A Red Sox State of Maine

Rockmentary by Colbert

Colbert strikes again. I love this guy.

Thanks to Jere for posting the link! Go check out his great rally pics!

My Thoughts on Sox Free Agents

Key free agents:

3B Mike Lowell-I think the Sox would be stupid not to do what it takes to get him signed. If they overpaid for Varitek (and they did) because of his perceived leadership qualities and positive clubhouse influence, I see no reason not to do the same for Lowell, especially considering the year he just had. Suddenly third baseman-less, with a clubhouse in disarray, though, the Yankees will also be gunning hard for him. Unlike Johnny Damon, Lowell has made no grand pronouncements about where he will or won't go, and I'm guessing the Yankees make him a huge offer. He's going to have a hard decision to make. Let's hope examining the fates of JD, Giambi, Randy Johnson, even ARod make him think twice about whether all that dough is worth it. I think any of them would tell him now, there's more to life than money, dude. Still, if he did go to the Yankees, I can't see the Fenway Faithful doing anything but cheering him loudly when he came back...as long as he struck out, that is.

UT Eric Hinske-Light hitting, fair defense, can play first base and the outfield. Was instrumental in at least a couple Sox wins this year. Seems a good teammate. I think he's worth a bench position myself.

C Doug Mirabelli-I don't know why the antipathy towards Dougie in some corners of RSN. It's true he's not much of a hitter, but only a few catchers are, even the starting ones. He also has some pretty good power for a guy who only plays every fifth day, and I think he's a good catcher. He certainly seems to make Tim a better pitcher. If Tim comes back, I think Doug will be back.

IF Royce Clayton-I don't know why the Sox bothered with him in the first place, as they only used him about twice after they acquired him.

OF Bobby Kielty-He rejuvenated his career in the last third of the season, and I'm sure drew a lot of attention with his ALCS and that one memorable WS at-bat. Someone will likely offer him more money than the Sox are willing to pay.

RHP Curt Schilling-He's already been writing goodbye letters to everyone. Says the only place he wouldn't consider going is the Yankees (my guess is, the feeling is mutual, so no worries there). Wants $13 mil for a year. Seems a lot to me for a guy who will probably need another two-month vacation in the middle of the season, but considering what is out there in the FA market this season, that's not really a bad deal. I put the odds at 50/50 he'll be back, but not before creating a lot of drama about it.

RHP Matt Clement-The Nation's equivalent of Carl Pavano, Clement spent the entire year rehabbing on the Red Sox' dime. Someone will take a chance on him for a WHOLE lot less money, but it won't be the Sox.

RHP Eric Gagne-Back to Texas, with Kason Gabbard and David Murphy. Nice knowin' ya-not.

RHP Tim Wakefield (club option)-I think it's 90% certain Tim is back next year, and why not? He won 17 games, and was nearly unhittable early in the season. He's a known commodity, and he's cheap. If Schilling is resigned, the issue of where to use Tim is raised, because the starting rotation then is likely going to look like: Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling, Buchholz, Lester. Will Tim agree to work out of the pen?

RHP Julian Tavarez (club option)-This was a guy who worked like a dog for the Sox all year, didn't complain, filled a big hole for them early on, and then was thanked by being left off the postseason roster. I think that was a lousy thing to do myself, and I hope the club apologizes by picking up his option. It'[s worth it for the entertainment factor alone.

RHP Mike Timlin-If he wants back, I'm sure the Sox will have him. Another ring, and he'll have more than Derek Jeter.

Interesting article here about the much-ballyhooed Red Sox advance scouting in the postseason.

It's Easier To Ask Forgiveness Than Permission

Scott Boras, lambasted by MLB for announcing ARod's opt-out decision during the 8th inning of the WS, had this to say about it:

"I apologize to the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies and their players, Major League Baseball and its players, and baseball fans everywhere for that interference. The teams and players involved deserved to be the focus of the evening and honored with the utmost respect. The unfortunate result was not my intent, but is solely my fault. I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry."

Riiiight. And I saw Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok holding hands at Shaw's the other day.

