The End of an ERA?
This is the Prez's offical comments on the 2006 Red Sox. These comments can also be read in the October swimsuit edition of "Sports Geeks Monthy".
Today (10/1/06) marks the end of the 2006 campaign for the Boston Red Sox. As we have known for months, competitively the season really ended in August. For three months pundits and Red Sox zealots have critiqued and analyzed the fall of a team that was outstanding in June, only to crumble in the face of disastrous performances, injuries, and inconsistent behavior.
All the usual cast of characters have received blame, Tito, Manny, Foulke, John Henry, Lucchino, Theo, the pen, the staff. The problem with placing blame over the performance of the 2006 Red Sox is that it should not go to one individual. Blaming one person for the failure of an entire organization is extremism normally seen on the streets of Tehran. But somehow is accepted across Red Sox nation when the team underperforms. Bill Simmons explains this on the Colbert Report, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm6p40VrNBM.
However, considering the past 335 days I do not feel this team “underperformed”. It was undone by things that undo teams in every sport, every year, such as Bad management decisions, poor veteran performances, injuries, bad play by young players, horrified fans, and media zealotry.
Mistakes were made, starting with the Theo/Lucchino debacle of last Halloween. This situation created a chaotic winter/spring that saw bizarre dealings. After Johnny Damon signed with Yankees I remarked to Lyman Memorial High School Athletic Director Marty Gomez, “This team is a train wreck.” Only going out and trading for Ichiro would have solved the situation. This of coarse did not happen. The interim GM’s traded our best prospect Hanley Ramirez and pitching prospect Annabel Sanchez to the Marlins for Beckett, Lowell, and Mota (who was sent to the Indians in the Crisp deal). On the surface it was a decidedly un-Theo kind of move. I do admit though, it did the trick temporarily. When Theo returned, it did seem like the band was reforming for what could be a massively successful campaign. Then they decided to deal Bronson Arroyo for Willi Mo Pena. For me the move was like a kick in the dick. The justification was that the Sox had a plethora of staring pitchers, with Arroyo the odd man out of the rotation of Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, and Wells.
Lets say that again, Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, and Wells. To assume that these guys would be able to hold up for the entire season was a dumb an idea for an organization to make during Spring Training. what was the consequence? Arroyo was the best pitcher in the NL in the first half. Ramirez and Sanchez became the Marlins stars of right now,(Sanchez threw a no-no, Ramirez was a consistent fantasy performer in year one) and the best the sox can do now is win 86 games. Oh yeah, the Padres made the playoffs with 10 Red Sox castaways on its roster(Including the great Dave Roberts), several from this season alone.
Why deal for Pena then? To fend off would be pursuers for Pena prior to the deadline (Yanks, Cubs, Astros)? Nah…It all had to do with Trot Nixon, the Sox veteran whose ability to sustain lengthy injuries had become a yearly rite of passage. Drafted in 1993, 7th overall, Nixon was heralded as the next Fred Lynn. He became a fixture in right field in 1999. By the beginning of this season, it became clear that at 32, facing the final year of his contract, that the Sox recent strategy of moving on to younger players would hold true in Nixon’s case. However, while Pena did show glimpses of offensive brilliance, Arroyo’s first half and Pena’s own problems with defense and several injuries stymied my motivations to root for the club despite the fact they played well in May and June. The fact is, today Nixon plays his final game as a member of the team that drafted him. It is just the beginning of an off season that must be fueled by change.
