A Red Sox State of Maine

Playoff Bound

Congratulations to the Red Sox for clinching a playoff spot last night. Extra nice job, considering all the upheaval and "challenges" this team faced this season, and considering they did it against the best pitcher in the league. Another year, another October. The Yawkey Trust was never like this...

The feat was accomplished this year in what was actually pretty impressive for it's lack of dramatics. I've been a little irritated lately by the lack of offensive production, but that's just my usual fanstate, so that can't be counted as a reaction to the stress of a pennant race. But remember last year around this time? I was a drooling, nearly psychotic madwoman, incensed over what appeared to be an unacceptably cavalier attitude towards winning the division vs the wild card. This year? I'm pleased, but not feeling so much intensity, for sure. Some of that is because a lot of my intensity has been transferred to the election (and, in the absence of a competitive Yankee team, my intensity of dislike transferred to John McCain and his Barbie doll running mate), but the circumstances are different as well-the division rival of note has been the Rays, not the Yankees, and the spot clinched is the wild card, not the division. The Sox still have a chance to win the division, of course, but at this point I'd be very surprised if they did. The Rays have played like men possessed, and they deserve it. 

(Off topic a little bit here, but for those of you who watched the champagne celebration after the game last night, did it seem to you all that Theo Epstein has, well...gained a little weight? Not that there's anything wrong with that-I'd be very hypocritical to suggest otherwise-but geez, he used to be a beanpole. The domestic life must agree with him, I guess, but you might want to opt for the vegetable plate next time, Theo...)

There is also the feeling I had last year that the Red Sox were the best team in baseball and had no business playing as if they were anything else, and this year..again, not so much. The burden of expectation for this team is not there. I think both the Rays and the Angels are probably better in the AL, and the Cubs are probably better better in the NL, and that was before we lost both Lowell and Drew.  As far as I'm concerned, anything this team gives us from now on is gravy.  Now, does that mean I won't be sitting in front of the TV raging at every missed opportunity or bad pitch or botched play? Of course not. I'm genetically incapable of doing anything else. But at the end of the day, this team has come up big no matter where they finally shake out.

There are a few members I think have to stand out for special recognition, though:

Dustin Pedroia-with the loss of Manny (which, yes, folks, I am still grieving) and the injury to Papi, in two short years, he has turned into the best all around player on what has become his team. His uniform size may say small, but you could fit ten ARods in there.

Jason Bay-this guy came during a time of high emotion, replacing an extremely talented, popular player, and all he's done since he got here is produce. After years languishing in Pittsburgh, you know he's excited to get to the postseason.

Jon Lester-I can't apologize to this guy enough. I said he was soft and wimpy. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. And thank god I was, because without his performance this year, there are no playoffs. Jon, you are the man.

While the playoffs have been clinched, and the rest of the season is playing out the string now, the Red Sox do have one monumentally important task in front of them. Sunday is the last game of the season against the vanquished Yankees...and starting for them is one resurrected Mike Mussina, who won his 19th game against the Jays last night, and will be in a position to win his 20th on the last game on the season. Call me an un-classy fan with no appreciation for a great player like Mike Mussina, but I don't care. That cannot be allowed to happen, not in Fenway Park, not against the Red Sox. All stops must be pulled out to prevent this, even if they have to drug Manny, sneak him back and dress him up as Mark Kotsay.  

(Oh, and off topic number two, now that the last game has actually been played in Yankee Stadium, I can honestly say I feel the same about that behemoth's demise as I did about the passing of Ronald Reagan-good riddance to bad rubbish. In Reagan's case, he did far too much damage to the country for me to even pretend to mourn his passing; in the case of Yankee Stadium, it extracted too big a price on the psyche of another type of nation to wax poetic. Let's all hope the new stadium brings with it a different kind of "mystique.") 

So, I was wrong, there's still drama to be had in the Fens. Just not the kind we thought there might be when we first saw this series on the schedule.

Tidbits of Life and Sports

As big a Red Sox fan I am, I must admit that the bulk of my attention these past few weeks has been diverted by:

The Democratic National Convention and the hope that we can finally be rid of the overwhelming Republican stench hanging over the country, followed by...

