Toast: Sox-Rays Gamer XII

Jason Varitek's on-base percentage is .302.

.302

That sunk in yet?

Exactly two catchers in the 107-year history of the Red Sox to this point finished a full season with an OBP that low: Lou Criger (.256 in 1903, .283 in 1904) and Tony Pena (.291 in 1991). This is the man Terry Francona sent up to pinch hit in a key situation last night. The man whose OPS+ is so low, the only other years where a full-time Sox catcher posted one lower were 1903, 1922, 1924 and 1991.

Have fun thinking about that, as the Red Sox look to avoid the three-game sweep tonight to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Comments

[rootbeerfloat]

Homer for Pedroia!

[stuck working]

As concerned as I am about Tek's performance this season, I'm even more concerned about the future. With his contract up, will he be re-signed? If so, how long will we be stuck with his bat? And if not, who do the Sox get instead? A vexing situation.

[rootbeerfloat]

This is shaping up badly

[stuck working]

Well, let's hope that that was Dice-K's problem inning...

[IronHorse (yf)]

Geez, the RS and NYY gamers tonight are pretty down on our respective teams!

[stuck working]

Well, IH, what's worse: losing to a mediocre team like the Rangers or losing to the leader of the division? Hard for me to say, but they both hurt in their own way.

[stuck working]

In keeping with the topic of the post, TeK Ks.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Runners at the corners with 2 outs after an error.
More wasted opportunities on the way.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Loogie can't get it done. On the other hand, Kazmir's pitch count is at 45 after 2 IP.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Hey, Horse! Any reason any of us SHOULDN'T be down on our teams?

[stuck working]

IBM: you call Lugo stranding two runners a wasted opportunity, but I call it clearing the pitcher's spot.

Wait, interleague's over?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Christ. Now ESPN is giving us crowd shots of loudmouth Dick Vitale.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Stuck, we all have our own perspectives.

...

Our senses of entitlement are taking a beating.

[Paul SF]

I still believe the Rays will not be in the top two come Sept. 15. I used to have reasons for that; now, it's just because they're the Rays. I mean, come on!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

DICE-K! STOP EFFING NIBBLING!!

[Paul SF]

Matsuzaka the opposite of in control right now.

[stuck working]

Paul: my new working theory is that the Rays and Sox might actually meet in the postseason. In which case I would be very worried about the Sox.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Jacoby swings at a fastball up and in, first pitch, pops out. A waste of an at-bat.

[Atheose]

Just got in... Pedroia has a homer and a triple? NICE!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Pedro=Red Sox offense.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Heads up boys. Kazmir throwing almost exclusively fastballs.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Drew walks, setting up Manny to blow another scoring opportunity.

[SF]

Let's go, old man shover!

[SF]

You know what? I LOVE that Manny kicked that stupid fucking traveling secretary's ass. Seriously, if there was one guy on the Sox who had it coming it was that twit with the clipboard and the AARP card. About fucking time is what I say.

[SF]

(let's see how many YFs take that last comment seriously and cite it tomorrow)

[Atheose]

Manny grounds out to 3rd, but it's hit hard enough to score a run and advance Drew to 2nd. Sweet.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Manny hits it hard, barely avoiding continued suckage.

[SF]

in play (runs)

!!!!!

A ground out, but a run nonetheless!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Watch it, SF. I use a clipboard.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Kazmir's pitch count at 60 after 3.

[Atheose]

my new working theory is that the Rays and Sox might actually meet in the postseason. In which case I would be very worried about the Sox.

I hope we crush their dreams in the playoffs, Indians/Rockies style.

[SF]

On what date will Jason Varitek sink below .200?

Right now he is 50 for 228, for a .219 average. If he goes 0 for his next 23 he will make it. That's probably six games, so the earliest is in about a week.

[Atheose]

It's like the opposite of the Chipper Jones watch. Can he reach--and stay at--.400 before 'Tek hits .200?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

SF, here's my idea: We need an SF-YF love-in, where we do nothing but compliment each other and massage each other's senses of entitlement.
Everyone brings a 12-pack and we all sign in at the same time and don't leave until the beer is gone. Nothing but love. No negative posts about RS or NYY.

[Atheose]

Dice-K STOP SHAKING TEK OFF!

[Atheose]

See what happens when you don't shake off Tek? You strike him out. One down.

