Red "Sox" Nay-Sayers in the Mouth

I realize that I am a "die-hard" Red Sox fan with an active membership to "Sox Nation", "Dirt Dawgs", and "The RemDog Club", so my opinion is completely biased, even jaded... but who cares about that... it's my friggin' blog.

I will admit that although I felt confident we were heading home to Fenway, the next two games scare the heck out of me.

Schilling has the ability to be baseball royalty or an opposition's doormat... The biggest question is which one shows up on Saturday?!?!?!?!

Now let me vent my frustrations with the lack of decision-making on manager Terry Francona. In my opinion, sticking with guys like Pedroia during the season is important, even when he made several attempts to revive an apparently hurt Eric "Meltdown" Gagne... but I have a huge issue with the bottom of the line-up.

My first issue is CoCo Crisp. Is he an exceptional fielder... well, to be honest, he is better than most, but not the best there is. The real question is what is he doing for us offensively? My response... ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! With each game, I see this smile come across opposing pitcher's faces as they approach the 7-8-9 hitters (especially when Maribelli is in the line-up)... and it makes me sick that Francona just allows it to continue. I don't care how much inexperience Jacoby Ellsbury has... Coco doesn't have any playoff experience and Ellsbury does more for you in the field than Crisp does. He is faster, hungrier, humbler, and had a hot bat before he was relegated to bench duty.

When it comes to Lugo, he is looking more like a lamb heading to slaughter with each at bat... and last night, where he cut Pedroia off with that single up the middle, rather than covering second for a force... ABSOLUTELY ANGERED ME!!! Alex Cora is just as good a fielder and has better plate presence than Lugo ever has...

Lastly, I give props... I will take Bobby Kielty and his fielding and hitting over J.D. "overrated" Drew. I can't stand him... he goes to the plate and swings like he is simply going through the motions. I would rather have Manny say "Who cares if we win or lose, it's not the end of the world" and go 2 for 3 with a single (Home Run!!!), double, and a few RBIs than watch J.D. Drew walk listlessly through the game and do absolute SQUAT for us offensively.

Let's say that Schilling does win, my next issue is his reluctance to go with Jon Lester over Wake or Dice-K... Are you kidding me... he had two and half scoreless innings with 6 strike-outs...

Please, Terry... make the changes, we all ready had a Grady Little... stop being so "player-oriented" and start being "win-oriented".. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY!!!!

BOTTOM-LINE: Put in Alex Cora, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Bobby Kielty... let the others ride the bench and see someone who is hungry to prove themselves... If Schilling wins, Lester, not Matsuzaka pitches... then run DelCarmen, Okie-Dokie, and Paps....

Statistocrat