In the last four games, the Sox have only managed to score 2 runs that didn't come by benefit of the homerun. 2 runs, in 35 innings of play!
Those of you who weren't concerned about Podsednik, can you see what he means to this offense?
Just a few weeks ago, we had the luxury of rotating Frank Thomas and Carl Everett in and out of the line up, maybe even playing them both on a given day. Now we're batting a guy with a career OPS+ of 82 at 1B, we've got a guy in a premium power position who has yet to hit a HR, and no offensive superstar to pick up the slack.
This is why the Griffey rumors have my attention. -- And I'm usually not one to pay attention to these things.
In the 7th inning yesterday, with the Sox mounting their last real threat of the game, we saw just how pitiful our bench really is. Scott Podsednik was left in to face lefty George Sherill. Now I know that Podsednik has hit for average against lefties this season, but he's also looked particularly uncomfortable doing so and has only one extra-base hit to show for it. He doesn't scare anyone.
So who do we have as an option off the bench to take his place yesterday? Timo Perez and Pablo Ozuna. That's it. (I didn't include Chris Widger because Ozzie would never use him in that type of situation.) Timo can't hit lefties to save his life, and Pablo can't get the ball out of the infield. In the most important at-bat of the game, the Sox had no back up options. They couldn't force the M's hand.
Podsednik went on to strike out meekly, and Ozuna came on to take Timo's position of making the last out of the game.
I can't think of a single post-season team that went on to do anything that was carrying this much dead weight on the roster. There's still time, however. The waiver wire is active. There are options at the minor league level. Will the front office make the move we so obviously need?