Dear Baseball Gods, Why?
Dear Baseball Gods,
Why do you hate the 2010 Red Sox so much? Is it something that I said or did in my past life? The list of injuries is getting longer and longer and more ridiculous every day. With each passing injury, it becomes harder and harder to swallow the reality of the situation. Do you find this torture funny? I am NOT laughing. I feel like I am in a bad sci-fi movie where a giant bug (The Injury Bug) will come out of the shadows when I am not looking and bite my head off. Before I say anymore, might I remind you of the list of injuries to this club at this very moment.
C Victor Martinez
C Jason Varitek
1B/3B Mike Lowell
2B Dustin Pedroia
SS Jed Lowrie
OF Jeremy Hermida
OF Jacoby Ellsbury
OF Mike Cameron
SP Josh Beckett
SP Clay Buchholz
SP Junichi Tazawa
RP Manny Delcarmen
The sad part is that those are only the major league injuries, but you know that already. Even more pathetic is the fact that there are enough injured players to field an entire team. Are you trying to slowly kill each and every Red Sox fan from the inside out? If so, you are doing a fantastic job. The injury to Jason Varitek was the final straw that broke me. There are so many injuries on a daily basis that I am worried about watching a game on tv, because I fear I will be the next to go.
My main question for you is why the Sox, why now? Their GM Theo Epstein, boy wonder, is past his gorilla suit antics and is now 100% dedicated to putting the best team on the field and developing a strong farm system. The Sox are managed by an all-around good guy, Terry Francona, and he surely hasn’t crossed you in a bad way. Overall, the Sox roster is comprised of good guys and hard-workers. When you requested in 2008, the Sox dumped Manny Ramirez and even though David Ortiz may have used a drug or two in his life, his big smile and positive attitude have done nothing but help the Sox.
What did Dustin Pedroia ever do to you? He works hard every day and plays the game like it should be played, 110% all the time. Victor Martinez struggled early in the season, but has straightened himself out and has become a silent leader on the club, but you struck him down too. You single-handedly eliminated the entire female bandwagon group of Sox fans when you took out Jacoby Ellsbury. Why? I could understand all the injuries, but to take out the captain, Jason Varitek, right at the point when he was going to get consistent playing time is just cruel and unusual punishment.
Here’s my plea to you, baseball gods. Stop the insanity. This team is a legit contender and I know that last thing you want to see in 2011 is another New York Yankees championship. No one wants to see that, but with all the Sox injuries, it is going to be tough to compete with the Bronx Bombers. This is not a plea for the restored health of the injured, because I know you won’t listen. This is a plea for the end of the injury train. If the Sox are going to not make the playoffs or lose in the playoffs, it is what it is, but let the players decide. At this point, the team may be forced to withdrawal from the playoffs because there aren’t enough players in their system to field a team.
I know I can count on you to make this happen.
Sincerely,
Brian Phair