Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Livin' on a prayer....

1. Last night's game was in a word -- painful. We all know baseball is cyclical -- but now isn't exactly the time that you want to be on the downside of up, you know what I mean? And while I don't want to take anything away from the Rays -- they're looking really good and playing well -- at the same time, how can they not play well against us at the moment. They're getting a beat up, patched hole version of the Red Sox. We've got injuries hindering our key players who are still in the lineup...we've got key players not playing because of their injuries....and to add insult to injury, on a night like last night when we see our pitcher falter from the first pitch -- we have no solid back up middle relief that can go the distance.

You know it's bad, when you shut the game off -- and have a dream that they lost 21 to 1; and wake up to find out that it was only 13 to 4 -- and you feel a sense of relief.

2. Someone needs to stuff a sock in Scott Boras' mouth. If he's not providing enough evidence to prove that he was the main driving force behind Manny's acting out prior to the trade deadline -- then I don't know what would be needed. I don't think the sock needs to be shoved in to keep him quiet from incriminating himself; I think it needs to be there because he is a major contribution to the monetary corruption of players in baseball. I don't care what A-Rod got; you can not compare A-Rod who doesn't pick and choose when he's going to perform to Manny. Listen, I love Manny's talents -- I love Manny when he's happy and "being Manny". But I don't love his agent clouding his clearly childish mindset and impacting the organizations around which he is involved in. It's unfair, and bad business practice. And if Scott Boras' latest touting of his superclient's salary and contract wishes don't scream "get baseball a salary cap" - - then tell me, what does?

3. Speaking of those who just speak to be heard... Ken Rosenthal’s story about racism and the Red Sox is ridiculous. Shouldn’t even be a topic of conversation, and yet it is. I'm sorry, as D&C so aptly pointed out this a.m -- back in May, he thought the Red Sox were racially balanced into a melting pot. Now, suddenly they're not? As if race plays any part in how a team builds their talent? Not only is that preposterous, I often think it takes a racist mind to call out another racist mind. Sort of like "doth protest too loudly". I don't know the man and maybe he's just trying to be thought provoking - but truly, I find it only insulting.

4. My personal thoughts on the Sox (nothing really new here from what I've spewed in the past): Ortiz will have surgery in the offseason. I thought I'd heard that a few months back, actually. Josh Beckett's injury is not an oblique; there's clearly something else going on. Varitek will sign for two years with options. I’d bet the house on that one. Hopefully they will pick up more pitchers, preferably another starter and definitely more middle relievers. The bullpen needs strengthening.

We’ve come back from deficits before, and so there’s nothing saying it can’t happen again. The Rays may get cocky, and sloppy. Our bats may suddenly come to life – we know how that can go. But at the same time, there’s a real possibility that we won’t win tomorrow night and the season for the Nation may be over.

I’m not ready to give up hope just yet though.
Are you?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sawx are done, put a fork in em.
Rays are younger and hungrier, and they have totally outplayed the Sawx.

Nichole M said...

Ugh. I hate to say that I have almost no hope left. I couldn't watch last night. I changed the channel somewhere in the 5th or 6th. Checked back and it was 11 to 1 and was glad I did.