DIFFICULT TO BE OPTIMISTIC... BUT I AM

Maybe it's my New England genetic makeup, but every day I seem to feel worse and worse about the 2008 Red Sox campaign. Last night was the worst I've felt about the team all year. After the 4th inning, I felt as though there was no chance the Red Sox would get a hit, and I was very nearly right.

But Pedroia and Youkilis showed us all a little glimpse of hope with their 9th inning hits.

Nevertheless, this is still a frustrating team. 2nd in the AL in runs scored, yet on any given night can drop an offensive egg. 5th in the AL in ERA, but with one of the most inconsistent pitching staffs in the game.

The best hitter on the team has to be threatened in order to play. The rookie phenom can't get a hit. The Captain will be thrilled if he were to hit his own weight (230). The Ace has a .500 record. The Japanese Ace can't go past 6 innings. One of the young pitching prospects is 2-6 with a 5.94 ERA. The other is the team's best middle reliever. The All-Star set-up man is a massive liability. The veteran with the fat mouth isn't coming back. The veteran with the fat ass can only start three times in a row before needing a rest.

Quite frankly, this team is a mess. Yet a quick glance at the standings sees them in 2nd place, only 2 games out. It also sees them leading the Wild Card. It also sees them outscoring opponents by 89 runs, the 2nd best run differential in all of baseball.

So if this team can pull its proverbial head out of its metaphorical ass, they will do some serious damage.

Photo Credit:
Jim Rogash/Getty Images

PATS SIGN LAMONT "GROUND" JORDAN

Get it? Ground Jordan? Like Air Jordan, only on the Ground, because he's a runningback. Yeah, not too funny.

The Pats waited until the Raiders released Jordan, then signed him the same day. This move is yet another example of the evil geniuses at work in Foxborough. They KNEW Oakland had been shopping Jordan around the League, looking for someone to give them a 5th or 6th round draft pick. But they also knew nobody wanted him. So they wait for Oakland to cut him loose, then pick him up for nothing. Brilliant.

Jordan is a puzzle piece to this team, but hardly the proverbial "final piece.". The inconsistent running game became a growing problem as the 2007 season progressed, culminating in the Super Bowl, where Laurence Maroney gained a mere 36 yards on 14 carries.

Jordan is a solid runner that will challenge Morris for the #2 spot on the depth chart. The Pats often went with 4 RBs last year, and I wouldn't be shocked if they did the same in 2008. Jordan averaged 3.8 yards a carry, and had two 100+ yard rushing games for Oakland last season.

He's also a good ball handler. In 950 career touches, he's fumbled 7 times, and lost only 4 of those.

Source:
ESPN.com

DICE-K GETS ROLLED

This series is a meeting between the immovable object and the unstoppable force. The Angels are the best road team in baseball. The Red Sox are the best home team. The Angels took round 1 last night, thanks in large part to a 6 run 6th inning Daisuke meltdown.

Five runs should be enough for a win, but Daisuke's meltdown, combined with an additional run allowed by Masterson made that next to impossible. Manny continues to hit well since recovering from that horrific knee injury. He was 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and a homerun.

The Sox fall to 1-5 against the Angels, and have officially lost the season series. The Red Sox hadn't lost a season series to the Angels since 2001.

It doesn't look much better for Tuesday's game. 8-2 John Lackey takes on Clay Buchholz.

Source:
ESPN.com
Baseball-Reference.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Charles Krupa

MANNY BEING BRETT FAVRE?

Sunday's events perfectly summed up Manny Ramirez's 8 year tenure in Boston. He issued a bizarre statement to ESPN Deportes saying he would be happy to accept any trade, and claimed that he was tired of the Red Sox, and they were tired of him. He then went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and two runs scored.

Although he didn't explicitly say it, Manny seems like he wants a trade. He doesn't like the idea of the Red Sox being able to pick up his option for 2009, then dumping him if he fails to produce and/or participate; which would leave him up the proverbial creek when it comes to getting a new contract with a new team.

That's where the comparison to Favre comes in. Manny, like Brett the Brat, wants the power. He wants to be in control. He can't stand the fact that some front office suits control where his career is going.

The Red Sox have apparently been shopping Manny around, or at least that's what they want us to believe. Things like this don't leak to the media by accident. Either the idea of the Sox trading Manny is an exaggeration concocted by colleagues of the people who brought you WalkThroughGate; or the Red Sox were trying to send a message.

I think the team was trying to light a fire under Manny's ass. The notion of a trade would, at the very least, cajole him to start playing again.

Trading Manny now doesn't make much sense. The Red Sox have been starved for offense. And with the numerous black holes in the lineup, the Sox can't afford to lose Manny's bat. And who the hell would take Ramirez and give the Sox good value in return?

