How Bad Are the Red Sox?

The Red Sox grounds' crew didn't even put a tarp down yesterday afternoon. There was a 90% chance of rain, but a 100% chance that the Sox were not going to play on Sunday. And who could blame them.

The 3 inning, 14 run collapse of the bullpen on Saturday was almost humorous. The ways this team finds to lose ballgames seems too surreal to be true. To be up 9-1 in the 7th inning and still lose. How is that possible?

With this team, though, it's expected.

This team finished 3rd place last year, and what did the Front Office do in an effort to improve? Lose a closer, lose a short-stop, fire a manager, lose a GM. Should we be surprised that this team is struggling?

It's not Bobby Valentine's fault. He inherited a circus. And even if you change ring leaders in a circus, clowns are still clowns. But I don't think that Character is the problem with the Sox. At least not the biggest problem.

There simply isn't enough talent. Vicente Padilla was on the scrap heap for a reason. The Red Sox haven't acquired a sought-after reliever since Keith Foulke. They sign a bunch of question marks to fill in their bullpen depth chart and hope one or two work out. Then they move their 2nd best reliever to the rotation.

This team is a mess. On the field, off the field, everywhere. They don't score runs consistently. They've already lost twice when scoring 9+ runs. Their bullpen is horrific. The rotation is still questionable.

This team sucks. Only the Royals have a worse record in the AL.

They're in Minnesota tonight. Bard has been skipped and Lester will be starting. He'll oppose Jason Marquis. I think the Sox are desperate for a win, and putting Lester on the mound gives them a good chance of getting one.

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