Ladies & Gentleman, Welcome to the Dog Days of Summer

Lugo can only look on, and he K's to end the game. (AP Photo)

The phrase I repeat to myself after a game like yesterday afternoons loss to the Yankees is cliché yes, but it sure helps me out. It was only one loss. It's only one game. For reasons all Red Sox fans know all too well (and Yankees fans too I believe) these games always seem to mean more then they actually count for. When I take a look back at look at the baseball universe as aligned in 2008 I come to one firm conclusion. The Boston Red Sox are the best team in the AL East.

Saying that out loud actually brings a lot of solace to me, and I truly believe that when all is said and done in the regular season we'll be looking down at our AL East rivals and friends. What the sweep to Tampa Bay did for both the Red Sox and us fans is wake us up from the cloud we still may have been riding from the Celtics championship run, and it truly welcome us to the 2008 baseball season. The games suddenly seem to really matter know, every out has that crucial feel to it, and low and behold we're in a pennant race. Quite simply, it's awesome, and it's the reason you're a fan. You have hope, glory, and disappointment change on a daily basis which helps just reaffirm that you are indeed walking, talking, and breathing on this big blue planet.

Big Papi will be coming back soon, and we all know what happens to both him and Manny's bat once the weather really starts to warm up. Our starting pitching has been phenomenal and I don't see any let down in the near future (Hats off to Justin yesterday). Heck, even Timlin looked amazing in the 8th yesterday, and we once again got to Mariano, which is always fun. Yeah it seemed sadly predictable to see the basesloaded with no out and have Coco, Tek (can't believe he didn't ground into a DP actually), and Lugo blow a golden chance, but it's OK, it's all part of the ride, and this pennant race isn't over...it's just begun. This is the summer blockbuster we've been waiting for, not Batman (well...sort of), and it's sure to be entertaining, and I just have a hunch that the good guys are gonna win in the end.

This glass is half full post is now officially over. Go Wake,  Go Sox.

Comments

[Chris Hixon]

First of all, your Captain Ameritek illustration is an instant Sawxblog Classic! I want to see this on a Fat Head commercial on ESPN and I swear to all that is good and right in Amercia, I would be buy it. Epic!

Secondly, I actually received an email from a Rays Fan bragging about their season and acting as though the AL East Championship and a trip to the World Series was a forgone conclusion.

Poor Rays fans. They are so naive and fail to realize that the baseball season is a marathon and not a sprint. Let's see how they endure the second half of the season (that's right we've only played half the games Rays fans)when players begin to breakdown physically and mentally. How will they respond when some of their key players go down on the 15 day DL or even worse, if they are lost for the season. Will they respond like the World Champion Red Sox, who have lost a member of the starting rotation in Curt Schilling for the entire year and perhaps his career? How will the Rays respond if they lost another member of the rotation like a pitcher the calibre of Dice K Matzuzaka? What would they do if they lost lost a clubhouse giant and imposing bat like that of Big Papi? Do they have pitching talent deep in their minor leagues like Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz and Craig Hansen and others to step up and back fill these injuries and keep the team on top of the standings?

A lot can and will happen in a 162 game season and I think that Theo,Terry and the coaching staff have done a great job so far this year handling the adversity.

So, time will tell and if I were a betting man, I'd bet on the Red Sox in the long run, not the Rays. The Rays haven't been tested with this type of adversity and they haven't experienced the pressure of playing for an AL East Title or World Series bid in the Fall. The pressure and challenges of pitching, hitting, managing and everything else that goes on between the lines and in the clubhouse goes up significantly in the Fall.

Congraulations on a great first half Rays. You've won nothing. Enjoy your successful season while it lasts, because it won't. Enjoy your off season and and watching the Red Sox in playoff baseball on TV in October. See you next Spring.

[Eric]

Chris you sound a little bitter.. and a little misinformed.

PECOTA had tampa winning 88 games this year so while they have probably overperformed a little bit the only people surprised should be ESPN analysts.

also, they are recognized to have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball right now. so yes, could handle a setback or two for the short term. they've already been without kazmir for part of the year and survived early on.

i think you are selling them short. and honestly, if you're going to play the injury card.. who is more likely to break down? a group of players in their 20's or a group of players on the wrong side of 30?

i could go on.. this is dumb. your comment was arrogant and short sighted.

[Centerfield Hixon]

hmmmm...you are probably a Yankee fan aren't you Eric?

The email sent to me by the Rays fan was dumb and arrogant. I was merely responding in kind to match their intellect and I am glad that it resonated with yours as well.

[Eric]

i live in boston buddy. i dont know why you'd suggest i was a yankees fan or how that has any bearing on my character or how i'd view the race in the AL east.

i just figured you needed some help getting your facts straight.

[c hixon]

iam glad to learn we are buddies Eric. no help needed but thanks for offering. my original email was a little tongue in cheek humor not intended for you. sorry to offend you or your baseball knowledge.

regardless of whether or not you think I am dumb or arrogant I am entitled to my opinion. I still feel strongly that the sox have the leadership - management team and roster to make a return trip to the playoffs. I also feel that the inexperience of a good young Rays team will impact their success in the second half.

time will tell whether my opinion is accurate or not but either way it should be an exciting second half of baseball.

go sox!

