While Kevin Thomas and Mike Antonellis are at spring training reporting on the Sox and Sea Dogs, I thought I would take a peek at the opposition.

We must first look to the Yankees, the odds-on favorite to win the A.L. East, according to most "experts." Though, as usual I have different ideas.

Okay, it has finally arrived. Now, I'm a sucker for most fantasy publications. If my wife ever found out how much I really spend on preparation, she may file for divorce. But today, I picked up, the one true fantasy cheaters guide - USA Today's Baseball Weekly 2007 Fantasy Extra.

This has everything that you will need to get you through your draft. 28 pages of baseball analysis geared for the fantasy head. What I love the most is the commentary for every useful player.

Who should you set your sights on in '07?

I'm starting to cram for my draft exam. My fantasy draft will be held on Sunday and I'm not really ready. My team name: The Green Monsters. I wonder how many other Green Monster teams are out there? I bet quite a few though I have had it for a few years now.

Each team starts with 300-"dollar" budget to field a team that includes eight pitchers, two catchers, five outfielders, one player for each position, a corner man, a middle man and a utility man.

Over the last few weeks I've changed my strategy about 100 times. Lately, I've been concentrating on pitching. This of course goes against conventional wisdom. But I've never really had a top-noth starter. Sure, I've had a few "sleepers" who have turned out to be high-valued comodities. But never a Johann Santana-type.

One of the main reasons: Santana will go for $100 - a third of the overall budget! I can't justify the spending. So instead I'll concentrate on the Josh Becketts of MLB and hope I can parlay my "savings" on some hitting.

The U2 song, "Beautiful Day" is stuck in my head this morning.
Yes, my beloved Sox earned a 'W' last night facing their biggest rival - the Yankees.

Spring training or not is was still a victory. I was impressed with the youngsters and the not so young making a difference in this one. For instance Joe McEwing scored and drove in a run. It will be most difficult for him to make the 25-man roster. Although versatile (he's played nearly every position), he's made too many errors and he's 35.

Yankee starter Carl Pavano is getting alot of applause for his outing. NY Daily News appreciated his effort.

I saw a different game. I saw Pavano give up two runs. I saw a Red Sox lineup making contact. The four hits allowed could have easily been six or seven had the ball hadn't been driven right at the defense.

But it isn't bad for his second outing since June '05. If he continues at this rate, the Sox will have a tough time winning the division title.

I relished the opportunity to sit and watch the Sox with my son as my daughter took a late nap. Truth be told I was near nap mode myself, but I needed to Matsuzaka again.
Not the best outing. Is it time to panic? Not on your life.

I'm rather pleased he got roughed up. I'm sure the $50-million contract hints what we all know - he has talent. But to help focus he needed an outing like that.
Now, he'll learn from it.

I wish I could get the seats that Belichick and Pioli got. I'm sure it wasn't easy signing Dante Stallworth from the Sox dugout.

The VanDyke looks menacing enough but what is scarier - Kevin Youkilis looks like David Wells. I've been trying hard to change my thinking of Youk, but this isn't helping. His .429 average and attitude in the clubhouse sure do. Was I wrong? Perhaps. The jury is still out. I hope he continues to mock me.

Speaking of Youkilis...I checked out the "Daughters of Kevin Youkilis" Web site today. The takoff of "Sons of Sam Horn" did little to enlighten me. It lacked a friendly design and content to keep the casual user from coming back. Unless things change, they've lost me.

There are plenty of Red Sox bloggers out there.
And now a new competitor has arrived.
Curt Schilling has started his own blog. This isn't the first time a professional player has a blog, but it may be the first time a pro I writing his own stuff in a more timely manner.
He has already entertained me with his first entries. I'm getting a better sense of who the Ace pitcher is.
Ever the skeptic, I wonder if fans are getting played.
It's not always what a person writes or says, but what a person doesn't write or say that could be equally noteworthy.
In his last entry, Schilling writes how great Mr. Steinbrenner is and how great his former boss in Arizona was. Spend, spend, spend.
But he doesn't really mention how his current bosses are operating.
He doesn't come right out and blame Varitek for calling for a fastball, but he does write that he questioned throwing the pitch before it went sailing over the wall. (Nevermind that the location was off.)
I will be reading it regularly, but with caution. Do not believe everything you read. Well, unless I wrote it.

If the Red Sox are selling, I'm buying.
The team thus far is shaping up pretty well.
The rotation could be its best asset. And, I'm not alone in that belief. The official site says the five have the potential for greatness.
I've seen most of the starters thus far, though I have yet to see Wakefield (he pitched three shutout innings last night however).
But I have seen glimpses of Jon Papelbon, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Curt Schilling.
The five of them could be near close to 90 wins this season. Okay maybe 80. That's only 16 wins each. Even in Beckett's off-year he earned 16.
Beckett needs to get his curveball back - blisters or not. Without it, he is just as good as done.
Schilling has got to lose some pounds, unless he wants to miss portions of the season on the DL, that could ruin any chance to an offseason payday.
Matsuzaka, near as I can tell, needs not do anything but stay the course.
Papelbon needs to be on a short leash for a while. If he is to stay in the rotation, Boston had better treat him with kid gloves.
As I said I have not seen Wakefield, but do I really have to? There's little surprise there. He's 41 and though his arm may not take a beating throwing the knuckler, the back could be a concern. And he's trying to perfect his curve.

Yes, that's right, the first game of the season. Well, okay so it was the first spring season game. Either way I'll take it.

I watched the first couple of innings as Curt Schilling threw the stitched orb to his battery mate. There he was larger - much larger - than life.

Schilling looked to be a tad bit overweight, eportedly in camp at a hefty 248. Whoa, that's pushing David Wells area. I was surprised.

Especially after all the hype about wanting to stay in a Boston uniform, I thought he'd show up game-ready. I was mistaken.

I don't think that I'd sign a 248 lb. 41-year-old for a cool $13 mil, but maybe at the end of the year when he's a, err, stealth 236, I may be inclined.

It should be noted that Schilling threw like 15 strikes out of 19 pitches.

Regardless, it was live baseball on the flat screen; beer in-hand; lounging on the couch. What more could I ask for?

I no longer thought about the pending snow storm. The children were asleep. And for the first time in a weeks I could simply relax.

Even the roll of my wife's eyes couldn't tear me away. She even joined me for a couple of the late innings. No easy task when no recognizable players were then on the field. In fact, we used the time to purchase tickets to a couple of August games.

I didn't care that the game ended in a 4-4 tie. I didn't worry about the lack of a closer. It didn't bother me when I watched a Julian Tavarez fastball almost decapitate a opposing batter. Two errors by third baseman Joe McEwing? Whatever.

There will be plenty of time for that.

My friends had returned. I caught glimpses of Julio Lugo, Youk, Ortiz, and Varitek. I witnessed Sea Dogs players trying to break camp. I spied some organizational competition.

It was baseball. It was the Sox.

Oh, and Matsuzaka on Friday night at 6 p.m.

Yes, life once again is good.