Results tagged ‘ Big Papi ’
Preliminary Off-Season Thoughts
Dan:
In the words of Mark McGwuire: “I’m not here to talk about the past.”
Let’s, for a moment, forget that ALDS with the Angels ever happened. Instead, let’s bring hope back to Red Sox Nation and talk about the future . . . unless the Sox fail to bring back Jason Bay. Then forget about hope and save yourselves, cuz this ship is sinking. So, let’s take a look at issues the Sox face this winter.
JASON BAY - The Red Sox absolutely, positively NEED to bring back Jason Bay. Rarely will I say the Sox “need” anybody. But the fact is the team’s weakest link this year was its offense. If the Sox lose their best offensive player (Bay), they likely won’t be able to make the offensive upgrades they need next season. The free agent market for bats this season is especially thin (forget Matt Holliday, the most overrated bat out there). And if the Sox land a good bat in a trade – like Adrian Gonzalez – but lose Bay, they’ll be swapping bats rather than making a significant offensive improvement next year (which would be keeping Bay and getting a Gonzalez). What scares me to death is there is no reason the Yankees won’t let Johnny Damon walk and instead throw a ton of money at Bay – which improves the Yankees offense AND hurts the Red Sox. This scares me.
JONATHON PAPELBON - I’ve been shocked at the number of people clammering to trade Paps since his blown save the other day. Sox Nation needs to get a grip. As I’ve said before, every great closer has blown big games (Rivera, Eck, Hoffman, Gossage). What makes them great is their ability to brush it off and come back. Papelbon has shown he can do it. Why would you mess with that? Did we learn nothing from the Closer By Committee fiasco that started the Theo administration in early 2003? It takes a certain type of mentality (or craziness) to be a closer, and Paps has that. Bard has great stuff, but we don’t know if he has the mental toughness to be a closer. He could instead be the next Billy Koch. That being said, the promise of Bard does give the Sox flexibility should it take dealing a Papelbon to bring a bigtime bat like Adrian Gonzalez in return.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ - In case you haven’t yet noticed, I want the Sox to back the truck up to land San Diego firstbaseman Adrian Gonzalez. He is a young, dynamic bat that could help this offense. And San Diego will be hiring a new GM (Jed Hoyer?) soon who will likely be looking to stock up on young talent. Slot A-Gonz into first, move Youk to third and . . .
MIKE LOWELL - He’s been a great player for the Sox for these past few seasons, but his best years are well-behind him. Injuries make him unreliable and limit his mobility in the field. If the Sox can find a better bat, they need to move on. The only way I see Lowell staying in that situation is if he was a platoon DH with . . .
DAVID ORTIZ - Undoubtedly my favorite baseball player of all-time. So it pains me to say this. I know he came back big in the second-half, and had impressive numbers as a result. Still, how many meaningful times did Papi come through this year against good pitching. Not many. He wasn’t a factor in the playoffs, and didn’t look like there was any hope he could be. Papi will never again be the great hitter he once was, and I’d say it was time for the Sox to move on, EXCEPT . . . tell me where the Sox are going to get another DH to replace him given how weak the free-agent market is. Assuming they keep Bay, the Sox are going to need to find a home for a new bat, and that will be in either Lowell’s or Ortiz’s slot. Given Lowell’s health issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if they dump Lowell, keep Ortiz at DH this year, and then try to replace him after next season.
JASON VARITEK - It’s hard to watch cornerstones of the 2004 championship team like Papi and Tek age and have their skills diminish. At this point, everyone has to accept that Tek is done. Even, probably, Tek. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him retire this offseason (but in some way that keeps that $3 mill option). At this point, I’m not sure the Sox offense can afford to have him as the backup catcher.
The Resurrection??
Dan:
Count me as one of the ones who thought Big Papi was done. Given not just how he looked the first two months of this season, but also most of last season, Papi just looked like a guy whose career had fallen off the table. Like Jim Rice after his near-MVP season of 1986 suddenly losing his skills, it was as if someone had slipped kryptonite into Superman’s tights.
It wasn’t an easy conclusion to reach. Like much (if not most) of Red Sox Nation, Papi is my favorite player. Not just because of all the clutch hits, including Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, which I was at (and you can see me and my low-life brother in the stands as the homer sails over the wall). But also because of his memorable team speeches prior to legendary Red Sox comebacks, like when he told his teammates before that Game 4 that as he’d driven to Fenway he’d seen all the signs and billboards from Sox fans who had suffered for so long, and he just wanted to do something to put smiles on their faces. Or how about his “you’re a bad m#therf#cker” speech to teammates when they were down 3-1 to the Indians in 2007? Papi is just an easy guy to like.
