Consider:
Poised to make mincemeat of opposition pitching after hammering double figure wins in 3 of 6 games and at least 8 times already this season, winning 12 of 14 and blowing by their ancient archrivals, the Red Sox fall off the cart and not only cannot seem to win … they cannot even score.
Strong young Clay Bucholz back issues suddenly took him out for 15 day DL … now may not return until after All Star game.
Josh Becket was pitching like was reborn into his younger form. Then a strange malady pushed him out of the line up …
The Sox fielded two fellas with BAs just above the absolute zero. At the same time, game after game …. and this with a farm system with promising prospects ready to step in…
New star Carl Crawford is out on the 15 day DL …. But is now about 40% …Huh?
What happened overnight to change things?
Frank McC**rt… (Name changed to protect the innocent)
Even though we all know that really did not happen overnight, it reached critical mass and something had to be done…
Conspiracy revealed …
With the difficulties of the famed Dodger franchise becoming a mix of the comical and morbid, the established leadership of the baseball world called an emergency high level conference.
The long and the short of it is that John Henry was asked to sacrifice, for a little while, for the “good of the game.”
If he were willing, to pull the reigns in on the Red Sox for a short while, thus re-energizing the flagging hopes and growing fears of NY fans everywhere, the “game of baseball” could be spared a double melt down. The Dodgers would be given time to work out a deal with the commissioner’s office and viable new owners, like what they did in Arlington last season … Baseball would save a hallowed franchise and all would be well.
Conspiracy deniable, so perfect tool…
Everyone loves a conspiracy. And they are good for business. Mark Cuban, not an owner “YET”, suggested that a quick look at the “Paul is dead” conspiracy and what it did for the Beatles…
Walks increase, but only marginally and in possibly important moments … which means even the umpires’ association is in on it. You don’t think that umps keep notes on players?
Stop for a minute and think of how easy it has been to throw off John Lackey. Don’t give him the close calls, even make an outrageously bad call once in a while … and make sure the opponent gets those close ones. What happens? BOOM, John loses his grits and the game is almost a handout.
The return?
Well, it’s not all known, of course … and I’ll not put all I assume here just yet.
But the promise of being allowed to stay close enough to eventually maybe win the division or wild card are built in …
And the sudden acquisition of a “significant” player is part of it …
Theo let that part slip when he announced the Sox would make a block buster
deal…
Oh well, who can blame him for feeling his oats?
More on this later …..
You DO know I’m just kidding, don’t you?
About a man who’s made bundles of dough of hedging his bets??? Hmmmmm…..
Of course, I’m kidding.
