Monday, October 27, 2008
Youk wins Hank Aaron Award
Last night, Youk made an appearance in Philly to receive the Hank Aaron Award for best offensive player of the season in the AL. With a .312 average, 29 homers and 115 RBI, he is very much deserving of this prize. Congrats, Youk! I hope the next award you win is the AL MVP!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Filling In The Blanks: What do the Sox need in 2009?
The Red Sox' 2008 season was long and arduous and it pointed to some areas where they need to improve in the offseason to remain competitive in what has to be the toughest division in all of MLB:
1. Catcher: This is 'Tek's walk year and to say the Sox have a huge decision to make would be an understatement. The stats back up his value behind the plate, particularly with the pitching staff, but offensively he's just plain out of gas, especially from the left side. Seeing as the majority of his at-bats are from that side, that's trouble. An automatic out's worth of trouble, sadly. The Sox are hurting for a catcher with some pop in his bat who can also call a good game and throw runners out. The best prospect they have at this position, Mark Wagner, is at least a year away from being ready for the majors. If they let 'Tek walk, they're going to need a catcher who can step in and be effective right away. Even if 'Tek re-signs, they'll need to bring on a new catcher to learn the ropes from 'Tek and relieve him of some starts.
2. Wake: Tim Wakefield is a class act and he has given so much to the Red Sox in his 13 years on the team. That said, his effectiveness is declining and he requires a personal catcher to handle the knuckler. Given the situation the Sox are in with catchers (see #1), they really can't afford to carry Wake and Cash, especially if 'Tek stays on and mentors a new, young catcher. Also, if the Sox add another starter via free agency or trade and they also want to bring either Buchholz or Bowden into the rotation, there wouldn't be enough room for Wake in the rotation. The catcher situation makes moving him to the bullpen an undesirable option. The Sox need to have four pitchers that can perform well in the post-season and, unfortunately Wake has not been able to do that in the past two years.
3. Starting Rotation: It looks like the Sox could use a fourth (or better) starter and rumors are flying about Peavy, Sabathia, Burnett, etc. Each of those options have their pros and cons, but that's another blog entirely. Assuming Beckett comes to spring training in better shape than he did this year (API calling!) and is able to remain healthy and regain his 2007 form, he's the #1. Lester is a solid #2 A 2007-ish Beckett and a 2008-ish Lester would be a formidable 1-2 righty-lefty punch. Dice-K and possible trade/FA acquisition can duke it out for #3 and #4 and either Wake (see #2) or Buchholz/Bowden/Masterson for #5.
4. Bullpen: If Masterson remains a reliever, he and Oki can share set-up duty for Paps. That leaves us with Lopez, Delcarmen and Aardsma. I'm not sure how long Aardsma's contract is but if it was only for a year, the Sox will hopefully let him walk, since he never could establish location, though he had good velocity. One possibility to explore in spring training is Hunter Jones, currently with the Pawsox. Finding good relievers via trade or FA can be tricky, so if they can get a bullpen arm or two internally, a la Masterson, that would help them a lot.
5. Offense: Game 7 of the ALCS was lost by lack of offense, plain and simple. Getting rid of the distraction that was Manny was a very good thing, absolutely the right thing to do for the team, but the offense did take a loss when it comes to a bat that sends a chill up a pitcher's spine. Bay, Youk, and, when they weren't injured, Lowell and Drew are all great hitters with power, but the Sox could use that awe-inspiring bat, especially with a diminished Papi who has been fighting more than his share of injuries lately. Teixeira would be that kind of bat, but acquiring him would take some maneuvering of the Sox infield. Teix is a first baseman and I don't believe he'd want to come to a new team and have to play a new position. That would mean moving Youk to third and Lowell's the odd man out. Lowell is another class act and great team player that the Sox would be loath to lose. Since he only plays one position and is still a starter-quality player, the bench doesn't seem like a good option.
