We’ve been having this conversation repeatedly since the 2007 season went down in flames many, many times before it didn’t.

NG proposed having every pitcher pitch just one inning in every game.

First, I want a pitcher that has potential control over his pitches, and not one where every pitch is a role of the dice. How can one ever count on chaos?

Second and most important, if you are going to pitch a loose cannon knucleball pitcher in a critical situation, be overly aware of the wild momentum sucking potential and have standards to act quickly upon. For example, get 2 walks in an inning and your gone. Two very hard hits in an inning, and your gone.

Francona’s seeming neglect last night can only be justified if there was nobody else in the Sox organization with more predictable skills than Wakefield. Now I find that hard to believe. Every pitcher can have a bad game, but can you truthfully tell me that you have faith in Wakefield’s potential from pitch to pitch like you would with almost any other pitcher when they are seemingly doing well? I don’t, and have to hold my breath on almost every pitch he throws.

Ask Manny & Demarlo Hale about stops signs

If there is something recognizably wrong in/with a pitcher even early on IN A CRITICAL GAME, get him out of there before the game is too far gone. Momentum is a funny and fragile thing, and in my opinion if you look to protect momentum in your decisions, I think you end up with better results.

Welllllllllllllllllllllllllll, YES

even 90-win teams tend to lose more frequently than every third game. If a baseball team won 2 out of every 3 games, its record would be 108-54. The only team I know of that won over 100 games in recent history was the phenomenal 2001 Seattle Mariners (116-46).

I believe the Red Sox are a heavily mometum dependent team, as how they won the world series games the last 2 times have shown. Once they get it into gear this time of year, WATCH OUT! That is true this year, and before yesterday’s game, I thought the accelerator was being pushed to the floor and at a good time. Wakefield virtually single-handedly destroyed that feeling, and this must not be allowed to happen to that degree again.

Godd thing the game was not that critical, but stretch time is here, and no more momentum sucking allowed to that extent by one player!

Just more pressure on the Sox to make something happen and for the Celtics to pick it right back up for those of us who are sports fans of the “classic” regional teams. Note I’m not holding my breath on the Bruins.

A Yankee fan at work was talking about the Brady injury, and I “had” to remind him that I still have a baseball playoff race to worry about.