Idiots in 2004, Idiots in 2005

As Neil M has just kindly reminded me, I said a few weeks ago... never blog angry...

I am reading Bill Simmons book "Now I Can Die in Peace" at the moment, and I have just finished reading the chapter/column that was emails Bill received following the Game 7 loss in 2003 - and it really struck me just how much that night hurt, and how I have never really allowed myself to get over that loss - despite the World Series last year, the pain of that October night still sits in a 'special' place in my heart / head. It is that pain that makes this Sox fan know he will never be happy with just one world championship.

Tonight, I fear, the Red Sox have just stuck a fork in the 2005 season - it is the type of loss that you need to bounce back from quickly to make sure it doesn't fester, and so... the Sox have their first off day in a month to sit and think about how unbelievably bad this bullpen has been all year. It is hard to put all the blame on Francona, it is not as if he has a single lights out option in the bullpen, but why wait until there are two men on in the 8th to relieve Wakefield? Wake had pitched reasonably all night, but it was clear in the 7th that he was tiring / losing sharpness - but Francona stuck with him - presumably to rest that pen for ... for what Terry? So when Wake started struggling again in the 8th, the bullpen had to get ready in a real hurry.

He brought in Timlin... (and more to the point, Timlin was the only guy warmed up) why Terry? the last time you brought in Timlin in a non-traditional save situation... that worked out well didn't it... Timlin has pitched appallingly this year when he inherits runners, something his traditional numbers do not reflect (NESN has just shown a graphic that reveals Timlin has allowed 56% of inherited runners to score this season... should I just have done a post with that as the subject line, the topic and the conclusion?). Again, in a critical situation, Terry left him in to give up 5 runs... when he gave up 2 runs Terry, you still thought he was the best option? The Rays weren't getting lucky, Timlin was missing his spots by a wide margin... and yet... Terry sticks with him - that didn't have anything to do with the fact that you had no-one else warming up in time did it?

And thanks NESN, I really wanted an interview with Gomes to tell me about the game ...