a700hitter

Weiland has not yet had a successful major league start. In the past, Dubront has had some successful starts. Why would they have elected to go with Weiland today?

I said this two weeks ago. Unless the Sox took matters into their own hands and buried the Rays, the Sox were set up perfectly to be burned by the Yankees. They play all their guys against the Sox and lay down for the Rays. At the time, most people disagreed with me.

It's not a "heart" problem. They are rolling out garbage and kids up and down the lineup. Yesterday, they had two hacks in the OF-- D Mac and Conor Jackson and another hack at third base-- Aviles. These guys are not good defenders. They helped give away yesterday's game. Except on rare occasions, our starters blow us out of games early. It's hard for the crowd to have any life when the starter puts you in such a hole, and there is no energy for the team to feed on. It's a cycle of collapse and despair. This is what it looks like. I saw this at Shea Stadium in 2007, 2008. The Sox are circling the drain. Willie Randolph would say things like Francona is saying, i.e. "this will make us stronger." Willie also said that it would make the champagne taste sweeter. As this progresses, Tito will make similar remarks and it will be very annoying as the fans come to the realization that the team is just circling the drain.

How did he not catch either one? Now the Orioles are tagging the kid. He's a baby. He should not be put in these situations. It's not his fault. The kid was a closer in college.

This is a continuing nightmare.

D MAc gets one back!! He's still a minor league hack.

By the way, how is J.D. 's wittle finger boo boo doing? It's alright I guess since we can torture some stats to prove that he really is earning his money.

I feel bad for Weiland. D Mac has taken a wrecking ball to this inning.

In 20+ years of watching Yaz play in day games, I never saw him lose a ball in the sun in LF, and they played many more day games. You need to know your home field. That should never happen. And then he drops a second ball. The guy is a minor league hack. This is another guy who never should have been invited back after 2010. We were lucky to get what we got from him in 2010, they should've realized that. He was not a diamond in the rough. He is just a bush leaguer and we caught some lightning in a bottle in 2010. He should have gotten a thank you and a pat on the back, but not a roster spot. He has made a mockery of this inning. I can't remember a LF botching up an inning like this at Fenway for the Sox.

When Dave Winfield would limp to the finish, Steinbrenner him nicknamed Mr. May. Despite his stats which have been good this month, he has not been Mr. September.

Plenty of names have come up. The Theo fanboys either tell us that they couldn't be acquired by the Red Sox because they were too costly or some other reason. Yet, these guys were acquired by other teams. Other names that have come up have been met with the argument that they couldn't perform in the AL East or some other argument why they would not perform. If we mention, Freddie Garcia or Colon, that is met with a response that the Yankees were just lucky. It's my opinion that there is a lot to criticize. The Trading Deadline decisions are certainly up for debate. Additionally, the way this team was built from the beginning should be called into question. There was never sufficient depth for this roster, at the minor league level or in the bullpen. If we criticize them for resigning Wakefield who was embarrassingly and obviously over the hill in 2010, we are told that he was the best available player for that role. Going back to the offseason 2010, I still believe that the FO made a mistake by going after Lackey and Cameron instead of Matt Holliday. If the Sox had acquired Holliday in 2010, that would have allowed them to make a big push for Cliff Lee. I continue to think that Lackey, Cameron and Crawford was the wrong direction. I also think Theo's record of failure with regard to big ticket free agent acquisitions is fair game. Some posters will defend the FO and Theo and make every excuse for them to explain the team's performance. I continue to believe that injuries are a big cop out excuse. Those of you want to give him that as an excuse, good for you. That's your opinion. I believe differently. In the end, the FO will take the credit if this team succeeds. They should also be accountable if it fails. Not to do so would just be homerism. As for calling pessimists the people here who have criticized the FO, speaking for myself, I still think they will manage to hang on. In the poll, I voted that they would hang on and win the World Series. That's not pessimistic. Many of the other posters criticizing Theo and the FO still think we will make the post season. Those of us who are being critical of the construction of this team warned that the Sox were on the verge of a collapse before we played the first September series against Tampa. We were told that it was unfounded fear and that it couldn't happen and that the Sox would put the dagger in the Rays that weekend. As it is turning out, more than two weeks since some of us started sounding alarm bells, the Sox are precipitously close to collapsing and they are playing terrible ball. Our fears and concerns were and still are justified and warranted. We never said definitively at any point, including now, that they would completely collapse. We only said that there was danger of a collapse. What was not warranted was the mocking of those who have been critical by calling them pessimists. Apparently, what was not warranted was the confidence that some posters held after the first September weekend series.

It was a mismatch from the beginning, but it looked like we caught a break when Price had to leave after 4, down only 4-2. I was very optimistic for a short while. However, Tito left the old fossil in the game because he had reached neither 100 pitches or 7 runs. When he hit 100 pitches, he'd given up 6 runs and the optimism was gone. Wakefield doesn't have anymore good games left in him. He has been finished for 2 years. He has just been embarrassing himself and he doesn't give his team a chance to win anymore. It's time to walk away. He had a great career for a guy with no major league skills and a trick pitch. People who say that he is certain to come back next season, because his is a good option for the price and in serious denial. It shouldn't be difficult to find a spot starter who can pitch to a 5+ ERA.

This is my first Game Thread of the season. I don't know if anyone has enough mojo in the world to overcome this pitching mismatch of Wakefield v. Price Timmy, if you have one good game in those old bones of yours please have it be today. I'm not talking about 4 or 5 runs in 6 innings. That will not get the job done. You'll need to pull out a 1995 vintage Wakefield start for this. Keep the damn ball down and win!!!

If the Sox do not get to the post season, every aspect of the teams management will be dissected and torn to shreds by the press and deservedly so.

Lassy, I have got know idea waht you posted since you are on my ignore list, but my instincts tell me that the appropriate response is: Up yours.

We have to hope that the reverse lock theory is in effect with Price going against Old Man River tomorrow. It looks like a 2 game lead going into the 10 games. It's not looking very promising.

There was very little life in the ballpark today. Except for the 5 little kids who would have been just as enthusiastic if the Sox were in last place, the place was surprisingly unenthusiastic and apathetic. Idon't know if it is because the fans see the collapse coming and they are a little stunned or because there are so many pink hats at the game, or a combination. There just wasn't a good vibe in the place. It was like 37,000 people really didn't care that much about the game. I am sick of Lester's first inning BS.

Yes, you are right. The only option for the Red Sox after 2010 was a broken down 44 year old Wakefield who couldn't even field his position in 2010 and who had been embarrassing himself. It was fairly predictable that he would have another really bad year. He's 44 for goodness sakes. But there surely were no other options for the Sox. That assertion alone is ridiculous. You do realize that the Yankees signed Colon and Garcia in the off season. Both clearly had more in the tank than Wakefield, and they are both cheap. Those are just two names. Now go hide under one of your other identities, Dutchy. What I am giving you is the gift of my ignore list that is populated entirely by your many personalities.

Hopefully, it is just overall fatigue.

You want names? Look at every pitcher that was acquired since the end of 2010 and start with that. Is it a requirement that they make they same salary as Wakefield? Please document your answer with links establishing your position. Otherwise you are just flapping your gums, Dutchy.

Wow, Dutchy do you ever give up?

Wakefield never should have been resigned this season. He had nothing left last year. At age 44, he was not going to make a comeback. His tank was clearly empty in 2010. They should have gone in a different direction.

He's worn down. That causes mechanical flaws-- ones that are hard to correct.

Doing it in the 9th is a little different.

Maybe the Yanks are running out of gas. Maybe they will collapse.