The selection of the incompetent, corrupt liar with lipstick, who admittedly consumed much more time than she was worth, and hijacked my other blog for a solid three weeks. Thankfully, my interest in her is waning, just as...

John McCain morphing into John Edwards in front of our eyes-well, the fact that both are adulterers is old news, but in the past forty-eight hours McCain's assumed the mantle of Edwards' raging populist as well. He's gone from Milton Friedman to Che Guevera in the space of a couple of days, while simultaneously George Bush, with his back to the wall, is transformed into Hugo Chavez.

The Chinese cursed us with interesting times years ago, and looking back over history, it seems to have a boomerang effect to it...but, I must say, these are about the most interesting times I can remember in four decades of watching, topped off by George W. Bush having to repudiate nearly three decades of Ronald Reagan inspired deregulation from the Rose Garden yesterday. Man, it must have been a bitter pill to swallow, and if it weren't for the fact that the country was, well, teetering on the precipice of Great Depression II, it would have been immensely satisfying. As it is, it just sucks. I mean, I have a house and a 401(k), too.

Well, our sports establishments have certainly added their own verses to the legacy of interesting times, as evidenced by:

-the Red Sox maintaining the 5th-best record in MLB despite a clubhouse that has at times resembled a M*A*S*H unit. Right now Mike Lowell is really hurt, and the idea of him being productive for another six weeks-if it goes that far-seems unlikely. J.D. Drew, well, is evidently too impaired to risk his future earning potential right now. You know, I'm sorry, but my back hurts every day and yesterday I still spent six hours on my feet in a hospital unit with nursing students. The older you get, the less perfect you feel, but you still have to perform. Drew just doesn't seem to get that.

-the Sox becoming the Rays' girlfriend, especially in Tampa. If the playoffs started today, the Sox would face the Angels and the Rays would face the White Sox. I personally think the Angels and Rays are both better than the hobbled Red Sox, but I think it's more likely the Sox will beat the Angels than the White Sox will beat the Rays. Which would lead to a Red Sox-Rays ALCS with Red Sox-Yankees overtones to it. We do live in interesting times, don't we?

-a pitcher just walking away from a team. I don't know that I've ever seen that happen in MLB before, although I'm sure it has. Nice to have the freedom to say, thanks but no thanks, I ain't working in no stinkin' bullpen. Actually, I don't blame him. The sox took a flyer on him, it didn't really work out, and he doesn't really owe anybody anything at this point.

-Manny Ramirez leading the charge in LA, with the Dodgers poised to claim the title in the weak NL west. I've been watching the Dodgers when the play on Fox or ESPN, and the sight of Manny in that Dodger blue is still unpleasant in a visceral sense-like when John McCaion flashes that creepy, yellow-toothed smile. (While it's not unpleasant, it is weird to see Cito Gaston back in the Jays' dugout-you half expect to see Joe Carter and Dave Steib-or even Mike Timlin-out there next to him. But it seems to have worked for them.)

-Rookie Matt Cassel takes it to St. Brett Favre, and puts the Brady-less Pats in a good position to be 3-0 at the break. It's worth noting that St Brett lost last week's game just like he lost the NFC championship game last year-an ill-advised throw into the arms of a DB-and that play, along with the tedious demagoguery that continues to be Curt Schilling, does serve to remind us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Great line by the LaCrosseTribune's Dave Myers: "I can’t begin to tell you how much I admire his courage to stand up and call Manny out now that he is no longer a teammate and on the other side of the country." Thanks for the memories, the bloody sock, and for reminding us what an overbearing, self-serving asshole you really are, Schill. Now please shut the fuck up and get the hell out of town. Maybe to Anchorage, where you'd fit in great with Sarah's looney church.

-I was wrong about something. In that vein, it should be noted that a Lester win and a MN loss clinches a WC spot. Go Jon!

 (Pics from Google Images and Flickr)

Thanks, Yanks

FACT: The Yankees have not spent a single day in sole possession of first place this year. That has nothing to do with anything except it's fun to say.

