Boston Red Sox

As the old saying goes: "You can't win the World Series in April, but you sure can lose it."

Sadly, this looks to be the case for the struggling Red Sox—possessors of one of the MLB's highest payrolls. Their struggles are due in large part to a fragile relationship between a developmentally-minded front office and a rabid fan base desperate for big-name players and marquee deals.

When done correctly, a developmentally-oriented system can lead to great results—enter the Red Sox of 2007, whose mixture of young talent and big-name stars led to World Series glory.

The Red Sox are team still struggling to find their identity as they near the midpoint of May. 

Red Sox ace Josh Beckett got rocked—again—Friday night, allowing nine earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to the Yankees, marking the third time he’s given up seven earned runs or more in a start this season.

Through seven starts (41 innings) in 2010, Beckett is 1-1 with a despicable 7.46 ERA and 1.66 WHIP.

So far this season has been, shall we say, "uncomfortable" for the Boston Red Sox and their fans.

The pitchers being paid tens of millions of dollars to get people out aren’t getting people out. The hitters making tens of millions of dollars aren’t hitting, and the fielders on this team supposedly built to prevent runs are seemingly providing Boston’s opponents with 30 outs a game.

Simply put, this team has been terrible.

Things looked pretty bleak across Red Sox Nation just four days ago. The team had just been swept by the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, and arrived in Boston prepared for a 10 game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, and Toronto Blue Jays. The team’s performance over the weekend was hapless and uninspired, and the abyss appeared to have no bottom.

And then the team held a players only meeting.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox square off this weekend at Fenway Park, the first meeting between the two rivals since umpire Joe West's controversial marks about the slow pace of play between the teams.

Unfortunately for West, and those that have early dinner reservations this weekend, River & Sunset has uncovered a list of 10 reasons why this three-game series will be just as long, if not longer, than the matchups that preceded it.

Did you know that J.D. Drew is 34 years old?

The former uber-prospect/perennial tease has been tantalizing major league GMs and fantasy owners alike for 12 season now, and only once has he seemingly performed up to the level that was expected of him (a .305, 31 HR, 93 RBI campaign for the Braves in 2004).  

Luckily for Atlanta, they got out while the going was good. 

12 seasons of MLB service, one season of potential attained. 

With Daisuke returning to the Boston Red Sox’ starting rotation, Tim Wakefield was relegated to a long relief pitching role. He has experience in the bullpen, and had been the team’s fifth starter.

This move is very dangerous for two reasons.

First, it upsets Tim Wakefield, who was just 17 wins away from the club record in career wins. An upset Wakefield means lower overall team chemistry. To add, a disgruntled player is never one that a team wants to have in a locker room.

Caption: Dave Roberts scored one of the most important runs in franchise history in the ninth inning of Game Four of the 2004 ALCS.  The run tied the game and helped set the stage for the Red Sox to execute the greatest comback in MLB history.