Yes it’s true my good fan(s), I’m back. Following a lengthy hiatus inspired by the horrendous ending to the 2009 season, I finally decided to get back to blogging about our beloved, bloody Bosox.
I know, I know, hold your applause please…(cue crickets).
So, two weeks into the 2010 season I know you’re dying to hear my expert assessment regarding the new & improved edition of the Olde Towne team, right?
Well after exhaustive research which included three interminable contests against the Stankees, embarassing losses to the Royals and Twins and a mindnumbing four game sweep at the hands of the Rays, I’ve concluded that this 2010 version of the Sox is basically the same exact model as the 2009 version, only with less excitement and lower playoff expectations.
I know, I know, you waited seven months for that. My bad.
On the heels of Papelbon’s postseason meltdown against Los Angeles and to cover up the stench of the acrimonious exit of beloved free agent slugger Jason Bay, the Red Sox front office made a conscious decision to rebuild “go in a different direction” in 2010.
Translation: Boston was eschewing the power & pop that had been the hallmark of the recent championship teams in favor of small ball, pitching & defense, evidenced by overpaying for Angels ace John Lackey and adding noted glove men/banjo hitters Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro. In other words, they were planning to be a $160 million version of the Rays.
And how has Theo’s master plan worked out so far?
Let’s just say the July 31st trade deadline can’t come soon enough.
As I sit writing this the Rays just put the finishing touches on its first ever four game Fenway sweep, beating Boston in the traditional Marathon Monday matinée, 8-2; it was Boston’s fifth straight loss, dropping them to a woeful 4-9, 1-6 at home. The Sox trail Tampa Bay by six games and the stacked Stanks by 5 1/2. Hell they are three behind the Roy Halladay-less Blue Jays for crying out loud.
Losing is one thing, but being outclassed by your nearest division rivals is another animal entirely, one that is most unwelcome in the city that was known as Titletown USA for the better part of the aughts.
But after dropping two of three to New York to kick off the 2010 campaign (thanks, ESPN), the Sox just got napalmed by the Rays. They never held a lead, went 0-27 with runners in scoring position, and were outscored 24-9. Oh, and the defense committed six physical errors and at least that many mental mistakes, which led to a shitload of unearned runs and unnecessary baserunners.
No one aside from Dustin Pedroia and Beltre have hit worth a lick, and the inability to score plus the shoddy defense, which has added to the deficiencies of the struggling pitching staff, has put the new philosophy sorely into question.
I know it used to be a rite of passage for the Nation to begin the “wait till next year” chorus as soon as the club got off to a slow start. And I’ve watched enough games to realize that like the jaunt from Hopkinton to Comm Ave, a baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. So of course it’s too early to consider this organizational change in direction a massive failure. Yet.
But the way this team collapsed last season, and the manner in which it has opened this one, does not bode well for future playoff success, especially when the two teams it is chasing are treating the Sox like one of Ben Roethlisberger’s bathroom conquests.
Facts are facts. Papi (.171, 2RBI) is done as a fearded slugger, and his days in Beantown are certainly numbered. Victor Martinez is a DH playing the part of catcher, and his slow start at the plate and utter incompetency behind it all but ensure he will not be extended following this season.
Pitching-wise the three aces - Lackey, Beckett and Lester - are a combined 2-3 with an ERA higher than the European ash cloud, but you know those guys’ numbers will be there at the end. Wakefield, Buchholz and Dice-K on the other hand? They could be this year’s Penny, Smoltz and Colon.
As for the bullpen, Paps has definitely lost his mojo, Bard is still learning the closer ropes, and Delcarmen, Schoenweis and Atchison might as well throw antacid samples into the stands upon entering the game for all the heartburn they are going to cause fans this season.
Bottom line is no other team has any reason to fear this club anymore, because there is not one guy on the roster that other managers must organize their gameplan around.
Did I mention the club has that distinct “25 cabs/25 players” aura about it again as well?
In short the only good vibes to come out of Lansdowne this year was when the Dropkicks played at the House of Blues. As fans we have to remind ourselves that it’s early, continue to be optimistic, and look on the bright side – there’s only 103 days to go until the trade deadline.
Maybe they can bring Bay back again.
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