I would think that when a pitcher starts getting in trouble Tito should take him out instead of leaving him in to just put the game out of reach. We have lost more games because of this. Same with hitters. When they start going several games without a hit they should sit them out for a time.
I am afraid the season is all but over for the Sox this year.

Weren't the Yankees in panic mode in March/April and hit last place in the
AL-East?
Pitching needs to be more aggressive without uh-hum Cainings like David Wright.
There's al kinds of hitting talent on the team. The Panic we see is you reports trying to create it.

Weren't the Yankees in panic mode in March/April and hit last place in the
AL-East?
Pitching needs to be more aggressive without uh-hum Cainings like David Wright.
There's al kinds of hitting talent on the team. The Panic we see is you reporters trying to create it.

good thing Theo went and got another shortstop that can't hit. Maybe he can now find us another DH that is hitting .220.

Without a bat, the season is over.

Is this a bad a Red Sox team playing bad or a good Red Sox playing bad?? I'm not sure...will 85-90 wins get us the wildcard?? I'm not sure...

They're only a half game back, but they've lost the last series to the Rays, the Yankees and the Rangers --the very teams they'll have to beat to make the playoffs. Getting Wakefield and and Dice-K back might make a difference, but this team isn't inspiring much hope right now.

I vote for it is over not because it is only half game behind but because they don't have the lineup to win (how do you expect a team with so many black holes and winning pct less than .500 after the all-star break for play-off?). look at how many automatic outs that we have (Tek, anderson, gonzo and big pop-up ortiz), not to mention, selfish Nancy Drew...

Greetings from Yankee Universe!

Upper management appears to go to yard sales for their players instead of parting with money and purchasing qualified players. For having the "best farm system" they should take another look. No shortstops in the making and pitching isn't as spectacular as the would suggest. Interesting that the millions of $ Japanese pitcher is still trying to get in shape.50% of the present team needs to be replaced if they want to be in th running next year.

As long as we only have two dependable pitchers for
the remaining month and a half, we are a weaker team.
You can't guarantee a win each time Beckett & Lester
pitch. The bottom third of our lineup in unproductive to
say the least. We have no 35-40 hr. guy in the middle
of our lineup . Back in the mid-2000's we had Papi and
Manny both productive in rbi and hr. production. You
need pitching and hitting to win, one alone won't
get the job done.

Doubt Drew will be healthy rest of the year, but we should get Youk back tomorrow, Wake and Dice K within next 2 weeks .. Division is lost and Yanks will play AL Central winner so it looks like another trip to Anaheim.. Texas is a good ball club and scares me in the playoffs against Sox but I think they will falter,

After Toronto a long home stand is coming.

I was at Saturday's game and this team is a disaster. We have 2 major league starters. Penny used his good stuff early in the season and we should have traded him when he was worth something. Fielding wasn't much better and the grand larceny that Texas committed on 2nd base did not make Veritek look too good.
Thanks to ESPN, i'm no longer a big NFL fan. So I sure hope the Bruins start strong.

When this ownership group came to town I went nuts. I had watched them in Miami and was sick that they were going to run my Sox into the ground. Then they started to win and spend their way to two world championships and I thought maybe I was wrong all along.. THEN they go from second in spending to sixth and every big time player they needed they stayed in the hunt just short of pulling the trigger to sign them and then stepping aside to let someone else sign them.. NOW I'm afraid my feelings were correct in the beginning. Ownership won't spend on impact players they so need to help this team and I'm affraid that in the next few years we will be the A's of the east......

I'm not optimistic about our changes in the playoffs, but I still think we've got a very good chance of getting there.

OT but relevant: Anybody know why you have to register for some comment sections even though you're logged in, and not for others?

With so much baseball left and only being a half game out from a playoff berth, it's hard to say they're out. However, IF this team was capable of righting the ship I believe they would have done it by now, they have had numerous opportunities. Other than the home series in Detroit, this team has not defeated a contending team in a series for over a month. So...based on the fact anything can happen, yes they're still in it, but I don't think this downward trend is soon to stop. Besides, if the Sox can make it to October, they'll likely limp in and get smoked out by the AL West winner in 3 or 4 games.

The fans' attitute that the season is over reeks of "Fairweather". It's ok to hope Papi is back, and to hate JD Drew, and to wish Tito would bench Tek but stick with it folks!!!!!!!
Wake is on the mend. Hopefully Dice-K will be back (and not suck) soon. The Sox need a spark. This weekend could be that spark!!!!!
The rest of the season: The Sox have 1 home game than TB, 3 more than NY and 5 more than Texas.
IT AIN'T OVER PEOPLE!!!!!!!

52.7% (at the time of this post, anyway) of you need a slap in the head.

scott, whats ESPN have to do with you not liking the NFL? and the sox will be fine. it seems like after a win everyone is right on the wagon, if they lose, o there done.. they will be fine beckett gets the ball tuesday, so they only need 2 or 3 runs to win against toronto!!
the division is probally done unless they can find a way to sweep yankees when they come to fenway later in the week.

It is definitely not over.
We will rise back and win the World Series.
We will make sure Papi takes his vitamins.

Personally, I wish these poll questions could stop mentioning the Patriots, because while I may agree with one of the answers, I cannot pick it because it contains comments that mention I have even a slight interest in them.

Maybe it"s time for a front office change. We can"t keep getting the bargain basement players who end up costing us in the long run. Show me the money.

I've been watching the red sox for over 40 years. They started their slide after the all star break. This is August and they're still sliding. It's classic. It's typical. It's over.
The pitching is pathetic. You can't win too many games with this caliber of pitching. It's time to clean out the bullpen.