So it was painful to watch him struggle. And while we all looked for signs of life, they just weren’t there. It was obvious Papi was done, and those who didn’t want to admit it were just in denial.
And then came June. Papi is suddenly Papi again. He’s hitting bombs, and if he really is back to his old self (or even 85 percent of his old self), you can plan the parade now.
Still, I’m unconvinced. I’m cautiously optimistic, but he’s just been down for so long it’s hard to imagine he can return to Papi form for an extended period of time. It happens with all batters at some point. The decline is inevitable. It WILL happen eventually.
I just hope it’s not yet.
What Happened Here?
Dan:
Anyone looking for proof that you can do something to curse your team look no further than this blog last night.
At 10:27 p.m., I posted an entry on how the Red Sox had a done deal with Mark Teixeira, and talked about how to move forward. Not 20 minutes later, John Henry sent out an e-mail stating the Sox were out of the Teixeira sweepstakes.
Karma?
We still don’t know what happened yet. Maybe the Angels’ desperation got the better of them and they went to 10 years. They certainly were looking at a dark place if they missed out on Tex, and needed him more than the Sox. Maybe the foolish Nationals made a desperate insane offer. It wouldn’t be the first time a franchise that couldn’t afford a superstar bid out of their league (Texas/ARod). If that’s the case, expect them to look to deal him within three years . . . and expect Tex’s complaining about the franchise not winning to begin in two.
Still, all hope is not lost . . . yet. This is Scott Boras and the Red Sox . . . two entities who have said deals were dead in the past, only to have them be revived later on. So, until a deal is announced and a physical has taken place, this thing isn’t over. But it doesn’t look good.
If the Sox don’t get Tex, you have to start to wonder about next year. They have a good team in place, and, if everyone is healthy, they should be fine. But, given the age of Lowell and Tek, and given the fragility of JD Drew, and the uncertainty of Papi’s wrist, there will still be a lot to worry about heading into the season.
Bay Side
Dan:
As we look toward 2009 with visions of Mark Teixeira at first base, fans might be forgetting about another star who’ll be playing his first full season swinging at the Green Monster next year: Jason Bay.
Ever since he arrived in Boston at the trade deadline, Bay has kind of slid under the radar. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t hitting clean-up; maybe it’s because he wasn’t a nationally-known figure, having played for the Pirates and all. But for the last few years Bay has been one of the very best position players in the game. He consistently put up great numbers in Pittsburgh, even though most of the time he was the lone bat in the lineup. When he first came to Boston, I predicted that he’ll put up better numbers overall than Manny will during the next two seasons (the would-be option years in Manny’s contract). We got a glimpse of how good he is during the second half last year and the playoffs. And we saw how good he is defensively. Now, with half a season in Fenway under his belt, there’s every reason to expect he’ll be even better in 2009. Especially if he’s slides under the radar in this line-up.
If we do sign Teixeira (which looks like a real possibility right now), consider our Opening Day lineup for 2009 compared with last year. Considering Manny’s decline and Bay being in the prime of his career, I expected a net offensive gain having Bay in our lineup rather than Manny. (Not to mention the huge defensive upgrade.) Now consider having Teixeira versus Lowell. While Lowell’s been good, given his age and injury risk — not to mention previous levels of production — the net gain with Teixeira is huge. While everyone has been comparing Teixeira’s production with Manny, it’s important not to forget how good Bay is.
Now let’s imagine Youkilus and Pedroia have years similar to last year . . . and that J.D. Drew plays 150 games . . . and that Papi’s wrist feels better . . . . . Ooh, this is fun.
Moving Forward
Dan:
Let’s face it: The Sox were banged up, and the Devil Rays were the better team. They’re probably going to win the World Series. Just freakin’ wonderful. I’m not in a good place right now. Let’s stop talking about it.
Anyway . . . . . on a positive note, once we get past this bothersome World Series, we get to embark on one of the most exciting times of the year — the Hot Stove Season. It’s the kind of thing blogging was invented for. So, let’s just get beyond this thing we’re not talking about and move forward. Let’s see what Boston’s current weaknesses are and what we can hope to expect from this Hot Stove Season.
