Nut gathering time

Doug:
Anothah day, anothah lineup where you half expect to find Lisa the Temp penciled in.

 

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Mike:
While we're still a ways from the official mathematical elimination, you don't that math guy from Numb3rs to compute the situation.

 

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Mike:
The Sox would need to go 21-9 in the remaining games while all three competitors would have to play .500 baseball or worse. If any of the mofo Yankees, Twins or White Sox do better than 15-15, then the Sox are out of the playoffs. Quasi erastus demonstratum, baby.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, and if that isn't enough to convince you, it looks like the Front Office is ready to staht shipping out the veterans in return for prospects.

 

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Mike:
I dunno, there's something oddly comforting in just letting this season go and facing forward toward the future.

 

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Doug:
Absolutely. At times like this you just try and find joy where you can: Beckett looked good last night despite the loss; Ortiz is going to be OK, and maybe we'll get blessed with being on the good end of a Jeff Bagwellesque deal with an irrational club in the throes of full blown pennant fevah.

 

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Mike:
Right, like trading Cla Meredith and Josh Bard for Mirabelli … Oops, wrong end again.

 

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Doug:
Yeah, it's going to be a long fuck of a wintah for Mr. Epstein.

 

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Comments

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

If we get a trained monkey and a new costume for Wally in a trade for Wells, I'll consider that a good deal. At least a trained monkey will actually do his rehab starts on the farm instead of in a game that matters.

Josh Bard.

[DenverSoxFan]

Hey, Hart: It's Josh Bard.

And I'll bet ya $5 that the Reds would love David Wells right about now, seeing as how they have the worst ERA out of any legitimate playoff contender. Let's see what double-A types we can get from them in exchange for Fat Drunk Bastard.

[vermonter]

I wonder if Dave Kingman is still around. Maybe we could get him for Wellsy.

[COD]

After 3 straight tense and stressed out Septembers and Octobers, I'm sort of looking forward to the break. Is anybody paying attention to the improbable run by the Marlins? They are doing it with plenty of Sox farmhands...

[Dave]

's "Quod erat demonstratum", no? or did that one just go completely over my head?

[Natalie]

I agree, COD. Even better is that I don't have the blind, seething hatred for this team that I felt for the Aug-Sep 2001 version. That year I snarled every time I saw a Sox cap and refused to speak their names (much to my father's disappointment, who actually hung in there for that putrescence). The 2006 version is old and hobbled. A nice October to March regroup is in order. Hopefully Theo will regain some boy wonder mojo STAT.

[louclinton]

Yup, it's hard out here for a pimp.

As for the "q" word, the record speaks for itself. I know it's harsh, and maybe even wrong, but how can a team that was money just 6 weeks ago be the equivalent of a middle school kickball team? We are all to blame, filling the leaky vessel of the '06 sox with our dreams, schemes and themes (tx to bd for that one).

Today we can finally watch or listen to them live (as opposed to asleep or inside a vodka bottle), and maybe things will look different.

Or not.

Tito is not to blame. He is trying to play Jenga during an earthquake. Theo has the burden of this one, but, hey, it worked before, it just didn't this time. Lesson #1-- You need an asshole like Millar in the clubhouse to stir things up--that or greenies, which are in short supply this year. Chemistry matters in drawing talent out of well-fed professionals. I have a shelf full of Bill James Abstracts going back to the early 80's...but you need someone to stir it up.

Baseball is wonderful. Enjoy September. Make plans for October. The lessons learned from 03,04 05 and 06 will bring us certitude for beautiful days in April of 07. The games in September mean nothing, but many of us grew up on games that meant nothing six months a year. It's still baseball, Red Sox baseball.

lc

[DenverSoxFan]

LC -

I'd be wary of putting Millar on a quasipedestal like that... the team really went to shit only after Tek got hurt. Everything was cruising along somewhat comfortably until then. It kind of sounds like you thought this team was doomed from the beginning even though the major slide only started within the last month.

[vasoxfan]

yeah I know its ohvah for me when I start looking @ the Marlins (who are my "NL" team, I spent 20 years in SoFla and was there for the inaugural season. It keeps baseball interesting. It is still baseball and I love my Sox but I must "love from a distance" now (detach with love). My relationship with the Sox is much like that one crazy chick that you may have dated who you swear that you will never see again after a particularly bad heartbreaking event. But after awhile you say well "maybe she's changed" and you start dating again. Sometimes she will give you a 2004 and you will tolerate a little more of her insanity (and yours) then finally a 2006 happens and you say, "Thats it I've got to see other people". But you know come spring she'll be calling again and well... you know "maybe she's changed"

[h.b.]

It's partly ratIt's partly rationalizing, but I'm also looking at the positive aspects of not having an on pins and needles 24/7 September and October.

