That's A Wrap: Closing Out 2010

That's it, folks. The 2010 Red Sox are over. Our bridge-year, run-prevention-defense and triple-starting-aces Red Sox are finished.

Next year, Mike Lowell won't be on that bench. He won't be in the clubhouse or on the disabled list. Hopefully, he'll be somewhere on a lake with his kids, teaching them how to fish. They're absolutely adorable, by the way, and it was fantastic to get even a quick glimpse of the 'daddy' side of Mike. He will be missed. Mikey helped me to move on from Billy Mueller. Who is going to help me move past Mikey? I don't know, but it would have to be someone good to replace the top-quality 3B's we've had around these parts lately. No offense to Beltre, but I never considered him our third baseman, even though the job was his.

It may have been the year of the pitcher, but it seems like it was also the year of the Red Sox babies. We know Lester, Buchholz, and Beltre all welcomed new additions to their families during the season. I don't quite remember when the Papelbons welcomed their second, but I know it was this year. At the very least, all of these brand new babies will get to spend an additional month with their daddies. As much as it stinks for baseball fans, it's a good thing for those guys' families. Family always comes first, after all. That's how it should be.

Maybe I was imagining it, but I'm pretty sure I saw Varitek shedding a tear as he moved around the dugout getting hugs and congratulatory high-fives from his team mates. I said the same thing two years ago that I'm going to say now. I'm not ready for it to be over. I cannot lose Mikey and Tek in the same year. I just can't. So the front office is going to have to bring the Captain back as the backup catcher next year. Can you picture Jason in another uniform? No, and you should never have to see it either.

I hope whatever happens, Paps gets a chance to rediscover whatever it was that he lost this year. I've piled on him a lot, and he deserved a lot of the criticism, but I liked it much better when I trusted him. I don't WANT to dislike Papelbon. This year, it was kind of hard not to. Down to the last moments of 2010, Paps made me swear at him. He made it an uncomfortable win. I'll still take uncomfortable wins over losses, but I want him to find his killer instinct over the off-season. Next year, I'll come in with a fresh opinion of Paps. I'm not going to let this bad year sour my outlook of him right off the bat because I know he was having family issues this year. Whatever those issues were, I hope they get better and let him focus on his job. And I really, REALLY hope he keeps his mouth closed about his salary. I'll be waiting to hear "Shipping Up To Boston" next year.

It's been said, but the kids were pretty damn alright this season. I'll go over it a little more in my annual 'favorite games' post that I like to do to wrap up my season of baseball game attendance, but how often do you get a season where almost every rookie who comes up has a highlight-reel worthy first game? Nava. McDonald. Doubront. Anderson. Reddick. Kalish. They are the future of the organization, and they did us proud. Sure, I would have preferred to keep our starters in the lineup, but since that wasn't an option, the kids got their chance, and they shined. Consider me impressed. And proud.

There are spots that the club needs to work on before opening day. There are veterans whose jobs need to be considered, and we need to find a starting job for Tim Wakefield, who believes that 2011 will be his last season. Despite all that happened, the Sox still battled to the very last week of the regular season, and managed to keep the Yankees from winning the AL East. It may not be the victory we wanted, but just like every other less-than-ideal outcome this season, it was what we got, and we've got to appreciate the little things. So, thank you Red Sox, for a memorable 2010 season. We'll see you guys in the Fort, when the casts and bandages have come off, and hope will spring eternal again.

Oh Johnny: Really?

Is everyone on the Red Sox pitching staff determined to leave a bad taste in the fans' mouths? We won't be seeing Beckett or Lester again this season, and those are the pitching performances they leave us with? Ok, I expected it from Beckett, but Johnny couldn't pull one more magically good game out of himself to keep his damn near perfect September record intact? He just couldn't will himself to not suck long enough to not get swept by the White Sox? WHY?

