There is no quick fix for the problems with the Red Sox. One day it is bad starting pitching, the next it is bad base running, then a bullpen implosion and then no clutch hitting. Just when things look hopeless the Sox go on a winning streak and keep the meager playoff hopes alive. This team has been frustrating to watch and frustrating to define. Many players on the Red Sox have been underachieving since the end of last season but it is hard to put the blame on any one player.
When Haggs called out John Lackey for having two beers in his hand after last night’s game it was an attempt to define the problems of the team by one simple action. It was an overreach on Haggs’ part but understandable. I am guilty of the same thing; on Sunday I tweeted how Beckett should remove the bottle opener from the top of his locker. The outrage over Haggs’ article is just as over the top as the article itself. Just look here, here, and here. Kevin Millar (who drank quite a few beers during his time with the Sox) better summed up the underlying problem that Haggs was likely trying to get across in his article.
Until the Red Sox make a real run at the playoffs or go into rebuilding mode we will have to endure all kinds of speculation about what is right and wrong with this team. Because, let’s face it, a team that hovers around .500 just isn’t that much fun.
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