Things don’t always work out like they should

My favorite of the photos I took today. Pedroia waiting for Burrell with the ball in his glove.

Okay so where do I start?

First off, I had kind of half-assedly planned a live blog/chat for Tuesday night’s game but that won’t be happening this week because I’ll be at the game.  Got an invite today and couldn’t see any reason to turn it down.

Yes, see I know that this has been the month o’ suck but eventually something has to give, right?  And if something doesn’t give, well, the team will need fans still supporting them so either way I plan on being there.

Don’t get me wrong, this sucks.  Sucks in the biggest way something baseball-related can suck.  But I fail to see the point in wailing and hand-wringing and beating dead horses.  We know they suck, they know they suck and the best we can hope is that they stop sucking soon.  There isn’t one guy on this team who I think is dogging it.  No one is walking on to that field thinking they don’t have to give it their all because they cash a good paycheck win or lose.  For the love of God, Bill Hall is an infielder trying to do the job of an outfielder…it isn’t his fault he’s being put in that position and it isn’t his fault he’s not doing well in that position.  Why not put Josh Beckett behind the plate and then boo him with every passed ball?  (I pull Bill Hall’s name out of the hat because he got the most boos today.  Granted, pretty much everyone who wasn’t named Youkilis, Varitek or Pedroia got booed today at some point but the strongest seemed to be for poor Bill.  Give the guy a freaking break, people.  It isn’t his fault he’s playing out of position.)

Josh Reddick is tearing up Pawtucket tonight while we are short two outfielders.  This is, honestly, right now the only thing that genuinely is pissing me off about the team.  There is no reason Ellsbury hasn’t been put on the DL and Reddick hasn’t been brought up (that I can think of).  It’s ridiculous that a team like the Red Sox is playing so short-handed.  For crying out loud, Ellsbury is obviously hurt and Mike Cameron has some exotic baby disease (or just more kidney stones) and instead of putting someone on the DL and using a proven, talented outfielder we are watching Bill Hall get his soul torn apart a little more each day.  I just don’t get it.

As painful as the game was, I had a great day.  Breakfast at Remy’s new place (still not televisions in the ladies room), early dinner at Burton’s…I genuinely enjoyed the day.  Even at Fenway, the weather was beautiful, I was in a roomy seat with space next to me to dump my stuff, and most of my neighbors stuck it out until the end, cheering the Sox the entire time.  There are still fans out there who know that the point of being a fan is supporting the team you choose, regardless of their win/loss numbers.

I’m convinced something will give and the suck will wear off at some point…but what if it doesn’t?  What if Theo’s original idea of this being a “bridge” year actually comes to be?  Do we give up?  Do we say “Thanks for 2004 and 2007 and now go stuff yourself”?

I don’t.  I’ve watched this team win and I’ve watch this team lose so I’ve never felt so entitled that I expect 162 win seasons every year.  Is it painful watching a team struggle?  Sure it is.  Ask Mets fans.  Or Royals fans.  Or Pirates fans.  Hell, ask MOST MLB fans.  Every year isn’t going to be “the” year so you need to decide if this is the team you’re rooting on for the duration or if you’re going to jump off the bandwagon because they aren’t winning right now.

We have five full months of baseball (plus a few days here and there) left.  Digging out of this hole will be tough but it won’t be impossible.  I’m looking forward to being along for the ride.