The Red Sox season and fortunes are rapidly going south precisely at a most interesting time (the trade deadline). Many star players aren’t performing up to snuf, and now the awful news about Ramirez & Ortiz. On the chessboard that contains only the Sox & Yankees, Boston still stands outmaneuvered by the offseason Teixeira negotiations, and hence are down one star player to the first place Bombers. Even though they don’t need another pitcher, they do need another great player, and there is only one out there. RHP Roy Halladay. But a tectonic player trade with Toronto-involving much of the Red Sox future-might signal desperation by the GM, or worse, a short term interest in winning & ownership, by ownership.
Theo Epstein and the Red Sox ownership tried desperately to sign Mark Teixeira in the offseason. Now we know why. JD Drew, Mike Lowell, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and sacrificial lamb Julio Lugo are all on the downside career path (five starters). Sure, the Red Sox have pitching-so they lose with dignity instead of being pounded-but Boston has reverted to predicted preseason form and are now clearly the team that can pitch but cannot hit. Quick, losing games in a down economy also have to be a worry. Hopefully, the Sox can trade Bucholtz for Saltalamacchia, put Varitek on the bench with Lowell and Ortiz, play LaRoche, and spell Drew more frequently with Rocco Baldelli.
Halladay rumors are probably just defensive moves by the GM. Acquiring the best player available-but not necessary-would amount to a desperate tantrum.
Baseball players need a rest at the All-Star break, but fans need to give it a rest after almost ninety games of non-stop scrutiny. Where is Howard Beale when you need him for the computer age? Instead of the god-awful power of the tube, we have the devilish power of on-line instantainment. If our brains went soft in the boob tube era, our heads just may explode in the jittery, twittery age of instant OMG. We’re all “Mad as Hell”, but about what? A second lefty coming out of the bullpen?
In the words of George Costanza, “Why must there always be problems!” And in the words of this Red Sox fan, “Why must the Yankees always be breathing down our necks!” Jeez, this season was set-up great a week ago; but then the Yankees decided never to lose another baseball game, and the Red Sox have been losing to losing teams, and at home! So much for the Cream-puff portion of their schedule…
Mercenary heroes... The Johnny Damon affair is a sad reminder of the dishonor and bad behavior that is the flip side of big money sports teams like the Red Sox. Yes, Boston won two World Series titles, ending an 86 year curse, but perhaps without the lasting honor that even the losers of ‘86, ‘75 & ‘68 retain. The Sox won with acquired big contract players like Damon, Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling & Josh Beckett, among others-fans of their departed teams were brokenhearted-(Oakland, Cleveland, Philadelphia/Arizona & Florida). But Damon & Ramirez would eventually sell-out the Red Sox just as the Sox had out-bid their previous teams and community of fans.
Damon was booed brutally for several years at Fenway Park when he played for the Yankees. Okay, he makes a lot of money and can take it, but guess what, he’s a human being after all, and now does not want to return to a previous “home”. In fact, nice guy Damon is badly booed everywhere but New York and Detroit.
It has all the hallmarks of a financial divorce. A lasting lifelong scar driven by individual pursuits that trump the honor of the common good. (0)
Listen to the Ghost of Johnny Most discuss the Celt's 2008 Season
