SHAUGHNESSY: Red Sox on verge of historic collapse - 美國職棒

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I have tried to be the voice of reason. I have tried to calm the masses,
telling Red Sox Nation not to worry about the Sox making the playoffs this
year. A little slump in September was a mere speed bump en route to the
Division Series. It was all about who would be the Sox Game 3 starter, and
would you rather play the Rangers or the Tigers in the first round?

Now it is very different. It is the Fall of Saigon. It is potentially one of
those apocalyptic, cataclysmic falls that marked the eight-plus decades of
frustration and near-misses before the Red Sox finally threw off the
800-pound gorilla and won the World Series in 2004. It might be time to
panic; for the first time since the world changed when Johnny Damon and the
Idiots pulled off the biblical comeback of 2004.

The 2011 Red Sox have lost nine of 11 and 11 of 14. They have seen their
wild-card lead dwindle to a mere two games. Tampa Bay took three of four from
the Sox at Fenway over the weekend, and the Rays are closer than they've been
at any time since June 30.

Suddenly, there is fear and loathing again in Sox Nation. It feels a little
like 1948, 1974 and (gulp) 1978. We thought this would never happen again
after the ghosts were purged in 2004, but the 2011 Red Sox are on the
threshold of the greatest September collapse in baseball history.

That's right, boys and girls. This could be worst of the worst. The Red Sox
led the Rays by nine games on the morning of Sept. 3, and no team in baseball
history has failed to make the postseason after holding a nine-game lead in
September.

So this could be worse than the '51 Dodgers, worse than the '64 Phillies and
worse than the 1978 Red Sox.

Ah, the '78 Sox. Those were the guys who led the Yankees by 14 games on July
20, then wound up tied for first and lost a one-game playoff to the Bronx
Bombers when Bucky Dent hit a three-run homer over the Green Monster.

Those were the days when we expected the Sox to choke. The leaves would fall,
and the Sox would fall -- simultaneously. The Red Sox were the Manila
Folders, guaranteed to disappoint.

Everything changed in 2004. The Red Sox established themselves as champions.
They were clutch. No more Boston baseball agita.

There was no fear of collapse when the 2011 Sox established themselves as the
best team in baseball from May through August. They were simply living up to
expectations after GM Theo Epstein went out and acquired Adrian Gonzalez and
Carl Crawford in the offseason. Josh Beckett talked about the '11 Sox being a
100-win team, and the Boston Herald touted them as "Best Team Ever.''

It was all going according to plan until things fell apart shortly after
Labor Day.

Now the Rays are surging. They look better than the Red Sox. Tampa Bay went
12-6 vs. Boston this year, winning eight of the last nine meetings. Tampa Bay
won seven of nine in Fenway Park. The Sox hit only .189 against Tampa Bay
pitching, the lowest batting average by any Boston team against a single
opponent since 1901. The Rays outscored the Sox 56-24 in their last nine
meetings. Tampa Bay stole 11 bases in four games against the sloppy Sox this
weekend.

The Red Sox are unraveling. Boston's rotation has been shredded. The Sox
can't get six quality innings and on Monday will start rookie Kyle Weiland
and meatball artist John Lackey in a day-night doubleheader against the
Orioles. Oft-injured, rarely-seen Erik Bedard starts tomorrow -- his first
appearance since Sept. 3. Suspect Bedard has won one game since Theo picked
him up at the trading deadline.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Sox might have to make do without their cleanup
hitter, Kevin Youkilis. Youk has a sports hernia and did not play the last
three games against the Rays. Mike Aviles might be Boston's third baseman the
rest of the way. Right field is also a black hole.

The offseason acquisitions are flat. Crawford has been an outright bust,
submitting the softest .250 in baseball history. Gonzalez has been a
consistent .340 hitter but has had little impact since the All-Star Game and
been a virtual no-show against the Rays, Yankees and Tigers. He's got some
great numbers, but '67 Ya he is not.

Beating the Orioles should be easy. The Sox face the Zer-O's seven times over
the final 10 games. But now there is new pressure. The O's have nothing to
lose, and Sox manager Terry Francona's job could be on the line against
Baltimore over the next week and a half.

The odds are still in Boston's favor. The Rays have to play the Yankees seven
times. The Sox are still in a good position.

But we never thought it would come to this. Again. The first day of fall is
Friday, and the Red Sox are choking.

Just like in the Bad Old Days.

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