Money Terribly Spent?

The book closed on Josh Beckett's 2010 season last night.

One of the only things keeping many of us watching over the past few weeks was to see if Beckett and Lackey could finally string together some quality starts and find their grove.

That question has been answered, and it's time to be concerned.

Consider Beckett's final 2010 numbers:

GS: 21

Innings pitched: 127.2

Hits: 151

Taters: 20

K's: 116

Record: 6-6

ERA: 5.78

WHIP: 1.54

At the beginning of the year you may have been able to convince me that those numbers were Dice-K's....or maybe Dontrelle Willis'....but certainly not a guy who the Sox just locked into for 82.5 million dollars.

Add to that Lackey's utter failure in Boston this year and you've got 165 + million tied up on two pitchers over 30 for the next four years. They were supposed to be our solid rocks, the stoppers who remain as constants while Lester and Buchholz matured into their prime years.

Now, as ITM once again starts our internal debate of going to Ft Myers for Spring Training in 2011, we have 165 million dollars worth of question marks.

PS: ITM has become a fan of the Cincy Reds for the post season. If you don't route for them, you don't have a soul.

Hump Day Heidi

The Sox have been officially eliminated from the postseason.....rumors and thoughts about 2011 are already on the airwaves. It's pretty depressing right?

Well boom, right when the Nation needs it the most, Hump Day Heidi is here to make our collective tails wag a little bit.

Given the dire state of the Nation, ITM went with a jackpot photo from last year of Heidi and Erin Andrews together. Something all men have been waiting for to complete their lives.

How the camera withstood the power of these two ladies together in one photo, no one knows. But thank god.

Longoria Calls Out Rays Fans - Good For Him

Good for Evan Longoria. The studly 24 year old came out and said what every Rays player has been dying to say for years to their fans - show up.

"Another thing I want to say" (completely unprompted, which I think is the best part)...."we only had like 15,000 fans out there." (most people think it was closer to 10,000)...."In 2008, when we clinched, this place was packed. We played 155 games this season and it's kind of like what else to you have to do to draw fans in this place. It's actually embarrassing for us."

Longoria went on about how opposing teams come into St. Pete and outdraw the home town club. He maintains that it wasn't a jab at the fans or a low blow....which is complete crap.....it is what is is and you should be proud of yourself Longo.

As much as it pains me to say it, the Rays are perhaps the most excited team in baseball. Their amazing talent is being wasted on one of the worst fan bases in sports.....imagine the hysteria in Boston if the circumstances were reversed.....and it's not like they're paying Fenway or Yankee stadium prices for entry.

The Rays are on the verge of winning the AL East and Floridians could careless. They just want to make sure they're on time for the 4:30pm early bird special at the local Dennys.

Even the Tampa Bay Tribune seems to side with the fans on this one.....which completely blows my mind.

The long and short of it? Those fans don't deserve you Longo, come up to Boston where you'll be a king and praised by all sorts of women in tight clothing.

I'm just saying, think about it.

Is Aroldis Chapman Human?

105 MPH? Seriously? I saw this over the weekend and just assumed I had drank too much for it to be real life.

I mean, he's from Cuba, which means you can add at least 3 years to his age, and he likely took all sorts of horse steroids before making a run for it, but 105 MPH?

Check the gun, test Chapman, then check the gun again.

Seriously, I understand that athletes are getting bigger and faster with enhanced training and technology....but where will it end?

Will guys from Kazakhstan be throwing 111 MPH by the time I'm 35?

The human body is only capable of so much, and even Rick Vaughn couldn't touch 105 in Major League II.

PS: As of last night, I'm the World Champion of my fantasy baseball league....it's a keeper league, and guess who I've got waiting on my bench to ensure continued dominance? Nope, not JD Drew, my main man Chapman. Championship.

Pap Continues to Kick Me in the Teeth

They almost had me. Three outs away from a sweep in NY and I was starting to do the math in my head. The odds were amazingly against us, but the Yanks had been playing so bad, and with 3 more games against them to close out the season at Fenway, why not us?

I should really know better by now.

Everyone else was watching the Jets and Dolphins in a close one while I watched a closer who continues to ask for a top of the market contract implode yet again.