I can't get too worked up about it, though. I'm not going into the last three games of the baseball season angry. It seems like just yesterday I was counting the minutes to opening day....er.... night, and now it's coming to an end. I may be a little disappointed with how it's going to end, but like I said before, I'm incredibly proud of this team. With 19 official trips to the disabled list, they're still in a position to win 90 games. We got to see a sparkling display of the talent in our minor leagues, and that HAS to make you feel good about the future of the team. But I'm not ready to talk about the season being over yet, and instead of focusing on the fact that we're not going to the postseason, I'm going to focus all of my love and energy into cheering for Mikey, Tek, and Papi, three players that I have tremendous love for, who may just be playing their last games in Red Sox uniforms this weekend.

Mikey will, hopefully, get a standing ovation for every single at-bat this weekend. Does hoping for this make me a little ridiculous? Sure. I've never cared about being ridiculous. From my seat somewhere along the last row of the bleachers, I'll be standing for every single AB, and cheering as loud as my lung will allow for both Tek and Papi. And who knows? Maybe Dice will surprise me! Maybe he'll have the best game of his career.

I'm very much looking forward to this weekend's games, because once they're over, it's over. I'll follow the playoffs, sure, but I don't really care. Once my team is out, I'm out. I'll be rooting for Minnesota though. Just for the hell of it.

Go Twins!

And go Red Sox! Let's make the Yankees limp into the postseason.

You Mean We're Still In This Thing?

Of course, by 'in', I mean in the sense that partycrashers who have been spotted by security are 'in' the party. They're there, but it's just a matter of moments before they're 'out.' What's left? Six games? With the injuries and the way the boys played for a good majority of the season, did anyone think they'd still technically be in the race for a playoff spot with six games left to go? I didn't. But damn if I'm not proud of them.

Dahmer came out last night and demanded that people give him a little notice for the Cy race. He won't win it, of course, but having his name in the mix is quite the accomplishment. I feel like the award is almost definitely going to Fatass in NY. He didn't deserve his first one, and if he gets it this year, he won't deserve it now either. On the risk that I'll feel foolish about complaining if he doesn't win it, I'm going to whine anyway. Everyone's so impressed with the 20 wins? Why? They weren't impressed in 2007. Sure, it's been done to death already, but I'm going to put up the numbers so far.

Sabathia King Felix
W 20 12
IP 229.1 241.2
ERA 3.26 2.31
CG 2 6
SHO 0 1
H 206 189
R 91 79
ER 83 62
HR 19 17
K 189 227
BB 72 68
ERA+ 133 171
WHIP 1.212 1.063
WAR 5.1 5.6

These are the stats that I know and feel comfortable with. I'm not so advanced when it comes to the stat world, but I understand these ones, and I feel they speak for themselves. In comparison, because no I cannot let this go, in 2007, Beckett had 20 wins. Fatass did not. Sure, Fatass pitched 40 more innings. His ERA was better by .06. He gave up nearly 40 more hits than Beckett and 3 more HR's than Beckett, had two fewer walks. Beckett had the better ERA+, and they had exactly the same WHIP. Fatass had a better WAR. For the most part, their numbers were almost identical, and though Beckett was the only player in the majors to reach 20 wins that year, Fatass got the Cy. Why? Because he pitched more innings, and did it on a less talented (albeit a very good) team.

So if Fatass wins this year, what makes it different? King Felix has more IP, a better ERA by nearly a run, more complete games, fewer hits, runs, earned runs, home runs and walks allowed, more K's, a better ERA+, WHIP, and WAR. In EVERY statistical category that matters, Felix wins hands down. But because Sabathia is in NY and he has 20 wins (a statistical category that doesn't matter and least reflects a pitcher's ability to pitch), he's the frontrunner? I don't agree. Just another reason for me to riot, I guess. Hopefully the voters will do right and give it to Felix. Not that I think they'll do that, but I can hope.

