Chuck HTCFB--Random Red Sox Ramblings 8/7/09
August 7th 2009 13:19
***Someone called in on WEEI sports radio in Boston this morning and said that Francona should’ve had someone come in to start the 4th inning of last nights Yankee/Sox game after Kotchman homered to make it 3-1 Boston. Ridiculous. Like it or not, Smoltz is your starter right now and he will be managed accordingly. He should be out there starting the 4th with a 3-1 lead. Otherwise, just take him out of the rotation all together.(more on that later) What some people fail to see about baseball is that it’s not always managed on a game to game basis. It’s managed to try to win each series but you can’t go ‘all out’ every night and pitch and play your best guys or you’ll burn out quick. Francona had a plan last night, if Smoltz didn’t go six innings he was going with Billy Traber. The bullpen was spared the whole game as Traber just got knocked around. It’s fine. It’s one game and for these last three (two of which you have Beckett and Lester going) we have all of our big guns in the pen rested and ready to go. It’s a marathon people, not a sprint. I’m still quite confident we get a split here in this series and I’m still quite confident that we will compete hard and that we have just as good of a shot as making it to the World Series as anyone, we just have to find someone to step it up and take that #3 starter role. That being said, what do you want to do with Smoltz? I’ve been in his corner but it just isn’t working out at this point for a variety of different reasons. What do you want to do though? Wake’s hurt, Dice-K is rehabbing, so what are your options? Put Smoltz in the pen? Release him? Who takes his spot in the rotation? Michael Bowden? Paul 'bleepin' Byrd? I’m fine with giving Bowden a shot but it’s a lot of pressure calling the kid up in the heat of a pennant race. The reality is this…We are going to lay a lot of our hopes on the tight wire, wipe the sweat of my brow, walk 8 guys a game and hope to get out of it--- Dice-K, heading down the stretch. He is going to play a huge role at the end of August and in September in determining the success or failure of this Red Sox season. Here’s hoping his magic act from ’08 returns to form, because I’m telling you now, he is going to be a huge footnote on this ’09 season one way or the other when we look back on it. They desperately need a #3 guy and quite frankly, my thoughts on him aside, he is the best candidate to provide that stability.
***Anyone else just deflated by the whole Ortiz situation? No, not the whole steroids/PED issue. I’m tired of that…..whatever at this point. Get up and lie or tell the truth or tell half truths to the public and get that over with tomorrow. I’m talking about the fact of when Ortiz comes up in a big spot now, that whole feeling you used to get of “he’s gonna make them pay with a big knock right here” is gone. It’s been replaced by a feeling of “here comes a pop-up.” Fact. Sorry Big Papi, and thanks for the memories that I’ll never forget in ’04 and ’07 seasons, but your not the same guy anymore, whether it has to do with nagging injuries, getting older or the PED’s or just a combination of all of it.
***One last thing I hope isn’t happening right now… I really hope Billy Traber isn’t reading the sports section and checking out the box score as he eats his scrambled eggs and drinks his morning cup of joe. That ERA is not a pretty picture. No man wants to see that number next to his name in the paper. Thanks Billy, you took one for the team and now the pen is fresh for these last three games. Tough job, but somebody had to do it. We’re fine people, it’s one game.. Back off the ledges and settle in for Beckett/Burnett show, should be a hell of a matchup and entertaining rest of the series.
Chuck Hanf
Two Cents From Beantown
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Comment by Josh Gans