Time Out for Sports Talk: Dog Days Proving to be Rough
Todd: Back from an extended holiday break just in time to see some teams literally melt away in the summer heat and humidity.
We’ll get to those sinking Sox in a moment. But first I have to talk a little World Cup, much to the dismay of my co-blogger Mike.
A week removed from Team USA’s swan song, there now seems to be some backlash against the Americans from the national media, declaring the team’s 1-2-1 mark and Round of 16 exit to be no better than their performance four years ago. So according to these so-called experts, they wonder where is the improvement from 2010?
How about the fact that the USMNT qualified for the Round of 16 in consecutive World Cups for the first time ever? How about the fact that being placed in the ‘Group of Death’ this year didn’t bode well for the team’s chances of advancing out of group play? How about the heightened interest from fans all over the country, filling drinking establishments and city parks (installed with giant screens) to follow all the action the past few weeks?
Ok, maybe that last point has nothing to do with how the team performed on the pitch. But how about the sterling play of goalkeeper Tim Howard, especially in the knockout round against Belgium? Without him they don’t even make it to extra time in that game.
How about only losing 1-0 to Germany despite generally being outplayed by US coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s former squad? Perhaps the Germans had little to play for in that match. But in light of yesterday’s semifinal result, I think that US-Germany score looks considerably more respectable.
Let’s get to Brazil, suffering their first competitive loss on home soil since September of 1975. Yes, you read that right—a nearly forty-year home winning streak. I suppose if you’re going to finally end a streak that long, might as well go out with a big bang.
Wait, what? 7-1? Are you kidding me?? I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a soccer score with a seven in it. So Brazil played without their top player and team captain, but I doubt those two would’ve been able to make up the six-goal difference, their worst loss since 1920. This was just a total implosion, and devastating for a nation waiting decades to host another World Cup and right the wrong of 1950 (a 2-1 loss to Uruguay in the finals).
Now on to the lowly Red Sox, who effective immediately should change their marketing slogan to ‘At least we’re not Brazil’.
Kidding aside, Boston’s current homestand has been nothing short of an embarrassment. Losing to both the Cubs and White Sox is enough to tell me it’s time to raise the white flag on 2014. The Sox haven’t lost fifty games before the All-Star break since the two years preceding the Impossible Dreamers of 1967 (the 1997 team also started 39-50, but the ASG was played a week earlier that year). Even Bobby Valentine’s train wreck of 2012 flirted with .500 in early July and didn’t hit the skids until about a month later.
What has happened? The pitching’s still decent (sort of), but the offense—especially the power—are non-existent. The Sox are hitting .243 as a team, have been shutout nine times and are averaging an AL-worst 3.75 runs per game (last year they led all of MLB in runs scored). Here’s a sobering thought: the Sox are currently on pace to score nearly 250 runs fewer than last year’s championship squad. Guess that’ll happen to any team that’s essentially been reduced to a five-man lineup.
I wasn’t expecting this team to repeat as World Series champs, but I thought they could at least compete for a postseason berth. Say what you want, but the 2014 Sox miss the stability that Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino brought to the top of the batting order (not knocking Brock Holt, but how long can he keep hitting?). I’m not suggesting the Sox should’ve signed Ellsbury to the insane contract the Yankees did. But at least had Victorino been able to stay healthy this year I think the offense would be better—guess it couldn’t get much worse.
What to do? Ben Cherington needs to find buyers right now for Peavy and Gomes so Brandon Workman, Rubby De La Rosa and catching prospect Christian Vazquez are on the big league roster and can play regularly. Then he needs to decide what do with other guys who have expiring contracts, like Stephen Drew and even 39-year old closer Koji Uehara. With some contending teams desperate for relief help, I’m curious to what type of outfield prospect the Koji could fetch in a deadline deal.
Mike:Well Todd, it looks like the Red Sox breakup has begun. In the time between you writing your piece and me getting to mine (just the matter of a couple of hours), the Red Sox have decided that they have seen enough of A.J. Pierzynski and have designated him for assignment. This means the team has 10 days to trade him or cut him outright.
That move means that Christian Vazquez will be starting his Major League career tonight (July 9) and he'll be getting the start.
I'm not at all surprised that the Sox have let Pierzynski go. He was only hitting .254 this miserable season, and with only four homers and 30 RBIs, it isn't like he was going to make a difference this season and there was NO WAY he was going to be back!
I like this move. Despite the fact that they won't say it publicly, team management has to know that the season is lost, and getting a head start on developing prospects for 2015 can only help the Sox in the long run.
I think I agree with Todd in that the Sox are looking to move Peavey and Gomes, with Peavey being the next to go. In fact, if he is still with the team after the All-Star break, I'll be shocked. Gomes might be a harder piece to move because of injury issues, but I think they'll find a way to part ways with him as well.
It's not going to be as fun around Fenway the rest of this summer as it was in 2013, but on the bright side, enduring a little bit of pain now will lead to a brighter future!
More From 92 Moose
