Mr. Awesome: Rare Appearance at First

I could have also gone with 'rare appearance at last,' which would have properly conveyed my excitement for Michael's return to the lineup. He'll be manning 1st base today, on this the day of Youk's 31st birthday. If only I could watch the game to see the magic that is Mikey Lowell. He's just one of those guys. You know, THOSE guys, who when I see them, I am a happier person. I'm still praying that we get to keep Mikey this year. Papi may look like he's in incredible shape, but his 1-21 showing thus far this spring could be slightly concerning. It's still early in the spring, but it's always nice to have a backup plan for each position. Is it fair to Mike to keep him as a backup plan? I guess we should really consider what's best for Mike, but I am a selfish, selfish girl. Also, I reiterate the fact that spring training doesn't really mean anything in the long run. For all I know, Papi could go on a tear when the season opens. I hope he does! I do love Papi.

Reading about Ryan Westmoreland today... man, this just isn't fair. This poor kid is only 19 years old, and it seems like every time he turns around, something happens to derail both his career and his health. Consider it. This is by far the worst of all the events that have happened to him since he signed on with the Red Sox. He's a talented kid out of New England, and in his first year with the Sox organization, he fractures his clavical. Now that he's finally healed from that and ready to start again, this happens. It's scary. I don't even know him and I'm scared for him. All I can say is that I'll keep him in my thoughts and I really, truly hope the surgery goes well. No 19 year olds should ever have to have brain surgery. But, we're going to stay positive here and assume that it's all gonna be fine, and 2011 will be the year that Ryan gets to make an impact in baseball. Best of luck, Ryan. We're all pulling for you!

In other news, the Commander is mysteriously ill, Jed Lowrie is ill, kids got sent down to the minor league complex, and Tim Wakefield is starting this afternoon. But, really, none of that matters in relation to what I just wrote about, so while I wish Tim all the luck in the world, he's sort of the least of my worries.