FACT: We have a whole lot to *thank* the Yankees for right now, actually...having taken four out of the last six from the Rays and all. Yay, Jeter! Thanks for the effort, man! Must feel sweet, knowing that your series victory over the Rays, in the last home stand ever at Yankee Stadium, has helped the Sox get within a game of first place!

Oh, the humanity.. .

I wish the Sox could have as good luck against TB. If Paps hadn't blown that save over the weekend-and he looked mighty shaky yesterday, too-the Sox would be tied for the lead heading into the sunshine state. Grrrr...

Fabulous job by Coco, picking up the slack when somebody had to. A big fat raspberry to all of you who said he should be traded and the job just handed over to .265/.328/.365 Jacoby Ellsbury. No, of course I'm not hating on Jacoby-he's the most exciting runner I've seen in a Sox uniform and a great fielder-but if I can admit I was wrong to dismiss Jon Lester as soft-where would we be without him?- I'm just waiting for you all to admit that Jacoby Ellsbury is not the second coming of Mays...and that the Sox were very fortunate to still have Coco on the roster this year.

Repeat after me: Lisa was right. Say it three times and you will receive absolution.

Speaking of soft...I'm thinking J.D. Drew is, well...soft. While I'm very grateful to the guy for how he stepped up in Papi's absence, I'm starting to think if this guy doesn't feel 100% perfect in every aspect of his physical being, well then, he's just not playing. You can't help thinking, Youk would be out there. Pedroia would be out there. Jeter would be out there.  Of course that was the big knock on him in the NL, too...c'mon, J.D. Do you want another ring, or do you want a perfect back?

Congrats to Dustin Pedroia on getting his 200th hit. I was surprised to hear that the last Sox to do that was Mo Vaughn, ten years ago. Time goes by fast...

It's hard to believe the Sox are going to play a crucial series in Tampa Bay, and that the last series in Fenway with the Yanks will be meaningless, as least as far as the Yankees are concerned. I have been very impressed with the makeup of these Red Sox-for any other team, the loss of Manny Ramirez alone would have been devastating, not to mention losing Papi for two months and the carousel that the DL has been this year. It's clear that the team is moving away from the 3/4 slugger identity to the scrappy, 200-hit, 40+ bases stolen mentality. Plus pitching, of course. While Beckett hasn't regained form from last year, and Clay Buchholz is thus far a bust, Lester and Dice-K have more than picked up the slack and Timmy deserves better than his record indicates. I was glad to see the Sox picked up Oki's option for next year, too.

One big "phew!" as the Pats didn't exactly roll to a win yesterday, but they played good enough for the victory and took the ever-obnoxious Favre down in the process (was that a righteous sack or what??? Adalius Thomas looked like he was my dog shaking her rag doll around!) Matt Cassel didn't make us forget Tom Brady, but he didn't make any mistakes to cost the game and his one long pass was a good one, it's just that, well, Randy Moss dropped it. Man, I hope he can keep his cool this year. Let's pray for the team-guy Randy and not for the me-first Randy to win out the battle for his soul as the season progresses.;

Time to prepare for the big series at the Trop! Maybe if the Rays actually make the WS this year, they can get a decent stadium to play in next. Although probably not, the Twins are still in the Metrodome.

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad, Version III

Well, the second WAS really bad...really, really bad. If I were a Red Sox pitcher who had a milestone appearance coming up, I would absolutely forbid any mention of it by any Red Sox-affiliated media outlet, because the more it's hyped, the worse I'm gonna stink. Tim Wakefield gave had the worst performance I've ever seen from him in 13+ seasons, reminiscent of Mike Timlin laying a complete egg on his 1,000th appearance. Just pretend that it's a no hitter and everybody just ignore it. 500th appearance? What 500th appearance? I'm only 12 years old, I can't be making a 500th appearance...

