* Red Sox Rudderless

The Red Sox look lost.

I’m watching game 4 of the ALCS, and the Red Sox are losing to the Indians 7-0 in the 5th inning.

The Red Sox seem to be playing without emotion, without energy, and without a sense of urgency. All season, we’ve been looking for something to make us care about this year’s Red Sox team. Yes, they are the Red Sox, they will always be our Red Sox, regardless of how many games they win or who technically “owns” the team.

But the 2007 Red Sox have been an enigmatic bunch. These are not the Cowboys of 2003. These are now the Idiots of 2004. Who are these Red Sox? What’s the hook? Where’s the magic? Would it kill someone, anyone, to get a 2-out hit? Or to stop the Indians from getting one?

If the 2007 Red Sox give it up to the Indians, they will have nobody to blame but themselves. But I don’t think there will be many tears shed in Red Sox Nation. They just have not played well consistently enough to suck us in this year. At least not yet.

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2 Replies to “* Red Sox Rudderless”

  1. Greetings John,

    I think the Eric Gagne trade was the turning point of the season. The Sox acquired Gagne from the Texas Rangers at the trading deadline for left-handed pitcher Kason Gabbard and minor league outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre. Right after the Gagne trade, reliever Brendan Donnelly’s season ended due to surgery on his right elbow. So the Sox lost a decent middle reliever (Donnelly), a decent lefty pitcher (Gabbard), and got Gagne, who has done nothing for the Sox. So starting in August, the Sox are down three pitchers.

    The ineffectiveness of Gagne has had a snowball effect as the Sox have had to use their other pitchers more. Manny Delcarmen looked like he wasn’t ready to come into the game last night and promptly gave up 4 additional runs (in what would be a 7-3 loss to the Indians). If Gagne is effective, you have a more rested Delcarmen, you get out of that inning, and the Sox are still in the game. Gagne is wasting a roster spot.

    Assuming the Sox make it to the World Series (and I see no reason why they can’t win the next three games), I’d put Wakefield in the bullpen and start Jon Lester. The Sox need a lefty starter. Wake is effective out of the pen. Lester has never been a reliever (although he gave the Sox a chance last night).

    I remember game 3 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees (which the Sox lost 19-8). I’m watching that game and thinking, “The Sox could score 11 runs here.” Yes, it’s unlikely, but it’s possible. So I watch every play of every game. If there is an 11-run comeback, you don’t want to miss it. Just like if there is a comeback from an 0-3 deficit, you don’t want to miss it.

    There’s plenty of baseball left to play. But to paraphrase John Madden, the big players gotta make big plays in big games. That includes the pitchers and the hitters.

    Regards,
    Erik

  2. here’s their identity….

    we were at or near the top of the league in pitching all year….but now we have had 3 games in a row where our starters can’t get out of the 5th inning….

    two of these starters are 40+ and one is a rookie adjusting to a new continent.

    Also, our bullpen has had a big role in two 7 run innings!

    Say what you will about the hitting, if the starting pitching can get out of the fifth, you have a chance…(although Tito was early with the hook….a bit more luck and wake is out of that inning)

    It is smelling a lot to me like “wait til next year” again – they will jettison the old guys and hope that another year of seasoning will get the pitching right.

    Just too bad that we may have wasted another year of the prolific Manny/Papi duo.

    but Beckett could win Thursday and then anything can happen at Fenway…

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