It's Not Over Until It's... Yesterday

Seasons have ended on far stranger notes than what the Sox would need at this point to still make the playoffs. So making the playoffs isn’t yet in the need-a-complete-miracle realm yet.

But it is standing on the highly-improbable edge.

I will say, that one thing I won’t miss when this season IS over is how the game threads have degenerated.

They are pretty much dominated by a few folks who only seem to be there to show their own coolness by viciously trashing players or management every time some play doesn’t go our way. I’m not going to say they aren’t entitled to their opinions. But my opinion is that the Game Threads are not so much fun right now.

There seems to be a complete loss of perspective in some fans. If we had started the season with Cameron, Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, V-Mart, Varitek & Beckett all on the DL, knowing some or all wouldn’t come back until different points well into the season then what would your expectations of this season have been? If we had started the season knowing that significant playing time was going to go to names like Hermida, Patterson, Hall, Cash, Brown, etc., etc.?

I suspect most at that point would have said – “Gee, if we manage a .500 record, Tito will have done a fantastic job!”

Lately, when I monitor the game threads, all I seem to see is how he must be a freakin’ idiot who doesn’t know a damn thing about how to manage a baseball team – at least not compared to the geniuses on OTM.

Here’s a clue: Just because you don’t understand why Tito did or did not make a particular pitcher substitution doesn’t mean you are a genius and he’s an idiot. There’s a chance – yes, its true – that he may have information that you don’t. His information may be wrong, or the odds he’s playing may not pan out. Or maybe he just guessed wrong. But take a step back and ask yourself who has the better baseball pedigree: Yourself, “Mr SBN blogger”, or Terry Francona? Who looks more credible over the long haul? The guy’s certainly not perfect, but he’s hardly an idiot when it comes to baseball.

And many of the comments about players are even more whacked-out and nonsensical. Some are downright vicious.

I think it is the viciousness in the end that has turned me off.

I know. I know – no one is forcing me to read the game threads. Still they used to be fun. Why can’t they still be?

Frustration is real and a fair emotion to be feeling. But folks should exercise a little restraint and control. Me too. I know I’ve vented with a couple of choice four-letter words onto OTM. But I kinda have regretted it and I think I have also tried to not direct anything vicious at anyone.

How’s that?

Lester, Beckett and Lackey should project to better seasons than this one. Buck should step back some, but the correction from his ’10 fortuitiveness should be balanced out with his natural progression. Dice is an enigma, he could actually even be better than ’10.

Youk, Pedey and Ells back from injury. Scoot/Lowrie @ short, a healthy Cam can’t produce less than he has. JDD should be able to produce the same numbers he always does.

I project they sign 2 of the 3 big FA’s, Papi/VMart/Beltre. Fill the hole internally with a combo of Lars/Salty/Lowrie or something like that.

Last year of Bard and Papelbon, so that’s good. The rest of the bullpen HAS to be better.

And I don’t think the Yanks or the Rays are better next year, probably precipitiously worse for both.

I’m expecting more than 95 wins in ’11 and a division title. Is that wrong?