Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Sox lose in NY, help Boston fans rediscover themselves

Oh thank goodness. Sox get hammered in New York, 6-2

We can all go back to being worried again. I'm telling you, I couldn't take it.

Last week I had to listen to a caller on WEEI Sports Radio complain that Pedroia was getting too much playing time. The rookie second baseman with the flashy leather work who's been hitting .400 for two weeks? Too much time?

If we're not losing to the Yankees we've got nothing to talk about! I mean come on! Schilling hasn't said something controversial in support of President Bush, or taken Bonds to task, or mouthed off at the New York fans for weeks! Weeks!

But now! Now, Wakefield's ERA is climbing back up to familiar territory, folks are starting to pay attention to Manny's demise at the plate, and we've lost our double-digit lead in the AL East.

(The only reason, btw, the lead was double digits is because we're the only team in the division playing over .500 baseball)

But now! It looks like the Yankees have pitching back! Not all the way back, I grant you, but Wang didn't look terrible last night (well, he didn't look great during the game - something like 73 pitches through three innings) but up on the scoreboard he looked just fine.

Their bullpen didn't implode. Their lineup hit multiple home runs .

We can start to worry again!

I don't know what I would have done otherwise. If we'd gone into New York and swept the series? (Well, I would have done cartwheels), but then I would have lamented the loss fear mongering and scathing criticisms from our Boston sportswriters. Radio callers suggesting wild trades, J.D. Drew bashing.

We can't run away with the division, it's not good for our psyche. We're not the Braves of the nineties.

We need the worry.

-t

2 comments:

El_Gump said...

I'm not worried.

Tom said...

I'm not either. But it's nice to lose a game every once-in-a-while, just to remind folks it's not a one-team division.

Though I do look forward to opening the gap by a good fifteen to twenty games over second place before the All-Star break.

-t