Ellsbury's Future Should Begin Now
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by Tyduffy
The Red Sox have deflated like a post-coital phallus the past three games, giving Cleveland a commanding 3-1 lead in the ALCS.
Their confidence, seemingly unflappable only a day before, shattered in the wake of the 11th inning 7-run collapse in Game Two at the hands of the back end of the bullpen.
Schilling failed to turn back the clock and got hammered in Game Two. Matsuzaka, after two poor outings, has the poise of a 14 year-old attempting wallflower attempting to ask out the class hottie. Wakefield's knuckleball is always a gamble, and not one that paid off for the Sox.
Even more disturbing was the hitting performance. They approached the plate against Westbrook in Game Three like lambs to the slaughter, obliging him in every key situation by dutifilly pounding his sinker into the ground for an easy double play. Barring the bout of belated brilliance in the 6th in Game Four, they looked completely listless once again.
The team looked, quite simply dead. Not even back to back to back home runs could get a pulse out of them and more than some half-assed high-fiving. Their weary, forlorn, and confused faces at the end of Game Four showed a team that has become completely derailed. The team needs to find a way to get some sort of spark to get the series back to Fenway.
That spark needs to come from Jacoby Ellsbury.
Ellsbury is the perfect player to provide such a spark. He's young, versatile, and has a track record of producing in high-pressure situation. He's Grady Sizemore without the obscene announcer man-crushes. He also can step right in for Coco Crisp who has been abysmal, hitting .188.
Francona is known as a players' manager who shows the utmost loyalty. But, at this point, the fate of the team matters more than Crisp's fragile psyche. He has been a disappointment production-wise since moving from Cleveland, and his tradeable contract should seem him out the door come next season. They have nothing to lose. He has been hitting terribly. There is no real reason to keep him in the lineup.
Ellsbury has been touted as the Center Fielder of the future for Boston. If Francona has any sense, the future will begin on Thursday.
Originally published at OddsandSods