[louclinton]

DSF, no..whatever "wisdom" I have comes from retrointrospection. I believed, but with my heart, not my head. I wanted to be back to that October Sunday in 03 when the Sawx won the second of three from the A's (only to, well, um, you know the rest). It was, literally, a golden day. You gotta belive, aftah all. Millar (or JohnNy) deserve no pedestal (quasi or otherwise), but at some level you (or at least I) had a little peice of yourself in the clubhouse or on the field when those knuckleheads got going.

In all, I am sad, for no team in the AL could have beaten the May-June 06 sawx in October.

[illegitimate son of dwight evans]

So then, who's our Larry Andersen? I'm not sure Wells is it. Then again, beyond Schilling, he's been the most reliable arm over the past three weeks or so...

I don't think the Tek angle has been played up enough - the entire pitching staff seemed to implode just after he came up lame rounding first. I don't mean to suggest that they don't know how to pitch without Tek behind the plate -- the ERA, BBs and Ks make that suggestion.

Prospects? What are those?

[Hudson]

Gawd, and wouldn't you know it, I actually have decent late-September tickets this year.

What'm I gonna see -- a former Royals pitcher on the mound and Youkilis batting cleanup?

[Brian in S.F.]

I saw Youkilis batting cleanup both these past two nights and lets say it's not very intimidating to opposing pitchers. Monday night as the announcer was reading the lineups I did a double take upon hearing "batting third, the DH, Mark Loretta!" Whhaaaaa? Another positive to take from last nights game, Coco made the second best catch in I've seen him make in a Sox uniform. Right behind robbing Wright of that double.

[mikeya]

do i detect a shot for the mirabelli trade?? short memory i guess. the 80s had that effect on me for sure however i can remeber far enough back that everyone loved having dougie back in the fold and lest we forget he was brought back for a pitcher on the D.L. bard may be doing well but if he had a mit the size of a piece of plywood he wasn't gonna catch the knuckler
mikeya

[Scott]

Whose brillant idea was it to have our catcher play in the WBC?

In Theo I don't trust anymore.

[Follower of Tito]

I just checked the "official" standings...I must not have really been paying attention, but this team is only 10 games above .500!? WTF! My daughter's softball team is more fearsome...dudes, have a little self-respect; play with a little pride, will ya?

[yazbread]

Worse record in August among all MLB teams according to McPaper this morning.

[Rob in CT]

"Quasi erastus demonstratum, baby."

Um, I believe that's Latin for "All your base[ball] are belong to us."

I'll be in Fenway a week from tonight - Sec 35. Somebody buy me a beer, huh?

:D

[Bob]

Well, Beckett's looked good two games in a row now. Consdering how things are going, that's Happy Happy Joy Joy news.

I'll be at Fenway Monday evening. I'll be at Copperfield's Monday, early evening (downstairs, unless it's closed. In that case, upstairs). First person to yell "Soxaholix" gets a choice between a free beer, a pack Gillette safety razors, or a half-full bottle of expired OxiCodone.

[Rob in CT]

I mentioned some time back about a radio interview i heard with Dan Duquette, former Sox GM, (guess I really didn't need to tell you that) discussing his starting up an American Beisabol league in Israel. ESPN.com has an article about it. Kinda interesting in a weird sort of way. Anyway, here's the link.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=crasnick/060830

[VaSoxFan]

>>"Quasi erastus demonstratum, baby."

>>Um, I believe that's Latin for "All your base[ball] are >>belong to us."

Oh my god!! A geek video game reference on the Soxaholix. I love this blog.

[Rob in CT]

Follow the links, VaSox. See the "Numb3rs Guy" reference in the second frame. They got t-shirts with the catchphrase on it. My rather geeky-chic kids are always laughing about this one. Dad just goes along for the ride. I love me some semi-obscure references...

[Monty]

Nothing to do but root for whomever is playing the MFY. (or is that who?)

[NYSoxfan]

Woe is we, woe is we... beisbol has been veddy veddy good to me but this 2006 miasma is gut-wrenching. Beyond stating the obvious, all I can say is Sox fans will take it on the chin and move on.

[soxdownunder]

Collingwood's last game of the regular season this weekend. They beat Carlton last weekend. They can end anywhere from third to seventh depending on the results. One way or another there will be at least one 'play off' game. More than I can say for ...
Denial, what denial?

Go 'pies!

[mpt]

Can someone tell soxdownunder that no one gives a flying fuck about Collingwood. They're a team of good for nothin' players and supported by fans who are evil- a bit like the Yankees.

[soxdownunder]

I know who mpt is and he is an ignorant man ... ;) He supported the Mets in '86 just by way of example.