THIS is why I am not buying the Red Sox right now

When I said yesterday that I still wasn’t buying the Red Sox, you’d think I had jumped off the bandwagon just as Dave Roberts stole second.

When you have to make up 4 games in the loss column against a super talented team like the Rays, you can’t afford too many slip ups and you HAVE TO SWEEP SERIES! It is mid August. There is time, but not that much time.

Plus with Tampa Bay idle, the Sox could pick up an easy 1/2 game in the standings.

And when they take a 5-2 lead into the 9th… YOU HAVE TO WIN THAT GAME AND SWEEP THE SERIES!

I stand my my stance. Get to 2 back and I’ll get excited. Until then, they are still golf bound.

Let’s update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES – 39

April 4 – 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 – 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 – 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 – 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 – 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk’s 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 – 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre’s bases loaded walk.)

April 24 – 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 – 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 – 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 – 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 – 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia’s 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 – 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 – 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 – 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 – 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 – 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 – 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 – 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 – 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi’s homer.)

June 8 – 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 – 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 – 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 – 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 – 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron’s bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 – 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava’s 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 – 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 – 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 – 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 – 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 – 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall’s barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett’s return.)

July 26 – 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 – 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie’s 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 – 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 – 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 – 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 – 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 – 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)
August 9 – 2-1 win in Yankees Stadium. (Marcus Thames’ bid for a game tying homer hits the top of the wall as Lester, Bard and Papelbon hold on for the win.)

August 10 – 7-5 win in Toronto. (The Sox blow a late lead but Mike Lowell puts them on top for good with an 8th inning homer.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES – 33

April 6 – 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro’s error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 – 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson’s 10th inning homer)
April 9 – 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 – 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can’t score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th… lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 – 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 – 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 – 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 – 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 – 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 – 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 – 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 – 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th… but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 – 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi’s bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 – 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 – 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 – 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 – 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 – 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 – 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 – 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 – 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 – 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 – 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn’t hold down the Rays.)
July 6 – 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 – 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 – 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn’t hold.)
July 18 – 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 – 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don’t score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 – 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can’t hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 – 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester’s perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 – 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 – 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi’s grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 – 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)
August 12 – 6-5 loss in Toronto. (The Jays score 4 in the 9th inning to avoid the sweep.)

Down to +6.

On to Texas… and it will be Friday the 13th.

That can’t be good.

AM Baseball Rocks

Seriously… for those of you who have always lived on the East Coast, you can not understand the bliss of morning baseball.

At 9:30 AM, the Mets and Rockies were playing as were the Red Sox and Blue Jays.

I can watch the last inning or so of my team’s game while eating my LUNCH!

I get the Giants game later on. And as a parent it is awesome because by the time I get home, I don’t have the temptation of flipping the game on. It’s already been played!

Seriously, whatever it cost the pioneers to come west, it was worth it for AM ball.

A Note To My Many Irate Pirate Fan Readers

I evidently hit a nerve when I needled the Pirates for firing Joe Kerrigan and Gary Varsho from the coaching staff. Anyone who questions the passion of Pirate fans should take a look at my comments and also my e mail in box.

Pirate passion is alive and well, even if their team isn’t.

Let me say this, my Pirate fan readers, and be as clear as I can be.

I LIKE THE PIRATES.

Besides the Red Sox (my childhood team) and the Giants (my dad’s team) the Pirates are the team I would want to see win the World Series most of all.

I have written about why I like the Pirates… from my memories of the 1979 World Series and their great history.

And I’ve also said that an argument can be made that current Pirate fans are the best and most loyal in baseball, as they have a franchise that has given them NOTHING back in nearly 2 decades.

But I also am tired of the excuses.

Yeah they don’t have deep pockets and they’ve had to shed payroll. And yes, Dave Littlefield was possibly the worst General Manager in baseball history as he traded big leaguer after big leaguer for pennies on the dollar and constantly drafted players based on cost rather than getting the best player into their system.

But guess what? Littlefield has been gone since the end of the 2007 season.

At one point you’ve got to stop blaming the previous administration and demand some results from Neal Huntington.

Yeah, he is doing better than Littlefield in that he has drafted players like Alvarez and McCutchen. Plus taking a chance on Lastings Milledge could pay off. And Ross Ohlendorf has had some nice games.

But he is also the General Manager for the team that as of this writing is the WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL. And the bounty for trades like Jason Bay, Nate McClouth and Freddy Sanchez are still all in the “potential” category a year or more after they were dealt.

And while each of those players have dealt with slumps and injuries since leaving the Pirates, they were PRIME TRADE CHIPS when they were sent on their way.

Who did they get in exchange for them?

Andy LaRoche is a spot starter at first base and hasn’t been able to put up any numbers of note.

Charlie Morton… who has been a bust and will be 27 next year, or around the time a player ceases to be a prospect.

Craig Hansen was as much a bust in Pittsburgh as he was in Boston. His career is in danger as injuries has pushed him all the way down to the Florida State League.

Brandon Moss has had a decent year in AAA but at age 26, he is

Bryan Morris has been adequate at AA. He’ll be 24 next year and needs to make the jump to AAA.

Jeff Locke has looked good in single A. Forgive me if I don’t get excited about him until he sees a big league game.

Gorkys Hernandez is OK… at AA.

Tim Alderson has been a disaster in A and AA with a combined ERA over 6.00.

Why are small market teams like the A’s, the Padres, and the Rays able to get players who can contribute on the big league level when they deal off a player but this ability constantly eludes the Pirates?

Why are teams like Marlins able to consistently put a team above .500 on the team with a smaller payroll and a worse stadium situation?

I am not going to praise GM simply for being better than Littlefield, especially since that assessment is only made on reputation. GMs presiding over the team bound to get the first pick in the amateur draft shouldn’t have adulation showered on them. They should be wondering if they have a job next year.

As for the criticism of Kerrigan and Varsho being canned, I will take a little step back from my original criticism… but not THAT much.

I remember Kerrigan being Dan Duquette’s pick to replace Jimy Williams in 2001 and Derek Lowe saying something like “Now the whole team will see what a prick he is.” Then again, as much as I love Lowe, he seemed to have issues.

And evidently Gary Varsho wasn’t a popular guy in the clubhouse. But when you are the worst team in the game, are you really allowed to be picky on your coaches.

That being said, it seems like they were also undermining manager John Russell and the dumping of these two is a commitment to Russell as manager.

Alrighty… better get some results.

If the Pirates put a winning team on the field, I will be the FIRST person to praise them. The Pirates should be one of the proud franchises and Pittsburgh fans, who had a lot to cheer for recently with the Steelers and Penguins’ titles, should be loving the Pirates.

It’s going to be 18 years this year and it will probably be 19 years in 2011 since Sid Bream slid across homeplate.

Now things could be changing, especially next spring when they will have a top 3 pick in the Draft and maybe get the ace the pitching staff so desperately needs.

But once again, it all is potential.

As someone who likes the Pirates, I am tired of potential. I want to see results too.

There are other bad teams that I don’t care about.
The Diamondbacks can keep losing for all I care.
I have no love lost for the Orioles… or the Royals… or the Nats… or the Mets.

If those teams turn it around, fine. I can be intrigued by a comeback story.
But they don’t intrigue me.

The Pirates do.

Now I know it can suck to hear someone outside your fan base saying this and it isn’t anything you’ve haven’t thought yourself.

But I WANT a higher number in the Pirates W column… starting tonight against San Diego.

Now send your hate e mail to info@sullybaseball.com