It’s probably a good idea to take a moment to recognize what Patriots’ Day really represents and that is the birth of America.
It’s awesome to think that the Revolutionary War started right in Lexington and Concord, MA. Monday is an opportunity to recognize and enjoy that we are rooted to that. A revolution is a big deal and we kicked our oppressor’s ass and started our own nation. American history is important to New Englander’s for a very special reason. It’s probably in part, where we get our provincialism.
For Massachusetts, Monday is a civic holiday and they will celebrate Patriots’ Day along with the state of Maine as both states clearly understand the importance of the event. New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island Connecticut all take a pass. Somehow the kids in Wisconsin [what?] got in on the Patriots Day action as the state close the public schools in honor. (Very cool but random state) Hopefully tomorrow you are a retired man who will listen to the game on his porch. But if you are like most of us tomorrow we’ll be at school or work. At 11:05am, just when you start thinking about lunch, the Red Sox will be on. Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy (or Castiglione and D.O’B if you prefer) and we’ve got a ballgame.
When you wake up on Patriots’ Day Monday, whether you take interest in the Boston Marathon or not (who doesn’t?) the best part of the day is knowing that there will be a baseball game played at Fenway Park at 11:05 am.
By Patriots Day 2010, the Red Sox were 4-8 and about to get swept by the 9-3 Tampa Bay Rays. Currently the Sox are 4-10 and how much worse this year’s start feels compared to last?
Thankfully the Sox grabbed two wins this weekend and sanity has been restored.
On Monday, Daisuke Matsuzaka will face John Farrell’s Blue Jays and will hopefully keep their bats quiet. I think can do this if he keeps the ball on the radius of the strikezone instead of the crosshairs, but Matsuzaka has a long tendency of (what appears to me) being mentally over-matched.
He’s pretty good at generating bad contact when he stays on the black (or close) but it’s the going into hot spots of the strike zone that get him ripped. Without some 94 MPH heat or a pull-the-string changeup, you can’t deliberately go in to the fat of the hitter’s zone. Tommy Rancel at Fangraphs has a really interesting breakdown of Matsuzaka’s 2011. I’ll take the walks with a high strand rate (Dice-K from 2008) this year if it works for him. Just not complete game implosions.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (2007-present)
46-29, 4.28 ERA, 9.9 WAR
So shots rang out in Lexington and Concord in 1775 and that’s something we can all be thankful for. Otherwise who knows what this world would be like?
Patriots’ Day is also special because of the Boston Marathon. 26.2 grueling miles of terrain that separates super-humans from mortals while the rest of us watch from the side of the road. The course runs through long and winding roads, following Route 135, Route 16, Route 30 and city streets into the center of Boston. The official finish line is located at Copley Square.
When the Sox/Jays game ends, the crowd will empty into Kenmore Square to cheer as the runners enter the final mile.
Red Sox’ Record Against Opposition on Patriots’ Day
| Opponent | Record | Most Recent Game |
| New York Yankees | 22-11 | 4/19/04 |
| Washington Senators | 13-7 | 4/20/53 |
| Philadelphia A’s | 10-10 | 4/19/48 |
| Detroit Tigers | 5-4 | 4/21/86 |
| Cleveland Indians | 2-5 | 4/20/98 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 4-1 | 4/20/09 |
| Chicago White Sox | 2-2 | 4/18/94 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1-3 | 4/18/05 |
| Texas Rangers | 3-0 | 4/21/08 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 1-2 | 4/16/90 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | 0-2 | 4/19/10 |
| Los Angeles Angels | 1-0 | 4/16/07 |
| Minnesota Twins | 1-0 | 4/19/76 |
| Seattle Mariners | 1-0 | 4/17/06 |
| Kansas City Royals | 0-1 | 4/20/87 |
| Oakland A’s | 0-1 | 4/17/00 |
Stats directly from bostonspastime.com
Hopefully this year the Red Sox given their loyal fans a win to commemorate this important day in New England’s history.