By now, everybody in Red Sox Nation knows that Bobby Valentine hasn’t been able to get in touch with Carl Crawford. In fact, as of December 29^th, the two apparently have yet to exchange a single word, which doesn’t exactly boded well for the Boston Red Sox’ 2012 season. Valentine is at the helm, whether Crawford likes it or not, and his resounding silence while Bobby V calls out “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller” only makes Crawford look bad.

Maybe I should say that it makes him look “even worse,” since the last image fellow fans here in Massachusetts have of the much-hyped leftfielder was that horrific blown catch and his “oh well, too bad” attitude in the locker room afterward. Would it have been too much to see some faint hint of emotion, the slightest glimmer of frustration maybe? Oh, that’s right, Crawford is kicking back and enjoying a 7-year $142 million investment from former GM Theo Epstein and company, which I guess leaves him unaccountable enough to feel like he can blow off the new BoSox skipper.

To be sure, there’s undoubtedly some bad blood between Crawford and Bobby V, which is what happens when a commentator speaks candidly about the guys out on the diamond. Josh Beckett will likely be equally tough to win over. But despite Beckett’s involvement in the chicken-gate scandal, he’s still held in pretty high regard by most fans I know, and many don’t doubt that he can be the ace of the rotation once again.

Meanwhile, all Crawford has done so far is live up to his goofy “perfect storm” nickname, but in all the wrong ways. There’s plenty of blame to go around for the Red Sox’ September collapse, and it’s far from clear that they would’ve survived for long even if they’d made it to the postseason. Nevertheless, Crawford’s blown catch is a perfect symbol of just how that season unfolded. Like Crawford himself, the sky-high potential of that season plunged into the depths of outright embarrassment.

Which is exactly why it isn’t encouraging that Crawford has yet to return Bobby V’s calls. Maybe he doesn’t realize that while he may not owe anything to Valentine the man, he owes plenty to Valentine the Red Sox manager, and he should be bending over backwards to show Red Sox Nation that he’s more than just one of the biggest disappointments in the history of Boston sports.

Maybe he’s on his way to do just that, at least if you take Pedey’s word for it. Dustin Pedroia recently went to bat for Crawford in the figurative sense, saying that he’s “texted Carl a few times” and insisting that he’s “working his butt off” and “on a mission…to prove a lot of people wrong.” We can safely assume that Valentine is one of the people he’s trying to prove wrong. Nevertheless, one can only hope that Crawford eventually realizes that he’ll have to be working with him to do that.

Taurus Londono has lived in Massachusetts for over ten years. He is a longtime fan of the Boston Red Sox.

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When it comes to showing your allegiance to your favorite baseball team, nothing is as important as the right hat.

As a baseball cap is part of the actual uniform, it’s makes the perfect gift because you can wear it every day of the year if you so choose.

The Boston Red Sox have had their fair share of hats in the more than 100 years of history, and Boston fans have probably been wearing an identical hats for nearly that long as well.

If you have a Boston Red Sox fan you’re buying a gift for this Christmas, then put one of these under the tree and hit a real home run this year.

Here are five great hats to get that diehard Sox fan in your life this Christmas:

’47 Brand Boston Red Sox Kelly Green Franchise Flex Fit Hat

We may be a few months away from St. Patrick’s Day still, but Red Sox fans can celebrate year long with this hat, which is similar as the one worn on the holiday. The hat sells for $22.95 with small through large sizes.

New Era Navy Blue On-Field 59FIFTY Fitted Hat

The classic fitted Boston hat with the red “B” seen atop the Sox players nearly every game. The hat’s price is $34.95 with sizes from 6 7/8 through 8 available. Be careful wearing it, however, you may be mistaken for Adrian Gonzalez(notes), Dustin Pedroia(notes) or Jacoby Ellsbury(notes).

New Era Navy Blue Authentic 59Fifty Fitted Hat

This navy hat with hanging Sox logo has been one of my favorites since it was introduced prior to the 2009 season. The fitted hat runs for $34.95 with sizes ranging from 6 7/8 through size 8.

New Era Navy Blue 2004 World Series 59Fifty Fitted Hat

Another copy of the official Red Sox game hat, but with a special twist. This hat includes a patch from the 2004 World Series, Boston’s first championship since 1918. The fitted hat costs $35.95, with sizes varying from 6 3/4 to 8.

New Era Red-Navy Blue 1975 Throwback Cooperstown On-Field 59FIFTY Fitted Hat

This throwback hat is another classic. Straight from the 1975 team, which featured Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice and Fred Lynn, that made it to the Word Series. The hat is priced at $34.95 with sizes from 6 3/4 through 8.

