Youk Charity A Winner

The charitable works of Red Sox players like Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield are well known to most fans. But, many probably don't know of the tremendous work done by Kevin Youkilis and his wife, Enza. Their "big idea" was to focus attention on the smaller, but no less worthy, charities that serve kids in the Greater Boston area. By raising awareness and funds for these groups, Kevin and Enza have allowed them to flourish and serve the needs of even more kids.

Organizations like the Italian home for Children, Christopher's Haven, the Joslin Diabetes Center, the Nativity Preparatory School, and Birthday Wishes are among the organizations that get an extra boost from the fundraising efforts of "Youk's Hits For Kids". As Enza Youkilis stated last night at the gala fundraiser at Mohegan Sun, "Last year, we raised our first million". Not bad for a relatively new charity that is gaining steam by the minute. Other highlights at last night's event were a "Family Feud" face-off between the Youkilis Family and the Francona Family. The most noteworthy piece of news? Terry Francona thinks Mariano Rivera is the "sexiest" member of the New York Yankees. Let's not go there.

If you'd like to help out Enza and Kevin Youkilis in their efforts to help kids in need, go to their website, Hits For Kids, to find out how.

Sox Fans, Give Thanks

Aside from the really important reasons to give thanks today (a healthy and safe family, living in the greatest country in human history), Red Sox fans can rejoice in the fact that they can root for a franchise that is among the truly elite in all of sports. With two World Championships in the last 5 years and the prospect of perennial contention, ours is an enviable position. In seems silly now to think we were in league with Cubs fans not long ago.

Much of the credit for this goes to the ownership group of John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino—and, of course, the brilliant and gutsy Theo Epstein. I've occasionally been critical of the "NOG"—but only for its unwillingness to build us a 21st Century, state-of-the-art New Fenway Park. Everything else they have done has turned to pure gold. And, if I have to sit in a creaky near-century old ballpark, at least it has become fan-friendly.

So, let's sit back in our Trytophan-induced stupor and say "thank you" to the Baseball Gods.

Tazawa Signing End To Pro Ball In Japan?

The imminent signing of Junichi Tazawa to a Red Sox contract will have ramifications far beyond the confines of Fenway Park. In fact, the so-called "Tazawa Rules" (allowing an amateur player to request not being drafted by Japanese pro teams) may set in motion a chain of events that lead to the demise of professional baseball in Japan. As baseball fans, should we care?

It's a tough one. On the one hand, the addition of the 22-year old right-hander (probably to the AA Portland roster in 2009) will make a deep Boston pitching landscape even deeper. On the other hand, it will be another major splash by the Red Sox into the insular machinations of the Japanese marketplace. First, we plunked down more than $50 million in "posting fees" to land Dice-K, then wangled Okajima to Boston, and now we are the first team to set a new precedent by preventing a young amateur from ever playing pro ball in his home country (the new rules allow such a player to come back after 3 years in MLB, but, realistically, this will never happen).

If Tazawa is successful, it is likely that every other top-level amateur will look to America to score their fortune, and Nippon Professional Baseball will wither and die. Despite the phony protestations of Brian Cashman (the Yankees would never violate the unspoken non-tamper agreement with NPB), the truth is the Yankees have been burned by their Japanese excursions (with the possible exception of Matsui) and are therefore gun-shy in the Far East. So, despite the impact on Japanese culture, I say the Red Sox are just playing to the realities of the international marketplace of baseball talent. The NPB will just have to get used to it.

Baseball Writer's Cramp

In the wake of Dustin Pedroia's remarkable MVP year, one little annoying thing lingers on—like that kernel of popcorn that gets wedged between your teeth for a week after a really good movie at the concrete Cineplex at the end of the Mall (you know, like High School Musical 3). The annoying kernel of popcorn in question is one Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News—the guy who left Pedroia completely off his MVP ballot.

The first thing that should tip you off is that he's a baseball writer in Texas—kind of like being a Republican in the Obama "Team Of Rivals" Cabinet. You're nice window dressing, but superfluous. Nobody really cares. "MVP ballot? What's that? Who the 'Boys playing this weekend?" And yet, after hearing Grant's explanation of why he left Pedroia off the ballot (his OPS was four one-thousandths of a percent lower than Justin Morneau's), one has to raise the serious question of who should be eligible to vote on these things. Let's face it, the print media is quickly becoming the horse and buggy of the 21st Century. Would you really spend 75 cents to read Dan Shaughnessy's latest outrage? Even if you do like the CHB, you can check him out on Boston.com (damn, I hate plugging them). This Grant moron was probably on a scant few of the Rangers road trips and has no clue how indispensable Pedroia was on a day-to-day basis for the Red Sox. Not only were his numbers eye-popping (2nd in batting, lead the league in doubles, as many walks as strike outs, 20 of 21 stolen bases), but he was the de facto leader of the team.

The idea that, for example, Vin Scully can't vote on the MVP, but Evan Grant can is outrageous. So, MLB, let's re-think allowing anyone with a hack job at a two-bit print outlet getting a vote. Give it to people who know what they're talking about. You know, like Internet guys.