(Gil) Velazquez does not think he will be on the roster.

Twitter / Ian Browne: Velazquez does not think h ...

... but he is in the clubhouse. Interesting. But, hey, at least he won't be on the roster. If he were to be, that would probably mean bigger problems for either Jed Lowrie or Alex Gonzalez.

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Classsyyyy.

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No surprise here: the Red Sox and Angels will start their ALDS on Thursday night while the Yankees and TBA will start tomorrow.

The Yankees, who own home-field advantage in the playoffs, had the choice of starting either Wednesday or Thursday against the winner of today's Detroit-Minnesota one-game playoff for the AL Central title.

The Yankees will get a day off between Game 1 and Friday's Game 2, allowing them to go with a three-man starting rotation while allowing for extra rest for relievers Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera.

It's no shock the Yankees didn't want to give either the Tigers or Twins a day off after what should be a grueling game that is going on now (update: tied at zero in the top of the 2nd).

The Red Sox will play game one against the Angels at 9:37 p.m. on Thursday.

It looks like Ted Williams' head is being even more disrespected -- this time the beating is coming from FoxSports:

Editor's note: A new book by a former employee of Alcor, the company that froze Ted Williams' remains, alleges the baseball Hall of Famer's body was mistreated by the company. Alcor has denied the allegations and promises legal action. The alleged ordeal has left us wondering . . . what if?

I know what you're thinking: Cremation is looking pretty good right now.

Yeah, the ol' Splinter took some licks in life — broken elbow, neck problems, fighter-jet crash landings. But nothing as rough as the abuse I've taken in death.

Course, these lab tech wusses would wait 'til I got no arms to take a run at The Kid.

But if you think a few lumps are gonna keep Teddy Ballgame down, you got another think coming. Like I always say, there's no crying in cryonics.

And look at the bright side, if I wasn't frozen in suspended animation, I wouldn't be able to weigh in on the 2009 playoff picture.

This is absolutely ridiculous. First of all, it's offensive. Second of all, what purpose does this serve? Does it really get a laugh? Is it educational? It serves zero purpose. I'd like to know who wrote the story because I'm pretty sure there's a reason why he or she didn't want to put his name on this.

I'd expect this out of The Onion. Then it might be kind of funny. But this is Fox Sports stooping to new lows. Congrats on the sensationalism, Fox -- I hope you get all the hits your heart desires.

by E. DeGasero - AP

Not the best stats, but it looks cool.

View full size photo uploaded October 5, 2009

Guess which player fits under which.

A Farewell (To 2009?) For the Captain - Full Count

Terry Francona takes time out to honor Jason Varitek - BostonHerald.com

Thanks, Capitan. Now please, kindly take a seat on the bench.

Lowrie’s Left-Handed Launch a Pain - Full Count

Never mind my idea of the grimace being Jed trying to will the ball over the fence. It is impressive that he's finding ways to work through it though. Hopefully, once the playoffs are done, he can get some rest, with some checkups to make sure the wrist actually heals itself.

Gonzo's heart breaking family tragedy - Fenway West

Even though I think Gonzo's an overrated player, he's playing amazingly well, considering this.

After the jump, looking back and forward at the same time.

Who Actually Had the Biggest Comeback in 2009? - Beyond the Box Score

Interesting breakdown of another BBWAA award - same results as the rest of them.

Graphic: 2009 Red Sox regular season - Boston.com

SO COOL - easy way to look deeper into the record. Any weird splits?

Answering Kurkjian’s Questions - Fire Brand of the American League

They're so nice, responding to the mainstream media.

Second to Some: Dustin Pedroia Is Far from AL's Best Second Baseman - Bleacher Report

I would really rather avoid these articles, but this is just poorly executed - no one can argue that Cano is a better 2B than Pedroia.

2010 MLB Draft Order - MLB Daily Dish

Gotta find some more diamonds in the rough, I guess.

Umpires named for division series - Extra Bases

"Twittered" = LOL. Besides that, it's amazing how the worst umps get the playoff series.

