Down The Stretch They Come....

Ok, is it just me or has this Red Sox season been among one of the stranger ones in recent memory? Think about it: It's the first full season without Manny. David Ortiz didn't hit a homer until June 5th and had the steroids scandal. Neither Brad Penny or John Smoltz are still with the team. Theo made a blockbuster move at the deadline to acquire Victor Martinez. The revolving door that was the shortstop position (Nick Green, Jed Lowrie, Chris Woodward) until Alex Gonzalez was reacquired from the Reds. And Dice-K went 1-5 in his first 6 decisions with an ERA over 8, hadn't pitched in 60 days until Tuesday night, and could still be Boston's third starter come October. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009 Boston Red Sox!

Maybe the weirdest thing is that the aforementioned Matsuzaka, despite his general suckitude to this point in the season, has the potential to make or break the 2009 Red Sox. As he proved Tuesday night by shutting down the Angels, when he's on, he is a #2/#3 caliber starter. Which makes him especially valuable to this team considering the third starter right now is Clay Buchholz, and the fourth starter would be either Tim Wakefield or Paul Byrd. If that last sentence doesn't make you nervous, then I don't know what will. But by putting an effective Dice-K into the mix, as either the third or fourth starter, suddenly the postseason pitching staff looks a lot deeper, especially with the dynamic duo of Josh Beckett and John Lester as the game 1 and 2 starters respectively.

Another big thing that needs to happen for the Sox is that the lineup needs to settle. Now, I am a huge fan of Varitek, but it's obvious to even me that the guy has been missing in action since the All-Star Break and that his career is really all but over. I mean, the guy is hitting .164 since the break. .164! That is truly terrible. It's clear that for the Red Sox to have the best possible offensive output in the playoffs, the lineup needs too look like this:

Ellsbury (CF)
Pedroia (2B)
Martinez (C)

Youkilis (3B)
Bay (LF)
Ortiz (DH)

Lowell (3B)

Drew (RF)
Gonzalez (SS)

That lineup gives the Sox the best chance to put up runs and win games. Which, last time I checked, is the goal in the playoffs. I really hope Tito doesn't play Tek anymore than the bare minimum that is necessary. Plugging him into the lineup means they lose either one of their two best hitters (Martinez or Youk), one of their most consistent offensive threats (Lowell), or the player with the most home runs in the American League since June 5 (Ortiz). At this point in his career, all that Tek gives you is an ability to call the game, which is a skill that even i think is vastly overrated. Sorry Jason, but you're the odd man out in this situation.

So how do I feel about the Red Sox as they make their stretch run? I feel pretty optimistic that they will win the Wild Card, thanks to Texas finally starting to fade, but I'm not sure how they fare past that. The Yankees are on fire right now, and I think that they will be very tough to beat in a 7 game series. Not to mention that the Angels, as always, are a dangerous team and are not to be taken lightly (even if the Red Sox have won 10 of their last 11 against them in the playoffs). That being said, I think these guys have a shot, and a better one than a lot of people are giving them credit for. Seriously, who wants to face a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, and an effective Dice-K , plus Jonathan Papelbon (who still has yet to give up a postseason run) in a 5 or 7 game series? I know I wouldn't, that's for sure.

Return Of The Golden Boy

In my entire life, only four football games have given me chills. The first was in January of 2002, when when the New England Patriots came back in the snow against the Raiders in a game that will be known forever as the "Tuck Game". The second was less than a month later, when those same Patriots defeated the heavily favorited Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI, thanks to a last minute drive by Tom Brady and a game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired. The third was in February of 2004, when Tom Brady once again lead his New England Patriots into position for a last second field goal courtesy of Adam Vinatieri to win their second Super Bowl in four seasons.

The fourth, and last time i felt "the chill" while watching a football game was in September of 2007. You know, that game where the lethal combination Brady and Moss was unveiled? That 38-14 domination of the New York Jets that set the tone for the rest of the season? I remember thinking that Sports Illustrated stole my line when they said that the Patriots sent a "shiver down the spine of the NFL". The way the Patriots effortlessly scored on a helpless Jets defense, it made you think that this offense could put up 50 points every game with ease. I knew in that moment that the season to follow would be special.

That team steamrolled the competition, like a 12 year old man-child in Little League mows down overmatched batters (don't lie, you had a kid like that in your league, everyone did). They went 16-0 in the regular season, setting offensive record after offensive record. Spygate only fueled the fire. They put up a grand total of 587 points that season. 587 points! Are you kidding me? Nobody could beat them. Even in the Super Bowl, when the offense was held to a mere 7 points entering the fourth quarter and trailing by 3, Brady engineered a touchdown drive to take the lead with 2 minutes and 53 seconds left in the game. Then the rest is history. Asante Samuel lets an INT go right through his fingers. Eli Manning is swarmed by what seemed like the entire Patriots front seven, somehow escapes and heaves a prayer that little used receiver David Tyree somehow snatches on the back end by clutching it to his helmet while Rodney Harrison is trying to punch it out (probably one of the most impossible plays in sports history, and it makes me sick to my stomach every time I watch it). Then rookie safety Brandon Merriweather can't hang on to one of Eli's "I have no idea where this lob is going" passes. And the death blow, Ellis Hobbs getting physically dominated by Plaxico Burress on a goal line fade to the endzone (by the way, why was Hobbs covering Burress? Don't you put your best cornerback on the other team's best receiver in that situation?). 17-14 Giants. Perfection over.

After losing Super Bowl XLII, 2008 was supposed to be the Year of Revenge. It was going to make up for last season's failure. The Patriots were going to win the Super Bowl. It was a fact. Then, two drives into the season, Bernard Pollard fell into Brady's knee. Silence. The air was sucked out of the stadium. At home watching on TV, I sat on the couch, staring dumbfounded at the screen. Then the wave of text messages rolled in. My friend, who was at the game, said "Dude it's so quiet right now." Every single Patriots fan was in shock. Tom Brady, the hero of 3 Super Bowl championships, was down for the count. Even though he was severely injured, Brady still walked off the field, assisted by the trainers, which gave us hope. Unfortunately, he wasn't. Tom was done for the year, and Matt Cassel, though solid for the rest of the season, was no Brady, and the Patriots missed the playoffs (despite an 11-5 record).

But all that ends this year. You know why? Brady's back, and all is right in New England once again. When Brady steps onto that field on Monday Night Football on September 10th, the crowd will be ready and cheering. The offense will be seemingly unstoppable, the Patriots seemingly unbeatable. And me? I will get "the chill". Look out NFL, the Pats are back. And this time, they will be not be denied of that 4th Super Bowl banner. That's right, I'm guaranteeing that the Patriots will win Super Bowl XLIV. Revenge Tour: Take II begins now.