Then the staff fell apart. Injuries to Wells(His wife does not even depend on him) and Foulke’s ineptitude literally meant the team was short staffed one week where they had been too big the week before. I thought Wells should retire then and there. He made a comeback, only to get drilled with a line drive in the knee. Again I thought he was finished. By the time he came back the Sox were done, but he was steady, and actually helped the Padres clinch last night with a nice performance. The failure of the relief pitchers Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez forced the much heralded young guns into the spot light.(seaez was thankfully dropped, only to end up in the 619) Papelbon took over in the first week and became the most electrifying closer the sox have ever had. His september arm trouble killed my Public league Fantasy team. Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen made it into the fray, but were inconsistent, if not terrible all season. Clay Meredith, a forgotten man, was dealt with Josh Bard to, of coarse, the Padres, and became a revelation in the 619 while becoming the best set up man in the NL. Kansas City Royals castoff (THink about that for a second or two).......Kyle Snyder, looked like a bigger version of Arroyo, but was awful when it got tough in August. Wakefield’s injury, coupled with Varitek’s injury was the death blow. Beckett had a good two week stretch, earned a three year contract extension, then fell apart. Schilling broke down late. Thus, the team used a Triple/Double A staff for the final 8 weeks. I wont even speak of Matt Clement. Who was the one player even the Padres didn’t want. What a Douche. I could right about this staff forever, but I have to move on.
From August18-20 the Sox famoulsy got swept in all five games by the Yankees at home. However,that same weekend the Red Sox foundation and the Jimmy Fund raised over 2 million bucks to help fight the battle against cancer in kids. Quite frankly, for me it was just another reminder that sports is a positive vehicle for entertainment and social progression, but the media zealots still went crazy about “The Massacre”. By September, with nothing else going on after the freefall, the media turned on Manny……..again. As what happens every season, Manny’s behavior became a distraction even the most hardened teammate,(Ortiz) was done with. Now Manny’s injuries and temperament are being blamed for Ortiz falling out of the MVP race. Like last year, the organization will try to move him, but the contract will make any deal unreasonable. He has two years remaining on his contract. His deferred money will be paid to him for the next 25 years. I think he might actually get dealt, but not to the Padres. Then again, I did see Harold and Kumar go to White Castle for the 30th time last night.
It was an awful year for baseball fans all around. Harald Reynolds got fired from ESPN, Peter Gammons almost died, Bonds keeps hitting dingers and plans to play in 07, Tina Cervasio was on NESN everyday, any Fox broadcast, The Rocket was finally implicated in performance enhancing drugs investigation, No playoffs for Pedro, and the Yankees, with a team of young prospects and juicers, will probably win it all.
2006 Grades
Francona-C (His easiest season ever)
Schilling-B- (Where is the Leadership?)
Beckett-C- (Better improve, or he is Aaron Sele circa ’97)
Wakefield-C- (Injury is sign of things to come, still our number 3 next season)
Clement-F(Retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Foulke-F(Retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Papelbon-A+(The future ace of the staff)
Delcarmen-C-Hansen-C- (Must adjust Fast)
Gabbard-C- (Who?)
Tavarez-C- (Maybe a Starter next year? Dear god…)
Timlin-D (for Done)
Lester-C (A new Curse? Get Well!)
Snyder-C+ (Must be in the pen next year)
Jarvis-F (Who?)
Varitek-D (Not up to it Offensively before the injury)
Gonzo-B- (Best defensive SS in team history, may come back)
Loretta-C (Needs NL pitching, nice to know you)
Youkilis-B- ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiLUY51vQJ8)
Nixon-C- (Nice to know you, enjoy the NL)
Manny-B (Enjoy living on Mars)
Crisp-D (If this is his “Lost” he was the useless fat guy)
Ortiz-A+ (Without team collapse, and scary health issues, the AL MVP)
Lowell-C- (did well, but If he is our 3b next year it wont be good, made $9,000,000)
Mirabelli-D (for Did nothing)
Pedroia-C- ( That is it? Deal him now)
Pena-D (500 Ab’s might be good for him, but can he get there?)
Hinske-D (could be good to have to use in trades)
Murphy-D ( First Impression, he is Todd Benzinger light)
The management-D (as in Damn!!!!!!!!!)
Bard,Meredith,Seanez, Wells,-Playoff bound, ugggg........
Thus, the 2006 Red Sox were a combination of errors that have run their coarse from the end of the 2004 season on and various sports related decline. The success of players dealt away from the team in the past year has created a vacuum of distrust and anger toward a once bulletproof management (Are you listening Belichek?)
The potential letting go of Nixon officially ends the Lou Gorman ERA, as the Loss of Manny and Wakefield would end the Duquette Era.