But that was sandwiched between two really good outings by the Sox. Man, wasn't it fabulous to see Josh Beckett looking something like Josh Beckett again? And Mike Lowell acted as though he'd only been gone a minute to get coffee, instead of a month with an oblique injury. It was...comforting to see them back. It seems like the list of injuries and losses (Cough*Manny*cough) have been endless this year, but this team is amazingly resilient. My brother, as of this writing, is convinced that they will go in and win it all again, barely breaking a sweat along the way. I'm reserving judgment, of course, but it really looks like the Sox are playing their best ball of the season right now. They're headed back to Fenway, with only six road games out of the last nineteen, to face the Rays on Monday, who are maybe-finally-beginning to creak under the weight of all that success. Excellent chance to take over the top spot at the end of this series.

Yankees? Why, they're-ahem-currently in fourth place in the AL east, 8.5 games back in the WC. And ohhh, how the mighty have fallen. Johnny Damon, who now really is just an idiot, was quoted the other day as saying that it wasn't really over for the Yankees because just wearing the uniform commanded respect. Hmmm, Johnny. It used to be that nothing less than a WS commanded respect in Gotham...then, up until last year, it was just winning the division..now, its' the uniform? Ok, buddy. Whatever makes you feel better about giving up your chance to be a two-maybe-three-ring type of guy. Of course, though, you went to New York to win...right?

And just so you know, I am still in denial about the extent of the injury to Tom Brady, so I'm not yet suicidal, although I may be by tomorrow at this time. There goes my fantasy team and SB pick, although I think there's still a good chance the Pats win the relatively weak division with their easy scheduledivision. And though I do think that it's Matt Cassel's team for as long as Brady is out (thank *God* he didn't suck today, the frenzied, panicked crowd will let him live a little while longer), I wouldn't be surprised to see them ring up Daunte Culpepper tout suite. They'll need someone experienced to back him up if Cassel's in there for a long time.

Let's hope Rodney and Tedy and the guys on D take it as a personal challenge and step it up, because obviously they aren't going to be able to cruise on their offense this year, like they did last.

Back to the old homeland defense!

Don't Feel Saaaad, 'Cuz Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Highs and lows on a roller-coaster weekend. Good grief! Still, the outcome, as told to us by Meatloaf, is much better than I was expecting. Take two out of three in the death trap in Toronto? I'll take *that* any day (even if the one loss did remind me of the Death Star exploding in "Star Wars"...but I digress).

It had seemed to me that the Sox looked sluggish and tired since the Manny trade, especially Papi-who by every account is just not having his best year. It's felt something like 2006, with all the different injuries and turmoil. But then I look at what's happened since the trade, and I have to say, the record just doesn't bear out my observation. The Sox are 14-7 since August 1, with the road record-remarkably-at 8-5. The injuries have started to pile up, but unlike 2006, the team has absorbed them pretty well and have actually upgraded a time or two as a result (cough *Lowrie* cough). Most significantly. at no time this season have they had to throw on the mound anything resembling Jason Johnson or Kyle Snyder. As a result, the Sox are currently four games down in the division (thanks to a lousy call in Chicago that gave the White Sox the game over the Rays) and a game up in the WC (Minnesota lost today, yay!) and are heading into the home stretch with a schedule about as favorable as any of the contenders in the league. I'll be holding my breath all the way, because after five months of watching this team, I'm still not sure what they're made of-except moveable parts.

And yes, I have to admit...there's no way Manny gets to that ball. Good job, Jason. Hope Paps had something really nice waiting for you after the game.

On another note, I know Coco hasn't always lived up to expectations the past three seasons, but I still love him, am glad he wasn't traded and get all warm and fuzzy inside when he does a great thing for the team, like he did today. 'Way to go Coco! Now play Misty for me...

Yankee series coming up. The Yankees may be on to something with that new guy Pavano winning a game the other day, but somehow I just can't get up for this series the way I have in years past...maybe because the Yanks these remind me of the last fights of Muhammad Ali.  But I'm sure once the game starts and I'm looking at ARod and Jeter, the old hate will start to flow. Andy Pettitte for game one, whom the sox have pretty much had their way with recently. Of course, the Yanks could return that favor since Timmy is coming back, and his days as a Yankee killer are just a fond memry now.

Last series evah at old Yankee Stadium. Let's make it one to remember, guys!

