Boston Red Sox

With the 2010 season less than two weeks old, this seems kind of premature, well, unless you're me than you're chomping at the bit to put a list together like this.

There are several managers that should be on this list, maybe more than 10 but we'll stick to 10 and see where that leads us.

The Red Sox were booed as they left the field today. They've suffered five straight losses, including a sweep by the Rays, and now they're six games out of first. 

The Sox are now 4-9 this season. You have to go back to 1996 to find a Red Sox team that got off to worse start after 13 games than the current edition. 

Of specific concern, the Sox are 1-6 against the Yankees and Rays this season, with all games played at Fenway. The Boston locals are currently facing their worst home start since the 1932 team started 1-9 at home.

The Tampa Bay Rays won their seventh in a row by defeating the Boston Red Sox 8-2 on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park. The Red Sox have now lost six of their last seven, which includes this four game sweep by the Rays.

Red Sox starting pitcher John Lackey had his first rough outing in a Boston uniform. He went just 3.1 innings, allowing eight runs, nine hits, and one walk, while throwing a total of 79 pitches. Lackey struck out only one batter, which occurred in the third inning.

Boston has long since had a reputation for jumping the gun when it comes to burying its sports teams. Historically speaking, patience in the Hub has been anything but a virtue.

So when the media vultures starting circling David Ortiz after exactly two games this spring, I was quick to defend the veteran slugger, asking for everyone to hold their horses before rioting in the streets.

But now? Hit the panic button. This team's in trouble.

This New Yorker is by no means a Boston Red Sox fan. But if I were, I'd now be thinking in terms of "wait till next year," Yogi Berra fashion.

Many might say, 'but it's just early in the season, there are almost 150 games to go.' But that's just the point: The Red Sox are already five games behind both the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Which is like giving "rook odds" in chess to such talented players.

Caption: CF Mike Cameron lets Carlos Pena’s line drive get away from him in the first inning of tonight’s second game against Tampa Bay. The error led to four unearned runs in the Red Sox 6-5 loss to the Rays.

Bottom of the Ninth Inning

Friday night's Game One resumed in the bottom of the ninth inning at Fenway Park after a suspended game was called by the umpires due to rain.

The Rays reliever, Lance Cormier, has the task of gunning down the Red Sox.

Red Sox third base coach Tim Bogar made a dunder-headed decision last night when he sent 1B Kevin Youkilis home on David Ortiz’ sixth-inning double into the right field corner. I don’t care how he tries to rationalize the decision, the fact of the matter is that there was NO reason to gamble in that situation.

Caption: From this point forward, bone-headed decisions by third base coaches that send baserunners home to be thrown out by a country mile will be referred to as a  “Bogar.” Wendell Kim is now off the hook.

Tonight’s game between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays was suspended by rain with the score tied, 1-1, after 8 1/2 innings. The game will be completed tomorrow night at 7:10 PM, prior to the start of the regularly-scheduled game between the clubs.

The American League East has been competitive ever since the Tampa Bay Rays stepped up and started challenging for the pennant recently.

The Rays will need daily excellence to dethrone the Yankees and Red Sox this season.