651 replies to this topic

[budcrew08]

Thanks to the Rays, if the Sox win and the Rangers lose, the good guys can celebrate getting into October. And after that, it's a whole new season.

To quote the Zombieland movie, it's time to nut up or shut up.

WIN.

[NomarRS05]

To quote the Zombieland movie...

Didn't that win an academy award or something?

[C4CRVT]

Losing sucks, even if it has relatively little bearing on the WS aspirations of my club.

So stop.

Scott Richmond is fucking awful. In the last 10 games, he's gone 1-6 (with the team going 2-8) and has raised his ERA from 3.69 to 5.32 (posting an 8.74 ERA).

It's time for Beckett and Martinez to tune up their game. It's time for the Red Sox to do what the do best at Fenway: pummel the scrub teams of the league. Toronto, that's you.

Win out.

Edited by C4CRVT, 28 September 2009 - 12:01 AM.

[Doc Zero]

To quote the Jurassic Park motion picture, "Must go faster."

[SemperFidelisSox]

Time to raise another Wild Card banner. The dynasty lives on.

[mikeford]

JP Riccardi needs more shit to cry over. Lets give it to him.

[SoxFan234]

Make it one.

[Kilgore A. Trout]

Get this wild card clinching over with. I want to start talking about the Angels matchup in the ALDS, but do not want to whistle past the graveyard. Win today and tomorrow and the speculation can begin in earnest.

[Foulkey Reese]

To quote the Jurassic Park motion picture, "Must go faster."

Oh hello Mr. DNA.

[DukeSox]

Time to raise another Wild Card banner. The dynasty lives on.

[MakMan44]

Wild card bitches!

Edited by MakMan44, 28 September 2009 - 09:10 AM.

[Sam Ray Not]

Jack Barry and Bill Cullen approve of our Wild Card status.

[hitting .525 in 1983]

Wild card bitches!

Does this imply that LAAA is the brains, MFY the looks, and DET/MIN the useless chick?

[Snodgrass'Muff]

[kieckeredinthehead]

nm

Edited by kieckeredinthehead, 28 September 2009 - 02:16 PM.

[Foulkey Reese]

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. J.D. Drew, RF
8. Casey Kotchman, 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
-- Josh Beckett, SP

[RIrooter09]

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
5. David Ortiz, DH
6. Jason Bay, LF
7. J.D. Drew, RF
8. Casey Kotchman, 1B
9. Alex Gonzalez, SS
-- Josh Beckett, SP

Minor quibble. I know lineup construction doesn't matter much at all, but do you guys think Francona will have Ortiz or Bay batting 5th in the playoffs? Personally I would prefer Bay.

[Foulkey Reese]

Beckett scratched tonight. Reasons unknown. Michael Bowden pitching

http://twitter.com/IanMBrowne

Well this could be very bad, or nothing at all.

We shall see.

[RIrooter09]

http://twitter.com/IanMBrowne

Well this could be very bad, or nothing at all.

We shall see.

Fuck. I'm going tonight and was really looking forward to seeing Beckett pitch.

[pedro1918]

This better be nothing.

[BoSoxFink]

http://twitter.com/IanMBrowne

Well this could be very bad, or nothing at all.

We shall see.

Could this be the injury that we were all worried about?

[Foulkey Reese]

Mild back spasms for Beckett forced the scratch of tonight's start

Let's hope that mild is the key word.

[SemperFidelisSox]

Could this team be less prepared for a playoff run right now?

[EllisTheRimMan]

Could this team be less prepared for a playoff run right now?

Ummm, I think 2005 might be a good example of less prepared. I would also argue that sitting Beckett with back spasms is a way of preparing.

[BucketOBalls]

Could this team be less prepared for a playoff run right now?

Yes.

Beckett being hurt....ugh. This team just isn't looking good right now. Can't catch a friggen break.

A playoff rotation of Lester, Buchholz and Ninja-San.....could be good, could be really, really bad.

[Sam Ray Not]

Minor quibble. I know lineup construction doesn't matter much at all, but do you guys think Francona will have Ortiz or Bay batting 5th in the playoffs? Personally I would prefer Bay.

I'd go with Ortiz, if only because it allows you to break up Papi and Drew, both of whom have pretty pronounced splits this season (where Bay has basically mashed LHP). Or flip Ortiz and Drew, if for whatever reason Ortiz feels more comfortable lower in the order.

[RIrooter09]

I'd go with Ortiz, if only because it allows you to break up Papi and Drew, both of whom have pretty pronounced splits this season (where Bay has basically mashed LHP). Or flip Ortiz and Drew, if for whatever reason Ortiz feels more comfortable lower in the order.

Well I assumed Papi would be hitting 6th and Drew 8th.

Ellsbury
Pedroia
Martinez
Youk
Bay
Ortiz
Lowell
Drew
Gonzalez

[Foulkey Reese]

Back spasms are in the upper portion for Beckett, which Tito says is "Good."

Semper will love this one.

Precautionary right hip injection for Lowell. Won't play for a couple of days at least.

Edited by Foulkey Reese, 28 September 2009 - 03:11 PM.

[Sam Ray Not]

Could this team be less prepared for a playoff run right now?

Well, Lester's knee cap could be shattered, or Ortiz's Aug/Sept could have looked like his May/June.

Or we could have whiffed on Martinez and been forced to endure Tek and Gonzalez in the 8-9 holes.

Or Papelbon could be overworked and tired, and not have 16 K and 0 BB over his last 10 appearances (11 IP).

Or Buchholz could not be on fire, or Matsuzaka could not have found his old form so quickly.

