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I tend to chalk this up to circumstance and opponent more than anything else. While there is no question, the offense hasn't seemed to come up with that big hit and the bullpen has been a little shakier and the starters a little off (especially poor Wake), the losses came to Cleveland (1), New York (2), and Oakland (2). Three playoff contenders. The Yankees series could have easily been 2 out of three the other way and the late Sunday game followed by an 11 inning game coming off the Yankee weekend takes a toll. So the losing streak is more about opponent and circumstance than inherit problems with the team.

That being said....on the list of worries:
1. Wake - you know he'll turn it around, but man it hurts
2. Lugo/Drew - these guys can't be this bad....can they?
3. Coco - i either need a vote of confidence from the Front Office or some good trade rumors. I love the defense and effort, but he looks worse than Renteria did at the plate while he was here. Just uncomfortable.

Tim
http://www.redsoxtimes.com

I'm not even worried about the Yankees now. Forget them, they are their own mess and the Sox don't play them again until Summer is basically over.
Right now the Sox need to worry about themselves and hopefully start feasting on this NL competition.
Even with Matsuzaka throwing well last night, I still think they could use another starter. You can never have enough.

http://www.sportsguyredux.blogspot.com

I would like to see them finally end the Coco Crisp project. At the start of the year I was against bringing Ellsbury up too early, but after hitting .452 at Double-A, and is now in the .270s at Triple-A, he can't be any worse than what Coco is giving you right now.
Not to mention, as good as Crisp's defense is, Ellsbury's might actually be better.

Time to can Wakefeild the Knuckleball is a novalty pitch and needs to be added in with other pitches like a Split finger fast ball, a good old hard curve, along with a screwball, and sinker. You can relie on it for almost every pitch. And of course Varitek can't catch it. So poor Milibelli has to catch Wakefeild and he gets his 4 at bats but its not enough at bats for him to hit for average. Wakefeild is a anchor that has been weighing down the sox for years. Next Get rid of Timlin he's past his prime and along in the old age home now. Time to ship CocoCrisp off to another team we need a good hitting excellent outfeilder. Just being able to feild does not cut it anymore. Curt Schilling has see his better days and I think his time has come, everytime he is out on the mound he looks like he is consitpated. Becket needs to get back to the basics he started out with in the begining of the season. He was really slipping before his injury and now looks like he may have his head on right. Dice-K is a season away right now he is a work in progress. Tavares should be in the bull pen and Paplebon should be a starter. Franconia should be ashamed of himself for putting him back in the bullpen. Also Okjima should be a left handed starter he looks good out of the bullpen. Also its time to think about a new manager because franconia gives up games too early if they are losing, time to either hire Dwight Evans or Bring back Butch Hobson as manager and start tearing up this league.

Roomeister,

All I can say is that I am glad that you have absolutely no influence on the Red Sox roster decision-making process. You're a crazy person! The one thing that I agree with you on, sad to say, is Wakefield. As much as you can call him an innings eater, he's really the number 5 guy on this team, not 4, and I would rather see Lester take his spot than Tavarez. We don't need an innings eater, we need a pitching staff with fire in their eyes.

What I really think the sox need right now is about a week off for batting practice and simulated pitching. The offense looks dead, and there isn't a man on the pitching staff that inspires fear right now. There's no desire on this team right now. They don't want to take it, they are waiting for it to come to them.

Funny, I don't remember hearing anyone clamoring to get rid of Wakey when his ERA was the best in the AL. And I have no complaints about Tavarez as the Number Five starter -- he keeps Boston in the game more often than not, which is about all I expect from a Number Five, and of the ten starts he's made, whether or not he has a decision, the Sox have won five, and lost two more by only one run. What I think is that we got spoiled by a pace that was all but impossible to keep up. Even with a four-game skid, the Sox *still* have the best record in MLB. I don't even know that there is a problem now that hasn't existed all season anyway -- Lugo, Drew, Pena -- so much as this is a just one of those inevitable valleys every team is bound to face over the course of a six-month season. Don't get me wrong. I am very ready for them to win. But I am not so much worried as watchful at this point.

I agree with Dawn, people were voting the Cy Young Award for Wake the first month of the season and now they want to hang him. Give me a break. He has always had his ups and downs and you learn to live with it. He pitched well last night its just the bats are cold as ice. Only 3-4 players have actually been hitting this year. Could the blame be on the New Hitting Coach???? Everyone blames the Manager when they lose but no one ever comments on the hitting or pitching coach when things go bad.

Yo Roomeister, you say trade Coco. Great Idea, but who would want him. In order to trade someone, there needs to be supply and demand. I'm sure we would get a 300 hitter who plays centerfield better than Andrew Jones in exchange for Coco straight-up. Shows how much of a GM you are.

I am amazed how many of you folks have been watching baseball. First of all I don't play the fantasy league, I look at other players out there as a hobby been watching the Sox as a kid since the 1960's Seen good players go and lousy players kept. First of all Wakefeild and all the people saying Cy Young in April, hello folks if you remember you don't win a World Series in April, Theo is a fly by night as for the Red Sox taking Theo back there is something wrong with the upper managements brains. Theo cares more about music than baseball, back to wakefeild time to get rid of the fad pitcher on the team and time to get rid of Miribelli and work a new catcher up to replace Varitek. As for center feilders The sox should get rid of Coco and get Marlon Byrd from texas a solid Centerfeilder who can do the job. Texas will give up anyone they need to salvage their season right now. Also people are talking about Jon Lester and what has he done in the big leagues yet? nothing so you hold paplebon down in the bullpen and put lester in the rotation. I don't think thats fair to paplebon.

Simply put, I'm not worried. Some fans tend to forget that if a team _loses_ 60 games in a season, their favorite team has a phenominal season. Relax Red Sox Nation. All will be fine. Just ask Curt after today's performance.

that roomeister person needs to learn how to spell fielder.
geez

Roomeister:
As I recall, Papelbon *wanted* to be the closer. He wasn't just sent there to keep a slot open for Lester. And as far as Wakefield goes? Are you really going to say it's his fault when he pitches a game where he gets 8 Ks over 6.2 innings yet still loses 3-2? Does that mean it's Matsuzaka's fault he lost on Tuesday when he got 8 Ks over 7 innings yet lost 2-0? Or is that loss attributed to the offense, but Wakefield is on his own? I guess I feel that the offense is as accountable as the pitcher, but it takes both to do their job in order to win. A great pitching game without offense cannot guarantee a win, just as a great day at the plate with lousy pitching can still result in a loss.

oh no, I'm not worried at all. Youk will finish the year hitting .340. Dustin is a can't miss .300 hitter. Beckett will win 30. Okajima is legit. Julian will get back on track and wait till jonny lester takes the mound -- i'm not going to be that choked up since I inhaled curt's bloody sock during an exhibition at the museum of science. the big nipper is solid. curt is awesome. the starting five is the best in baseball. and johnny popplearm? what more can I say. no fear baby. Go SAWKS!!!!

oh yeah, and have a couple injuries -- say ortiz out with the hammies for awhile again and hit a little losing streak -- you know schill and manny will step it up -- they're not quitters. no, no, no, my friends. we're great. we're fine. i'm not worried, really i'm not. i'm OK i'm all right. .644 winning percentage. no way the legs come off this carriage. we're riding all the way to the serious. hooooooooweeeeeeeee!!!