Here it is, mid-January and like every year at this time I find myself worried about the Bruins and Celtics as they slide down their Eastern Conference standings. But this year there is an added tension. One that I do not recall ever feeling so early in the new year. A Red Sox tension:

What are John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino doing to my park?

What has Theo Epstein done for me lately?

For starters, the new ownership team has decided that a few hundred seats on top of the Green Monster would be a fabulous idea. WRONG! It sucks. Like the infield seats that were put in last year, these new seats will not be occupied by the Fenway Faithful, but by the Fenway Fleet-ful, who’s most frequently asked questions will include: “Where is the nearest ATM?” and “Can I order two lobster dogs?”

With rising ticket prices slowly filtering out the true fans and seat additions defacing a national treasure, Red Sox fans can feel some joy in the fact that management has not knocked the old park down, yet.

What about the Sox’ boy wonder, Theo Epstein. What major moves has he made over the off season?

I will give him credit for at least trying to take care of the mess at first base. Tony Clark was one of the worst baseball players I have ever seen and Brian Daubach is Mr. Inconsistency, however, I hardly doubt Jeremy Giambi is the solution. Call me crazy, but I would take Daubach over Giambi (Jeremy of course) any day of the week.

Here is another idiotic train of thought. The Sox want Bartolo Colon but will not give away Hillenbrand and Fossum because Fossum is too valuable. Hello? Is anybody home? Fossum is a number five starter at best and Hillenbrand’s .300 average would serve the Sox well across the diamond at first base. However, at this point I would let them go for a single season with Colon.

When this upcoming season ends, the Sox may be looking at Garciaparra, Martinez, Varitek, Lowe, Nixon and Mendoza with one year before free agency. This leaves Epstein in a very sticky situation. If he does not start wheeling and dealing now, he will be faced with either breaking the bank (which we all know just does not happen around here) or rebuilding around Martinez, Damon and one or two of those listed above.

One thing is certain. If you need to get rid of everybody on the team to sign Nomar do it. All this talk of trading him is making my stomach turn. He is the greatest player to wear a Red Sox uniform since Yaz, and before him, Ted Williams.

Nomar is the franchise. What Bird was to the Celtics and Orr was to the Bruins, Garciaparra is to the Red Sox. Trading such a player, such a person, would be detrimental to the Red Sox name and hearts of Red Sox fans everywhere.

So Mr. Henry and friends, please leave my park alone. The addition of Cool Dogs and hamburgers is enough change for one lifetime. Mr. Epstein please start doing something, anything to bring me the World Series victory that my father and grandfather have never seen.

Last but not least, Sox fans, please understand that there are some changes that need to be made, however, this is baseball, our national pastime, and tradition should never take a back seat to corporate enterprise.