This week the Sox are set to do battle against another Sox team, and this particular matchup could have Wildcard implications come seasons end. This weekend, the boys in red will head to Chicago to take on the boys in black for a 4 game set at U.S. Cellular. This will be the first meeting of 2008 for these two teams, with another series coming to Fenway at the end of August. On the mound for the good guys will be young Jonny Lester, followed by Japanese sensation Dice-K, followed by the struggling young arm of Clay Buchholz, and closing with the dazzling and dominant Mr. Josh Beckett.

Another thing worth noting is that Kevin Youkilis currently leads the Red Sox in all 3 major hitting categories (.317 AVG. 17 HRs & 76 RBIs). Youk has been the back-bone of this team all season, and his lunch-bucket style is one all Red Sox fans can appreciate. With the departure of Manny, Youk will have to step up and maintain these numbers, rolling the boys right into October. Come on Youk!

In closing, I’d like to bid farewell to a former member of the Red Sox and introduce our newest member. Manny Ramirez was a stud on the Sox for almost 8 seasons. He led us to 2 World Series Championships, and was one of the most unique players to sport the Red Sox uniform. I can’t remember how many times I’ve said, “That’s just Manny being Manny.”

His calm and cool attitude had to have been a great attribute in the dressing room, and his presence in the lineup may have been one of the most feared in the game. Thank you for helping deliver the Red Sox their first World Series Title in 86 years, and thank you for everything. I know he will be sorely missed by all the fans, but I have a feeling his replacement will do just fine. So without further a due, I’d like to welcome fellow Canadian Jason Bay to the Boston Red Sox. I know you will wear your heart on your sleeve and compete every day.

At the break, the Red Sox currently sit in first place in the AL East Standings, just a half a game above the upstart Rays. In this year’s Mid-Summer Classic, the Sox have 7 players going, which ties the Cubs for the most representatives in the majors. Three of them are starters, two of which will be on the right side of the infield (Kevin Youkilis-1B and Dustin Pedroia-2B).

Dustin Pedroia brings his hot stick to tonight’s All-Star game in NY 

Can you name the last time two Red Sox players started on the right side of an infield in an All-Star Game? Well, it wasn’t that long ago; in 2006 (David Ortiz-1B and Mark Loretta-2B). That’s right, Mark Loretta started in the All-Star Game in 2006. Two years later, he’s a utility player for the Astros. How quickly the times change…

Not only will we be represented in the field, but also in the dugout. Manager Terry Francona will be calling the shots for the American League. I’m probably one of many Red Sox fans hoping that Terry will be searching for valuable information in Manager Joe Girardi’s desk prior to the game. The fact that the Red Sox will be sitting on the Yankees bench and coming out of their clubhouse is just uncanny. Here’s to hoping the AL can take another one.

This past week may very well have been the Red Sox biggest week of the season. After dropping the first 3 games of the week against the division leading Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox crawled into New York to take on their arch rivals.

The good guys managed to take the first game of the series, which snapped their season high 5-game losing streak. The Red Sox followed that up with another victory, but after taking the first two games of the series, they let the next two slip away and finished the biggest week of the season with a 2-5 record. This was not a good sign heading into the final week before the All-Star break. Let’s hope they can bring some better results this week as they return home to face the red hot Minnesota Twins and division rival Baltimore Orioles.