Looking For Something?

With the Tampa Bay Rays about 15 minutes removed from putting the final nail in the coffin of the Red Sox, you fans out there may be wondering what there is left to root for or keep interest in the team.  I would say young september call-ups, but we've already had a few of them up since the beginning of August.  We don't have any hitters capable of winning the MVP or of leading a significant statistical category (with that said: major props to Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hamilton).  That leaves us with one last thing. The last ray of light in this season.  Clay Buchholz and the Cy Young.  Before I continue, I would like to ask the baseball gods to take mercy on our young right hander, unlike they did with Kevin Youkilis.  Since I'm sure no one noticed or in fact read the post, several hours after I made my post in appreciation of Kevin Youkilis, he was injured for the season.  So please baseball gods, don't go after Buchholz after this post is published.

Now, with that out of the way, let's discuss our boy.  Buchholz has had, perhaps, the best season for an A.L. pitcher this season.  Sure a few pitchers out there have as many or more wins than him and yes he does not have as many starts or innings as the other pitchers in the discussion for the Cy Young, however, he does have the lowest ERA.  The front runner for the award (C.C. Sabathia) has an ERA almost a full run higher than Buchholz's (3.14 to 2.21) and a slightly higher WHIP(1.23 to 1.18).  Sabathia also get great run support.  While he has had a fantastic season, even if he does throw a stinker on the board, the Yankee offense picks up the slack.  Five innings and six runs is still a win.  Buchholz has managed to get 15 wins in 23 starts plus maintain a 2.21 ERA against easily the best division in baseball.  He has been the one consistent pitcher for the Sox all year (I'd include Jon Lester if it wasn't for a rough patch here and there) and is the primary reason they still have a slight chance at the postseason.  Every fifth day Buchholz has been what Beckett and Lackey are supposed to be: a tough competitor who backs down from no hitter and still, most importantly, gets excellent results.

I understand this post has probably cursed the poor guy and he will probably be shelled in September.  However, if this does not happen his season needs more recognition on t.v. by the goons on Baseball Tonight, Sportscenter, and any other sports talk show.  He most likely won't win the Cy Young but he should.

The Idiot Is Back?

With recent news on the Sox claiming Johnny Damon off of waivers, the natural question arises: do we want him back?  Let's look at each side of the argument

Positives:  Regardless of his stats this year I'm convinced Johnny Damon is still a good hitter.  Last year he put up a a .282 average with a .365 OBP while also putting up some solid power numbers (24 homers and 36 doubles).  While he does not have the speed he had in his best years he is still savvy on the base paths and if he hits a singe it will not take 3 hits to bring him home (Mike Lowell anyone?).  Above all, though, he is an annoying player.  He loves to foul off pitches and get that annoying hit.  He can still put the ball out of the park if need be.  Also, I almost forgot to mention, he used to be a STAR in Boston.  He was on The Team.  He can play in the environment and pressure that has swallowed players whole before.

Negatives:  He is 36 years old ( and not steroids era 36, actual 36).  Liability with the glove now and, most notably, told the Red Sox and fans he wasn't about the money and would never play for the Yankees, only to go play for the Yankees after offered him one more measly year and helped them bring another World Series title.  This is also made worse because I then had to watch Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez celebrate in that really annoying fake joy like they actually enjoy each other's company (I mean come on does anyone like hanging out with A-Rod these days?).

With both sides of te argument thoroughly covered I'll give my opinion.  If he waives his no trade clause, do it.  Bring him back.  Maybe he has some magic left, and if he does, excellent.  He will repair broken ties with the fans and city that made him a star and will seriously help his legacy as a player.  If he ends up bombing and being useless, well, the Sox are a long shot to win it anyway.  Either way, I hope we get our idiot back.

P.S.  Do not bring back Manny Ramirez.  Period.  Nothing else needs to be said.

Cliff-hanging With Paps

In 2006 a legend was born in Boston.  Or so we thought.  Jonathan Papelbon broke on the scene with a spectacular transition from touted pitching prospect and starter to everyday major leaguer and closer.  Posting an ERA below 1 for a large portion of the season before the long haul of the season caught up with his arm, Sox fans were left with a feeling they found a star in the making.  The next year Papelbon said he wanted to remain a closer and was one of the main reason the Red Sox won the A.L. East as well as the World Series.  It seemed to many of us, including myself, we had found the next biggest star in Boston, especially with David Ortiz starting to get older (although I don't iihnk enough is said about how great of a season he had in 2007).