Holliday is another possibility, especially if either Coco or Ells get moved. Move Bay to center and have Holliday play left. Coco/Ells (whoever stays) is the fourth outfielder. Of course, you sacrifice a little speed on the base paths, especially if it's Ellsbury who stays. Holliday would require giving up a good bit, especially in terms of prospects. Let's just say I don't envy Theo's position. There will be a lot of tough choices to make this off-season, but if they make the team more competitive, especially against the young, healthy, and powerful Rays, then so be it.
LET'S GO 2009 RED SOX!!!
1. Catcher: This is 'Tek's walk year and to say the Sox have a huge decision to make would be an understatement. The stats back up his value behind the plate, particularly with the pitching staff, but offensively he's just plain out of gas, especially from the left side. Seeing as the majority of his at-bats are from that side, that's trouble. An automatic out's worth of trouble, sadly. The Sox are hurting for a catcher with some pop in his bat who can also call a good game and throw runners out. The best prospect they have at this position, Mark Wagner, is at least a year away from being ready for the majors. If they let 'Tek walk, they're going to need a catcher who can step in and be effective right away. Even if 'Tek re-signs, they'll need to bring on a new catcher to learn the ropes from 'Tek and relieve him of some starts.
2. Wake: Tim Wakefield is a class act and he has given so much to the Red Sox in his 13 years on the team. That said, his effectiveness is declining and he requires a personal catcher to handle the knuckler. Given the situation the Sox are in with catchers (see #1), they really can't afford to carry Wake and Cash, especially if 'Tek stays on and mentors a new, young catcher. Also, if the Sox add another starter via free agency or trade and they also want to bring either Buchholz or Bowden into the rotation, there wouldn't be enough room for Wake in the rotation. The catcher situation makes moving him to the bullpen an undesirable option. The Sox need to have four pitchers that can perform well in the post-season and, unfortunately Wake has not been able to do that in the past two years.
3. Starting Rotation: It looks like the Sox could use a fourth (or better) starter and rumors are flying about Peavy, Sabathia, Burnett, etc. Each of those options have their pros and cons, but that's another blog entirely. Assuming Beckett comes to spring training in better shape than he did this year (API calling!) and is able to remain healthy and regain his 2007 form, he's the #1. Lester is a solid #2 A 2007-ish Beckett and a 2008-ish Lester would be a formidable 1-2 righty-lefty punch. Dice-K and possible trade/FA acquisition can duke it out for #3 and #4 and either Wake (see #2) or Buchholz/Bowden/Masterson for #5.
4. Bullpen: If Masterson remains a reliever, he and Oki can share set-up duty for Paps. That leaves us with Lopez, Delcarmen and Aardsma. I'm not sure how long Aardsma's contract is but if it was only for a year, the Sox will hopefully let him walk, since he never could establish location, though he had good velocity. One possibility to explore in spring training is Hunter Jones, currently with the Pawsox. Finding good relievers via trade or FA can be tricky, so if they can get a bullpen arm or two internally, a la Masterson, that would help them a lot.
5. Offense: Game 7 of the ALCS was lost by lack of offense, plain and simple. Getting rid of the distraction that was Manny was a very good thing, absolutely the right thing to do for the team, but the offense did take a loss when it comes to a bat that sends a chill up a pitcher's spine. Bay, Youk, and, when they weren't injured, Lowell and Drew are all great hitters with power, but the Sox could use that awe-inspiring bat, especially with a diminished Papi who has been fighting more than his share of injuries lately. Teixeira would be that kind of bat, but acquiring him would take some maneuvering of the Sox infield. Teix is a first baseman and I don't believe he'd want to come to a new team and have to play a new position. That would mean moving Youk to third and Lowell's the odd man out. Lowell is another class act and great team player that the Sox would be loath to lose. Since he only plays one position and is still a starter-quality player, the bench doesn't seem like a good option.
Holliday is another possibility, especially if either Coco or Ells get moved. Move Bay to center and have Holliday play left. Coco/Ells (whoever stays) is the fourth outfielder. Of course, you sacrifice a little speed on the base paths, especially if it's Ellsbury who stays. Holliday would require giving up a good bit, especially in terms of prospects. Let's just say I don't envy Theo's position. There will be a lot of tough choices to make this off-season, but if they make the team more competitive, especially against the young, healthy, and powerful Rays, then so be it.
