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This just proves what I've been saying all season long about Lugo: He does something good in a game, then immediately negates it by something stupid. He hits a home run, then gets picked off on bad baserunning his next at bat. Or in this case, he makes a gravity-defying leap and gets Vernon Wells out at first, then kills the rally we so desperately needed. Never fails.

Bill, you know as well as anyone else that Francona isn't going to bench Lugo, either as punishment for his play last night or because he isn't playing well. Francona sticks with his guys through thick and thin, no matter how many times they ground into rally-killing double plays, blow late-inning leads and jog down the first base line.

I appreciate his patience with players. I really do. It's got to be really hard to do when there's so much pressure to succeed every day. And sometimes it pays off (see: Dustin Pedroia).

But it has to be clear now that J.D. Drew, Eric Gagne and Julio Lugo are lost causes for the year. Drew is not going to magically start hitting two-run doubles with two outs in tie ballgames. Gagne is not all of a sudden going to mow down batters 1-2-3 in the eighth inning with a one-run lead. And Lugo is not going to do more than be an average shortstop both offensively and defensively.

It's time to throw in the towel, at least with Drew and Gagne. Play an outfield with Ellsbury, Crisp and either Hinske or Keilty until Manny comes back. Make Papelbon start being an actual closer, which means pitching more than one inning sometimes. But unfortunately, knowing Francona, it's not going to happen. It will help his players' egos but hurt the team as a whole.

I 100% agree. Cora should start on Friday night in place of Lugo. Not only that, but Lugo should have to EARN his spot back.

I wouldn't be at all disapointed with Cora as this team's shortstop heading into the postseason.

You're right, he needs to be benched and shouldn't be allowed back into the lineup until he EARNS it.

Alex Cora should be the shortstop on Friday, and beyond. I am completely comfortable with Cora as the shortstop for this team in the playoffs.

I’m not at all comfortable with Cora in the lineup regularly, but I’ve coached too many kids to “run everything out because you never know which play will mean the ballgame” to let Lugo off the hook. I know he’s kicking himself now, but he knew better and got lazy. He “decided” to risk hurting the team. That’s different from Papelbon’s struggles and Gagne’s struggles.

Another thing. Is it just me, or is this team perceived as a “playoff experienced” squad? Well, there are an awful lot of key pieces on this team with little or no postseason experience: Dice-K, Papelbon, Okajima, Delcarmen, Youks, Pedroia, Drew (?), Lugo. I’d feel better about that lack of seasoning if I felt like all of them were true “gamers” (like Millar), but I question the intestinal fortitude of a couple of these guys when the chips are down. And I feel pretty sure that you know which names I’m concerned about.

Having said that, let’s finish up with a 7-3 spurt and then win 11 more in October before the parade.

I hate to say it but all i hear on talk radio is the red sox are lining up their rotation for the playoffs.

If this poor play continues it could be 3 and out first round.

I figured that the Sox lead of 14 games over the Yanks was not going to hold, but to have it dwindle to 1.5 games was (and is) unthinkable. This is a gutless Sox team and has been the entire year, even when they were winning games. They have shown no character (competitive) this year. If they get a lead, they held it but if they fell behind, forget it, they were not coming back. The "idiots" of '03 & '04 exemplified competitive character. They were scrappy and showed some "cajones", for lack of a better term. When the game was on the line, someone (almost anyone) would come through. That's why that "insurmountable" lead was bad for the Sox. They never learned to scratch and claw their way through any games!

Amazing to me that almost everyone knew the JD Drew deal was bad except Theo & co. Why they sweated him so bad was a mystery to me back then and demonstrates the front offices inability to access free agents. Sure they got Ortiz, but that was pure luck. They wanted Jeremy Giambi to start in front of him.... Amazing.

This Sox team has a shot in hell of winning a playoff series when someone other than Beckett is on the mound.

I have been a lifelong diehard Red Sox fan and it pains me to say this but you would never, and I mean never, see Derek Jeter dogging it up the first base line like Lugo did. While I would not expect to see Francona ever publicly berate one of his players I found some of Theo's commentary very interesting about how the team has had many opportunities to win games and have been completely outplayed at critical junctures of the games the last 7-10 days. This was one of them where Lugo's lack of hustle cost the Red Sox a game and while Theo may be at fault for signing him he can't expect a pro to dog it down the line like that in a pennant race. I sure hope Francona pulled him aside after the game and gave him an earful. Let's beat Kashmir for a change and get things back on track starting tonight!
1Bosox

Hey Rob,

Who is gonna relace him???? Cora? isnt he 1 for his last 40 at bats...cmon man get real.

"That’s why that “insurmountable” lead was bad for the Sox. They never learned to scratch and claw their way through any games!"

I wasn't aware that this was a forgetable "skill." You're saying that players forget how to win after every season is over and have to relearn all over agiain the next year? Maybe we just need to get some of those Erstad/Podsednik gritty type guys. They may suck at actually playing baseball, but man do they know how to win. Not like that Drew guy. Who wants a guy with that much ability (who, incidentally, has finally managed to stay on the field for a full season) when you could get a guy with some "intangibles" instead? Better not sign A-Rod next year if he opts out either. That would destroy the Sox' clutch-ness.

And to the subject of benching Lugo? If there was a viable alternative to playing him, then I'd be all for it. But when your reserve MIs consist of a slap-hitter with no speed that can't seem to get the ball in the air anymore(Cora) and Royce Clayton, I wouldn't dare bench my startering SS and 2B either

despite my previous posts on lugo, the solution to bench him is a little like putting a bandaid on a cancerous skin cancer cyst. You bench players to send a message to your team that you support players who hustle.

problem is that when you coddle a manny, you can't send that message. the message is already up in lights -- our star player is sitting it out until the playoffs.

and another poster is right about jeter -- the guy stands STANDS on the top dugout step and watches every pitch of every game.

if you take the money, you run out the plays. every time you bring in a player from teams like the rays you really have to answer that question about whether they run out the plays or not. theo knew what he was getting. he coddles manny year after year.

gagne is coming off tommy john surgery. in the year following tommy john, pitchers experience dead arms. one time they are up another they are down. this is what gagne is. next year he should be fantastic. the yankees would love to sign him. nancy drew is another story. i have never seen a case made for having signed him in the first place. poor sports journalism is the root. if management makes a move like that and doesn't hear from writers and fans, then they'll make another.

I understand bob ryan has a column today explaining why the sox are 4th ranked in the playoffs for the AL.

good.
at least someone gets it.
get this management out of here. hire jc riccardi. good baseball man from worcester.

and kudos to you burt. the lugo play has been going on all year with this team.