C to Shining C (Crisp, Curt, Celtics and More!)

Regarding Theo, I feel as though I am all talked out on the matter. There's been a lot of speculation about whether or not the front office situation is as copesetic as they'd like us to believe. Well, I couldn't begin to know since (a) I wasn't privy to the specific issues in the first place and (b) I'll never know what solutions were put in place to fix said issues. If there's anyone out there who can enlighten me, I suppose that person is entitled to be skeptical. My gut tells me that Theo's return is fairly solid. I mean, how damaging would it be to his career if he soon left us again? He might be branded "risky" by virtue of his perceived intolerance.Thus, his fleeing then coming back could be seen as a good thing for Red Sox fans, as he is likely to stay put for a while. At least, this is how I choose to look at it.

The Crisp deal encountered a snag, but since available options for center aren't exactly sprouting up through the Boston Common snow, I am pretty sure that they are going to do everything in their power to seal it up.

So, with (1) Manny still in a Red Sox uniform, (2) Papi potentially extending his contract, (3) the additions of Beckett, Lowell, Loretta, and - hopefully - Crisp, (4) Youk as full-time 1st baseman, (5) Curt's statement on EEI yesterday that he feels better today than he did going into the 2004 season and (6) Theo returning as GM, I feel like we've got ourselves a pretty competitive team going into Spring Training. I still wonder what's going to happen with David Wells and if this Gonzalez thing is really going to go through. Both relatively minor things to contend with, I think.

Kaplar update, from Ian Brown with an e at the end:

Kapler is working hard to bounce back from his ruptured Achilles' injury. However, at this time, it is uncertain when he'll be game-ready. Kapler is hoping he can come back to the Red Sox once he regains his health, and I'm sure the club would want him back, provided there was an available spot on the roster.

Judging by the amount of e-mails I get on Kapler each week, he remains enormously popular throughout Red Sox Nation. I know that Theo Epstein, Terry Francona and just about everyone else in the organization also think highly of Kapler.

And lastly, the C's

I recognize that the Celtics started off rather slowly this year. The formula became somewhat predictable: Strike first, hold a 6-point lead in the 1st quarter, maintain a close game in the 2nd with tit-for-tat basketball strategy, then gradually implode in the 3rd. The 4th is generally unwatchable. I feel a turnaround, though. After the Ricky Davis Show that was Monday night's game (OMFG, it was unreal - he owned that court, scoring at least 32 points all by himself) and after watching the collective talents of Delonte, Jefferson, Pierce, LaFrentz, it isn't unrealistic to think that the C's could snag the division. They are in 3rd place with 6 games out (only 2 from the 2nd place 76ers). Also good - they don't have to play the Pistons again.