Thursday afternoon starts my ‘weekend with the sistahs’. A couple of my friends from out of town are coming to Boston and staying with me…and we’ll be hitting Fenway on Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Labor Day)! I absolutely can’t wait to see my friends…nor can I wait to get back to Fenway and cheer on my boys!
Kason Gabbard is pitching tonight in Oakland because Jon Lester is hurt. Not using it as an excuse, because the rest of the guys need to pick it up big time, but injuries really ARE killing us this season. It’s the major difference between this one and 2004. In 2004 we had no injuries. Folks are always saying that’s one of the keys to getting to the playoffs…maybe they’re right. Before Yankees fans start complaining about Sheffield and Matsui, the Yankees can’t even touch the Red Sox when it comes to injured players this season. At varying times we’ve been without Wells, Clement, Foulke, Nixon, Dinardo, Wakefield, Varitek, Mirabelli, Pena, Crisp, Youkilis, Gonzalez, Loretta and now Lester. Again, I’m not making excuses, but it’s a big hit. And now with Manny not 100% and not being able to play, it’s even bigger. Ah well…now is the time where the team has to ‘sack it up’. Here’s hoping they do. I think they can.
I’d like to end on a truly positive note this morning. Kevin Fitzgerald is a 22 year-old, rookie, right-handed pitcher for the North Shore Spirit. Yesterday, in the pouring rain (although Kelly and I were under cover), I got to see him notch his 22nd save, giving him the single-season saves record for both the Spirit and the CanAm League. He and the starting pitcher, Matt Bishop, combined for a shut out, with Matt pitching into the ninth inning. As Kelly kept pointing out to me yesterday, these guys don’t play for the big bucks or for the fame. They play because they love the game. I just figured they deserved some love over here!
Have a great day, folks!
(Photo courtesy of the North Shore Spirit website)
7 comments for “Four more days!”