Okay - I've had enough. I've tried to display patience. I've tried to come up with solutions. At the very least, I've tried talking myself through these rough periods.

I've seen Keith Foulke in this predicament before. Back when he played for the Chicago White Sox, he struggled so miserably, he was demoted to the set-up role. He of course rebounded, enough to make a trade to Oakland possible. The rest, as they say, is history.

Foulke has been a pretty good pitcher, but he hasn't been the best closer since coming to Boston. In fact, if one were to compare his stats from 2003 with Oakland vs. 2004 with the Sox, one would see a definite decline in all caegories - less IP, less Ks, higher ERA, higher WHIP, more blown saves, less saves.

I can understand that after a few years a pitcher's ability is going to decrease over time. I can accept injury, a bought with mental illness or just having a bad day. I can accept a change in stats especially when factoring in the parks. I can accept a lot, but I can not accept a player who insults fans.

In the post-game interview, Foulke went off. It was like watching Tom Cruise on the Today show. Cuckoo. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

For those of you who missed it the Boston Herald retells it for us:

 ``I'm not inviting them to my World Series celebration,'' Foulke said, the consternation apparent in his voice. ``They can boo, they can cuss. . . . If they don't want me to do the job, tell them to go tell management. I've done a lot of good for this team. They pay their money. Let them boo. Does it look like it bothers me?''
     ``(The fans) aren't going to make it any harder for me to look in the mirror,'' Foulke said, ``or more embarrassing for me to walk into this clubhouse and look into the faces of my teammates, then I am to walk out and see Johnny from Burger King booing me."

Yes, Boston fans can be tough. What do you expect? We sit in the most uncomfortable, expensive seats in the major leagues. We have won the Series only once in 86 years, despite having some pretty darn good teams. Some say we are (or were) cursed. And we are the most knowledgable fans in the game.

After some of the most horendous winters anyone could live through, we spend our short summers rooting, cheering, sneering and booing our beloved Sox. It's a luxury we can afford. It's the only thing that gets me through winter. That, and the occasional poker game.

Boston, right or wrong, expects a lot out of its players. And the smell of success can sometimes stink. But whether he feels bad or not, Keith Foulke should have learned a lesson from Byung-Hyun Kim. Ultimately, "Johnny from Burger King" pays his salary.

If he keeps it up, he'll be out of town quicker than one can say Danys Baez.

It's now time to shut him down, at least until he cools off. Put Mike Timlin in the closer role. After Foulke makes a insincere apology, which I'm sure the Red Sox will force him to do, we will eventually forget all about it.

One thing fans shouldn't forget: Foulke was asked to get five outs in Tuesday's game. He is no longer THAT pitcher. Some of the blame has to come on Terry Francona's shoulders.

But there is no excusing Foulke's words.

I usually write about the Red Sox. Lately, it hasn't been that exciting to write about a first-place team - with an explosive offense.

They are great, fun and aren't yet hitting all cylinders yet. I wish I could stay away from metaphoric cliches.

So for a change of pace, I'll take a look at the enemy. No, not the Indians, who the Sox face tonight. Instead, we turn our heads to New York.

I've heard fans chanting "Yankees Suck!" in stands in Fenway Park for years. I've heard it in Minnesota while the Sox were playing the Twins. I've even heard it at Boston Celtic games.

I have never uttered these words. In the past, I felt it was inaccurate. This is a team that has 26 World Championships to their credit. They have an All Star at every position except second and well, now, centerfield (although Bernie Williams has been there before). But I'm starting to believe.

It finally happened. As I predicted, the Sox are atop of the A.L. East. They are currently 2 1/2 game ahead of the Baltimore and more importantly 6 1/2 games above the Yankees.

It's hard to contain my excitement.It's the end of June, and they are 14 games above .500.

How have they done it?

The pitching has been, at best, inconsistent.

David Wells' ERA is 5.00, 1.28 higher than last year. The last time his ERA was 5.00 or higher was in 1996. He was 32, wearing pinstripes and weighed well about the same. In an article with the Boston Herald, He blames the umpires.

I will give him some credit for making contact this weekend. It's rare when a A.L. pitcher gets a run and an rbi in the same game.

Wade Miller has been lack-luster as well, going 2-2 with a 4.83 ERA. His too is over a point from last year's (3.35). His strikeout totals are down and his walks and WHIP are up.

