Looking over Valentine's career with the Mets and Rangers, he appears to have called for fewer sac bunts and fewer steals than the average manager. I don't think he's going to be having the club running into outs.

But there is a time for a sac bunt even with a great lineup in a hitter's park, and a time for a squeeze and a hit-and-run, and there are always times for steals with the right runners and right opponents. What Valentine is doing, I assume, is making the Sox practice these plays in game situations.

What's weird is that Tito didn't do this in spring. Shouldn't this be the perfectly normal best practice of every manager? (Or is it, and people are noticing here not because Valentine is an outlier, but because Tito was an outlier?)

In his fifth season as Yankees manager, Joe Girardi’s suddenly the grizzled veteran skipper of the AL East.

Uh, really? Maddon has been there a year longer and is significantly older.

And Ross looks like a great pickup. There’s no pressure on him to be ‘the guy.’

Uh, there's never been pressure on Cody Ross to be "the guy." There were 5 magical games in October of 2010 where he was, but no one assumed he would be.

Jim, how many times do I have to tell you that the AL East only goes as far north as Boston (maybe Toronto sometimes) and only as far south as New York?

Seriously Jim, there's no meaningful baseball in Tampa (Tampa!? I can't even keep a straight face) once the Yanks leave town.

The Red Sox are all in the best shape of their lives.

?On Andrew Bailey and Mark Melancon: “I haven’t seen anything to get excited about yet. I think (Alfredo) Aceves will be in the back of the bullpen eventually.”

Well, they've only pitched about 5 innings between them, anonymous scout. Bailey got a little knocked around, but he was up in the mid-90s, so I'm less worried about his stuff being there or not. As long as he's healthy, he'll probably be ok.

Uh, really? Maddon has been there a year longer and is significantly older.

I wouldn't refer Maddon to be 'grizzled', there's even a teddy bear made in his likeness!

The teddy bear is Don Zimmer. Seriously.

The bear is actually Don Zimmer, not Maddon.

Seriously Jim, there's no meaningful baseball in Tampa (Tampa!? I can't even keep a straight face) once the Yanks leave town.

Can't argue with that since Tropicana Field is in St. Petersburg!

Edit: I'm keeping the damn Cokes for myself so I'll give Dan one of my post-biking recovery chocolate milks instead.

What if he was a grizzly teddy bear? Would that make him grizzled?

I'm joking of course.

Good, I only like Mexican Coke anyway. #### the #### with HFCS.