Feeling Papi's Stress

So, it wasn't just me after all. It was so bad, that monstrosity last weekend, that Big Papi wound up in the hospital. If the colossus with the perpetual smile couldn't hang, how in the world were the rest of us, mere mortals all, supposed to cope? An otherwise very fine member of my congregation is a NYA fan. When he came into the church last Sunday morning, he apologized for how it had played out. When the incredibly arrogant NYA fans are feeling guilty there are only two explanations: It was genuinely embarassing, or, they remembered that someone significant once warned them that the meek shall inherit the earth. And brother, were we meek!
On XM, Charlie Steiner (now in rehab with the Dodgers after his time THERE) told one of our knights of the keyboard that the "boys are deader than Julius Caesar" as Taps played in the background. I enjoy Charlie's work immensely (now that he's seen the light), but he doesn't know what it means to follow the Sox. A little more work in Seattle, a tolerable showing by the Bay, and then another chance against the Evil Empire. And who knows?
Tonight I'm reduced to rooting for the other Sox to come back against Johann Santana to help us in the Wild Card standings. Sure. That's going to happen. (8-26 Note: It DID happen-not that it helped, as the Pale Hose blew it in extras, and the Sox lost in Seattle)
I just didn't see the Summer playing out this way. But then again, at least the Sox haven't had the Braves' season.

To quote Charlie Brown, "Argh!"

To borrow from the thoroughly reprehensible John Sterling, yesterday was Burn, Beckett, Burn. Josh has been the AL version of Jason Marquis: pretty good record most of the season, wretched performance. Guys with ERAs approaching or exceeding 6 shouldn't be listed among the Wins leaders. They make Lee Sinins' argument that Wins are a joke. Why does a pitcher get credit or blame for what his teammates did in the batters' box? Roger Clemens should have gone somewhere that he would have been afforded some run support. How can anyone list his record as 4-4 with a straight face?
Anyway, Beckett got a three year extension? For this season? Wow!
How does one redeem a day marked by a three game losing streak to NYA? Impossible, you say? Nah. Just took my beautiful High School Senior daughter for the Senior pictures. Holy cow, did this happen fast. And she's the baby. Believe me, I was there every minute, but still, how did she grow up so fast? Losing streak? What losing streak?

What happened?

Jason Johnson. Kyle Snyder. Rudy Seanez. I didn't expect much in the first game. Wang is good-perhaps the NYA's best. So when that bunch met expectations, well, ok. Game Two was coming.
Jon Lester. Craig Hansen. Mike Timlin. They exploded.
Julian Tavarez. Keith Foulke. They pitched well.
Those last two lines don't fit together. They don't compute. They don't make sense. What kind of Bizarro World has erupted in The Ancient Rivalry?
Now, they say, the lead is 3.5 games. What I see is NYA: 48 losses. Boston: 52 losses. Friends, that's a four game lead any way you want to look at it.
It should have been a better day.
Tomorrow has to be.