Hello there 2011!

Here we go 2011! With some fantastic off season activity this year, there has been much to talk about. After a winter hiatus from writing, its time to get back into it. I found an essay type description online, and figured that this would be a great place to start my first post of the year.

1. In the first part, tell us about yourself and why you love baseball.(500 word limit)
2. In the second part, answer one of the following questions (500 word limit)
   1. Who will win the American and National League Most Valuable Player Awards in 2011? Make a strong case for your selections.
   2. What will be the biggest MLB storyline of 2011? Explain why.

 

Part 1:

There are many reasons to love baseball, and each person has a smaller subset of this large array of reasons that makes baseball special to them. Many people can point to a specific game that their Dad took them too, or a memorable player interaction that their love of the game stems from. My first game, and introduction to baseball happened at such a young age that I do not even remember it. My love, however, stems more from the field that it does from the stands. I grew up playing baseball, and there was nothing that I loved more. 2nd base was my position, and there was nothing more satisfying than making a great defensive play. I loved being in the ready position, waiting for the pitch. I remember the smell of the freshly cut grass, the annoying little gnats that inevitably wound up squished on the underside of my cap’s brim, the cool breeze that came in as the sun was setting, and the joyous feeling of knowing we didn’t have to stop as the lights came on.

I couldn’t get enough baseball. I began to watch the Red Sox. I grew up in the 90’s when the Sox were constantly not good enough. I listened to games on WEEI, because I loved the descriptions of the game over the radio.  Eventually, I began to understand “the curse”. It was something I had always known about, but didn’t understand for a long time. It was only after years of constant defeat did I really feel the pain. The late 90’s  were supposed to be our time, the rise of Nomar, our beloved Trot, the acquisition of Pedro. I was head over heels in love with the Red Sox, and the Yankees broke my heart, year, after year, after year. The curse began to take hold of me. My hatred for NY grew immensely, as did my fear of the curse. The crushing defeats continued into 2003, where I had to deal with Aaron Boone of all people.

Then everything changed, and everyone knows the story. In the biggest hole in professional sports the Red Sox won eight straight games to end it all. Pure joy. The curse was over. My baseball love didn’t end there, how could it? I was thirsty for more.  So how exactly does one top breaking an 86 year curse in spectacular fashion?

Enter the 2008 Phillies.  Game 5, part two. As a seasoned baseball fan knows, Game 5 of the 2008 World Series was postponed mid-game due to rain, throwing a wrench into the travel plans of fans everywhere. As luck would have it, this provided me with a free ticket to part two of the game.  I got to walk into a 2-2 tie in the 6^th inning, and watch the Phillies win it all. Mayhem. Riots. Another broken fan base had their redemption and I was a part of it. Sweet revenge after the Rays had eliminated my Sox. Baseball is in my blood, and I will never tire of it.

Part 2:

A)   2011 AL MVP: Dustin Pedroia – This is a tough one for me, and I have tried to remove any bias there might be in me as a Sox fan, but this guy tries harder than anyone I have ever seen. In 2010, he took grounders on his knees while he had a broken foot. Already having won the rookie of the year award in 2007 and an MVP in 2008, a gold glove, and three straight all-star selections, he still has the desire to work hard and improve. With the lineup additions of Crawford and Gonzalez he has a great deal of power behind him (presuming he keeps 2^nd in the batting order), as well as the return of Ellsbury to the leadoff slot to help his RBI numbers. This scrappy player will not stop short of perfect, and that dedication will win him another MVP award in the next 3 years.

2011: NL MVP: Roy Halladay – The last pitcher to win a MVP was Dennis Eckersley in 1992. This is really a shame. Since 1992 we have entered the steroid era, possibly explaining why no pitcher was awarded the honor due to inflated hitting numbers. It appears, however, that the steroid era is over. 2010 had 7 no hitters, including two perfect games. Roy Halladay threw a perfect game and a postseason no hitter. Since leaving the AL East, Halladay has been absurdly dominant, and will continue to be in 2011. With 9 complete games in 2010, a 2.44 ERA, and 21 wins, it’s a wonder Halladay didn’t get a single first place vote. In all likelihood, this prediction will not come true, but more because the Baseball Writers will all vote for position players in the end. That doesn’t make it right. Consider Halladay, because in the end he will absolutely deserve it.

B) The best storyline of 2011 will be Phantastic Phour in Philadelphia. With possibly the best rotation of all time, they are a giant force that must be taken down. Hands down the favorite for the 2011 W.S. This however, will be a slow storyline and much better in the playoffs. A much less talked about story line will be the Tampa Bay Rays. How will the additions of Manny and Damon for relatively small money impact this team? Can they keep their young, underdog attitude alive? Can they keep Manny from being a cancer? Will Joe Maddon be able to handle the veteran presence? Most importantly, if all of this works out, can they compete with the reloaded Red Sox and powerhouse Yankees? The AL East is once again the strongest division in baseball. Let the games begin.

Post Season Predictions

Ahh October. Nothing says baseball quite like it. In a season where my Red Sox were decimated by injury, I found it hard to work through the predictions, but the show must go on!