Keep the conversations going - this place should be hopping by Thursday. Links, comments, life hacks, whatever.

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon pumps his fist after getting Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera to fly out to end their baseball game with a 6-5 win at Fenway Park in Boston, Monday Aug. 10, 2009. Papelbon got the save, his 28th for the season.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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On July 28, the Red Sox lost to the Oakland Athletics 9-8. For us Sox fans, this could not have been a surprise, even though the team had gone into the 9th with a 7-4 lead. After all, the team's once dominant closer, Jonathan Papelbon, had looked anything but for much of the season. Sure, it was only his third blown save, but the way he was pitching those numbers were clearly unsustainable. Papelbon had seemingly made it his mission to make every save a dramatic one as he would pull such feats as loading the bases with 0 outs before striking out the next 3, or letting the tieing run get to 3rd with 1 out and stranding him there.

 

Papelbon's ERA was great, living always slightly above or below 2, but his WHIP was sky high and it wasn't hard to see the problem: walks. In 69 innings in 2008, Papelbon walked all of 8 batters, and never in his career (excepting 2005) had his BB/9 been above 2.31. In 2009, things were different, as through the end of June he had walked 17 batters in only 34 innings, nearly doubling his highest rate.

 

Speculation ran rampant. Was Papelbon saving his arm for the postseason? For a future contract? Did he simply lack focus in non-save situations? For whatever reason, Papelbon was just not the same. He still struck out plenty of guys, he just didn't seem to have that pinpoint control anymore.

 

And then the old Papelbon returned.

That game in July? That was Papelbon's last blown save. Since then, he has given up walks in only 2 games out of 23 (3 in one against the Toronto Blue Jays). In the 25 innings he's pitched in those games, he has struck out 31 batters and given up only 15 hits. His WHIP, for those not doing the math as they go, stands at .76 over that stretch, and his ERA at 1.44.

 

So what was the problem with Papelbon? Is he really that much worse when the game isn't close? Was he really trying to save himself for a future contract? If you ask Paps, he'll tell you it was his delivery. He had changed it at the beginning of the season, and was having trouble repeating it consistently. The biggest casualty of the change was his splitter, a pitch that nearly disappeared as the year went on, and one he now claims to be much more comfortable with. Now that he's able to repeat his delivery, Papelbon has regained his control in a hurry.

 

For a playoff-bound Red Sox team, this has to be a huge relief. After all, since 2007, the Sox have been able to play 8-inning postseason games. Papelbon is perfectly aware that the reputation he earns in October is the one that will stick to his name well after his career is over, and if he's been a dominant regular season closer, he has been untouchable in the playoffs. In 25 innings, Papelbon has allowed 10 hits, 6 walks, recorded 22 strikeouts, and let a total of 0 men cross home plate.

 

For the Red Sox, there are a number of question marks going into the playoffs, but the ninth inning couldn't be any more simple.

This time, Angels might run wild on Red Sox - MLB News - FOX Sports on MSN

Ken Rosenthal thinks the Angels will win this series in five games because the Red Sox don't know how to throw baserunners out. Good point, Kenny, but there's a helluva lot more to the game of baseball than just that, too. And remember -- Tim Wakefield isn't pitching in this series.

This time, Angels might run wild on Red Sox - MLB News - FOX Sports on MSN

Ken Rosenthal thinks the Angels will win this series in five games because the Red Sox don't know how to throw baserunners out. Good point, Kenny, but there's a helluva lot more to the game of baseball than just that, too. And remember -- Tim Wakefield isn't pitching in this series.

More photos » by Mike Carlson - AP

5 months ago: Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen reacts after hitting Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Pena with a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 3, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rays won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

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Last season, Manny Delcarmen was a very reliable relief pitcher. He was especially solid down the stretch and proved to be one of the Sox's best options. But this season, it's been the opposite despite a strong start.

Let's take a look at both seasons at a glance:

YEAR K/9 BB/9 K/BB BAA BABIP 2008 8.72 3.39 2.57 0.208 0.266 2009 6.64 5.13 1.29 0.276 0.322

Basically, everything you saw out of Manny D in 2008 just did a 180 this season. He almost strikeout one batter an inning last season, but that dropped by more than two points. He walks almost two more batters per nine, too. On top of that, opposing hitters have upped their average almost a whopping .070 points.