He's Tall, Good Looking...

...and everytime I see Daniel Cabrera, this is what I think of:

He's large, and that's about it. There seems little else to recommend him, at least from a baseball standpoint. It amazes me that the Orioles have kept with him this long.

Dice-K and Jon keep the Sox in the running, while Johnny Damon does his part to stomp on Yankee post-season dreams. And he's not even large...

Take the field and find inspiration tonight with thoughts of Captain Carl, guys. Hang in there, Yaz.

All Righty Then...

Holy crap. Is it safe to come out yet?

"That's an interesting night," Tito said after the game. That's like saying Dick Cheney sometimes tells fibs.

"I can say I never have been in a game like that," Ron Washington added. No, Ron, most of us haven't, considering the 36 runs scored last night tied the single-game American League record set on June 29, 1950, when the Red Sox beat the Athletics, 22-14.

"But it was definitely a good game for us to pull out in the end and huge for us to get that win," Youk said afterwards. Pull out in the end? Pull it out in the end????? Dude, you guys spotted your pitchers ten runs in the first!! How the hell should you have to "pull out" something like that????

Amazing. Not pretty, for sure. In fact, a lot of it (cough *pitching* cough) was downright hideous, but then you have to remember that these are the same Texas Rangers who hung 30 runs on the Orioles last year. So, yeah, they can hit. But they can't pitch for crap, although were they in the National League east, they'd be tied for first right now (until the Manny-charged Dodgers knocked them out, that is-just as soon as they get over themselves about Manny's hair. You can take the manager out of New York, but you can't take New York out of the manager). As for the Sox bullpen, well, I'm just going to go with the assumption that it was a pity meltdown for Charlie Zink. That way, at least I won't have nightmares...

Can a game be both a high and low point? Like Remy said, it wasn't a masterpiece, but definitely one of the most entertaining games of the season.

In other news, Sox picked up Paul "HGH" Byrd yesterday, effectively inoculating themselves against any charges that they are interested in fielding a team of guys who play the game right. Fascinating to me that you can't keep around a high performer who is childish and throws tantrums, but a mediocre guy who gets thousands of dollars worth of PEDs from a discredited dentist in a bogus anti-aging clinic who then tries to sell that it was legitimate medical treatment is apparently ok with them. Maybe they heard he's got some bootleg Traci Lords flicks he's willing to share (only watched while waiting for Netflix to send the next episode of "Left Behind," of course).

Oh, well. I cheer for the laundry. Let's go, Paul!!!!!!!!!

(Pic lifted from espn.com)

The One in Which the Sox Break Up Another No-Hitter

For all my moaning about the otherworldly ordinariness of the pitcher formerly known as a Cy Young contender, Josh Beckett has turned in a couple of vintage 2007 performances in which he was stuffed by his gruesome offense (the most recent effort, of course, was against the now-DL'd-and-likely-to-stay-there-all-season Joba the Hutt).

Last night looked like more of the same. Another opposing no-hit effort, with the only legitimate consistent power threat riding the pine. I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth to the Olympics yesterday, cheering for Michael Phelps and being awestruck at the bulging upper arm muscles of the male gymnasts, who seem to be the hardest-working, most disciplined athletes in the universe. Lucky for me, though, I flipped it back just in time to see Youk break it up-yay for the ex-Sea Dog guys-Lowell take a walk (about the only way the poor guy's getting on base these days) and then, after a Bay strike out, J.D. hits a shot to the gap and that's the game. Great job, Josh, for keeping 'em in the game. Great job, Jed (lost of J's in this paragraph...), for giving Paps-who is more of an adventure this year than last-some breathing room. All in all, a really good win.

Dodger fans were treated to their first real Manny moment last night...*sigh*...boy, do I miss him. You have to wonder what it's like on that Dodger bench between Manny and Torre. You suppose they spend a lot of time talking about the old days...or more talking about how happy they are to be in the land of perpetual sun, where the crowd is more interested in who is in the luxury boxes than on the field?

