When June 9th rolls around and your team is 29-29, you have to start considering the possibility that they truly are just a .500 team. They had a nice burst where the pitching was solid and everyone seemed to be contributing on offense. It launched them over .500 and even out of the AL East dungeon for a few days. While we appreciate the Jays keeping the place tidy while we visited fourth place, we’re back.
Sure, the team has been plagued by injuries. I’m starting to wonder if the Fenway outfield is built over an old Indian burial ground. Everyone we put out there ends up hurt. Dust off the “curse” talk. But the real problem hasn’t been the substitute players, they have all performed pretty well (not you Byrd). Where would this team be without Nava and Middlebrooks? No, it’s guys like Gonzo, Youk, Beckett, Bard and even Lester and Aceves that have been disappointing.
When we have to pin our hopes on the likes of Dice-K, who has been the poster child for disappointment since the gyro-ball hype, it could be a long summer. But we’ll be there, cheering and rooting and grinding our teeth. And who really knows what will happen, as poorly as the team has played, they are only four games out of first place. Will someone step up and put this team on their shoulders? Will the Sox make a deadline deal for the missing piece? Or will we be looking at 81-81 when all the dust settles?
It’s June 9th and I still don’t know who this team is.
