Since our friendly neighbor to the north was unintentionally snubbed this week in thefoulline.com’s fantasy baseball week in review, the staff at thefoulline.com would like not only to apologize but also to dedicate this post to a few of the things that are great about Canada.

• Hockey, the second greatest sport in the world.
• Alan Thicke, head of the Seaver family and arguably one of the top six TV dads of all time.
• Molson Ice. Beer is good. Really strong beer is very good.
• More drinkable water then anywhere else in the world.
• The way they can seamlessly incorporate “eh” into every sentence.
• Pamela Anderson’s breasts.
• Two teams in the CFL with the name Roughriders.
• The 55-year-old Canadian Tulip Festival.
• Loonies and Toonies.
• 1 Canadian dollar = 0.985319 U.S. dollars.
• Under-appreciated rock band The Guess Who.
• Survivorman Les Stroud.
• The talented Michael J. Fox, Jim Carrey, and Margaret Atwood.
• The less talented Bryan Adams, Celine Dion and Keanu Reeves.
• Birthplace of the zipper and Trivial Pursuit.

So you see, not only does Canada produce intelligent blog readers, but they have made many important contributions to the world.

Sorry about the slight, Canadian Pirate fan. We hope this fixes things.

Well foulliners, week 2 is in the books and it’s still anyone’s game. With the exception of the Love Boat Captains’ stomping Roger’s Syringe, there were some really good head-to-head games. It seemed like all the teams were matched up really well, and scoring went down to the wire. So without further adieu, here is thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league week in review. Teams are in no particular order.

• My Best Efforts: These guys jumped out to a big lead this week, only to falter on Sunday. They suffered a big blow when Dontrelle Willis went down with a knee injury and -2 points, but this is still a solid team with a 1-1 record.
• The Showstoppers: Breaking News!! Matt finally dealt for a catcher. Unfortunately for the commish, his team fell to a determined Chickenheads team this week. This team is in a little bit of a transition this week after dealing away Jeff Francoeur, Jered Weaver, and Scott Kazmir, but new additions Michael Young, Carlos Gomez and Ivan Rodriguez should provide a spark to the always-potent Showstoppers lineup.
• Love Boat Captains: OK, who invited the girl? Team LBC was a force to be reckoned with this week, with a dominant performance over Roger’s Syringe. This contest was pretty much over by Wednesday. The rich got richer this week, as LBC added the hot-hitting Justin Upton. What’s next for this team after hitting the 400-point mark is anyone’s guess.
• YankeeHaters: My team resembled a M.A.S.H unit this week, as it seemed every key player spent time on the bench nursing an injury. Victor Martinez, Jimmy Rollins, Chipper Jones, and Rich Harden all missed time. My itchy trigger finger was active again this week, as I dealt away Manny Ramirez, Kevin Youkilis, B.J. Upton, Michael Young, and Carloz Gomez. I’m counting on new additions Pat Burrell, Derek Lee, and Franciso Rodriguez to pick up the slack this week. But even with the big shakeup, Yankeehaters improved to 2-0.
• Roger’s Syringe: This team took their butt kicking and came out the other side better for it. RS made some solid moves today to improve his lineup and actually play with the full 16 guys. These guys are only gonna get better this year. Consider yourself warned.
• Chickenheads: Another impressive performance this week from the Chickenheads. This team is never content to stay pat and proved it once again by dealing away Cole Hamels and Mr. Fukudome. In what may be the best game going, Chickenheads play the Boston Braves this week.
• Bostonbad boys: The two old guys of the league had a fierce up-and-down battle going all week long as the Bad Boys fell to the Boston Braves. With a solid pitching staff already in place, if these guys improve their outfield they’ll be a tough team week in and week out. It should also be noted that my dad was finally able to log back in. What this means, I have no idea.
• Boston Braves: In what may be the deal of the century, BB fleeced the Yankeehaters by adding the potent Manny Ramirez to their lineup. The two-headed monster of Ryan Howard and Man-Ram looks great on paper, but we’ll see how this works out when Manny gets a hang nail and misses some time. With that being said, this team is a quality starting pitcher away from being in serious contention.
• SarasotaRedRays: These guys have been flying under the radar the first two weeks and have quietly gone 2-0. When Big Papi starts hitting again, this team could go on a tear. I’m thinking this sleeping giant may wake up soon and make some deals.

What are your thoughts on another exciting week?