But we might have been able to see that coming. Manny's BABIP was a better than average .266, hinting he could drop off in 2009. Well, he did, but more than I think anyone would have really expected. Now he's been much more unlucky, logging a high .322 BABIP.

We should also see what his pitches have been doing this year compared to last:

YEAR FB FBv CB CBv CH CHv 2008 67.30% 95.5 17.80% 77.8 14.90% 83.4 2009 65.30% 93.9 13.40% 76.7 21.30% 82.1

(FBv is fastball velocity, CBv is curveball velocity, etc.)

Essentially, Manny D is throwing his fastball less, his curveball less and his changeup a heckuva lot more than last season. Throwing his changeup more could be the reason why he's been struggling so much, or it could be a comfort pitch to him -- he struggles, so he goes to his changeup to try and make things better.

The drop of velocity in his fastball is concerning, too. While the velocity in curveballs and changeups really aren't that major, the drops all across the board shows there could be something wrong with his arm. If his fastball velocity was down, but his changeup velocity was up, it could mean a mechanics issue or something similar. With the way it looks now, it could be a tired arm.

Let's hope Manny gets his act together for the postseason because the Sox might really need him. If they don't need him, it'd be nice to have a good Manny D as a backup anyway.

More photos » by Mike Carlson - AP

5 months ago: Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen reacts after hitting Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Pena with a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 3, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rays won 5-3. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Browse more photos »

Last season, Manny Delcarmen was a very reliable relief pitcher. He was especially solid down the stretch and proved to be one of the Sox's best options. But this season, it's been the opposite despite a strong start.

Let's take a look at both seasons at a glance:

YEAR K/9 BB/9 K/BB BAA BABIP 2008 8.72 3.39 2.57 0.208 0.266 2009 6.64 5.13 1.29 0.276 0.322

Basically, everything you saw out of Manny D in 2008 just did a 180 this season. He almost strikeout one batter an inning last season, but that dropped by more than two points. He walks almost two more batters per nine, too. On top of that, opposing hitters have upped their average almost a whopping .070 points.

But we might have been able to see that coming. Manny's BABIP was a better than average .266, hinting he could drop off in 2009. Well, he did, but more than I think anyone would have really expected. Now he's been much more unlucky, logging a high .322 BABIP.

We should also see what his pitches have been doing this year compared to last:

YEAR FB FBv CB CBv CH CHv 2008 67.30% 95.5 17.80% 77.8 14.90% 83.4 2009 65.30% 93.9 13.40% 76.7 21.30% 82.1

(FBv is fastball velocity, CBv is curveball velocity, etc.)

Essentially, Manny D is throwing his fastball less, his curveball less and his changeup a heckuva lot more than last season. Throwing his changeup more could be the reason why he's been struggling so much, or it could be a comfort pitch to him -- he struggles, so he goes to his changeup to try and make things better.

The drop of velocity in his fastball is concerning, too. While the velocity in curveballs and changeups really aren't that major, the drops all across the board shows there could be something wrong with his arm. If his fastball velocity was down, but his changeup velocity was up, it could mean a mechanics issue or something similar. With the way it looks now, it could be a tired arm.

Let's hope Manny gets his act together for the postseason because the Sox might really need him. If they don't need him, it'd be nice to have a good Manny D as a backup anyway.

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

6 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Manny Delcarmen delivers a pitch in the eighth inning of the Red Sox's 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in a spring training baseball game at Brighthouse Field in Clearwater, Fla., Sunday, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

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It's no secret that Manny Delcarmen has struggled as of late, but the numbers are pretty shocking when you compare his first and second halves:

After a solid first half in which Delcarmen posted a 2.41 ERA, he had a fairly horrific second half, notching a 7.27 ERA. What happened?

