Boston Sports Then and Now

I knew it was over when I got back from the gym and turned on the Little League World Series.

Like so many hundreds/thousands/millions of others, I’d been fighting the demise of the Red Sox as hard and as long as I could. I fought it through getting swept by Baltimore. Fought it through sweeping at Tampa. Through injuries, an early-summer surge, the All-Star Break, a return to health and, most recently, more injuries.

I watched the Blue Jays rout the Sox on Friday night, a 16-2 shelling that featured a most un-Herculean effort from team ace Jon Lester, thinking much of the time that there was a chance the Sox could still come back.

I watched Dasiuke Matsuzaka give up a 4-1 lead when Lyle Overbay went yard into the right-field bleachers to tie the game at four, and continued to watch into extra innings until Jed Lowrie hit the team’s first walk-off home run of the season, thinking much of the time that there wasn’t a chance the Sox would pull it off.

Despite his game-winning heroics, Jed Lowrie's Red Sox are in a tough spot.

Six games back of Tampa and seven back of the Yankees, these Red Sox are doing nothing but treading water at this point. It’s a fitting place for a team that’s done little but tread water all season.

Speaking of water, the Jays-Sox game was delayed an hour and 44 minutes by rain at Fenway. In that time, the team from Panama manhandled the Saudi Arabians, 13-0 in less than four innings. By the time I turned back to the Red Sox, Buchholz had recorded eight outs and another rain delay was starting.

Almost as if the baseball gods wanted to spare us from watching anymore of it.

Now normally, I’d be excited about a rain delay – more face time for Heidi and Kathryn, a chance for me to get a nap in, all sorts of excitement could arise. But the thought of watching feature pieces on the Red Sox sort of scared me.

Of course, I still watched. After all, the LLWS was over, what else was I going to bide my time with?

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All week, I’ll be counting down to Opening Day by listing the 30 things that need to go right for the Red Sox’ off-season plans to become in-season realities.  Here are keys 15-11.

15. The Sox see more success against the American League West.

The Texas Rangers were 7-2 against Boston in 2009.

The talk around baseball is usually about the difficulty of  playing in the American League East, but in 2009 the Sox posted a 45-27 record in their division.  They also fared well against AL Central teams, posting a 28-15 record against their mid-western opponents.  It was against the AL West that they really faltered, posting just a .382 winning percentage (13-21).  West Coast swings are difficult for any Eastern club, but a .500 record against the division shouldn’t be too hard to come by.  In 2010, the Rangers and Mariners look better and the Angels and A’s seem worse.  If Boston can split wins and losses against their opposite coast foes, they’ll compete for their division crown and perhaps 100 wins.

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Shortstop: Generally considered the most important defensive position in baseball aside from the pitcher-catcher battery.  Responsible for a substantial amount of infield terrain, he chosen to man this position is looked to as the centerpiece of an infield.

Since Nomar, shortstop's proven tough to fill for the Red Sox.

Theo Epstein: Promoted from within the Red Sox organization, heralded as a boy wonder.  Since taking the helm at General Manager in 2003, Epstein has been the face of a new era in Red Sox baseball — one that has featured 6 95-win seasons, 6 trips to the postseason, 4 ALCS appearances, and 2 World Series victories.  Criticized probably too often for his edgy approach that emphasizes statistical analysis, in a results-based business, he’s produced ‘em.

These two entities, though, have not mixed well.

In a pattern more disturbing than that of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Epstein’s Red Sox have featured 7 shortstops that at one time laid claim to the starting role, and the 8th — Marco Scutaro – will be throwing his hat into the ring less than 2 weeks.  I personally don’t know why it’s been so difficult for Boston to settle on one, but I will at least provide a comprehensive timeline of the revolving door at a position of importance.

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Yesterday, the Twitterverse — and, for that matter, Red Sox-based media at large — was abuzz with talk of Jason Bay as the Sox trekked to Port St. Lucie for an exhibition with the left fielder’s new club, the New York Mets.  Bay’s departure from Boston, amidst concerns about his knees and shoulder, was perhaps the team’s biggest off-season story and is certainly the root of wide-spread concerns regarding the Sox’ offense in 2010.

Jason Bay left Boston for the Mets this offseason.

In Theo Epstein’s time as General Manager, several players have left the team as free agents, igniting debate amongst media and fans alike.  Here, I will look at some of the more controversial decisions to let a player walk in the Epstein era and categorize said decisions based on their effect upon the organization since having been made.  

Perhaps of note, the six players to be examined here were important parts of the 2004 World Champion Red Sox.  As such, it should at least be recognized that sentimentality plays a very small role in Epstein’s decisions.

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Will Jason Bay be roaming around left field for Boston next season?

With their arch rivals winning the World Series this year, you better believe the Red Sox will do whatever it takes to get back at the Yankees.

Boston played 162 games this past season only to get swept by the Angels in the playoffs. Almost seems like a waste. The Red Sox won’t let that happen again.

General manager Theo Epstein has his eyes on a few key players if the team cannot keep Bay.

Bay batted .267 with 36 homers and 119 RBI’s. He led the team with 94 walks, but he also led with 162 strikeouts.

Over 171 players applied for free agency, so there are plenty of big names on the market.

The Boston Herald reported that the Red Sox are currently interested in outfielders Matt Holliday and Rick Ankiel. Third basemen Adrian Beltre and reliever Mike Gonzalez are also on Boston’s radar.

Holliday did have a greater batting average compared to Bay. He hit .313 with 24 home runs and 109 RBI’s.

If the Red Sox do not sign Bay, I would expect them to go after Holliday. He would be a great fit in Boston. He has a little less power than Bay, but hits for more average.
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