Forget everything you saw this past weekend in the Bronx. Forget the sweep, forget Lester limping off the mound, forget the 16-7 mini-massacre: it was all part of Tito’s plan. Everything you saw, everything you think you saw, was engineered by the great puppetmaster himself, Terry Francona.
Does anyone in their right mind think Jason Varitek will be doing anything in the playoffs besides keeping Victor Martinez hydrated? Flailing away with another 0-for-4 and letting the Yankees run wild with seven steals, that’s strictly pre-October stuff. And how about that line-up on Saturday? Rocco, Lowrie, Chris Woodward and Brian Anderson? That was Tito’s way of lulling CC into thinking that he might just be able to pitch well in October. Genius. And Sunday’s finale only requires two words to confirm that the Sox are just preparing for the post-season, knowing the two wins will come: Paul Byrd.
Like Red, I wanted the division. I wanted it bad. But when the playoffs start and the Sox are dicing up opponents like a Chop-O-Matic, it will be Tito’s name we praise. The mild-mannered, tea-drinking facade will come off, revealing the guy that has brought us two World Series championships. Faith.