"I don't know," Delcarmen said. "I just really don't know. One pitch would be 94 or 95 and another one would be at 90. I can't remember the last time I was that low. I'm working with [pitching coach John] Farrrell, trying to figure stuff out."

Terry Francona is still trying to figure out if Manny Delcarmen is going to be on the postseason roster. The combination of his car accident Saturday, plus his ineffectiveness, is going to make the decision tough. Here are the pitchers that should be locks for the ALDS:

• Jonathan Papelbon
• Ramon Ramirez
• Hideki Okajima
• Daniel Bard
• Billy Wagner
• Takashi Saito
• Daisuke Matsuzaka
• Clay Buchholz
• Josh Beckett
• Jon Lester

That's 10 pitchers right there. That leaves Delcarmen, Paul Byrd and, potentially, Michael Bowden fighting for another spot or two (depending how the Sox want to go). Matsuzaka should be the long man in the ALDS, so Byrd and Bowden wouldn't be needed in those roles.

It seems to me that there will be room for Delcarmen, unless he really does suffer setbacks from the car accident.

Your turn: if you had to choose from those three, who would you want on the ALDS roster?

Poll If you had to choose one as your last pitcher on the ALDS roster, who do you pick?

• Manny Delcarmen
• Paul Byrd
• Michael Bowden
• Do I have to choose one?

  244 votes | Results

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

about 1 month ago: Boston Red Sox's Nick Green talks to David Ortiz in the dugout after pitching the eighth and ninth innings of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009. The White Sox beat the Red Sox, 9-5. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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The Red Sox held an optional workout todayy before the team hopes the plane for a 3:15 p.m. flight to the West Coast:

The players in attendance here are Nick Green, Brian Anderson, Casey Kotchman, Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Jacoby Ellsbury, Billy Wagner, George Kottaras, Takashi Saito and Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Green still is having difficulty with his back, though he said he was better, but "not good enough to play."

The rest of the team appears eager to get out of Boston and to Anaheim, Calif. They were simply playing out the string in the regular season, and now the true fun begins.

"This is kind of where it starts," Jason Bay said. "I think everyone's aware of that, but once we get to Anaheim, start working out, it will kick in a little bit more. But, yeah, you work your butt off from February to this point, ultimately on a game-to-game basis now."

Anyone want to take any bets if we're going to see Nick Green this postseason? I think it's a definite he won't be ready for the ALDS, but from the sounds of it, it looks like we won't see him at all for the rest of October. This means Jed Lowrie is the team's backup shortstop. Let's hope he is healthy enough, too.

It's always fun to hear someone from the outside -- that being a non Red Sox fan -- say nice things about your favorite organization. Joe Posnanski is doing that with the Red Sox, but specifically general manager Theo Epstein:

There is every reason in the world for me to love the Boston Red Sox fan. One, I love Boston. Love it. Love walking around Boston, love being around people from Boston, love the accent, love the Sports Guy, love it. Two, the Red Sox hired two of my absolute favorite people in baseball — Bill James and Allard Baird. Three, the Red Sox play baseball the way I believe in baseball — especially with Fenway Park as the home park. And four, they’re good. Is it so wrong to love a team that is actually GOOD?

Right or wrong, I do not love the Red Sox. I cannot just pick and and decided to love the Red Sox — it doesn’t work that way for me. I believe in sports loyalty. And I was born for sports misery.

This is especially disheartening because I have now found another reason to love the Red Sox: Theo Epstein. I have always liked and appreciated Theo from afar. He’s obviously very smart, very good at his job, and his grandfather and great uncle wrote Casablanca. But it has always been from afar … until I heard him discussing J.D. Drew on the radio show "Felger and Massarotti" this week

(You can read more about Theo's discussion on "Felger and Massarotti" here and here.)

