Waiting for the presidential debate to begin in a couple of hours, I just tuned to NESN to see some of the last game of the 2012 season for the Boston Red Sox which color commentator Jerry Remy in tonight’s intro repeatedly described as “embarrassing.” Somewhere I read that this season’s record is the worst for the Sox since 1966 which made a personal connection with me since that is the year of my first visit to Fenway Park. I assume those tickets were easy to come by since the 1966 Sox finished second from the bottom in the American League – there were no divisions back then – with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses. Here’s the Opening Day lineup for the 1966 Red Sox:

George Smith 2B
George Thomas CF
Carl Yastrzemski LF
Tony Conigliaro RF
George Scott 3B
Tony Horton 1B
Rico Petrocelli SS
Mike Ryan C
Earl Wilson P

I now discover that the Red Sox of 2012 are even worse than the 1966 team. Measured by the team’s record, the 2012 Sox (69-92 with one to play) will finish with at least two fewer wins than the 1966 team (72-90).

As dismal as things seem, I am encouraged by two things: The 1966 team led to the 1967 Cardiac Kids who took the Cardinals to a seventh game before losing the World Series. And the 2012 Red Sox have already blown up the roster, ridding the team of highly paid performers (or non-performers, as the case may be) such as Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Kevin Youkilis. Still, the management team that created this year’s fiasco is still in charge which tamps down our optimism.

For the record, here is the Opening Day lineup for the 2012 Boston Red Sox:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
David Ortiz DH
Kevin Youkilis 3B
Ryan Sweeney RF
Cody Ross LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C
Mike Aviles SS
Jon Lester LHP

Tonight’s lineup for the Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Nava LF
Ross RF
Loney 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Lavarnway DH
Ciriaco 3B
Iglesias SS
Pitching: RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6, 7.68)

Since I started writing this, Dice-K has given up 5 runs and has been knocked out of the game, probably his last ever in a Red Sox uniform. A forgettable season grinds to a halt. I doubt many folks will skip the Presidential Debate to see the end of the baseball game.