Thursday, June 25, 2009

Nick Green: Should Have Made that Play

I'm kidding, of course, as I much prefer Captain Planet to not be seriously maimed. Scary moment there, though. Just imagine if the bat had hit him as hard as it hit the ground. He could have gotten seriously hurt. As I'm sure everyone else is thinking... something needs to be done about these bats.

Anyway. It's been a while. How are you folks doing? I'm alright, thanks. Been busy. You know how it is.

So Papi got his 1,000 career RBI last night. It came on a 3-run home run. That's right, a home run outside of Fenway. It's a glorious thing, for sure. It put a smile on my face anyway. You know what came after that? Of course you do, because you watch the Sox... and if you don't, you wouldn't be reading this. Yes, Jason Varitek followed up with his own 2-run shot... not RIGHT after, but after nonetheless. Despite his offensive struggles in the month of June and his sore shoulder, (to steal one of Eck's phrases) he knew what to do with one of Stammen's pitches. Awesome.

So Jon Lester gets the win. He SHOULD be over .500 right now, but he ended up with a tough-luck loss against the Marlins, and a no-decision against the Phillies after an incredibly pitched game. He didn't pitch his best last night, but he deserved the win, and I'm happy he got it. The once seizure-inducing ERA has fallen to a very average 4.67. In the last month, he's really taken great strides to bring himself back to where he was last year. Do you remember how awesome Jon was last year? He was amazing when we really needed him to be. He was the bona fide ace of the staff last year, and he pitched his heart out. He's got a long way to go to get that ERA back down under 4, but I think he can do it if he really tries. Josh Beckett did.

Beckett... he's another blog for another time. I was going to write one about his performance against D-Lowe on Saturday, but what can I even say about it? Everything was working for him. He was dominant. It was gorgeous. Nine innings of pure, calm brilliance from our once-and-current ace. Joshua, I've gathered, enjoys being on the quiet side of a very hyped pitching match up. All people wanted to talk about was Lowe. Almost like when all people wanted to talk about was Pedro. Beckett was on the quiet side of both of those matchups, and dear God did his pitching speak volumes both times. So, please... neglect to hype up the Commander. It only makes his desire to win more intense. What else can I say about him? I'm at a loss for words.

I'm hoping his next start leaves me at a similar loss for words. Actually, I'm hoping John Smoltz's start tonight will leave me at a loss for words. Let that soak in for just a second. John Smoltz is starting for the Red Sox tonight.

John.

Smoltz.

Red Sox.

Tonight.

It's beyond awesome to me to be able to say that. I don't hold any delusions of what he's going to bring. He's a 42 year old pitcher with a surgically repaired shoulder who hasn't seen a major league hitter in over a year. The AL is generally much harder on pitchers than the NL. He's not going to be the same pitcher he used to be. Despite all that... despite all of the reasons I have to not be overly excited about it, I'm just beyond thrilled to see him in a Red Sox uniform. The best part is, we don't really need him to be at his best. We've got enough talent to cover him if he struggles. We can just be excited that a future hall of famer is putting on a Red Sox uniform and pitching for us. I'm excited. I've always wanted to see Smoltz as a Red Sox and now I am getting my wish. No matter what we get from him, it's all just gravy. You know I'll be watching.

And really, can't we think of a better nickname for the guy than Smoltzie?

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