more complainin'

this feels increasingly like the end of last season. little sleep last night; dread of today's headlines. now that i've read the news, it's about what i expected. shaughnessy explains why this one hurts more than the others:

the cowboy uppers of last year did not bring a world series to boston, but few would argue that it was among the most thrilling of all boston baseball summers, taking a place alongside pennant-winning years of 1967, 1975, and 1986. all three of those embraceable teams flopped badly the next year and the 2004 sox are threatening to do the same thing.

mcadam gives us points for "inventiveness" in finding ways to lose, but his "sox can't get a grip" understates our defensive ineptitude. i only wish simmons had an article for me to read today. he'd probably be as pessimistic as i am, just w/ more turns of phrase and less bad syntax.

update: i keep getting email from friends telling me to "keep the faith." obviously they don't know me that well. my standard response is:

now i'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop: schilling goes on i.r., pedro gets suspended for plunking posada in the ear tonight, ortiz becomes a born-again xtian and leaves the team to embark on a "hugs across america" tour of the u.s. (and, inexplicably, canada), theo fires everyone in favor of the saugus little leaguers and a case of "moneyball" t-shirts.

it could happen.

update-er: the sports guy has chimed in (alas, w/ shimmering prose) this afternoon w/ an exposition of how getting stabbed repeatedly with needles is just another day in the life of a red sox fan.