As for the Red Sox... man, all I know is that I'll be crying on Saturday, and then again on Sunday when it finally hits me that we'll never see some of these guys in Red Sox unis again. I'll miss Mike Lowell terribly. I don't know what's going to happen with Tek or Papi. Sure, a few of the newer guys are probably leaving, but Tek, Papi, and Mikey are.... I don't know. They're just special and more important because they've been here longer. There's always a chance that Jason and David will be back, but Mikey is gone after Sunday.

Just breaks my heart that he has to go out in a year where we have nearly no shot to make the playoffs. But we ARE technically still in it.

Sox: Can't Drag Me Back In

I can't get my hopes up. I just can't. I'm enjoying the hell out of the winning streak, but I am not going to let myself believe they're still in this thing. That way, if they DO make it to the playoffs, I'll be pleasantly surprised, and if they don't, I won't be disappointed.

Funny, though, how every time they lose a game, they're all done and we just need to look toward next season. When they win, people start calculating how many more games we need to win and how many games the Yanks/Rays have to lose to get us back in this thing.

None of it matters to me right now. What matters was the win. Dahmer bouncing back. 7 IP, 1 ER. THAT is the kind of game an ace has. Pay attention, Beckett and Lackey. And oh my God, I'm actually saying nice things about Dahmer. Well, he deserves it. He's been solid when almost the entire rotation (except for Lester) has been ridiculously inconsistent. For that, I finally give him credit.

More credit to Beltre. While I disapprove of a lot of things about him, mostly out of bitterness, I definitely approve of those marriage proposal home runs. I love having 10 hits, and getting clean innings from Oki and Atch. I love triples from the kids, and doubles from the vets. I love pickoffs. I love 96 mph fastballs. Basically, there wasn't anything I didn't love about that game. I'm glad we won.... but stop telling me we have a chance. I don't need to get my heart broken this year.

Tug Hulett: ...What Happened?

Out of sheer boredom today, I was looking through some of my posts from before the season started, and I stumbled upon a name. Tug Hulett's name, actually. It made me realize that I had NO idea what had happened to him.



Off to baseball-reference.com I went! I honestly believe I'd be lost without that website. It's fantastic in it's ability to tell me anything I want to know. Once again, it came through for me when it told me that on August 7th, the Sox released Hulett. He signed what I can only imagine is a minor league deal with the Mariners, and he hasn't been heard from since. Granted, he has a .196 batting average in his only two years of big league experience, but would the Sox really have me believe that we had NO use for him? My God, his name is Tug! And if we really had no use for him, and he was so bad that he couldn't plug even one hole in the injury-consumed lineups of the Sox or their minor league affiliates, then why bother? WHY?



I suppose I don't expect an answer. I was just sort of surprised to find out I had missed this. Well, where ever Tug is now, I wish him luck.



See? See, this is what happens when I don't have any baseball in my life. Gametime tonight is going to be miraculous.

Timothy: Makes Me Happy

My thought is that by now, everyone knows what we're going to get out of Tim Wakefield when he starts a game. You're going to get 70 mph fastballs, lots of knuckleballs, base hits, a few runs, and some innings. Generally, no one expects anything fantastic out of Tim, but it's fine because he's steady and I appreciate the predictability of his performances (even if I can't predict the flutter of the knuckler).

He is never going to put up the best numbers, but I find that he usually will keep you in the game. I feel he did a pretty good job of that last night. And in doing so, our man Tim became the oldest pitcher in Red Sox history to win a game for the home town team. When he wins his next start? He will break his own record. It will happen. Yes, Tim gave up five runs. He does that on occassion. Granted, he only pitched five, but you have to keep in mind that this man is coming out of the bullpen, hasn't gotten regular work, and when he has worked, it hasn't been for longer than a few innings. I think with all of these considerations, people should be very pleased with what they got out of Timmy.

