In the second game of the series just concluded in the Bronx, a Major League Baseball security person demanded that Terry Francona reveal that he was, indeed, wearing his uniform top under his jacket.
Francona, who has been known for not wearing his uniform top, had acquiesced to Bob Watson’s request that he start wearing a uniform top in late July when the MLB started cracking down on the managers that were not wearing their tops.
Francona immediately complied, against his wishes (circulation problems, layers of clothes he wears, have to have things tucked in) and there was no further incident until a crucial period in the 4-3 loss to the Yankees at the hands of Roger Clemens. Derek Jeter was standing on second base and the security person demanded immediate confirmation in the middle of an at-bat that he was wearing the uniform. Francona was worried that Jeter would steal third, and the security person forced him to miss a pitch, which could have been crucial to the outcome of the game.
Look, I can understand why the MLB wants their managers to wear uniforms. I personally don’t think it’s important, but I do understand how the uniform respects the game, etc. but every manager/coach in sports have their own style, and it becomes part of who they are. From Connie Mack’s suit to Bill Belichick’s sweatshirt, what they wear becomes an extension of themselves, and it has nothing to do with disrespecting the game.
Again, though, I don’t see a problem with this mandate. Francona needs to wear the uniform, but if he chooses, he can place another top over the uniform. Fine. No harm, no foul.
But in the middle of an inning against a critical opponent? Even if it was the middle of an inning of which the Red Sox were in the process of scoring 10 runs against the Chicago White Sox, it doesn’t matter. That was a horrible judgment call.
Switching gears…
Let’s talk about the sweep at the hands of the Yankees. Notwithstanding that they won because of their park (the two Cano homers: doubles, the A-Rod homer: single, the Damon homer: fly out) nor the blown call with Youkilis (he was in the baseline for the attempted tag; he went out after) … it was tough to swallow. Even if the umps call the Youkilis play correctly and the stadium was Fenway and we ended up taking the games, the game was played in New York. We should have at least won one in New York. At least we’re going to have home-field advantage locked up in the playoffs. The Sox are 40-23 at home, 40-31 on the road. We’re certainly going to be padding our record with the eight additional home games! Home-field advantage is tremendously important in the playoffs, and sweep aside, we still play well on the road.
While I would have much preferred to be the one holding the brooms, I have to say that I’m a bit pleased that this happened. Not because I’m a closet Yankee fan, not because I am a natural Sox pessimist, not because I want to see the team fail: because it (hopefully) should wake the Red Sox up.
After viewing the run that the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals all utilized to the World Series, I think it’s important for a team to fight for the playoff spots; to not coast. The Red Sox had such a big lead in the division, that they could (and probably will continue to) just simply coast to the end and lock up the division title. However, that’s not beneficial for the postseason at all.
We need to snap on the “overdrive” that will carry us through the postseason now. Coasting is a thing for the juggernauts that went out the window as soon as the Wild Card was introduced. When I look at the Yankees, I see a perfect playoff team. An amazing offense that can carry the starting pitchers, a good front of the rotation (Pettitte, Wang, Clemens) that will pitch most of the games, thereby keeping the weakness of the Yankees away: the bottom of the rotation (the last two spots have been a point of contention all year). The Yankees’ bullpen is also weak, but the one-two punch that matters, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera, ranks second or third in the big leagues (depends if you like the Justin Speier/K-Rod combo better) only to the Red Sox, with Okajima-Papelbon (and Gagne, too). If they can get good pitching from their front three (which they will, they’re big-game pitchers who go deep when it matters) … they’ll be near unstoppable in the playoffs.
I see the Red Sox with a fantastic four starting pitchers, an unbeatable bullpen … but not the offense to push the runs across. They have been beat by quality teams recently more than they’ve been doing the beating: the last nine games against the Yankees have the Yankees winning seven games to Boston’s two. Ouch!
Pitching wins games, defense wins games (we’re second in the AL, Yankees are third) … but the games can’t be won if runs aren’t scored. And we’ve been beaten soundly the past three games against quality pitching.
Look, the Red Sox are a balanced team. They do an above-average job scoring runs, they do a great job preventing runs. But in the playoffs, the Yankees scare me more. The Angels scare me to death; they can beat you so many ways. Most of that is due to their aggressive baserunning… but it works.
Do the Red Sox have a chance in the postseason? Of course. They have baseball’s best record, and they have the most balanced team in the majors. I just hope that this sweep gives them a reality check that no matter how high the lead may stretch, no matter how early the division is clinched … October is where it matters, and after this sweep, we’re facing a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series yet again. Can we rip four straight off again like we did in 2004?
Check back in October for the answer.
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