I failed the Red Sox this weekend. I hardly watched at all as they got swept by the Angels. Sounds like when I watch next spring things may look quite different:

Speaking to reporters at Fenway Park, Epstein spoke bluntly about key areas that needed to be addressed and hinted he would like to make important changes soon, though he may not be able to. “Sometimes, you end up with more status quo than you want,” he said. “If that’s the case, if we look back three, four months from now and say, ‘Wow, there weren’t major changes,’ then I think next year will be perhaps the last year of this main group of players.”

Ortiz seems to be back from his troubles but not a decisive factor. Pap is great but apparently not perfect. Beckett? Lost it in 2009. Dice-K? Lost it, too. I think a shake up is needed if they are going to win the World Series... but there is a lot to be said about familiarity, too. I am not exactly gnashing my teeth and chucking out the Red Sox Christmas tree ornaments. [Yes. Yes, I do. Thanks for asking.] But do I really want a team of Nick Greens and stars from other teams? There is a lot to be said for growing your own slowly. I like to know who I am watching.

Which leads me to my relationship with the last four teams and how I follow the rest of the playoffs. I know the Yankees best of the remaining teams and, frankly, think it is their turn. Yet a gutting at the hands of Manny and Joe Torre would be good, too. Back to Back for the Phillies is a good story as well. As is one more big win for Vladi, the last great Expo and the greatest baseball player ever named after a totalitarian.

Who knows?