He doesn't like the Red Sox, but it seems to me that he respects the Red Sox -- which is even better, really. It's amazing how this brief appearance of Theo on a radio show really made Posnanski do some extra thinking:

I have talked many times here about a fan’s desperate wish — desperate wish — to have the team see the game the way the fan sees it. I don’t mean specifics — fire the coach, bench the QB, go for it on fourth down and so on. I mean see it in the macro, in a larger way. If I’m a basketball fan, I would love a team that believes in pushing the ball up the floor. If I’m a football fan, I would love a team that believes in pressuring the quarterback and working the middle of the field. If I’m a baseball fan, I would just love to know that my GM really and truly believes that one thing — that it’s really, really, really important for a baseball player to not make outs.

[...]

Anyway, I thought Theo put it perfectly. There’s no question that the Red Sox have some huge advantages over most teams in baseball. They have and spend a lot more money than most, which allows them to be better in so many ways. But they’re awfully smart too. One argument I have never understood is the one where people say that money doesn’t matter because some big money teams lose: "Oh, if money is so important, how come the Mets haven’t won more? The Cubs spend a ton of money, and they didn’t win. The Astros." And so on. To me that’s a false argument — people have been wasting money since, well, since the invention of money.

But matching money with solid reasoning and serious brainpower, that’s an awfully tough combination to beat … even in a game as volatile and unpredictable as baseball. The Red Sox win every year. And I suspect they will keep winning every year. And I suspect that it would be a whole lot of fun to be a Boston Red Sox fan.

Oh, it is. No matter how much crap each and every one of us gets from every non Sox fan out there, it's still pretty fun.

It'll be even more fun if Theo has another piece of hardware in the trophy cabinet come November.

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Is JD Drew better than Jason Bay?

Browse more photos »

J.D. Drew not getting his due - BostonHerald.com

I love when the media comes to sudden realizations about stuff. I mean, if they talk to Theo, you'd think they'd pick up on more stuff like this, especially when Epstein is so blatant:

Theo: We Ignore RBI In The Front Office - The Joy of Sox

I propose that the n00b test this postseason be mentioning WINZ or RBI as evidence of a player's skill. Agree?

On a related note, I really don't get how people can think JD Drew is worse than Bay. The most obvious difference between the two is their salaries, but that really works against the person who brings it up, simply because Bay is going to join the $10+ million group this coming offseason, and in a much worse economic climate. Combine that with the fact that the current contracts were signed at different points in the careers of the two players, and you can pretty much dismiss that point.

The next argument against JD is that he doesn't hit as many homers. There's no arguing against that fact, but the underlying point that is supposed to be made by it is that JD isn't as good an offensive player. To that, I call BS (not myself).

After the jump, the argument continues, and I finish up with some nice extra links - they're like the sprinkles on a bowl of ice cream. The spicy cinnamon ones that make you forget that you were just shoveling frozen cream down into your mouth fast enough to cause a vision-crossing brain freeze.

I'm going to assume there are readers who aren't up to date on the latest sabermetric stats, so I'll include as many different stats as possible in this comparison. I'll even do it in graph form, in case there's someone else like me who views Jed and graphs in the same light.

First, let's compare their batting average. I'm choosing the age-matching graphs to eliminate any concerns about aging:

via www.fangraphs.com

Neither have ever been particularly amazing, but they both appear to end at-bats in either an out or a hit at similar rates. Of course, that really doesn't mean much - walks are basically as valuable as singles, and they take more pitches, on average. So let's look at OBP:

via www.fangraphs.com

Remember, two years ago, JD's kid was having medical issues for the majority of the season. It would appear to me that JD is at least slightly better than Bay at not making outs, with both being well above average. Now let's see how valuable those hits are, bases wise.

via www.fangraphs.com

Well, JD's not been very consistent, but we can see that he's probably a little below Bay's ability to reach more bases per AB. Of course, neither OBP or SLG will give us anything close to a complete picture - for that, we can start at OPS.

... Hmm... Fangraphs doesn't have an OPS graph. Perhaps that's because it is beyond imagination that someone could consider the two to be equally valuable? If you must add them, OBP should be given roughly twice the weight (actually closer to 1.7, based on The Book). Doing that gives you a very rough estimate of the stat that I prefer to use to judge a player's offensive abilities, wOBA. If you don't know what that is, I'll wait for you to utilize the closest search engine.