Pap has now blown 8 saves, most in the AL. His ERA sits at 4.02, by far the highest in his career. Against the hated Yanks? His ERA balloons to 8.64.

You can blame a squeezed strike zone if you want Pap, but the reality is, you're just not that good, and haven't been for nearly two years now....and you're certainly not as good as you think you are.

Last night, you ended the season for the Sox yet again, just like in the 09' ALDS.

Luckily for you, Tom Brady and his Justin Bieber hair was busy saving his defense's ass all day, and as a result, not many people will notice.

When do the Bruins and Celts start up again?

It's Just God Keeping Mike Lowell On His Toes

He's beat cancer twice, rejuvenated his career when everyone said he was done, and was the 2007 AL MVP for the Sox. Mike Lowell has nearly been to hell and back, but god seems to keep reminding him to stay in line.

Mikey took a wicked hop to the face on Friday night as the Red Sox continue to try to put a little scare into the Bronx.

It looked bad, real bad, I nearly spit my beer all over the entire bar at the BBC in Falmouth....but in typical Lowell fashion, he picked himself up, didn't rub it, and pushed on.

When Granderson got to first base and asked Lowell if he was ok, Mikey responded: "As long as they don’t rule it an error, I’m good."

That's a man.

Also, Mikey, it could have been way worse.....

PS: I've gotta think more people will be watching the Jets/Miami game tonight than the Sox/Yanks. Continued examples of our sad reality.

Sox to Honor Mikey Lowell: After Treating Him Like Dirt

On October 2nd, the Red Sox will honor the retiring Mike Lowell at Fenway.

Maybe this is their attempt at an apology for consistently trying to trade him, admitting they had no confidence in his ability to return from injury, and effectively benching the 2007 World Series MVP.

Mike Lowell is all class, I don't know how he put up with the crap that he did.... Surely, at some point I would have snapped and let it all hang out. Which would have been followed by me being run out of town and picked up by a Pirates minor league affiliate.

It's too bad that the 36 year old third basemen is being remembered most for his internal struggle with injuries and the organization, because what he did for this team in was epic.

Considered a "toss in" and an already washed up cash cow in the Beckett deal, Mike Lowell turned his career around.

And good for him, he's had to go through injuries, two battles against cancer, and constant contract scrutiny. All the while he's kept his head up, had an amazing glove on the hot corner, and battled back to find his stroke at the plate.

Not to mention his ability to be the clubhouse bridge for the Latin and American players.

Good for you Mikey, and while I know you would never do it, I won't be offended if you flip the owner's box the bird after accepting your honor on the 2nd. Maybe just give them the Roger Clemens stare down?

If you haven't read the book "Deep Drive". Read it. It's absolutely worth it.

Hump Day Heidi

I know some of the ITM readers down on the Southcoast don't read Barstool sports too much, so I figured what better way to get through your hump day than a new pic of Heidi dominating the camera.

ITM note: Who is this dude and why the heck is he that close to Red Sox Nation's Queen? He needs to pump the breaks.

The Sox may be limping to the finish line with insignificant games, but Heidi continues to bring her 98 MPH fastball night in and night out.

It's pics like the one above that lead to people like this guy.....

No, that is not T Murph.....but either way....Yikes dude, Yikes.

Josh Hamilton to Jacoby: See How Much I Poured?

I'm not going to say much on this....but Josh Hamilton is totally showing Jacoby up here right?

He's got two fractured ribs, and will effectively only be out of the Ranger's lineup for less than a month.

I know, I know, every injury is different, every player is different, only the athlete truly knows...yadda yadda yadda. I don't care, this looks bad.

Then again, Hamilton just looks much tougher than Jacoby, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it.

Is Dice-K The Biggest Letdown Ever?

We've blogged about it a number of times here on ITM....but it has to be tough to find a greater overall let down/overpayment than Dice-K right?

Perhaps save for the 42 year old 1st round draft pick Greg Oden?

Random interesting/scary fact I ran across today during lunch: After another lackluster start last night against the mighty Orioles, Dice-K now has the longest streak of starts allowing four or more earned runs by a Red Sox pitcher since 1942.

