Two admiring bloggers from Red Sox Nation discuss a streaking Jaboby Ellsbury!

It says here that if Jacoby Ellsbury has a great season, the Red Sox will manage to win their third World Series in the last five years. What a run-dynasty-that would be. At the quarter pole of the 2009 season, the Red Sox are a deep and talented team at all positions-plenty of pitching and plenty of hitting. There is no superstar, though, which is why it may be necessary for Ellsbury to have a breakout year. Get on base often, steal often, score often and hit a few lead-off home runs. His steal of home against the Yankees, and twenty-two game hitting streak were the preview. With matinee looks to boot (and Scott Boras as an agent), this should be his year.

A year ago Curt Schilling called-out Kobe Bryant after observing him courtside in Boston during the NBA Finals. It was also evident watching Kobe on television, he was overboard-nasty, petulant and cruel. That Kobe didn’t make another appearance during the Finals, and this year his public image seems permanently changed. A lot of endorsement money may have something to do with this. Bryant already lost this once through a bad scandal several years ago-complete with a Clemens-esque lip-smacking public explanation that followed, but now Spike Lee has produced for ESPN, a somewhat fawning profile of the best-and in a way the worst-NBA player of his generation.

Dice-K returns to the mound for another long, deliberate, sleep inducing game!

Why is the most promising young executive in the Red Sox organization leaving? Mike Dee, the COO and #2 under CEO Larry Lucchino should be staying, to one day take over for Lucchino who is no spring chicken ( and has nothing left to prove). Theo is important, but the Red Sox, just like the Yankees, are a business first-specifically an entertainment product-and the business side of their ledger wags the dog. 86 years without a World Series victory was largely due to cheap, lunkheaded ownership and a few heartbreaking losses. The current owners are a savvy, powerful, and experienced team. Hopefully, they are not planning on selling anytime soon-hence Dee’s departure. Here’s hoping their wealthy, restless and recently randy owner settles down with a young bride and sticks around for a few more Championships.

Big Papi tries out a “Daily Affirmation Program” to help him hit his first home run.

Manny’s a no-show at the “Steroids Anonymous Meeting”!

As curses go, the Red Sox had a pretty good run with the 86-year Curse of the Bambino. Botox-resistant insecurity is etched into the psyche of any Boston fan over the age of forty. Turnabout would be just, if not fair play. True, the Sox tried to sign Alex Rodriguez and were willing to bust their thrifty ways to do so, but alas, the Yankees landed him and recently inked several more obscene contracts. The new curse against the Yankees comes from the welter of financial obscenity punctuated this Spring with a $1.5 Billion new stadium-a sea anchor of debt. A-Rod a Yankee? Curses!