I'll Do My Crying in the Rain
And so the Red Sox 'winning streak' of three games came to an end in silence, their bats stifled by Dave Borkowski, who had spent the preceding three years out of the majors. It's safe to say the Orioles own the Red Sox, at this point having won 7 of the 11 games the two teams have played this year.
Did I say owned? The Red Sox are the Orioles' bitches. If they were in jail together, the Red Sox would be wearing dresses and high heels and talking all falsetto like, while the Birds pimped them out for three smokes a go.
Since May I've listened to the Red Sox manager and players alike saying endless variations on a theme: we're better than our record; we're going to get hot. The assumption on everyone's - the team, media, and fans alike - part is that this team hasn't played up to potential, haven't played their best ball.
Last night it occurred to me that maybe they have. Maybe this is their potential - a three game winning streak when they supposedly had momentum, broken up by a team struggling to stay out of last place. Maybe teams that often play defense like the ball is something to be avoided don't win consistently. Maybe teams that refuse to manufacture runs and rely solely on the big innings of a walk, a single and a home run, don't win consistently. Perhaps the Red Sox are performing as well as they are able.
Let's face it - last year spoiled us, despite the heartbreak ending. We became accustomed to winning streaks and improbable come-from-behind wins. When the Red Sox added Schilling and Foulke in the off-season, we expected more of the same except better. Not just a wild card, but the division. In the aftermath of last year's series loss to the Yankees, I recall that Edward of Bambino's Curse wrote something to the effect that it may be a while before the Sox are that close to a World Series again. At the time I thought he was pessimistic. Now his words seem prophetic.
Did I say owned? The Red Sox are the Orioles' bitches. If they were in jail together, the Red Sox would be wearing dresses and high heels and talking all falsetto like, while the Birds pimped them out for three smokes a go.
Since May I've listened to the Red Sox manager and players alike saying endless variations on a theme: we're better than our record; we're going to get hot. The assumption on everyone's - the team, media, and fans alike - part is that this team hasn't played up to potential, haven't played their best ball.
Last night it occurred to me that maybe they have. Maybe this is their potential - a three game winning streak when they supposedly had momentum, broken up by a team struggling to stay out of last place. Maybe teams that often play defense like the ball is something to be avoided don't win consistently. Maybe teams that refuse to manufacture runs and rely solely on the big innings of a walk, a single and a home run, don't win consistently. Perhaps the Red Sox are performing as well as they are able.
Let's face it - last year spoiled us, despite the heartbreak ending. We became accustomed to winning streaks and improbable come-from-behind wins. When the Red Sox added Schilling and Foulke in the off-season, we expected more of the same except better. Not just a wild card, but the division. In the aftermath of last year's series loss to the Yankees, I recall that Edward of Bambino's Curse wrote something to the effect that it may be a while before the Sox are that close to a World Series again. At the time I thought he was pessimistic. Now his words seem prophetic.
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