Sinking Sox Get 86'd in Fens, Impending Doom Lurking on the Horizon

The good ship Red Sox seems to be sinking quick. (SawxBlog Illustration)

If the Red Sox needed their baseball life to take on a clamorous quality in order to make a drastic move before the trade deadline passed, then their mission is accomplished. The Red Sox are now an uninspired 4-8 since the All-Star break and are now approaching the most desperate dip of their season. For a team that had the most All-Stars in the league they're sure playing well below their potential. The Yankees lead in the AL East has now blossomed to 3.5 games as the Sox Wild Card lead has shriveled to only 1.5 games. And for those of you keeping score at home, I'm now officially keeping an eye on the Wild Card race, because as I wrote yesterday, the Sox appear too uninspired and flat to make a true pennant push.

This team is starting to look like Red Sox teams of the past to me. Remember those teams of the 90's that started off oh so hot and then as the second half of the season welcomed us they wilted like a orchid in the desert? It used to be as sure as the seasons this would happen, however this sort of thing isn't supposed to mar Red Sox Nation 2.0, but it sure as hell looks like the past is currentlly the present. We've all been inculcated with the fact that the Red Sox, if healthy, will win 95 games a year and be in the playoffs, however this may not be the case.

Obviously the glass is half empty for me right now, and there's a ton of games still to be played, but the Red Sox need to start winning, and they need to start winning today. I hope that Sox Management is feeling as desperate as I am right now, and have their finger on the Halladay trigger, because something needs to happen before the ship is completely sunk on this 2009 season. Too many times we've had the opportunity to make the big deal (See: Mark Teixeira) and Sox Management have consistently kept their hands in their pockets as they shoegazed awkwardly, kicking the ground while muttering excuses no-one wanted to hear.

The good news today? It's the first day of Training Camp for the Patriots, and that should ring deep in the halls on Yawkey Way.

Comments

[The Omnipotent Q]

I like your take on all this, except for the Teixeira part. He had no real interest in playing in Boston, as he just used the Sox to get a better deal out of New York. Even had the Red Sox trumped New York's deal, they would have upped their offer even further. So I don't hold that against them.

I just this embarrassment against Oakland leads to something big and positive. We shall see.

[DAD]

I believe it's time the Red Sox stop looking outside to solve their problems. The experiment with Penny and Smoltz should be over and replaced with Bucholtz and bring Mastterson back and go with the youth. They will not do any worst and may do better as they gain experince now and for the future.