Pep Talk

Bob Ryan gives us a pep talk:

I suppose you want to know what's going on. Baseball's going on. The Big 162. The ebb and the flow. ... You guys are supposed to be seasoned fans. That's what I keep hearing. ...

I promise you they'll all be looking back at these three nights at some future date and laugh. ... [R]ight now the oppressor is baseball. But don't worry. There are 80 games left. ... They'll be just fine.

We know all this, of course, but it's maddening just the same. However, I also recall writing back on August 7, 2004 that "this summer hasn't been a whole lot of fun ... even the victories have left me pissed off" and asking is this "The Most Frustrating Red Sox Season Ever"?

Not only did Matt Clement have to leave his Gulf Coast start on Tuesday with biceps soreness (while warming up for the second inning), but he was also hit on the foot by a line drive. Clement threw only 17 pitches and his fastball was clocked at 86-87 mph.

What would a day be without at least one local scribe taking a pot shot at Manny Ramirez? Today, it's the Herald's Jeff Horrigan, commenting on the Sox wanting Ramirez to skip the All-Star Game: "The 10-time All-Star, who was selected to start in fan voting for the eighth straight year, didn't have to conjure up his trusty, ill-grandmother excuse to get out this time around."

Weak. Why do I get the feeling that when Ramirez is elected to the Hall of Fame, Horrigan's lead will oh-so-cleverly [sic] ask if Manny will attend (or will his chronically ailing grandma need his assistance)? Give it a rest, Jeff. No one except some assorted mouthbreathers find this amusing anymore.

And Bud Selig says he hasn't heard from anyone about Manny's possible absence: "I only know what I've read. All I can tell you is that I'm old-fashioned. I would hope that everybody who's voted in and selected comes and that's the way it's supposed to be."

Wild card, interleague play, rampant expansion? Yeah, you're old-fashioned, Bud.

Sean McAdam on Jason Johnson: "As if Johnson's performance wasn't bad enough, there was evidence that he was tipping his pitches out of the stretch. The Sox encouraged him to return to his full delivery to mask the problem, but that led to an embarrassment of another sort." ... McAdam also noted: "Don't be surprised if the Devil Rays run wild on Jason Johnson tonight. According to a scout, Johnson is perhaps the slowest pitcher to the plate in the American League, clocked between 1.8-1.9 seconds."

Wily Mo Pena homered and singled last night; he's now hitting .375 (6-for-16) in four games with Pawtucket.