Keller @ Large: Red Sox Season Can't End Fast Enough

BOSTON (CBS) - Did you catch yesterday's Red Sox game at all?

It was a rare occasion this season, a game where the Sox led most of the way behind sharp pitching, timely hitting, and good defense.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

The sort of performance we fans expected to see a whole lot more of this summer, but didn't.

The Sox don't formally wrap it up until next weekend, but I think it's safe to deliver one fan's verdict now.

No "good job, good effort" here.

Severe booing is definitely in order.

No question, injuries were a major problem this year. As of about a month ago, when there was still some semblance of hope for the Sox, they did lead the majors in player games lost to injury.

But other teams with major injury problems didn't collapse like a cheap tent, notably the Yankees, who lost their closer early on as the Sox did and also lost key starting pitchers. Yet they were one of six teams in the top ten hardest-hit by injury who remained in contention.

No, as someone who goes back to the pre-Impossible Dream days when giants did not roam the field at Fenway and Billy Herman was the Bobby Valentine of his era, this is easily the worst Red Sox team since 1966, and the least-likable, too.

Outside of a handful of players, especially Big Papi, they were a sullen, overrated collection of under-achievers and duds. It was a huge relief a month ago when Sox management blew up the mess and started letting the farmhands play – at least they are really trying.

Now all the team brass have to do to restore their credibility is to drop the fiction of the sellout streak.

In a perverse way, this fiasco of a season may have made it more fun to be a Red Sox fan.

Coming back from the depths – as we did in the 1967 season and, finally, in the postseason in '04 – is more fun than trying to live up to frontrunner status, don't you agree?

Guaranteed, expectations will be low next April. The 2012 Red Flops have made that certain.

But we'll gladly wait 'til next year, if they'd only hurry up and end the agony of this one.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. and 12:25 p.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.