By: Dave Cheng, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Spring is just around the corner, and those who live and die with the Red Sox are ready for baseball season, especially with the Celtics struggling to find any momentum heading into the playoffs.

The games against Northeastern and Boston College on Wednesday meant little in the grand scheme of spring training.  The Sox simply beat two inferior college teams, and if they had struggled to do so there might have been some concern around the clubhouse and the city of Boston.

That was not the case today, as the Sox beat the Northeastern Huskies 15-0 in Fort Myers in their first game this preseason.  The main story here wasn’t the game itself but the perfect inning that included two strikeouts top prospect Casey Kelly threw in his debut.

The organizations minor league pitcher of the year last year was nothing short on praise from his teammates, including his catcher who caught two Cy Young award winners in Cleveland.

“He has some great stuff,” said Victor Martinez, who caught CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee with the Indians..  ”He was throwing his fastball in and out, mixing it with his curveball, changeup.  He only threw one inning, but he threw pretty good pitches, quality pitches.”

Kelly’s excitement was apparent from the moment he stepped off the mound.

“I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since I got off the mound, but it was a good first outing, and to have the crowd and some of the people behind me playing defense was a tremendous honor,” Boston’s first pick in the 2008 draft out of Sarasota High School said.

Manny Delcarmen picked up the win in one inning of work against the Huskies.

With all the off season acquisitions the Sox had this past year, Boof Bonser has probably been the most invisible.  He tossed one shutout inning while striking out two and picking up the win 6-1 against Boston College in the nightcap.

Another positive on the day was David Ortiz hitting a two run home run against Northeastern after waiting forty games before hitting his first one last season.

“Well last year everything started out kind of crazy, first of all I wasn’t doing what I normally do because of my hands.  The doctor wanted me to take it easy until late January, then we had the WBC and, you know, you have to go play some important games that you’re not ready for and all that kind of stuff,” Ortiz told Dennis and Callahan on WEEI.  ”Some of the stuff that happened to me off the field that I had to deal with.  All that stuff was pretty much clicking at the same time and it wasn’t good. Like I said, I’m the kind of guy that likes to turn the page.”

Sox fans are certainly hoping Big Papi is ready to go.

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