I find most Red Sox fans loathsome - that would be the ones you hear from so much (radio, running off at the mouth in a bar, etc.). These are the guys that wear puffy jackets, have all the hats and shirts, begin, end, and litter every sentence with f'bombs. I've already lived with that. No thanks!
As for the debate of who the best player is, I think it deserves a definition of what "best" really means.
If you're talking about the best hitter in the game, it would be Planet Manny, Pujols, and if you overlook playoff results, MeRod. That's not to say Pujols won't be considered better in the end, but going by the sample size provided to us through recent history, Planet Manny stands alone.
Best player is a far more complicated mango to peel.
For various reasons (defense, integrity, etc.) Planet Manny isn't in the debate. Pujos is a very good defensive player, is a winner and hits in the clutch. MeRod must do something in crunch time to be considered.
Texeira doesn't have the offensive stats (enough history) but he offers two very valuable skills that the others don't. He's an exceptional first baseman, and he bats equally well from both sides of the plate. In my mind that really counts for something.
Time will tell, but without question the Dominican Republic has produced the majority of exciting and productive baseball players in my lifetime. Ad in a couple more stellar years from Hanley Ramirez and he's in the debate as well.
I haven't forgotten Vlady, he's one of my favorites, but his body has failed him in many of the same ways as Griffey Jr, which takes them both out of the debate.