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.

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.

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.

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!!!!

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.

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.

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.

Youk, Lowell, Beckett and Ellsbury

Much going on in the World of the Red Sox. Let's take a look at some major players.

Kevin Youkilis. Bum thumb places our most valuable hitter on the DL. Dear Baseball Gods, Whyyyyyyyyyy! This injury stuff is getting way out of hand. 55 games to play. Each game gets more and more important.

Mike Lowell. I see a Lifetime movie in his future. Left like a discarded old toy in the trash heap, Lowell is awaiting his fate (trade -- not to the Yanks, designated for assignment, cut) when Youk goes down and Lowell becomes the first baseman. Steps to the plate after getting a standing ovation and deposits one in the stands. Good story. Let's hope he can help the offense.

Josh Beckett looked awesome again last night. His ball has been exploding. Good sign. Benches cleared last night after Beckett threw inside twice. The Indians futile attempts to retaliate angered the Sox. The guy they threw at (Adrian Beltre) would not have beeny choice. Ever see the scene in the dugout when VMart touches his head? He would have snapped. Sox in a brawl I would avoid -- Beltre, Youk, Beckett, Kalish, Varitek, Lester and Papelbon.

Jacoby Ellsbury. The teen heartthrob returns. Scutaro will move to the bottom of the order. This should be huge. I'm really torn on this which of the great divide between Ellsbury and management I'm on. The bottom line is we could really use this guys speed on the base paths and defense in center. The eyes of Red Sox Nation will be on #2 tonight.

Big game tonight.

Another wild one

Another solid win. Clay Buchholz was fantastic. He was bumping 93-95 MPH with some serious movement. Very impressive performance. Of course, Jonathon Papelbon coughed it up in the ninth. First pitch fastball to Miggy Cabrera = two run double. Jonny Peralta same pitch RBI single. He is not fooling anyone any more. My boy Slut (it is like calling a big kid Tiny) wants Bard already. Patience is needed in Red Sox Nation.

Four game series versus Cleveland. Three out of four is needed.

HUGE!!!!

Big win this afternoon. Hopefully, this win can give the offense some momentum heading towards the dog days of August. Gotta love seeing the team celebrate a Papi walk off hit.

A couple of BTW's ...

• awful angle taken by the Tiger left fielder on Papi's game winner
• good move designating Hermida. He was given ample opportunities.
• Ramon Ramirez fooled me. I truly thought he was going to be very good for the team. I have a hunch he does well for the Giants
• not sold on Jarrod Saltalamacchia's ability
• Ryan Kalish looks like he can swing it.
• can't blame Leyland for intentionally walking the go ahead run in the ninth. Coke versus Papi is a good match up. Plus, the strategy worked in the seventh.
• the Yankees get their guys when they need them. Cashman gets big props.

WSTD

As the trade deadline draws near, What Should Theo Do????

Most reports have the Sox doing something very small if anything at all. A bull pen arm perhaps. But there are at least ten other teams looking for the same thing. Toronto asked for Casey Kelly for their lefty reliever Scott Downs. Way too much.

I guarantee you big time prospects Casey Kelly, Anthony Rizzo and Jose Igelesia are not going anywhere. Theo's track record shows he does not trade away the upper echelon prospects.

Today looks like a quiet day.

Game Notes Sox @ Angels Wednesday 3:30 PM

Pregame --

• Joel Pinero not starting for the Angels. Advantage Sox.
• Glen Ordway on WEEI called today's game "important". His reasoning was completing the sweep, finishing 6-4 on the trip and Beckett's second start since returning from the DL. I gotta agree.
• JD Drew is out again with a hamstring. Anyone that has ever had a pulled, strained or cranky hamstring knows that it is not a joke. You cannot push off of that leg at all.
• Jed Lowrie not in the line up? He's a little young to need a day off after a night game. VMart is back behind the dish.