[SB Nation would prefer you direct your browser to Yahoo! at this point]

Back yet? Have a reasonable grasp on what I'm about to talk about? If not, please turn in your Sox gear join your Luddite friends (Sorry, boss). If you do, prepare to be underwhelmed:

via www.fangraphs.com

So they've basically been about the same. Not a shock, given that they've been about equal in everything else. Of course, there's the basic fundamentals...

Discipline check:

via www.fangraphs.com

JD's calmer than Bay. Don't you wish they both were a little more outspoken and played with more heart?

FIELDING:

JD's been a +6.0 UZR/150 fielder overall for his career, while Bay has been -7.5. (If you want to question UZR, wait a few seconds). Basically, whatever seperation Bay earned through batting, JD more than makes up for as a fielder. This is also the argument for signing Holliday over Bay, given the same chance at either.

Overall, JD Drew is clearly the better player. If you want to argue health, fine, but that's not a skill and that doesn't make him any less talented. Besides, he's managed to compete with Bay in terms of value so far, even in less games.

Back to the links now:

UZR: 2008 to 2009 - FanGraphs Baseball

I fear this will lead to questioning wOBA, but hey, I'm not to decide how people interpret the links.

Accounting Dept. - The Boston Globe

Let’s check the year-end ledgers - plus side and minus side - for the Sox and both leagues

Buchholz excited to finally be a part of Red Sox’ postseason plans - The Providence Journal

Buchholz is expected to start the third game of the playoffs, scheduled for next weekend at Fenway. It’s a gratifying moment for a pitcher who started the year in the minor leagues, and had to pitch his way into the majors. With only a half-season to prove himself, pitching well enough that the team would anoint him a playoff starter was high on his list of goals. He appears to have achieved it.

Delcarmen in pre-game wreck on I-93 - Clubhouse Insider

Delcarmen lucky - Clubhouse Insider

Even though MDC had some issues, that would have been tragic.

Bud Selig's Squirmy Defense of the Steroid Era - Fenway West

Speaking of squirmy:

Who Most Deserved to be Fired this Week? - Beyond the Box Score

CHOICE 4, AND IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.

30 Largest Latin American Signing Bonuses of All Time - Beyond the Box Score

Earliest Sox signing is about a third of the way down. Good resource to compare any new signings to.

Continue the debate about JD and Bay, comment on another link, share your own, or just get hyped for the postseason.

Poll Who is more valuable to the club?

• Jason Bay
• J.D. Drew
• It's even! (I cop out...)

  128 votes | Results

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

The brittle Jed Lowrie, about to find out what is so kickass about Markickass' slide-tackles. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Browse more photos »

Hurt 'n Cold
(with heartfelt apologies to Katy Perry)

Terry Francona is speaking to Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and Jed Lowrie in front of the entire team and a full Fenway Park.

Francona: Theo, do you take Jed Lowrie as your starting shortstop for the 2010 season?

[Theo looks earnestly at Lowrie.]

Theo: I do. [Theo smiles.]

Francona: Now, Jed, do you accept the starting shortstop job for the 2010 Boston Red Sox?

[All eyes in Fenway are on Jed Lowrie, and he stares back at Theo, embarassed.]

Lowrie: "Ow, my spleen..."

[Lowrie loses consciousness.]

{CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR THE BALLAD.}

[Theo bursts into song, pointing at the twitching body of Jed Lowrie as paramedics run to it. As he sings, he chases the EMTs as they cart Lowrie through Fenway Park and down the streets of Boston to the hospital district in Longwood. ]

You hurt yourself
Like Ortiz crushes balls.
You overplay
Like each game, is your last!

And you, always break
Like you've got leprosy
I should know
That you're no good for me.

'Cause you're hurt and you're cold
You're frail like you're old
You're weak when you're hot
You're here, then you're not.

You're gone when it's late
It's karma, it's fate
You heal, you come up
You play, you break up.

You!
You don't really want to play, no!
You!
You don't really want to go - oh!

You're hurt and you're cold
You're frail like you're old
You're weak when you're hot
You're here, then you're not.

