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Like 2003, only worse
By adamg on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 12:04am
Because it was spread out over an entire month. Good God.
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ARGH
ONE STRIKE -- ONE STRIKE!!! #listofexpletives
Nowhere near as bad as 2003
C'mon Adam. In 2003, what was it, 85 years since the last world series, Sox had lot's of high performing stars and plenty of momentum. Then the Yankees Aaron Boone gets a walk-off homer off Wakefield in game 7 of the ALCS? That was about as heartbreaking as it gets for Sox fans. After winning two World Series in the last seven years, they start terribly and totally crash in late August, dreadful in September, undeserving of the ALDS, never mind ALCS. Sure, tonight was awful but frankly, the Rays deserved it more, especially with their paltry payroll. David vs. Goliath and David won, again.
Yeah, you have a point
2003 was pretty bad. The difference was that just took one swing, while this was a month-long collapse.
98.5 is staying on for a while...a caller just made a good point
Not sure if I'm quoting verbatim but close:
"2003 was like a sudden, fatal heart attack. 2011 was like a month long terminal illness."
----
FYI: If anyone wants to share in the misery, Damon Amendolara (sp?) is staying on live, taking calls on 98.5. I switched off Dale Arnold on WEEI when he cautioned callers that they shouldn't call suggesting changes in management because Theo and Tito are "the best". Riiiiiight.
I told a friend
Tonight was like having rotted wisdom teeth yanked. It hurts now but not a lot worse than the chronic agony that came before.
A single moment of fail is far worse
than a month long collapse. We had lots of time to condition ourselves to the idea that it wasn't going to happen this year. The big surprise is how close the Redsox came to making the post season in spite of the worst September record in the history of modern baseball.
It was unfathomable... It is
It was unfathomable... It is like someone have written this for all of this to happen.
At first everything was going to our hopes: Rays were being mercilessly crushed 8-0. Sox were up 3-2.
Then, the Rain Delay came...
During that Rain Delay, The Rays coming back from 8-0 and was ONE strike away from death.
Then the Red Sox way ONE strike away from victory, but lost it themselves.
Then mere moments later, the Rays close it out with a home run.
How can all of this be possible?
BS on 2003: that took me 3 weeks to bounce back from.
This one? I'll be over it tomorrow. I already knew this Sox team was dead, had no hope of getting past the first round even if they backed into the playoffs.
I had fun watching this team this year: horrible, horrible start, a climb back from the gutter, a long comfortable reign in first place, and then... and then... no other way to say it: epic collapse, a swoon for the record books. Only the Yankees' 2004 ALCS collapse exceeds it in choke-factor terms.
It's a bit baffling, and will surely result in the departure of Theo, or Francona, or both. Injuries definitely hit hard, especially Buchholz, but it's hard to ascribe the lifelessness, confusion, and lack of fire of September simply to that. Tough for a lifelong Sox fan to say it, but they went out like bitches.
Plenty of bright spots and good memories, foremost of which is Jacoby's resurgence after a lost '10 season in which the world seemed to slag him (unfairly, in my book -- rib injuries are brutal). The worst thing about the Sox' collapse to me is that it hurts Ellsbury's chances at AL MVP, which I think he deserves. (Give Verlander the Cy, not the MVP, I say.)
Other bright spots: Wake's 200th win, the expectations-exceeding of the Salty/Tek tandem, Aceves all season, Scutaro in September, Lavarnway late, the solid joy of watching Dusty compete even if he wasn't quite as awesome this year, Papi and Papelbon playing like they were in contract years. Unsurprising busts: Dice-K, J.D. Drew, Lowery (the new Drew, I call him, so untough).
The worst? The sad cost-to-value ratio of Carl Crawford's performance. Like Lackey, we appear to be stuck with paying him a lot of money for some time. Unlike Lackey, I hold a flicker of hope that Crawford might yet justify his huge salary next year and beyond.
Was I entertained? As someone that gets to 20 games a year and has done so for a long time, yes, though I wish I'd been dealt fewer Lackey starts. Was I frustrated? Hell, yes: I expected this to be a year that the Yanks would yet again overspend vainly while the Sox chugged past them: got that one really wrong (to the extent that you can ever forgive the team that outspends even rich teams by at least 20% every year, and outspent the Rays by over 500% this year).
Mitigating factors: the restaurants and bars around Fenway are no longer embarrassing. There's plenty of good places to eat and drink before and after a game. That's pretty new. The owners have done an amazing job of hiding Fenway Park's obvious obsolescence. I want a new park, but they've mollified me a bit with the improvements all around the facility. We live in the winningest four-sport town of the past decade, and we only have one franchise per sport.
