I will totally admit that I was skeptical when it was revealed 3 years ago that Theo Epstein would be taking the reigns as the GM of my beloved Boston Red Sox. I warmed up to him a little more when I found out that he romanced Schilling during Thanksgiving to get him on the team...actually sat with him for dinner. I was a more than a little upset when the deal went down with Nomar down to the minute of the trading deadline. I swore I could never trust another guy at short, but Orlando Cabrera was in fact the best fit for the job. He was with the team for less than 1/2 a year, and wound up with a ring. In all honesty and fairness, I realize now that deal was Theo putting the personal, final touches on the team that finally brought Red Sox Nation the much anticipated title of World Series Champions in 2004. For a "kid" it was obviously a huge accomplishment, and now it's an bullet point that will be in bold print on a pretty kick ass resume.

Every year Red Sox fans deal with a new roster, no team doesn't go through that. This year was no exception, Curt Schilling stated more than once that the team dynamic wasn't the same. The magic season, (yes the season that really started once Nomar flew to Chicago), was 2004. The magic season was Cabby's crazy high fives, Millar's ridiculous KFC commercials, Schilling's bloody sock, the powerhouse duo of Manny and Big Papi, Pedro sitting under that tree making the Yankees his "daddy"...we knew it wouldn't be the same.

We start this year with the "Battle of the Ball" and lose a great player in Mienkewicz (and no I didn't have to look it up to spell it!!) for Kevin "I'm so OVAH" Millar, get done over by the Queer Eye guys (who will NEVER be forgiven for putting V-Tek in sandals!!), Tito's in the hospital, Pedro's gone and kicking ass with the Mets, We lose D-Lowe to California and his wife loses him to a Fox News reporter, Bellhorn becomes a YANKEE and allegedly stops drinking, Schilling's injury is pushed to the limit and ends up hurting his performance and our chances for a repeat, Bronson Arroyo is too busy doing press for his album, Wakefield is too busy doing Bernie & Phyl commercials, I'm still in the "virtual waiting room" attempting to get tickets, Nomar hurts himself...again..., Johnny "and umm" Damon writes a book, Manny's being Manny...and NO FRIGGING TROPHY for the Red Sox this year! (**I know Nomar has nothing to do with the Sox anymore...but indulge me...I'm still obsessed**) Now Theo's gone...and even though he was the key to the Red Sox being the greatest baseball team in 2004, even though the players respected him...even though nothing I say matters because "I'm just a girl," there's no bringing him back.

Good luck, Theo...I wish you the best...unless you ever work for the Yankees organization...then we're in a fight.