We... used to be
Just like Sox, wicked tight.
The same energy
Now's a hip injury.

Used to laugh 'bout your health,
Then we needed Nick Green
I should know, that you're not gonna to change.

'Cause you're hurt and you're cold
You're frail like you're old
You're weak when you're hot
You're here, then you're not.

You're gone when it's late
It's karma, it's fate
You heal, you come up
You play, you break up.

You!
You don't really want to play, no!
You!
You don't really want to go - oh!

Someone check the waivers,
Go get me healthy players!
Shortstop's a disaster -
Where's my boy Gonzalez?

You hurt yourself
Like Ortiz, crushes balls

'Cause you're hurt and you're cold
You're frail like you're old
You're weak when you're hot
You're here, then you're not.

You're gone when it's late
It's karma, it's fate
You heal, you come up
You play, you break up.

You!
You don't really want to play, no!
You!
You don't really want to go - oh!

You're hurt and you're cold
You're frail like you're old
You're weak when you're hot
You're here, then you're not.

 

[Several hours later, Theo is sitting over Lowrie's hospital bed. Lowrie looks up at him.]

Lowrie: Theo, I think if you just give me the chance, I can contribute. My arms and legs are feeling better. Honest.

Theo opens his mouth, points down to Lowrie's frame, and then bursts into tears, wailing. Lowrie looks down and sees that all of his limbs have been amputated...

FIN

(For other Red Sox-related ballads, see: Alex Gonzalez, Jason Varitek, and Johan Santana.)

Poll Who should be the next victim... er, subject, of E.Coli's song parodies?

• Jason Bay. Nobody's funnier than Canadians. Except maybe everyone else.
• Daisuke Matsuzaka. Michael Jackson. Make it happen.
• Grandmaster Ortiz, the Biggest Papi.
• Jason Varitek (again). There's more depth to plumb here.
• Someone else, whom I will name in the comments section, and provide a song suggestion as well.

  57 votes | Results

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

2 days ago: Boston Red Sox's Jed Lowrie, center, celebrates in the dug out after his grand slam in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Finishing the regular season with a win is a good way to go out -- no matter what. A sweep, though, is even sweeter.

Behind another strong offensive performance, the Sox defeated the Indians, 12-7, on Sunday to sweep Cleveland and prepare the Sox for the postseason.

The Red Sox finish the regular season with a 95-67 record. That's the third best record in the Major Leagues, behind the Yankees (103) and the Angels (96, with a game in progress).

The Sox's offense was aided by two home runs from J.D. Drew, a solo shot by Dustin Pedroia and a grand slam by Jed Lowrie. It was Lowrie's first career grand slam and his first home run at Fenway Park.  David Ortiz also had two RBIs, finishing his season at 99 -- just short of the 100 mark he has hit every season with the Sox since last year.

Clay Buchholz was not good, considering he will be the Sox's No. 3 starter in the ALDS. He gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in three innings of work Sunday. He threw 70 pitches.

Lowrie hit the grand slam from the left side of the plate, but on replays was noticeably grimacing with pain. He said afterwards he's ready to go for the playoffs, but I'm sure we'll hear something about his wrist getting checked out.

It wasn't a perfect win, because we all would have liked to see Buchholz pitch really well, but it's something to build on going into the postseason. It's still not exactly known when the Sox will play game No. 1 versus the Angels this week, but we should know tonight.

It's time for real October baseball. Ya'll getting excited?

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

2 days ago: Students from Tokyo who are studying in Boston, from left, Marina Arai, Hiromi Kuki, Emiri Imanishi and Sakiki Ikeda, try to get the attention of Boston Red Sox players during warm-ups before the start of a baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Red Sox, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Terry Francona just announced that the Red Sox will start Jon Lester in game one of the ALDS, Josh Beckett in game two and Clay Buchholz in game three.

"There are a lot of options open to us that we're interested in exploring," Francona said.

Francona has yet to announce the playoff roster.

"We'll assess everybody's health (to determine the postseason roster)," Francona said.