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The Ben Cherington era is officially underway. The new GM of the Red Sox made his first official decision Sunday, agreeing to pick up the $6 million option on Marco Scutaro’s 2012 contract.

It’s not like this was an earth-shattering decision, certainly not one that carries the weight of re-signing a Jonathan Papelbon or a David Ortiz, because everything was in place for Cherington, put there by predecessor Theo Epstein. The deal was that Scutaro would get $6 million from the Sox, $3 million if he declared his intention to stay or a $1.5 million buyout.

Cherington viewed this as a no-brainer, however, after Scutaro’s year of redemption. Epstein had originally signed the veteran to a two-year, $12.5 million deal that seemed to make sense at the time. Scutaro was a strong fielder and a solid hitter, but he was getting older and he’d never exactly had a standout year. In 2010, the shortstop was a wreck, committing 18 errors in 132 games. By the end of the season he was playing second base in Dustin Pedroia’s absence.

It turned out that Scutaro was playing through a series of injuries, including an ailing shoulder that was keeping him from making strong throws from the hole. He went home, healed and came back with a solid shoulder, although he was forced to do a DL stint early on with an oblique strain, and missed scattered other assignments with various ailments (he hurt his back stepping off a curb in Seattle). Just when everybody thought that he’d be losing his job to Jed Lowrie, he went on a charge that would earn him his $6 million.

In 2011 he committed 12 errors in 109 games, all at shortstop, but what set him apart was his bat. In an Aug. 7 game at New York he went 4-for-4, hit a ninth-inning leadoff double against Mariano Rivera and scored the game-tying run. On Sept. 6, in the now infamous 14-0 win at Toronto, he went 4-for-5 with three doubles and four RBI. In that four-game series he went 11-for-17 with nine RBI.

Indeed, when the Red Sox were collapsing, going 7-20 in September, Scutaro over the last 28 days batted .398 with a .450 OBP, .602 SLG and 1.052 OPS. He certainly wasn’t perfect. In a game against Tampa Bay he got handcuffed when a broken bat headed his way, missing a ground ball that enabled four runs to score. And in a game at New York he failed to record an out on a routine ground ball. They were rare miscues in what had been a terrific season.

The re-signing of Scutaro makes sense for another reason: he serves as a bridge to the future. Turning 36 in 2012, he’ll plug the shortstop hole for the Sox while young Jose Iglesias continues to be groomed for the job. Iglesias spent some unimpressive days with the Sox during 2011 and needs another season to get his bat working to major league standards. The Sox do believe he’ll be ready for the 2013 season and hope he will be in the position for years to come. Scutaro helps make that happen.

Cherington now can turn his attention in other free agent directions. He’s looking at demands for huge money by Ortiz and Papelbon, he’s got to make decisions on re-signing Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and also mid-season addition Erik Bedard.

The Sox have 10 other arbitration-eligible players: Jacoby Ellsbury, Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Aviles, Matt Albers, Jed Lowrie, Franklin Morales and Rich Hill. They likely won’t be in a hurry to offer Ellsbury the big-money contract he deserves after being named A.L. Comeback Player of the Year, but he, Bard, Aceves and Saltalamacchia should be in line for large offers from the club. Aviles and Hill might also be looking at strong paydays.

MLB teams have until Tuesday to sign their own free agents exclusively.

BOSTON — Ben Cherington will have plenty to do when he follows Theo Epstein as the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

He’ll also have plenty to work with.

A source confirmed to ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes that assistant GM Cherington will indeed be promoted. The Red Sox have scheduled a Tuesday news conference to introduce Epstein’s replacement. Epstein resigned from Boston to take over as president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs on Friday, and the teams said they would hold off on more announcements out of respect for the teams in the World Series; Tuesday is the next off day.

Cherington’s first job will be to find a manager to replace Terry Francona, a two-time World Series winner who admitted he lost the clubhouse in his eighth season and was let go after the team’s unprecedented September collapse. The coaching staff also will need to be rebuilt as pitching coach Curt Young left for the Oakland Athletics earlier Friday.

Cherington also will have to deal with the fallout from the team’s 7-20 September that left it one game short of the playoffs. The pitching staff disintegrated over the final month, followed by news reports that several starters were drinking beer and eating fast-food fried chicken in the clubhouse during games.

Among them was John Lackey, who was 12-12 with a 6.41 ERA in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million deal. The Red Sox are unlikely to find a taker unless they eat most of Lackey’s remaining salary. Cherington also will be saddled with six more years of Carl Crawford’s contract, a seven-year, $142 million deal signed by Epstein.