The Problems
Papi’s Wrist – There’s no offseason solution to this. All we can do is hope and pray that Papi’s wrist is better by next season and he becomes the hitting terror he once was. But the cold hard truth here is wrist injuries are scary things for hitters. There was once a future-Hall-of-Famer named Nomar Garciaparra who won a batting title with the highest average for a right-handed hitter since Joe DiMaggio. Then Nomar was hit by a pitch and messed up his wrist. Goodbye Hall of Fame title; Hello title of Mr. Mia Hamm.
Jacoby Ellsbury – This is another one of those wait-and-see situations. Luckily, Ellsbury’s offensive struggles this year stemmed from his youth instead of any injury. We know he can play. And we know young players do struggle at times. Eventually, Ellsbury will be fine.
Jason Varitek – Whether the Sox resign him or he leaves in free agency, the team needs to find his replacement now (actually, I believe I said last year at this time the time was last offseason). Even if he stays, his best days are far behind him. And his performance is only going to get worse in the coming years. He is a great catcher, but the he-calls-a-great-game thing only works if he’s hitting +.240 . . . not .220.
Mike Lowell – I will likely catch some serious hate here. I love Mike Lowell as much as anybody. And, sure, everybody gets injured and he’ll probably come back at 100 percent next season and have a great year. But all the more reason to trade him. Lowell has had a great run in Boston, but he’s not a guy you can bank on year in and year out; over his whole career he has had his up’s and down’s. Fact is, he’s not getting any younger, and you can expect more common injuries and declining production the next few seasons. The good thing is Lowell has trade value. He has put up great numbers the past few years, he has two years remaining on his contract, and his salary is manageable. And Theo has long coveted the idea of a power-hitting first-baseman. Which leads us to . . .
The Solutions
Sign Mark Texeira – Texeira is a young, switch-hitting, power-hitting first baseman who could be a huge addition to a questionable Sox offense. Of course, in this situation you deal away Lowell. Sure it hurts, but imagine a lineup with Pedroia, Ortiz, Texeira, Youk, Bay and Drew as your 2-7 hitters. October 2009, here we come. The only question is how insane the Yankees will go this year. They have money coming off the books too, and a Wall-Streetesque situation of the rich getting richer with huge dollars coming in next season from their new ballpark, they could put up insane money to sign every free agent they want. Let’s hope they exercise some sanity.
Trade for Saltalamacchia – The Rangers have too many good, young catchers and need to deal. The Red Sox have the need for a catcher and the goods to offer. Salty has been one of the most highly-touted prospects in recent years. And although he has struggled somewhat at the big-league level, he is still extremely young, and those struggles might just have brought his value down enough to secure a deal. By the same token, thankfully Coco Crisp’s performance in the second-half and October may have upped his value where teams may be interested in grabbing him and a prospect.
Trade for Peavy — Yeah, I know. We have a boatload of starting pitching. We have Lester, Beckett, Matsuzaka . . . and then a lot of questions. Schilling won’t be back. Wakefield is too much of a wildcard to depend on at this point. And you can never . . . NEVER . . . depend on unproven youngsters to fill out your rotation (ask the Yanks how Hughes, Kennedy and Joba carried them this year). This offseason, let the Yankees throw boatloads of cash at C.C., D-Lowe and Burnett. I’ll take dealing some of our young arms to the Padres for Peavy. If you hate dealing prospects, remember you never know how they’ll turn out. Wasn’t Casey Fossum going to be the next Tom Glavine?
Ticket To Misery
Dan:
I went to Tuesday’s game . . . and I haven’t been able to blog, think about the game or anything to do with baseball since . . . This is a struggle . . . . . Alright . . . I can do this . . . I think . . .
First, let’s state the obvious: The Red Sox are done. The Devil Rays have been getting great pitching, while the Red Sox have not. (BTW, Madden’s decision to pitch Kazmir tonight — where he’s been great at Fenway — is brilliant.) Even if they get three great pitching performances out of Matsuzaka, Beckett and Lester — a real possibility — their bats are so bad right now there’s almost no chance they can take three straight games. This isn’t 2004 or 2007; this is a depleted, banged-up lineup. As I’ve already blogged about, Ellsbury hasn’t hit at all, Papi is hitting under a buck, and Varitek, Kotsay and Lowrie aren’t offensive juggernauts. And if Crisp is in instead of Drew, that leaves us with just three actual live bodies in the lineup — Pedroia, Youk and Bay.
