NESN writer dreams of a 116-win season for Red Sox

Well this is a fun way to start the new year.

NESN writer Eric Ortiz says the “2011 Red Sox will challenge the 1927 Yankees for the title of greatest team in major league history.” It gets better.

“The way they are constructed, they could surpass the 116-win mark”

Ortiz thinks the Red Sox could do this with 35 games against the Yankees and Rays? Assuming Boston wins half those games, or 18 out of 35, they’d have to win 77.2 percent of their games against the rest of baseball.

I’m sure this writer’s point was simply that the Red Sox have a chance to be great this year. They do. But he went overboard. Big time.

I think the major problem with his argument lies in his outlook of the Red Sox rotation.

Lester is a Cy Young winner waiting to happen.

Waiting.

Beckett will notch more than six victories.

And?

Lackey should be better equipped to avoid the one-bad-inning syndrome.

Should.

Buchholz has become a force.

Hide your laptop.

And Dice-K might be the best No. 5 starter ever.

Ever!

The Japanese right-hander is the only pitcher in the rotation who’s never been an All-Star, but this could be the year he ends that streak.

Could be. His very next sentence made me laugh out loud.

Every Red Sox starting pitcher has something to prove.

…

Good luck with that 116-win season prediction, Ortiz.