We can’t help it. We like the Bruins well enough. The Celtics are OK, but seem to be mired in mediocrity. We loved the Patriots for a year until the honeymoon ended when they missed the playoffs.

But the Red Sox are special. They occupy a place in our hearts that the other three can only visit if they win a championship.

Spring training starts soon and Red Sox fans are looking for something, anything, that will give them encouragement.

Misery loves company and we have shared our misery since 1918.

Maybe having the youngest general manager in major league history, Theo Epstein, will be the magic charm.

The 28-year-old Epstein grew up a diehard Red Sox fan in Brookline. He knows our pain.

He also has a blueprint and he has already utilized it by implementing significant changes in the offseason.

Theo and his support staff like hitters who get on base, hitters who are patient and will take pitchers deep into the count.

Epstein felt it was important to replace the right side of the infield.

So first basemen Brian Daubach (.266 career batting average, .341 on-base percentage) and Tony Clark (.270, .347 OBP), and second baseman Rey Sanchez (.275, .311 OBP) have been replaced by Todd Walker (.292, .349 OBP), Jeremy Giambi (.269, .381 OBP), Bill Mueller (.286, .370 OBP), and David Ortiz (.266, .348 OBP). Mueller can also play third.

Newcomer Damian Jackson (.245, .328 OBP) can play anywhere and has 101 stolen bases in 512 career games.

Sanchez’s glove will be missed. He did hit .286 last season, but his OBP was only .318.

Hopefully, one of the newcomers or right fielder Trot Nixon can produce in the all-important second spot in the order behind Johnny Damon and in front of Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez, who combined for 57 homers and 227 runs batted a year ago although Ramirez missed 42 games due to injury.

The newcomers will give the Red Sox some pop at the bottom of the order. There won’t be an easy out in the lineup if everyone hits to expectation.

Epstein said another top priority was shoring up the bullpen, and he believes a bullpen-by-committee can work as well as, if not better than, having one star closer. He also felt the Sox lost several games in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings last year and wants to rectify the situation.

The departed Ugueth Urbina saved 40 games a year ago, but his 3.00 earned run average isn’t particularly impressive for a one-inning pitcher.

Four of the newcomers who will fill the void will be former Yankee setup man Ramiro Mendoza (career 54-34 record, 4.08 ERA); veteran Mike Timlin, who had a 2.98 ERA and allowed only 75 hits in 96 2/3 innings for St. Louis and Philadelphia last season; hard-throwing Ryan Rupe, who had a better than 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio while toiling for the lousy Tampa Bay Devil Rays for four years; and Chad Fox, who had a 1.89 ERA for the Milwaukee Brewers two years ago, but who was sidelined by injury most of last season.

Bob Howry and Alan Embree headline the returnees.

The starting rotation features 21-game winner Derek Lowe and 20-game ace Pedro Martinez. Young lefty Casey Fossum could have a breakthrough season.

There are plenty of choices for the other starting rotation spots, including John Burkett and Juan Pena.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231 or 1-800-310-8600. His e-mail address is lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.