Assorted Observations From the Sox-Rays Series

• Matt Garza spits (and looks) like a camel.
  
• It's very early, and I'm probably jinxing him by saying this, but the Ramon Ramirez trade isn't looking nearly as bad as I had feared. He's been generating swings-and-misses like crazy in his first two appearances.
  
• I'll hold off on making any grandiose predictions, but Josh Beckett sure looked like he's rediscovered his '07 form on Tuesday. Unfortunately, one could say the same about Jon Lester on Wednesday.
  
• He's not exactly hitting for average, but 'Tek sure seems to have rediscovered his power stroke.
  
• Youk simply could not be hotter right now.
  
• Carlos Pena strikes out a ton, but boy can he hit 'em out. Part of me wishes we had kept him after '06, put Youk at third, and gotten rid of Lowell. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess...
  
• When's Heidi Watney going to interview Tek after the game? Talk about a conflict of interest. Heidi, you homewrecker you...
  
• Dice-K is what he is, and he's not going to change. In related news, Scott Kazmir and Dice-K might actually be the same person. Just look at the stats.
  
• Jason Bay has provided steady production for my fantasy team and the Sox thus far. And as if he wasn't already likable, the article in The Globe that I read about him the other day made me like him even more.
  
• Jacoby would be better served by becoming more of a slap hitter. The weak groundouts and popups just aren't doing it for me.
  
• Is it just me, or did the Sox and Rays pitchers have two different strike zones to work with in this series?
  

WHOOPS

If this is true, then it is assuredly a most epic fail:

"According to NESN's Red Sox reporter Heidi Watney, free-agent catcher Jason Varitek said he was not aware that teams would have to surrender a No. 1 draft pick in order to sign him and he takes full responsibility for his decision to turn down salary arbitration from the Red Sox." - Boston Globe

WHAT?! If I were making a decision like this, I think I would do my homework before I turned down a guaranteed $10-11 million to test the open market after a season in which I had been hopelessly overmatched at the plate. Furthermore, I would expect my agent, who I pay good money to get me the big bucks, to fully brief me on what my options were.

So if we are to believe Varitek's story, then apparently he has some major trouble with fiscal responsibility, and Scott Boras is an even bigger douchebag than anyone has ever given him credit for (and Lord knows they've given him credit).