LET'S GO 2009 RED SOX!!!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
ALCS Game 7: That's A Wrap
Sox: 1 Rays: 3
The 2008 Boston Red Sox ended their season tonight at Tropicana Field, after falling 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7. It's disappointing to fall short of the World Series berth, that's for sure, but when all is said and done, they had a great season and battled impressively through the adversity that dogged them from the very beginning, with the trip across the world that shortened their Spring Training and lengthened their season by a week. They battled illnesses, lots of injuries, a certain petulant former left-fielder who disrupted the team's chemistry when he didn't get his way with his contract. They had trouble winning on the road, especially in the first half. Coming into Game 7, they had a starter with an enormous innings load, an exhausted closer, an injured gold-glove first baseman, and hitters who ran hot and cold. They had an amazing comeback in Game 5, hung on in Game 6, but just didn't have enough gas to maintain their early hold on Game 7.
So the season had its share of disappointments and adversity, but there were some good stories as well. The emergence of Jon Lester as a force to be reckoned with on the mound. He may have ran into a little trouble in the middle innings tonight and in Game 3 (and didn't get much help from the offense in either game), but overall his 2008 was a dramatic improvement over his 2006 and 2007. He has come into his own and took on a monster workload, with well over 200 innings pitched. He became the first Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in over 50 years.
Another great story for the Sox this season has been Justin Masterson. He started the year in AA Portland and was called up for a spot start in April. He pitched very well, though he didn't get the win due to the bullpen surrendering the lead. With various illnesses and injuries to the pitching staff, Masterson became a fill-in starter during the first half. Once he was no longer needed as a starter, he was sent to Pawtucket to learn how to pitch out of the 'pen. His success as a reliever has solidified a shaky bullpen and he's earned the trust of Tito in important game situations.
Jed Lowrie, although he has struggled at times offensively, has also been a good story for the Red Sox. He took over for the error-prone Lugo, who went down with a quad injury just before the All-Star Break, and his play at short has been solid and steady. He's been a major improvement over Lugo defensively and he's also able to play well at third. When he first came on, he racked up the ribbies at an astonishing rate, pounding hit after hit with runners in scoring position. As the league caught up to him, however, he struggled to make adjustments and started accumulating the K's instead. He has been able to break out of his late season slump somewhat in the post-season, with some key hits (see ALDS Game 4 9th inning) and, with a little more work on his hitting, will be a fine shortstop for the Sox in the coming years.
I have to tip my hat to the Rays. This season, they were the better team. They had an amazing, worst-to-first season and they're full of young talent due to high draft picks. They will be competition for the Red Sox and the Yankees next year and for a few more years to come, until their young talent seeks big free agent $$ and their success keeps them out of the first draft picks. But they've earned their World Series berth this year with consistent, high level play. They have a young, very talented starting rotation and a very solid bullpen. They have some power bats in the lineup and a lot of speed. They've gotten the timely hits necessary to win games. Since they, like the Red Sox, represent the American League, I will root for them to win the World Series. Of course I wish it were the Red Sox playing in the Fall Classic, but it wasn't meant to be this year.
LET'S GO RED SOX 2009! CONGRATULATIONS, RAYS!
The 2008 Boston Red Sox ended their season tonight at Tropicana Field, after falling 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 7. It's disappointing to fall short of the World Series berth, that's for sure, but when all is said and done, they had a great season and battled impressively through the adversity that dogged them from the very beginning, with the trip across the world that shortened their Spring Training and lengthened their season by a week. They battled illnesses, lots of injuries, a certain petulant former left-fielder who disrupted the team's chemistry when he didn't get his way with his contract. They had trouble winning on the road, especially in the first half. Coming into Game 7, they had a starter with an enormous innings load, an exhausted closer, an injured gold-glove first baseman, and hitters who ran hot and cold. They had an amazing comeback in Game 5, hung on in Game 6, but just didn't have enough gas to maintain their early hold on Game 7.
