Story and Art by Jim Reilly, southcoast247.com associate editor
September 17th, 2007
"The Crying Game"
Are you worried yet? You should be.
Just two-and-a-half games up and ten to go. Sure, we’ve got the Wild Card pretty much sewn up, but is this really how you want to the Red Sox going into this post-season this year? We’ve been there, done that. I’m sick of the hometown team being the “also-rans” in the AL East, and, quite frankly, there’s just no excuse for it this time around. Just over a month ago, we were a virtual lock, damnit; the A.L. East crown was all but assured, with a dominating 14 ½ game lead on the faltering Yankees, and a cream-puff schedule of mostly-home games ahead of us. Since then, we’ve lost 12 ½ games in the standings, five out of six against New York, and watched in horror as the basement dwelling Devil Rays and Blue Jays helped eat away at our lead by taking advantage of a depleted bullpen, struggling starters, and, perhaps most importantly, Manny Ramirez’s absence.
We’ve gone 10 and 10 since Manny went down with his oblique strain, with the bulk of those games being decided by two runs or less. Meanwhile, Ramirez continues to wow audiences from the batting cages. He’s been cleared by the medical staff, and it’s now up to him to decide when (if) he’ll return to the line-up. That’s like letting an 8 year old choose whether or not he wants to go to school. Sure, Manny’s probably hurting a little bit, but this is a pennant race, and Manny’s earning way too much money to milk a pulled muscle that would see any of us back on the job in two weeks.
If Manny feels he can’t run or field his position, DH him; Youkillis is hurt, anyway, so Papi can play first. Sure, he’s no George Scott out there, but would you rather see Eric Hinske’s bat in the line-up? And, besides, Jacoby Ellsbury has been doing a fine job in left. As a matter of fact, save for Drew’s offensive woes, an outfield of Coco, Ellsbury, and J.D. is a pretty wonderful site, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s a preview of 2008, especially seeing how Manny’s diminishing offensive prowess is making it harder and harder to accept his annual…eccentricities.
With ten games left to play, the Red Sox face the very real prospect of watching the American League East title slip away. The magic number has remained at 9 for three days, now, and it’s getting less and less likely that the combination of Red Sox wins and Yankee losses will work out in the hometown team’s favor. This means yet another year of slipping into the playoffs through the backdoor, but, let’s face it; a team that squanders a 12 ½ game lead over a few short weeks doesn’t deserve to be in the post-season anyway.
Are you worried yet? You should be.
