As we pause on this rare off-day (although, oddly, the Red Sox are off the next
two Mondays as well), it's a good time to reflect on the plight of
The 2014 Carmine Hose. Should we expect a team that hovers around .500 all year—teasing us, but ultimately just not good enough? Or is this a team stuck in a post-DuckBoat haze that will soon wake up and smell the pine tar? Your guess is as good as ours! It seems to us that the main problem is
The Curse Of The LOB Monster—leaving tons of guys in scoring position at key points in games. Last year, the Sox (and their World Series rivals) were the best in the business at scoring guys in clutch situations. Also, as difficult as it is to admit this:
we miss Jacoby Ellsbury at the top of the order. No one has been able to replace his presence in the lead-off spot—and there's no one on the horizon, either. The pitching—for the most part—has been surprisingly good. Aside from
Felix Doubront's inexplicable inconsistency, the starters and the 'pen have been solid (with some recent exceptions). So, as you lift a
Dos Equis tonight, toast the players with:
Stay hungry, my friends!
