Sox Offenders

Here we are, the dog days of August in Red Sox Nation. Things aren’t exactly all sunshine and rainbows around here, eh? Maybe that promotion never came through, the car has an alarming sound coming from under the hood, and the girl just isn’t putting out the way she used to? But I digress; I was referring to the current AL East standings. Where the Red Sox sat on top for so long? Yeah that spot is currently owned by a certain pinstripe-wearing bunch that we don’t much like around here. There’s always the wild card, you say? That’s not what a bunch of shit-kickers down south want you to believe. And they should know after what they did to the Sox last weekend. So I ask you five questions:

To Charge or Not To Charge? A lot of people seem to have a problem with Kevin Youkilis getting a 5-game suspension. I beg to differ. After being used as a human backstop for his Major League career (52 beanings in 6 seasons), I say his bull-rush to the mound to exchange pleasantries with Rick Porcello was long overdue. I don’t think he really got his five games worth in the dust-up. A well-placed right hook or at least a decent tackle would have made it a little easier to swallow. It’s easy to say that Youk should have kept his cool and stayed in the line-up, but after being thrown at so often – and I’m sure a 90+ MPH fastball to the spine doesn’t tickle – Youk did what he had to do: he went apeshit. I only wish it was Joba on the mound. Maybe next time it will be.

JD or Nancy? The situation in right field has become a major dilemma for Terry Francona and a source of frustration for the fans. Tito has done all he can to give guys rest during the season to keep them fresh for the stretch run. This is the time when he needs payback for that and to be able to count on his team to play. Every day. JD Drew has different ideas. In Friday’s dramatic come-from-behind win, while Tito and Ortiz looked like they just hit the lottery after the Sox took the lead, Drew walked by looking like his dog was just run over by a truck. He calmly took a bat, hit a home run, and decided he didn’t want to play anymore. Francona showed him the line-up card (there was nobody left on the bench) and begged Drew to stand out in right for the last three outs. Drew hasn’t been seen since. He “tweaked his groin” and has been on the bench since. This is an outrage. He escaped a lot of criticism in 2007 when he hit a much-needed grand slam in the post-season. Last year his child was going through medical issues and Drew benefited by not getting the shit he deserved. This is too much. Fourteen million fucking dollars and he can’t finish a game? Nancy.

Is Tito Losing It? Terry Francona has built up a lot of goodwill by winning two World Series. Is that goodwill starting to run out based on some of the blatantly bad decisions he’s made over the past few weeks? Or has he been forced to play the hand he was dealt with injuries and failed Smoltz’s and suspensions? This isn’t an easy one for me. I think he has been operating with a lot less pieces of the puzzle than he needs, but I can’t defend some of the fucktarded things he’s been doing. Putting in a minor league line-up against Justin Verlander was horrible. It was a chance for a sweep and they needed just one big hit to steal the game, but Pedroia sat and watched. In the 15-inning game, a red-hot Mike Lowell never got a chance to pinch hit. With Wake and Dice-K still recovering, he pinch-ran Clay Buchholz who ended up sliding hard (headfirst and pitching-hand first) into home. The fact that with Tito allows Jason Varitek to do anything with a bat besides hand it to Victor Martinez is an atrocity (more on that to come). But I still love ya, Teets.

Do the Sox Really Need a Captain? At least one named Varitek? Seriously, the guy was a great captain for a long time. He probably made a lot of pitchers better for being their catcher and has been a great clubhouse guy. His 2004 glove sandwich was in my mind the catalyst that led to the World Series. And just his acquisition alone – traded to the Sox along with Derek Lowe for the lowly Heathcliff Slocumb – brilliant. But his time has past. He’s stuck around mainly because the Sox had no alternative. Until now. Victor Martinez needs to be playing every day. Tek needs to be a once-every-fifth-day back-up and hold a bat as seldom as possible. He can’t hit and can’t throw out runners. Even the “he calls a good game” people must be able to see this?

How’s Your Faith? With all of this going on, I still have my eyes on the division. Even after the sweep in NY, the Sox are still 8-4 against the Yankees this season. With six games left head-to-head, I like their chances. Even throughout the horrible post-all-star game stretch, their pitching has been spectacular, and they still have wake and Dice in the wings. With the addition of A-Gon up the middle they have improved their defense significantly. Youk will be back, spitting fire after his suspension. I don’t know, I still think the Sox are better than the Yankees. Am I crazy? A little drunk maybe, but crazy…that’s a little harsh.

That’s all for now. Next time we meet, I think the standings will look a little different.

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