How do you say yikes in Japaneses?

&#&^(@ - That's my official guess.

I can't think of a player who has been more overblown, over hyped, and overpaid for in my life...(yes, that even includes you JD Drew).

Where is the 103 mph fastball we were promised? The relentless pride that makes batters swing and miss before he even pitches? The gyro ball that baffles the best of hitters? The command of 9 different pitches which can be used in any count? The endless bowls of rice?

It's like buying a 30 pack of beer and not being able to drink it....we get all the costs but none of the expected benefits. (apologies for the bad analogy, it was a tough morning)....

Consider Dice-K's 2010 numbers:

An inflated record of 9-6, an ERA hovering around 5, and a WHIP of 1.41 (that is not a typo)....all done during one of his "prime years".

And don't even try to blame the cultural differences and adjustments, he's been here for too long for that crap.

At this point in the season I'm desperately looking for something to get me excited for 2011.....and Dice-K is doing the exact opposite.....well worth all the hype and over a hundy million spot right?

Set Your DVRs Now - This Could Be Epic

If watching this video doesn't give you chills then I don't want you to read ITM ever again.

I just made ITM Gal sit down and watch it with me, and by the time it was over we both had tears swelling up in our eyes. I'm not going to lie, I've watched the trailer 5 or 6 times, and each time I'm a mess with emotion.

As frustrating as this season has been for me and everyone else in Red Sox Nation, this video makes everything worth it. It seems like forever ago already, but I can honestly point to that October as some of the best days of my life.

This 30 for 30 better live up to the hype, because you can't show that kind of trailer to Bostonians and fall short....especially this year. If it does, I'll consider running to Kenmore Square to flip cars and light things on fire.

It premieres on Tuesday, October 5th, 8pm on ESPN. Set your DVRs, mark it zero, next
frame.

Am I A Bad Bostonian?

A funny thing happened last night. Without even realizing it, I watched the majority of the Yanks/Rays game over Clay Buchholz and the Sox facing off against the AL equivalent of the Pittsburgh Pirates (only if the Pirates had the most talented pitcher in the game).

ITM Gal even called me out for it, walking into the room and saying "why are you watching these clowns?". I swear my stock as a Bostonian went down a bit last night.

But let's be honest. The Yanks/Rays series has a ton of playoff implications (both real, and fantasy for me), and the game was just more entertaining. I know I should have watched the Sox as Clay Buchholz continued to make noise in consideration for the CY Young. But I just didn't.....I coudln't....... in addition to being an irrational and crazed Sox fan, I'm a fan of the game, and I hate that sometimes.

Regardless of my attempt at rationalizing this TV watching decision, I feel officially defeated as a Bostonian and as red sox fan.

ITM Note: Buchholz indeed deserves Cy Young consideration, but let's be honest, he's not going to win it. Maybe if the Sox were headed to the playoffs he'd have a chance, or a few more wins under his belt, but CC mostly has it locked up, despite King Felix (who's on my fantasy team, studly) best attempts at dominance while on the worst team in the AL.

Red Sox Minor Leaguers Brawl Out - Kind Of

The Greenville Drive, Boston's Single A Affiliate........they ride together, they die together.

Of course there was a brawl in this game, it's game two of the South Atlantic League Championship.....does the stage get any bigger? Pure hype and adrenaline at that point in the game I'm sure.

Considering this is a "bench clearing brawl" I didn't see enough punches thrown to categorize it as such (outside of #25's attempt at a cheap shot). I need the brawls of the 70's and 80's to return. I'm talking headlocks, hay makers and wrestling moves. I want the bat boys and opposing announcers fighting each other.....today's bench-clearers are just not the same.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want people getting hurt, but I wouldn't complain if nun chucks were used at some point either.

I man, just take the skirt off and fight if you're going to fight, otherwise, play some baseball and god damn it take home the South Atlantic League Championship Crown!

ITM note, it may not even be the South Atlantic League Championship, I'm not 100 percent sure if I made that up or not. Either way, it's a meaningless game in an otherwise meaningless Boston baseball season, just with a sad attempt at a brawl.

