SOX OPENER JUST AS THEY PLANNED IT - AND WILL THE ROCKET RETURN?

Yesterday's opener was right out of the off-season play book.  A great performance by the starter - Curt Schilling.  Production up and down the order - a big double by Jason Varitek, and home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Lowell, of all people.  Spectacular outfield play from Coco Crisp.  A nice inning of work from reliever Jonathan Papelbon.  JT Snow and Adam Stern in late as defensive replacements.  Everything except Keith Foulke's hideous inning of work in the ninth went according to form.

I still think this is a club built more than anything else to score runs.  So it was good to see that discussions with Roger Clemens continue.  Its obvious that there is some serious courting going on here, and the Rocket is doing everything he can not to upset the positive atmosphere.  In his surprisingly lengthy quotes from yesterday, he spoke glowingly of the Sox, and his time with the club all those years ago.  There were no references to Dan Duquette; no references to his "entering the twilight of his career;" no references to fans booing him mercilessly in his many returns wearing opponent's uniforms.  True, he could just be keeping his options open, but Beantown makes a lot of sense.  The guy loves money, so it will have to be there, but he also is a student of history, and he knows that a return to his original club will be a story unlike any other.

We'll keep our eye out for any word on how this proceeds.  Stay tuned.