[Derek Hixon]

Hey Guys, I see where both of ya' are coming from however not all facts are strait, so lets get some mediation.

PECOTA actually predicted 90 games for the Rays, not 88. http://baseballprospectus.com/fantasy/dc/

But anyways....

The PECOTA isn't absolute truth, the Prospectus and other great annuals are great and fun, but not always right. And the list was more then slim with people on it who thought the Rays could win the AL East with the youth they have. Now everyone's on it.

It's the baseball community as a whole (not just ESPN) that is shocked and awed not by the Rays being good, but by them being this good this soon. Chris's point was that we're no where near the finish line, and the Rays have been pretty arrogant and brazen given they've never won anything except a free cowbell and what was supposed to be Wade Boggs hat in the HOF (they lost that too).

The Rays "fans" are coming out of the woodowrk now, and I think in the end that's what bothers people. I mean come on, they played "Sweet Caroline" after the sweep, which was a low-blow from an organizational point of view, which is going to not do anything to their advantage in the long run.

[Eric]

all fans will come out of the woodwork when any team wins.. it happened here.

i agree that the red sox will make the playoffs barring a rash of injuries. i do not think, though, that inexperience will play much of a factor in whether or not the rays succeed or fail in or in their quest to make the playoffs.

[Madonna Johnson]

Havent read the page in a while. I've been busy being Hollywood and all that. jk

It's amazing to me that neither you, nor any other NE sports fan I know has grasped the fact that you have essentially become what you so vehemently hated for years... minus the interlocking NY on the cap. So what you spend slightly less, and have made better baseball decisions. The fact is... you have a slew of bandwagoning fans(I can personally attest to that being out here. Trust Me) and you guys SPEND big and have gone after big name free agents... You started playing by the Yankees rules. it ended up working for you, because, again, you made better decisions with the $ spent. But in your heart you know all this already. But as a Sox fan.. you gotta be a hypocrite. It's the way it works out there. And yes I'm aware of the farm system. That's the only crutch you can lean on. But we have also been developing from our weaker farm system as of late.

To sit there and think that you truly believe that you are the best team in the AL East is a little disturbing for me. The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in the AL east my friend. It's already been proven thus far. They have the best record in baseball. They are the most confident team in baseball. They have the best youth in baseball. They have the best home record in baseball. They currently have the most heart in baseball. And. they've swept you twice in Tampa. I don't believe having Ortiz in the lineup would have made all that much difference. You can't prove that anyway. The Yankees have also been terribly cold(mostly due to the fact they just are not the class of the East anymore. They're just not.. and they haven't been for years. I accept that.) But you are almost equally as vulnerable to the Yankees. I mean the Yankees, even the past few years, have constantly shown you how mortal you are. We won the season series last year, including a 5 game sweep at Fenway... and this years series is not over. I'm sure RSN thought you guys were gonna sweep us under the mat this weekend. We know what happened. No Wang. No Matsui. No Damon(last 2 games)...

If the Sox go on a losing streak, and the Yankees go on a winning streak... well you know the rest.

NE sports... ahh so entertaining. Next I'll hear that the Pats aren't cheaters! And that they didn't lose the Super bowl to the New York "Football" Giants. Oh they are, did. ;)

You know I'm good for one of these posts every few months. I have to cling to some last fiber of pride as I watch the Yankees metamorphosis into a bunch of overpaid lazy Kabahlah worshiping slugs. If they make the playoffs this year, and I think you will agree with me on this one as well... you truly can not ever count them out again... because now they will chase 2 teams. And they face more internal obstacles than ever before. I could write a book on who I'd get rid of and why. The list would surprise you. But this is a Sox blog. So I'll spare you.

Minus the flies last year, we could have been feeling much different this year. I would have paid BIG money to face the Sox in the playoffs. I truly think we would have beat you in a 7 game series, especially with how badly we bludgeoned you guys down the stretch.. but alas our luck ran out 7 years ago. And they(The Yankees) certainly were not the best team. The best team doesn't always win. You can look back on the 96 year drought for proof of that. But yeah.. Rays... the best team in the East. ;)

Hopefully you'll realize this is a strictly sports based post. I dont have many intelligent Sox fans out here to bitch at. A very small percentage of "fans" who sport a Boston cap out here... even know the starting lineup of the Sox. So... engaging in any kind of sports talk with them is a waste.

Dusty

[Madonna Johnson]

Whoops.. quite a few typos in there... should read 86... and I think consistently should have been said instead of constantly. Ahh whatever... I wrote this half asleep.

Enjoy your Tuesday.

[Derek Hixon]

Lady Madonna I love it when you post!

But seriously Rays are an awesome story and if they were in any other division I'd have a whole lot more fun appreciating them and the story. But mark my words, there's no way they'll finish ahead of the Sox, no way.

Baseball's begun though the fun part of the season begins right....NOW.

Always stay dusty :-)