Unfortunately Papelbon has turned into somewhat of an enigma.  Over the past week and a half I have witnessed him shut down the Skanks in the bottom of the 9th twice, blow a lead to the Blue Jays (shouldn't it at least be the other way around) and then strike out the side against the Angels.  Papelbon has a career high in blown saves this year and a career high ERA.  A man who was once going to take over Boston as its biggest star, with his epic entrances to perhaps the greatest Boston themed anthem ever, to his intimidating stare at opposing hitters, to his excessively energetic celebrations, has now become a heart attack with a fastball.  We Red Sox fans do not know if we're getting the Papelbon who struck out Mark Teixeira with a nasty splitter or the Papelbon who gave up a bomb to A-Rod (as I spit on the floor in disgust).

Why has Papelbon suddenly become human, you may ask?  That is an answer I would love to find out.  Maybe it's karma for always complaining about his contract, maybe his shoulder has more problems than we thought, maybe the leauge figured him out, but whatever the reason I want the 2007 Paps back.  The guy who when he came in everyone was either cheering or walking to the exits because his entrance music became a cue the game was over.  the man who ran around in spandex after winning the ALCS and mowed down hitters in the playoffs like they were little leaguers.  Will he ever be that guy again?  Only he can answer that for us and I hope it leads to us leaving Fenway Park after the 8th inning again.  For the right reasons.

Can't Wait For Tuesday

After feeling the despair of the Sox season being essentially finished, after blowing games on back to back nights against the Blue Jays and Rangers, I seemingly overlooked what is occuring this Tuesday, August 17th.  Dustin Pedroia will be back at 2nd base.

In case I haven't mentioned before, my favorite player hands down is Pedroia.  To me he epitomizes all that is right in the game.  A guy who measures at about 5'7 (clearly the 5'9 listed on the Red Sox website is wrong) and weighs about 160 has won himself a Gold Glove, a Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, MVP, and most importantly a World Series ring.  He has also done this all since 2007, when he first came into the league.  Accomplishemnts aside, however, he has been the definition of a "prove them wrong" type of player.  Entering the 2007 season Pedroia started off very slow, hitting below .200 for about the first month, and had many people (including my father) saying he just couldnt cut it in the big leagues, that he was a AAAA player (too good for the Paw Sox but not good enough fot the Red Sox).  He then finished the year with a .317 average and the aforementioned Rookie of the Year Award and World Series ring.  Then people thought he was just a product of a good line up since he hit in front of Ortiz, Manny, and Youk, but then carried the Red Sox in the month of August in 2008 while batting clean up.  And now Pedroia has to prove them wrong again.

After reading the WEEI.com website last night I found an interesting, but typical quote from Mr. Pedroia: "Frankly, we don't give a [crap] what anybody thinks. We're trying to win games and that's the attitude we have. Jump on the wagon now because it's going to be a fun ride."  Pedroia knows all the fans (including myself) are counting this team out and bracing for another Skanks title run, yet he is going to prove us wrong no matter what.  He knows he is the emotional leader of this team and will not let them "roll over and die," like I suggested, and I'm glad he won't.  Even though I posted a complete contradiction to why I am praising Pedey yesterday, I would like to add the disclaimer I am a Red Sox fan and get caught up after some heartbreakers like anyone else (I would still prefer for late leads to not be blown).  Either way I am ecstatic Pedroia is back and hope he can pick up right where he left off (a night removed from a 3 homer performance).  Keep proving us wrong Pedey.

Same Ol' Sox

After watching the game on the official "Gamecast" from the Red Sox website and then seeing the highlights of horrific defensive play in the 8th inning on Sportscenter, I've come to the conclusion we are back to the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox.  Let's recap. 

A game that goes back and forth on the scoreboard (with many thanks going to Josh Beckett) sees the Red Sox ahead 9-6 going into the bottom of the 7th.  We then see J.D. Drew, a player who I would consider very reliable in right field and also was having a great night at the plate, over run a ball like he was patroling right field at your local Little League Field to allow 2 runs.  No problem still up by a run with Bard and Papelbon waiting to save the day.  Then the game is tied when one of the Rangers' mighty rbi machines (Vlad Guerro) dribbles one to second base that Jed Lowrie has to make a quick throw to get him in time, and in fact does, yet the abnormally stiff Mike Lowell cannot quite stretch enough to get the ball without removing his foot (insert something about why we need Youkilis). 