Wait Till Next Year: 2011 Sox Schedule Released

The Sox are playing meaningless ball on the West Coast while the Yanks and Rays battle it out for the division over the next two weeks. Everything sucks.

The 2006 version of "wait till next year" seems like forever ago, but that theory panned out well. One can only hope for the same for 2011.

With that in mind, it's time to look forward to next year and that may have officially started today with the release of the 2011 Red Sox schedule.

Check out the Full Count Blog for more details.


PS: Lester remains studly, even if no one actually watched. Instead most of us were giggling at the Jets last minute loss to the Ravens last night. Gems all around.

A Weekend First: No Sox Talk

All three "writers" for ITM were together this weekend for a great wedding celebration.....and something funny happened: While I can't say I have a clear recollection of absolutely every second from the open bar, I mean, weekend, I don't think we talked about the Sox once.

Not only did I not talk Red Sox with the two other clowns who contribute to ITM whenever they feel like it, but never too often, but I also didn't discuss the local 9 with anyone at all for the weekend.

Instead, topics included (but were certainly not limited to):

-The Pats season opener

-Erin Andrew's amazing "coverage" on College Gameday

-How Rex Ryan continues to get fatter, but barks ridiculous quotes - it's a love/hate thing

-We agreed Don Draper shouldn't cheat on Betty, she's just too damn good looking for that

-T Murph's eventual wedding entrance music will be Gunz N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle

-After 5 years, Joe Murph finally got new glasses and can actually see things - he just guessed before

-How is it possible that MetroPCS gets away with the blatantly racist commericals? Do Indians just not care about their culture? - We had no real answer for this one.

-How ITM's last post (see below) was indeed its worst of all time


Most Septembers, we would maybe get to one or two of the topics listed above. We'd be too busy bitching about JD Drew's contract and arguing over potential playoff match ups.

Nope. Not this year. This time the Sox weren't even mentioned, and it's September....something I'm still very much coming to grips with.


PS: If the last Post was ITM's worst, this one has got to be second in line. Terrible and I know it. If I wasn't worried about losing my job, I'd spice things up with pictures from this debauchery of a weekend....but I value my real income.

The Sox Pick Up Matt Fox: We're Back!

The Red Sox signed Matt Fox off of waivers last night. Watch out Rays, the Sox are coming for you. The Yanks must be looking in their rear view mirror after such a move. Who wouldn't want a guy who can survive on a make believe island in the Pacific while fighting off "the others" and keeping his team alive via operations on the beach? The Yanks missed the boat on this one.

On a somewhat serious note, the Sox picked up Fox after he was designated for assignment by the Twins on Sunday. They had moved him off their 40 man roster in favor of bringing up a Double A outfielder.

For the year, my main man Matty Fox went 6-9 with a 3.95 ERA for Triple A Rochester.

Yes, it's absolutely that slow of a news day/month for the Sox. As a result, my posts are likely to only get more and more weird/irrelevant. Something ITM readers will have to get used to.

"We've gotta go back Dice-K, we've gotta go back!"

Yes, you are indeed correct, this is the worst ITM post of all time. Mark it zero, next frame.

WEEI.com - Continued Fail

Watch the full video here.

Now I'm sure none of you watched this entire video, if you did, I apologize, I owe you 5 minutes and 2 seconds of your life back.

However all it takes is about 30 seconds of watching this until you want to punch this guy in the face right? I mean, sure, he's dropping some random Red Sox facts, most of which we don't care much about since this team is playing meaningless September games with its minor league players on the Fenway lawn, but is this guy for real?

WEEI needs to learn from what Yahoo Sports (see post below) and the rest of the online media already know. Putting nerds with glasses and what looks to be either a bowling league or fake tux t-shirt on your website just doesn't work.

Why do you think NESN kicked Eric Frede to the sidelines in favor or Heidi Watney? Why is Erin Andrews so famous? How do you think an ITM reader came up with the name "Yum Yum Angela Sun"?

Hot chicks rattling off sports knowledge sells, and sells duckets. This guy simply doesn't. (See evidence in pic below:

If WEEI keeps it up, they'll just continued to get dogged by Naughty Massarotti and the Sports Hub.