Obviouly not looking good...Will make up my mind next Monday...hope I don't have to say "wait till next year", but as we all know, anything can and usually does happen to the BRS

Everyone, calm the heck down. The problem is the daily panic meter. I know the Sox aren't freaking out. Remember: they went 3-6 after the Nomah trade in 2004. They'll settle down and get in in gear in time for the postseason.

It is ovah, this team fooled us all this year, right now there is no heart letalone any clutch hitting...most importanly, we wer'nt ready as a picting staff to try and get familiar with a new catcher....this needed to be done in spring training...this is one reason why the pitching is failing.....But hey, Pats play Thursday

Wow! Our fan base stinks. Nice support. 45 games to go. A half game back and the season is over. You people are ridiculous. Stop watching and let the real fans take over.

This team cannot hit good pitching.... the lineup shuffles are a sign of the urgency to right a sinking ship.... the makeup of the team is due to the poor decisions made by the front office.. Smoltz, Penny, Drew, Lugo, Baldelli.... No way this team deserves a wild card spot....

Waiting for the return of Daisuke is an ominous wish as he is the Japanese equivalent of Smoltz. Youk taking himself out for five games when the offense is already weak was a very selfish move. It's hard to justify charging the mound when you're own pitchers are plunking the opposition in the head (even after the fact). Reduced to two reliable starters and an arm-weary bullpen really has to make you wonder about your chances. Replacing a .235 hitting SS with a reduced-range .200 hitter doesn't amke much sense either, especially with half the lineup having difficulty hitting its weight.

It's not that I believe we can't make the playoffs, because we certainly can, but the problem entails that right now we don't match up well against the playoff teams. Our offense is terrible. Papi needs to be benched for some better production, Drew, Gonzalez, and Tek are all terrible average guys. They don't get on base. That is the key. They don't find ways to get on base. Papi pops out to the second baseman more than anything I have ever seen. Don't think Wake is quite our answer but it sure will help.

It's over. Can't get a big hit on the road and can't beat a decent team. Sick of hearinf from the players that they will bounce back and never seing them bounce back. This strategy of taking picthes only works if the guy isin't throwing strikes. Sick of seeign everyone pass up good fastballs to fall behind 0-2 and swing at a ball in the dirt or go 3-2 and take called third strike whne it's a close pitch. They are not hittign because they are not aggressive when the have a chance to drive pitch. worst Sox team this decade.

They are what they are...It doesn't matter that they won 2 recent WS since 1918, because in that time the Yankees won 26 WS...it's total WS wins, not what's been done recently. I'm baffled at the loyalty of "Red Sox Nation"....why are you people so obsessed with a team that has only 2 WS wins in 90 years? Theo's luck with pick-ups is rapidly losing its luster, in addition to Tek, Papi, Drew, Lowell all declining, no stability at SS...a couple of good starters is not going to do it this year or in the immediate future...Nation, prepare yourself for another long drought of noWS championships - this team is not a contender and won't be for a long time. I enjoy the history of the Yankees, and if they don't win it this year I'll still have restfull sleeps at night and my life won't end. It doesn't seem to end that way with the Nation though.

Sorry, the wheels fell off the wagon a few weeks ago. This is the slow roll to the end now....try again next year - with a legit #3 and #4 starter, and one (or two) more bats!

Again Theo Epstein is horrible. Alex Gonzalez? He hits .220 with on base of .258! Just what we need. His additions this season are pathetic. Decision to resign Varitek was horrible. Unless Victor Martinez starts to drive in some runs were in big trouble and it all goes right at the feet of boy wonder.

Friday night's game was AWESOME! They just can't be consistent. I am not saying it's over but it will definitely be an uphill battle for them even if they make the playoffs cuz the fact is that other teams are just plain better than they are...sorry to say this cuz i am a huge red sox fan but we must face the truth. manny is gone and ortiz sux without him...the rest of the team is not carrying their weight and it just seems that they are disjointed with people coming and going and it will take time for new team members to adjust. Maybe next year everyone will be healthy and the team will be more put together. it's sad to think that baseball season may almost be over for red sox nation...

Theo , needs to go on the road with Pearl Jam and stay there. Francona will never wake up , so why comment,. The Sox will keep him for the next 118 years since he got "credited" for 2 World Series. When in reality, we won in spite of his managerial prowness. (He really SUCKS !!!) Anyway, bargain basement Theo, and the reluctance to keep,.... Clay "5innings" Buchholtz, instead of going after Cliff Lee, when we had the chance. Or Adrian Gonzalez, we really need him. To fix this ???? A miracle of biblical porportions !!! Too many .220 hitter and only two starters won't get it done. Somebody send Theo a gorilla suit !!!!! BudSAwyer

Having followed the Sox since 1961, I watch with bemusement as each inevitable hiccup in a 162-game season brings out the Chicken Littles. That being said, the problem is not if the Sox can make the post season but can I stand to follow them in the battle. Living in the Atlantic time zone where games regularly end past midnight, I am secure in leaving about the same time as Brad Penney and knowing I am missing only more heartache and frustration. They're not just bad (I can handle that!) they are boring!!

Sox are paying the price for poor decisions by management last off season. Brad "penny a pound" Penny, and Smoltz big mistakes. Derek Lowe 11-7 for the Braves. I said it before, and I'll say it again, should have brought back Lowe. Looking at the long term strech of things dice k was also a serious mistake when you consider it cost 50 $ mil just to negotiate.

Personally, I wish these poll questions could stop mentioning the Patriots, because while I may agree with one of the answers, I cannot pick it because it contains comments that mention I have even a slight interest in them.
Posted by Pileo August 17, 09 10:10 AM

+++

Amen to that, brother Pileo. Some of us here are BASEBALL fans, dammit. We don't all just roll over from one sport to the next. It's bad enough seeing football stories posted above the baseball news in August. We're moving into pennant season, for god's sake.
And who is Brady?

Go Sox!

