Felger & Mazz On: Sox Chances To Make Playoffs
Michael Felger & Tony Massarotti discuss the Red Sox chances of making the postseason. Was the injury to Youkilis the nail in the coffin? Or were the Red Sox already out of it?
Felger: "I want to dispell this notion that the Youkilis injury was the nail in the coffin. That that's it. Do you know why it's wrong to say that the Youkilis injury now means the Sox are toast? Because they were toast before he got hurt. He's not the reason they're going to score a few less runs. Here's the reason they're out of it: Because the front office didn't help them at the trade deadline, and their bullpen. That's it. In the bullpen, I include the closer who is not very good right now. He wasn't very good last night. Lord, he almost gave up a grandslam! The kid ripped one down the right field line. It was foul, but if it were another quarter inch, that's a game tying grandslam! I include the whole bullpen. That's the reason. And the front office not doing a single thing to improve the team from the start of the season. Those are the 2 reasons they're not going to be in the postseason, not Kevin Youkilis. The bigger factors have already been in place. This team was not helped even though they knew in May they didn't have enough bullpen. They knew it! And they didn't do a thing all year. You hate to see the front office give the excuse where they're able to say. 'Well, it was a flukey year in terms of injuries it was out of our hands.' No! Not out of your hands!You could have helped this team a lot sooner."
Massarotti: "And injuries, those are the primary reasons. Youkilis is the straw that breaks the camel's back. That's the one that puts them over the edge. They might have been gone anyway, but they have no shot without him. If they were to make it [the playoffs], that would constitute an absolutely miraculous achievement given what our expectations are. But I'm not expecting it. You can't count out the Yankees for obvious reasons and I get that part of it. But this was doable! If the Red Sox had gone out and gotten some bullpen help and then got some bodies back, could they have made the playoffs and beaten out the Yankees? Hell yeah!"