This offense hasn’t hit all October — they squeaked through the Angels series — and there is no chance they suddenly snap out of it for three straight games. Too bad. A Red Sox and Phillies World Series would have been classic. Now, we’re stuck with the Rays and their 15,000 fans and the Phillies, a good – but flawed – team with a passionate local base but no national following. Maybe a panicked Bud Selig can get the umps to stop squeezing us.
Regarding Tuesday’s game, I made a classic blunder. Just hours before the game, I started searching for tickets, just to see what was out there. I searched all around out of curiousity to see if I could stumble on some reasonable prices. Not to be a kiss-up here, but I was shocked when I saw how low the prices were on our very own sponsor — Vividseats.com. I know my editorial integrity is at stake here. But it’s the truth. To be honest, the prices were so low I actually almost wondered about the site’s legitimacy. But it was real, and the price was too good to pass up. So I grabbed the tickets and went to the game. Unfortunately, as it turned out, I scrambled to get tickets to a game where it felt like I had Carlos Pena cleat-kicking me in the cojones each half-inning for nine long innings.
And now I’m thinking about that game again. And I’m feeling sick again.
I can’t do this anymore.
Ugh.
Let’s Beat The Devil Out Of The Rays
Dan:
ON THE ALCS VERSUS THE RAYS:
Get ready for some serious hate on the Sox. Get ready for them to be painted as the big, evil Goliaths — the New Yankees — by Sportscenter himbos. Get ready to hear the audible disdain for the Sox by Fox broadcasters as they get excited and root-on every Tampa run. Get ready to be overrun by news articles about those spunky Rays, those underdog kids from Tampa (maybe more coverage than the prez race . . . at least the issues). And get ready for the rest of the country to root against your team.
And, unfortunately, get ready for a long, difficult series, because these Devil Rays — even though they have no fans, even though they play in a tomb, even though they’re managed by a nitwit, even though they are a bunch of dinks who gang-up three-on-one and throw haymakers at a guy who is already pinned down (luckily they punch like flowers), and even though they have cheerleaders (yes, cheerleaders in baseball) who hop on top of the dugout when they hit a home run — are a good team.
All the pressure is on the Sox. And the Rays have all the advantage of being the underdog. I like our pitching, but our offense needs to start driving in runs.
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ON BEATING THE ANGELS
I’m going to resist pointing out that I was at last night’s Red Sox game, that they are 5-0 in playoff games I attend, or asserting that their success has something to do with me (which seems pretty obvious). Instead, let’s actually talk about the game.
What an amazingly painful and wonderful rollercoaster ride of a game to be at. We got to appreciate seven shutout innings from Jon Lester. But, just when it looked like the Sox had it won, our anemic offense combined with a few walks and a wild pitch to make it look like we were on our way back to Los Angeles (or Anaheim?) to face certain series defeat. And when the Angels got a runner to third with just one out in the top of the ninth, the dread in Fenway was palpable.
I don’t know what Mike Scoscia was thinking calling a squeeze. I can appreciate aggressive baserunning. But when you have a runner on third with just one out, and you are staring playoff elimination in the face, you take the chance that your next batter will hit a sac fly, or one of your next two batters will get a base hit; You don’t take a big gamble with a squeeze . . . otherwise chances are you lose big. Gamble like that in July, not in October, in the ninth, facing elimination.
Given that we were looking at almost certain defeat, the volume at Fenway when we won it in the bottom of the ninth was explosive. The reaction was reminiscent of when Trot Nixon hit a walk-off to beat the Athetics in Game 3 of the 2003 ALDS. High-fiving and hugging the strangers who surround you — equally passionate and insane fans — make you appreciate being a Boston fan instead of what they call fandom in places like Anaheim (or LA?) or Tampa.
——————
ON OUR OFFENSE AND PAPI:
You have to expect our offense will come alive at some point. Pedroia and Ortiz will start to hit. And Varitek has to do something big at some point. He will. But, if they don’t . . .
I love Ortiz as much as anyone. But he looks terrible at the plate right now. He’s a shell of himself right now, and he is almost an automatic out in that three-hole. Give him two games to snap out of it. But, if not, Francona should maybe entertain moving him down (although there is no way — NO WAY — he will). The Sox have a deep lineup. And Youk, Drew and Bay are hitting well. A combo of those three in the 3-4-5 spot is mighty good, and, behind Ellsbury and Pedroia, would likely produce more runs than having an almost automatic out in Ortiz.