But I had higher hopes in July and August. No Sox fan with a memory that goes back further than 2004 can look at this collapse without feeling echoes of some really painful memories. It will be an especially heated hot-stove season this winter. Meanwhile, go college football. Go Pats. Go B's. Go Celts. This is a Red Sox season I'll be happy to see receding in the rear-view mirror.
Im the exact opposite mcslim
2003 was a great series and a fun year. I loved the sox that year and thought the team had guts. I was excited for 2004.
This team on the other hand I found myself hating. Maybe its just my natural instinct to jump off the bandwagon, but the end of this year was not fun and doesn not have me looking forward to next year.
I'll Take A Bit Of Both Of You
There were some outstanding performances, down the stretch, that will likely be forgotten by most in the rush to tar all on this team with the "choke" brush.
Ellsbury, above all others, was magnificent. His clutch hits and overall hustle were pretty much up there with '67 Yaz and '04 Ortiz.
Scutaro also came through more often than not. He was a joy to watch.
Pedroia is always fun, and nobody leaves more sweat on the field than that guy.
Ortiz, Gonzalez, and others, were actually quite alright, overall. As a matter of fact, there really wasn't much to complain about from the position players. I would have preferred more fireworks from some, but they were steady enough.
The bad?
The pitching was execrable. Outside of Aceves (and Papelbon, excluding last night and one other less-than-memorable outing) there wasn't a single pitcher that came through with any sort of regularity.
Tito wasn't to blame, but he wasn't NOT to blame. That is, I'm not sure he could have done much differently to save the ship, but he certainly didn't make any move that made you go "Wow! That was brilliant!"
I never really fell in love with this team as a team. Individual players, yes - Pedroia, Ellsbury. Scutaro, and Wake (always my favorite, bless his old ass.) But, as a team? They were bland, very little fire. And I can't say I'm looking forward to next with any anticipatory glee.
Finally, let me tell you that I was ready to divest myself of any last shred of Sox fandom in my heart had they actually brought in Bruce Chen for the one-game playoff, as was the rumor until Wednesday night. That would have gone against every grain of my baseball moral fiber. I would have rooted as hard against them as I ever rooted for them, had they done that. That Theo did NOT make that deal is one thing I am grateful for in this mess.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
I think we're on the same page about the '03 Sox, Pete
They were indeed a more lovable team. My point was that the Grady game really, really hurt. The Yanks were down, beaten, and that stupid move with Pedro opened the gates again, a crazy blunder that even the dumbest fan was screaming about in disbelief at the time. Really a kick in the nuts. Thankfully, '04 made it all better, with a vengeance.
By contrast, I had zero illusions about the '11 Sox after watching their September swoon. Their not making the playoffs was a small mercy, in my book: no way there were doing anything but losing the ALDS in 3 or 4. Better to get the misery over with now, and let the hungier, more clutch, more deserving young team with the teensy payroll get their shot.
I hear ya.
I can't defend the Grady move, but there is this one small part of me who felt that Pedro had what it took to dig down deep and finish that game off. Grady probably had the same feelings I had but acted on it.
But I had hopes for this years team too. I think a win in that last game (with a Tampa loss) may have lighted a spark in this team. Hell, look at what Texas did last night.
And the wierd thing about this whole season is this: Imagine if the sox had won just one extra game a week in Sept and clinched it a week ago? Wouldn't the attitude of this team be totally different?
It does sound like some of the players this year should have stepped up in the clubhouse. After hearing some of the things yesterday, there are some players who have lost some respect in my book.
I have to contest the idea
I have to contest the idea that Pedroia wasn't as good this year. .300+ average, 21 home runs, 90-something RBIs? Plus a smattering of stolen bases and his usual solid defense? I thought he more than made up for last year's somewhat underwhelming performance (and he still hit like .290 last year!).
There's no room for criticizing Pedie
He did everything we needed from him and more. Just because Elsbury was even better, doesn't minimize the awesomeness packed in that 5'9" frame. Pound for pound, Pedroia is the best!
And honestly, I think this
And honestly, I think this year might've been a fluke for Ellsbury. I mean, 30 home runs? I'm sorry, he is not a power hitter; he doesn't have the frame for it. I know they said he put on muscle this year, and I can see him being a 20-HR hitter from time to time, but this kind of power production will not be perennial.
It ended like it started. . .
unexpected and heartbreaking.
Say it with me...
Maybe next year.... Maybe next year....
Get a grip
Let it go, Sox fans. Imagine that you are a life-long supporter of the Royals or the Pirates. Would you rather have that?