To be honest, I have next to no clue with what's going on with Manny and the Sox. Nobody does. And nobody around here has for 8 years. A trade seems unlikely, but so did trading Nomar for Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz in '04. It's possible that Manny may eventually demand a trade. It's possible his "knee" might start acting up again. It's also possible that everything will be fine.

I think he'll end up with the Jets.

Source:
BostonHerald.com

Photo Horribly Altered By:
Me

ORTIZ BACK IN, BUT IS MANNY OUT?

David Ortiz will be in tonight's lineup against the Yankees. Brandon Moss was optioned to AAA Pawtucket to make room. Ortiz hasn't played since May 31st.

But his return might not be as splendid as we'd been anticipating. Manny Ramirez missed Wednesday afternoon's game, complaining of a sore knee. Normally this wouldn't be a big story, but after the now infamous bat-on-shoulder pinch hitting effort in Yankee Stadium, and Manny's history of feigning injury when upset, it becomes a big deal.

Part of me hopes the Sox don't pick up Manny's option at the end of the season. Not because it would be the smart baseball move, not because these antics and shenanigans piss me off, but because of all the coverage and debate received by every move Manny makes.

I'm sick of "Manny Being Manny."

BRUINS DUMP MURRAY

The Bruins waived veteran winger Glen Murray, the first step to cutting him loose by buying him out. The move freed up significant cap space to retain defenseman Dennis Wideman.

Murray only scored 17 goals last year, a far cry from the production expected from him. Murray was one of the very few full-time Bruins who had fewer assists (13) than goals. He had no goals, and no assists in the playoff series against Montreal, and was -3.

Source:
Boston Herald

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE SOX WON ON THE ROAD, AND IT WAS THANKS TO THE BULLPEN

The Red Sox bullpen pitched 6.2 innings of scoreless relief in yesterday's 6-3 12 inning victory. Justin Masterson made his first relief appearance, going 2.2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Papelbon pitched into and out of a jam and got the win. Craig Hansen allowed 2 hits and a walk, but got the save. It wasn't pretty, but the Sox have to take what they can get out of this bullpen.

This was the first time in 2008 that the Red Sox have swept a 3 game road series. And a 3-3 West Coast swing isn't all that bad. But the Mariners are the only sub .400 team in the American League. They were 20-29 at home coming into this series, and had just dropped 2 of 3 to the lowly Indians. Sweeping them is hardly something to be impressed with.

It's been very difficult to establish any sort of consistent feelings on this team. When they beat good teams at home, they look like the best club in baseball. But even when they sweep a team like Seattle, their flaws are so obvious and blatant.

Yesterday, for instance, the bullpen pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, but both Okajima and Hansen struggled. Buchholz pitched a decent 5.1 innings, but he let up 2 homeruns, and was unable to go deep into the game. Mike Lowell had a big hit in the 12th, but the Red Sox left the bases loaded twice, and couldn't buy a hit with runners in scoring position.

Yet they lead the Wild Card by 3 games, are only 0.5 behind Tampa for the division, and have the 2nd best run differential in baseball.

Speaking of the Wild Card and the AL East, the New York Yankees come to town on Friday for a three game set.

Pitching matchups:
Friday - Joba Chamberlain vs. Josh Beckett
Saturday - Tim Wakefield vs. Andy Pettitte
Sunday - Jon Lester vs. Sidney Ponson

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credit:
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

LESTER + PAPELBON = SHUTOUT

Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon combined for a 4-0 shutout of the Mariners last night. Lester went the first 7.1 innings, scattering 8 hits. Papelbon got a 5 out save, thanks in large part to a bases loaded double play to end the 8th.

Lester had only thrown 83 pitches after 7 innings, which meant another complete game was possible, and a completed 8th inning likely. But he got in trouble and was rescued by Papelbon after throwing 20 pitches. A Willie Bloomquist line drive off his ankle was another reason for his mid-inning departure.

Francona's use of Papelbon in the 8th is somewhat indicative of how little faith he has in anyone else in the bullpen. Giving Hideki Okajima 3 inherited runners is a terrifying prospect. And using anyone else in that situation is equally as disturbing.

Last year, the Sox were extremely protective of Papelbon in an effort to save his arm for September and October. He made only 4 appearances that were longer than 1 inning. Already this year, he's made 7 such appearances. This hopefully won't be a problem down the stretch. But even if it is, the Sox have been forced to use Papelbon in this way.

Dice-K against R.A. Dickey late Tuesday night.

Source:
ESPN.com

Photo Credits:
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren