$8M IS JUST A NICE PARTING GIFT:

Epstein has the look of a winner (Dan Shaughnessy, February 15, 2008, Boston Globe)

He's 34 years old now, with two World Series titles and a newborn son.

So, how's it going, Theo? Any change in the work schedule?

"No, everything's pretty much the same," Theo Epstein said yesterday on the first day of his sixth season as general manager of the Red Sox. "No bags under my eyes."

He's more guarded than he was when he was the Boy Wonder back in 2003, but he's still got the BlackBerry to his ear, still carries himself with Marine posture, still goes out for a run around the Sox complex late in the afternoon.

And now he's got new cachet. Already respected and revered throughout New England, Epstein made himself positively bulletproof when the 21st-century Sox won a second World Series last autumn. Now, Theo can sign an overweight, 41-year-old blowhard for $8 million, find out the big lug may never pitch again, and still not get harpooned by the normally carnivorous Boston media.

NESN has spring in its step (Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, February 15, 2008, Boston Globe)

The Red Sox are in Fort Myers, Fla., and NESN has some innovative programming, 250 percent more than in 2007, designed to give the Nation its fix. The 36 days of spring coverage began Wednesday and continues this morning with a two-hour broadcast of "Red Sox Spring Break LIVE," hosted by Tom Caron at 10, which will be replayed in full at 3:30 p.m. and in a condensed version at 6:30 and 10:30.

Joel Feld, NESN's vice president of programming and executive producer, thinks showing the workouts will go a long way toward giving fans a preview of what to expect as the Sox defend their world championship.

"It's a great opportunity for us to cover the team as extensively as we can while they're at spring training," said Feld. "The team is on the field in the morning, generally to work out and train, and we thought that would be the best opportunity to capture what is going on down there. I think being live is always preferable."

Feld said the network transported the stage setup that it normally uses for the pregame shows from outside Fenway Park.

"We're going to have cameras covering the different practice fields," he said. "We certainly hope we'll have an assortment of players and coaches and writers and ownership joining us on the show as their time permits."

As much interest as baseball generates in New England, there is still much to be learned about the 2008 Olde Towne Team, and Feld believes NESN can provide that insight.

What Celtics? Who Pats?

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 15, 2008 12:00 AM