This ownership and management has shown it can win it all. You just can't win them all. Sometimes you streak good and sometimes you streak bad. Boston is going to have more of the former than the latter because they have the money that the Royals do not.
Corrected that for you
they have the money that the Rays do not.
Correct
"they have the money that the Rays do not."
That's right.
Red Sox 2001 payroll = $161 million
Rays = $41 million.
That is a big difference. The only way the Rays can have success is to draft well when they have high draft picks (i.e., during years when their record is not so good) and play well while they have those good young players under control. Because as soon as those good young players become free agents, they will leave for more money than the Rays (and Royals and Pirates, etc.)can afford - and they can't be replaced with comparable free agents, again because of payroll limitations.
Re: Get a grip
I actually grew up as both a Red Sox and Pirates fan (my father spent part of his youth in the Pittsburgh area, so he always cheered for the Pirates and Steelers), although the former now commands the majority of my allegiance. Up until the mid-1990s, I could usually take comfort in the fact that at least one of the two -- and sometimes both -- would have a reasonable shot at contending, if not that particular year then maybe in another season or two.
Since then, however, the experience of backing those two teams has been rather like being on a diet of champagne and caviar one day, and Fritos and Fanta the next.
Nothing is worse than 2003
Nothing is worse than 2003
Valtimort
Their performance this season is entirely summed up by last night's game: if at first you don't succeed, piss on someone else's party with great vengeful passion.
They have been like a lumbering monster in a video game - the one whose entire purpose is to get in the way. Nothing but a bunch of Sox Blockers.
p.s. I anybody else getting the "SO CLOSE" ad for Montreal Tourism when they load this thread?
There is some upside to this Sox debacle
I won't have to hear friggin' "Sweet Caroline" again till next spring. That song makes me want to kill.
Sweet Caroline, Theo & Tito must be shown the door,
Sweet Caroline should be shown the door, along with Epstein and Francona. The
DisneylandFenway experience has become completely stale and that song is exhibit one. "Boy Wonder" Epstein has been awful all along. It was Dan Duquette who was the architect of the '04 World Series champs and the Duke still had his fingers on the '07 champs. Duke signed Wake, Manny, Johnny Damon, Varitek, D. Lowe, Pedro, Youkilis, Lester, and Hanley Ramirez among other key contributors.I call Hanley Ramirez a contributor because it was during Epstein's 80 day gorilla suit tantrum walkout that his temporary (unfortunately) replacements Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington negotiated the blockbuster trade of Ramirez to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, vital components of the '07 champs. On the other Ramirez, there's no doubt in my mind that it was mostly Epstein's ego (he resented the team's star was signed by Duquette) and less Manny's misbehavior, that sparked the numerous anti-Manny news stories that eventually led to Manny's departure, a Hall of Fame void that may never be filled. I predicted on Media Nation at the time that without Ramirez or an equal, the Sox wouldn't win anything for a long, long time. So far, so good. On his own, far too many of Epstein's signings have been total busts and he must go. Francona, nice guy but in April and September, the team needed a stern, innovative, motivational leader. Francona remained a bump on a log. Exit, stage right.
Stern, Innovative, Motivational?
Every American imagines he can do two things better than anyone else - drive a car and manage a baseball team. We're all entitled to our opinions, of course, and I'm not saying you're necessarily wrong. But what could Tito have done, specifically, to have saved this ship from sinking?
For instance, Grady Little made a horrendous decision in '03. That's a given. What stern, innovative, and/or motivational thing might Tito have done, or avoided doing, to have made a difference concerning his future job prospects in Boston?
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
I have a long history with this team
Saw my first game at Fenway before some of you were born. This being the slightest bit competitive to the post season are new to me. I start watching each season, not to see a World Series, or even a American League championship. I watch to see the amazing ways the Boston Red Sox can yank defeat from the yaws of victory.
I know these guys, this is the team I grew up watching!
Exactly
Yes, this is like 2003 in slow motion. In both years, the front office required the field management to work outside their capabilities with a pitching staff put together in an unconventional way. In '03 it was "closer by committee" - a concept the manager never bought into (and that certainly wasn't going to work without a pitching coach). In '11 it was all these 4-inning starters, which led Francona and Young to burn out the bullpen (their mistake, of course). Okay, Lackey was just bad - but Wakefield, Miller, Bedard, and you can throw in Matsuzaka and Buchholz if you want were a group impossible to handle. The Sox would have done better with some guys with less upside but more staying power - low-end innings-eaters.
Shhh... quiet....
Do you hear that? Do you? It's the sound of all of the frontrunners jumping off the bandwagon. I've been a fan for 41 years and I'm still here for the duration.