I Thought I was The Only One Who Loved Mark Bellhorn As Much As I Did...

...but I guess not. Shun me for living in the past, but I honestly miss the 2003-2004 Red Sox so much. I miss Pedro tossing Don Zimmer to the ground, I miss Bill Mueller hitting grand slams from both sides of the plate in that game against the Rangers, I miss Johnny Damon's, Bronson Arroyo's, and Kevin Millar's gangsta cornrows (ha ha), I miss Todd Walker's post season success in 2003, I miss Shea Hillenbrand getting all pissed off at Theo for being traded. But most of all, I miss Mark Bellhorn. Ya know, I seriously thought I was the only die-hard Bellhorn fan in the world, but obviously that's not the case. After he left the Sox, I started googling and Yahoo-ing (that's not even a verb) his name and all this information came up about how much Sox fans loved him and blah blah. And I remember everyone who didn't understand asking me, "Why do you like him so much? He strikes out too much and his defense is mediocre." To hell with 'em. I didn't really know then, but I know now. It was his scrappy play, his long, flowing hair (I'm serious), his stolidness when he made mistakes, his stolidness when he did great in a game. The way he kept to himself, the cute way in which he shied away from the media every chance he got. He was very soft-spoken and always a sweetheart when he was interviewed. He went out there and played the game like no one's business, no more, no less. Never read a complaint about him from former/current teammates. Hell, I never read a single bad thing about the guy. Bellhorn was basically my replacement love when Todd Walker left, and they just happened to play the same position (yes, I "hearted" Todd Walker like I "hearted" Bellhorn). I don't know what it is about myself and Red Sox 2nd basemen, but I guess things are just funny like that. Call me crazy, but I would probably do anything to get that 03-04 team back. This current team is just not the same. Yes, they're winning, yes, they're the best team in baseball right now and yes, the odds of them winning the AL East are amazing, but I miss that carefree attitude of the Sox of yesteryear. Okay, enough about being nostalgic. Now back to your regularly-scheduled program.