Panic is the word of the day in Red Sox nation, if not for the valiant efforts of Tim Wakefield the fans would be jumping off bridges from Providence to Maine. Even with that strong effort, the Sox are off to their worst start in 13 years. Ortiz is hitting under .200 so he must be done, he’s the new Mo Vaughn. Pedroia is a flash in the pan he’s only got 1 HR and is hitting under .200. Matsuzaka has a tired shoulder, we better trade him and rush Smoltz or Bucholtz into the rotation. It might even start to snow in hell any minute now: Papelbon has an ERA closer to 3.00 then 2.00.

WOW things look awful right now don’t they? We’re looking at finishing the season in 5th place if things don’t pick up quickly. Our perfect rotation is already springing leaks, our bullpen is taxed and or shortstops are hurt. What will we do…?

Ok, Red Sox nation, take a deep breath and repeat after me, ” The season is not over yet”. Deep breath. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”, deep breath ” The bats will come around”….ok feel any better? Good.
All fun aside, this is a good team, maybe not the best Sox team of the decade and maybe not the best team in the AL East, but they are a good team, built to compete in the best division in baseball. They are a team in search of an identity. Some teams never find that identity, that signature win or moment or something less dramatic. The Yankee team of 2008 never found it, last year’s Sox team struggled to maintain it. The 2004 Sox were the idiots, and the prime Yankees teams under Torre existed as cold experienced professionals that went about their trade silently and deadly. How many of Red Sox nation recall the Tek brawl VS the Yankees, just a few season ago? Was that the spark that put that team over the top?

It’s not time to panic. No it’s not, it’s not time to react to what we have seen. It’s time for the fans to rest easy and see what this team gives us. Maybe the near perfect performance that Wakefield gave us Wednesday night that came out of the past at the right time was the moment that starts it all. Maybe the moment will come a month from now, maybe it won’t. What I can tell you is this team is going to win games and lots of them this year. This rotation will stop losing steaks before they get out of hand and this bullpen will make games seem too short for opponents.

I can also tell you that this team will NOT roll over the AL this year, it will NOT roll over good teams like Tampa Bay or Anaheim or the Yankees.

Lets keep in mind, this is the same team all those writers and fans felt so good about just two weeks ago. The AL East is a bear and it’s not like the Red Sox are in any position to run over the division. Sure everyone felt great after Beckett came out and dominated and Sabthia and the Yankees in contrast struggled. This Sox team has been built for August and September. They are a deep, talented and veteran team. Every team is going to have ups and downs and injuries. Do you think Yankees fans were looking forward to starting the season without A-Rod? There are certain inevitabilities over the course of a baseball season and all too many of the games seem a simple exercise of habit. The front office will not panic right now, there is no reason to tinker with the master plan this early. A good GM plans for as much as possible before it happens, that’s what organizational depth means. It’s ok Dirt Dogs and pink hats alike, sleep easy tonight knowing in Theo and Tito we trust.