Game --

• I'm officially annoyed with the constant camera shots of Mike Scioscia in the dugout whining about balls and strikes.
• Jeremy Hermida is awful. He laid up on the sinking line drive in in the second inning leading to two runs. Feel free to give an effort. Then he strikes out on six pitched balls with two in.
• How many famous white guys are named Reggie?
• I remember the Red Sox in the early eighties using three relievers every once in a while for a game. I believe Dick Dragoo started and pitched three followed by another three inning stint from some one else. Pretty effective. Gotta think it makes it harder for a hitter.
• Remy needs to beat down The Thumb. The Opposable one just called Remy "old". BTW -- How about the Curse of the RemDawg? Ellsbury changes his number and now turns into Dave Chappelle.
• You gotta think that old man did not know the swarm of bees were beneath him. Why wouldn't the fans that left that section tell him? California. They were all probably high on their medicinal marijuana.
• Two (back to back walks) on no outs in the eighth. You MUST bunt Eric Patterson. I know the team has struggled with guys in scoring position but you play the percentages. Patterson reaches any way.
• Scutaro goes ya ya for the grand slam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fernando Rodney is sick to his stomach.
• I hope no one has Rodney or Ortiz on their fantasy teams. Papi just went down with his 4th strikeout in the game. 3 k's is a "hat trick", 4 k's is a "golden sombrero". What do you call a game where you strike out five times? Never saw nor heard of that.
• Beckett out after seven solid innings. Very workman-like effort. Here comes Manny DelCarmen. I won't review his recent struggles. This might get interesting. There was a report that Bard and Papelbon are unavailable for this series finale.
• Bill Hall. Big time play. DelCarmen's career can be summed up in that inning. He looks absolutely filthy at times and absolutely feeble at times. Wakefield's warming to pitch the ninth.
• Ramirez pitches the ninth. Smooth.
• Very good win to end the road trip.

One back ...

Review from yesterday's Red Sox happenings --

VMart returned, Ellsbury began his rehab assignment, Papi broke out of his HR Derby slump (predicted), Buchholz was solid, Atchinson -- not so much, and Paps got the dreaded 4 out save.

Hopefully, the team can get through this road trip with a winning record.

Lackey returns home tonight to pitch against his former team, he better bring it.

LET"S GO SOX!!!!!

Beckett Returns

Josh Beckett's return last night is hopefully a sign of things to come. The Sox are four games out of the wild card spot. These injuries have certainly caught up to the team. Beckett's performance last night serves as some much needed hope to the team and its followers.

The starting pitching staff is now in its original form. The bullpen certainly could use a boost. Tim Wakefield's arrival there should help. The team was without a long set up man. Michael Bowden looks like he may help. What we desperately need is for Hideki Okajima to find his groove.

Offensively, the losses of Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Jeremy Hermida, Jacoby Ellsbury and to a lesser extent Jason Varitek has been crippling. Hermida returns today and Martinez is not too far behind. When Pedrioa returns we won't have to stomach seeing Daniel Nava, Eric Patterson or Darnell McDonald batting in the two hole. As far as Ellsbury is concerned, anything he can give us at this point is a plus.


Brighter days are on the horizon. We can only hope that by the time the team is at full strength, the sun has not set on the season.

Yo Adrian!!!!

Adrian Beltre --- Are you serious?? You tweak your hamstring the game prior to the All Star game but deem yourself healthy enough to play in the midsummer classic. Now as the team is trying to cope with more injuries than General Hospital and you are out a couple of games because of that hamstring injury.

Why play in the All Star game if you were not 100% healthy. I realize it was your first appearance but how about honoring your contract and the organization that is paying you. The regular season is far more important than that glorified scrimmage game.

ARod didn't even get into the game. We need to use better judgment.

RIP

Reports has "The Boss" passing away this morning.

First the voice of the Yankees dies and now the loud voice of the team passes days later.

Say what you want about the man's demeanor, but he made the Yanks winners after he took over the team. Then in the early nineties he realized that more "baseball men" should have control and he allowed that to happen. He also was a big supporter of U.S. Olympic efforts.

Rest in peace to the man born on the Fourth of July.

Papi HR Derby Winner!!!!

