Monday, May 24, 2010

Who’s the most disappointed?

There are two sides to every coin. Newton tells us that there’s always an opposite reaction. So, even after the Sox won two of three games in Philadelphia, some people aren’t going to be happy. Some people are worried about the reaction. Who lost the most? There are a couple contenders.

The Phillies, and their fans. When the best thing you can get out of a game is that “we didn’t get no-hit”, that’s a pretty bad day at the park. Your superstar shortstop goes back on the DL with a calf injury. Your ace gets smacked around by a team that is built around pitching and defense. Not a great weekend.

Daisuke Matsuzaka. Chances for no-hitters don’t come around very often. They’re mostly luck, and they’re held with pretty high esteem around baseball circles. To get that close. To have that many balls bounce your way. To be four outs away. To lose it on a bloop hit just out of Scutaro’s reach must be beyond annoying. He’ll have to take solace in the fact that one of the best-pitched games ever was Pedro’s Yankees game in 1999. Not only was that not a no-hitter, it wasn’t even a shutout.

The Boston Media. Can you write doomsday stories after the team wins a series on the road against the defending NL champions? Can you write stories about how maddening Dice-K is to watch after his masterpiece on Saturday? Can you watch Saturday’s game and not write that pitching and defense is a viable way to win a ballgame? Do they even remember how to write with cutting and pasting?

Terry Francona. Do you think he was the only person not on the Phillies hoping for a hit on Saturday? Can you see him projecting the pitches in his head, and wondering he has to keep Dice in for 160 if he’s working on a no-hitter at the time? What about the catchers? Saturday night certainly isn’t going to stop questions as to whether Tek needs to be behind the plate. Tito is forced by the schedule to get Tek into a game, and Dice throws the game of his career? Talk about your bad breaks. How does he possibly put Victor behind the plate for Matsuzaka’s next start? If he does, and Dice pitches poorly, then what? If you make Varitek Dice’s personal catcher, what about Beckett? Where does it end? What about Wakefield? Francona makes the call to send him to the pen. He comes out to fill in for Beckett a bit, and pitches 8 shutout innings to out-duel Roy Halladay? Really? Now what does he do?

Any one of these groups will have a hard time coming out of the weekend with a smile on their face. I’m sure there are even more.

I just can’t think of them.

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