I have been rooting for the Red Sox since the days of Rico Petrocelli, Ken Coleman, and Narragansett beer commercials.  In all that time, I can't remember a more frustrating regular season to be a Sox fan than 2011.

Of course, for post-season frustration, Bill Buckner and Game 6 of the 1986 World Series wins hands-down.  But for regular season heartburn, the 2011 Red Sox take the cake.

I called for Tito Francona's firing all the way back on April 7th, after the Sox got off to an 0-6 start.  That was five and a half months ago.  With only two games left in the season, exasperated Sox fans are still leaving comments and venting on that page.

The Red Sox have put themselves in a position where Joe Girardi, the manager of the Yankees, can all but guarantee that the Sox don't make the playoffs by rolling over and letting the Rays win the last two games.  The Yankees don't need those games.  They could rest their players and give the Red Sox the Bronx Salute all in one fell swoop.

It's hard to imagine The Evil Empire being afraid of either the Rays or the Red Sox.  The Yankees would probably be happy to let the Rays skate in and put the screws to the Red Sox.

The biggest meltdown of 2011 was not at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  It was at Fenway.