I just wanted to say that i would gladly trade either Red Sox title for a Patriots championship and i consider myself a HUGE Red Sox fan. This team is pathetic this year. Ask yourself "even if we make the playoffs do you really think we can match up to the Yankees this year?" A major overhaul and possibly a few down years are coming. We still have a solid core but need a lot of fresh life. Lastly, please don't ever insult the Patriots again, the greatest football team in the last decade with the GREATEST QB of ALL TIME.

This day in 2004-9 GB Yankees and tied with Rangers for the wild card. There are 45 games left. Time for the Nation to believe.

As a Ranger fan I am loving all your responses. We have been overlooked all year. Ironically our pitching is what has gotten us where we are. We have three rookies who have a combined ERA of right around 2 since the all star break. Our bats just woke up this weekend against you guys. Everyone keeps waiting on us to fade. I think you guys should be worried that you stole friday's game and we didn't fold up. We came back and won the next two games like friday never happened. That is the sign of a team that knows it can win.
This should be a fun month and a half!

The Sox cannot contain the Yankees, Rays or Rangers. Their season is over!

This is an easy scenario:
If you tell me that we will have Beckett, Lester and ( Tazawa, Penny, etc. ) for the rest of the year as our rotation AND Capt. V-tek will play 4 out of every 5 games and Ortiz will continue to DH and bat 5th or 6th or god forbid 4th and Francona continues to have that demeanor of a man in a coma, then we are all done!!!!!!!!!
This is not a winning combination. If we don't get a healthy Wake back, a healthy Dasiuke back, a bench spot for the .220 and under hitters and a wake up call for our manager, then why bother?
By the way, all the pitchers have now figured out that since Pedroia takes every swing like he's trying to kill someone, if they keep the ball sinking, he just goes down and pops it up. That's not helping either.
The Yankees are long gone and hard to find and Texas is just flat out better right now. Which team would you rather have?
Wait 'til next year is the new battlecry here......and it will be several years if we don't dump fatboy the DH and not renew the new champion in baseball for allowing steals in a game- no crap about the pitchers not holding people on either - did you also see how many times the (new guy) shook him off? and was correct!!!! Varitek needs to pack up his car and he and Heidi need to ride off into the sunset for good. What the heck does she see in him anyway?

"We should probably just pack up the season and call it a year, huh. Half-game back, might as well fold the tent." Jason Bay

it looks like to me that they folded the tent up after the all star game. and you jason have already gone home and walked the dog.

I am a Sox fan . Not a Pats fan . Do all you Pats fans shred your team up like Sox fans do too ?

All the indicators are going the wrong way. The team can't win on the road against decent teams. They can't manufacture a run in tight games any more than Hummer could manufacture a fuel efficient SUV. Josh Beckett is the only starter who seems to walk off the mound with W's on a consistent basis. Why even play the games Brad Penny starts, wouldn't be easier just to put another L in the record and move on to the next starter? Papi should be rechristened "pop-out." J.D. Drew is the most overpaid .250 hitter in the history of baseball. As slow as his bat has become, the Captain might as well be swinging a telephone pole. And let's not even start with all of the catchers inability to throw out anyone faster than Mike Lowell.... get my drift?

2009 is a lost cause; even if we win the wild card this team has "one and done" written all over it. Our best hope now is hoping someone derails the Evil Empire before they hang another championship flag.

2009 Looks like 2006 all over again. Theo has a lot of work to do this winter... Let's hope he doesn't throw any more 14 million dollar/year contracts at position players who get hurt every other week.

I'm from NJ and I take a beating from all angles. But, I'll not give up on them. if your from Boston and you believe they are out then hang your head in shame. You don't have to go to the beach in NJ wearing you Sox hat ( as I do ) and have the once silent Yankee fans shooting their mouths off. So suck it up. There are six weeks to go and pleanty of good can happen. I've been a Sox fan for over 50 yrs., Ed(Buddy) Popowski was from my home toen in NJ. And my father played in the minors back in the 40s for the Sox farm team in the Carolinas. So don't give it up.

"Again Theo Epstein is horrible. Alex Gonzalez? He hits .220 with on base of .258! Just what we need."

So he's about as good a hitter as David Ortiz or JD Drew. At least he can field. JD looks like an overwhelmed little leaguer out there lately.

I voted it's over because I don't see the fire in the team's eyes and not one player has stepped up to be that real vocal leader in the clubhouse. Gee only 1/2 game back in the WC it might as well be 15.5 back. Where is Captain Varitek's leadership?

Mike - what an idiotic statement about how 'It doesn't matter that they won 2 recent WS since 1918, because in that time the Yankees won 26 WS...it's total WS wins, not what's been done recently.' I guarantee you it did matter to Yankee fans in 2004 when they were up 3-0 and lost 4 in-a-row to the Red Sox.

Just back from vacation. I should've expected that, the day after a loss, the comments would be this negative. Yeah, I hated the 6 game losing streak, but the Rays had a 5 game slide of their own. If the Yanks continue playing the way they are right now for the next 4 weeks, they will win the division. The wild card is very much up in the air. The Rangers! Who could've thunk it? Of course, many were reaming the Sox earlier in the season when they had trouble with this team. Now they've shown they are actual contenders...amazing. I won't count the Rays out of it, either. Sox need to go on a sweet little win streak of their own and that certainly can happen. Lots of good things are starting to happen for the Sox. They went through a bad stretch for ~ 6 weeks, but show signs of coming out. Bring back Wake!

12-17 (.414 winning percentage) since the all star break. It's the August slide.. They peaked early. Injuries and age have crept in. Too many holes to fill, not enough talent. Hopefully they make some good moves in the offseason to get some power in the lineup.