Game 162. The last game of the regular season. Did anyone think this day would ever come when February hit?

It's here nonetheless. Clay Buchholz gets the ball to take on the Indians today as he and the Sox look for the sweep. It'll be a nice way to finish the regular season and greet the Halos next week.

Current Series 4 game series vs Indians @ Fenway Park --> Red Sox win the series 3-0 Thu 10/01 WP: Jon Lester (15 - 8)
SV: Jonathan Papelbon
LP: Carlos Carrasco (0 - 4)
3 - 0 win Fri 10/02 WP: Daisuke Matsuzaka (4 - 6)
LP: Jeremy Sowers (6 - 11)
6 - 2 win Sat 10/03 WP: Josh Beckett (17 - 6)
LP: Aaron Laffey (7 - 9)
11 - 6 win

Cleveland Indians Let's Go Tribe!
@ Boston Red Sox Over the Monster

Sunday, Oct 4, 2009, 1:35 PM EDT
Fenway Park

Tomo Ohka vs Clay Buchholz

--> Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing in from left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around .

Complete Coverage >

The Sox lineup is a good one, surprisingly, today. Every starter plays except MIke Lowell, who was a late scratch. Youk will play third and Casey Kotchman will man first base.

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

15 days ago: Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tim Wakefield throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Tim Wakefield is pretty hurt, but Terry Francona isn't ruling him out for a potential trip to the ALCS or World Series:

Red Sox manager Terry Francona said prior the Red Sox’ game, Sunday, with the Indians that Tim Wakefield will not be on the American League Division Series roster, but that the team is not ruling out the knuckleballer making an appearance in the postseason if the Sox advance. "I think it’s kind of obvious the situation he’s in … Talked to him about not shelving his season … he’s on board with that," Francona said.

Still, no one hold your breath for a Wakefield comeback.

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

3 days ago: Boston Red Sox's Victor Martinez, top right, celebrates his grand slam that drove in Brian Anderson, obscured left, Jason Bay (44) and Dustin Pedroia, right, in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Save some of those runs for the postseason, ey?

Behind a lackluster performance from Josh Beckett, the Red Sox's offense lit up and powered past the Indians, 11-6, on Saturday night.

Beckett gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks in five innings of work, but he still came away with his 17th win of the season. Beckett struck out five. Fortunately, the runs came early as he gave up two in both the first and second. He held the Indians scoreless in his last three innings of work.

Victor Martinez and Brian Anderson (yeah, Brian Anderson) led the Sox's offense. V-Mart had his first career grand slam in a 7-run second inning, while Anderson 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a home run. Dustin Pedroia also had a huge home run in the first inning.

Paul Byrd gave up two runs in three innings of relief work. Dustin Richardson was the last reliever and he pitched a hitless, walkless, scoreless 9th inning.

Another win for the Sox over the Indians, moving them one away from sweeping the last series of the season. Clay Buchholz will be on the mound in the 1:35 p.m. game, but something tells me there are two, much bigger games people will be watching tomorrow.

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tim Wakefield sits in the dugout during the Red Sox's 7-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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I think we all knew it was coming, but it now looks official:

It’s likely, and not at all surprising, that Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will not be on the any postseason roster due to a herniated disk in his lower back.

The injury is causing weakness and numbness in his left leg and his strength level has decreased to around 50 percent. His teammates and manager have called his efforts courageous and admirable while he’s attempted to pitch through the pain and discomfort. He will need surgery and will likely have it very soon.

If anyone saw Wakefield try to walk in his last start, you knew this was coming. He wasn't healthy then and you'd be foolish to think he'd be ready for the playoffs.

It's hard to see this for many reasons, but one is the fact Wake was so good in the first half of the season. He was an All-Star he was so good! To finish the season out like this is most definitely a hard way to go out.

The Sox will now go into the ALDS with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daisuke Matsuzaka as their four core starters. If they ever need a fifth starter if they are to make it to the ALCS or World Series, I would assume Paul Byrd would be the guy to get the nod. This also means that if Beckett or any other starter comes down with an injury, Byrd is the guy.