Umpire Ejects Fan, Where Does it End?

Is this real life? Can umpires really eject fans out of the ballpark? If so, how the hell hasn't this happened to T Murph or I yet?

I can't imagine what this fan was saying, but I hope it was worth it. Umps should focus on the game and let the ballpark security do their thankless job.

Their power grabbing continues, it needs to stop. Next thing you know they'll be stopping the game to tell a fan to go in the bathroom and turn their "Jeter Drinks Wine Coolers" t-shirts inside out.

Also, Angela Sun, great work, I really enjoyed your um, insight.

Worst. Game. Ever.

Nothing like having your company shell out multiple hundy spots for tickets in the State Street Pavilion section only to get absolutely clobbered by the Rays.

A few people I was with last night were from the other side of the pond and it was their first time at Fenway. They've gotta be waking up this morning thinking I'm absolutely insane for loving this game called baseball (I apologized to them multiple times and made sure they agreed to come back for a different game).

We decided on purchasing tickets to last night's game back in April with the idea that a September game against the Rays at Fenway would be a great experience, a close one, and a playoff-like atmosphere. We couldn't have been more wrong.

At least the Rays put on a power display similar to the 2008 ALCS, I'm sure the first timers to Fenway were amazed by how bad the Sox pitching is and how far the Rays could hit the ball over the monster and onto Lansdowne street.

Speaking of bad pitching. When explaining the process of how we were "able to acquire" Dice-K I was met with complete blank stares and the question of "why would you do that for a player so terrible?".

I ask the same thing to myself nearly every 5 days.

ITM note: Throughout the entire game there was a guy in the next section, with his son, who continually yelled "nice going Franconca" from the 2nd inning on. Seriously? Like you're going to blame the Rays launching every other pitch over the monster on Tito? As much as I like Red Sox fans, I hate them too.

Down on the Farm:

While I'm more of a Sports Hub guy than a EEI guy, I do occasionally check out WEEI.com for its random pieces of Red Sox information.

Alex Speier ran an interesting article today and I thought I'd pass along the highlights (or lowlights) of Boston's top 10 prospects and their end of the season numbers:

1) Ryan Westmoreland (age 20 season): missed the year after brain surgery in March

2) Casey Kelly (20): 3-5, 5.31 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 35 walks, 95 innings in Double-A

3) Josh Reddick (23): .266/.301/.466/.767, 18 HR, 65 RBI in Triple-A

4) Lars Anderson (22): .274/.349/.461/.810, 15 HR, 69 RBI in Double-A and Triple-A

5) Ryan Kalish (22): .294/.382/.502/.884, 13 HR, 47 RBI in Double-A and Triple-A

6) Junichi Tazawa (24): missed the year after Tommy John surgery in March

7) Reymond Fuentes (19): .270/.328/.377/.705, 5 HR, 41 RBI in Low-A

8) Anthony Rizzo (20): .263/.334/.480/.814, 25 HR, 100 RBI in Hi-A and Double-A

9) Jose Iglesias (20): .295/.339/.379/.719, 0 HR, 20 RBI in Short-Season and Double-A

10) Derrik Gibson (20): .230/.321/.300/.621, 2 HR, 40 RBI in Low-A

Between injuries and underachieving it's tough to be psyched about the numbers listed above. There are some bright spots (Rizzo in particular), and I'm still in enough man love with Iggy that I won't let anyone speak a bad word about him.

One thing to keep in mind is how young these guys are, not just in general, but when compared to the average age of players in their respective leagues, they'll all under the line.

As the 2010 Red Sox season already has me looking to the future, you need to take the good (young talent) with the bad (growing pains). I'll also continue to remind myself that these are just numbers, and it's tough to value intangibles and the other million and one factors that go into a good baseball prospect.


....now, if we could just figure out a way to get the Big O off the air. Thank god the Sports Hub has at least given an option....

Chicagoan's Impression of the Fenway Park Experience: "It Sucked"

So I was at Dillions last night with my brother, talking nonsense and bitching about the Red Sox, nothing unusual about that. But after 7 or 8 kettle one and sodas, we found ourselves talking baseball with a few girls who were in town from Chicago.

