Anxiety and giving up are hugely popular with fans of the Boston Red Sox lately, and for good reason. The pitching has been terrible, and the offense has been sub-par, at best. However, things are not as bad as they seem. Much like I did after last season's horrific end, I will explain why it is that Red Sox fans should be more like Obama in 2008 and have hope. Scratch that; they should be like Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan and Keep the Faith.
The Pitching
Well, well, the Red Sox, once again, have pitching problems. No doubt about it.
The "Ace," Jon Lester, has an ERA of about 4.50, a number expected for a #4 or 5 pitcher for a team like the Kansas City Royals, not a team that has one of the highest payrolls in baseball.
Josh Beckett has been fighting and angry with the media since last September, and has not pitched particularly consistently.
Clay Buchholz started off the year like a train-wreck, got hurt, and came back as the lone bright spot in the rotation. Then he got hurt again.
Felix Doubront has been pretty good, but not great. Definitely not someone that could shoulder leading a pitching staff.
Daisuke Matsuzaka. He's been Dice-K. What more needs to be said?
Daniel Bard was a bona fide disaster and sits in Pawtucket trying to learn to be a reliever again. Don't expect to see him back up this year, and if he is, don't expect great things.
This all sounds pretty bleak, right? Right. BUT (this is a big 'but,' if you couldn't tell from the capitals and boldness) the rotation cannot continue to be this bad. They just can't. It would be a statistical anomaly for three very good pitchers (Buchholz, Beckett and Lester) to all, on the same, be bad for a whole year after being good for years. Buchholz was a fringe Cy Young candidate on the other side of last year, which he lost to injury. Beckett is tempermental and getting older, but he can still get the job done. Or at least should be getting the job done. For Lester, it is pretty inexplicable. He is the most likely to return to form. Watch out for a great second half from the Ford Truck Man.
It is not clear where he will be on Friday, but Franklin Morales has proven to be huge asset for the staff. His spot starts have been nothing short of impressive. Keeping him the starting rotation is a definite option, and not one that people would complain about.
Bottom line: The rotation can only get better.
The bullpen, aside from the first week or two of the season, has been one of the best in baseball. Alfredo Aceves has proven- as he always does- that he can pitch in any situation. It is quite possible that he will remain the closer for the res of the year, even when Andrew Bailey returns at the end of the month. Which is another good thing! The bullpen is in good shape!
The Offense
Fact: The Red Sox have the 5th best team batting average in the majors. They also have the 2nd most runs scored. Scary.
Fact: The Red Sox have once again faced the injury bug, including legitimate MVP candidate Jacoby Ellsbury, spark-plug Dustin Pedroia and Carl Crawford, who has yet to show what he did in Tampa in Boston.
Fact: Adrian Gonzalez has performed well under his ability.
Fact: Jacoby and Crawford will be back before the end of the month.
Fact: The Red Sox offense, when healthy, is one of the best, if not the best offense in the league (debatable point: The Texas Rangers).
If you think the Red Sox offense has underperformed, you would be correct. But, to suggest they have sucked is just downright incorrect. BUT, they're going to get much, much better over the rest of the season. So, sit down, chill out, and enjoy the show they will put on.
The second half of the Red Sox season will be absolutely the most exciting thing to witness. They have a lot of ground to cover, but I promise that they will make it fun, and come mid-September watch for the Red Sox to be fighting for a playoff spot. Sure, they're only a .500 team right now, but they are much, much better than that, and you all know it. AL East and the rest of the AL, be afraid, be very afraid.
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