You know, for all the attention the announcement drew, I think it backfired for one very big reason-it immediately drew comparisons to the other high-profile free agent third baseman out there, Mike Lowell. ARod-for obvious reasons now-couldn't be bothered to stand up with Prince Fielder and receive his award from Henry Aaron; Lowell basked in a champagne shower and humbly accepted his World Series MVP trophy a few hours later. Red Sox fans, this one included, are in a state of mild panic over the prospect of losing Lowell. So are the players, apparently-Rob Bradford, appearing on Fox Sports New England last night, said that Alex Cora was nearly weeping at the thought. J.D. Drew has said he's the best teammate Drew's ever had. In looking at Yankee fan blogs, fan sites, and newspapers, I haven't really found any Yankee fans or observers at all upset over the prospect of ARod walking-and some of them are downright overjoyed at the thought-even though they know it will make them a weaker team next year. I certainly haven't heard any Yankee players rushing to his defense.

For my part, I've always thought ARod got a bit of a raw deal in the Bronx-the expectations that came with the talent and the contract were simply too big a burden to bear for him. His overall playoff numbers, between NY and Seattle, are not that terribly different from St. Jeter's, so I really think it was the Yankees, more than a choking persona in general, that drove the poor PS performances. I also think the way the Yankee fans and media treated him was beyond reprehensible-the man had two MVP years in the Bronx! C'mon, people! That doesn't mean I don't think he's a jerk, though. Jesus, a raise from $250 million isn't enough for you, Alex?? You don't even return Steinbrenner's calls? (Although I have to admit, I found that pretty amusing-it's like, fuck you, Hank.) Having watched the drama unfold up close for four season now, I hope against all that is good and holy that Theo Epstein knows to stay away. Alex Rodriguez is baseball's version of the Siren.

Rolling rally going on in Boston today, to celebrate the newest WS victory. Since I live 130 miles away I won't be attending (I hate crowds in general anyway, but good for you all who will be braving the masses to go! Post pictures!) but I'm working at home today so will have it on the telly.

I'm still on air!

What It Means

Wow. What a game. What a ride...

With all due respect to jackoffs like Buster Olney and Jim Caple (what the hell is his problem, anyway?), this was a great, competitive World Series. You keep hearing about the "run differential," about the fact that the Red Sox outscored the Rockies by about a zillion. But how did most of that come about? Granted, game one was a blowout, 13-1. Game two, though, was tight and tense...2-1 the final, with the Rocky rookie pitcher showing some flashes of brilliance in between ball fours and the postseason legend of Curt Schilling continuing to grow. Game three looked like it was going to be a blowout early on, but the Rockies broke out of their batting slump and nearly closed the gap in the late innings and made for must-see-TV until the Rockies' bullpen gave it away an inning later. And game four? What more compelling story is there in baseball than the one that was on display with both starting pitchers? One who was being treated for cancer a year ago, another who had to come back for clots in his arm and lungs and hadn't pitched for over two months? Follow that up with both of them spinning gems for their respective teams, scrap heap pick up Bobby Kielty smacking a pinch hit homer in his only World Series at-bat that turned out to be the winning run (the same feat that made Kirk Gibson a legend 19 years earlier, although Bobby has full use of both his legs), and Jacoby Ellsbury hauling in what would surely have been a wall-ball double at Fenway (the wall giveth, and the wall taketh away), and what more drama do you need? This was a hell of a series, folks-really, a lot better than the one in 2004. It just ended quickly, with four Red Sox victories. But it was closer than the numbers and the pundits would indicate.

This is a far different feeling than 2004. 2004 was a deluge of emotion, collective release, redemption. Every bad thing that had ever happened to you in your life was somehow minimized on October 27, 2004; it was that good.  Chants of "1918" and "Babe-Bucky-Buckner" were banished forever. A trump card whenever Yankee fans started taunting over signing Randy Johnson or Johnny Damon or whoever the washed-up flavor of the month was. We were let out of prison, it was a brave new world. Still, as soon as the team was put together it was dismantled-most of which I was on board with, frankly-and thoughts of "fluke" and "one-and-done" seeped into the consciousness. Especially after the injury-plagued disaster of the 2006 season. Were we headed right back to where we started?

