Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Go Johnny, Go, Go -- Stay Johnny, Stay, Stay?

So the Old Towne team put a waiver claim in for former lead idiot Johnny Damon. Now he is contemplating whether or not to leave the underachieving Detroit Tigers to come back where he made his name and brand. The fact that he is thinking about this proves he is really an idiot.

His pregame and post game comments about this being a hard decision may just be posturing but let's assume he is too stupid to try that tact.

Who wouldn't want to go from a team one game under .500 and out of playoff contention to a team the is eighteen games over .500 and within reach of the playoffs? If you are saying "Brian Giles" right now give yourself a high five. Pro athletes today are making huge sacrifices to win rings. What ever your thoughts on the former King James, he wants desperately to win a championship. If Damon really would rather play out the string on a losing team, please do.

Who wouldn't rather live in Boston over Detroit? Have you been to Detroit in the past 20 years? Granted he probably lives in one of the suburbs but really? His diva wife Michelle must be going nuts in those Detroit social circles. If you truly want to live there and not here, please do.

Who wouldn't want to turn boos into cheers again? It seems Damon was scarred by the reception he received here by the fans. If memory serves me correctly he left us for what amounted to less than five million dollars over five years to go play for your fiercest rival. That's like a girl breaking up with you for the guy you have been in a constant fight with over your entire lifetime and your loved ones giving her the cold shoulder. Did he expect anything different? He went to play for the Yankees! Undoubtedly, Fenway would turn friendly for him again but as fans we do not want an over sensitive wuss. If Damon cannot see why the Red Sox faithful had those feelings for him after he left, please stay.

I hope this guy agrees to get traded to the Sox because the offense could use his talents. If he chooses to remain with a team going no where, in a place that has seen better days, all because his feelings were hurt, he is truly an idiot.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Hanging by a String

After getting blown out by the Blue Jays on Friday, the Sox take the final two games of the series. That puts the record on the homestand at 4-2. Good but not great. The season is slipping away. Seattle is next. The Sox NEED to win this series. The Rays and Yankees look like playoff teams right now. Our biggest hope lies in the twelve games we have left with these two clubs.

A couple of BTW's

It is extremely painful to watch Mike Lowell play. He literally cannot run. No wonder no team took a chance on him.

Josh Beckett is in a major funk right now. Good thing Clay Buchholz is pitching like the Beckett of '07.

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury both look lost for the year. The injuries this team has been forced to overcome is truly unbelieveable. Making the playoffs without the top three hitters in the line up is unthinkable.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Disappointment

Awful, awful, awful loss. If the Sox miss the playlets by one game, we will remember August 12th. Papelbon blew it. Francona should not have had Lackey start the ninth. I know hindsight is 20/20 but .... Francona was just trying to show some confidence in Lackey since he has struggled of late.

Let the Bard vs. Papelbon debate begin.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Don't look now but ....

The Sox all of sudden seem to be heating up winning eleven of their last sixteen games.

An impressive win on Tuesday after failing to protect a couple of leads. Scoring seven runs was a huge confidence boost.

Tonight's win was the first "comfortable" win in what seems like three months. Some guy that looks like Bill Hall hit two home runs giving him 15 for the year. This impostor has as many home runs as Evan Longaria. Clay Buchholz was outstanding.

The Rays loss this afternoon and the Yankees trail by three in the seventh. Things are getting interesting.

Could John Lacey please step up tomorrow!!!!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Roseanne Barr is singing

The bad news is the Red Sox have ZERO chance of catching the Yankees for the division this year. I'll try not to over analyze this. Simply put, this team is not good enough to compete with the Yankees over 162 games. Injuries, lack of a consistent offense and a weakened bull pen are the biggest culprits.

The encouraging news is the fall of the Rays. Wholly collapse Batman!

A couple of notes from the series so far:

-- Errors!!!!!!!! Scutaro's first was errors was discussed last blog. He screwed up a run day the next day. Last night, Billy Hall gift wrapped a run by throwing a ball away that VMart made no attempt to stop. Kevin Cash throws away an errant pick off attempt after a strikeout. Both plays were not intelligent baseball plays but were also a bit unlucky.

-- Lackey is lacking in stuff. The biggest sign of this is his inability to pound the strike zone. Go after guys.

-- Beckett had good stuff last night. The Yanks hit a couple of good pitches. I have no worries about how he is throwing.

-- Wake looked real good last night.

-- I would have rather of seen AJ Burnett last night than Sugar Shane Mosley. hindsight is 20/20.

-- Ellsbury at the top of the order is killing the team. 0 for 16 since returning from the DL is not getting it done.

-- I really like listening to Joe Morgan and John Miller as much as I hate dealing with Joe Buck and Tim MacCarver. "I guess he is calling the front corner of the plate a strike." Huh??????????????? I get Sabathia's sweeping curveball could swipe the front corner of the plate but by definition of a strike, it is still not a strike!! Now I know why Bob Gibson threw so hard. He was trying to hurt his annoying catcher.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Game 1 to the Sox

First of all I'm a little peeved by the headline in this morning's local newspaper -- "Yanks are a Bit Too Giving". It leads people to believe that the game was handed to the Sox. True, the Sox benefited from a miscue by the Yankee catcher and pitcher but that certainly was not the game.

Clay Buchholz was very efficient. The sequence of the game was when the Sox are up 4-1 and Scutaro fields a ground ball behind second base and inexplicably tries to glove toss the ball to Lowrie covering for the force out. Fielder's choice, E-6. First and second no one out. Instead of unraveling, Buc gets a double play grounder (nice play by Lowell) and strikeout. What did Vasquez (2004 ALCS game 7 starter)do when that pop up is not fielded? Walks two consecutive batters and allows a two run double to Scutaro. That my friends is the difference. It is not the error but how the pitcher responds after the miscue.

Big Papi's first inning homer got the team on the board and then Ryan Kalish (making an excellent first impression, not sure he is Trot Nixon reincarnated. Looks like a far better defender)hits a two run shot off of Vasquez for his first major league homer.

Bottom line is our starting pitcher out pitched their starter. Most games are decided by this. The Yankees did not hand the game to the Sox.

Today's match up is key for the Yanks. Sabathia vs Lackey is a must win for them. If the Sox can take two out of the next three, they still have a legit shot at the playoffs despite all of these injuries.

A couple of observations:

-- Great catch by Ellsbury in the eighth. Fell right onto those injured ribs. He did not look 100% before or after that.

-- Comical how far Joba has fallen. I'm sure when the organization was limiting his pitches, the infamous Joba Rules, they did not envision him pitching in the sixth inning of an important game. Why not show his dad in the stands last night?

--Not sure I want the team to trade for Casey Kotchman again. Reportedly, Carlos Delgado worked out for the team yesterday. That may be the better addition to platoon with Lowell at first base.

-- Joe Girardi, really? Aside from the fact that he is forty something years old and wearing braces, what does he do except stand there with his arms folded during games?

-- Classic at bat from Jeter in the ninth. It is so hard not to respect him.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Youkkkkkk = Yukkkkkkk

Our MVP candidate first baseman is out for the year after injuring his thumb. There have been many nails in the Red Sox coffin recently. This I am afraid may be the most damaging. Youk is the player who's personality most resembles the team's. Youk grinds out at bats, plays hard, and plays with a passion that is infectious.

My tipping point is this upcoming four game series in New York. If the team cannot take 3 of 4 from the second place Yankees, this season may be over.