As feared, the news is devastating. Dustin Pedroia has a broken foot and that probably means the Laser Show will be shut down for at least six weeks. Sure, it could be less but given how this season of Boston Medical is unfolding for the Red Sox, Dustin will be lucky to walk again.
I’d like to play Churchill at this moment and claim this will be “their finest hour,” but I just don’t have that much optimism in my system. Instead, if I must quote Churchill, I will bastardize his 1946 classic and say an “iron curtain has descended across the 2010 Boston Red Sox.” Folks, this is a killer.
I don’t know where the Sox turn at this moment. Do they try to wait this thing out? Hope they can pick up a bandaid like Kelly Johnson (D-Snakes) and limp along until Pedroia returns? Or do they make a big move for a guy like Dan Uggla, figuring that Dustin’s season is shot and so is the team’s season unless a big replacement can be found.
My hunch says the Sox, so long as an early August return is anticipated, will go small. They won’t sit still with Hall or anyone at Pawtucket, but I think any move will look something like 2005 when they replaced Mark Belhorn with Tony Graffanino. Mind you, the Sox already have a “Tony Graffanino” in house but Jed Lowrie’s recalcitrant mono will prevent him from plugging this hole.
The Sox are clearly staggered by this punch. If they were at full strength, they might be able to absorb this body blow. But with the ranks already depleted, this seems like a tipping point, much like losing Jason Varitek in 2006 proved to be a tipping point.
It may be premature to write the obituary on the 2010 Red Sox, but I think it’s time to call the paramedics. Because this patient is sick. Really sick. And if the Laser Show’s break is a season-ender, then not even Churchilian fire and brimstone will be enough to achieve victory. But at this point, I have my fingers crossed on six weeks. That is a long time to hold out against the Yanks and Rays, but if England did it, why can’t the Sox?
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