What Has Gone So Wrong?
The short version is that, since the All-Star Game, they have had two outstanding players (Manny Ortez), a good player (Jonathan Papelbon) and a couple of average ones (Curt Schilling & Mark Loretta). The Red Sox have stunk for more than a month now, with the pitching being off-the-charts disgusting and the hitting looking better than it is thanks to the two demi-gods hitting in the middle of the order.
The more interesting question, and it’s one I think is worth looking into, is “how did we get here?” I haven’t done the work yet so I am not prepared to answer this but I think a good, long look at some of the moves the Sox have made in assembling this team is in order.
I will be resuming brief game recaps this week and I will mix in a review of Sox moves - what was a defensible move at the time, what was avoidable and what just falls into the “shit happens” category. Also, if the Sox slide further out of this thing, we’ll shift focus a bit to the “Beyond” portion of our “The Sox & Beyond” sub-title. This season is shaping into an awfully interesting one and we like to pride ourselves on being baseball fans first and Sox fans second. As such, while it won’t be as much fun without Boston involved, we won’t be going anywhere.
But we ain’t giving up yet. The Red Sox kick off a nine-game west-coaster in Anaheim tonight. No time like the present to turn this bitch around.
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:48 pm
I gotta say that even though life obviously takes precedence, it’s been an awfully hard pill to have the Sox play so poorly without Dewey’s House to keep me relatively sane.
Glad to have you back, guys. We need you to defeat the CHBs and McAdams’ of the world.
August 22nd, 2006 at 1:56 pm
It’s not over by any means.
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:57 am
No, it’s over.
August 28th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Terry, spit, Terry keep your head in the game, try manufacturing some runs small ball if you will. Over 1000 men left on. Squeeze once in a while. Bunting is legal. Steal a base. The .150 hitters we have should be able to bunt. Everyone is allowed to swing for the fences. You don’t need 13 pitchers on the roster, they get rusty sitting out there, they never get regular work some don’t pitch for 5 days. Bring Paplebon in for more than 3 batters. Start DelCarmen. We have 5 young futures in the system and they all end up in the pen. Come on get a pitching coach not a broken down yes Terry type. No one ever picks on Terry. It’s about time somebody gets him a manual on the fundamentals of baseball. I will be in the grave before the youth movement takes over. Now we want a winner now. Get Tajeta from the Oriols to hit fifth give up Lester,Folke,Taverez,Timlen and Sanaez. Get an outfielder that can throw. Bring back Olerud. Get Willy Mo a prinze tennis racket with loose strings it’s got to be better than his glove. We have the best infield, the best DH, the best number 4 guy, No backup hitting catcher and a bench that Japan’s little league team hits better than. Sign the Mexican little leager catcher he can do as well as Jave. Well that’s the bottom line. You could see it comming like the Coors silver bullet train. How could the brass miss it.