Hey Jason Bay!!! Real funny man. Maybe you should look in the mirror genius, because you are part of the problem. Maybe a few more hits and a few less wise cracks and you would be in the WC lead. Not looking up at the Rangers. As I have said all along gutless, soft and old. This team is going nowhere. Have fun watching the playoffs on tv superstar.

How can someone be a Red Sox fan and not a Pats fan!!??....see, that's what i really don't understand. I root for the city of Boston...period. Football and basketball are far superior sports to baseball and that will never change.
I predicted 86 wins for this team and i really do hope i'm wrong. The injuries to the pitching staff are one of the things that's killing us. Yawn...

No need to panic. This team doesn't have the offensive horses to win it all this year. Beyond Beckett and Lester, the pitching is also suspect. Not sure how much Wakefield can help. When you think about this season, the Red Sox gambled that Ortiz, Varitek, Drew and Lowell would have decent seasons. That's a little too much to count on. I wouldn't count them out of the wild card but a major overhaul is needed in 2010. It's time to see if all those good young pitchers they refused to trade are ready to play in the majors.

To #40: Yes, the RS were further back in 2004 at this date, but remember a vastly different team:

Manny/Papi - roided up and getting huge hits
Damon - now on the arch enemy
Millar/Nixon/Varitek - hitting on all cylinders
Pedro/Lowe/Foulke/Blowhard (I mean Schilling, of course) - Big time pitchers...

Just seems like the 2004 had all those intangibles that are req'd to win the big one. Thus give up hope for this year and hope that next year brings something good.

As of 2:05 pm on Monday, Poll is exactly 50% for each with over 5,000 votes.. Pretty interesting, to say the least.

We need to bring Schilling back from retirement.
Only he can whip the Yankees.

what once looked like a deep starting five has become a joke after Lester and Beckett. And if they make the playoffs dont blink because it wont last long.I hope Dice-k enjoyed the WBC.

It is much more than being a half game back. That view is shortsighted by Bay and anyone who agrees with him. Sure the Sox can get hot again, but where is the sign of that? They have struggled since the All-Star break, and what sign is there that they are any different than what they have shown. Their record is even worse since the A-S break if you take out two series against the Orioles. They can't get it done against the better teams.

How about a new manager. Tito doesn't manage, he sits there. The only reason the Sox ever win is because the team decides they need to DO IT! Tito hasn't a clue.

It's August 17th, not September 17th. Look at the players on this team. I'd rather have them firing on all cylinders in September than in August. Don't worry people... they will make the playoffs and will do so well that they will probably win the World Series again.

The season isn't over because we're a 1/2 game back. The season is over because of the gutless performances against teams in the mix such as the Yankees and Rangers. Those two teams showed they can perform when it's on the line. The Red Sox showed that they don't have the make-up to be competitors. Look no further than the fact that they held the AL East lead at the break and their performance since.

I love Francona, but if this ship doesn't turnaround he has to look at himself. How can a team that includes Youkilis, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, Varitek, Beckett, Lester, and Paplebon look so gutless??? Besides a SS, what is this team lacking other than the ability to perform when it matters?

I agree X-man. The 50/50 split is interesting.
This team does have major holes, but I am not panicking yet. These Sox aren't the world beaters of 2004, but those Sox were presumed dead right around this time and made quite a run in late August and September. Both of our World Championship teams of the past decade faced elimination in the ALCS, against seemingly insurmountable odds, and came back.
The Baseball playoffs are a crapshoot, and with two dominant starters in Beckett and Lester, if the Sox make the playoffs, they can make some noise.
My biggest worry, however, is that our bottom three starters can't hack it, and they don't ever get that chance.

Theo, need a little magic ..now!

We are banged up and need to get healthy and everyone on the same page. It is mid August and enough time left to even take the division but everyone must be on the same page.

A trade for another starter in the rotation would help. Theo, I respect the experiments in the name of being frugal but we need a bonafide starter and move on.

Face it,
The Bosox do not have the depth of the Yankees. Their pitching staff, ability to hit out of any bad situation, and great fielding has made the Bosox look like a Little Leage team. I would have to say that that might be the reason that they kick our a** almost every year, and have 19 more rings than we do.
We need change. Otherwise, it will be another 80 year drought! When the Yankees see something is not working, they make a change. (Management Included) We should do the same!

Face it,
The Bosox do not have the depth of the Yankees. Their pitching staff, ability to hit out of any bad situation, and great fielding has made the Bosox look like a Little Leage team. I would have to say that that might be the reason that they kick our a** almost every year, and have 19 more rings than we do.
We need change. Otherwise, it will be another 80 year drought! When the Yankees see something is not working, they make a change. (Management Included) We should do the same!

It's surprising how people talk about not playing to potential. Looking up and down the Red Sox lineup of late, I don't see a top team, but rather a middling team - that is, a team playing exactly as one would expect based on its personnel. Two top pitchers, but the rest of the starters are so-so; mediocre defense on the left side of the infield (hopefully this will change with Gonzalez, but at the cost of no offense); no hitting punch beyond 2 or 3 guys, and nothing in the bottom half of the lineup- this is not a top notch team. Time to regroup. Also, championship teams do not have a different lineup every night - best players play, expecially in big games, and others sit. "Giving everyone a turn" is for Little League. Case in point: pitching John Smoltz against the Yankees with their left handed-heavy lineup, short rightfield porch, and lefties hitting .397 against him. Or sitting Dustin Pedroia against Detroit, and not at least pinch hitting him late in the game.

to the Sox fans who have decided that the two recent WS wins outweigh the 4 recent Yankees WS wins and 22 preceding wins, I have one comment:

Sixteen
and
Oh.

Chew on that.

I said back in May that they were an overrated team with "punch n judy" hitters and got chastised for it. They have a shot and probably will make playoffs but one and done!

