The Loss

Last night I played poker and we started roughly at the same time as the Red Sox / Yankees game which was on in the background (the poker game in one room with the TV in the other - the losers lounge as it were). It was a $20 buy in with 8 guys and just the top two spots getting paid. The poker game moved rather quickly - the baseball game not so much. We managed to play 4 games before people had to quit. Still the Red Sox and Yankees game was still going - tied 0-0 in the 14th inning. I was home in time to see A-Rod's walk-off home run in the 15th.

I could relate to the Red Sox. Like Boston - I'm a player with loads of potential but I too was shut out last night. I didn't cash even once. Losing last night was not the end of the world. Sure neither me nor Tito and the boys came out on top but it was a memorable night nonetheless. One thing's for sure - the loss didn't put me in desperation mode and I'm sure the same is true for Terry Francona and Theo Epstein.

The loss did put Boston 4.5 games back behind the Yankees in the AL East. It didn't put the Red Sox out of the playoffs. Some people are over-reacting to the defeat. Take Bill Simmons for example who Tweeted:

That game didn't just kill the 2009 Red Sox season, it chopped it up and put it in different suitcases like a serial killer.

Whoa - whoa. The Red Sox still have 54 games to go and they are still a game up over Texas in the Wild Card race. The pessimists who are writing off the Red Sox season after the past 4 games will point out that the Rangers don't have to play a tough AL East schedule. I'd like to point out that the Red Sox have a huge advantage over Texas in the number of home vs road games remaining (Boston plays 6 more home games than Texas the rest of the way).

I am still confident that the Red Sox make the playoffs and come playoff time who do you think is more likely to repeat last night's performance - Josh Beckett or AJ Burnett? Beckett and Jon Lester are still the most formidable 1 - 2 punch in the playoffs. The Red Sox should be adding a healthy Jason Bay back into the mix and then a healthy Tim Wakefield and then (hopefully) a healthy Dice-K. Who will the Yankees be adding? Who will the Rangers be adding?

Sure last night's loss was tough but I'm still bullish on the Red Sox.