Have you learned your lesson, Mark Melancon?

My kids sometimes get into trouble. And when they do, I'll send them to their room and let them think about why daddy is mad.

And after about 20 minutes or so, I'll go into the room.

Usually the first thing I will say is "Have you learned your lesson?"

I think the same can be said to reliever Mark Melancon. The Red Sox traded 2008 Division Series hero Jed Lowrie for Melancon to be a contributor in the bullpen.

He saved 20 games for the lowly Astros in 2011. He must have been able to do something in Boston.
And he did. In 4 April games, he had a 49.50 ERA, lost 2 games and let up 5 home runs in 2 innings.

Not 5 runs. 5 HOMERS! He let up 11 runs in 2 innings.
He let up 2 walks and 4 hits (including 3 homers) in his final game on April 17 in Texas. He recorded zero outs.

He was sent to Pawtucket, just like my kids are sent to their room.

Now he has pitched a month in Pawtucket.
He has pitched 13 innings in as many games. He has struck out 21 batters in those 13 innings and walked none. He has allowed only 9 hits and has a 0.00 ERA for the PawSox, saving 5 games.

It is safe to say that he is better than a AAA pitcher right now.

He's learned his lesson.
He said he is sorry.
He will finish his spelling homework and not hit his brother.

The Red Sox need a good arm in the bullpen.

Let him come out and play.


  

Mark Melancon has a 49.50 ERA

Have that sink in for a bit.
I don't care how early in the season it is. That is horrific. And here's the really disturbing thing.
He started the day with a 22.50 ERA.

He now has to throw some zeros on the scoreboard to bring it DOWN to 22.50.

The Red Sox have played 11 games. They have lost 7 games. Melancon was the losing pitcher in 2 of those games.

He didn't get the loss today. He just faced 6 batters. He retired none of them. He walked 2 and let up 4 hits, three of them homers.

0 IP 4 H 2 BB 3 HR 6 R 6 ER

Possibly the worst line you will ever see.

HOORAY!

Remember when there was some good will in Fenway after those 3 straight wins?
Me neither.

I'm Sully and I approve this off season for the Red Sox

The Red Sox had post season dreams that fell just short... like Carl Crawford's diving attempt on the last play of the season.

The manager is gone. The closer is gone. The Captain may have played his final game.
A new GM is in charge but undermined by the owners.

It's time to make tons of changes to the Sox, right?

NO!!!!

I have been advocating that the Red Sox take a step back and heaven forbid REBUILD FROM WITHIN.

Let the Angels cough up years and picks for Albert Pujols. And 5 years for C. J. Wilson? Gee whiz I wonder if they will regret that.
Let the Marlins pony up cash for Jose Reyes and a closer like Heath Bell.
Let the Rangers pay Yu Darvish's posting fee.

Jimmy Rollins? He belongs in Philadelphia.
Carlos Beltran? It's amazing that he syncs up his best season in years with a free agency stint. Have fun in St. Louis.

Aramis Ramirez? Mark Buehrle? Grady Sizemore? Jim Thome? Jason Marquis?

Who in that group is a good long term answer for the Red Sox?

And who is left in the free agent market? Prince Fielder? Roy Oswalt? Edwin Jackson?

And forget the trade market.

Yeah the Red Sox could have had Trevor Cahill or Gio Gonzalez.

But Cahill cost Arizona some of their top prospects including Jarrod Parker, their phenom pitcher who made a cameo in the post season.

And Gio Gonzalez cost Washington some of their best young players.

The Red Sox don't need to empty their farm!
They need to try out as many PawSox as they can.
The Red Sox need to fill in holes and they don't need to do it with high priced free agents, blockbuster trades that send the future packing and surrendering draft picks.

The Sox are making smart moves.
Mark Melancon? Not sexy but talented and can help in the pen.
Nick Punto? Won't make many headlines but gives the Sox some infield depth,
Kelly Shoppach? OK, he can't hit. But how can his bat be worse than Varitek's now?

Don't be worried about making noise for December 2011.
Focus on turning the page and seeing what the team needs.
Pile up draft picks and see what gems are hidden in the system.

Let the Marlins, Angels and Nats make the splash now.
I'm thinking about 2013 and beyond.

Keep up the good work of not doing anything big.

It's not going unnoticed by THIS Sox fan.

Sully Baseball Salutes... Jed Lowrie

The Red Sox traded Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to the Astros for reliever Mark Melancon.

It's a smart trade. The Red Sox need to rebuild their bullpen and Jed Lowrie is not a long term answer for the infield. Melancon is talented, piled up saves for an awful Astros team and has a good ERA+. And he's only 26 years old.

But before we bid good bye to Jed Lowrie, let's salute him.
He was part of that 2005 First Round crop that supposedly was going to replenish the Red Sox.

Jacoby Ellsbury has held up his end of the bargain.
When healthy Clay Buchholz has been a stud.
Craig Hansen was supposed to be a the next bullpen ace. It didn't work out that way.
And Jed Lowrie was going to provide depth SOMEWHERE in the infield.

The Sox got the Lowrie pick as a result of losing Orlando Cabrera to the Angels.

And it was against the Angels that he had his greatest moment.

In 2008 Division Series, the Red Sox were the defending World Champions but the Angels were the best team in the American League. If any team looked like they were in a position to unseat the World Champs, it was this Angels team. But the Sox took the first two games in Anaheim and then lost an extra inning thriller in Game 3.

Game 4 was a back and forth affair with the Angels tying the game in the 8th. In the 9th, Jason Bay dropped a bloop double in front of Reggie Willits. With 1 out, Mark Kotsay hit a linedrive that looked like it was going to clinch the series but Mark Teixeira made a diving catch at first base.

Up stepped Jed Lowrie who swung at Scot Shields' first pitch and smacked it into right field. Bay came around to score and the Red Sox were off to the ALCS.

It was the 16th post season series won by the Red Sox.
(7 World Series, 4 ALCS and 5 Division Series).

And as of this writing, it was the last playoff series won by Boston.

In those 16 post season series victories, only 3 ended with a walk off hit.
The 1912 World Series ended when Larry Gardner hit a 10th inning sacrifice fly.
The 2004 Division Series ended with a David Ortiz home run.
And the 2008 Division Series ended with Jed Lowrie's single.

We all jumped up and celebrated that night.

So before you head off to Houston, let's salute Jed Lowrie and say thank you.

And hopefully the number of Red Sox who ended a post season series with a walk off hit will increase before long.

Got to give credit where it is due

I had made fun of Phil Hughes and Mark Melancon in my previous post... but I have to tip my cap to them.

They combined for 7 innings of shutout 2 hit ball and the Yankees cruised.

Hughes has infinitely more wins in 2009 than he did in 2008.

And thus far has one other distinction:

He's the last Yankees pitcher to win a post season game (Game 3 of the 2007 Division Series.)

So this passionate Red Sox fan will ease on the throttle for Hughes and Melancon. It will be interesting to see how the New York press anoints Hughes as the next ace, won't it?

No Pressure Hughes or Melancon

Well it's not even May yet and the Yankees are in overhaul due to Wang's fake injury and a bullpen that has more holes in it than the script of Highlander 2: The Quickening.

And yet with a payroll $65 million more than any other team (and yet they forgot to sign a back up infielder), a new unfilled stadium and sky high expectations, they are turning to two people to change their fate.

Mark Melancon, who before Sunday had appeared in exactly zero major league games...

And Phil Hughes, who Betty White tied his win total for 2008.

And my Yankee fan friends are talking as if they are saviors.

NO PRESSURE GUY!

Just save the season.

Thanks a bunch.