SouthCoastToday.com seeks reader input on most valuable Red Sox

NEW BEDFORD, MA (March 6th, 2009) - During Red Sox Spring Training, SouthCoastToday.com is running an interactive bracket to learn which Red Sox player has meant the most to the team's fans.

Site visitors are encouraged to pick which player in each matchup has meant the most to the Red Sox franchise.  At the end of each round, the Red Sox star who has amassed the most votes will advance to the next round until a winner is crowned.

"We know that people in this area are passionate about the Red Sox so we wanted to do something that we think will be fun and, hopefully, generate some good old-fashioned sports arguments," said Fred Harwood, managing editor for online content/new media for SouthCoast Media Group, which publishes The Standard-Times in New Bedford, Mass., and its flagship Web site, SouthCoastToday.com

"Rather than ask fans flat out 'Who is the best player in Red Sox history?'" - which is probably too narrow a question - we're asking which players have been the most important to the franchise, which leaves more room for debate," Harwood said. "For example, Curt Schilling might not be the team's greatest pitcher of all time, but the team went 86 years without winning anything until he and his bloody sock came to town. That's probably worth some consideration."

The contest runs from now until the Red Sox home opener on April 6th. In addition to the bracket, fans can follow the latest spring training, World Baseball Classic and regular season news at southcoasttoday.com/redsox, Staff Writer Jon Couture also writes about the Red Sox on the blog "Better Red Than Dead."

SouthCoastToday.com is also running a college basketball bracket tournament, March Mania. Prizes include a chance to win $1,000,000.

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