I know this is dangerous territory. I know this is close to herecy. Ortiz is my favorite Sox of all-time. I was there at Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. He’s the greatest clutch hitter of all-time, bar none. He should never be booed, no matter what. And, no matter what happens from here on out, his number should be retired. But we’re trying to win a championship. And, by Ortiz’s own admission, he’s not himself. Hopefully he goes 2-for-4 with a double (or maybe a HR) in Game 1, and this talk goes out the window. But, right now, he looks bad . . . and, as a result, the Sox offense looks bad. They need to be better, or Tampa is going to the World Series (a sure sign of the apocalypse).
Pesky’s #6 To Be Retired; Who’s Next?
Dan:
This weekend, the Sox will retire Johnny Pesky’s Number 6. To do so, the organization is changing its Number Retirement Rules, which require a player to be in the Hall of Fame to have his number retired. It’s a good decision.
Pesky was a key part of some great Red Sox teams in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But beyond that, he has been Mr. Red Sox for half a century. Through his devotion to the franchise, he has contributed to the enduring legacy of the Red Sox like few other players. And certainly deserves to have his number hanging near that of his buddies Williams and Doerr.
While changing the HOF requirement might be controversial, it’s a good decision. Many Sox players who were not (or are not going to be) deemed Hall-of-Fame-worthy have made far more significant contributions to the franchise than some Hall of Famers. And, as we’ve seen, who is and who is not deemed a Hall of Famer is all-too-often left up to the arbitrary whims of naive or ignorant national “sportswriters” who give too much focus to silly magic numbers and/or don’t pay attention or have an understanding of a particular player’s accomplishments and contributions during a given era. You know, the folks who said Wade Boggs was a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, but Jim Rice (who led the AL in virtually every offensive category over 10 years) isn’t Hall worthy. But ask any knowledgeable baseball person if they were building a baseball team, which player would they take. (BTW, the answer: Jim Rice.) Or the folks who vote for Lee Smith for the Hall of Fame. But I digress . . .
In reporting the news about Pesky, the Boston Globe pondered who might be next to have their number retired, and listed the following as possible candidates:
Jim Rice (No. 14)
Roger Clemens (No. 21)
Luis Tiant (No. 23)
Dwight Evans (No. 24)
Tony Conigliaro (No. 25)
Wade Boggs (No. 26)
The way I see it is:
Jim Rice – YES. This is for obvious reasons that I have blogged about many times here. I won’t rehash it now.
Roger Clemens – NO. Roger Clemens is the anti-Pesky. Sure, he’s a great pitcher; one of the best ever. But retiring his number is about his overall contributions to and treatment of the Red Sox franchise. Whether you backed his decision to take the money and run to Toronto in 1996, you have to admit that there was a lot of bad blood between him and Red Sox Nation after he went to the Yankees. And that’s not just about him wearing the uniform. There were the classic battles in which he was Public Enemy Number One. There was him proclaiming from the rooftops at every chance that he wanted to retire a Yankee and wear the New York cap into Cooperstown, even getting angry at the notion the HOF might decide he wears a Sox cap in. There was him calling Sox fans whiners and losers. And in 2007, he lied to say it wasn’t about the money, it was about playing for a winner, when he shunned the Sox, took the money and went to a Yankee team going nowhere. That is what I mean by Clemens as the anti-Pesky. Finally, there is the fact he is one of the major faces of baseball’s steroid scandal. That is NOT bringing honor to the game of baseball. Heck, the Yankees are so embarrassed and ashamed of their association with Clemens they didn’t even have him to the final game at Yankee Stadium, where they brought out all the Yankee greats. If they don’t want him, why would we take him? Don’t you remember? We HATE this man. Let him rot in baseball limbo . . . or have Toronto retire his number.
Luis Tiant – NO. El Tiante was an excellent pitcher for some great Sox teams in the 1970s. But was he THAT good, or contributed enough to the Sox franchise? I love El Tiante, but the answer is no.
Dwight Evans – MAYBE, IF . . . Who didn’t love Dewey. But this is one situation in which I sometimes think Sox fans let their love of a player cloud their judgement. Dewey wasn’t HOF worthy. And, on his own, not number retirement worthy either. But, just as I can’t see retiring Dewey’s 24 without honoring Manny’s 24, I don’t think you can retire Manny’s 24 without retiring Dewey’s. Manny was a GREAT hitter who contributed a lot to Boston’s success, but also brought a less-than-honorable attitude and behavior. Great hitter? Definitely. Number retirement worthy? Begrudingly yes. The best solution is you retire Number 24 honoring both of them.