Alan Embree has given up 28 earned runs in 32 innings. He only gave up 24 all of last year.

Keith Foulke has also been MIA. His earned-run total of 20 matches 2004's.

The above mentioned is all good news. "What?" you say. The pitching will turn around. It has too. Curt Schilling will be back...eventually. The Sox will make a move at the trading deadline, probably for some relief.

And the offense will continue to roll.

Did you see Manny's blast Saturday? It was huge, no doubt, but I was more impressed with Sunday's. An opposite-field shot that left the pitcher Brett Myers baffled. The pitch couldn't have been it by anyone else. This week Manny has been the man. His average is soaring upwards as are his home-run and rbi totals. The Boston Herald reports, Manny is now second on the all-time list grandslam list.

How about David Ortiz' home run Friday night? Wow! Mammoth. Upper deck. Same place as the BP shot. That's consistent.

The Sox have averaged 5.68 runs per game since the beginning of the season while their opponents averaged 4.75. Over the last 13 games, of which they have won 12, they have averaged 7.38.

But I'm not going to say that it's over like the Globe's Dan Shaughnessy did this past weekend.

I'm more in line with the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman who warns us to not get ahead of ourselves.

It is only June afterall.

I think I have a new movie idea for the "Batman" series. It would star that Dynamic Duo, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. For these are truly bat men.

The villian: anyone with a nasty curve, slider or fastball.

Is there a better 3-4 punch in baseball? I think not. When you have two of the most powerful bats in baseball in one lineup it makes it quite difficult for the opposition to pitch around.

Ortiz (still the biggest steal in baseball) and Ramirez (well, not the biggest steal in baseball) account for 45% of Boston's offense. As a result the Red Sox lead the majors in runs scored.

The Boston Globe says Manny is off and running.

In fact, thanks to these two, the Red Sox have averaged over seven runs a game over their last nine. Amazing. It's no wonder that according to ESPN.com, Ortiz leads all major leaguers in All Star votes. Albeit, there isn't much competition in the DH department.

Speaking of All Stars the Sox will be well represented. Manny leads all outfielders in votes so far and Jason Varitek leads all catchers. Holy Mackerel!

It will be interesting to see who else may appear on July 12. My bet is that Johnny Damon will be on the roster. How could he not make the list? His average is second in the league and he has scored more runs than any other outfielder.

I'd love to see Matt Clement make the team. He would join Chicago's Jon Garland, Toronto's Roy Halladay, Rangers' Kenny Rogers, and the Angels' Bartolo Colon. My gut says Detroit's Jeremy Bonderman would make the club as well.

There has to be at least one rep from each team. So it may be difficult to get him on the list. Especially when last year's Cy Young winner, Johann Santana from Minnesota, will undoubtedly represent his team.

Since his team won the title last year, Terry Francona will be the A.L. manager.

I'm excited for the All Star game. I love the home run derby, but I want more skills contests. I'd love to see double-play combinations and fielding practice. Oh, the things these guys can do.

Or maybe an accuracy contest for outfielders. We can put a board down at home plate and cut out a square and see how many of the All Star outfielders can get it through the opening. The best of 10 throws.

It's only three weeks away, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself. There is still lots of baseball to be played before then. Luckily I get to watch the All Stars every night.

David Wells played the part of Freddy Krueger. Or was he that big gigantic marshmallow man from "Ghostbusters?" Either way I was scared. Not only that but Alan Embree played a, err, "supporting" role as Jason. With each pitch, I grimaced, hiding my face in a nearby pillow.

"Tell me when it's over."

I thought it was over when the Sox battled back to take the lead in the fifth. Manny Ramirez lead the way with a three-run blast. Then Jason Varitek took another three-run shot deep.

The Boston Herald writes Red Sox win ugly - 'O' covers up in Cleveland." It is more like covers off.

Manny is one of the best hitters of my lifetime, but I see him actually regressing. No not with his bat (although his average is below expectations), - running the bases. This week alone I've got him waiting in the box to see if the ball is going to land fair. Luckily he's been helped by a bounce into the stands or fan interference guaranteeing him the double.

Manny's not fast; he's been troubled by hamstring woes in the past. He can't sit in the box and wait. But I will not and can't blame Manny nor do I want to.

