Chad Finn's Midseason Red Sox Report Card

Good stuff from Chad Finn. He does put into words the pit in the stomach worry that has plagued most Red Sox fans for some time:

Jason Varitek (.232-9-40): Uh-oh. Is this a prolonged slump . . . or is it the predictable decline of a catcher on the wrong side of 30? I'm not sure I want the honest answer. C-

I'd compare Varitek at this age to Richie Gedman but Gedman was out of baseball after he turned 33 (Varitek is 34 this season).

I will take exception with one grade:

Doug Mirabelli: (.175): Congratulations to the 'EEI banshees for raising the "BAHHHHHD CAN'T CATCH A KNUCKLAH!!" panic level to the point that the Sox felt obligated to trade improving Josh Bard for Wakefield's calcified caddy. I'm still dismayed Theo found this necessary. F

The reason Tim Wakefield's record is below .500 is because of the Josh Bard experiment. Mirabelli was re-acquired on May 1st - here are Wakefield's splits with Bard and with Mirabelli:

With Bard - 1-4, 5 starts, 3.90 ERA, 5 unearned runs
With Mirabelli - 6-4, 13 starts, 4.10 ERA, 2 unearned runs

The unearned runs (from passed balls) were killing Wakefield and the Sox. I understand the frustration with the man my buddy calls Doug F*cking Fatbelli. He's hitting just .175 since coming back to Boston (while Bard has been hitting a blistering .384 with the Padres) but I submit to you that the powerful Red Sox line-up can absorb that pitiful batting average by Mirabelli in order to make the most popular regular guy in a Red Sox uniform as effective on the mound as possible every 5th start.