TBA, then TBA

Is Rick Porcello eligible to start a game? Let’s take a look at him too.

Maybe I went into a coma and it’s actually next March and this is spring training.

Well if Bonderman and Nate can return to form we may be able to weather the storm with the starters.
I don’t think they should bring another rookie in now though (unless his name is Buchholz). I would certainly not throw JL’s coice (He may be Yorman but he’s not my man) Bazarda at a time like this.

Durbin would be the guy I would go to. I think you could get away with throwing Vasquez again.

What we really need now though is Kenny Rogers being able to come in and look like Kenny Rogers.

I was glad to see JL give Raburn a shot at third yesterday. He may be no Inge there defensively but he did improve the batting lineup. He looks confident and involved at the plate. Totally opposite to what Brandon has looked like now for the last couple of months.

I do find it odd though that (if you read the Free Press article) JL has lumped Thames and Inge togethr for non-production. The definition of lack of production for Inge is over 2 months while the definition for Thames seems to be about 2 games.

Marcus does look pretty dreadful swinging away on those sliders down and away but to be fair he has NEVER had the chance to play regularly.

That being said, it looks like Perez can hit up here. If he can keep things going like he is I really like him down in the 9 hole ahead of Granderson and Polanco.

Speaking of Granderson–let the cat run! He has become a better reader of pitchers and cans steal a base on his own without the use of a hit and run. Turn him loose. This is a guy who can excite his own teammates and if he can steal a few then we score more runs and stay out of more double plays when the big boys (Sheffield and Ordonez) come up. I do think think Sheffield will return but my optimism over his impact is well-tempered.

Wonder how long JL will continue to use Maybin? I think he will come around at the plate-he has every other level he has played-but a manager does have to be cognizant of the pennant race too.

Well I get to actually watch today’s game. Rich, I was in the same boat yesterday. The Fox game I could have watched was Mets and Braves. Game Day and mlb audio are not synced so you can kind of preview the play by play(see in to the future pitch by pitch).

Raburn may not have had his best game but he came through with the rbi double early, which was huge. Perez had a nice game too but we shouldn’t see him in the starting lineup today with the lefty. Will Curtis start against the lefty after his big game yesterday?

Anyway, enough of my commentary. You guys have covered things very well and I couldn’t even watch the game. As I am writing the Sox are ahead of Cleveland 3-0. That may have changed already but we still are hanging in there. Look whats happened to Seattle. Talk about Jeckle and Hyde teams, they win something like 10 straight and now are in the process of losing as many.

Rational reasonable thinking based on the second half records of this season and last’s would seem to point to a non return to the playoffs but I choose to continue thinking irrationally. I would also caution JL not to start Vasquez again nor Yorman “but not my man YET” Bazardo. However JL gets paid for what he’s doing while my only stake in all of this is a long sad winter of discontent. Something tells me that whenever we make any “in your face” type suggestions he spitefully does the opposite anyway. What are ya gonna do?

Still, he will stick with an idea for as long as it takes to make us all look like senile old fools, like our 2 Muppet hecklers. Like playing Perez…OK he did have 3 hits yesterday..

Lineup for today.(and I liked yours yesterday Dan)

Granderson CF

Polanco 2B

Raburn RF

Ordonez DH

Guillen 1B

Thames LF

Hessman 3B

Rodriguez C

Santiago SS