Trade Larry Lucchino and Dice K for a 100 bucks and a oil can boyd signature

Theo should be fired. He spent the offseason signing has beens like Smoltz and Varitek, blowing a golden opportunity to sign Texeira, who has turned out to be an absolute beast.

i miss the days of Manny, Trot, Millar, "the old" Damon, and Billy M. This Red Sox team can't string together 2 consecutive wins. Whether they make the wild card or not is irrelevant because they'll get spanked in the 1st round. 1 word to decribe this team: MEDIOCITY!

I notice that more and more comments are echoing what I was saying here over one month ago when we were very much still in the hunt but I could see the way things were going. Remember that I'm 63 and have suffered as a loyal Sox fan for many years. Too many holes in the lineup and not being able to put together hits and score runs in bunches. Yet somehow Magadan gets passed over as to who to blame. Notice how many players came to Boston knowing how to hit and now can't hit (Kotsay and Lowrie are 2 that immediately come to mind). Also to trade away Kotsay over Baldelli was pure stupidity.

I'd like to remind the Tito bashers that he was not the one who acquired the players on the Sox. It was that whiz kid Theo who did. While Cashman of the Yankees shopped for his players at Nieman- Marcus, The Sharper Image and Macys, Theo decided to basically stand pat and shop at The Dollar General, K- Mart and wait till there was a price roll over at Wal Mart. That is why the Yankees are where they are and the Sox are where they are. Theo is clueless at putting together a team. How many years does it take to completely solve the short stop position?
If and when Brian Cashman gives a seminar on how to be a successful baseball G.M. Theo should be the first one to sign up to attend it. Alex Gonzalez! Give me a break. He didn't do anything for us when he was here several seasons ago, so what makes Theo think it will be different this time?

There are several issues with this team. Right now the pitching is actually decent, but: Hitting is a huge problem. It does not help that they have several liabilities in the hitting lineup to start with (Veritek and this year Papi). That really puts a lot of pressure on the other players. Some of the coaching decisions have been plain awful. Clay Buckholz as a pitch runner. Are you kidding me? Add the injury situation and it becomes a complete mess. In order to do anything this year, they are going to have to get a stable lineup, fix the DH debacle (enough is enough) and coach to win. Else, we are just going to have to skip to the Patriots. As for Sox Nation, it is hard to be judgemental of the fans when we are all paying those ticket prices for this type of performance. This team was over 2 games in the lead at the all star break and they are now around 8 games down. That is not a slide...it is free fall. It is time to smell the coffee.

Looks like the Sox need to do some shots of Jack Daniels with the ghost of Millar!

If you Red Sox fans don't think it's over you had better check your available pitchers and your batting averages. It used to be "Spahn and Sain then pray for rain". Now its Lester and Beckett then pray the rest don't wreck it.

If you Red Sox fans don't think it's over you had better check your available pitchers and your batting averages. It used to be "Spahn and Sain then pray for rain". Now its Lester and Beckett then pray the rest don't wreck it.

Time is not on our side here, but I stil think we have all the pieces. I agree that this upcoming off season should bring some major changes but still, here we are- half a game out of the wild card and 8 and 4, so far this season against the Yanks. Not too shabby, but we do need to elevate our play- NOW- to go the distance.

Lucchino should designate Theo for assignment, like player development/scouting. We need a GM that can build a major league contender for the whole season not just the April, May, & June! Enough with the reclamation projects of Penny & Smoltz? This is not Tito's fault. JD Drew $14 mil a year, are you kidding me? Better hope the Yankees don't swoop in and sign Jason Bay! Sox will need to go on a long winning streak to get back in front for the post season.

Hang in there!!! The Sox are banged up, no doubt about it. But Youk will be back and Big Papi is on the comeback trail. Remember how he started cranking out the doubles and the home runs in late june, early july? Clearly he hit another horrible stretch during the incredibly upsetting period he has just gone through. (For the record, I do NOT believe he ever used steroids) Anyway, he started to get his swing back in june/july and was really picking up momentum. That got smashed by the very vague but the nonetheless devastating leaks/ allegations and the NASTY Globe coverage. But Big Papi will come through as long as we give him a chance. Two home runs in last two games, guys, c'mon, be fair, we owe this guy, big!!! I have no doubt that he will come through in the crunch.
Do agree that red sox management needs to put up some money for some starters if they want to compete with the Yankees. Sabathia, Burnett, these guys are fantastic. Pair them with all the big money hitters that the yankees have bought up and the Yankees are superstars. I think our boys are just as good on the field and in the batter's box when healthy, plus i think we have got a lot of heart that is missing in NYC. But we do need some kick ass pitchers - there is no way that Beckett and Wake can be expected to carry all games. Sox need another big starting gun, arguably even if Dice K comes back in great form.

With the way we fail to sign any big name players, I think they should change their name to the Boston Red Bruins

V-tek does not have the clout anymore to bring this team together. It will be V-mart that will take over...but its too late for this year. Should have given what the blue jays wanted for Halliday. He could have helped us win 3 more rings...NOW!
Oh..and by the way...trade Dennis Eckersley for Frankie V!!! until Remdawg is back.

Did you see the Chemistry that Texas has - we used to have that Theo
You can not win with retreads and changing line ups everyday
Tito has got to man up and get alot tougher on his team
Ells, Dustin,Victor, Youk, Bay, Papi, Lowell,Drew,Green
Run that line up out for 2 weeks and try to save this season!

I have been a Sox fan for over 30 years and I'm not sure I can remember feeling this bad about a team in all that time. It isn't just about where we will go this season we need to worry about next season etc as well. With this ownership group, FO and roster I see a few years of heartache ahead of us!

