Let the second guessing begin. The Red Sox haven't even heard "Play Ball" and the controversy has already been teed up. The Sox have overcome instability in the rotation and the bullpen and to a lesser degree the hole at the Hot Corner. Pablo Sandoval gave way to Travis Shaw (post All-Star break .194/.259/.360/.619), who is now supplanted by Brock Holt (post All-Star break .253/.318/.367/.685). Any talk of the Panda Postseason was premature speculation at its most disheartening. Sox skipper John Farrell has slotted Holt in the two spot in the order while dropping Xander Bogaerts (post All-Star break .253/.317/.412/.729) to sixth. Oh, the horror! Who's going to win? Legendary hoop coach Don Meyer would answer, "It's not who you play, it's how you play." Baseball isn't a sport where elevating your intensity level translates to improved performance. Getting over 'jacked' won't translate to more 'jacks'. The specul...
The Red Sox announced that about 81 percent of existing ticket prices would remain unchanged for the 2007 season. I'm sure that relieves many of our anxieties that tickets could actually get expensive. "America's Most Beloved Ballpark" already had the highest price tag for a family outing of four, currently only requiring a second mortgage, a downgrade to regular from high test, turning the heat down to 60 at night, and buying only generic turkey hot dogs for weeks. If I can find my Game 1 ticket stub from the bleachers in 1975, I think it will show $4.75 for attending a World Series opener. Now that's almost the price for a bottle of water. Well, water is the commodity of the 21st Century, and I'm sure that Mr. Henry will confirm that, although a lot of other commodities haven't treated him so well in the recent past. Of course, that also means that 19 percent of ticket prices will rise. I guess I'd like to sit in the Monster Seats someday, and that...
The old saw about 'momentum lasting only as long as the next day's starting pitcher' proved true, as the Sox stuffed the Birds from Baltimore 5-1, to even their four game series at one apiece. Wade Miller pitched seven strong innings to capture his second win of the season and he lowered his ERA to 4.85. Mike Timlin and Mike Myers came in to close out the final 6 O's. Edgar Renteria, David Ortiz, and Mark Bellhorn each had two hits, and John Olerud, replacing Johnny Damon in the lineup offensively (multiple switches defensively) delivered a key double to left-center. Damon ran into the bullpen projection in right center chasing an extra-base hit and the extent of his injury is not known, although he had four stitches above the right eye. The Sox chased hard throwing righthander Daniel Cabrera with four runs in the fifth although Cabrera lasted into the sixth. Sox fans were treated to an inning of premier closer B.J. Ryan in a non-save situation. Ryan has a 1.33 ERA with...
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