Tony Conigliaro – NO C’mon. Tony C had some great years, and he projected to be an all-time great hitter had injury not cut his career short. But who knows what would have happened. It’s a shame, but he is not retirement worthy . . . no matter what Steve Buckley says.
Wade Boggs – NO, NO WAY A great hitter who was renowned as a selfish player more interested in padding his stats than winning games, Boggs certainly reached his magic 3,000-hit number to punch his ticket to the Hall of Fame. But discerning baseball minds know Boggs was not a great baseball player.
Some other numbers I think should be retired eventually: Pedro’s Number 45. Sure, you might be bitter he went to the Mets. Of course, I still contend if Lucciano and Co. had ponied up another year on that contract, the Sox would have won another Series in 2005. Sure, there would have been lost years at the end of the contract, but would that have been so bad for a team that had just won its first championship in 86 years? Bottom line, when you consider how good he was and how offensively-scewed the era of the late-1990s and early-2000s was, Pedro Martinez with the Red Sox may have been the best pitcher . . . ever. Sure, scoff. Then go look at his numbers during those years. And in terms of contributions to the Sox, there was more electricity in Fenway for Pedro regular season games than other games, ever, for any player. David Ortiz’s Number 34. When I got my Red Sox Memories DVD, I noticed it had four numbers on the front — 9 (retired), 8 (retired), 27 (retired) and 34 (still playing). I took that as a sign of how people view David Ortiz’s accomplishments and contributions to the Red Sox, and, hopefully, as a sign of things to come. Regardless of what happens from here on out, regardless of whether this year is a sign of Ortiz’s ultimate downfall, his place in Red Sox history is sealed. I was at Fenway to see first-hand his heroics in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. We all remember the many, many heroics since 2003. How about the pep-talk he gave players prior to Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, when he talked about the long disappointment of Sox fans and wanting to make them smile. Or the pep-talk prior to Game 5 of the 2007 ALCS, when, down 3-1 to the Indians (racist franchise), he had a player meeting and told his teammates that wearing the Red Sox uniform meant they were bad motherf#@%kers. He and Manny made up the most potent 3-4 combination since Ruth-Gehrig. And he is perhaps the most beloved Red Sox player ever. End of debate.
September Jitters
Dan:
We’re just one week from the start of September, and still waiting for the Sox to turn it on — if they are going to turn it on at all this season. An optimist might point to 2004, when they were hopelessly mediocre until August; or maybe last year, when they looked like a sinking ship for most of the second-half, including an ugly sweep by Toronto in early September. Both years, as you know, had a happy ending.
Of course, a pessimist could point to the other 88 seasons since 1918.
Despite our two recent championships, being a longtime Sox fan means one is automatically predisposed to waiting for the roof to cave in. And I can’t help but think the worst as we head into the stretch run.
Overall, the Sox have just looked beat-up and flat this season. Beckett hasn’t been as sharp as he was last year, and now injuries are forcing him to miss starts, including one against the Yanks. Overall, our pitching has been fair, but far from dominant or intimidatingly good. Our rotation is such that we’re making deals for the Paul Byrd’s of the world (which, of course, could end up being a good thing, but I’d rather not have to be making deals to plug rotation holes this time of year). Nagged by injuries, Big Papi is a fraction of himself right now. And J.D. Drew’s back might land him on the DL — which, admit it, you hate to see at this point in the season, but you have also been kind of rooting for it for a year and a half so the Sox have the option of dumping his contract after next season.
But if we have one thing going for us, it might be our competition. The Yanks are currently five back of the Sox in the loss column. With all the games they have together, sure they have a shot to get back in the mix. But, given their own injuries and problems, and given the way these two teams have split games in recent years, you have to think it will be tough for New York to salvage their season. (I know, for a Sox fan, famous last words.) That leaves the White Sox, Twins, Devil Rays and Red Sox battling for three playoff spots. The D-Rays could collapse; we’ve been waiting for them to do it all season. But from our seat five games back, Tampa sure looks like its all but punched its ticket to October. The White Sox are good, but I’m still don’t believe they are this good. And I don’t know how the Twins are still here. If the Red Sox don’t catch fire and instead stay fairly mediocre like they have most of this season, there is still a very good chance either the White Sox and/or Twins will stumble enough in September to get us to the sweet days of October.
I like our chances. But I’m still scared.
What do you expect from a Sox fan?
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