Well boys and girl, we have the first week of the inaugural thefoulline.com fantasy baseball league in the books. The competition is fierce so far with several teams putting up some solid numbers. Since this is an off day for the Red Sox, here is a brief synopsis of what I saw from each of the fantasy teams this week. In no particular order:

• My Best Efforts: This is a pretty well-rounded team from top to bottom. They had the best individual performance from any pitcher so far with Jake Peavy and his whopping 63.5 points. If they add a catcher that is actually in the major leagues, they could be a force this year.
• Lessthanzero: An up-and-down week from our neighbor to the north. He had a big week from Derek Lee, Alex Gordon, and Corey “I wear my sunglasses at night” Hart. LTZ is going to need first-round fantasy pick Erik Bedard to rebound from his minor hip injury, and for Jose Reyes to play to his potential for this team to make a serious run.
• SarasotaRedRays: Featuring Prince Fielder, David Ortiz, and Kenji Johjima, team SRR has probably the most out of shape team in the league. He was able to get good fantasy numbers from Carlos Zambrano and Bobby Jenks. Even with J.J. Putz missing time this week and a bench in need of some work, SarasotaRedRays still performed well enough to earn 316.83 points and a third place finish.
• Bostonbad boys: This team may have the best pitching staff in the league featuring Johan Santana, Brandon Webb, and Dice K. Unfortunately, this team may stay unchanged all season because my dad forgot how to log in to the site. It’s tough getting old.
• Boston Braves: This team had a mediocre week from its big three, Ryan Howard, Russell Martin, and Aramis Ramirez. This team’s saving grace was a good week from its closers. I expect a big week for these guys next week after a blockbuster trade with the YankeeHaters (pending league approval).
• The Showstoppers: Theo Epstein’s prodigy Matt McLaughlin’s team is the league leader in points for the first week, with good numbers from every position. If he can upgrade his catcher, I don’t see anyone beating him any time soon.
• Rogers Syringe: This team is in trouble. Although it may look good on paper to have seven shortstops, pitching is also important. Dylan threw caution to the wind this week, fielding only 13 out of a possible 16 positions. He’s either the most confidant G.M., or the craziest. This team needs to be blown up and reassembled. Does anyone need a shortstop?
• Chickenheads: This team had the second most points this week and will be a serious contender if he keeps his team intact. With A-Rod and Pujols in the lineup, and an above-average pitching staff, this team won’t be laying any eggs anytime soon.
• Yankeehaters: I like the look of my team. After a blockbuster trade with the Chickenheads, the additions of Fausto Carmona and Josh Hamilton paid immediate dividends. My impatience with my players and the desire to make at least one mega-deal a week may be my downfall. I may regret dealing Manny Ramirez.
• Love Boat Captains: After a strong draft from our only woman in the league, Team LBC had an up-and-down week. Placido Polanco was a huge disappointment, going from 2007 All-Star to a two-point benchwarmer for week 2. It took a few games for stars Matt Holliday, Vernon Wells and Torii Hunter to regain their stroke from last year. A solid 35.5 points from Pirate Ian Snell (who??) made this a respectable week for LBC. This is a good team that will play better in weeks to come.

What do you think of the season so far?

Twice this week, I’ve had two of my fantasy pitchers face off against my favorite baseball team. Although I would never wish for a Sox loss, I couldn’t help but to think, If Roy Halladay or Rich Harden could hold Boston to one hit and the Red Sox could win the game 1-0, then it would be a win-win situation. I could get a bunch of fantasy points, and the Sox could get some wins. Is there anything wrong with that?

Thefoulline.com quick hits:

• After being on the road for 17 days and flying 16,000 miles, I really hope Terry Francona lets this team sleep in tomorrow.
• Didn’t Boston have one of the better defensive teams last year? The last two games, they looked more like the Bad News Bears, not the World Series Champions.
• I still think Toronto gets into the playoffs this year. They play solid baseball and have the best rotation in the AL East. If B.J. Ryan can come back from his injury and resemble his old self, they will be a force.
• A juice-free Andy Pettitte looked lousy the other night against the Rays, with 5 innings, 8 hits, and 5 runs. Maybe a call from Roger Clemens will boost his spirits.
• Julio Lugo: That image in your rearview mirror is Jed Lowrie. Objects may be closer then they appear.
• Am I the only one that is ready to see Jacoby Ellsbury lead off? This guy provided a big spark for Boston in the playoffs last year. Why mess with what’s been proven to work?

I’ll post the standings for the first week sometime tomorrow. It looks like a pretty tight race so far.