So the season had its share of disappointments and adversity, but there were some good stories as well. The emergence of Jon Lester as a force to be reckoned with on the mound. He may have ran into a little trouble in the middle innings tonight and in Game 3 (and didn't get much help from the offense in either game), but overall his 2008 was a dramatic improvement over his 2006 and 2007. He has come into his own and took on a monster workload, with well over 200 innings pitched. He became the first Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter in over 50 years.
Another great story for the Sox this season has been Justin Masterson. He started the year in AA Portland and was called up for a spot start in April. He pitched very well, though he didn't get the win due to the bullpen surrendering the lead. With various illnesses and injuries to the pitching staff, Masterson became a fill-in starter during the first half. Once he was no longer needed as a starter, he was sent to Pawtucket to learn how to pitch out of the 'pen. His success as a reliever has solidified a shaky bullpen and he's earned the trust of Tito in important game situations.
Jed Lowrie, although he has struggled at times offensively, has also been a good story for the Red Sox. He took over for the error-prone Lugo, who went down with a quad injury just before the All-Star Break, and his play at short has been solid and steady. He's been a major improvement over Lugo defensively and he's also able to play well at third. When he first came on, he racked up the ribbies at an astonishing rate, pounding hit after hit with runners in scoring position. As the league caught up to him, however, he struggled to make adjustments and started accumulating the K's instead. He has been able to break out of his late season slump somewhat in the post-season, with some key hits (see ALDS Game 4 9th inning) and, with a little more work on his hitting, will be a fine shortstop for the Sox in the coming years.
I have to tip my hat to the Rays. This season, they were the better team. They had an amazing, worst-to-first season and they're full of young talent due to high draft picks. They will be competition for the Red Sox and the Yankees next year and for a few more years to come, until their young talent seeks big free agent $$ and their success keeps them out of the first draft picks. But they've earned their World Series berth this year with consistent, high level play. They have a young, very talented starting rotation and a very solid bullpen. They have some power bats in the lineup and a lot of speed. They've gotten the timely hits necessary to win games. Since they, like the Red Sox, represent the American League, I will root for them to win the World Series. Of course I wish it were the Red Sox playing in the Fall Classic, but it wasn't meant to be this year.
LET'S GO RED SOX 2009! CONGRATULATIONS, RAYS!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
ALCS Game 6: Stayin' Alive!
Sox: 4 Rays: 2
The Sox have forced another Game 7! Beckett was just Beckett enough to win this game for the Sox, with the help of four kick-ass innings from the 'pen (Oki for 2, then Masterson, then Paps). His velocity was down, but he was able to gut it out and locate his pitches well, with two exceptions leading to homers by Upton and Bartlett. The latter was a very unlikely source, having a grand total of ONE home run for the entire regular season. A disruption of routine between the third and fourth innings when the home plate ump came out of the game due to being injured at the top of the third on a foul tip by Tek ultimately lead to Beckett coming out after five. Tito took him out just to be on the safe side in this do-or-die game and the move paid off with the 'pen shutting the Rays down for the last four.
Youk started the Sox scoring off in the second with a solo shot to left center, answering Upton's homer in the first and tying the score. He drives in the second run an inning later with a ground out to short, scoring Pedey. Tek finally breaks his 0-for-the-ALCS by going yard in the sixth and breaks another tie (the Bartlett homer in the fifth). Papi singles to right center and knocks in Coco, who hit his third single of the game two batters ago. Pedey had reached on an errant throw by Bartlett and tripped over the bag, preventing him from taking second on the error. Coco, Drew, & Papi each had multiple hits in the game and Youk was responsible for the first two runs. A lot of guys were stranded on base, but enough scored to win the game, thanks to an improved outing by Beckett and stellar work by Oki, Masterson, & Paps.
