Jon Lester named Opening Day starter

From RedSox.com/By Evan Drellich / MLB.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Left-hander Jon Lester was named the Red Sox's Opening Day starter on Monday in part because Josh Beckett felt the younger ace deserved the honor.
Beckett slides in as Boston's No. 2 to start the season, which lines him up to pitch Fenway Park's home opener. Boston's first regular-season game of 2012 is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET on April 5 in Detroit. Beckett's second turn through the rotation will be the Red Sox's home opener, a 2:05 p.m. ET contest against the Rays on April 13.
"And the Opening Day starter is ... Jon Lester in Detroit," manager Bobby Valentine said with intentional pauses Monday morning. "And the Opening Day starter is ... Josh Beckett in Boston."
First off I apologize for the lack of posts over the weekend and until now. Jim Corrigan has been doing an awesome job but I, certainly, have not. You would think that since I'm actually part Italian I would attack St. Joseph's Day with the same amount of fervor that I showed for St. Patty's Day - but I don't think I could physically do it all over again.

Now back to being your premiere Pedro Ciriaco blog.

This isn't very surprising news. Lester still gets the distinction of being the Opening Day starter and Beckett gets the sentimental start at home. While neither of these two necessarily "earned it" down the stretch - they are the best we've got and until September of last year I don't think anybody had a problem with that. I had actually thought they would go with Beckett on the road just in case some fans still harbored a little bit of resentment but it's better to get it out of the way I suppose. Either way this is just another sign that the start of the season is right around the corner. Get excited.