Wahoooooo.

Now back to baseball. Vegas has 3-2 odds on him not hitting a home run in his next 10 games after that display last night. His swing looks totally screwed.

Tough one to take

Last night's loss to the Rays was painful.

Eric Patterson hits two homers, Papi scores from first on a nifty slide, Beltre and Hall come up with big two out hits -- all leading to a commanding 5-1 lead. Commanding to any pitcher on the staff except Hideki Irabu.

Irabu pitches behind hitters all night, fails to get an out on a sac bunt, and for all the scratching and clawing the depleted team does to win a game, he coughs it up. The saddest part of it all is while we are watching all this unfold, we knew it was going to happen.

Offensively for the Sox, the sequence of the game was the bases loaded one out situation in the sixth. Beltre and Drew both strike out. We all realize these guys have had solid years and can't do it every time but can we get the ball in play?

Lost in all this is Joe Maddon's decision to put on a safety squeeze with first and third and no out, in a tie game, with his lead off (and one of the best hitters) man Ben Zobrist. What the heck is the thinking behind that? Scared of a strikeout? Okay you would still have first and third one out with Crawford up. A double play? You would still have the lead. Makes no sense. Jerry Remy is saying he would understand if it was a sacrifice to get the runner at first into scoring position. What?? That too makes no sense.

Just last week, Maddon up 6-1 attempted to bunt to put guys on second and third. Up 6-1???? I know it is hard to judge other people but some of this is just bizarre.

Maybe Joe Maddon can get Irabu back on track.

How long can this last?

Are the Red Sox really winning behind the likes of Billy Hall, Daniel Nava, and Darnell McDonald? I'm not sure how long it will last but Red Sox Nation should not panic.

This team is built on defense and starting pitching. Though both of these parts of the game have their ups and downs, but they are far more consistent than a team's offense. Look at the struggles of the Phillies as a prime example. Offensively, they have yet to be totally healthy and thus have struggled. The Sox are built differently.

Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester and John Lackey are a combined 28-10. Defensively, the team is in the top five among American League teams in most defensive categories.

Offensively, the Red Sox are getting by without its lead off man that lead the league in steals, its middle of the order catcher and its former MVP second baseman. Each guy cannot be replaced but with David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre exceeding expectations, the offense can survive. Marco Scutaro and JD Drew have had their moments. It would be a big lift if Kevin Youkilis could snap out of his recent slump.

From now until the All Star Break the Sox play ten games against the AL East (Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles). This is an important stretch for the team to keep this going.

Enough!!

Enough with the injuries!!

Pedroia goes down. Buchholz goes down. They join Ellsbury (I don't think he is milking it), Beckett, Lowell (he's more important than Lowrie who I am not mentioning), Drew (he pinch hit today) and Hermedia (yeah, he's important) on the unable to perform due to injury.

Dice-K and Cameron have both missed time too.

It is amazing the team is only two games out of the wild card and first place.

Bullpen Blues

This road trip in Colorado and San Franisco has been a nightmare for the bullpen. Papelbon's ineffectiveness has been well chronicled. But don't forget the rest of the relief corps (especially Okijima's) struggles.

The more we watch Major League Baseball the more the hard truth becomes painfully obvious, a team's bullpen will make or break a season or playoff series. The key to recent past world series champions (2007 White Sox being the exception) has been having a couple of dominant or reliable arms at the end of games. Starting pitchers are not going to give teams eight innings any more.

The game of baseball has evolved where starters give six or seven innings if you are lucky. Then a combination of one or two middle relievers turn the game over to the closer. The closer is expected to near perfect. Very similar to a kicker in the NFL. People only remember when you don't get it done.

This is what makes Mariano Rivera so incredible. He has been as near perfect as any closer in the history of the game. But what are the two most memorable Mariano moments? Luis Gonzalez's bloop to win game seven in the 2001 World Series and Bill Mueller's game tying single in game four of the 2004 ALDS.

