This looks like it REALLY is it for Okajima

Hideki Okajima was designated for assignment... again.
And I am betting he has pitched his last game for the Red Sox.

Then again, I made that bet LAST December as well.

I can't say good bye too many times.
But everything I said in my tribute to Oki last December still stands.

Let us salute a very valuable member of the 2007 World Champions.

Whoops! My Hideki Okajima farewell tribute was premature!

You know that awkward feeling you get when you give someone a long and heartfelt good bye, maybe even shed a tear or two, only to find out they are going to stick around for a few more days.

It kind of makes whatever good bye you say later look kind of silly.

That happened with me here on Sully Baseball.

On December 5th, Hideki Okajima was nontendered by the Red Sox. I made sure on the blog that his time with the Sox did not end without a fitting tribute for a playoff and World Series hero.

Well, on New Year's Eve, Oke-Dokey resigned with the Red Sox. He's coming back.
I knew he'd find another job. He's left handed and has a pulse. I just didn't think it would be the Sox.

OK, Hideki... next time you leave, I am giving you a VERY SHORT post.

Thank you Hideki Okajima

The Red Sox non tendered Hideki Okajima the other day, thus ending his 4 year run in Boston. It was probably time. He had a mediocre 2010 and pitchers in their mid 30s tend to not improve over the years.

But before he goes off (and as a left handed reliever will inevitably find work) I ask my fellow Red Sox fans to tip their hats to him.

Remember this was the guy who was basically supposed to be Daisuke Matsusaka's caddy. A fellow countryman to keep the new ace company.

When he let up a homer to John Buck on the first pitch he ever threw, it looked like Okajima was Japanese for "Bust."

He didn't let up a run the rest of his outing... nor his next outing... nor the next one.
In fact he didn't let up a run in his next 20 outings.

And he had that bad ass delivery where he literally wasn't looking at the batter as he pitched. I have no clue how that worked... but it did.

His ERA was 0.42 in late May.
By the All Star break it was 0.82 and he was voted in by the fans (presumably by Red Sox Nation and the Nation of Japan) to the All Star Game.

As late as August 8th, his ERA remained sub 1.
Then his arm started to tire and the league caught up with him.

Theo and Tito rested him for a few weeks so he would be fresh for the playoffs... and he delivered.

He was unscored upon in the Division Series and ALCS, pitching 2 key innings in Game 7 against Cleveland.

Then, in the second game of the World Series, in a tense 2-1 victory, he pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings striking out 4.

He looked like a potential MVP candidate before letting up a homer in Denver. But he was a key player for the 2007 World Champs.

So off he goes to begin the journeyman part of his career. But thanks Oke-Doke. You combined with Papelbon in 2007 to give the Sox one of the best 1-2 bullpen punches in Red Sox history.

It wasn't pretty... but I'll take it

Admit it, Sox fans... when Okajima faced Justin Morneau with the bases loaded in the 7th and the Twins down by only 1, you thought Morneau was going to get a hold of one.

You saw the scenario in your head... walk Mauer and Morneau makes them pay.

And you can also admit when Papelbon walked 2 and put the tying run at the plate you thought "Oh man, he's going to cough it up, isn't he?"

Well both Okajima and Papelbon wiggled out of it and put some early season flops behind them.

It was an ugly win, but Jeremy Hermedia came through again... and I'll take it. Bullet dodged. Another one in the W column.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 3

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 3

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)

Break even... and the team is 4-4.

Wakefield in the rubber match today.
Let's hope he can inch closer to the all time Red Sox win record.

The Red Sox win... despite their best efforts to lose

My beloved Red Sox seemed hell bent to hand this game to the White Sox.

The Red Sox let a tying run in when an inning ending strikeout got away from Varitek.

The very next batter hit a ball in and out of the usually reliable glove of Mike Lowell, allowing Chicago to take the lead.

Hideki Okajima allowed a little infield pop up to land fair.

Victor Martinez threw the ball back to the pitcher and missed, allowing the runner to advance.

And yet despite all of these Lupus-esque plays, the Red Sox somehow, someway actually won the game.

I have no clue how they pulled it off... but I have no problem calling this a dodged bullet.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 19

April 17 - 10-8 win against Orioles. (Overcame 7-0 deficit.)

