Bottom of the barrel

As we approach the end of April, I have to think that the Red Sox are beginning to feel the desparation.
Micheal Bowden, a several time pitching prospect sent to the Cubs, another lovable loser, for Marlon Byrd. 
Byrd joins the team and will find time platooning with Ryan Sweeney or Darnell MacDonald, to bolster an offense not clicking on all cylinders.  But one that had a 9 run lead over the Yankees on Saturday.

So, I am sure the Sox are scouting this Keith Olbermann chap, perhaps he can help them get an 11 run lead, because nobody trusts the Sox bullpen, let alone the rotation.

Last weekend, if you remember, the Sox were 3 quarters the way to a series win over the Tampa Bay Rays, and by the end of the 3rd game, we suddenly watch them defending Kevin Youkilis for a rough start. Pedroia took issue at comments made by the current manager, Bobby Valentine. Bobby cast some doubts as to Youk's make up, this after the Bosoton's had taken 2 of the first 3 on the Rays.

Great timing coach !  By the end of this weekend, the bullpen is in tatters, Danny Bard is being sent from the rotation to the pen presumably to save their back sides.  The Sox, if you remember started poorly last year, Crawford couldn't hit, Pedroia was scuffling, Papi was okay but not mashing balls, the rotation had issues, Jenks blew saves, but it was a different feel.  Francona was there, and they would rebound, they had a playoff nucleus, with pedigree.  No one , save for Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe was really worried.

A win here or there, get some deeper starts from the starters, and guess what, everything got sorted out, well, until August 31st that is. Then troubles that even Francona could not identify tripped them up.
Hear this...it has not changed., not one bit. Life in Boston, Mass revolves around their icons, The Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins.
Right now, the Sox are coming up the rear, the Pats went to another Super Bowl, Bruins are defending a Stanle Cup and the Celts have at least secured a playoff berth, in a rebuilding year. The Sox have more pressure than all 3 put together, and they know it.

If you watched Saturday's game, it serves as a microcosm of where they are on baseball landscape. They have the bats to put up runs, in bunches.  Then their bats go dry, inexplicably as they did the last 4 innings. When they could have tallied more, they seemed to let up, and lost focus. The Yanks, bouyed by long relief keep trying to chip away, chip away.  Sox starter Felix Doubrant stiffled them over 6 plus innings, but then an innocent Mark Texiera big fly poked a hole in the Sox 100 year celebration balloon.

Ah, it's only one run, but as the top of the 8th rolled around, some of the patrons were leaving, an 9-1 lead with 2 innings left.
Have the townsfolk forgotten the wonders that Fenway reveals, the sudden wind shifts, and the inviting left field wall, the nooks and crannies that serve to bounce a ball in two differnt directions, sending the outfielders in opposite directions.

Well, 14 more runs clammered home, while Bobby Valentine wore out his cleats making pitching changes, and one of the biggest swings had robbed the Sox of what would have been an important win.

Them Damn Yankees had one, and the Boston media begin the Valentine death watch. Rain killed the ESPN Sunday night, primetime game, and maybe that was a repreive for Boston.

I did very much predict a down fall year for Boston, and a 4rth place finish. Let's hope for them, the Orioles don't get their game together, or it's the basement for them.