Or Texas could have played a bit better down the stretch and not allowed us to rest a bit and set up our rotation.

Yankees series notwithstanding, this team looks pretty well set up to me. Not as well set up as those MFs, obviously, but about as well set up as I could have imagined at any point this season.

[NomarRS05]

Playoff rotation - Buchholz, Dice K, Byrd, Bowden.

Nut up or shut up.

[Sam Ray Not]

Well I assumed Papi would be hitting 6th and Drew 8th.

That works too, though Drew's .388 OBP in the 8 hole (in front of Adrian Gonzalez and Ellsbury) seems a little silly to me.

But as you say, it doesn't matter as much as we like to think it does.

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

http://twitter.com/IanMBrowne

Well this could be very bad, or nothing at all.

We shall see.

Beckett is pulling a Manny because he's upset Varitek isn't playing more.

[24JoshuaPoint]

Interesting. I picked a bad week to stop drinking.

[Kilgore A. Trout]

Beckett is pulling a Manny because he's upset Varitek isn't playing more.

God I hope not. I like Beckett. I'd hate to have to want to throttle his punk ass.

[Foulkey Reese]

God I hope not. I like Beckett. I'd hate to have to want to throttle his punk ass.

Nobody wants that.

[Kilgore A. Trout]

Mild back spasms for Beckett forced the scratch of tonight's start

[Al Zarilla]

I hope Beckett comes back like Tim Lincecum did after he missed a start because of back spasms. Tim ended up with 11 days between starts because of it, looked as nasty as ever on his return. I think Tim's were lower back. Just musing...

[BellhornsBiatch]

Beckett is pulling a Manny because he's upset Varitek isn't playing more.

While very conspiracy theorist, this definitely crossed my mind.

[Adirondack jack]

Precautionary right hip injection for Lowell. Won't play for a couple of days at least.

Is this a cortisone shot or another one of the hip lube jobbers? Memory is failing me, how did he respond last time immediately after the hip lube? I kind of recall him being sidelined more than a couple of days, but perhaps the inflammation was worse earlier this summer and this is more of a tune up.

Shitty news, regarding JFB.

Edited by Adirondack jack, 28 September 2009 - 03:39 PM.

[Adirondack jack]

I hope Beckett comes back like Tim Lincecum did after he missed a start because of back spasms. Tim ended up with 11 days between starts because of it, looked as nasty as ever on his return. I think Tim's were lower back. Just musing...

Agreed, watched that Linecum first start back and the filth was ridiculous. More than normal, but then his 2nd start back may have been his flattest and most blah stuff I'd ever seen from him.

[Trlicek's Whip]

http://twitter.com/IanMBrowne Well this could be very bad, or nothing at all. We shall see.

There was confirmed chatter about Beckett getting rest...

With that in mind, [last] week — which included an extra day of rest for Beckett — has become of utmost importance when looking at the big picture. "I just needed a little breather," he said. "We've been talking about it, and to have the luxury to be able to do it is important. It was just a mutual decision. It wasn't just them or me.

The optimist in me hopes that this is a hybrid of Hellenic Flu and everyone being supercalifragilisticexpi-overcautious, if there is actually something barking.

[Klemmehands]

OR, while we're talking conspiracy theories...it's precautionary because of Lester - so he can start Wed/Thu instead of this weekend, and be ready to go as Game 1 starter in the ALDS.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Interesting. I picked a bad week to stop drinking.

"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking."

[RIrooter09]

OR, while we're talking conspiracy theories...it's precautionary because of Lester - so he can start Wed/Thu instead of this weekend, and be ready to go as Game 1 starter in the ALDS.

There's a good chance the RAND Corporation is involved in some capacity.

[luckysox]

I'd imagine this time of year the hint of a spasm anywhere means you scratch him.

Also, is it possible they want to get Bowden a start to see what he has as a starter after weeks in a reliever role - it might help them seal their decision on the last pitcher on the ALDS roster. I highly doubt we have anything to worry about here.

[Foulkey Reese]

This thread is incomplete until SJH weighs in with a terror filled rant.

[Reggie's Racquet]

Beckett is pulling a Manny because he's upset Varitek isn't playing more.

I blame Heidi.

[joe dokes]

There's a good chance the RAND Corporation is involved in some capacity.

Well, based on what I've read over at Catcher Conspiracy Central, we already know that the Sox do whatever they can to:

A)have Tek catch Beckett; and
B)have Tek catch the teams that can steal bases, because
------1)teams then can't prepare for the even-worse throwing Martinez; and
------2)only by embarrassing Varitek, can the Sox succeed in their master plot to get rid of the player who would prove himself the better player if only HE got to play against crappy teams like Martinez does.

therefore, this is obviously just part of the plan to keep Martinez in the lineup against another crappy non-playoff team, further bolstering his reputation, and further denigrating Varitek's.


On the other hand, I also learned over at CCC that since players' performance against the non-good teams don't really count, none of this matters.

Edited by joe dokes, 28 September 2009 - 03:50 PM.

[Sam Ray Not]

It's at the point where I'd almost rather have no Tek and no Beckett than both...

[SunkToANewLowell]

This was reported on the 23rd on rotoworld fwiw.

Josh Beckett said Tuesday evening that he's hoping to "get a little breather" before the playoffs begin.
Beckett was already given an extra day of rest this week, and clearly feels a bit wiped out. "Hopefully, if we keep on playing good baseball," said the right-hander, "maybe I can also get a little breather right there at the end, throw a couple of bullpens and work on some things I need to work on going into October."