Papelbon has had an amazing career as the Sox closer. We realize he won't be perfect but the last two outings have been hard to stomach. Daniel Bard is clearly the closer of the future but we cannot lose faith in Papelbon because the fortunes of this year's team rest heavily on the entire bullpen's ability to get key outs. This includes Papelbon, Bard and Okijima in particular because they will be getting the majority of the opportunities in the eighth and ninth innings.

Starting pitching, defense and timely offense are certainly important factors in determining the fate of the 2010 Red Sox but we will go only as far as the bullpen carries us.

Mannyworld

Lukewarm reception for Manny last night. I think you gotta cheer for the guy. Two World Series . Pain in the backside but I repeat two World Series.

Sox Love Interleague Play

Is the the National League that bad? The Sox have played very well over the past couple of years in these inter league games. Many remember the days of the 70's and 80's when the NL owned the American League during All Star games. Those days are long gone.

How much better is the "junior" circuit than its "senior" counterparts?

The Phillies have ruled the league over the past two seasons. The reason? The Phillies' offense is built like an American League team. They have a line up that has balance and power.

Right now the Sox, Rays and Yankees are clearly head and shoulders above anyone in the NL.

State of the Sox

It is early June and the Sox are playing well. The glass is definitely half full.

Lester and Buchholz are the leaders of the pitching staff.

Bard, Delcarmen, Okijima, and Papelbon have been solid out of the bullpen.

Offensively, Papi's emergence has really propelled the club over the last month. Beltre is still hitting for average and mixes in the occasional bomb from one knee. V Mart, Pedroia and Youk have yet to hit their stride. When Ellsbury gets healthy the line up now gets much deeper.

Defensively, it looks like the kinks have been worked out. Run prevention. Run prevention. Run prevention.

The enormous problem is the fact that the Yankees and Rays are playing great too! The Blue Jays will fade like last year. This looks like 2008 all over again. Only two of these three teams will make the playoffs.

There is a great deal of time left in the season and things are going to get interesting!!!

New vs traditional

Ok here's the scorecard:

I love the Green Monster seats. Many thought they would take away from the ambiance of Fenway.

I don't mind the advertisements on almost every wall of Fenway. John Henry has to get paid.

I love the home "special" red jerseys. They look sharp.

I'm okay with the away "special" blue jerseys. They don't make me want to throw up.

I do detest the white hats with red brims that the team wore yesterday to commemorate Memorial Day. Terry Francona made mention that they looked like the team was going to sell ice cream.

Weird

So the Sox sweep the best team in baseball (the Rays) at home in impressive fashion. Return home to play the worst team in baseball (the Royals) and drop the first two games???? Wholly bizarro world.

Dice-K was absolutely gross on Monday night. Wakefield was no better last night.

Tough team to figure out.

Bore and snore

I've been thinking about this one for for the last couple of weeks: Are the 2010 Red Sox boring?

Let's look back at the team over the past ten years. Remember the days when Pedro pitched? That was an event. How about Nomah? We know the story didn't end well but he was one of the most beloved players the team has had in my lifetime. Who can forget the self proclaimed "idiots" of 2004? Millar, Damon, Schilling, Ortiz and that crew were certainly good players but were also characters that held our attention. There was no greater character than Manny Ramirez. Say what you want about his high maintenance style and idiot savant tendencies but it made for must see viewing.

Currently, the roster is loaded with solid citizens and talented players. Youkilis, Pedroia, V Mart, Ellsbury, Drew, Clay, Lackey, Lester and Beckett all seem to be "good" guys that play the game the right way. But aside from Pedroia's bravado (we only hear about this from beat writers) where's the interest? Do these guys make us watch?

I exclude Papelbon because to me he is the one guy that to me is must see. He has electric stuff and the persona to match.

Personally, I have only watched one game in its entirety this season. That was the opening night win over the Yankees. In an effort to maintain full disclosure, I must mention two things. Number one, I was at Fenway for the season opener. Number two, I also went to two other games at Fenway and did not stay for the whole game (one was the suspended game). I have yet to make it through watching a game from my couch.