April 24 - 5-4 win against Yankees. (Bay homers off of Rivera in 9th to tie it.)

April 25 - 16-11 win against Yankees. (Overcame 6-0 deficit.)

April 29 - 6-5 win at Cleveland. (Overcame 5-0 deficit.)

May 12 - 4-3 win at Anaheim. (Down 3-1 in the 8th.)
June 11 - 4-3 win against Yankees. (Down 3-1 in the 8th. Rallied against Sabathia.)

June 12 - 5-2 win at Philadelphia. (Overcame Ryan Howard's 9th inning shot to win in 13)

June 21 - 6-5 win against Atlanta. (The wind turns Nick Green's fly ball into a walk off shot)

June 27 - 1-0 win at Atlanta. (Masterson and Papelbon wiggle out of late jams.)
July 1 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Sox score 4 in the 9th and Lugo wins in in the 11th)

July 8 - 5-4 win against Oakland. (Wind keeps Hairston's 9th inning go ahead homer in the ballpark)

July 10 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Pedroia drives in the only run with 2 outs in the 8th.)

July 30 - 8-5 win against Oakland. (Ortiz tests postive then hits a 2 out 3 run go ahead homer.)

July 31 - 6-5 win at Baltimore. (Youk's 2 run homer saves Smoltz from another bad start.)

August 10 - 6-5 win against Detroit. (Sox snap 6 game losing streak with 7th inning rally.)

August 14 - 8-4 win at Texas. (Victor Martinez hits a 2 run 2 strike 2 out double to take the lead and make up for Buchholz's baserunning mishap.)

August 18 - 10-9 win at Toronto. (Ortiz homers and the Jays defense collapses, saving Beckett from a bad start.)
August 24 - 12-8 win against White Sox. (Red Sox overcome early 4-1 lead and a bad Buchholz start.)

August 25 - 6-3 win against White Sox. (Red Sox win with 4 unanswered runs despite some sloppy defense.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 22

April 14 - 6-5 loss at Oakland. (Sox blow early 3-0 lead. Lose in 12)

April 28 - 9-8 loss at Cleveland. (Sox blow early 5-1 lead. Lopez drops 3rd out.)
May 14 - 5-4 loss at Anaheim. (Ortiz goes 0-7 stranding 12 runners.)
May 15 - 5-4 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox blow their second 4-0 lead in three days.)

May 17 - 3-2 loss at Seattle. (Red Sox strand two in the 9th. Lose in the bottom of the 9th.)

May 23 - 3-2 loss to the Mets. (Papelbon lets up a 2 out 2 run homer in the 9th to Omir Santos)

June 18 - 2-1 loss to the Marlins. (Rain washes out a tight game after 5+ innings.)

June 28 - 2-1 loss to the Braves. (Tying run on base in the 9th. Solid Penny outing wasted)
June 30 - 11-10 loss at Baltimore. (The Red Sox blow a late 10-1 to the lowly Orioles.)
July 3 - 7-6 loss to Seattle. (Red Sox comeback in the 8th only to lose in the 11th.)

July 4 - 3-2 loss to Seattle. (Saito walks three in the 9th as the Mariners rally to win)

July 9 - 8-6 loss to the Royals. (Bullpen blows early 4-0 lead.)

July 21 - 4-2 loss at Texas. (Beckett loses a complete game and the Yankees take over first.)

July 22 - 3-1 loss at Texas. (Sox are swept for the first time all season.)

July 28 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox blow 3 run lead in 9th. A's rally with 2 outs in 9th and 11th.)

July 29 - 8-6 loss to Oakland. (Down 5-0 in the first, Sox comeback falls short)

August 4 - 4-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Longoria hits 13th inning walk off with first base open.)

August 5 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox gets swept in a 2 game series with the tying run at the plate).

August 7 - 2-0 loss in New York. (A-Rod's walk off with 2 outs in the 15 ends a teeth grinding marathon.)

August 9 - 5-2 loss in New York. (4 outs from avoiding a sweep, Bard lets up back to back homers to Damon and Teixeira.)

August 13 - 2-0 loss to Detroit. (Verlander wiggles out of early and late jams.)

August 16 - 4-3 loss at Texas. (Red Sox can't rally and fall behind the Rangers in the Wild Card race)

-3... A few more like this and it will be dead even.

Wakes is back... and the magic number is down to 37