There have been a LOT of Sox games on ESPN this season. Not complaining of course... these guys beat listening to the TB announcers on mlb.tv.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

We could do it this weekend during the four-game set at the Stadium.

[A YF]

Serious question on Varitek: Do the Sox re-sign him? With how empty the major leagues are of catching talent, don't they have to? What's the other choice? Cash or Kottaras full-time? I-Rod and his .326 OBP?

[Atheose]

Whew Lugo gets him out. I half expected the ump to call him safe at first.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Only Dice-K could have a 17-pitch 1-2-3 inning.

[Atheose]

I'd split time between Cash and Kottaras. Right now AYF I'm leaning towards no, don't resign him. It hurts for me to make that decision though. Glad I don't have to.

It's insane that Tek is anywhere near the running for All Star. Mauer deserves it hands down.

[Atheose]

Tek and Moss on, let's get some runs guys.

[Atheose]

Wow, Bartlett did a good job faking that hit and falling on his face. Cora definitely slid nowhere near the bag, but Bartlett's acting helped convince the ump.

[Atheose]

14 pitches, 3 K's for Daisuke!

[Atheose]

PEDROIA DOUBLES! He's batting the cycle in reverse!

[Atheose]

DREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW

[Atheose]

4 extra base hits by the Red Sox so far. Three are by Pedroia.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

INT walk to Yooks to get to Tek.
Well, Tek, you know what to do.

[Atheose]

Youk getting a IBB, the 2nd one of his career. The first one also came this year, on April 20 with JD Drew batting behind him.

[Atheose]

Wild pitch scores a run! 4-1 Sox.

[Atheose]

107 pitches for Kazmir after 5. Okay Daisuke, hold the lead now please.

[SF]

IBM:

The love-in sounds good, at least the beer part. Not so sure about the YF part.

[Atheose]

And Okajima is brought in for 6th-inning duty. Sad face.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Oki. Jesus.

[rootbeerfloat]

Uh oh. Oki in.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Tito's giving Oki a chance to work his way out of it. please, don't let us down.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

I'm away from teh TV. Radio guys make it sound like Longoria hit a good pitch. Anyone?

[Atheose]

Holy fuck these umpires are idiots. The ball is foul like CRAZY, but comes back and lands in fair territory. The 3rd base coach immediately calls it a fair ball, and Lowell runs screaming over to him.

The home plate umpire is the voice of reason though, and quickly calls it a foul ball because it struck the catwalk in foul territory.

[SF]

Oki! I think we've found his inning!

Now we just need to find guys for the seventh and eight.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Speaking of idiots ... Tony Romo took his girlfriend, the deer-in-the-headlights faced Jessica Simpson, out to dinner with his parents. They went to the Olive Garden in Janesville, Wisconsin.

[Atheose]

Youk gets IBB'd AGAIN. Third time in his career, twice tonight.

[Atheose]

Speaking of idiots ... Tony Romo took his girlfriend, the deer-in-the-headlights faced Jessica Simpson super hot blond for whom I'd throw my grandma down a flight of stairs to sleep with, out to dinner with his parents. They went to the Olive Garden in Janesville, Wisconsin.

There, fixed it for you.

[SF]

And Tek promptly Ks. No-brainer IBB there. Only five games until Tek is hitting .199.

Man, he looks done. As done as ever, and he's looked done in the past, but this is even worse.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Ath, .... oh, boy.
Dude, if there's a dumber-looking celebrity out there not named Brad Pitt ...
Oh, boy.

[SF]

Yay, bullpen!

MDC gives up the leadoff double after we squander an easy run.

[Atheose]

Dude, if there's a dumber-looking celebrity out there not named Brad Pitt ...
Oh, boy

I don't care about her inability to do calculus, Bill ;-) She's super hot, she looks super hot, and I'd swim through a mile of her piss just to see where it came from.

[SF]

Um, ok. Moving on...

These Sox are f*cking painful. MDC imploding immediately.

[Atheose]

If we're losing in a close game, our bullpen puts it out of reach. If we're winning, they do everything they can to blow the lead. This is frustrating.

[SF]

Fuck it, bring in Papelbon. High leverage. Let someone else try to close it out. Otherwise, we're losing again the way the setup guys are going and Paps won't even need to pitch.

[SF]

Theo:

Get to work.

[Atheose]

Shit, the Rays just broke out "Sandstorm", by far the greatest techno song of all time. And the bases are loaded with zero outs.