TBS goofed big-time when technical difficulties kept most of the first inning off the air. I turned the TV on a few minutes after eight to see some sitcom instead of the game, which made me none too pleased, but at least I didn't miss the Sox scoring any runs. First the endless Frank TV ads, now this?
Tomorrow night...another year, another Game 7. Lester takes the mound, hoping for a better outing than Monday night at Fenway. He's in a rematch with Matt Garza and both teams have their backs against the wall. The prize: A date with the Phillies in the Fall Classic. Can the Sox do it again? Let's hope TBS doesn't pull any more technical difficulties stunts because it's gonna be a good one...
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
The Sox have forced another Game 7! Beckett was just Beckett enough to win this game for the Sox, with the help of four kick-ass innings from the 'pen (Oki for 2, then Masterson, then Paps). His velocity was down, but he was able to gut it out and locate his pitches well, with two exceptions leading to homers by Upton and Bartlett. The latter was a very unlikely source, having a grand total of ONE home run for the entire regular season. A disruption of routine between the third and fourth innings when the home plate ump came out of the game due to being injured at the top of the third on a foul tip by Tek ultimately lead to Beckett coming out after five. Tito took him out just to be on the safe side in this do-or-die game and the move paid off with the 'pen shutting the Rays down for the last four.
Youk started the Sox scoring off in the second with a solo shot to left center, answering Upton's homer in the first and tying the score. He drives in the second run an inning later with a ground out to short, scoring Pedey. Tek finally breaks his 0-for-the-ALCS by going yard in the sixth and breaks another tie (the Bartlett homer in the fifth). Papi singles to right center and knocks in Coco, who hit his third single of the game two batters ago. Pedey had reached on an errant throw by Bartlett and tripped over the bag, preventing him from taking second on the error. Coco, Drew, & Papi each had multiple hits in the game and Youk was responsible for the first two runs. A lot of guys were stranded on base, but enough scored to win the game, thanks to an improved outing by Beckett and stellar work by Oki, Masterson, & Paps.
TBS goofed big-time when technical difficulties kept most of the first inning off the air. I turned the TV on a few minutes after eight to see some sitcom instead of the game, which made me none too pleased, but at least I didn't miss the Sox scoring any runs. First the endless Frank TV ads, now this?
Tomorrow night...another year, another Game 7. Lester takes the mound, hoping for a better outing than Monday night at Fenway. He's in a rematch with Matt Garza and both teams have their backs against the wall. The prize: A date with the Phillies in the Fall Classic. Can the Sox do it again? Let's hope TBS doesn't pull any more technical difficulties stunts because it's gonna be a good one...
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
JD Drew: The Latest Mr. October?
No matter what happens tomorrow night or however long this series may last, there is one certain Red Sox right fielder who is building his own reputation as a post-season superstar--the guy who wears Trot Nixon's old number--and his name is JD Drew. He's had his struggles and he's dealt with nagging injuries and a medical drama with his young son. People have bemoaned his large and lucrative contract, especially during his first season in Boston when he struggled to adjust to the American League. All that said, he is the author of four ginormous clutch hits in October. The first was his grand slam in Game 6 of last year's ALCS, off Fausto Carmona, in a must-win game for the Sox. Huge Hit #2 came in this year's ALDS, a two-run dinger off K-Rod to break a 5-all tie. Numbers 3 and 4 both came in last night's miracle comeback, in two consecutive at-bats, no less: #3 being his two-run homer in the eighth off Dan Wheeler to bring the Sox within one run and #4 the walk-off double in the ninth off of JP Howell that kept the Sox' season alive, forcing a Game 6 in Tampa Bay. Whether this against-all-odds win will carry momentum over into tomorrow night's game remains to be seen, but by winning that game and coming back on the Rays the way they did, the Sox showed that they will not go down without a fight.
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
ALCS Game 5: Not so fast, Tampa Bay!