Earlier in the day they had gone to Fenway and watched Papelpon blow his 17th save of the season, (I know it's really 7, but it feels like 17), and saw Boston get swept away by the Whitesox.

It was their first time visiting Fenway, their impression? "It sucked".

Of course my immediate response was to defend Fenway and the Red Sox at all costs, which I did, but as the conversation went on, I knew they were right.....

They had gone to Remys before the game and thought it was too "chainy". - I can see that.

They sat in the bleachers and called it "tame", no fights, no emotion, nothing. - Granted the Sox are out of it and it's a holiday weekend, but still, a weekend game in the bleachers at Fenway should never be described as tame.

They hated the field announcer for his monotone and serious voice. - Agreed.

They couldn't believe how expensive it was, or that there were no beer vendors walking the bleachers - Can't argue with any of that.

They were surprised how "family oriented" the park was. - This feeling has certainly increased over the past 10 years as "friendly Fenway" needs to dig deeper in the affluent suburban market.

They figured their expectations were too high, but I convinced them to give Fenway another chance. Sadly though, I think the Fenway park experience hit a tipping point a few years back, and is now on decline.

Blame the fair weather fans, blame the lack of superstars, blame the injuries, blame the front office, blame whatever you want, but unfortunately, the girls are right.

ITM Note: The Chicago girls claimed to be "Cubs fans" but were wearing WhiteSox hats. I told them how disgusting that was, but they didn't seem to care, I still just don't get it.

Also, I love Chicago, but I went to US Cellular field to watch the Whitesox and Mets play a few years back....that ballpark is in the friggin ghetto, how I made it out of their alive is still a mystery.

Thanks Beckett

The former ace of the Red Sox staff showed up today (keep in mind this is being typed in the bottom of the 6th, if he goes back out for the 7th and gets shelled, it's not my fault).

Beckett hasn't been 2007-like sharp, but he's "scattered" 9 hits while striking out 9 and keeping the ridiculously injured and thus weak Boston lineup in the game.

I'm glad he's pitched pretty well this afternoon, but my "thank you" remains sarcastic. Where were the quality starts when we really needed them Josh? Instead, Beckett improves his otherwise terrible pitching numbers in meaningless games against sub par teams.

(ITM note - the Whitesox have a good lineup, but Beckett's only other real success has come against the likes of the Orioles and the Mariners).

So while the Sox will likely struggle to stay within double digits of the Rays and Yanks for the rest of the season, I'll be looking towards 2011, wondering if the dollars for Beckett are going to be even close to worth it.

If the Sox Win, But No One Cares, Does It Count?

If this game had occurred two weeks ago, I'd be genuinely excited. However, despite Lester's mediocre but gutty performance, Beltre's timely tater, and Papelbon's 34th save of the year, I can't find the true emotion to sincerely care.

Lester got the win, the Sox snapped their three game losing streak, but the question is, does anyone actually notice anymore.

I was sinking a few Octoberfests with some buddies of mine tonight at Clery's, and the majority of people in the bar were far more interested in the Wednesday night trivia contest than the 18 TVs on the wall showing the game.

Sure, it shouldn't take 9 runs to beat a terrible O's team, but then again, a team with a payroll of 170 gabillion dollars shouldn't be essentially eliminated from playoff contention with a month of baseball to go.

I guess such is life when you've had an insane amount of injuries, a lack of deadline/waiver wire movement, and teams with talent levels like the Rays and Yanks (and maybe even the Jays?) in your division.

Which leads me to question what the TV and attendance ratings will actually look like down the stretch in 2010....

How I Cope With This Red Sox Team....

It's official, the 2010 Red Sox season never happened in my book. It's over, a complete waste of my time, love, and effort.

So what do I turn to for comfort? Pictures like this that I got from T Murph. Instant classic.

Also, any truth to the rumor that Bob Ross is actually JD Drew's dad?

Think about it though, they've both got some talent but would have been way better at their job if they had been more bad ass. Both have been extremely overpaid based on their ability, but have provided for countless hours of boring TV watching and talk show arguments. Just saying, it's possible.