I really don't understand the addition of Victor Martinez, and Alex Gonzalez. Ever since the Victor trade, it's been downhill. It makes sense too as Victor and Alex were only aquired for defensive purposes, and to give some guys rest. Which I really don't get! We needed offensive hitting, and what we got was practically an added two dead bats in the lineup, and less hitting. It's great that our pitchers aren't giving up more then 4 runs a game. But when you can't hit the ball, what good is defense. At the MLB level a great defense and a poor defense is a handfull of errors, it is OVER RATED! Terrible additions, and I never got the V-mart addition, doesn't make sense!

Lets get 1 thing straight... I love the sox... and I have faith....
Secondly..... if you all consdier yourself baseball savy fans then maybe you should think again.. it really erks me when people critise players one week.. then turnaround and sing their praises the next, and vice versa... If you've never played the game you just won't understand.... slumps happen... and so to, does the opposite (players going on a tear)..... its the law of averages..... what makes it harder for players is when everyone is riding them (slumps are mostly mental.... so do you think public criticism helps or hinders!!!)

The seasons not over....unless you believe it is... have faith in your players!
And besides would you rather the team go into a slump now or in october??
The bats will sort themselves out... but stop riding them....

Pitching has been good from Beckett and Lester... the others have been ok... no better or worse than normal (50/50 crap shoot)... its just if you don't score runs you don't win... Suck it up and move onto the next game..

GO SOX! MOST of us still believe!!!

What's good is not cheap. What's cheap is NOT good!

The Sox face 25home/20away.

The Rangers face 20home/25away.

The Sox can sqeak by with the Wild Card.

After that..DiceK will be critical.

Real Funny, Bay-Bag !!
Since you are one of the major-problems to this team with your .250 batting average; rally-killing double-plays hit into....and 170 K's a season....you haven't been around long enough to comment to this fanbase.
Go back to Pittsburgh and be Captain Mediocre there !!

Anyone have Manny's cellphone number?
....And Kevin Millar's??

so much pitching at the start of the season, boosts WEEI: the depth, the rotation, the talent ... you villages had nothing, but Theo's dreams; an illusion a bunch of washed up old 43 yr. hacks Wakefield, Penny, Smoltz & Daisy- K , can't say enough about the WBC MVP; the zipper boy Buckholtz a trade prospect now? He's also a dud & nobody wants him ... How about it Theo, season looks like a Yalie disaster ...

As long as the stands are full and the $7 Beer is flowing, that is all the management cares about. This is why they keep bringing in everyone else's garbage players. We have no shot with 4 automatic outs in the line up!

it's articles like this that make watching the yankees run away with the division even more enjoyable. sorry guys, not this year.

Can't be evry optimistic about this team. Too many holes in the batting order and without Wake and LAST YEAR'S Dice-K, we only have two quality starters. NOT-Einstein's bad signings have been compounded by FranCOMA's mismanagement. Hopefully when Youk comes back, FranCOMA will drop Tek from the line-up and use Martinez at catcher. And when another catcher is used (notice I didn't say SURE-OUT-Varitek, put Martinez at first, Youk at 3B and Lowell at DH. How can a team with a supposedly good farm not have a decent youg SS in the mix?! And yes, Brady did look good!

It's not too late to abandon Red Sox nation and sign up for a membership card in Yankees Universe. I think it's only $20 for the card.

What is the Red Sox team salary $150M or more? The Florida Marlins have a team payroll of $25M to $30M and play better baseball to a fan base of 15,000 and they took 2 of 3 from the Yankees in inter league play. Maybe there is a lesson here, the Sox are old and over paid, maybe they should request that baseball move them into the NL East and let the Marlins go into the AL East? Milwaukee did it.

Love the Sox but to state facts is not bashing them. There are certain guys on this team who lack passion. I went to the Rangers game in July when Beckett pitched and we lost. This guy is a competitor and he showed a passion for winning the game. Came off the mound fired up. Papi strikes out or pops up walks to the dugout head down. Bay strikes out walks away head down. Drew and Tek same thing. My concern is that when the team doesn't hit its the whole team. I mean even when Ryan Howard was slumping Utley and Rollins etc were able to carry the Phills The Sox don't seem to get a player or two hot at the same time. This ho hum attitude seems to be rubbing off around the clubhouse. Maybe Tito needs to start kicking some butt and maybe Magadan's hitting philosophy is the problem?

In my opinion Theo Epstein let the team down this year. The Sox went hard after Texeira and lost. Management watched the Yankees purchase 3 high level free agents in the off season (Sabathia, Burnett, Texeira) and the Sox signed zero.
Theo, the band aid approach does not work! This team wasted approximately 5 Million each on Smoltz and Penny. They could have used this money to get someone like Derek Lowe. Epstein knew the Sox need bats this year for the stretch run and what does he get... Alex Gonzalez? Not even an effort to land Guzman, Peralta, or Scutaro? Don't worry, Paul Byrd to the rescue....or maybe Larry Bird!

Ever notice how EASY it is to be negative? It's a win/win for the negative bunch.... 1) if the Sox keep losing, they can say "See I told you so, I'm brilliant; 2) If they start winning they say "Yes, that's what they should have been doing, but they have to get rid of-----and bring in ----because I have an easy solution to everything"; 3) by being a fantasy guru they can appear to be the only one who knows everything and 4) if the Sox should not make it, they can cushion the fall by saying "I knew it!"

It's always been a part of the game, and it always will be....protecting an ego by being negative.

"How can a team that includes Youkilis, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowell, Varitek, Beckett, Lester, and Paplebon look so gutless???"

Two of these OLD&WORN OUT things are not like the others, for starters. A third has not been his normal self out of the pen all year. The little one can't hit when it counts, it seems. Speedy shows promise. pYouk killed us this week with his stunt in Detroit, justified or not. Nothing but praise for the front of the rotation. All this plus high expectations due to early season play leads to a sense of defeat that can be felt throughout the six-state region.

