It usually starts around March with proclamations of rabid optimism throughout greater New England.

The Boston Red Sox are gonna have a wicked good year. Conservatively, and I'm talking conservatively, I'd say somewhere around 120 wins, give or take five or six. Schilling and Beckett will finish in a tie for the Cy Young, and the Yankees will be dead in the water by mid-June.

If you're fortunate enough to know a Red Sox fan, (a real New England Sox fan, as in Dunkin' Donuts and Boston Baked Beans; the kind of guy that knows "Pudge" means Carlton and not Ivan) this is the type of good-natured banter that bombards you as winter recedes into its annual death throes. Like that local news weatherman who always manages to get it wrong, the Sox fan assures because he believes. And in the end you admire him for his stoic conviction, even though you end up caught in the rain with nothing to keep you dry but a pair of Ray-Bans and a beach towel.

I happen to be friends with one of these Sox fans, a native Bostonian who relocated to Southern California several years ago, bringing little more with him than visions of bottle blonde beach babes and an undying love for the Sox. My die-hard devotion to the Oakland A's has created a healthy rivalry between us, one that manifests itself in workday trash talk emails throughout the season. For the sake of anonymity, I'll refer to this friend of mine using the alias Willy Mo Doe.

From the euphoric enthusiasm of early Spring, to the catastrophic devastation of recent weeks, the ups-and-downs of the Red Sox season have been reflected in these emails. I wanted to write something eulogizing the Boston season. I wanted to do the nose dive poetic justice, but I can't possibly do so using my own humble words.

I can, however, use his words to great effect.

So here it is, the 2006 Boston Red Sox season, every plateau and valley viewed through the cut-and-paste statemets of a regular Boston dude who has lived and bled every moment of it. I haven't changed a thing. Enjoy the roller coaster ride:

1/30/06
Sox got our CF...Much better deal than Damon

3/6/06
David Wells told Theo today that he wants to stay! Yes! This is huge. Our starting five now looks like: 1. Schilling 2.Wake 3.Beckett 4.Wells 5.Clement. White Sox, A's, and us have the top 3 staffs in the league.

3/27/06
PS. Sox are going to destroy the A's this year! Season series 8-2 in favor of the Red Sox. Thomas will be on the DL by May and Milton Bradley will be in jail by September. Same story in the Theo era is make the playoffs, embarrass the A's along the way, and win it all or lose to the team that does. I LOOK FOR MORE OF THE SAME THIS YEAR.

4/6/06
Nice 2 out of 3 from NY is good all around but the story of last night was the Red Sox. Beckett 7 strong for the win and a Schillingesk fire and emotion on the mound that will be a huge rally point for the team. Our new closer the 95+mph 2nd year player Papelbon closing them out in the 9th to take 2 of 3 from TX. If Beckett says healthy watch out....A much improved D and bullpen and this could be our year again!!!... I can't wait for Sox v. A's.

4/21/06
I'm hearing that Clemens is leaning toward a return to the Red Sox! He will go into the HOF with a Sox cap and his next win will make him the franchise all time winner breaking his tie with Cy Young...More to come on this soon. 20 Million 1 year is fine with me. He was my hero growing up!

5/23/06
Good thing the Sox have nothing but "old broken down" guys in their rotation. I mean with their average age of their starters that must mean that they are "all done" and would never stand up to a young staff like the A's huh...so much for that argument. You're are way off one this one brodude. These guys are horses...I like the fact that you keep bringing up October because the Sox will be there, but the A's remain in doubt.

6/15/06
Also, Theo is just getting started dealing. Look for a blockbuster trade for stating pitching coming up and a few under the radar deals as well. See you in October!!!

6/27/06
Ortiz is the MVP of the AL this year. He is the Tom Brady of MLB. There is no one else I want at bat with the game on the line. 3 walk offs in the last 8 games! Papelbon is the Rookie of the year/AL All-star closer. And speaking of moves, the Sox have won 8 in a row and all this before Theo makes his midseason moves! Go Sox.

6/28/06
A very exciting day for Boston sports today. Beckett and the hottest team in baseball, the Sox winners of 10 in a row, vs. Pedro and the AAA National League Mets. Yesterday's game was good too. He got a huge ovation after they showed a highlight clip on the big screen. Today will be an Instant Classic.

6/29/06
The Sox on the other hand are Red Hot! 11 in a row!! Longest win streak since '95. Beckett is 10-3 and we have Schilling going today. We are destroying the NL right now and I love it!

7/3/06 (All-Star Break)
Sox are well represented even though Schilling and Beckett, both 10 game winners, got snubbed because teams like the A's have to send their ace to meet the MLB 1 per team min. requirement.

7/24/06
Sox need 2 of 3 to split the season series and bring our trash talking to a draw, with you holding onto the hope the A's slip into the playoffs. I will say that tonight's game will set the tone for the rest of this series. If we get to Zito (who has been red hot) then the A's will be hard pressed not to get swept.

7/26/06
See you in Oct...if you're lucky...

7/27/06
Theo and his guys are far ahead of the curve. This is a very special time for us. For years we struggled with GM?s but the wonder boy makes me very happy we didn't give Billy Beane all that money and he stayed home.


8/4/06
Javy Lopez....what a pick up. He will fill in great for V-tek. Watch his bat heat up. That would be huge.

8/9/06
It's too early to hit the panic button. This is our toughest stretch overall due to the injuries but I remain confident that we will be able to overcome the injuries and get it together in enough time. IT'S ONLY AUG 9TH!!

8/11/06
We are at the low point of our season. Only place to go is up from here. Getting swept by the royals just shows how important our Captain is. The little things he does..........f-in s*cks

8/17/06
Ups and downs my friend. We needed that win last night and we got it (and so did the red hot A's) 5, I repeat 5 games with the Yankees this weekend so we will see a lot of good baseball, plus a good measure of what is left in the tank. This series is followed by 3 out here vs. LAA which I will be attending.

8/19/06
You mean Willy Nooooooooooooo...........If we have a bad weekend "we're done."


8/21/06
It's looking like the West is theirs especially after the Sox give me my final hurrah this week when they come to town to play the Angels. I'll be there at all 3 games

8/22/06
I'm protesting the Sox game today. I don't want to spend my hard earned money watching Kyle Snyder pitch for us, especially after this weekend. I'm waiving the white flag on the season. I have watched enough baseball to know that his year's team doesn't have enough healthy players to make a serious run. F- the wild card. I won't settle for anything less than the division and with the acquisition of Abreau and his .500 OBS the MFY's (mutha effing Yankees) will be hard to beat!  It's unfortunate but it's how it goes sometimes.

And now the Sox are done and there is nothing. No outrageous predictions, no emails, no baseball talk. Our conversations have mysteriously shifted to cover the budding NFL Season. Now there is only the eerie quiet of a season once so full of promise, so laden with expecations, reduced to nothing more than a distant memory dribbling between the first baseman legs of fate.