Learning from the Past

Sources close to the Red Sox are reporting the reigning World Champs are interested in signing former Cleveland Indian closer Joe Borowski.

I can only offer these words of advice to Sox GM Theo Epstein: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

Have you forgotten the terror that was Eric Gagne last year? Not only were you forced to give up a legitimate starting pitcher in Kasson Gabbard, but you got literally no return for it. Terry Francona placed his misguided faith with the erratic Gagne all the way through the ALCS. It took the Fenway Park mound filing a restraining order against Gagne, requiring him to stay 100 yards away from the rubber at all times for the BoSox to win the World Series.

So if you can't learn from the past, let me explain to you why signing Joe Borowski is literally the worst possible move you can make. His fastball is slower than Jamie Moyer's and has less movement than Bartolo Colon's. He's a fly-ball pitcher in a park where the left field fence is 314 feet away. In a year and a half in Cleveland, Borowski amassed an ERA over 5.50. His WHIP in 2008, was nearly 2.00. He allows more home runs than Nuke LaLoosh when Crash Davis tells the hitter the deuce is coming.

I know the market for relief pitching is thin, but the risk/reward here is not tilting in the Red Sox favor. I never smoked a cigarette in my life until I saw Borowski take the ball for his first save opportunity two April's ago. I now smoke a pack a day. Terry Francona lost 15 lbs dealing with the phenomena that is Manny Ramirez. Now that Manny is wearing Dodger blue, have mercy on Tito. A man's health is at stake here. Say NO to JoeBo.