Five Swings: Farm Land

The Sox face the Texas Rangers at quasi-full strength. The Rangers historically have enjoyed a lot of power but haven't had much pitching. 


1. Chronicles of Reddick. With Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron hurting, the Sox disable both and call up journeyman Darnell McDonald and Josh Reddick. They do have something in common, as both have a total of two career major league home runs. Reddick had his moments including a home run against the Yankees and he hit an 'athletic' .169 last season. Let's hope that a change energizes the Sox.**


2. Speed Demons. Last season the Rangers showed some athleticism of their own, running wild against the Sox at times. At in the knuckleball factor, and we have to hope Wakefield can keep Texas off the bases. Early on Wakefield's ball has a lot of movement, and the Sox need a new attitude.


3. Frank-epstein's monster. The Sox haven't played well, but they have shown a lot of accountability this season, the nature of the makeup of the roster. Today, it was GM Theo Epstein who displayed my favorite keen sense of the obvious, stating how poorly the Sox have played. "We haven't played well, there are no excuses for how we've played. We haven't played smart baseball; we haven't really played aggressive baseball." 


I try to avoid (incompletely) the 'we', as I don't play, and I certainly don't work for the Red Sox. The temptation comes too easily to say "we're playing well" when winning ensues and "we stink" when everything falls apart. 


4. First name, last name. I have this really silly superstition that players with first and last names that are reversible are bad luck. It certainly didn't apply to Earl Wilson, Frank Thomas, or especially George Ruth and Henry Aaron. But I'll hope that Colby Lewis gets the affliction tonight...or is it Lewis Colby. The Cameron Michael story applies though.


5. Hope is a four-letter word. Seeing and hearing the word hope too often? At least Epstein didn't use the 'H' word in his Globe interview. If try is a word of failure, then hope is a word of hopelessness. 

The Sox would do well to remember the advice of Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try."




**McDonald went yard in the eighth tonight to take the lead in the McDonald/Reddick home run battle.