Sox Drawer: Red Sox daily links for Tuesday, August 19th

The “Sox Drawer” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays on BoSox Injection. We compile material about the team from all corners of the Internet, as well as some general baseball-related links. If you have suggestions, hit us up on Twitter @BoSoxInjection.

August 19th means it’s time for the annual Machias, ME Wild Blueberry Festival, once used by ESPN in a series of ironic advertisements for the X-Games. Remember that spot? “August 19th!!!”

Funny what sticks with you…on to the links!

Jason Mastrodonato has a tremendous look at Jackie Bradley’s struggles and similar pressures experienced by Red Sox rookies, like Clay Buchholz. No word as to whether Buchholz still considers himself a rookie or is just simply brutal all these years later.

Chad Finn digs into some old, dog-eared baseball magazines to remind us that everybody hurts, sometimes, and Xander Bogaerts is no exception.

It’s scary how good David Ortiz continues to be at 38, writes BSI’s Will Ossoff.

Even more frightening is the degree to which the Red Sox rely upon the veteran for run production, as Alex Speier details here.

Marc Normandin takes time out from conquering some of the most devastating ballpark food known to man to recap the Ben Affleck Curse, which, of course, was responsible for Friday night’s loss to the Astros.

For more on Marc’s gastrointestinal distress, see this.

You hear the Cumberland, RI Little League coach’s speech? That’s what it’s all about.

BSI’s Conor Duffy has ten free agents the Red Sox may be interested in pursuing.

You gotta work hard to make Fire Brand of the American League’s Tweets of the Week. It’s nice to laugh during a season like this.

Speaking of laughter…”The Most Outrageous Umpires in Baseball History.”

Richard Justice does a rare thing and credits owner David Glass, GM Dayton Moore, and manager Ned Yost for the turnaround of the Kansas City Royals, who are both rolling and poised to make the playoffs for the first time since nineteen…nineteen…1985.