Saturday Afternoon Thoughts

(Note: I did a run this morning in 95% humidity with a 78F dew point.  So my brain is maybe not operating so well right now).

I have two thoughts on this lovely -- albeit hot -- Saturday afternoon:

1) Despite the fact that I love Robert Kraft and everything that he has done to create what is undoubtedly the best football team I will ever see in my lifetime, I am not agreeing with the lack of signing Tom Brady.  Now, I don't want to say that TB is the linchpin that holds the Patriots together, but I don't want to say that because it is, in fact, an understatement.  There are three things that made the Patriots team of the decade:

•  Bill Belichick and various other coaching genii around him (although then they leave and become much less genius-like)
• A strong, solid defense (or else you'd just be the Colts and fizzle out year after year)
• Tom Freaking Brady (see: Brett Favre in numerous pressure chokes, Tony Romo, etc...)

Now, I know that Cassel did not play shamefully when he was put on the spot, but he was still no Tom, as the games against equivalent/better teams showed (see: Pittsburgh [it still makes me wince]).  There is no other Tom in the entire game and may never be.  So sign him!  Now!  Do it!

I had mostly been ignoring this story on the grounds that it was probably another fruitless media hunt against the Patriots ('Belichick neglects to say 'Bless You' to woman sneezing in restaurant'-type material).  But more and more is surfacing to show that he is not happy.  Now I will continue to be in happy denial.  Pass that Foxborough Kool-Aid.

2) I like the Red Sox's chances.

Yes, really.

You never thought that you would read that here, did you?

Now, it has been a trying season.  In fact, that's an understatement.  This has been one of those seasons where you actually start to see why Red Sox fans mention the Tobin Bridge so often as a jumping point.  Remember when Papelbon blew two saves in a row?  Or when we came back against the Yankees, then lost it in the bottom of the ninth (due to A-Rod no less)?  Or when Bard came in against Cleveland and was a disaster zone?  Or the countless injuries that we've had to endure (Buchholz pulls his hammy running the bases)?  Or Bill Hall at the start of the season?  Or Papi being on-again-off-again?  Or....or....or....  The list goes on and on and on and on.

But, one thing we did see after the hideous start is that this is, in fact, one of the best teams in baseball.  Run prevention-schmrum prevention.  They can hit, pitch, and even have dramatic moments from guys just called up from Triple A (Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald).  And they did have one of the best records in baseball through May-June.  Here is my logic: if we get people back off the DL (Pedroia, Martinez, and the pitchers, who are getting off the DL), then we could make a run for it.

Conversely, the Yankees and Rays will probably slump.  So we just need to time this for when they are.  I feel like the Yankees are evil mutant robots who never tire or get injured in a big way, so I'm thinking it might be the Rays.  Either way, I -- of all people -- have not given up hope.  So neither should you.

Ignore previous entry. The time has come to panic.

Now I know that I vowed not to panic until the end of June. My logic was sound. My intentions were good. But all that has evaporated with the events of the past week.

First, the Rays swept the Sox at Fenway. At Fenway. In a four-game series. This is normally where we can play. Other parks are generally where we cannot play so well. Plus the weather was cold and the Rays were wearing stupid flappy hats to deal with the cold, including manager Joe Madden. They should get classy tuques, like the Patriots -- although admittedly, they would probably need them maybe once or twice per year.

Now, there was a glimmer of hope in Game 1 against the Rays. Beckett pitched well. It was 1-1 through 8.5, then the game was postponed due to rain. The next day, the game resumed and we went on to lose 3-1. The pitcher to blame was (not surprisingly) Delcarmen, so I guess he hasn't got 'it' back. Sometimes I wonder if he ever had it to begin with. Remember last season when he didn't suck? Did I dream that?

Then everything went pear-shaped. I don't want to think about how badly we lost. But like a good Red Sox fan, I thrive in the face of grimness. So the scores were: 6-5 (we got all of those runs late), 7-1, and 8-2. Yes, really. We were 0-30 with men in scoring position, or something like that (by which I mean we may have been 0-25. It was awful). In fact, we had last scored a man in scoring position on April 15 against the Twins, meaning that we almost went for a week without scoring a man in scoring position.

Now we are playing against the Rangers. They are not very good. In fact, their record is really not that much better than ours (they are 5-7, we are 4-9). But that's not even the bad part. We are in the 5th inning and:

• The Rangers are up 6-2.
• We have allowed 9 stolen bases. That's a record for the Rangers. That ties a record for us going back to 1913.
• Wakefield is a mess --> wasn't he good at some point last year too?
  

So yeah, you know what? It's okay to panic. Go right ahead. Remember last year when I proclaimed that the Red Sox were a freaking disgrace? We have moved into a whole different league of disgrace here. I've even gone so far as to bring out the 'Red Sox annual collapse' tag and it is only April.

A post that doesn't mention a NE QB -- past or present -- at all

There are some things in life you think you can rely on. Then there is Josh Beckett. With the Red Sox on a tear and everything apparently coming together, Josh Beckett has now become unreliable. Take last night's performance against the Rays. He allowed 5 runs in the first three innings. Sure, we caught up, only to be heartily decimated by Evan Longoria (yes, again, what is it with that guy?!?). But still, it would help if we weren't in a 5-run deficit in the first place!

Beckett got better as the game went on, which makes me think that maybe he should just pitch one or two 'practice' innings before the game actually starts. Either way. I'm not back to PANIC MODE yet, but we need him strong in September!