Regardless, in the fifth I felt comfortable. So comfortable, I started preparing for the next morning's wake-up call. I was dreading that 4 a.m. alarm and could use a head start.

But like a wise electrician told me, "No lead is safe to walk away from evah."

The Sox fared pretty well against the Pirates over the weekend, but I'm still a little disappointed. Until Saturday's game, the Red Sox had scored at least one run in all of their previous games.

Of all the teams to do it, the Pirates shut them out. Blimey.

They redeeemed themselves Sunday with a brilliant performance by Matt Clement.

With Pedro now in a Mets uniform, Schilling on the disabled list and David Wells inconsistent, Clement has become the ace of the staff. He has recorded nine strikeouts in each of his last two outings, while only allowing 2 walks during that span.

First thanks to Carl for the pinch-hit. It's nice to get a different perspective on the, err, Sox.

The Pirates will dock their ship in Boston after a Yankee knocked them down a peg. In yesterday's loss, the Bucs happened to catch Randy Johnson on his best day. There is simply no way anyone was going to touch Johnson's slider.

The Pirates' Oliver Perez, who struck out 239 last year, doesn't quite have his stuff. Last year Perez had 21 quality starts, this year three. He's already walked 43 batters, five yesterday. You just can't do that against the Yankees.

Josh Fogg will pitch for Pittsburgh tonight. He has struggled versus American League teams, giving up 11 hits to Tampa Bay and eight when he faced the Orioles. He's got to tighten it up for a chance against the Sox.

The Red Sox winners of their last four, will start Wade Miller. I give the nod to Miller, since he's faced this team before. He went 2-2 against the Pirates in 2003. He figured them out last year with seven strong innings of shutout baseball.

The Republican writes about the last time the Pirates played in Boston. The newspaper had to go back 102 years for this interesting tid-bit.

Pirate fan I'm not, but I do have a few of their baseball cards, including Hall of Famer Willie Stargell and All Star Dave Parker. And there was a time, back in 1979 when disco lingered, that I supported them for a brief moment in history.

The song, "We Are Family," pulled me towards this fun-loving group. Well, that and Stargell, who seemed bigger than life. His smile sure was.

Like the Red Sox, Ed Walsh is off today. It's a traveling day I guess. But I understand neither is going anywhere. In any case, Management is signaling to the bullpen to put me in the game.

Considering I am writing for "Late Hits," perhaps pinch hitting is a better metaphor. But I am a Pittsburgh Pirates fan, I like commandeering better yet. Maybe I can get in a bit of pillaging and sacking in later.

Because it's an off day, the Red Sox's next opponent is the Pirates (Boston and Pittsburgh start the three-game series at 7:05 p.m. Friday in Fenway) and the weather is too lousy for me to go kayaking, I might as well take the helm for a day.

Will someone please put the cornrows back in Bronson Arroyo's hair.
Ever since the starting Red Sox pitcher removed them, he hasn't been the same.

Much like Sampson, Arroyo's strength may be in his hair.

Here's a little something to think about: With the cornrows, Arroyo was 4-0 with an ERA around 3.19. Without them, he's gone 0-3 with a 10.29 ERA.
Only once after changing his hairstyle, has he been able to go more than four innings.

However, Arroyo should be able to bounce back against the Reds. Cincinnati leads the league in strikeouts. He could use a boost in confidence.

If he doesn't bounce back, I'm sending him a hairstylist.

Game time is at 7 p.m.

Okay I admit it. David Wells has looked pretty good lately. He is 3-0 in his last four starts, giving up only six runs in 30 innings.

And I'll also admit breaking up his no-hitter. Well, Cincinnati's Ryan Freel has to take some credit too.

My wife had just gotten home from yoga session and wanted an update.

I said "Wells is pitching a no-hitter right now, but now that I said that, Freel will get a hit."

One pitch later Freel did just that.

She looked at me and said "I can't believe you did that."

I replied, "It's okay, I don't like Wells anyway."

The Boston Herald reports that last night, "Wells pays off."

When it comes to interleague play, I'm torn.

It gives fans like myself the opportunity to see the Sox play some teams I have only dreamed about. Until last year, I had only seen the Sox in two World Series. So the chance to witness them play National League teams was indeed intriguing. I'm sure that same sentiment is felt in places like Chicago, where the Cubs haven't played a World Series since meeting the Sox in 1918.

