for love of the game

Last night the point was re-ittirated that baseball is a game of inches. If Erick Aybar gets that ball anywhere in play we’ve got the Angels with a 1 run lead. Aybar’s job was to do something, anything, besides what he did. I remember learning about suicide squeeze plays in high school, why we use them, what the situations are and what the hitters job is. Your job as a hitter is to do ANYTHING at all to protect that runner on 3rd — they are dead without you. And sure enough Willits was a dead duck because of Aybar. I will give it to Varitek, he did a good job — no a GREAT job. He did what all catchers are taught, charge at the runner like it’s life or death. And he made the out. He had control of the ball when he made the out, it was after the play had been call that he dropped the ball. Enough with all this questioning it…An out is an out is an out. And LESTER, Bay, Kotsay, Lowrie and FINALLY — PEDIE — coming through big last night. The thing I love about these guys, and this is the same thing I loved about the team of Kevin Millar, Johnny Damon, Manny and Ortiz…they are goof balls and scrappers…They just get it done, now matter how ugly it is, they just get it done. I love that everyone is contributing right now. A lot has been made of the Beckett struggle and Pedroia’s struggle of late, but while I know it’s frustrating for Pedie and Beckett, it’s not the end of the world. Their teammates are there to pick them up, to carry them and to help them get back to that form they need to be in. Beckett will get back to form in the next series, I can tell. And Pedie got that off the wall double last night, I think that will be the pick me up he needed. I have all the faith in the world in these guys and I know they will pull through. To hell with the Rays. Yeah, they are good, but not unbeatable. I say Sox in 6. And it’s going to be interesting.