Granted, it has been a busy spring but still. We add Cameron, Lackey, Beltre and some relievers that are uninspiring. I can't believe I miss the "drama" at Fenway. Did Manny really just go into the Monster and miss a pitch? Did Millar have the guys do a shot of Jack before games in the 2004 playoffs? When will Pedro cut those geri-curls? Will the marbles in Johnny Damon's mouth fall out when he is being interviewed? I truly miss the good ole days.

We knew ...

... this match up between Dice K and Phil Hughes would not go well, right? I mean the Yankees own the Sox right now and Dice-K is just awful. Thank god this is only a two game series.

I am seriously having doubts about this year. I am extremely patient person when it comes to the Sox but they have very little going for them right now. The starting pitching has been sub par and the lack of defense has been mind boggling. May be Theo was right that this is a "bridge" year.

Papi Power

David Ortiz has two absolute bombs tonight. The first one went 450 feet. Big stretch of games forthcoming and we need the offense to get hot. Papi, Papi, Papi.

Buchholz looks sharp, too.

We can only hope this a start to bigger and better things.

I no heart Tim MacCarver

Three hour game, Tex hits 3 homers, Van Every has to pitch the ninth, one hour rain delay, a sweep is inevitable!!

To top it all off, during the post game Tim MacCarver says (paraphrasing) "You have to wonder if the Red Sox are as good as either the Rays or Yankees. Five weeks is not a large sampling but ... I don't think they are close to those two teams."

I no heart Tim MacCarver because he is absolutely right.

This is the last season of one of my favorite tv shows of all time. It is ironic that this year is also shaping up to be a LOST season for the Sox.

Here's hoping David Ortiz's stick is as powerful as Mr. Ecko's.
Can Tito give the "we can all live together or we can all die alone" speech to motivate the troops like Jack did?
Papelbon needs to throw some serious "smoke" like the Man in Black/Christian Shepherd/The Loch Ness Montster.
When will Ellsbury return to swipe some bags like Sawyer runs a long con?
John Henry needs to spend some money to get us some players like Widmore has spent trying to rule the island.
Can Mike Cameron have the passion like Michael? "MY SON!!"
Sayid's assassin like stares need to be mastered by Beckett.
Pedroia does have some Benjamin Linius in him. Little guy that needs to prove himself.
Hurley could probably get more outs out of the bull pen right now than Manny Delcarmen (I know it's not true but I needed a Hurley reference).
JD Drew is about as useless as Juliet's fertilization research.
Who appears in more games / episodes Jonathon Van Every or Boone?
Can Dice-K talk to his dead career like Miles does to dead people?
Kate or Heidi Watney? Tough one.
Can Tim Wakefield continue to beat back time Richard Alpert?

"We all everybody" How can I fit that one in?

I hope this ends well.

Sweep away the Angels, here come the Yanks

Looks like the Sox have righted the ship by sweeping the punchless Angels. By here come the Yankees.

I don't get why and how the schedule makers can have the Sox play two 0f their three home Yankee series before May 11th. Nevertheless, this weekend is a great opportunity for the Sox to take a series from the world champs. The last time we saw the New Yorkers, Red Sox Nation was unsure about what to expect from this group. Since those opening three games, the team has been a model of inconsistency. The Sox swept Toronto at the Rogers Centre, got swept at Camden Yards and swept the Angels at the Fens.

This weekend should be fun. Phil Hughes against Josh Beckett looks like the best match up. Hughes has been lights out this year. Becket needs to find his groove. CC Sabbathia vs Clay Buchholz on Saturday seems to favor the visitors. Sunday's hurlers are AJ Burnett and Jon Lester. Gotta like the the Sox here.

Something to look at is how well the Sox can limit the Yankee running game. Jason Varitek and Victor Martinez along with the pitching staff have made great strides.

Swept Away in Baltimore

After evening their overall record on the road in Toronto (and seemingly gaining some much needed momentum), the Sox get swept in Baltimore.

The painful part is the fact that all three games were winnable.

