Pull him Tito, Chris Gomez is coming up!
Something that always frustrates me is watching a manager leave his pitchers in too long. Tonight against the Blue Jays Curt Schilling didn't have his best stuff. Even without his best stuff, Curt Schilling is very effective, and he was tonight. Through six innings Schilling had a line of 1 ER, 6 H, 4/0 K/BB. The Sox had given him a 3-1 lead and they looked to be cruising to a fourth straight win and a sweep of the struggling Blue Jays.

Then in the seventh, after striking out the first two, the Jays started getting to Schilling. They got four straight hits and scored twice to tie the game before Schilling got out of the inning. Schilling had gone a strong 7 innings without his best stuff. The score was tied, Curt's pitch count was at 105, and it was pretty obvious that he was tired, he was laboring after every pitch.

Why in the hell did Terry Francona decide that a tired Schilling needed to go back out for the eigth when he had a full bullpen (only Foulke was unavailable) and Delgado, Phelps, and Hinske were coming up. It was a perfect time to bring in Embree to pitch to the two lefties. In the shocker everyone expected, Schilling proceeded to give up a grand slam to Chris "Barry Bonds' OBP is higher than my career OPS" Gomez. It was almost predictable. How could Francona not see that Schilling was breaking down?

What probablly happened (pure speculation) is that when asked how he felt, Schilling displayed the loud-mouthed arrogance we are coming to know and love and said: 'Tito, you take me out of this game, I'm gonna give you a swirlie.' Grow a pair Francona, we didn't run Grady Gump out of town to put up with you doing the same thing.

At least Dusty can use the bullpen as an excuse for leaving in Prior and Wood too long in last years playoffs. The much improved Red Sox bullpen has a 2.28 ERA so far in 2004, why not go to the pen. I thought the only requirement for hiring a Red Sox manager this year was that he NOT be Grady Little. Apparantly, I was wrong and that bastards still ruining my summer.

Curt  ¶ 11:25 PM