Full disclosure - I didn't watch the whole game on TV. I watched the first three innings, and then put GameDay on. The last thing I saw was David Ortiz hit a home run to tie the game. Appreciated. I don't dislike many people in baseball the way I dislike Camel. There's just something about his constant spitting that makes me dry heave. I can't tolerate him, so watching him get handed a loss is gratifying for me. Knowing our boys hit five home runs (including 2 by Scutaro!) was especially gratifying. Beltre and Victor also got in on the carnage and hit home runs. I wonder if after Victor hits a home run if Beltre tries to rub his head? It would only be fair. Weird, but fair. I also think it's a little weird that in all three games of the series, the winning team won with a double digit score, and the losing team lost with five runs. 12-5, 14-5, and 11-5.

I also want to point out that Atchison has been a lifesaver this season. For someone who was only on the team out of sheer luck, he's come up big when we needed him, and for that, I give him credit. Two scoreless innings for him last night, and it seems like we may have found a good long relief guy. Hopefully, by some miracle, we can continue to utilize his skills deep into October. I may be dreaming, but I enjoy being a dreamer I guess.

Since I didn't see the majority of the game, I can't comment on how Oki looked, but from what I read, he was a little stressful. Hey, stressful is ok ONLY if you get the job done. Apparently, he did, because the Sox walked away with the win. I don't know how many more wins the Sox have in them this season. I don't know if we'll be playing past October 3rd (I'll keep praying). All I know is that I love beating Matt Garza. Because he doesn't deserve to win.

How Grand!: Sox Find Their Bats

In a completely unexpected turn of events, last night, the Red Sox discovered that (contrary to their prior belief) they ARE allowed to hit the round, white thing that the other team kept throwing at them. Perhaps the ever-fantastic Rocco Baldelli was kind enough to say "hey, guys, it's cool if you hit the baseball. You're supposed to do that!" Or maybe the equally fantastic Carlos Pena passed a note over to the home team's dugout with the words "see ball, hit ball." I don't know. I just wanted an excuse to mention both Pena and Baldelli, because I adore both of them.

More likely, it was the fact that Jeff Neimann has struggled mightily since coming back from the disabled list a few weeks ago, and the Sox were finally able to take advantage of a struggling pitcher. I can't say that before this game, they had been completely inept at the plate. Saturday, sure. They were inept. Sunday, they scored five runs. On a day when Beckett is pitching and Pap is closing, five runs generally gives you the win. Well, just to make sure, the Sox decided to score twelve yesterday. I really hope that they didn't just use up all their offense for the week.

After the first two innings, I was pretty confident that the game wouldn't end before I had to be at work this morning. Luckily, the pace did pick up eventually. I think between the first two innings, there were something like 100 pitches thrown. Our first runs came on a giant 2-run shot by Papi and a solo shot by Beltre (and yes, Victor DID rub his head afterward). After putting up three in the first and second each, the Sox piled on with five more in the fourth, four of which came on Ryan Kalish's grand slam. Man, I love the itty bitty baby Sox. They've kept us alive this year.

Lester threw a bunch of pitches and was done after six, but he was actually pretty damn good, striking out ten and only allowing 2 runs (one in the first and one in the third), and subsequently picking up his 16th win. Nice to see the 'ace' version of him come up big when we need him. Sure, we're all but dead in the water, but isn't it more fun to keep things interesting? We may not make it far, but there's no point in not trying. Our PawSox relief corp had a bit of a rough time, giving up three runs, but were good enough to hold the win. Oki closed it out, and looked good doing so, which is nice for a change. Everything clicked yesterday. I wonder if they can keep it up or if we're going to go back to spotty defense and anemic offense. Based on the pattern of the season, I think I know which I should EXPECT, but I'm hoping for the opposite. Dice-K on the mound tonight. I'll keep one eye open.

Also, in case I haven't mentioned the awesomeness of Mikey lately... the man is playing with a broken rib, because he knows we need him to. Awesomeness or badassery? Perhaps both. I do love that man.