Goat Stew

Al:
I know all streaks must one day come to an end, but did it have to end like that?

 

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Doug:
Question: What in the name of your favorite bearded God version was Javier Lopez even doing out there?

 

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Al:
Seriously, was Francona getting bored with the win streak so he just decided to get it ovah with?

 

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Mike:
To be fair, Tito has been avoiding Lopez like he's a Mexican with flu-like symptoms, but he can't run MDC out there every night.

 

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Mike:
And Lopez actually had an OK outing as fah as pitching.

 

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Mike:
And if Penny has an OK outing, Lopez doesn't even come into play.

 

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Al:
OK. Be that as it may, but let me add this …

 

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Al:
I'm willing to cut Brad Penny some slack. Yes, he put 11 baserunnahs on in just ovah 2 innings, he can't find the strike zone, his fastball isn't, and he has can't throw his secondary pitches for strikes —

 

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Al:
But I'll give him a reprieve for last night because there is still a glimmah of potential with Penny.

 

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Al:
For Julio Lugo, on the othah hand, I confess I have no such hope.

 

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Doug:
Me neithah. I mean I've read the countah apologetics on Lugo, but I'm not having it. Like othahs, I'll say he is now my least favorite Red Sox playah of all time.

 

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Mike:
Worse than Jurassic Carl Everett?

 

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Doug:
Hell, yeah, Lugo is like the spawn of Carl Everrett crossed with Rick Cerone.

 

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Mike:
Wow, that's seriously harsh.

 

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Al:
Yeah, and instead of "Ditka" the spawn's middle name is "Blagojevich."

 

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Comments

[James]

Thank you for putting my sentiments (re Lugo) into words.

[chris]

I'm not normally the type to call for heads, but Theo needs to be on the phone right now calling around trying to unload Lopez for something. Anything. I'd be happy if we traded him for a new batboy. At least batboys can catch.

[Rob in CT]

Can't fully agree with Al. Sure, he couldn't find the strike zone, and yeah he put a ton of runners on in his two stink-em-up innings of "work", but the fastball comment? I dunno, Orsillo was reporting mid-90's on the radio. Did I miss something? Woulda helped a bunch if he'd actually found the mark more than twice with his curve.

And thanks for mirroring my thoughts on Lugo. Everett and Cerone. Wow, that is harsh, but eerily accurate in an odd sort of way.

What an ugly game to listen to last night. Ugh!

[Rob in CT]

Oh, and it's nice to see you back in the saddle, hb. Hope you're well on the mend.

[yazbread]

Should have hung on to OC.

[Jeff in NC]

repost comment I left on yesterday's strip, late...

Who put the Lugo in the punchbowl?

That was ugly. Just ugly.

I had forgotten how confused Lugo looks when he is at bat.. "Oh God! what am I doing out here? hey, what's that on that little hill out there? is he going to throw that ball at me? then what? what's this thing I'm holding? do I hit the ball with this? really? I thought I was supposed to let these balls go by me so they don't hit me anywhere, especially not in my nice shiny glove."

[tarrkid]

I watched Lugo's first AB last night, and realized I had forgotten all about his little shoulder tug as he preps to throw - is he adjusting his bra strap?

[rolo]

HB gets better and the Sox streak ends?? Get yourself some Mexican bacon!!

And, you know, Lugo can rake AAA pitching. Keeping Pawtucket competitive, and having anyone, ANYONE else at SS, is definitely win/win!

[Soulie]

Hey guys, how about them Caps? I think I aged in dog years at the game last night. May the B's curb stomp the Canes.

Nobody will ever top Mike Lansing as my least favorite Sox of all time. If anyone personified the pre-Theo days, it was him.

And Yaz, you should look at the OC's stats since he left Boston. Slow, steady decline. To say nothing of the rumors that he, um, enjoyed his off-field life more than a little too much. Love him for what he did here, but all signs say that dropping him was probably the best move long-term.

[Seamus]

Welcome back, hb--glad you're feeling at least somewhat better.

And thank you for giving such eloquent voice to my own loathing of Julio Lugo.

What scares me is that, all things considered, last night was a better than average night for Lugo. The streak-killing error on the double-play ball was vintage Lugo but normally we'd also watch him groundout four or five times. At least he got a pair of hits last night--even an RBI.

I won't even start on Lopez.

[h.b.]

I'm not fully better, so don't peg me with ending the streak. :)

But I'm back at work today, though, for a trial run. 3/4 day. Still sound like an 80 year old, 2 pack a day smoker when I talk, but I am feeling better.

The codeine cough syrup is a miracle drug. I've slept about 30 of the last 36 hours. And no cough.

[louclinton]

Nogo. Yougo Lugo.

[Bob]

I got nothing today. For two reasons:

1) Work is sucking out my soul and eating it as a demonic Necco wafer, and

2) Another 4 hour plus 9 inning game?

[Natalie]

I have entertained fantasies of hog-tying Lugo and dumping him in the Charles River for a long while now. Did you hear Blajo wants to join the American cast of "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here," which is like Survivor for Z-list retards? Perhaps we can convince him to bring Lugo along???


