We Need to Put Pressure on Schilling

Getting back home with a "W" from Fenway would have been nice but we can't worry about that now. We know what we are up against and there is not one guy in this clubhouse who doesn't think we can get the job done. Getting back home is going to help, we have responded at home all season and led the league in home wins for a reason. Beyond that, we need to play our game. You saw us play our style of ball in Boston in Game 2 but we just couldn't finish the deal. I think you will see this team come out strong today and hopefully carry some momentum through the series. We need to get pressure on Schilling today. A polished guy like him is going to be prepared for each of our hitters. We need to recognize what he is trying to do out there and capitalize on any mistakes. Getting baserunners early and applying the pressure with our speed is how we do that. That's our game and that's how we are successful. As I said before, getting home helps. The fans here have been great all season, actually they have been great as long as I can remember. We need to feed off the energy from the home crowd and perform on the field.

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• connor said October 07, 2007

  Shouldn't you be at the game?

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• inthedirt said October 07, 2007

  way to put the pressure on him.

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• salmon58 said October 08, 2007

  John, thanks for a great season. Didn't end the way we all would have liked but all in all, we did pretty good.
  See you in March in Tempe!

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• dsiano6447 said October 07, 2007

  Well John sorry you guys lost. I really enjoy going to the games. If you and your friends ever want to go sailing just let me know. My boy friend and I have a sail boat down by you See ya Donna

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• Conrad said October 08, 2007

  Thank You John and the rest of the team for the great season of pitching, hitting, exciting plays, and especially blood sweat and tears. Stay healthy and I hope to see you at the ballpark next year ! Enjoy your offseason and thanks for the blog !!

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• ralfo08 said October 08, 2007

  Disappointing end but already looking forward to next season. Congrats on a good season and see you next year.

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• NOLAsWildPitch said October 08, 2007

  Thanks John, for such an awesome season. Can't wait to see y'all next year. Rest up and enjoy your offeason and Fantasy Football.

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• Sumit said October 08, 2007

  Full disclosure... im a red sox fan. That being said I travelled down to watch game 3. I was sad to see Anderson leave the game =[ I got tickets from a friend in the season ticket holders section (I had no idea going in this was the case) and I have to say, your die-hard fans are awesome. Aside from the woman who I feared was going to spill her coke all over me after i jumped up at the manny homerun (apparently she had done it before but thankfully she stuck to just a dirty look), everyone was extremely friendly and knew what they were talking about. Best of luck in the off season and can't wait to watch you guys again next year! Ill definitely be down to watch more games live!
  
  That being said... whats the deal with so much prime space that could be seating being a rock face?

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• bcpmike said October 08, 2007

  Hey John. It's a shame you guys were so banged up at the end of the year! I keep thinking that with everyone healthy and hitting well (and pitching well, in Bartolo's case,) things would have ended up a lot differently. I heard today that Theo Epstein had a meeting at the beginning of the year where he stated that nothing short of a World Series win would be good enough. I don't think that is necessary to say. It's a no brainer. You guys all wanted that, and it just didn't work out. That's why they call it a game. Here's to next year, and the opportunity for you all to do it again!

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• andrew07 said October 09, 2007

  Hey John--it's disappointing we didn't get to see you rematch against Beckett at home, but that's the way things go. I saw you guys at the Goat Hill last night--it was very good to see you're able to shrug it off and still relax!
  Thanks for an awesome season. I can't wait to see what you do next year!
  P.S. Any thoughts on Vinik?

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• WallyWorld said October 09, 2007

  John, you were the first pitcher to face the Sox and you didn't get it done. Mike gave you the ball to set the tone and you didn't get it done. Fans know you turn into a head case when you're in Boston and we don't know why? I mean, what is it with you and Fenway Park?! It has grass, dirt, bases and stands...same as any ballpark out there. You say you're good with pressure situations...sometimes even thrive on it. For crying out loud, that was drilled into you growing up. Snap out of it! We're not blaming the postseason travesty on you. The whole team flushed it down the toilet. But you're one of the leaders and yes, that means the expectations and responsibilites rests heavily on you. Just as it does on OC out in the field and KRod out in the bullpen. You're on the mound, take charge of it. You are so eager to land a punch at somebody when a fight breaks out when the best thing you can do is knockout the opponent. Yeah, your job isn't easy. But you chose it. Now own it.

