Chuck H2009 Boston Red Sox Just Didn't Ever Fully Come Together As One
October 12th 2009 02:36
To sum it up in basic terms, it just wasn't meant to be this year for the Boston Red Sox. As tough as that was to watch Jonathan Papelbon melt down in the ninth inning after getting the first two outs, I think the writing was on the wall much earlier in the season and a lot of us just didn't take note or remain objective enough.
The 2009 Red Sox were an inconsistent bunch. One stretch of games they'd have the pitching going and then on another stretch of games they'd have the offense scoring runs in bunches. However, both didn't seem to jive at the same time very often. Usually when that is the case in Major League Baseball, winning the whole thing just doesn't happen for you. Yes, we had Jon Lester and Josh Beckett taking the hill in the first two games of this ALDS. Both of them pitched well enough to win, but weren't at their best. What happened? Did the offense pick them up? No they didn't, but then again, that's what has happened a good amount of times this year for Boston. Today, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard both pitched very, very well and the offense supported the cause. Then Johnny Paps just failed to get it done. It was just one of those years for the Sox. Nothing ever fully came together in unison and seasons like that have happened before and will surely happen again. Do I want Papelbon run out of town? No, and only the moronic, irrational, uninformed and overreacting type of fan wants that to happen. What I want is for the guy to start thinking about perfecting his secondary pitches and realize the fact that the rest of the league has caught up to his fastball and will sit on it to beat him. I never see him use his splitter the way he used to and I flat out don't understand it. He is one of the best closers in the game so spare me the BS about him being a low-life putz, just because 2009 ended badly for him.
What do they need to take the next step in 2010? Well, to me it comes down to consistency with the offense and adding some punch to the middle of that lineup. Let's face some facts here Red Sox fans. The David Ortiz as we knew him is gone. Mikey Lowell had a fantastic year---all things considered---with his hip injury still bothering him. Will he duplicate '09 in '10? I doubt it, and I'm a huge Mike Lowell fan, but I just don't see it happenning. Victor Martinez is great to have and I'd love to keep him beyond '10 not only because of his ability to catch now that Tek is basically finished, but also for his ability to play first base and his leadership ability in the clubhouse. Can we re-sign Jason Bay? Well, I say make him a damn good offer but I'm telling you now, we need more than Bay. Bay is a .270-280 at best, type of hitter for average, with 30/100 HR/RBI production. That is a great piece to have in your lineup, but with a David Ortiz who is nowhere near his prime anymore, and a questionable Mike Lowell, this team needs either a big upgrade over Bay in LF or they need a big upgrade over Mike Lowell at 3B, unless they can swing a deal for a first baseman with a huge bat, and move Kevin Youkilis over to 3B while using Lowell in a part time role albeit a very expensive salary for a part timer. Ortiz is going nowhere. JD Drew is going nowhere. Neither guy would get you much back in a trade at this point and the Sox will be having to look at other positions to upgrade for the short term. Could this team entice an organization like the Texas Rangers to let go of the young shortstop extraordinaire, Elvis Andrus, in a package that would most likely have to include some big prospects on Boston's end of the deal? That would be a tremendous move for Boston to secure a blue chipper at SS that would be a star for the next ten years here. I'm betting that won't happen, so I would easily re-sign Alex Gonzalez to resume his role as resident defensive wizard and live with his below average offensive production. No brainer. Offensive upgrades will most likely have to come at other positions outside of the SS position.
I don't know what the next move will be for Theo and company, but I know this, the current offensive makeup on this team is not good enough. The days of this offense being anchored by two huge stars in the middle of the lineup like David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were for years here, are over. This current group just isn't good enough or consistent enough as currently constituted. I tip my hat to John Lackey and Jared Weaver for pitching very good games in the first two matchups, but I don't tip my hat completely to them. The Red Sox offense helped them out and should receive a tip of the cap in reciprocation from Lackey and Weaver for making them look better than they really are as pitchers in this league.
Chuck
~TCFB~
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