The Red Sox are a sure thing--sure to detonate.(Boston Red Sox)(Brief Article)

The team most likely to blow up? The Dodgers remain an obvious choice. But don't role out the Red Sox. In one form or another, the Red Sox have blown up every season since 1918, and they were in full crisis mode this year even before the Ides of March.

Nomar Garciaparra's wrist was ailing. Manny Ramirez's position was changing.

Et tu, Carl Everett?

The clock struck 7:46 a.m. The team bus departed without Everett. And manager Jimy Williams had his answer.

Three of the top American League hitters last season making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Meanwhile, the Pedro and Potluck starting rotation was doing more to unsettle New England than two feet of snow did.

Lingering questions. Disturbing questions. Too many questions for the $100 million-plus it took to assemble this team.

You can't dismiss the Red Sox because Williams and pitching coach Joe Kerrigan have a knack for coaxing the most out of their talent. But Williams appears to be a slow start away from his seemingly inevitable split with general manager Dan Duquette. And such a start is possible if Garciaparra's injury lingers and/or the rotation stumbles.