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  • Baseballmom replied October 14, 2007

    Hey WallyWorld!. The team has to score runs in order to win, did you forget that part?...4 runs over 6 innings SHOULD have kept us in this game...the offense couldn't hit anything off Beckett...Perhaps you should give it a try?
  • Conrad replied October 16, 2007

    Lets see, almost half the team is either hurt or just getting back in lineup, including Vlad, Kotchman, Garrett, Mathews, and Willits was protecting Vlad in lineup, against the Cy Young pitching Beckett and monster hitters Ortiz and Ramirez, ....... Wally, maybe if it was so easy, you could have made the roster and shown Scioscia and the Angels how to do it against the team with the BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL... quit being a " MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK " The Angels can tip their cap to the Red Sox and say Boston was the better team "this year"...Scioscia is quoted as saying " Maybe if our guys were healthy, it would be a different outcome, but this team makes no excuses and we went out to play and win, we just fell short of our goal". YOU WIN SOME YOU LOSE SOME..... OWN THAT
• Reneeskates said October 09, 2007

  Actually I have to admit that Curt Schilling is my fav pitcher along with John but I love the Red Sox and the Angels BOTH... It was hard to watch because i was confused on WHO to root for but i knew I'd be happy either way. i didn't want anyone to hit off Curt. He's an amazing guy and I love that he's a Christian and is still playing at almost 41.
  
  Curt and John are both awesome pitchers! You guys (Angels) did a great job and there is always next year! Just get over the fear of failure at Fenway park! There is no reason you can't do well pitching at the angels home base and not do well at Boston's cubby hole.

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• ScottDC61 said October 10, 2007

  John You can hold your head high! You and Escobar and I may add Weaver did a great job this year.
  Manny and Big Papi are just Hitting animals and can pop one out at any time...
  I will however say this...For as much speed and depth the Angels had this year, they missed the big bat. Stoneman could have pulled the trigger on a deal or two to get that big bat for the second half and he did not. This early exit is more on Stoneman then the Angels themselves..You guys played well and Mike Managed extremely well to win the ALW championship thats a testimonial only to the players and Manager....but Unless Stoneman comes up with A Rod then hes an executive whos gotten lazy or too comfortable and needs to bow out for not doing everything he can to field the best team he can....
  If You build it they will come...truer words were never spoken....
  Aside from that, If they can clean up the parks food service problems so that those people outside stop making me want to NOT buy a hot dog...I and all the other fans will be very happy

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• lightitup said October 10, 2007

  Congrats on a great season, Big John! Looking forward to the next already. It's too bad we had so many problems at the end. The problems with Vlad, Matthews and GA hurt badly but I don't think anything hurt us as badly as Figgy's wrist bruise in mid-September. Kinda like his broken fingers in Spring Training, it was tough for him to get it going again. If Figgy was the same guy he was for the four months before the injury I think we would have been much more competitive.
  Best of luck in the future, John!

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• redsox5555 said October 11, 2007

  go red sox
  go to my blog at http://hottopicsports.blogspot.com/
  all sports, great posts, HOT weekly betting post!!

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• HaloKid236 said October 16, 2007

  Big John,
  I know it is not part of Scioscia's philosophy, but PLEASE bean Manny next year for the posing he does after his home runs and for Vladdy. His hands extended for ten seconds was ridiculous in game three.
  My right field pavilion crew loves you.
  Cheers. Have a cold one for me.
  http://first2third.blogspot.com

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• 1Halo_Luvr said October 18, 2007

  Lack,
  All I can say is "thanks" for a fantastic year and some great games! You and the rest of "your boys" did it right. Enjoy the off season, and we'll see you in Tempe in March. That's my Boy!

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• armattock said October 20, 2007

  John,
  I knew you guys tried your best this year, but it wasn't our year this year, but we will get back at Boston in the postseason in the near future for how they ended our hope on the World Series in 1986, 2004, and 2007. You deserve the Cy Young Award for this year because you're the leader of the franchise. You can check out my blog at http://adamrmattock.blogspot.com
  if you want to reply back about your year. Good Luck this winter and we hope to win it all next year!!!

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• Kingbaseball said November 13, 2007

  Hey, I recently bought some of your game used pants from back when you played with the Arkansas Travelers that have the zipper broken on them. Do you have any memory of this? (just trying to verify that they really were you game used pants)
  
  Thanks,
  K.B.

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