The Boy Wonder Returns...without the Gorilla suit!

Welcome Back, Theo!

So, I was just talking to Neverecho about how I need to start posting again. (My apologies for my silence) I was focused on some other writing projects and therefore have not been following the sports as much as I normally do. Except of course for the 8-6 UMass Minutemen (3-1; A-10) but I imagine there are not many folks reading who want to hear about that.

And...quite frankly, I was asked by so many of my New Yorker non-baseball fans about the Johnny Damon situation, I didn't even want to talk about it.

However, once I had my time back, there was nothing going on in sports¹...NCAA has not had many huge stories. Larry Brown is struggling in NY, but that won't last. Neither my Pats or my Bucs are in the playoffs (PLAYoffs??) so there is not much football for me to watch. And, even Andrew Raycroft is hurt.

The MLB offseason has not been that smokin' since Johnny Damon. Let's face it, the biggest story was whether or not A-Rod was planning to represent his home country or defect for the World Baseball Classic. Oh, poor widdle A-Rod, he doesn't know where he wants to play. How about your home country - the one you were born in, jackass! There was a transit strike here in NYC stranding 7 million real NY'ers, during the coldest days of the year and A-Rod is stressed about the WBC! While your blue lips are trembling just thinking about it, send your limo over and give me a ride to work, Slappy!

Ok, venting done. Forget A-Rod, forget Raycroft, forget UMass basketball this season, but look out next year. And, forget the NFL playoffs, but tonight I got the news.

As I was writing this little post, I got a zap on the ole' sports news wire that Mr. Theo "the boy wonder" Epstein is rejoining the Red Sox. As posted on ESPN.com:

Epstein and Red Sox management issued a joint statement Thursday saying he will return to the organization full-time, but they did not say in what capacity Epstein would rejoin the team. His return had been rumored almost since the day he slipped out of Fenway Park wearing a borrowed gorilla costume to avoid the media.

"As you know, we have spoken frequently during the last 10 weeks. We have engaged in healthy, spirited debates about what it will take over the long-term for the Red Sox to remain a great organization and, in fact, become a more effective organization in philosophy, approaches and ideals," the statement said.

Seriously, for the rest of Red Sox Nation this is not much of a surprise. As the story says, it has been rumored since day one. However, like watching the overdone but always lovable Law & Order, we don't care if we have seen the same episode every week for 17 years, it still feels right to hear the "dun/dun". So, despite the rumors, it feels save to know that Theo is back...officially.

This is the place for Theo to be and it makes no sense to see him anywhere but back with the ole' town team. Sometimes, you CAN go home. Welcome back! Now, get us a damn lead-off hitter!!!

Footnotes:
1. Big mjunior apologies to Greg and Pico because the College Bowls turned out to be quite amazing. I don't follow much College Football, so I usually don't have much to write about.