Entries Tagged 'Standings' ↓

Well! There you go!

For the first time in your short history you’ve made the playoffs. Red Sox Nation would like to extend a warm welcome to the Executive Lounge, complete with free wi-fi.

Any team that has the best home record and the best record in one-run games deserves some street cred. And, to be honest, I’m one of those people who thought you’d crack. Crack under the pressure, crack under the weight of the Florida sun and just plain crack in half to a losing record. I guess I wasn’t giving you the credit you deserve. (Secretly, I gave you a ton of credit, but damn you for actually being good).

Oh! And, to your fans, the only people who made this happen were the actual players employed by the team. Just as the case in Red Sox Nation. I’m very, very glad that you have a team to root for in the post season, but please go into this without the chest-thumping attitude and Yankee-fan mentality. The only people who belong in the post season are the ones who played their way into the post season. As they say in the spirit business: Enjoy Responsibly.

Oh, and Joe Maddon, I’m glad you are truly, finally making a name for yourself. I’ve been a sideline fan of yours for a while, but I still don’t love the way you handle the bullpen. Maybe, even though you’ve gotten the most out of your team this far, the Sox will be able to squeek through those close games when / if you meet them again.

Congrats on a long, well-deserved post season berth. Now, please lose so I don’t have to carry around a box of Kleenex this Winter for reasons other than a cold.

Best,

Keith

This site, along with my desk, my back problem and a number of filing chores have been neglected while I take on additional responsibilities with both the American Marketing Association and UX Professionals.

Oddly enough, the Sox have not needed my help. Or have they?

At this point, it’s moot to go over what the last month has been like for the Sox with the exception of the following:

• Mike Lowell could end up hurting the Sox in the long run if he doesn’t shut it down soon.
• Paps better learn to use that cutter more often and stop being a fastball putz.
• Pedroia is my MVP. Not because he plays for the Sox, but because he has done the most in my opinion without any injury to assist a team in making the playoffs when their two hot-shot power hitters were down or out. (20 home runs regardless of a wrist injury has totally killed the Sox, Mr. Papi.)
• Epstein, it appears, will not have to don a gorilla suit come Halloween.
• Lucchino has been totally press-absent. THANK YOU.
• Orsillo got an extension at NESN (love it).
• Remy has not done as MUCH self-serving advertising as in previous years.

I am gunning for the Sox to take the Wild Card. Screw the Division Title. Get those four wins and then go get your team a) rest and b) pitching order. You don’t think Anaheim is a good idea for the Sox in the first round? I think it’s GREAT. They need the challenge. They need to have the drive. They need to get over themselves and win, win, win.

By this weekend we’ll know where they stand. Hopefully, regardless of the standings, they will have their duck boats in a row.

I am quietly hating and loving the standings of the AL East. On the one hand, we have the Red Sox, my team from birth with whom I have felt an enormous emotional connection through good times and bad.

On the other, the streaking, red-hot, in-your-face, talented Rays. The former bottom-feeders who just couldn’t scrape together a winning season (Boggs or not).

The fact that the Rays are now a very comfortable 5.5 games ahead of Boston means little to the Red Sox, who will tell you that it just doesn’t matter and that they’ll catch up or take a Wild Card if necessary. They don’t care. They took the Wild Card in ‘04, ended an 86 year drought and kicked ass through a four game sweep.

Will it happen again?

The Red Sox need to get back the injured talent (no excuses; everyone who plays in the bigs IS a big league player and should perform as such). They also need to learn from their mistakes. Not as defensively sound as they could be, the Sox still enjoy one of the better defenses in all of baseball. Keeping their youngest players mentally checked-in will prove to be a hell of a task if they get to the post season.

The Ray and the Sox have six games against each other through the rest of the season. Standings notwithstanding, they need to sweep one or two of those series.

The other interesting thing is that they don’t play the Twins (very tightly up the rear end of the Sox for the Wild Card; 3.5 games as of today). As a matter of fact, they play Texas and Cleveland, which can only help the Twins and White Sox. Such a predicament for the Sox at this point in the season is not a good thing.

So! The help the Sox need is all about the schedule of the Rays.

Hey, Sox… Earn that spot.

I look at the standings and I keep my cool. The Rays are a legitimate contender until someone kicks them in the private parts. The best part about this? I AM SO HAPPY IT’S NOT THE TYPICAL YANKEE RIVALRY. I yell because I care.

Clay Feet

The Clay Buchholz experiment is simply not working out so far this year. The kid is having a hell of a time adjusting to his first year in the Bigs and it looks like his confidence takes a hit each time out of the gate. I can’t help wonder if maybe a flip-flop between Masterson and Buchholz (starter vs. ‘pen) would have been a better decision; recognizing the no-hitter and the length of service.

It might be time to speed up the progress for Colon and see if he can jump in there for a couple starts.

Manny Being a #$(%$* ?

Listen, Manny can do whatever he wants and the club won’t do much about it. Whatever happens to his contract from here on out is anyone’s guess. Is he worth $20 million per year? Is he only worth that if he’s protected by Ortiz? His mischief does not bug me, but having an all-out fight with a 60-something year-old man wasn’t obviously very bright. He’ll still be here next year, I’m sure. It seems that he’s a necessary evil when things aren’t going his way and it’s a guaranteed hall of fame player when things are. Where’s Schilling in all of this? I’m surprised he hasn’t spoken up about the situation.

Wow, it’s been a long time since I posted on this thing. I barely remember all the stuff that’s happened since I took a break.

It’s all about the second half now, where the Sox will pick it back up against the Angels leading the AL East by .5 a game. It’s not much, but with the way the Rays were playing into the break, I would have rather skipped the All-Star Game and gone right to the second half to watch them crumble.

We have some really interesting things to watch on the sidelines for the second half of the season, including:

Papi

When will he return? Is he okay and ready to go? What will it be like for him to get back into his rythm? If he goes to both Portland and Pawtucket, and the Sox are losing groud, will they forgo any of the rehab assignments and just call his butt back up to the Bigs asap?

J.D. Drew

Wow, this kid spends 11 years being “promising”, then has a career year (so far). Not only that, but he picks up some MVP hardware at the All-Star Game to boot (sorry, Dan Uggla, I know that word isn’t too good for you right now… *cough error cough*). Unfortunately, when Papi does return, Drew will slide out of that powerful 3 spot in the order… then it’s anyone’s guess as to his “back problems” or his “hammy issues”.

Varitek

Is it time to get ‘Tek to pull 75% duty? Will he last the rest of the year, regardless of how horrible a hitter Cash is? The guy is in tremendous shape, and I’d love for him to be productive for the next six years, but I don’t see it. He’s losing his offense at a dizzying pace and his arm is showing fatigue.

Trade Deadline

What the hell will Theo do? Aside from bringing up Masterson to be a long-relief guy, what can they do to shore up the team? Is Lugo going to have 12 errors in the second half? Will they put up with his incredible missing offense? Is it time for Lowrie to hit the bench and be ready to play for a few days in a row?

I’m happy we still have half a season. I’ve been to busy to truly enjoy the first half.