WHEN, oh when is management going to shelve Varitek who is beoming a joke. all we hear is what a great captain he is and what a wonderful defensive player. He is also supposed to be a great game caller but how come those calls getting blasted everywhere. not sure our new guy is a good replacement behind the plate as he not very good throwing out runenrs either but at least his bat will be a big improvement. do we have a catcher in the minors. shipping masterson out and keeping bucholz big mistake and why didn't we keep the kid from pawsox in the outfield sted of shi[[ing him back and putting in some guy hitting .235, whatever.

Don't you wish you could hear "Now batting number 24, Mannnnny Rammirezzzzzz"? I know I do.....

Last year we were one game away from the World Series....with good Pitching and timely hitting. This second half we have seen great pitching...just look at the numbers folk...and terrible hitting - come on those 31 innings in New York with our pichers doing what they did to that line-up and we go that long without a single run....

I like Bay a lot, but he cannot hit 300 consitently and he will not have the same impact on a game as a Manny type player. Face it, he is not that type of ball player. No, that does not mean I would not want him as my left fielder. However, he is only one piece to a bigger pie. I certainly would not pay him more than $12mm a year either....

Theo - you need to get a bat to protect the other guys in the line-up. No one on the team can do that today. As a result, run prodcution is down this year for the first time since Manny came here. We need a young aggressive hitter....period.

Terry Francona has never coached to win, he has coached to protect all of his binkies feelings. Ortiz should have been put on the bench months ago along with Veritek. The shortstop situation isn't Francona's fault, that is all the boy wonder, who really needs to have his job evaluated in the off season.
This team has talent but it is coached like a Sunday softball team, everybody gets a chance to play if they have been Tito's pal.
The lineup going forward should look like this almost everyday.
1-Ellsbury-cf
2-Pedroia-2b
3-Youkillis-3b
4-Martinez-c
5-Bay-lf
6-Lowell-DH
7-Kotchman-1b
8-Drew-rf
9-Gonzalez-ss

Epsteins failings as a GM are a whole different story

Even though the concensus view of the Sox is negative now, we can make the playoffs if the combination of Dice-K, Wakefield and Byrd can win 10-12 games. Bay has to step up if he wants a long term contract at $15 million a year and Drew, Ortiz and Varitek need to be platooned. But looking past this year we have problems with a weak front office unwilling to spend the bucks and a low key steady as she goes manager. There are only 3-4 players on the entire Red Sox roster who would add much to the Yankees and only two players would start every day( probably Ellsbury with Youk at DH}. If the Sox want to hang with the Yanks and Rays they need a full overhaul.

"Fairweather"? How about delusional. That's the word I would use for someone unwilling to accept the obvious.

Best comments above:
+taking pitches only works when pitchers are nibbling; tired of called 3rd strikes; take a rip at an early fastball guys!
+speaking of taking strikes, Pedroia then reaches low and flies out to protect the plate; opposing pitchers have indeed found a way to bring DP back down to earth
+not trading pitching prospects: the VMart deal was great but we are stacked with money and pitching prospects compared to the rest of the MLB. In trying to get Feliz Hernandez, Theo realized this too late.

I am quite certain that this team won't get far this season. However, I really don't understand the moaning and complaining and the false and dumb accusations regarding management and ownership. Those of you that wanted different players: Whom would you have gotten? There was absolutely nobody on the market or available before the season. And anyway where were you before the season? You were probably the same people who shouted 'In Theo we trust' after the race for Teixeira. And why not? The team looked good on paper. Quite a few experts tipped them for the World Series. Why trade very promising young talent for has-beens who ask for four year contracts but might only have one or two good years left. And while we are at it: this ownership has demonstrated time and time again that they are willing to spend big bucks. But why should they if they don't really have to? And again, on whom? And just in case you haven't noticed: We have a financial crisis and our owner runs a hedgefund. Disasters like this season happen. Just accept it and stop behaving so unreasonably.

Third quarter grades are in for the Boy Wonder, Theo:
" D- " (only the no-brainer acquisition of V-Mart saves him from a solid "F"-
(Evidence-Varitek,Kottaras, Dice-K, Drew, Lugo, Kotchman for LaRoche???,
Brian Andersen???--How weak is our right handed Minor-league OF talent, if Andersen is the best available? Total tank on Halladay move?... Gonzo as the starting SS??? Pleeeze! Late inning def replacement maybe. Mike Lowell has to hit a ground rule double to get to second base..His hip is shot. With Mike, Papi and V-tek, Kotchman clogging the paths (on the rare occasion of a hit/walk) teams like NY, Tampa and Texas expose our one-dimensional offense. Do they even have a full one dimension anymore??? It's time for ownership to admit that Emperor Theo has no clothes. WIth a budget just behind the Yankees, the appalling lack of depth and balance on this squad is unconscionable. PS;
Still love the Sox aftter 50+ years and counting . Cannot stomach the overrated, underachieving Epstein any longer.
Oh and Jason Bay, better keep your lip zipped until you start producing again. Your hopes for a big off-season overpayment ala JD (cowardly lion) Drew are fading fast. Give me Beckett, Lester, Pedey, Youk and 21 guys hanging outside Home Depot looking for work and I'll field a team with more heart!

Nay sayers, fair weather fans, unsupportive of your team, did you ever thing that maybe the players read these articles and posts? It seems as long as the boys are wiining, everyone is all hero worship, but when they hit a rough streak, you are there with a cleaver. Grow up!! Support your team. So maybe they won't catch the Yankees. They will overcome the Rangers for the Wild Card. Then, we'll see how they do.