This fantasy baseball league is sucking the life out of me. I can’t focus at work. I’m ignoring my kids. I spend too much time making blockbuster trades in my mind. All with the hopes of winning the prestigious title of “Best GM on thefoulline.com.”

I’ve been scouring other teams’ lineups trying to figure out their secret formula for success. Is having seven shortstops a good thing? Can my team win without any Yankees on it? Should I have focused on pitchers? Did I over think, and put too much stock in some potential up-and-comers? Should I have just used the damned Auto Draft?

Please help me if you know the answers to any of these questions.

thefoulline.com quick hits

• Last night Dice K lived up to his hype. Let’s hope he can do this all year.
• Has anyone seen the greatest clutch hitter in baseball? He wears #34 and spits on his hands a lot. If found, please return him to the Red Sox ASAP.
• Attention, Eric Gagne: I guess it wasn’t the city of Boston that caused your woes last year. It’s that you suck.
• It took all of three games, but I am done with J.D. Drew and his candy-ass excuses for the rest of the year. The Sox should send him down to Pawtucket to “rehab” his back, and bring up someone with heart.
• I’m not sure how to pronounce Cub’s right fielder Kosuke Fukudome’s name, but he might have the greatest name in Major League history since Rusty Kuntz.
• Fantasy Baseball causes Attention Deficit Disorder.

I’m sorry to make this such a short post, but with thefoulline.com war room up and running for tonight’s draft, resources are running low. So here are a few quick hits.

• The Sox split their Japan series with the A’s. Considering that they traveled across the world for this goodwill tour and still walked away with a win, it’s not too shabby. Plus, there are now a million Japanese fans who are part of Red Sox Nation.
• Maybe it’s time for John Henry to create Red Sox World.
• Jon Lester consistently pitches well for the Sox, but he always seems to give up a 3-run home run. Hopefully this will change with experience.
• J.D. drew loves to toy with fans’ expectations of him. He teased us with 7 RBIs in the first two games, then pulled a typical Drew move and removed himself from the opener with “back stiffness.” It’s a long season, he’s going to need to play with a few aches and pains eventually. But why would this season be any different?
• I wouldn’t take J.D. Drew in the 20th round of the fantasy draft. Dylan can have him.
• What type of bizarro world are we in when Julio Lugo and Brandon Moss are looking great, and Big Papi and Jason Varitek look like it’s their first day of spring training?
• Did Manny’s early success at the plate leap frog him into a first-round draft pick?
• There is still an outside chance the Sox will go 161-1.
• Did you hear about Jose Canseco’s new book? He claims that A-Rod was constantly hitting on Canseco’s wife. I hope no one tells this to Derek Jeter. I wouldn’t want him to get jealous.
• Brandon Moss was optioned to Triple A Pawtucket today. Something tells me he’ll be back.
• I guarantee that I will not pick any Yankees under any circumstances in tonight’s draft.

Just to echo “The Commissioner” Matt McLaughlin, let’s all have fun this season. Good Luck.

I wasn’t too excited about the Red Sox cutting their spring training short to travel halfway around the world for a couple of exhibition games. The Sox will have a hard enough time defending their title without having to fight jet lag, and it’s obvious that MLB is trying to capitalize on Boston’s recent success now that they are the best baseball team on the planet. But after watching today’s game, and seeing how excited the Japanese fans were to watch the World Series champions, I think maybe MLB got it right when they chose the Sox to be international ambassadors for baseball.

Thefoulline.com’s Quick Hits, the International Version

• MLB.tv used the Japanese broadcasters for today’s game. I didn’t understand a word they said, but I still preferred it to Jerry Remy’s incoherent babble.
• Dice K has proven that he is Japan’s version of Elvis.
• J.D. Drew has 7 RBIs in two games. He is on pace for 567 RBIs this season.
• I always found it funny that the Red Sox assign their rookies uniform numbers more appropriate for an offensive lineman or wide receiver. I’m pretty sure that Jed Lowrie didn’t dream about wearing #82 for a major league team when he a kid. I wonder if this increases their motivation to make the team, so that they can get a good number.
• Jonathan Papelbon was given #58 as a rookie and he kept it, but we all know he has a few screws loose.
• In an attempt to fix his dismal batting average of the past two years, Coco Crisp is now wearing batting gloves. It has to help, right?
• The Sox lineup has the chance to be special this year. A batting order of Pedroia, Youkilis, Papi, Manny, Lowell, Drew, Varitek, Ellsbury, and Lugo could wear down an opposing pitching staff and put up a ton of runs. Plus, this lineup gives Francona the flexibility to move players around if they aren’t performing well.
• Thefoulline.com’s public enemy #1, Jon Weber of the Tampa Bay Rays, is batting .211 this spring training. Public enemy #2 Doug Mientkewicz of the Pirates is hitting .273 with one measly RBI in 16 games. This just proves that you don’t mess with foulliners. Karma will come back to haunt you.
• Speaking of foulliners. Thefoulline.com inaugural fantasy league baseball draft is only three days away. We still have three spots to fill. If we don’t have ten players, the league will be disbanded, and we will never see Dylan chose J.D. Drew with his first round pick. Find a friend and sign them up!! There will be a great prize package for the league champion (me). Email me with any sign-up questions.