Back home to Fenway, where young(er) knuckleballer Charlie Zink makes a start in place of old knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who is making his now-annual late season pilgrimage to the DL. Good vibes for Charlie and let's hope the Sox can take advantage of the Rays' unfortunate injuries (I'd never wish a DL stint on a guy, but I don't mind the Sox making hay when the sun shines, y'know?)

(Drew lifted from redsox.com, Manny from latimes.com)

Ozzie's in the House

...and once again, telling us what's on his mind.

“Did the trade surprise me? I don’t know what went on there, but it did surprise me. Sometimes people need to get something done to show they lead the ballclub."

Yep, Ozzie, that's pretty much my take on it, too. In the words of Michael (Theo) Corleone, I lead this family, right or wrong.

I often wonder why I kind of like a loud mouthed guy like Ozzie Guillen, or Bill Lee, while I absolutely loathe others-like Curt Schilling or Alec Baldwin-who suffer from the same malady. I think it all comes down to  motive-I never perceive attention or adulation as the primary driving force behind Ozzie's sometimes bizarre, expletive-laden pronouncements. I take his reactions and comments as genuine, if inappropriate. Schilling, on the other hand, reminds me of the Beaver's best friend, the unctuous troublemaker Eddie Haskell-an oily guy for whom everything is done to curry favor, with an eye to image. While Ozzie may make you roll your eyes and cringe, he doesn't make you want to barf. 

The other thing is, the White Sox, led by the fiery Ozzie and the cranky A.J. Pierzynski, are an interesting team. Our now Manny-less Red Sox, by comparison, are far less compelling. Just look at the field of play most days-a bunch of WASP-ish, pasty-white company guys. The obvious exception, of course, is David Ortiz, who never looks happier than when he's on the basepaths chatting up the opposition's infield. Did you see him holding court with OCab and Juan Uribe after he hit that righteous bases-clearing double last night? If you don't think this stuff matters, I'd seriously suggest reading Howard Bryant's Shut Out. The Red Sox know it, too-how do you think Okajima ended up on the team?

I said the Sox would have to split to keep up with the race, and so far, they have. Friday night's game was more of the same, but Saturday's was inspiring, as it looked like both Ortiz and Ellsbury might be thinking about getting the wheels back on their respective wagons. Mike Lowell, in an until-2007-usual-late-season-slump, also went 2-for-5, which was encouraging. Lots to like about last night's game...but honestly, the best time I've had this weekend was watching the 8th inning of the Yankees/Angels game on Fox yesterday. "What do you think? You think it's fun watching that?" Girardi snapped after the game. Yeah, Joe...as a matter of fact, I do.

Clay Buchholz is going to build a bridge and get over it today, I can feel it. Well, maybe that's a teensy-weensy exaggeration, but c'mon, gang...he needs all the positive vibes we can muster.

Quick Hits

1. No matter what you thought about the Manny trade, you can't argue that he would have done much more than Jason Bay has done since he hit town. Another four hits last night. 'Way to man up, Jason!

2. Nice to see a glimpse of the "old" Jacoby Ellsbury, isn't it? A couple of hits, a couple of steals...just like advertised.

3. It would be nice to see as well the advertised Clay Buchholz, but it appears he's got to go through the same crap Lester did before he decided that he couldn't waste all that potential. I'm not big on "potential" until it is manifested in results, actually-seen too many can't misses that missed-and Clay is quickly going to end up back on the DL if this continues.

4. Schilling is at it again. Man, this guy wouldn't go away if you nuked him, would he? Someone else is getting a modicum of attention-even bad attention-and Red Light Curt is all over it, like any good self-serving attention whore would be. As a message board acquaintance noted, "Maybe next week the fair and balanced D&C will ask him about how he asked for a trade for years before he got out of Philly..." Or how much he's costing the Red Sox to do nothing this year, about a million more than Manny...

5. It's shaping up to be a roller coaster last 50 games or so. How are�Papi's wrist and Lowell's hip? Will Bartolo Colon be able to help down the stretch? Can the bullpen hold up? Will Tampa Bay ever lose again? (I can't believe I just typed that.) �Will Schilling get lockjaw?

Stay tune!