“And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.” — Jonah 1:7

To: Terry Francona, Manager, Boston Red Sox

From: The Great White Shank, Goodboys Nation Weblog

RE: The Jonah

Dear Mr. Francona;

If you’ve been paying close attention to your ball team and its play over the past six days, you will note a troubling pattern – one that leads me to believe you have a Jonah on your ballclub. I know what you’re thinking – it’s the 21st century, for God’s sake, and what’s all this nonsense about bad omens and curses and the like. But let me recount to you the results of the past six days since you reactivated shortstop Julio Lugo:

* Tuesday, April 28: Lugo starts at shortstop, makes a critical error turning a double play, and the team ends up losing, 9-8, breaking an 11-game winning streak.

* Wednesday, April 29: Nick Green back at shortstop. Late-inning heroics by the team overcomes a poor start by Jon Lester, and the team wins 6-5.

* Thursday, April 30: Lugo back at shortstop. The team gets annihilated by the Rays, 13-0.

* Friday, May 1: Lugo still at shortstop. He goes 1 for 4 and leaves three men on base as the Sox lose a lackluster affair, 6-2.

* Saturday, May 2: Nick Green back at shortstop. He goes 3-for-5 and helps the Sox hold back the surging Rays 10-6.

* Sunday, May 3: Lugo back at shortstop. The Sox lose another lackluster affair 5-3, as Lugo not only goes hitless but also fails to convert a feed he should have been able to handle, allowing a run to score. He wasn’t credited with an error, but he just as easily could have been.

Now Terry, I’m no mathematician, but the results speak for themselves. Since Tuesday – the first day the Jonah was inserted into the lineup – the Red Sox are 2-4. With Nick Green starting at short, they are 2-0, with Lugo they are 0-4. As they say, do the math.

…Oh, and might I add that in the past few days the team has seen: a) NESN analyst Jerry Remy have to leave the broadcast booth because of a reoccurrence of an illness he had in spring training, b) rehabbing pitcher John Smoltz experienced a setback in his attempt to return to major league action, and c) rehabbing OF-1B Mark Kotsay did as well. The team is falling apart, and the Jonah, he conjures it up don’t you see; soon the whole team will be going down to ‘the old place’.

Terry, you’re a smart guy, and you know I’m not telling you anything you haven’t already thought of. So do the right thing.

Save your ballclub.

Save your season.

Bench Julio Lugo now and allow Nick Green to play himself out of a job, before even worse things befall your club.

Because they will – after all, you have a Jonah on board.

Sincerely,
The Great White Shank