On Tuesday night, Tim Wakefield didn't look himself. He allowed four runs on five hits. It wasn't looking pretty, thankfully the rains came. Projo.com writes "Sox get respite on the road".

Tonight the Sox face Baltimore. Curt Schilling will start for the Sox, weather permitting. With the postponement of Tuesday's game, there was nothing left to do but speculate on possible deadline moves and question the manager's.

Terry Francona has made some poor decisions throughout the season. He has shown poor discipline and I do not think he is the right guy for the job. He is not a difference maker. He is not a guy who plays small-ball. He does not sacrifice outs. He sits and waits for the long ball. Far too many times, we have seen Boston's managers with similar ideas fail to get us to the big game. While, Billy Beane's "Moneyball" philosophy is an interesting concept, it only breeds a second-place team. Championship teams need to look at all options in order to score runs and win games. Francona doesn't appear to know how to do that.

Francona's latest mistake involved Pedro. After Pedro complained of hip pain during Monday night blowout, Francona left him in too long. The Boston Herald's Karen Guregian says Tito should have pulled Pedro earlier. I agree.

I was surprised the game was allowed to continue, period. It was wet and dangerous. If I heard my star pitcher complain in the dugout about a pain, any pain, I would have shut him down. The game was virtually over; the Red Sox had a 10-run lead. Now, Francona and Red Sox Nation all have to wait and see how this injury will affect the team. Get well soon, Pedro.

Tuesday GM's phones were ringing around the country. MLB.com reports so far, players are staying put. The site has a section devoted to the trading deadline however.

Boston.com reports that the Rumors are all talk. Apparently, Nomar and Derek Lowe's names are being thrown about.

The Chicago Cubs are supposedly courting the Red Sox for Garciaparra. They are dangling pitcher Matt Clement as bait. Clement is an excellent pitcher. He has been shining in Chicago, but I believe a deal between these two teams would be cursed. Moving Nomar would leave a huge hole at short that Ricky Guiterrez can't fill. It would be a mistake to trade Nomar unless we got the world.

I can't see the team trading Derek Lowe, at least not for the names I've heard (Philadelphia's Kevin Millwood, San Diego's Jay Payton). We need just a little more. A change may be good for Lowe. I know it will be good for the Sox, but I do not think the Sox will get a pitcher back for Derek Lowe. What they may need to do is make a three-way deal with some National League teams like the Reds, hwo have an abundance of hitting, that would allow us to move Nomar for the stud pitcher we require.
Sorry Derek. You have served the team well since 1997. And are a part of my all-time favorite deadline deal: Healthcliff Slocumb for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek. Perhaps you will be again.

What may be more of interest is what the Yankees may do. ESPN says that the Yankees are still the front-runner to acquire Randy Johnson. However, Johnson wants to push up the deadline so he can prepare for his next opponent.

I've been thinking. Johnson is a great pitcher indeed. But, who cares if the Yankees get him? He can only pitch once every five days. Johnson is only one plug in the sinking ship. Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, Hernandez, and Jason Giambi are all huge question marks. And Derek Jeter has a broken wrist. Glub, glub, glub.

While I'm on the subject of the Yankees. ESPN's Peter Gammons offers so insight to the Boston Red Sox recent series versus the Yankees.

Reader comments: Are you happy with the way Terry Francona has managed the team thus far? Why or why not?

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