Random Thoughts (August 8, 2009)

Watching Alex Rodriguez round first base (sporting a look on his face that I am positive was the same one he had the first time he saw Jeter in the shower), I had the sad realization that the 2009 Red Sox season may be on the verge of ending. It is so New York to give up hope after the home town team goes through a rough strecth. Even with the Rangers and Rays breathing down their necks, the Sox still hold the lead in the A.L. Wild Card race. With a 1-2 punch of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, they still have (just) enough pitching to make the playoffs and contend for the World Series. Not all hope is gone. However, I still have that feeling like the 2009 Red Sox are destined to watch October from the golf course. That pitching depth they supposedly possessed - the depth that I thought would make this the greatest team since the '98 Yankees - is gone. Beckett and Lester face the same fate as Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe did in 2002, when they were co-aces on a team that couldn't muster up enough offense or pitching depth to reach October. The offense, even with the addition of Victor Martinez, still couldn't score in a whore house with a fist full of $50's. I am not one to believe there is a "must win" game in baseball, other than an elimination game in the playoffs. The 2004 Red Sox taught me that lesson. That stated, today's game is very important to the Sox. If they lose, they will fall 5.5-games behind New York in the A.L. East and fall into a tie in the Wild Card race with the Rangers. With the skittish Clay Buchholz on the bump against CC Sabathia, the Yanks have a big advantage. This is as close to a "must win" as there is and the Sox start the day with their backs against the wall. Red Sox Nation better hope they respond with a win... So, Big Papi has cleared the air. He says that he never took steroids and his failed drug test in 2003 was a result of him taking over-the-counter supplements. I believe Ortiz. His body never got drastically bigger and he looks the same today as he did six years ago. Baseball is a game and like in all games, people look for an advantage. It's no different than Barry Bonds' head growing eight sizes in ten years or Roger Clemens finding his fastball after four lost years with the Red Sox. Athletes always look for an edge. Hank Aaron loves to call out the players of the steroid age but his former teammate Tom House claims that Hammerin Hank took amphetamines and possibly more when he was a player. The problem is that we look at these players like they should be these moral giants when in reality, they are nothing more than entertainers. I would rather see Hank Aaron hitting his 714 homeruns than being a bit player. I loved watching Bonds and Clemens accomplish the great things that they did in their careers. Ortiz' bat powered the Red Sox to the World Series in 2004 and 2007. Do you think I care that he was taking a supplement to improve his ability to hit? Of course not! Sports and games are all about advantages. Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb probably never used performance-enhancing drugs but they also played in an age when only white players were allowed on the field. You can not say that wasn't a huge advantage. It's time for the media to let the subject drop and just enjoy the game... Junichi Tazawa gave up the walk-off homerun to Rodriguez last night but the kid has the look and talent to be a star. He might be the saving grace of the pitching staff the next few weeks... If the reports are true, it is a great thing that Glen Davis will be returning to the Celtics. With Davis coming back, Shelden Williams joining the C's, and the team also expected to finalize the acquisition of Marquis Daniels, the Celtics will have the deepest roster in the NBA. 5: Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, Shelden Williams 4: Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Brian Scalabrine 3: Paul Pierce, Marquis Daniels, Bill Walker 2: Ray Allen, Eddie House, J.R. Giddens 1: Rajon Rondo, House, Daniels Backup point guard is still an issue but there is so much talent and depth, the Celtics will be the favorite to win the 2010 championship... Enjoy Buchholz today...