Thank you, Papi, for all the wonderful memories. The '04 ALCS will be one of my happiest sports memories forever. And I salute you for all of your amazing contributions.
Now please sit down on the bench (or get sent down to Double A and figure out whatever it is you call a swing). You are killing me. I keep watching, waiting, hoping you'll go 3-4 with a few dingers and I can say "See? He's fine!" but no. Night after night of 0-3's and 0-4's with 3 Ks and leaving 10+ on base. You are killing me. 6th in the lineup is no good. You need to leave the lineup. You make us a National League team (where the pitchers hit...)
Tito, please - everyone knows what you're doing - that you're loyal to your players to a fault, but eventually Theo's gonna have to force your hand. This is sad to the point of ridiculousness. Bill Simmons put it best when he said (and I paraphrase) "[it's] gotten to the point where it's like your son is the worst player on his little league team and you know it and you know all the other kids make fun of him. Just sad"
We are now tied for 1st with the Yankees - which is surprising considering we have an 8-man lineup and 7.5 players on the field (Nick Green are you kidding me? Can you please get to and stop a baseball please? The .5 missing depends on who is pitching...which leads to...)
Lester and Beckett have ERAs hovering around the 6.00 mark and Dice-K actually lowered his ERA by giving up 3 earned in 5 innings today... Wakefield (who I have always loved and defended) is the ace of the staff right now with 6 Ws and the only starter with an ERA below 4 (3.99). Papelbon decides (probably at the behest of his agent...) to change his mechanics in the offseason to "aleviate stress on his shoulder" and now he's blowing saves and giving up two-run homers every appearance... Penny has had great run support, and looks like some decent trade bait (great performance last time out while being sick)
I look forward to Smoltzy getting in there in June and we have to have Buchholz in there soon too, yeah? He's destroying AAA hitters now - he's definitely ready.
Being the admitted homer that I am - I made it a point to always take the Red Sox player in my fantasy leagues if they were available. (fortunately Papi was never available) and offensively - along with the other players from other teams - my offenses are all near the top - and they're all tops in Runs and Average - but damnit do *all of my pitching stats suck*...Ridiculous. I lead one league in Ks and other than that I'm at or near the bottom of the pile in Wins, and definitely at the bottom in ERA and WHIP...just horrendous... And not just my Sox guys - but Kazmir (what's up Kaz?) and everyone else on my roster... Oh - and Manny's on all of my teams somehow as well - gone for 50 games....F you, Manny...Enough fantasy...
Everyone's on Papi (as they should be) but Pedroia hasn't hit a home run since his first at bat of the season. Thankfully he's hitting about .340 and is is a defensive monster, but let's get a crack or two huh? (I actually benched him on one of my fantasy teams for a while because I also have Orlando Cabrera and Aaron Hill - who knew they'd be putting up these ridiculous #s?)
When Manny left we shoulda said "Adios" to Lugo as well. After we all knew he was a bust, I thought we kept him around because he and Manny were such good friends....Well...Manny's gone and we still know Lugo can't field, throw, hit, and he's not the speedster he once was...Not sure if I'd call him a "baseball player" anymore... More like "The pedestrian formerly called a baseball player" - like Prince!
You know how we became awesome in '04? We traded to upgrade our defense. We need to do that again. We need a really solid SS. Might've had one with Lowrie, but he's out for a while (originally "season ending surgery" but I thought I heard somewhere that he might be okay around August...?)
Good to see Tek coming alive at the plate.
Good to see Jacoby starting to reach some of that potential he teased us with when he first came up. 22 game hitting streak. Now what's up with the 6 caught-stealing's?
AND I LOVE YOU JASON BAY. You are everything I could want in a Red Sox player. Great hitter, great fielder - hustles, class act. Can we please sign you to a Forever deal? again: I love you.
Anyway - despite all of that - we're somehow in 1st (tied with the Yankees, who suddenly have a determined Alex Rodriguez). We crush at home and disappear on the road. Let's change our pre-game routines at the hotels, huh guys? Fortunately after Minnesota we get to beat up on the Blue Jays (that Cinderalla season lasted about a month, huh? 9 losses in a row) We need another series with the Yankees too - now that Rodriguez is back it'd be a nice wake-up call.
MAN!! You got a lot going on in your post, a lot I AGREE with!!! Yeah, '04 was just about the greatest sports moment of all time, It doesn't get any better than that. I still get chills watching it. The only thing CLOSE was the '72 Bruins against the Blues, the Bobby Orr years, yeah, that was CLOSE bit still not as good.
I gotta say, Papi either figures it out, or he's gotta sit or rehab somewhere. The Red Sox HAVE to have a full 9 men playing their hearts out with SUCCESS in order to make this season happen. A single piece of dead wood is gonna KILL them eventually.
Yeah, the pitching has baffled me, two KILLER pitchers, Beckett and Lester are struggling BADLY, and from my point of view, for no REAL reason!! Unless something is being hidden, they're not HURT or SICK or anything, they're just SUCKIN'!! Dice-K has a most peculiar way of getting through a season, I don't LIKE it, but so far he's always gotten it done come end of the season. It's just tough to WATCH.
Shortstop . . . I LONG for the days of Orlando Cabrera or even Alex Gonzalez, especially Cabrera who seemed to swing a mean bat. But the steady and seemingly superhuman defense supplied by Gonzalez would be a massive improvement right now. With Lowell being a bit slower than normal yet, it's a bad thing to have BOTH pieces of that side of the infield not supplying the 100% coverage needed. I would never sit Lowell as he's EARNED his keep, even as he heals. But with three guys vying for Short, one on the DL, one not quite healed yet, and one too "Green" to make the grade it seems as though a permanent fix should be thought about here.
Manny?? I don't miss him at ALL!!! I'm surprised he never got his ass handed to him by another player in the Red Sox clubhouse. His hitting prowess aside, he IS a cancer. Good riddance.
All this team needs is 8 more Jason Bay's to take the field and we'd have a dynasty that would quit only at his retirement. Bravo to the Red Sox for THAT move!! my it come to pass that he stays and retires a Red Sox!
I'm lovin' that Tek is back, in full force, let's hope the long season doesn't take it's toll on his age.
Petey and Ellesbury are doing just fine, if this is as good as it gets from them, I'm OK with it. but I know Petey will swing better, he's a streaky hitter, so it'll come out in the wash.
However, all of that being said . . .
I still trust that Tito and Theo will figure it all out. They don't have a 100% record of doing EVERYTHING right, but I'm willing to put MY trust in them. They're the ones who brought TWO rings to us in 4 years. I would have NEVER thought it possible, and they pulled it off. I'd be happy with a ring every FIVE years or so, wouldn't you? That seems a reasonable expectation, NO?? Well, we all gotta relax a LITTLE bit as really, they're ahead of schedule a bit, so, not to worry, not to worry.