Friday night featured a one run loss where the bull pen (Bard, Ramirez) could not hold the lead.

Saturday night Dice-K was staked a 4-1 lead in his season debut and then imploded (anyone surprised?) in the fifth giving up six runs. Wake then gave up five runs in his two innings. Papi's two home runs wasted.

Today, we waste a very good start from Beckett. The only offense we could muster were solo home runs from Varitek and Drew.

The Angels now come to Boston. We are in desperate need of some kind of winning streak. The Rays and Yanks look like that may run away from the pack.

Buc to the rescue!!

Clay Buchholz gives the bull pen some much needed rest with a sparkling performance tonight. He has clearly been the best starter so far this year. Most impressive was his ability to throw his change up in any count.

Other big news was Mike Lowell pinch hitting for David Ortiz in a big spot. Looks like Lowell will be taking at bats away from Papi.

Also, not lost is Adrian Beltre's error in the eighth. Gotta make that play.

All of these one run games are taxing the bull pen.

End story is the club is 2-0 in Toronto. We need some kind of winning streak.

State of Sox

The Sox finished their 10 game home stand at 4-6. So where do we currently stand?

No Ellsbury or Cameron. Our outfield has been the worst in baseball. Hermida, Van Every, Hall, MacDonald and Reddick does not remind anyone of Evans, Rice and Lynn or even Damon, Nixon and Ramirez for that matter.

The bullpen has been inconsistent. Okijima gave one up yesterday. Delcarmen has still a shadow of himself. Some guy named Acthinson pitched the other day and Ramon the Elder makes it look like we got shafted giving up CoCo Crisp.

Offensively, Youkilis, Martinez, Drew, Ortiz and Scutaro are all off to very slow starts.

The starting pitching has been suspect. Lackey has been up and down, Lester looks out of sync, Buchholz still nibbles too much and Wake has been banished to the pen. Beckett has been only okay.

Defensively, the team cannot throw out base runners and makes some untimely errors. This whole run differential thing has not panned out just yet.

So in short, we look to be in a great deal of trouble. The Rays and Yanks look to be 95-100 win teams right now. We can only hope that we turn this thing around.

Absolutely Ridiculous

9 stolen bases in 6 innings!!!!!!

Unbelievable. Victor Martinez is losing a lot of free agent money.

Why the Rays are a bad match up for the Red Sox

The four game sweep at Fenway is complete. The Sox are obviously in a very bad place right now. The Rays are extremely hot. We should not panic, there is a very long way to go. However one thing is very clear, The Sox do not match up well with the Rays.

Here's why:

The Rays make the Sox look very unathletic. BJ Upton and Carl Crawford are considerably better athletes than anyone the Sox have. Jacoby Ellsbury is athletic but not on the level of these two guys. Athleticism in baseball is not imperative. For instance, the 2009 Sox were more athletic than the 2009 Yankees. Having better athletes does not guarantee a better team but it sure helps. Which leads us to ...

The Red Sox have no answer to the Rays' running game. Crawford has stole thirty-one straight bases against the Old Towne team. But it is not just Crawford. Ben Zobrist, Evan Longoria, Jason Bartlett and even Carlos Pena have successfully swiped bags versus the Boston battery. Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek have been awful but some of the blame has to go to the starting pitchers. Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz have to give them a chance. We know it is not easy but the Rays will continue to take advantage of this aspect of the game because ...

Joe Maddon has the Red Sox' number. This guy, who worked under Mike Scioscia in Anaheim, has made all the right moves against the Sox. I like the fact that he is unafraid to make a gutsy move. Be it introducing a shift for many dead pull lefty hitters to bringing in a fifth infielder with a runner on third, Maddon loves to take calculated risks. Maddon has also done a great job managing match ups in his bullpen. Of course, it is not too difficult when you have talented players like ..

Evan Longoria. Simply put --- he is the best young position player in the game. Albert Pujols is the best but I would take Longoria and his fifteen more years in the majors right now. Longoria is young, drives in runs, hits bombs and plays sound defense. He also has "game". This means he gets it done when the game is on the line.