This time? While I'm thrilled and euphoric, my sense of myself as a Red Sox fan hasn't been transformed by it. There isn't the sense of "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYFUCKINGGOD!!!" that there was after Foulke made that last toss to Dougie in 2004.  I live in a different world now, one that is just now becoming clear to all of us in RSN-this isn't a one-and-done franchise. The entire wad wasn't shot in 2004, only to slide back into mediocrity and heartbreak for another 86 years. This team is built for the long haul. No, they won't win championships every year; yes, the loss of Manny will be a problem, if in fact he departs after next year. But the Yawkey stain of complacency has finally been removed once and for all, and Red Sox fans can go forward at least into the foreseeable future knowing that the ownership will be making moves based on what gives the team the best chance to be competitive. We may not agree with all those moves-we're Red Sox fans, after all; the winning is not going to make us nicer people-but we can be secure in the knowledge they aren't done without careful consideration.

John Henry, my hat is off to you. You're a freaking genius. No wonder you're a billionaire.

Soo, I'm happy and I'm sad. Happy that once again the Red Sox are the champions of the world and being acknowledged as the model franchise in MLB; sad that the season is over, there will be no more late nights, watching the scoreboard, cursing the guy who struckout and cheering the one who came through. Baseball isn't just a game, after all. It's a way of life for many of us.

Don't stop dropping by! I'll still be here, just not every single day...even diehards need a vacation!

When do pitchers and catchers report....?

(Pics from boston.com) 

The Red Sox Rule

I have an early morning, and will have a full post later. For now, you'll just have to be satisfied with this:

One Win Away

"This complete and total personality change is jarring, especially to those who remember and lived the history."-Howard Bryant in his espn.com column this morning

"I know all year there are a lot of people who have been waiting for us to stumble and fall. I hope they're not waiting for us to stumble and fall now. I hope they're excited. We're so close."-Derek Lowe, before Game 4 of the 2004 World Series

He was right, of course. This was the Boston Red Sox, the perpetual also-rans who were always "one win away"...sometimes, one strike away. I admit, I slept with one eye open during the 2004 run. Down three to the Yanks? Typical. Up 10-3 in the ninth at Yankee Stadium, and I still wasn't convinced the Yankees weren't going to come back. Up against the 105 win Cardinals, the other historical nemesis? You see where I'm going? After each new accomplishment, I cried. The Sox had opened up a whole brave new world for us.

But old habits die hard, and one magical year isn't quite enough to erase the vestages of 86 years of history. You're practiced at looking for chinks in the armor, for the sure sign of weaknesses in the Sox that will come back to haunt them at crunch time. Inconsistent offense, the struggle for runs on the road...an Achilles' heel. Then there were the Yankees, who, like Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction, just wouldn't freaking die. A perfect storm, right? Yes, I lost my head at various points during the season, got disgusted and panicky, but I don't remember ever feeling like, it's over, this is it, so close and yet so far. I was learning. Even down 3-1 to the Indians, though I thought it was more likely that the Red Sox would lose rather than win the series, I also felt like if they could just take Game 5 in Cleveland then winning two at Fenway was manageable (and the Indians are a much better team than the Rockies, btw). In years past, I would have watched the games, but with a huge sense of foreboding. Not this year. If the Sox lose tonight, well, I still expect they will win the World Series-and that is a huge attitude shift from years past, where one loss would have meant deja vu all over again.

The Sox may have the second highest payroll in baseball-you need to, folks, if you want to stay competitive in a division where the Yankees routinely break the $180 million mark-but it's two guys making league minimum who led the charge last night. Dustin Pedroia, who is going to be a superstar in this league if he stays healthy (whoda thought so on May 1st?) and Jacoby Ellsbury (with a grand total of 116 ML at bats before being elevated to WS starter) were seven for ten last night, with 4 RBIs. Jonathan Papelbon, in just his second full year in the bigs, recorded his second WS save. Yes, Manny and Papi have had a good series as well (and if I hear one more commentator disparage Manny's fielding abilities, there will be bloodletting), but this night belonged to the rooks.

My favorite moment of the night? The effort by the other rookie, albeit the more expensive one. I was sitting there nearly shrieking when Dice came to the plate with the bases loaded in the third, "Fucking National League!!" Could have had Youk up there in this spot, instead you get Dice-K. Then-whap! A shot to right, two runs plated, 5-0 Boston. It was a beautiful thing, and the precursor for another McCarver moment. Later in the game TM remarked that Dice-K's single "doubled the Red Sox score...by allowing Jacoby Ellsbury to get to the plate." That makes no sense, of course, but it's all part of watching Fox. Just once I'd like to hear Buck say, "What are you talking about, Tim?"