I believe the rest can be summed up with this:  Wakefield, extra innings, 400 feet.  The 2007 Red Sox would not have allowed this.  The 2004 Red Sox would have gotten down by 6 runs to only come back and win in extra innings.  With this said I know the Sox simply do not have the horses to keep up with the likes of the Rays and the Yanks to get to the postseason, but that is not why the Red Sox are killing their fans this season.  If you are going to lose Pedroia for 6 weeks in the heart of the season, and Youk for the rest of the season, as well as key players like Ellsbury and Victor Martinez, then just roll over and give in until spring training next year.  Don't drag us along just to give us glimmers of hope.  Don't let us see you beating a world series contender in their house even after Beckett pitched like garbage (again), let us see the Rays lose, and then choke the game away.  Especially don't do it on back to back nights (O yea, you think I forgot about Toronto, Papelbon?). 

I guess the only thing I can hope for now is the Rangers getting red hot in October so I don't have to watch those goons Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez celebrate.  Again.

Lackluster Pitcher

About eight months ago I found myself very excited Theo Epstein managed to snag another team's ace to make our number three starter.  Thinking to myself the team would be competitive every night with a 1-4 of Beckett, Lester, Lackey, and Buccholz, the season couldn't start soon enough.  Beckett unfortunately, seems to have forgotten you need to pitch well in more than just one season (2007) in your career, Lester is in a slump but has pitched well for most of the season, Buccholz surprisingly has been the ace (even pitching well in Yankee Stadium, something a Sox pitcher hasn't done in at least two seasons it seems) and Lackey has lived up to the first four letters in his name.

Honestly, it's not the fact the Epstein gave him an 80 million dollar contract to only have him pitch like a September call up each night that annoys me.  It's this whole "he's a competitor" thing.  Let's be real, there are a bunch of players in the Sox minor league system who probably care just as much if not more about winning than The Big Lack and we don't see any of them getting huge contracts (in fact I'm pretty sure me and my father care more).  Eventually, we will need to see less complaining about calls, less punching of water coolers after yet another five run inning, and more getting people out.  The Red Sox aren't paying you to care John Lackey, they're paying you to get the friggen batter out, and possibly not give up four straight 2 out hits and take all the momentum out the Red Sox sails on one particular Saturday afternoon (not to be specific or anything). 

Unfortunately, The Big Lack has not been the only poor part of the Sox this year.  A team that needed everything to fall into place, which it was until Pedroia, or as some call him Andrew Silva's Hero, broke his foot (I blame A-Rod personally).  Now we have a team sitting in limbo.  Not so far out of the race we can't just look forward to the winter meetings and dream of Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder, but not in it enough we are dying for the first pitch every night. Hopefully Lester throws down a gem tonight to make this post look pointless.  Hopefully.

Jacoby, Where Are You?

With the Sox seemingly treading water right now, waiting for two of their young stars, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury, to come back and spark a poosible run into the postseason, a small issue has arisen.  While Pedroia is still a couple weeks away, Ellsbury seems to have not missed a beat batting at about a .500 clip since coming back from injury.  Unfortunately, this has been with the Pawtucket Red Sox.  Which to me begs the question: why the hell is he not in Boston?

At first glance we may think Epstein and Francona are trying to keep their young, stud centerfielder down there until he is 100% healthy and ready to contribute to the team the best he can.  However, I feel an Ellsbury at even 75% can give the Sox more than Darnell Mcdonald, Mike Cameron, and Eric Patterson.  In fact, I'm pretty sure Mcdonald and Patterson were vendors the last time I was in Fenway.  Now if a dope like me can see this obviously great baseball minds like Epstein and Francona can.  This could mean Ellsbury himself doesn't want to be back with the Sox yet.  Which to me is unforgivable.

My last post was about a guy (or as some some say "tha freakin Youkah") who would do anything possible to be on that field trying to bring the city of Boston another ring, or at least prevent the Skanks from getting yet another title (I mean seriously can't they just suck for a little while?).  Dustin Pedroia was found taking ground balls on his knees about four minutes after he was told he had a broken ankle and tried disguising himself as another player to try and get himself back on that field.  Ellsbury, however, is still trying to make sure he's ok, since hitting .500 in AAA ball usually means you need some work.  Add in the fact Ellsbury is a bonafide Gold Glove caliber centerfield (and should have won it last year) and his absence is GLARING.  A man who stole 70 bases last year, batted .300 and led the league in triples would easily add a spark to this team.  Unfortunately, for some reason (Scott Boras) he seems perfectly content not helping this team win.

*Disclaimer*  If Ellsbury comes back tomorrow and goes on a tear and tracks all balls in the outfield down, and plays like the All-Star he should be, all could, maybe, possibly be forgiven.  Just saying.