I would rather have the Sox play anyone (including the 2009 World Champs) than the Rays.

Dear Tim letter

Dear Tim Bogar,

Tie game, no one out, in the sixth last night and you send Youkilis from first on Ortiz's double??? Are you serious? There's no one out! Did you not feel comfortable having runners on second and third and no one out? Mark Balfour was not lights out, plus Beltre, Hermida and Varitek were all swinging the bat well.

Last night's game was the first of ten home games in a row. The suspended game pitted our #1 Beckett vs. the Rays' #5 Davis, the only run scored by Tampa Bay was on a ground ball lost in the lights (read that again for effect)! This is a game we needed to have and you decide to channel your best Wave 'em in Wendel Kim.

Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, we demand better from you.

Don't even tell me you ...

... are not worried about David Ortiz' start to the season. He has not looked good against hard throwing righties, soft throwing lefties, breaking pitches, pitches up, down, away, or in. It is obvious he is trying to jack everything sees. When he was going good, he would drive the ball the left center field gap. He isn't even trying to do that.

... don't like the Royals' uniforms on Sunday. The baby blues were sweet.

... didn't smile when Tek hit two home runs on Saturday.

... miss JD Drew. His stiff neck/back has allowed us to watch the stroke of one Jeremy
Hermida.

... think the Red Sox - Yankee games are too long. Dear Joe West, the lack of a time limit is one of the reasons baseball is a great sport. I understand the commissioner's office wants to speed up the games but some of us actually enjoy the "gamesmanship" of baseball.

... are against signing Josh Beckett to a four year extension. The Sox now have the best rotation (Beckett, Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, Dice-K) in baseball signed until 2012.

... aren't concerned that Victor Martinez has thrown out one of ten base stealers thus far this season. The Rays come to Fenway this weekend. If you have Carl Crawford on your fantasy team, my guess is you will win steals this week. Many of the throws haven't even been close.

Did the opening series versus Yankees tell us anything?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!

First of all, why would the MLB schedule makers have a Red Sox - Yankee series to kick off the season? I went to both Sunday's opener and Tuesday night's game and the electricity that was in the air on Sunday night was simply because it was the opener. The Sox could have been playing the Connecticut Tigers and it would have been just as loud. Neil Diamond, Steven Tyler, a 5 year old yelling "screw 'em", and Pedro will do that to a sell out crowd.

Tuesday's game did not feel like a typical rivalry game. Seemed like a waste of guaranteed buzz to me.

The series itself told of us very little.

• David Ortiz's 0 for 7 start means nothing. These sportswriters need to find other things to write about.
• Joba Chamberlain had one good outing and one bad. Sounds like a typical reliever.
• Curtis Granderson is not the next Willie Mays, Bernie Williams or even Melky Cabrera.
• JD Drew is not going to be replaced by Josh Reddick.
• Josh Beckett is going to be fine. Signing him for four additional years is good, smart business.
• The Sox offense will be fine. There is far more balance this year than since Manny left a year and a half ago. Mike Cameron, Marco Scutaro and Adrian Beltre combined are a better trio than Jason Bay, Julio Lugo and Mike Lowell.
• Scutaro's error on Tuesday does not make run prevention a failed experiment like the 2003's closer by committee.

Keep faith Sox fans and don't overreact Yankee followers, there is a long way to go. The 2009 Sox taught us that after the eight consecutive victories to open the rivalry.

Top 5 Questions to be answered at Spring Training

Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers by the end of this week. The Sox' roster is nearly set. There are no starting position battles. We don't have to worry when or if Pedro or Manny will show up. One would think that this will be a ho hum spring training.

There are five huge questions that need to be answered before the team opens its season against the Yankees on April 4th.