Game 4 tonight, Lester vs Cook, who hasn't pitched since August. The Red Sox last lost a World Series game in 1986. Let's not end the streak tonight and bring home a second WS trophy. These guys have earned it.

When Being Hearing Impaired is Preferable

Is THIS the music that these poor Rockies fans are subjected to after a win??? Oh, my effin' God, my ears! My ears! Please, no more! "Tessie," come home!

Another reason to pray for a sweep: we won't have to hear this crappy music!

Thanks to the guys at SG for finding this gem!

Maybe He Won't Whiff After All

Who knew he had such power?

I'd love to know what those broadcasters are saying.

Somebody Gets Paid to Think Up This Stuff

Getchur freebie Oct. 30 from 2p-5p... off hours, hmmmmm? How conveeeeeenient.   

What Have You Done With J.D. Drew?

Because whatever it is, keep doing it. Guy has opened up a can of whupass that you know was just sitting on the shelf of his locker all season, begging to be employed, any day now...well, that day has come, folks. He is bringing it at a .349 clip this postseason, ladies and germs, and was on base three times last night, including setting up Mike Lowell at third base in the fourth inning (thanks, as well, Mr. Hawpe). On a night where pitchers were as stingy as Charlie Finley, that was huge. Keep it up, J.D.

Equally as awesome was the trip in the Wayback Machine to pre-ASG, when Hideki Okajima came in and slammed the door shut-including three straight whiffs-setting the table for the automatic Papelbon with a four-out save. Oh, and Mr. Holliday...base run much? Paps had you out by a length there, son. Bad, bad play by the Rockies left fielder on that one.

But the night absolutely belonged to Curt Schilling, who, after a shaky first inning, pitched as good a game as he has all season, and further added to the postseason haul-Tom Verducci, for one, seems to be warming up his Hall of Fame vote right now. Who can blame him? The numbers are staggering, really- 11-2 with a 1.68 ERA, only 25 walks in 525 batters (Schilling walks nobody in the regular season, either), and five wins where his team allowed 2 runs or less. Clemens or Schilling? Even in his prime, I'd take Schilling over Roider, hands down. Schill has a sense of the moment that the Rocket or even other guys like Maddux can only dream of. 

So the Sox are 2-0 but there's no sense of inevitability on my part, mostly because National League rules suck dead dogs as far as I'm concerned. As I've said before, I think the idea of pitchers hitting is about as appealing as having sex with Mr. Hanky. Who the hell is tuning into the World Series to see Daisuke Matsuzaka swing a bat? Nobody. I could do as well at the plate as he will up there Saturday (and he'll probably apologize for whiffing three times!) It's complete bullshit, although I quite expect the rest of the Red Sox to rise to pick him up. Who sits, Youk or Lowell? Not a question we should have to ask, but the wussy NL forces it on us. Fuck 'em. Humidor or no humidor, Papi will just have to hit two homers a night to make up for it.

  Finally, I don't want to hear another sports commentator mention that it's the "rust" from the eight-day layover causing the Rockies' problems. These guys didn't hit well all through the postseason; why would anyone think that staring down Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling was going to cure that? Their pitching staff has been carrying them, but remember that that staff buzzed through such offensive powerhouses as the Arizona Diamondbacks, who as a team hit less than .250 in the regular season. Colorado pitchers labored in a division that boasted two guys (with enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title) who hit over .300-two! Jeff Kent at .304 and Randy Wynn at .300. The Red Sox and Yankees lineups alone have three times that many! It's not "rust," folks-the Red Sox simply pose by far the biggest challenge these Rox have come up against this postseason.

Still, it all means nothing if the Sox don't win two more. As much as I'd like them to wrap it up at Fenway-and see Beckett pitch once more this season-even more would I like another sweep.

Dice-K vs Josh Fogg, a junkballer who shut the Sox down at home in June. Feel the looooove, Dice!!!

(Curt lifted from redsox.com; Prudential Tower from The Daily Free Press)