It’s An Off Day, So I Can Forget About The Red Sox for A While.

Did you ever think I’d write that? Me either, but here we are, with three weeks left in the 2010 baseball season, and I need a break. I can’t stop watching all nine innings every night, but it’s more like rubbernecking at a car accident than really watching with any hope. I’m curious about the kids, and trying to figure out what should happen with Ortiz and all of the old guys, but the passion just isn’t there. Basically watching the Sox crumble with injuries to the hitters and inconsistencies among the pitching staff (how ya liking Colorado, Manny?) has made me hate myself.

In an attempt to make myself forget about the pain in the ass that is the slow death of the Red Sox, I have turned to another source of daily entertainment, the NFL. The problem that I have always had with the NFL is that there isn’t enough daily action. So, in the midst of the too-little-too-late beatdown that the Sox were throwing at the Rays last night, SMC and I participated in my first ever fantasy football draft. I’ll say this, it was boring. With a 16 team league and all of the tools that the Mothership (we decided to do it through ESPN) there wasn’t much excitement to it. Either take the best guy available or the best of whatever you need, but the research, analysis, and most of the decision making was already done for me.

As it turns out, the later rounds get kinda thin (though it did allow me to pick up both the Law Firm, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and LeGarret Blount, who I can depend on to get some points for punching people) but over all my asst. GM (MVPork) and I are pretty happy with the way things turned out. Maybe this will keep my mind off the fact that it is still about five months until baseball gets exciting again (the Hot Stove is too intermittent).

Today is an off day, so enjoy tonight (good yontif to those members of the tribe out there) and I’m taking the Saints (-5) over the Vikings to start the season tonight.

Go Sox.

Done.

Coming to Grips.

Now We Know How Mets Fans Feel In September.

Just about three weeks ago, I left the country for an amazing vacation in Europe. We drank, we danced and we had a blast. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, it seems everything had gone to shit. The 2010 Red Sox are done like dinner. They had a shot to be really, really good, but injuries, ineffectiveness and all manner of crappy decision making led them to the point they are at now: playing out the string with a collection of old guys, cast offs and minor leaguers.

Sure, the pitching is still pretty good. Buchholz deserves some nods for Cy Young, and Jon Lester is still the man, but Beckett and Lackey are underperforming like it was super cool, and we are learning that no matter how good your pitching is, you still need to defend and score some freaking runs to win games.

Ever since I got back, I have been searching for answers as to how it got this bad. Had Theo tempted fate a little to much by calling this season a “Bridge Year” in the spring and then throwing the team’s highest payroll ever out there? Did we all need a fall free of drama, sleepless nights and heavy drinking? Did the fans (I’m looking at you, Benny Bagels) make this happen by not watching? Did the baseball gods finally decide that injuries had stayed too far away from the Sox?

No matter who it is that we blame (I’m thinking the injuries may have something to do with it though) this season was a missed opportunity in many many ways. The Sox were 36-20 through May and June, dominating everyone (it helped that they were 13-5 against the senior circuit) and seemingly getting ready to put a hurting on the Yanks and Rays. Then the bug hit; Beckett was already on the DL, Victor and Pedey went down within a few days and then, just after the break, when things were looking like they might get back to normal, Youk somehow got an injury that f#$%ing nobody ever gets, and was shut down for the season. (Don’t even mention Ellsbury. He is dead to me and will be so until he returns and steals home again) There were just too many injuries and the outfield of McDonald, Hall and Drew hasn’t exactly been what we planned on.

Don't we all need more Beard in our lives?

The nail in the coffin has really been (amazingly) the goddamn Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles were mathematically eliminated about three hours after pitchers and catchers reported, but they have beaten the Sox to a tune of 7-6 this season. No, you aren’t reading that wrong, the Sox have lost seven of the thirteen games they have played against the Baltimore “33 Games Out” Orioles. They are 11-4 against the Blue Jays, who are at least good enough to be troublemakers this month, but they can’t freaking beat a team that I’m pretty sure dropped two of three to the Japanese Little Leaguers. Last night’s game just proved it to me, this season is over.

With the top four guys in the lineup all missing significant (Read: devastating) time this season, what did we really expect?

Go Sox.

Done.