Maybe everyone will think I'm Lackey

When I saw the Red Sox batters crank it up to full awesome last night in support of Tim Wakefield, I thought it might be the start of something. But honestly, how many times have we said that this season? How many games did we think Crawford was about to bust out? Or that Lackey was getting his shit together? After today’s disaster, I’m beginning to think they might just let this thing slip away.

The sad reality might be that this team is just not tough enough. They certainly have compiled the talent, but they are missing something. Bard has proven he is not a closer, pissing himself in every pressure situation over the past week. He has pitched four-and-two-thirds innings in September and given up nine runs. Bard’s eight losses are second only to Lackey’s 12.

With exception of Youk and Pedroia, is anybody on the team willing to play through any pain? Ortiz is out with “back spasms.” Gonzalez left the game with a “tight calf”…after hitting a home run. Beckett missed a start with a sore ankle, Bedard is out with a sore something-or-other. JD Drew…whatever. All soft. At this time in the season, everybody is a little banged up. But if you’re in the race, you man up and play the games.

It’s mid-September – this isn’t a marathon anymore, it’s a friggin’ balls-out sprint. And the Red Sox are losing. I expect to get ripped in the comments for not trying to find something positive to say, but the Sox are 3-10 in September and not playing good baseball. And if the Yankee-like roster that Theo put together can’t get it done because of a few sore body parts and seemingly no will to win…you tell me what’s wrong. For now, I’m going with a lack of mental toughness.

I am now retiring to my lead-lined bunker.