Next year’s campaign starts Monday, playtime is over……
Strength and Honor comrades.
Today (10/1/06) marks the end of the 2006 campaign for the Boston Red Sox. As we have known for months, competitively the season really ended in August. For three months pundits and Red Sox zealots have critiqued and analyzed the fall of a team that was outstanding in June, only to crumble in the face of disastrous performances, injuries, and inconsistent behavior.
All the usual cast of characters have received blame, Tito, Manny, Foulke, John Henry, Lucchino, Theo, the pen, the staff. The problem with placing blame over the performance of the 2006 Red Sox is that it should not go to one individual. Blaming one person for the failure of an entire organization is extremism normally seen on the streets of Tehran. But somehow is accepted across Red Sox nation when the team underperforms. Bill Simmons explains this on the Colbert Report, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm6p40VrNBM.
However, considering the past 335 days I do not feel this team “underperformed”. It was undone by things that undo teams in every sport, every year, such as Bad management decisions, poor veteran performances, injuries, bad play by young players, horrified fans, and media zealotry.
Mistakes were made, starting with the Theo/Lucchino debacle of last Halloween. This situation created a chaotic winter/spring that saw bizarre dealings. After Johnny Damon signed with Yankees I remarked to Lyman Memorial High School Athletic Director Marty Gomez, “This team is a train wreck.” Only going out and trading for Ichiro would have solved the situation. This of coarse did not happen. The interim GM’s traded our best prospect Hanley Ramirez and pitching prospect Annabel Sanchez to the Marlins for Beckett, Lowell, and Mota (who was sent to the Indians in the Crisp deal). On the surface it was a decidedly un-Theo kind of move. I do admit though, it did the trick temporarily. When Theo returned, it did seem like the band was reforming for what could be a massively successful campaign. Then they decided to deal Bronson Arroyo for Willi Mo Pena. For me the move was like a kick in the dick. The justification was that the Sox had a plethora of staring pitchers, with Arroyo the odd man out of the rotation of Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, and Wells.
Lets say that again, Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, and Wells. To assume that these guys would be able to hold up for the entire season was a dumb an idea for an organization to make during Spring Training. what was the consequence? Arroyo was the best pitcher in the NL in the first half. Ramirez and Sanchez became the Marlins stars of right now,(Sanchez threw a no-no, Ramirez was a consistent fantasy performer in year one) and the best the sox can do now is win 86 games. Oh yeah, the Padres made the playoffs with 10 Red Sox castaways on its roster(Including the great Dave Roberts), several from this season alone.
Why deal for Pena then? To fend off would be pursuers for Pena prior to the deadline (Yanks, Cubs, Astros)? Nah…It all had to do with Trot Nixon, the Sox veteran whose ability to sustain lengthy injuries had become a yearly rite of passage. Drafted in 1993, 7th overall, Nixon was heralded as the next Fred Lynn. He became a fixture in right field in 1999. By the beginning of this season, it became clear that at 32, facing the final year of his contract, that the Sox recent strategy of moving on to younger players would hold true in Nixon’s case. However, while Pena did show glimpses of offensive brilliance, Arroyo’s first half and Pena’s own problems with defense and several injuries stymied my motivations to root for the club despite the fact they played well in May and June. The fact is, today Nixon plays his final game as a member of the team that drafted him. It is just the beginning of an off season that must be fueled by change.
Then the staff fell apart. Injuries to Wells(His wife does not even depend on him) and Foulke’s ineptitude literally meant the team was short staffed one week where they had been too big the week before. I thought Wells should retire then and there. He made a comeback, only to get drilled with a line drive in the knee. Again I thought he was finished. By the time he came back the Sox were done, but he was steady, and actually helped the Padres clinch last night with a nice performance. The failure of the relief pitchers Julian Tavarez and Rudy Seanez forced the much heralded young guns into the spot light.(seaez was thankfully dropped, only to end up in the 619) Papelbon took over in the first week and became the most electrifying closer the sox have ever had. His september arm trouble killed my Public league Fantasy team. Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen made it into the fray, but were inconsistent, if not terrible all season. Clay Meredith, a forgotten man, was dealt with Josh Bard to, of coarse, the Padres, and became a revelation in the 619 while becoming the best set up man in the NL. Kansas City Royals castoff (THink about that for a second or two).......Kyle Snyder, looked like a bigger version of Arroyo, but was awful when it got tough in August. Wakefield’s injury, coupled with Varitek’s injury was the death blow. Beckett had a good two week stretch, earned a three year contract extension, then fell apart. Schilling broke down late. Thus, the team used a Triple/Double A staff for the final 8 weeks. I wont even speak of Matt Clement. Who was the one player even the Padres didn’t want. What a Douche. I could right about this staff forever, but I have to move on.
