Good News! Bad News!

Photo by Flickr user mikeyallswell

I stole the format for this post from U.S.S. Mariner, one of my favorite non-Red Sox blogs. I'm a sucker for exclamation points!! Here's some good news and some bad news as the Red Sox begin Part 2 of the 2006 baseball season:

Good News!
The three-day midsummer hiatus from real baseball (also known as the All-Star Break) will mercifully end tonight at 7:05 ET /4:05 PT.

Bad News!
Inexplicably the story about Manny Ramirez's knee and his choice not to attend the All-Star Game will not go away.

Good News!
Three Red Sox, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Mark Loretta represented the team well at the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.

Bad News!
Only two members of the Red Sox organization, Gabe Kapler (Bench) and Theo Epstein (GM), were selected for the "All Handsome Man Team 2006."

Good News!
Through 86 games, the Red Sox are 53-33, in First Place in the AL East, three games ahead of the Yankees and five games up on the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox are also only five games behind the Detroit Tigers, the team with the best record in Major League baseball.

Bad News!
The Red Sox are only three games up in the AL East. The Yankees have been without Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui (among others) for the majority of the season but have still been able to keep within striking distance of the AL East lead.

Good News!
The Red Sox defense has been nothing short of awesome. As a team, they have committed only 30 errors, the least in MLB by a wide margin.

Bad News!
Despite the improved defense, the Sox team ERA is 4.54 which is eighth in the AL. The back end of the starting rotation has been an issue. (At least the Red Sox aren't desperate enough to sign Sidney Ponson.)

Good News!
David Ortiz has hit like a machine all season. He leads the universe with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs.

Bad News!
Ortiz is way too good to be human and there is a chance that his superior alien race will remove him from earth before the MLB playoffs start in October.

Good News!
Curt Schilling's 10-3 record is evidence that he has bounced back to his 2004 form and despite a few shaky outings, Josh Becket (11-4) is on pace to win 20 games.

Bad News!
Schilling was hit on the right elbow by a line drive of the bat of Jim Thome on Sunday. Remember? The x-Rays were negative, but there is swelling.

Good News!
The "young guys" in the bullpen have been stellar. Papelbon, Delcarmen and Hansen will all be expected to pitch in pressure situations the rest of the way.

Bad News!
With the exception of Mike Timlin, the "old guys" in the bullpen have struggled. Julian Tavarez did have a promising performance in Sunday's 19 inning marathon in Chicago.

Good News!
Kevin Youkilis has been a huge boost to the Sox in the leadoff role. Youk is among the league leaders in OBP (.407) ahead of two other top leadoff guys: Ichiro! (.398) and (gasp!) Johnny Damon (.367).

Bad News!
Coco Crisp (.268 BA /.323 OBP) and Jason Varitek (.232 BA / 9 HR / 40 RBI) have been disappointing offensively. Let's hope they can hit pick it up in the second half.

Good News!
The Red Sox will play 44 of the remaining 72 games at Fenway. That is more home games than any other team in the AL.

Bad News!
These kids won't be able to sneak into Fenway for any of the home games. I don' t get it. Why leak that huge secret to a Globe reporter?

Good News!
The game is on and it's time to open an Alaskan Summer Ale.

Go Sox!
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