Nutty About Sports BLOG

For me at this time of the year (late summer) the answer is always no. I never pay attention to the NFL’s preseason. The truth of the matter is that I know very few people who do. But even when the regular season rolls around in early September I am still not ready.

You see, for me, football is a fall sport, and until the fall really arrives, and the boys of summer (baseball) exit the stage in October, I find it very hard to pay much attention to football. It is usually some time around week 5 or 6 that I plug into the football season.

I think part of it is because summers are so short in the northeast. You don’t want to do anything to hasten the end of summer, and anything that even gives the illusion of a longer summer like a singular focus on baseball until after the World Series helps.

Now if the Red Sox don’t make the playoffs, or get knocked out early, I may plug in a little earlier…

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There were many tied and set, so here goes…

• 36 total points tied the record for the most points scored in an AL game (a record set 58 years ago)
• Red Sox extended their major league record for the number of times they scored 10 or more runs in an inning to 30 times
• Record for the most runs allowed in an inning (10) for a Texas pitcher by Scott Feldman
• David Ortiz became the 4th Red Sox player to hit 2 home runs in an inning

By the way, the NL and MLB record for the most runs scored in a game is 49.

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The Little League Softball World Series semifinals will be live tonight (Tuesday night, Aug. 12), on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

The Little League Softball World Championship game on Wednesday, Aug. 13, will also be televised live on ESPN2, at 7 p.m. (Eastern Time).

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The Boston Red Sox managed to pull of a split with the White Sox last night ending this current road trip at 4-3. They come back home to Fenway for a 6-game stand in 2nd place down 4 games. The slumping Yankees are in 3rd 9 games out.

The Red Sox are in first place in the wild card standings 2 games ahead of the Chicago White Sox.

Here comes the truly obvious statement - The Red Sox need a strong Fenway home stand to get back into the hunt for the AL East title…

Tonight - knuckleballer Charlie Zink up from Pawtucket filling in for an ailing Tim Wakefield against Texas…

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The 2008 Summer Olympics from Beijing start tomorrow. As I do every 4 years, I’m going to miss them. Now I have nothing against the summer Olympics. It’s just that I always take these 2 weeks of August off for vacation - and I never have access to television… The summer Olympics always coincide with summer time fun activities - making them much harder to catch. The winter Olympics, however, I never miss.

I will do as I always have done… I’ll take the sports section with me to the beach and read about what is happening. It’s not a bad compromise. I’m not going to give up my summer fun to catch the Olympics after all…

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I’m not going to write yet another post about how the Red Sox simply cannot win on the road. I’m not going to waste your time speculating why things that go right at home go so terribly wrong on the road. I’m not going to offer theories about what they can do about it.

I’m just not going to do it…

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Count me as one who is not sorry to see Manny go. His act was getting to be a little more than tiresome… Has anyone noticed that the big Red Sox player losses over the last bunch of years have not really ended up to be all that monumental. For the most part, as these players leave Boston, they are leaving behind the best part of their careers.

For example:

Nomar - in 2005 - 2008 Nomie has been hurt for the best part of 2 seasons (2005 & 2008), and his hitting production appears to have fallen off…

Pedro - also 2005 - 2008 Pedro has had only 1 double digit win year (15 in 2005). He went 9-8 in 2006 and in 2007 and 2008 only has a handful of starts…

Johnny D. - 2006-2008 - Johnny’s hitting has remained pretty consistent but finally acknowledging his weak arm he has been moved to playing left field from center…

As a group, these players have not exactly set the world on fire since leaving the Sox.

What’s my point? Look for Manny to fade off into the sunset (and what nicer place to fade into the sunset than Southern California)…

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Thud was the sound the Boston Red Sox made last night as they hit bottom bringing the curtain down on July.

Thud was the sound of a 4 error drubbing at the hands of the Angels at Fenway park to complete the Angels sweep of the Sox, their second sweep of the Sox in a row and their 6th straigh victory over the Red Sox.

Thud is the sound of a 1-5 month ending home stand at Fenway.

Thud is the sound of going 11-13 in July.

Thud is the sound of being 3 games out of first and only 1 game up on 3rd.

Thud…

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It used to be that you forgave the road woes because they were blistering hot at home. That no longer appears to be the case as the Red Sox sit on the verge of being swept at Fenway by LAA.

As a matter of fact, if you look at July a little closer a disturbing trend appears. Depending on the outcome of tonight’s game, the Boston Red Sox will end July at or below .500. They are currently 11-12 for the month. Even worse, they are 4-7 since the All-Star break. There are only 2 months of baseball left. Now is not the time to flatline if they want to make the playoffs…

The signs are not good however. The bats have gone cold, pitching is getting roughed up a bit, and the resident slugger is once again whineing about being traded and loafing his way down to first base on hits… The 2008 campaign may be grinding to a halt..

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The Red Sox have brought their road losing ways back home to Fenway Park. They are now on the verge of being swept at home by the Yankees with the Angels, the current best team in baseball, headed into town. The nightmare scenario, only  a dim possibility at the beginning of the weekend, is now much more likely. The Boston Red Sox could come out of these 2 series to find themselves in 3rd place in the AL East. Not a good place to be going into August…

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