latest rips on the organization hit newsstands, they asked their former pitcher to remove his foot from his mouth and walk on off their property.

In yesterday's Herald, Lowe once again blasted Sox management for shunning him and went so far as to suggest that they mounted a smear campaign against him before he agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Fort Myers resident, who had been working out at club facilities at City of Palms Park with Sox trainer Chris Correnti, was informed during yesterday morning's workout with Trot Nixon [stats, news], Matt Mantei, Wade Miller and others that he was no longer welcome on the grounds.

Lowe interpreted it as retribution for speaking out against his former team, but Sox general manager Theo Epstein insisted otherwise.

This guy is a parking ticket away from "Falling Down." I just hope I'm there when it happens. I was contemplating whether or not I should get the MLB Extra Innings package so I can watch the Red Sox, but I'd get it now just to watch Derek Lowe pitch once a week. I mean, the guy's liable to go off at any time.

If there's one thing you can say about the Red Sox, it's that no matter how bad they're playing, they're never boring. Now, if they could just find some way to get Millar's mug in front of the camera a little more...