Felger & Mazz: Somebody Call A Whambulance
Felger & Massarotti opened Monday's show by recapping the Red Sox weekend series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and ordering a whambulance for several members of the Red Sox organization.
After dropping 2 of 3 to the Pirates over the weekend, many Red Sox, including Terry Francona and Kevin Youkilis, have blamed the team's recent failures on the fact that the Sox are "not built to play National League ball." Both Tony and Mike think that this complaint has been blown wildly out of proportion, but many Sox players, fans, and reporters seem to think that the loss of DH David Ortiz leaves an irreparable hole in the Red Sox lineup.
While Tony can certainly see how Ortiz's resurgent showing this year makes him more valuable to the Sox than other DH's around the league, that doesn't mean that the Sox should be able to use his absence from the lineup as an excuse for not winning.
And, perhaps more importantly, one must also ask why the Red Sox would want to complain and try to change the Inter-league system when they have the third best interleague record in the majors since Theo Epstein took over as GM?
If the Sox really aren't built for National League ball, how do you explain their lack of difficulty winning during past interleague road trips? How about the fact that they are 4-0 on the road in their past two World Series appearances?
It seems the Red Sox really are beginning to make excuses, especially since Darnell McDonald and J.D. Drew, who replaced Ortiz in the five hole, didn't fare any worse than the number 5 hitters on the Pirates (1-9 vs. 2-13). With these numbers in mind, the question remains, should we buy into this new sports cliche, and believe that the Sox are not built to win in National League parks? Or, should the Sox be able to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates even if Felger is playing DH? Tune in to find out!