But the Red Sox have reason to be hopeful with the core of the team that went 81-43 over a 4½-month stretch of the season and a payroll that is among the biggest in baseball. All-Star Adrian Gonzalez just finished the first year of a seven-year, $154 million deal, Jacoby Ellsbury developed into an MVP candidate, and Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis are locked up long term.

Josh Beckett was an ace for most of the year and Jon Lester remains one of the top lefties in the AL, but their performance in September was a key reason for the collapse. Clay Buchholz is expected to return from a stress fracture.

J.D. Drew’s contract is up, giving the Red Sox some payroll flexibility, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is at the end of the six-year deal that brought him over from Japan for a total of $103 million.

They’ll need the money to re-sign closer Jonathan Papelbon, who can file for free agency for the first time, and for designated hitter David Ortiz, who’s also a free agent.

Because Epstein’s move was in the works for a while, Cherington has been filling in as GM since the regular season ended.

Cherington also served as co-GM during the three-month period after the 2005 season when Epstein walked away from the Red Sox. He shared the job with Jed Hoyer. Now the San Diego Padres’ GM, Hoyer is expected to be Epstein’s top hire with the Cubs.

Because the teams were unable to agree to compensation for allowing Epstein out of the last year of his contract, Hoyer and Cherington will probably have to work on that, too.

Information from ESPNBoston.com’s Gordon Edes and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Departing Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein did some of his best work for Boston in the amateur draft. Epstein and his staff worked wonders on rebuilding a minor league system that was top-heavy and shallow entering the 2003 season. During Epstein’s tenure, the Red Sox have integrated a wealth of young talent including several Major League stars. He leaves the Red Sox having drafted four players who have earned All-Star invites so far, plus a very deep system with a great deal of potential down the road.

Dustin Pedroia(notes):

Boston’s second round pick in 2004 and Epstein’s best pick, Dustin Pedroia has developed into the franchise player for the Red Sox. The Red Sox drafted Pedroia out of Arizona State where he won a national Defensive Player of the Year award and twice hit .400. Two years later, he made his Major League debut. Pedroia owns an MVP, a Rookie of the Year award, a World Series ring and three All-Star selections. Through 715 games in the majors, he has a career .305 batting average with a .373 on-base percentage, 479 runs scored, 344 RBI, 75 home runs, 82 stolen bases and 24.5 wins above replacement (WAR).

Jonathan Papelbon(notes):

In 2003, the Red Sox drafted All-Star closer Jonathan Papelbon in the fourth round of Epstein’s first draft as GM. After working out of the bullpen at Mississippi State, Papelbon started for the next two-plus seasons in the minors. He debuted in the majors as a starter in 2005, but when Boston needed bullpen help he returned to his familiar role and never looked back. Over the last seven seasons, he has posted a 2.33 ERA with 509 strikeouts and 17.1 WAR in 429.1 innings. He owns Boston’s all-time saves record with 219 having recorded more than 30 per season every year since 2006.

Jacoby Ellsbury(notes):

2011 American League MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury was Boston’s top pick in the 2005 draft. The speedy Oregon State center fielder hit at least .298 at every stop in the minors en route to his 2007 Major League debut. He played so well during his initial call-up that he displaced Coco Crisp(notes) as the starter and was a key player in Boston’s 2007 World Series Championship. After missing most of 2010 with a lingering rib injury, Ellsbury broke out with an incredible 2011 season that included a .321 average, 32 home runs, 105 RBI, 119 runs scored and 39 steals.

Clay Buchholz(notes):

All-Star starting pitcher Clay Buchholz joined the Red Sox in the supplemental first round in 2005. Buchholz mowed down minor league hitters and climbed two levels per year until bringing his outstanding four-pitch arsenal to Boston in 2007. He made an early splash with a no-hitter in just his second MLB game before having to learn to cope with his first struggles in the pros. Since permanently joining the Red Sox rotation in mid-2009, he has posted a 3.10 ERA with a 9.2 WAR in 348.1 innings.

Daniel Bard(notes):

Fireballing relief pitcher Daniel Bard was Boston’s second selection of the 2006 draft. Bard overcame control problems as a starter and became a full-time reliever in 2008 when he began bolting up the minor league ladder. Since joining the Red Sox in 2009, he has proven himself to be an excellent setup man with stretches where he is virtually unhittable. Bard has a career 2.88 ERA with 213 strikeouts in 197 innings out of the Red Sox bullpen.

Honorable mentions: Justin Masterson(notes), David Murphy(notes) and Jed Lowrie(notes).

Sources:

Boston Red Sox Team History and Encyclopedia, Baseball-Reference.com

SoxProspects.com

William Menna is a native New Englander and longtime Boston sports fan.