I have enjoyed most of the schedule in the past. I have particularly enjoyed them play the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies and Mets. But I haven't really enjoyed these last two series. Yes, I like the idea of playing the Cubs. In fact, I have bet on a Cubs-Red Sox World Series meeting for a number of year, obviously to no avail. The payoff would be great.

Losing two series in a row pains me - especially when it involves the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cubs.

Chicago's Greg Maddux pitched like his former self - locating the pitces perfectly. I expected more of a fight there, but the future Hall of Famer prevailed.

Has anyone else noticed that Bronson Arroyo hasn't pitched well since losing the cornrows? Maybe it's just me.

Then Saturday's game came and I couldn't wait. Carlos Zambrano versus Wade Miller. Considering I have them both on my fantasy team, I was hoping for a pitching duel. Heck, Miller would be more comfortable facing National Leaguers and Carlos Zambrano is a Cy Young contender. Midway through the game my dream was shattered. I even felt bad for Zambrano, who jammed a toe while sliding. What a downer. The Sox went on to lose that one too.

When Sunday came I was a bit depressed. I heard ESPN's Joe Morgan say how the Red Sox were not the team of last year; how they don't have the pitching they did; how he didn't understand what Francona was thinking when he decided to sit David Ortiz, Bill Mueller and Trot Nixon.

It was the first time in my memory that I disliked Joe Morgan. This is a man who I have had a great amount of respect for. Perhaps the greatest second baseman of our time. What did he know of the Boston Red Sox? He based his whole commentary on the loss of Pedro and D. Lowe.

As early as the second inning, I could see that the Red Sox would be waxed by the Cardinals. Matt Clement simply didn't have his stuff. When he was taken out in the fourth, I had had just about enough. The Boston Globe says the Sox were thrown for loss.

With my interest waning, I found myself switching to Bravo where the season premiere of "Queer Eye" was being aired. I must admit I've watched the show before. In that one episode, the "Fab Five" took a New York artist with long hair and overalls, and well, made him look more New York. It was an amusing program. But with so much competing for my attention, I have not since had the opportunity to view it.

But Tuesday "Queer Eye" gave my heros a new look. Like passing a car wreck, I had to have a look. The five representatives of the World Champion Red Sox opened their clubhouse doors to get in touch with their feminine side.

As I stated yesterday the Red Sox have changed a lot since the championship title.

Many of the changes have come in the rotation with the additions of David Wells, Matt Clement and Wade Miller.

One thing hasn't changed - it's still tough to catch a knuckleball.

I watched as Jason Varitek struggled seemingly with every pitch from Tim Wakefield last night. I'm not blaming Tek in the least, nor do I blame Wake. It is simply difficult. Wakefield's pitches had more movement than usual, baffling everyone.

It was frustrating watching the wild pitches and the passed balls accumulate. I must admit I was calling for a new pitcher as early as the second inning.

It was an interesting weekend filled with sunshine and folly. The Sox beat the Angels 2 of 3. I think it was mostly due to David Ortiz, although my colleague, Colleen Stone, would have you believe it's the "Queer Eye" cast.

Nonetheless, it was a good series. But it is time to move on.

The Red Sox are heading back to the scene of a crime. Starting today they'll face the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game interleague series.

Yes, it was a crime. Not theft, because the Cardinals never had possession of anything. The way the Sox took care of them in the World Series was more like a hit-and-run; perhaps even an assault-and-battery.

Things are a little different this year.

I have always had a soft spot for the Angels. I've followed this team for many years. Even when I was young, my brother and I would play backyard baseball, pretending to be like those bigger-than-life players. We both fought to be the Red Sox, of course and being older I won that battle more often than not. However, when is was my turn to be "the other team," I often chose the Angels. I would get in the batter's box and stand like Fred Lynn, Rick Burleson or even Jerry Remy. My favorite was Rod Carew.

It's no wonder why I picked them. Throughout the ages, the Angels would harvest former Red Sox greats to field a team. This practice may have started long before my birth with Jim Piersall, who played for California 1965-67.

Unfortunately, I've seen my share of players move to California, or Anaheim, or L.A. County.