Having had unprecedened access while preparing his excellent book about the Sox, Seth Mnookin knows of what he speaks when he writes about the team. He offers an upbeat take on the Sox in Boston magazine.
One day after tabbing the boys to win the AL East, my ingrained New England pessimism is creeping back. Varitek is showing worrisome signs of having forgotten how to hit. Coco has the fugue. But Julian Tavarez promises to be entertaining, climbing the hill every fifth day.
SI's Tom Verducci takes on Matsuzaka-san's famed gyro-ball. (h/t Bruce Allen's Boston Sports Media.)