Sox: 8 Rays: 7
Wowza! What a comeback! Things looked downright funereal for the Sox until that 7th inning, when the lights came back on after a two-and-a-half game blackout. Down 7-0, the Sox offense came out of their coma with a Lowrie double, a Coco single, and an RBI single by Pedey (so long shutout). Then up to the plate strode Big Papi. Any other October, Sox fans would have been banking on a huge hit with Mr. Clutch up with two men on. This year, it didn't look so promising, as Papi had been 1 for 17. Well, shut my mouth! Papi takes Balfour deep and closes the gap to 7-4! The Fenway crowd springs to their feet and starts making some long overdue noise! There's life in them bats after all!
Fast forward to the bottom of the 8th, after Paps shuts down the Rays in the top of the inning. Bay walks and Drew takes Wheeler yard to make it a one-run game. Wheeler gets Lowrie out and then Casey pinch-hits for Tek. Wheeler whiffs Casey, but Kotsay lines a double off of him. Coco comes up with two outs and drives Wheeler berserk by fouling off pitch after pitch before lining one into right. Coco rounds first and heads for second as Kotsay scores the tying run. He gets thrown out at second, but the damage is done. Three more Sox runs in the 8th with a chance to win the game and stay alive in the series.
Top of the 9th, Masterson has come on in relief of Paps. He gives up a single to Bartlett and gets Aki to fly out, but not deep enough to advance Bartlett. He pitches carefully around Upton, trying to keep Bartlett close, and Upton works the walk. Now the young rookie is in a jam that has Sox Nation wondering why Pap wasn't brought out for another inning. Lest we forget, however, that this kid has a knack for getting the double play ball and that he does. Pena hits a grounder to second. Pedey flips to Lowrie, who throws to Kotsay and the threat is erased, paving the way for a truly Red Soxian bottom of the 9th.
After two quick outs retiring Pedey and Papi, J.P. Howell (now does that name sound like a banker or what?) has a tough time with Youk, who studied Coco's 8th inning at-bat intently and keeps fouling off pitches. He hits one to third and Longoria, who is a pet of Chip & Buck, makes a long throw to first, where Pena can't get a grip on the ball. It bounces into the stands as Youk takes second. Howell pitches around Bay to take his chances with Drew, favoring the lefty-lefty matchup. Dangerous move, young banker! J.D. makes J.P. pay dearly as he lines the 3-1 offering into right, plating the winning run! Deja 2004, anyone? It had a bit more of a 2004 feeling than a 2007 feeling, given the long odds of such a comeback against a team that has been raking for the better part of the series. Game 5 in 2007 had Beckett dominating and the offense producing from the beginning of the game. This Game 5 looked like a miserable end to a depressing series up until the last three innings, when the fortunes reversed dramatically. I'll even admit that I stopped watching for about an inning and a half because I couldn't bear to see it end the way it looked like it would in the fifth--a humiliating shutout at home and a third consecutive thrashing by a younger and playoff-inexperienced team, no matter how talented they may be. I came back in the bottom of the 7th, right after Lowrie's double, just to check on the game. Good thing I did!
So, now that they've managed to stay alive, they still have a lot of work to do. Beckett must return to form for Game 6 if they're to have a chance to force a Game 7. While it's tempting to think of Lester pitching on Saturday instead, the Sox are in a position where they're going to have to either live by Beckett or die by Beckett. I previously blogged about wanting Byrd to pitch Game 6, but his Game 3 outing made me think better of it. They can't pull another pitcher out of thin air. Beckett it is. Let's hope for the best!
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! CONGRATS ON AN AMAZING COMEBACK!!!
Wowza! What a comeback! Things looked downright funereal for the Sox until that 7th inning, when the lights came back on after a two-and-a-half game blackout. Down 7-0, the Sox offense came out of their coma with a Lowrie double, a Coco single, and an RBI single by Pedey (so long shutout). Then up to the plate strode Big Papi. Any other October, Sox fans would have been banking on a huge hit with Mr. Clutch up with two men on. This year, it didn't look so promising, as Papi had been 1 for 17. Well, shut my mouth! Papi takes Balfour deep and closes the gap to 7-4! The Fenway crowd springs to their feet and starts making some long overdue noise! There's life in them bats after all!