[Atheose]

3 straight balls. Fuck.

[Atheose]

Hansen walks a run in. 4-3.

[SF]

This team looks pitiful, just pitiful.

[SF]

More unwatchable baseball from the Sox, a nightly occurrence all of a sudden.

Hence, I will not watch. They don't deserve my time right now.

[Atheose]

I need to go do something else.

[Devine]

F*ck our bullpen. F*ck it to hell and back.

[SF]

Third place here we come! Maybe fourth!

Horrid baseball, absolutely horrid. And no end in sight, either. The bullpen is a trainwreck, our GM too busy trying to usher in detente between a ticket-getter and a slugger to do his fucking job.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Went to buy a prescription. Shit shit shit shit shit.
Shit.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

But here's the real killer stat for Boston: 8 LOBs.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Sorry. Nine LOBs.
I'm as reliable as the bullpen.

[SF]

To be honest, the Sox need to see if Papi is coming back before making a move, though at that point it might be too late. If Papi isn't healthy (and Tek is really as horrible as he looks) then the offense might be terribly crippled, what with Manny facing nagging injuries and LFRS his useless self. The offense won't be able to rescue the bullpen or render it less important without Papi. So, until then, we probably have to live with this situation. I wouldn't advocate moving Buchholz, Lowrie, Bowden, or Masterson if Papi is gone for the year, I'd almost rather let these guys get experience and move towards next season, see if they can compete with the youngsters. But if Papi is gone, then Lowrie better get called up immediately or Theo can go you-know-what himself.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Drew gets on and ... well, Manny's last at-bat was a good one.

[A YF]

What I don't understand is why Theo doesn't give a shot to the kids worthy of spelling the sagging hitters? You can't sit Varitek for Kottaras, but why not Lowrie for Lugo and one of Carter/Van Every/Bailey for Ellsbury?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

SF, you're hitting the panic button too soon.
Yeah, we look like crap right now. But for Christ sake, its not eventhe All-star break yet. The Sox have been without Papi for a month and they're only 2.5 games out.
The problem is that everyone is scuffling except the starting pitchers and Pedroia.
There is plenty of time for this ship to right itself.
Tampa hasn't really had a losing skid yet and they haven't had any players on the DL for any notable period. Carlos Pena is not Papi, Percival ain't Paps and most of that bullpen is pitching well better than their career stats.
I'm not saying Tampa should be ignored and it'll go away, but how do they do in the dog days? And NYY is having the same problems we are ... inconsistency galore.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Bailey and VanEvery aren't prospects. They're effectively journeymen/career minor leaguers.
Ellsbury needs to play to break out of it, Kottaras isn't on the 40-man and Lowrie, well, yeah, I'd like to see Lowrie back up.

I really believe that this is just a confluence of bad, not a snapshot of the bigger picture. NYY hasn't made any major moves except for those out of necessity based on injury.

I'm not convinced that a good ol' Leyland-esque/Guillen-esque Tito tempter tamtrum isn't what might shake things up.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

tantrum. Temper tantrum.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

OK, tying run is on. no outs.

[rootbeerfloat]

But you know, it's US so it won't matter.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Wheeler's career ERA is 3.90.

[A YF]

"And NYY is having the same problems we are ... inconsistency galore."

Yanks have those injuries. What are the Sox excuses?

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Wheeler will remember that he sucks.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

AYF, if you can't pay attention, go away.

[rootbeerfloat]

A - Seriously? You came to this thread to troll. Go away.

[John - YF]

Ughhhh 1 Out and you hit and run on 1-1 with Lowell. Not a smart move Tito.

[dknyc]

Tek is killing the Sox right now...time to bring in a hitting catcher - Mariners have a couple to deal.

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Yes, John, but that pitch was up the gut.

[A YF]

Why is Lowell running? And Varitek continues to impress!

[I'mBillMcNeal]

Interesting how all you YFs want us to bail on Tek. Well, you and SF.
Maybe there are catchers available who can hit but can they work behind the plate. That's tek's value.

[John - YF]

It's obvious that I'm not trolling...

But why oh why would you H&R after you have been hitting Wheeler pretty well all inning AND you have Mike Lowell on 1st. There has to be a bench player FASTER than Lowell if you are dead set on H&R. Sorry but that doesn't make a ton of sense.