In descending order of importance:

5. Who gets the last spot in the bullpen?

Let's look at the roster. The Sox will take five starters north. There will be six relievers that make the club out of spring training. Barring injury the first five figure to be; closer Jonathon Papelbon and set up men Hideki Okiaima, Daniel Bard, Ramon Ramirez, Manny Delcarmen. That leaves one spot between a couple of guys. Newly acquired Boof Bonser will be the team's long reliever but he may not be ready to start the season. Tim Wakefield's role is still undefined (we'll address that shortly). Youngster Dustin Richardson will get a shot this year but not yet. My money is on non roster invitee Brian Shouse. Shouse is a lefty, sidewinder that will come in handy during that first series.

This last spot is going to be very liquid. Theo will be calling Pawtucket frequently this year. Like in years past there will be no less than eight to ten relievers helping out in the pen.

4. What to do with Wake?

The starting rotation is set. Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Dice-K and Clay Buchholz are virtually locked in. Where does that leave the veteran knuckle baller Tim Wakefield? No team's rotation out of spring training provides 150 starts a year, let alone 162. It just does not happen. Pencil Wake in for in the neighborhood of fifteen starts. He could absolutely pitch out of the pen. The team will be very careful with the forty-three year old. My guess is that the team leaves Wake behind in Florida and he uses the time to further his conditioning.

3. How sharp is Dice-K?

If the 2008 Dice-K shows up this year, the Red Sox' rotation is very, very good. The 2009 version brings the team back to the pack. The fact that he worked out in Arizona and has reportedly lost weight is good for the team picture but does not guarantee effectiveness.

Dice-K's failure to disclose his unhealthiness last year is troubling. When the team forked over the money to negotiate and ultimately sign the Japanese pitcher the team hoped to obtain a front line starter without losing a future or current player. The results have been mixed. As much as he needs to be physically fit, Dice-K needs to be mentally right. He needs to trust his stuff and pound the strike zone.

2. Can Papi find the fountain of youth?

Seriously, is there a more pivotal player that needs to get off to a fast start? Though his final numbers (28 hr, 99 rbi, .794 OPS) were not as bad as they could have been last year, David Ortiz may not be able survive another slow start. If Ortiz can be a force in the middle of the line up, the team's offensive production will certainly not miss Jason Bay as much.

A repeat of last year's early struggles will force Terry Francona and possibly management to make the difficult decision of replacing a man that has been the cornerstone of two world championships.

1. Will Mike Lowell be traded?

Easily the question of the spring. The Lowell saga has been well documented. How would you feel if you had to show up to work knowing that your bosses tried to get rid of you not once but twice? Lowell is a professional and all around good guy so we don't have to worry about him being a distraction.

Lowell needs to prove his surgically repaired wrist and hip are not hindering his ability at the plate and in the field. It is not a given that he gets traded. The Sox should not give him away (see Lugo,Julio). He can still help the team. Out of respect, I do believe the team will seek to trade him. Whether or not he heads north with the team is the question of the spring.

Gone Bay-B Gone

Jason Bay's signing with the New York Mets brings his one and a half year stay in Boston to a close. The Mets are getting a very good player that will hit for power (even in that stadium), take his walks and play 150-160 games. The Red Sox knew Bay's talents and contributions well but ultimately decided the cost was too much. Their initial offer of four years, sixty million was about as high as the team was going to go.

What does this mean for the team? Simply put -- Mike Cameron is the left fielder for the start of the season. There has been some talk about Cameron's signing meaning that Jacoby Ellsbury could be moved in a deal for a big time player. Past history tells us that Theo does not like to move his proven young players. Ellsbury gives the club athleticism (defense and on the bases) that the team seriously lacks. His contract is very club friendly.

An outfield of Cameron, Ellsbury and JD Drew in right is very good defensively. Cameron can move to center to give Ellsbury the occasional day off with Jeremy Heredia backing up in both left and right field.

The question is, Are the Red Sox content with the current roster? My guess is that the baseball operations people are okay with starting spring training with who they currently have under contract. I do think the team will add another arm or two with incentive laden deals -- think low risk money with a possible high reward (i.e. Smoltz, Penny, Saito). These type of deals do not always work out but seem to be worth the risk.

The fun should come in June and July at the trade deadline. However, we are a long way from that.