More from this contributor:

Top five free agents signed by Theo Epstein

John Lackey’s future with the Red Sox is up in the air

Red Sox playoff hopes rest on health of pitching staff

Five things to watch for in the Bruins 2011-12 season

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

TORONTO – Ricky Romero used his curve ball to snap a string of tough outings against the Boston Red Sox.

Catcher J.P. Arencibia backed up Romero’s six effective innings with a three-run homer and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Red Sox 7-4 on Thursday night.

Romero came in 2-6 with an 8.08 ERA in 11 career starts against the Red Sox, including an 0-3 record and 10.62 ERA in five home starts.

From the first inning on, he established his curveball because Boston had been staying away from his change-up.

“I used (my curveball) a lot,” Romero said. “That was part of our game plan to come in and get that established right away from the first inning and for the rest of the game.”

Romero (14-10) held Boston to five hits, three walks and three runs while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings. All the runs against him came in the seventh.

“I felt like I had good control of my fastball and my sinker,” Romero said. “And you know when you add a change-up and a curveball you add two pitches in their heads and now you’re kind of able to make more pitches and keep them off-balance.”

Edwin Encarnacion and Eric Thames also hit solo shots for the Blue Jays and Jason Varitek homered in the ninth for Boston against Frank Francisco.

“We kept throwing the fastball and throwing his hook,” Arencibia said. “If they’re going to eliminate the change-up we’re going to go somewhere else and his fastball was good enough to stay with it and his ball was really sinking and the hook was good, so when we started dropping change-up in there it was that much better.”

September call-up David Cooper had three hits, including two doubles, and two runs batted in.

Varitek hit his 11th homer Francisco, who entered in the ninth to protect a four-run lead.

An error by second baseman Kelly Johnson and Marco Scutaro’s single gave the Red Sox hope with two out in the ninth. But Dustin Pedroia struck out to end the game.

Andrew Miller (6-3) allowed five runs and eight hits including homers by Arencibia and Encarnacion over five innings. Michael Bowden allowed Thames’ homer in the seventh.

“I think at times when they hurt me I was behind in the count,” Romero said of his past against Boston. “I felt like at times I was trying to trick them and show pitches and try to kind of nibble at times.

“Today I kind of just went with my instincts. J.P. and I had a great game plan and we stuck to it all night and it worked.”

Romero breezed through his first six innings but had some trouble in the seventh as Boston scored three runs.

Varitek walked with one out, Darnell McDonald had a two-out infield hit and Jacoby Ellsbury drove in a run with a double. Casey Janssen replaced Romero and gave up Scutaro’s two-run single.

Scutaro finished the series 11-for-17.

Thames got one run back with his 10th homer in the seventh. Brett Lawrie of Langley. B.C. and Cooper hit consecutive one-out doubles in the eighth against Felix Doubront to bump the lead to four.

Arencibia’s 22nd homer was the fourth hit in a row to start the second for the Blue Jays (72-72). Johnson led off with an infield hit and Lawrie drove a single through the right side on a hit and run.

Cooper looped a sweeping breaking ball to left to score the first run. Arencibia followed by clubbing a 3-2 changeup deep to left for a 4-0 Toronto lead.

Encarnacion, who drove in five runs in Wednesday’s 11-10 victory over the Red Sox (85-58), hit his 16th homer of the season, a drive to right, on a 3-1 fastball in the third.

Neither team could do anything with their respective leadoff doubles in the first. Ellsbury led off the game with a double. Then, in a mystifying move, Scutaro, who was 8-for-13 in the first three games of the series, sacrificed the runner to third.

“He was just trying to move him any way he could,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Romero struck out Dustin Pedroia and retired David Ortiz on a grounder to end the inning.

Yunel Escobar started the bottom of the first with a double, but Scutaro was involved in all three outs at shortstop, two of them strong plays. He grabbed an over-the-shoulder catch on a bloop by Thames and a smart grab and throw on a hard grounder by Encarnacion.

Notes: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 17,189. … Dustin McGowan will start Sunday for the Blue Jays against Baltimore instead of Luis Perez who returns to the bullpen. McGowan came back from two shoulder surgeries and made his first major-league outing since July 8, 2008 when he pitched four innings of relief on Tuesday. … First baseman Adam Lind rested a sore right wrist for the second game in a row on Thursday. … Centre fielder Colby Rasmus took live batting on Thursday afternoon for the first time since injuring his right wrist on Aug. 23. … Brett Cecil (4-8, 4.60 ERA) opens a three-game series against Baltimore on Friday when he faces Jeremy Guthrie (6-17, 4.45 ERA).