How Do I Hate Timlin, Let Me Count the Ways - Jenn

TIMLIN!!!! If anyone out there is a fan of the cartoon, "South Park", you all know the character of Timmy. He's a wheelchair bound 4th grader who when speaks can only scream his name. That's how I say Timlin's name now. And I do it because this man is just as challenged at throwing a baseball as Timmy is at speaking.

He's just bad. Sooooooooooooo bad. You know, it's funny. Last year whenever I was at a game and Timlin came up to pitch I would boo my head off. He usually gets us into more trouble than he would if he'd stayed on the bench. But every time I booed, Sox fans around me would scoff and say "how can you boo? He's great. Remember the '04 Series"? Seriously? That's what you're giving me? The '04 World Series? That was three (now four) years ago. A lot's changed in this ball club I love so much. We've got practically a whole new pitching staff (Wakefield and Schilling are all that remain), Varitek and Youk are all that's left of the infield, Manny in the outfield and Papi as our designated hitter. That's it.

Besides the staff changes, people get older. Their bodies wear out. Schilling is a perfect example. This was supposed to be his final year, and where is he? On the 60 day DL with a shoulder problem. So the Timlin of four years ago is not the Timlin of today. Every time I see him up in the bullpen, I get tense. Because I know, even if we're ahead, we won't be by the time he leaves the mound.

And last night, it happened again. His first day back after recovering from a finger laceration that put him on the 15 day DL and he can't even make it through one inning. The first batter he faced was Giambi. The only batter with a worse average than Papi at a frightening .056. Yes, Timlin got Giambi to a full count. But on the sixth pitch, Giambi crushed the ball to straight-away center field where it ricocheted off the television cameras and into the seats. 2-1 Yanks.

Okay, so we're losing by one, we can make that up. But then Molina came to bat. He already had a double off Buchholz. Maybe Timlin can get him out. Right. One pitch and Molina sent the ball to the gap in left center landing him on 2nd base with nobody out. Time for a conversation from pitching coach John Farrell. But that conversation didn't help number 50.

Gonzalez bunted moving Molina to 3rd and after 3 batters, one out, and 1 run that would turn into two, Timlin was pulled. And the agony was over. As was the game. The Sox couldn't recover and they lost.

Needless to say this is not the pitcher of 2004. As one of the oldest pitchers on staff, it may be time for Timlin to hang up his cleats. He's got 2 series rings and several good years behind him. But at some point you need to face the music. Now is that time. Corey was designated for assignment to make room for Timlin. And while Corey wasn't really helping the bullpen, he definitely wasn't any worse. And he was much younger. There was time to grow, to learn. There's no time left for Timlin. He needs to be put out to pasture. While I know last night won't be the last we see of Timlin, I can hope, can't I?