I'll add my 2 cents since everyone is piling on. Who would have predicted that the pitching would be mediocre? That Papi would be DOA? The shortstop merry go around? That said, I agree with those who complain about Theo this year. They have simply not recovered as an organization since getting fleeced by Teixera; they stuck with Penny and Smoltz way too long; they go get LaRoche and he is gone in a week; they allowed Daisuke to ruin his arm for the year; and they messed around with Baldelli and let Kotsay go. This is not the sign of a GM in control.

Wow, I can't believe the reaction. Going into the season everyone was feeling good with arguably the best starting rotation, the best bullpen, a good fielding team, and a lineup to challenge anyone. Theo was doing a good job with his offseason acquisitions. Now, after injuries and players not playing up to expectations, Theo needs to be fired and the ownership replaced??? I just don't get it. I am not their apologist, but this ownership group and Theo brought World Series wins, 'nuff said.

I love how people like to revise history. RS made a great offer to Teixera NY made a better one and his wife voted for NY. If RS went higher so would have NY.
Every one says Penny has failed ok but take a look at the 23 games he's pitced minus the 6 bad ones where he gave up 5 or more runs. He's had 4 no decisions in games he gave up 2, 1 and 0 runs. Take away the 5 bad games and his ERA is doen near 4.00. What more do you want from the guy who was the number 5 pitcher when the year started out. Every one is rating him on being a number 3 which was not the intent. The best laid plans do not always come to fruition.
Many of these complainers are the same ones who said they had the best pitching in MLB. The funny thing is if Ortiz was just batting near 275 for the season we'd be in great shape despite the injuries. I'm not laying this all on Ortiz but just having him hitting 275 (23 hits more) would have meant at least an additional 5 wins at least. That puts them 2 games out.
Despite everything that has gone wrong they are still in it.

MLB now all of sudee tTheo has failed

Not a single one of you nervous nellies and Monday morning quarterbacks should be riding Bay for his comment after the many, many clutch hits and big plays he's come up with for us in the past. It reminds me very much of the "bum" rap Yaz used to get years ago- as if every year he had to hit the tiple crown.
Bay can and will come out of his slump and the hitting for everyone else could just as easily improve and on top of Beckett and Lester the RS could very well figure deep into the playoffs.
I'm with the 51.9% now winning this poll!

This comment by Jason Bay is just his way to lighten things up. It's a tough game to play to begin with, and why not just relax like that group of 04 did. You can't play this game being uptight. Have faith, they will come back.

First of all, if you have been paying attention, Bay hit 4 HR's last week and drove in 8 or 9 runs. ...can't believe many of you. I get the Sox have a history of dropping off in seasons....BUT THE SOX HAVE WON TWO MORE WS TITLES THAN THE G@D DA@N YANKEES over the last few years!!! One game out with 40 plus to go isn't the end. TOO MUCH TALENT TO GIVE UP ON>......you naysayers make me sick. When espn.com posts the average Red Sox fan has an IQ of 89, they must have polled many people on this page. You are acting like New Yawkers.

Not worried about Texas because they will fold by mid September. Tampa Bay is another story. They have it all and with good health will be the Wild Card in the East. The Sox get in only if Tampa's studs go down. Unlikely, but who knows.
So I'm looking at 2010......please Sox owners, no more of your asinine bargain basement deals. If Theo was given total autonomy to make these idiotic deals you need to dust him, now. If the silly Smoltz, Penny, Wilkerson, Baldelli, Varitek deals were all OK'd by Sox owners, there needs to be an investigation......
The Sox passed on a lot of good solid front line players this past off-season. Why?warehammer thewre

Did Pedroia name his son after Bob Dylan?
Anyone...

I can't believe what I'm reading. Did Red Sox fans suddenly become like Yankee fans? If I remember right, in 2004, the Sox fell apart in late July-early August. What happened that year? Oh, yeah, they ended an 86 year championship drought!! I am sick of seeing Sox fans act like we have to win every year. Thank God we got not one, but two championships since the turn of the century. Tied for the W/C (as of this post) with over a month to go- the Red Sox are in great shape. Don't be a Yankee fan- don't quit on your team just b/c they hit a bump in the road. I'm still predicting Red Sox-Phillies in October!

A good manager and pitching coach should be able to determine when a pitcher has his "Stuff" and is effective and have someone warming up for a quick pull regardless of innings or outs if he doesn't have it. The same could also be said in reverse especially for relievers. If a reliever IS effective, leave him in. Don't pull him just "because". Same for hitters. If in a slump, if the batter is "Driving" the ball, put him in order, but if not, sit him. FranCOMA fails on all of these points. Giving up 9-runs is an embarrassment that is indicative of bad game management.

Ain't over till it's over. But, more than a handful of teams, especially the Yanks, look better and are playing better.
I was wrong to count them out in 2004, and I'd love to be wrong again!

Terry Francona needs to make the hard and right decisions now. Varitek and Ortiz need to take a back seat. Victor Martinez should be the catcher 3 out of 5 games, with Varitek handling Beckett and Lester. When Martinez is not the catcher he should be the DH. Go with a set line-up and stop making these mery go round changes with the farm system and the waiver wire. Maybe it's time to get rid of Penny and get someone in the rotation who can go mor than 5 innings. The bullpen is getting worn out because of Penny, Smoltz (thank god he is gone) and Dice-K (thank god he is on the disable list). Keep Lowell, Youk, Kochman and Martinez in the line-up all the time. Good hitting and defense.

Encourage don't discourage... Here we go Red Sox here we go! C'mon all together now!

The bottom line is they just don't have the hitting. The other issue is their bullpen is not anywhere near as good as the numbers make them out to be. They have gotten very lucky. Papelbon is playing with fire just about every time he pitches by loading up the bases. When they play a team with a strong line-up, they get killed. They also need to stop rolling out Penny, the guy has proven he is a bullpen killer. He can't go more than five innings and he lets up over five runs per game.