With the opening game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season set to begin in less than 12 hours, the defending 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox will bid sayonara to the memories of last season and focus on becoming the first team since the 2000 New York Yankees to successfully defend their title. The road to a possible third championship in the last five seasons begins at the Tokyo Dome in Japan with the Sox facing the Oakland Athletics, with native son Daisuke Matsuzaka set to square off against Joe Blanton. Matsuzaka, who won 15 games in his first full season with Boston in 2007, pitched eight seasons before last season with the Seibu Lions and made his professional debut at the very same venue in 1999. Joining him will be teammate and Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima, another former Japanese baseball star who also spent his first season in the majors last season with Boston after 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants and one year with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Tomorrow’s contest, set to begin at 6:05 AM ET, is the first of two games in Japan between the American League rivals as Boston’s Jon Lester and Oakland’s Rich Harden will face either other in the second game on Wednesday morning. Both teams will then return to the US and face off in two more games during MLB Opening Week starting 01 April at McAfee Coliseum. The Red Sox then fly to Toronto to face the Blue Jays over the weekend at the Rogers Centre before opening Fenway Park on 08 April against the Detroit Tigers. Boston’s first tilt with New York comes just a few days as the Yankees invade Fenway for three games beginning 11 April.

Boston’s roster remains virtually the same this season, with defending World Series MVP Mike Lowell returning to his position at third base after signing a three-year deal with the Red Sox. The most noticeable difference is in center field, where Jacoby Ellsbury is slated to start the opener in place of Coco Crisp, who has been hampered this spring by a nagging groin injury. Ellsbury stepped in for Crisp during last post-season’s run to the championship, playing the last six games after the latter player got off to a slow start in October. A quick start to the season may find Crisp relegated to a bench role or possibly traded elsewhere.

Other returning positional players include: a healthy David Ortiz, who had successful off-season surgery on his knee that gave him trouble for most of last season; left fielder Manny Ramirez, who is in the last season of a guaranteed eight-year deal with Boston that will pay him another $20 million this season, with the Red Sox holding the option on an additional two years; 2007 Gold Glove winner Kevin Youkilis, who will set a new Major League record for consecutive error-free games at first base if he remains perfect in the field for another four games; 2007 Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia; veteran catcher Jason Varitek; shortstop Julio Lugo; and right fielder J.D. Drew.

Pitcher Josh Beckett, who won all four starts in the post-season, will likely begin the season on the disabled list due to back spasms; he is expected to return to the lineup by the second full week of the season, possibly in time for the opening series at Fenway Park. Another veteran pitcher who will spend far more time on the DL is Curt Schilling, who is out until mid-season at the earliest due to a shoulder injury. Schilling’s injury means that Clay Buchholz, whom the Sox had hoped to start at Triple-A Pawtucket, will instead begin the season with the parent club. Depending on the progress of former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon, assigned to the minors after signing a free-agent deal this month by Boston, Buchholz may eventually return to the farm to continue development.

On a more positive note, Tim Wakfield returns for his 14th season in Boston after winning 17 games last year to tie his career high in that category. Jonathan Papelbon also returns as the Red Sox closer, looking to surpass 30 saves for the third time in three years this season after recording the last out of the 2007 World Series. Terry Francona also returns with a new deal to manage Boston at least through the 2011 season after becoming the first skipper to win his first eight World Series contests and only the second Red Sox manager to win two titles with the franchise.