i have to say...
1. ...first & foremost, for all the criticism i unleash on Lugo, i would be remiss if i did not give proper acknowledgement of the way he has been hitting lately. i am not willing to lower my guard with him, because a) he still scares the crap out of me when he puts on his glove* and b) every time i think maybe he's finally coming around, he makes me eat any praise i have given by performing in ways too horrific for me to even imagine. but i have, on several recent occasions, stunned myself by musing about the possibility of him DH-ing. (i *know*!!) so. he isn't my favorite player by any means, but he wears our uniform which means his success is important to the team. and i need to give praise where praise is due. good job with the bat, Julio!
2. ...it really upsets me the way Sox fans turn on Tim Wakefield after one rough outing. not only has he been the most consistent & reliable starter in the rotation, but he has more wins & a better ERA--even *after* Wednesday's debacle--than any other starting pitcher on the team. he has four wins in seven starts. he got a no-decision in another which the Sox went on to win. and his only other loss was a game he was only losing 3-1 when he left it--by no means a poor showing from a pitcher at the mercy of such a fickle pitch. not to mention, he bailed us out of our season-opening slump with that no-hit bid in Oakland that seemed to right the ship. we all have bad days. give the guy a break. it's not his fault the rest of the rotation is struggling so much!
3. ...the few times Tito loses his cool & gets tossed after getting up in the face of an umpire & really speaking his mind both amuse me (because we so rarely see him that way) and terrify me (knowing he has health issues, i immediately worry that we are about to watch him collapse on live tv).
4. ...i feel really really bad for Papi. as frustrating as it is, as a fan, to watch him come up to the plate these days, it has to be a hundred times worse to feel the frustration he is living with. so many people are crying for his head. or at least a ticket to Pawtucket. somehow i can't help thinking maybe the answer is to temporarily drop him in the order where there is less pressure & expectation, until he can get his legs back under him. if Youk can resume his ridiculous offense when he returns from the DL, i have to think a three-four of Youk & JayBay would more than sufficiently carry the team until Papi can figure things out. i just so hate to bail on him & give up hope when he carried the weight of this team on his back for so long.
5. ...it would be really great if Jon Lester started pitching like the Jon Lester we know & love. like *tonight*.
*let it also be said that Lugo made a couple of beautiful defensive plays yesterday that left me slack-jawed. i think that is why i come down on him so hard: he *can* make plays like that so why are they the exception & not the rule?
7 with their own thoughts:
I guess I'm less inclined toward sympathy after the 0-for-7, leave-12-runners-stranded thing. When Lugo and Pedroia are reaching base 5 times each and dying on the basepaths, I'm more concerned about my own frustration than a guy making a comfortable living.
It wouldn't annoy me so much if not for the sulking and self-delusion. Something happened last year after Manny left, and the scowl hasn't left Papi's face since. Worse, his comments still seem to suggest he believes he has no protection in the lineup, when that protection has been Youk or Bay all year, and pitchers are very clearly going right at Papi and giving him PLENTY of hittable pitches, because they'd rather do that than pitch to Youk or Bay.
This kind of decline is not unprecedented for someone of his age and body type. I don't think it's going to get better, and Tito needs to stop treating the #3 spot in the lineup like a birthright.
Sorry for the pissy attitude, but it annoys me. Hope your day's going well!
Oh, also...
I see you referred to our shortstop as "Julio," "Lugo," "he," and "him," and not "E6." You OK? :-)
And I agree that anyone criticizing Wakefield for anything just baffles me.
As you know, I am not even a Sox fan...but I have to admit that I kinda feel sorry for Papi, too. I can't imagine how it must feel for him.
Unfortunately, I think one of the great defensive plays Loogs made (the leaping catch to rob Bobby Abreu of a hit) happened when you were driving home. One of the "errors" Loogs committed yesterday, upon further reflection, may have been nothing more than trouble getting the ball out of the glove -- which can happen to anyone. I just wish he'd practice more and try to reduce those errors. If he did, he might have a shot at the Julian Tavarez Second Chance Award.
I for one don't turn on Wakey when he has a bad outing, especially because his good outings are SO good. He needs run support, and a lot of the time the bats just don't love him. :-(
However, I'm annoyed with Papi. I still respect him but at some point it just becomes silly to have a number three hitter who not only can't get on base in any fashion, but is responsible for over 2/3 of the stranded base runners we have. It's time to move him way down in the batting order, and move up Drew, Bay and Lowell. If Papi's woes continue, I am NOT above asking for him to be sent down to Pawtucket for remedial work. I love him and I want him to stay a Red Sock, but not in a way that's just pathetic for him and us.
Did you compliment Lugo? Are you OK? Feverish? Bad seafood?
I could say I told you so, but since I was saying it LAST year and he pretty much stunk it up I won't.
;)
Word verification? tediness.
True Story.
I think we're in the sixth or seventh week of baseball. Add those weeks to all the weeks last season when Papi wasn't producing, and I think it's time to face facts. He's got to get some serious help. I'm not a manager, and I don't know what the help should entail, but something needs to be done. I think at least half of the men left on base last night were because Papi was the third out.
Joe: I hold Tito somewhat accountable for the fact that Papi is still batting third (or well, was prior to being benched). I also share your frustration over the "lack of protection" whining as well. Honestly, I can think of nothing better than a Youk-JayBay thre-four punch as we stand right now. I *do* want Papi to return to form though. I would hate to see him go out like this. And yes, I did refer to our infamous SS by his actual name. I think it may be all those late night West Coast games making me delirious. ;-)
Daniel: I am nowhere near in agreement with *that* quite yet. ;-) Lugo has another 4 months of prrof to give me before I will even accept that he's going to be playing for us another year on this contract. =P I am happy & pleasantly surprised by his recent performance though.
Ted: I still need further proof that this is not just a freak set of events. And also? I am only commending his consistent *hitting* thus far. He still terrifies me in the field. =P I LOVE your word verification!!
Nichole: I don't know the answers eitehr but I am certain they don't involve hitting third in the order at the moment--both for the sake of the team *and* for Papi.
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