Blame Cake is Done
Just Add the Finger-Pointing Frosting ...
And Grab a Piece ...
John Henry and His Big Brass Band... need deeper pockets and less Pocket Money (see Teixeira, Mark and say goodbye to the pennant), NASCAR, boats, weddings at Fenway, real estate, doing voiceovers for commercials, and allowing most tickets to wind up on their aftermarket at 400 percent markups to fans. Oh and they've created a corporate canned environment at Fenway where we saw the smallest standing room crowd in years for Game 3, and the bigwigs in the seats are so bored they can barely muster up the energy to chant "Let's Go Red Sox" until the fat lady starts singing. And after the debacle of making the players wear Hanging Sox Hats, they really need to consider cashing out and selling the team, because they've completely sold out.
In Theo We Bust... As the GM continues to morph into Dan Duquette, the Sox are suddenly looking like an old Dan Duquette team. The revolving door at shortstop continues to haunt the franchise. Yes, $103 million forked over for Matsuzaka could have been better spent, same for Drew. Bay is no Manny, sorry. Caught sleeping at the wheel with new 'Tek deal. Major misread on John Smoltz (see Gagne, Eric), and Julio Lugo and his sunk cost were shipped out of Boston a day too soon. Good thing he doesn't let the fans influence him... except when it comes to overpaying for Mike Lowell.
A Testy David Ortiz... If you thought his early season performance sunk the Sox from the get-go, it was nothing compared to the shameful, 10-days-too-late, lame vitamins-and-supplements press conference in Yankee Stadium with a disheveled Michael Weiner by his side. But his real "careless" crime was letting some sketch slap his name on a bad Framingham restaurant in his quest not to leave one marketing dollar on the table.
Captain Feels the Crunch... We won't be fooled again... but if you're Theo Epstein, you were fooled again by Scott Boras and Jason Varitek (remember when he wanted a Posada contract?). What will we do without his annual clutch hit and empty cliches.... errr leadership... after every game? How will Josh Beckett manage to implode without him? And can we put the 'C' in a time capsule, never to be worn externally by anyone ever?
Jon Papelbon, a.k.a. Trade Bait... When you only pitch 60 innings in a season, you've got to be ready to go in October, not ready to go home. The Idiots act was natural, Paps' on camera performances seem forced. Cinco Ocho? Who gives themselves a nickname? And is he still focused on breaking the bank for closers based on that phony save stat? Daniel Bard, the real Nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Josh Bad Boy Beckett... Just didn't locate his pitches... just didn't execute tonight.... ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... enough. Something's wrong here. The staff "ace" just isn't one of the elite starters in baseball anymore. Can we re-do the Hanley Ramirez trade now?
Daisuke Matsuzaka... is just laughing his ass off all the way to the bank. And it's our dime. But he'll be ready for the next time... Team Japan calls his name.
Globe: Now is the Fall of Our Discontent | Eric Wilbur: Group Therapy
Danny Picard: Moving Boston Forward
Survey: What Should the Sox Do?
