http://www.strangelandblog.com Seeking understanding in a contradictory world... Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:51:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en With another 27 games in the books, the Red Sox juggernaut appears to be falling apart. Their competition has been tough, with six of nine series coming against the Angels, Rays, Yankees, or Twins. Only four of those series have come at home. Nonetheless, a 12-15 record ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/07/30/hot-and-cold-4/ Half way through the season, the Red Sox sit at 49-32, just one game off their pace of 2007. Unfortunately there is greater competition in the AL East this year. While they held a double-digit lead last July, the margin this year is razor-thin with two legitimate contenders ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/06/30/hot-and-cold-3/ Though we are only fifteen games removed from the last look at the lineup, the winds have shifted again. In fact the only constant in these season has been the winning -- the Red Sox are now 42-27 overall, a strong 10-5 since the last report. Unsurprisingly that ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/06/13/hot-and-cold-25/ After posting my thoughts on the AL playoff race last week, I ran across an interesting comment on a chat board. Referencing the standings, the writer wondered if the playoff picture is truly down to the current leaders? Or are there other teams, not currently at ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/06/09/speid-kills/ When David Ortiz left that game against the Orioles with tendon damage in his wrist, Red Sox fans everywhere cringed.  Would it be one month?  Two months?  Surgery and a full year without the lefty half of the Manny Ortez show?  The verdict was ultimately as positive as could be ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/06/09/drew-step-forward/ With two months complete, is it time to commit to some predictions? We've seen enough to get a sense of which pre-season favorites will be serious contenders, but don't expect any shocking predictions. For the most part, the teams that are currently in the lead deserve to be ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/06/02/playoff-outlook/ Old habits are hard to break! For many Red Sox fans, this means an immediate tendency to panic over even the smallest bumps in the road. Yet I can't help but be optimistic at this point. Our hitters have pounded out a .280/.351/.425 line, while our pitchers ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/04/16/all-is-well/ Consider the dynamics of the off-season for a Red Sox fan. In the fall we catch pennant fever, making every catch, bloop, or blunder into a karmic event that defines a player past, present, and future. This carries over into the winter, four months of hype during which our vivid ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/04/11/breaking-in/ Of hitting, pitching, defense, and the bullpen, which is most critical to a team's success? In truth, it is difficult to make the playoffs if you are below average in any of these areas. A weak rotation places a heavy workload on the bullpen, straining those resources and often resulting ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/04/02/daisuke-matsuzaka/ This article was originally posted at New England Sports Country. It has been YEARS since we really needed to worry about the player behind the plate. Is it time? The players involved... Jason Varitek: 2006 34 .238/.325/.400 (.243/.331/.411 before his injury) 2007 35 .255/.367/.421 2008 36 .255/.352/.420 ... http://www.strangelandblog.com/2008/02/18/catching-alternatives/