I’m typing this from the Detroit area Best Western thanks to being bumped off the plane back to Singapore (fortunately Northwestern gave me a nice travel voucher for my pains, although really couldn’t they come up with a better hotel?)… pity the season isn’t on, otherwise I might take the pains to see Comerica.
Anyway, it took me a while to figure out from Gordon Edes’ tortuous syntax in his opening paragraph that David Wells is starting the season opener, with Tim Wakefield starting the home opener. Wakefield’s a great choice for the home opener, having been with the Sox forever, but Wells? Hmm. The idea of using Wells to start the season against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium is immensely entertaining, a sort of giant screw-you to Steinbrenner, but I really would’ve liked to see Arroyo, the only other available starter who was in the 2004 rotation, take the start. Arroyo pitching to A-Rod seems to start things off… of course, Francona chooses to let actual baseball decisions get in the way, dagnabit:
Francona said a factor in his decision was his desire to have Arroyo make his first start against the Blue Jays in what will be Toronto’s home opener April 8. “One of his best games of the year last year was against Toronto,” Francona said, referring to the May 15 start in which Arroyo allowed just three hits in eight scoreless innings. (Boston Globe)
Oh, and the Sox lost to Baltimore 8-0… what is it with the Orioles and their Sox-bashing?