Have a happy Easter!

For some reason MLB.tv had legendary announcer Vin Scully call the Red Sox/Dodgers game yesterday. Wow! Listening to Vin Scully call the game made me want to move to Siberia and never listen to another game for as long as I live.

Scully is a huge name in the broadcasting world. He’s been calling Dodgers games for 57 years and has been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. But enough is enough. This guy needs to hang up his microphone and enjoy his golden years.

During yesterday’s broadcast, some of the poignant topics that Scully talked about included: a detailed lesson about every palm tree in Dodgertown; which flavor bubble gum Matt Kemp was chewing; the reason that Mike Lowell doesn’t chew gum at the plate; and a history lesson about the field the Dodgers play on. He even managed to call a few balls and strikes. And this was just in the first inning.

This guy is the reason that television and radio broadcasts added a color commentator. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to Scully in action, don’t do it. Find a WNBA game and watch that instead. You’ll thank me.

Thefoulline.com’s tantalizing tidbits and predictions for the week.

• If Josh Beckett’s back injury is even remotely serious, the Red Sox are screwed.
• If Julio Lugo’s back injury prohibits him from playing ever again… oh well.
• The Grapefruit League’s worst record belongs to the Boston Red Sox. The best record belongs to the Tampa Bay Rays.
• The Sox treat Spring Training as a way to evaluate their young prospects. The Rays treat Spring Training as their World Series.
• I think Coco Crisp is going to have a good season for the Oakland A’s.
• If Bartolo Colon’s ERA matches his weight this year, he will go down as Theo Epstein’s best transaction… ever.
• The 2008 MLB All-Star game will be held at Yankee Stadium. Manny Delcarmen will be on the American League team. Derek Jeter will not.
• Thefoulline.com fantasy baseball draft starts in 17 days. Spots are still available, and competition is fierce for 2nd place.

The Red Sox made a few smart moves yesterday. The first was a no-brainer, re-signing Terry Francona was long overdue. This guy doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Two World Series titles in four years is impressive, doing it in the pressure-cooker of Red Sox Nation is extraordinary. This guy is adored by his players and respected by all of Major League Baseball. He is truly one of the good guys in the game. When talking about the game’s great managers, Francona should be mentioned in the same breath as guys like Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, and Tony Larussa. Although his new contract is nothing to sneeze at, I really wish Theo Epstein made him the highest paid manager in the league.

The second move was signing 2005 Cy Young winner Bartolo Colon to a minor league contract. Although Colon has had his share of injuries the last couple of years, he could be a decent insurance policy if any of the Sox pitchers gets injured. He won’t make the team coming out of Spring Training, but maybe he can get in shape in Triple A and make a difference when it’s time for the playoff push. This guy has won twenty games in a season twice. He hasn’t forgotten how to pitch. Let’s see how he does when he gets in shape and the Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell gets a hold of him. Either way, it’s a low-risk, low-cost, possibly high-reward scenario.

thefoulline.com updates

I want to remind everyone that there are still spots open for the inaugural thefoulline.com Fantasy Baseball league. Please spread the word to your friends and family and have them sign up. It should be a lot of fun. Thanks again to Matt McLaughlin for setting it up. To sweeten the deal, we are working on a prize package for the winning team consisting of original thefoulline.com merchandise. So if that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will.

Also, Dylan and I are heading down to Fort Myers on Thursday to watch the Red Sox play Boston College, and I’ll be taking some pictures to add to the site. I’m not an expert photographer, but I’m sure anything will be better than the glamour shots of ourselves that are on the site now. On a related subject, Dylan and I and couple friends of ours are “shipping up to Boston” for a few days in May to check out the Sox. Unfortunately the Kansas City Royals are in town while we’re up there, but any baseball at Fenway Park is good baseball.