Sports Redux: Five to One, One In Five, No One Here Gets Out Alive

Part of us thinks that a team that's scuffling as bad as the Red Sox are right now deserves to have five guys named to the All-Star team. But we do recognize that the honor is bestowed upon players based on the entire spring's production, not just the last couple weeks of lousy baseball, so let's give credit where credit is due. Manny, Papi, Lowell, Beckett, and Papelbon are all going to San Francisco for some glitz, some glamour, and a year's supply of Rice-A-Roni.

Now that we've got the woe-is-us out of the way, let's refocus. Kevin Youkilis got left off the team (shame!) and will require someone to get hurt to have a chance to make it. Sox fans can rectify another injustice and vote to get Hideki Okajima on the team as the last-minute fan addition.

Maybe the stress over the ASG selections is part of the reason that the Red Sox have looked as bad lately as they have. Yesterday it was the Rangers' Kameron Loe who looked like All-Star material, carving through the Sox' suddenly-impotent lineup to the tune of six hits and one lousy run in six innings. 2-1 Texas.

The saving grace is that everyone who thinks they can catch the Sox is playing equally poorly. The Yankees continue to be a slow-motion train wreck, and the Blue Jays just got swept in Seattle. We know how they feel; what we don't know is why Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said yesterday, "Enough!" and resigned.

Finally, Herald columnist Steve Buckley caused a little brouhaha when he insulted the city of Durham, North Carolina. So he got an invitation from the AAA Durham Bulls (yes, the ones from the movie) to come down, spend the day at the ballpark for a complete "Durham Bulls Experience". He got all-access, got to hang out with the coaches, sell peanuts, work the scoreboard and the PA, and sing the seventh-inning stretch. Let us just add to this: You stink, Durham. We hate you. A lot.