Full on codeine is OTC in these parts, hb. Let me know if you need me to send you some. :)

[Colin]

Theo's worst move...ever.

C'mon we've already seen the potential of Lowrie and Green. Lugo shows up and it's errors a go-go. Is there any way to tweak that contract of his so he can GTFO as soon as possible?

[yazbread]

Didn't Francona also pull Lugo in the 9th and put Green in? Defensive substitutions at SS with Lugo, par for the course.

[Colin]

yaz: Yeah he did...but don't you think the 9th inning was a little too late? The error damage was done. I swear if Lugo causes over 10 errors in 1-2 weeks I will personally make a petition to Theo to can his ass.

Lugo is more torture than watching Japanese pitching.

[yazbread]

On an unrelated note, I can't believe the hype that is accompanying the Celtics/Bulls. Who cares? The winner is probably going to be delivered a death blow in the next series.

[sonomasox]

not ready to throw Lopez off...Lugo yes - two years ago - but Lopez is a guy you need for junk time - last night though was the time.

the last play was total JV but we wouldn't have been there w/out the 2 other E's.

as much as I was into the C's in the 70's/80's and a bit last year - completely forgot there was a game on last night.

[Devine]

I'd be all for Penny trying out in the pen for a spot instead of Lopez.

Penny is a fat fucker who before the start of the season (in some Soxaholix comment strip or other) I said was destined to fail. Told you so, Theo. He and Lugo really combined for twin suckfest power for those runs in the 4th. At least Lugo knocked in the go-ahead run later.

[Devine]

Errrrr, runs in the 3rd. Sorry for doulbe post.

[SoCal]

I couldn't imagine what the past couple of years would be like without Beckett or Lowell. That said, every time I see Hanley Ramirez on Sportcenter or Baseball Tonight I can't help but wonder what might have been.

The trade was a good one, a no brainer actually, but still every once in a while I do wish there was some way we could have kept Han Ram.

Natalie my shipping address is:

[Bob]

Having a bite for lunch at the Sail Loft (North End waterfront) and overhear two gentlemen at the bar (surprised I was sitting there?)

"Saw this really cool Red Sox site the other day...Soxaholix, or SoxAddiction or something like that. Really entertaining. Like reading the funnies, but without that stupid Garfield shit."

Ever have clam chowder come out of your nose? Not pleasant.

[h.b.]

Bob,

Hearing that is almost as good a feeling as the codeine stupor ...

Or is all this just a dream within the codeine stupor?

[Harwich Rich]

Hope they cut the potatos small,Bob

[Bob]

Yeah, but the clams were big-belly.

[h.b.]

Sounds like a job for a Shamwow.

[Bob]

Wish they would have used the Slap-Chop beforehand.

[Kaz]

AwesomeAugur.

[Kaz]

Sorry, I just caught the Swine Flugo and errored on that last post.

[Blue Stater]

Help! I missed yesterday's strip, went to Archives, and got just a page labeled "Archives" with nothing on it except the heading. That'll teach me to trash a whole day taking down the stoahm windows when it's 93 pea-pickin' degrees insteada tendin' to business! TIA for all aid.

[soxdownunder]

Hey Blue, just go to the tope of today's comments and click on 'Need another day on the DL'above the srip. Also try refreshing the archives page; sometimes works.

[h.b.]

Several readers have pointed out this archive bug, but I can't reproduce it myself.

I do think if you hit refresh, or a force refresh in your browser the content should show.

[sonomasox]

Hey Bob - the guy next to you at lunch didn't have graying curly hair, reddened checks and yapping about the curse of Lugo?

[paddy24]

That post by Eric Van (HB hyperlinked to it) is easily the most retarded thing ever written concerning baseball. To say that Lugo actually contributed to potentially winning the game, rather than being one of the four goats (Penny, Green [inexplicably swinging for the fences] and Lopez being the others) is absurd. Had Lugo not started, the streak would be alive. He plays a losing brand of baseball.

[paddy24]

Eric Van says that errors are "part of the game." Julio Lugo's errors are part of his game only. No one else makes errors like that. The simple toss that he dropped would be made by all 29 other starting shortstops 100 consecutive times. The play where he tiptoed around in the outfield with no intention of making any play besides interfering with a hardnosed Jacoby Ellsbury is also indicative of his style of play. He does things that no other MLB shortstops do. Any high school kid could catch the double play toss he missed.

[soxdownunder]

Paddy, I thought that 'hard nosed' Jacoby was a dead loss??

sdu

[Natalie]

Bob, Sail Loft? Awesome place. No one is EVER sober, and they serve electric cocktails. Did anyone play Journey (any way you want it) on the jukebox? Damn, I miss that bar...

[Blue Stater]

Thanks, guys; I got it (all I got, alas, was news that HB was still sick -- glad you're back, man. When I lived in the UK that OTC codeine syrup was a lifesaver for that wonderfully named English disease, catarrh.