From August18-20 the Sox famoulsy got swept in all five games by the Yankees at home. However,that same weekend the Red Sox foundation and the Jimmy Fund raised over 2 million bucks to help fight the battle against cancer in kids. Quite frankly, for me it was just another reminder that sports is a positive vehicle for entertainment and social progression, but the media zealots still went crazy about “The Massacre”. By September, with nothing else going on after the freefall, the media turned on Manny……..again. As what happens every season, Manny’s behavior became a distraction even the most hardened teammate,(Ortiz) was done with. Now Manny’s injuries and temperament are being blamed for Ortiz falling out of the MVP race. Like last year, the organization will try to move him, but the contract will make any deal unreasonable. He has two years remaining on his contract. His deferred money will be paid to him for the next 25 years. I think he might actually get dealt, but not to the Padres. Then again, I did see Harold and Kumar go to White Castle for the 30th time last night.
It was an awful year for baseball fans all around. Harald Reynolds got fired from ESPN, Peter Gammons almost died, Bonds keeps hitting dingers and plans to play in 07, Tina Cervasio was on NESN everyday, any Fox broadcast, The Rocket was finally implicated in performance enhancing drugs investigation, No playoffs for Pedro, and the Yankees, with a team of young prospects and juicers, will probably win it all.
2006 Grades
Francona-C (His easiest season ever)
Schilling-B- (Where is the Leadership?)
Beckett-C- (Better improve, or he is Aaron Sele circa ’97)
Wakefield-C- (Injury is sign of things to come, still our number 3 next season)
Clement-F(Retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Foulke-F(Retire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Papelbon-A+(The future ace of the staff)
Delcarmen-C-Hansen-C- (Must adjust Fast)
Gabbard-C- (Who?)
Tavarez-C- (Maybe a Starter next year? Dear god…)
Timlin-D (for Done)
Lester-C (A new Curse? Get Well!)
Snyder-C+ (Must be in the pen next year)
Jarvis-F (Who?)
Varitek-D (Not up to it Offensively before the injury)
Gonzo-B- (Best defensive SS in team history, may come back)
Loretta-C (Needs NL pitching, nice to know you)
Youkilis-B- ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiLUY51vQJ8)
Nixon-C- (Nice to know you, enjoy the NL)
Manny-B (Enjoy living on Mars)
Crisp-D (If this is his “Lost” he was the useless fat guy)
Ortiz-A+ (Without team collapse, and scary health issues, the AL MVP)
Lowell-C- (did well, but If he is our 3b next year it wont be good, made $9,000,000)
Mirabelli-D (for Did nothing)
Pedroia-C- ( That is it? Deal him now)
Pena-D (500 Ab’s might be good for him, but can he get there?)
Hinske-D (could be good to have to use in trades)
Murphy-D ( First Impression, he is Todd Benzinger light)
The management-D (as in Damn!!!!!!!!!)
Bard,Meredith,Seanez, Wells,-Playoff bound, ugggg........
Thus, the 2006 Red Sox were a combination of errors that have run their coarse from the end of the 2004 season on and various sports related decline. The success of players dealt away from the team in the past year has created a vacuum of distrust and anger toward a once bulletproof management (Are you listening Belichek?)
The potential letting go of Nixon officially ends the Lou Gorman ERA, as the Loss of Manny and Wakefield would end the Duquette Era.
Next year’s campaign starts Monday, playtime is over……
Strength and Honor comrades.
posted by The Dude at
11:12 AM
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