Fast forward to the bottom of the 8th, after Paps shuts down the Rays in the top of the inning. Bay walks and Drew takes Wheeler yard to make it a one-run game. Wheeler gets Lowrie out and then Casey pinch-hits for Tek. Wheeler whiffs Casey, but Kotsay lines a double off of him. Coco comes up with two outs and drives Wheeler berserk by fouling off pitch after pitch before lining one into right. Coco rounds first and heads for second as Kotsay scores the tying run. He gets thrown out at second, but the damage is done. Three more Sox runs in the 8th with a chance to win the game and stay alive in the series.
Top of the 9th, Masterson has come on in relief of Paps. He gives up a single to Bartlett and gets Aki to fly out, but not deep enough to advance Bartlett. He pitches carefully around Upton, trying to keep Bartlett close, and Upton works the walk. Now the young rookie is in a jam that has Sox Nation wondering why Pap wasn't brought out for another inning. Lest we forget, however, that this kid has a knack for getting the double play ball and that he does. Pena hits a grounder to second. Pedey flips to Lowrie, who throws to Kotsay and the threat is erased, paving the way for a truly Red Soxian bottom of the 9th.
After two quick outs retiring Pedey and Papi, J.P. Howell (now does that name sound like a banker or what?) has a tough time with Youk, who studied Coco's 8th inning at-bat intently and keeps fouling off pitches. He hits one to third and Longoria, who is a pet of Chip & Buck, makes a long throw to first, where Pena can't get a grip on the ball. It bounces into the stands as Youk takes second. Howell pitches around Bay to take his chances with Drew, favoring the lefty-lefty matchup. Dangerous move, young banker! J.D. makes J.P. pay dearly as he lines the 3-1 offering into right, plating the winning run! Deja 2004, anyone? It had a bit more of a 2004 feeling than a 2007 feeling, given the long odds of such a comeback against a team that has been raking for the better part of the series. Game 5 in 2007 had Beckett dominating and the offense producing from the beginning of the game. This Game 5 looked like a miserable end to a depressing series up until the last three innings, when the fortunes reversed dramatically. I'll even admit that I stopped watching for about an inning and a half because I couldn't bear to see it end the way it looked like it would in the fifth--a humiliating shutout at home and a third consecutive thrashing by a younger and playoff-inexperienced team, no matter how talented they may be. I came back in the bottom of the 7th, right after Lowrie's double, just to check on the game. Good thing I did!
So, now that they've managed to stay alive, they still have a lot of work to do. Beckett must return to form for Game 6 if they're to have a chance to force a Game 7. While it's tempting to think of Lester pitching on Saturday instead, the Sox are in a position where they're going to have to either live by Beckett or die by Beckett. I previously blogged about wanting Byrd to pitch Game 6, but his Game 3 outing made me think better of it. They can't pull another pitcher out of thin air. Beckett it is. Let's hope for the best!
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!! CONGRATS ON AN AMAZING COMEBACK!!!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Wanted: New ALCS Announcers
Is any Red Sox fan out there not way beyond annoyed with the Tampa Bay cheerleaders calling the ALCS games on TBS? I'd rather press the mute button and watch the games in total silence than listen to those biased buffoons bite their tongues trying not to yell "Go Rays" as they ooh and aah over the young upstarts' every move. They're *supposed* to be professionals--can't they tone their bias down a few notches? They're worse than Fox and Yankee-lovin' ESPN. On that note, what did the Red Sox do to piss off all national TV announcers? Maybe we Sox fans are spoiled by Remy and Orsillo, who at least make an effort to be evenhanded.
Which one of them can't pronounce Big Papi's last name? It's David Or-TIZ, not David OR-tiz. Just because Papi forgot how to hit doesn't mean the announcers have to butcher his name every time he comes up.
Which one of them can't pronounce Big Papi's last name? It's David Or-TIZ, not David OR-tiz. Just because Papi forgot how to hit doesn't mean the announcers have to butcher his name every time he comes up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)