NLDS Reds vs. Phillies

When the Reds first made the playoffs, I was excited for them. 15 years without a playoff appearance for one of the classic baseball franchises. Despite them having five rings, and me never wanting them to have more than my sox, I was really hoping that they would do well. Well, they seem to have run into a Buzzsaw, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are probably the worst draw you can get in this playoff set. Not only are they the #1 team in the majors, but they are super hot. Their 11 game win streak in late September has these guys feeling like they can’t lose. Let’s not forget the absurd Halladay/Oswalt/Hammels rotation either. Roy Halladay is a beast. 2.44 ERA, 21 wins, and a workhorse to boot. This is someone who should have four rings by now, but his career in Toronto wasn’t exactly the fast track to the World Series. He is my favorite for October MVP.

Result: Phillies in 3

NLDS Braves vs. Giants

Unfortunately I don’t like this matchup much. Neither team offers much promise for a deep run in my eyes thus the Phillies are on the fast track to the World Series as a result. Both teams have great pitching, but in the end look for Wagner to lock it down.

Result: Braves in 4

ALDS Yankees vs. Twins

The Yankees showed the world last year that C.C. Sabathia doesn’t need rest. They showed it again this year when his wasn’t affected by the previous October. This, along with their high-powered offense, makes them a very dangerous threat if they can make it out of the first round. Unfortunately for them, Pettitte and Burnett do need rest, and Burnett has been a mess. The Yankee pitching could be their downfall. I flip-flopped 15 times on this one, trying to justify a win for the twins but in the end…

Result: Yankees in 4

ALDS Rangers vs. Rays

Tampa is young, and has seen the scene in the past few years. Cliff Lee seems to be on a post-season roster every year now. I like the Rangers better in a 7 game series to win out over a worn pitching staff. Longoria comes back for the Rays which should help. Provided Longoria isn’t a flop after his little injury break…

Result: Rays in 5

NLCS Braves vs. Phillies

The Phillies are so far gone as Phavorites in the NL. I can’t pick against them. (I promise no more PH=f jokes.)

Result: Phillies in 5

ALCS: Yankees vs. Rays

Destroy the evil empire! This is where their 3 man rotation will come in to play. CC likely pitches three times in this series. Beat him once and the Rays win.

Result: Rays in 7

World Series Rays vs Phillies

2008 Rematch! 2008 Results. Roy Halladay gets his first WS win, ring, and MVP honors. I think the deep postseason runs finally catch up with the Rays who don’t really show up for this one. The Phillies rotation is too good, and their offense is greater than or equal to that of the Rays. Mathematically sounds like winners to me.

Result: Phillies in 5… again.

A slap on the wrist, ankle, ribs, forearm, back, hamstring, and both feet

I nearly died two days ago when Kevin Youkilis left the game on July 6^th. I was ready to sign my organ donor form, jump off a cliff, and give what remaining working body parts I have to the Boston Red Sox, since nothing else seems to work.

The Red Sox have just been swept for the first time since the awkward sweep by the Orioles on April 30-May 2. It seems the injuries caught up to the Sox a little bit for this series, as they just could not catch a break. Now back in third place in the division, 4.5 games out, the Sox head into their final series before the all star break. Fortunately, it is a matchup with the Blue Jays and John Lester is pitching in the series. Winning 2/3 in this series would be a great way to head into the break, all things considered.

There is some light on the horizon though! A faint, candle size light, about 10 miles away but it is there. Dead Red Sox will start returning from the grave soon. Clay Buchholz appears to be on track to make a start in the Texas series immediately following the All Star Break. Josh Beckett is throwing in simulated games and looks to return the week following Buchholz. Having both of these guys back will be a huge help, and a relief on the bullpen. If they are back and pitching like they both can, we can win more games when the lineup, patched together with band-aids and duct tape, doesn’t magically score 5 runs.

Martinez is listed as a probable return after the All Star break as well, which is very exciting. This is not only a huge lineup boost but a return to normal for all the pitchers who have developed any sort of routine with him behind the plate. This is especially valuable since Jason Varitek is out into August.

Also exciting, is that both Jacoby Ellsbury and Jeremy Hermida are listed as possibly returning late July. Now, I am no medical expert, nor do I really know the extent of their broken ribs, but broken ribs are a pretty serious deal. It wouldn’t surprise me if these guys were back in early August instead. If they beat that I can only be excited instead of disappointed. August also brings back the broken feet boys, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek.

Now there is no denying that the most recent sweep hurt, but it in no way hurts the chances of a playoff run. We are half way through the season, and it is certainly not out of the question for this team to make an August/September push for a berth.

Other All Star Notes:

Very classy move by MLB, players, team managers, or whoever else had a hand in naming Dustin Pedroia and Victor Martinez to the all star team, knowing that they would not play due to injury. They very easily could have been skipped over with replacements made right off the bat (pun certainly intended.)

Buchholz will not pitch in the game either, but that was up in the air at the time of selection. I am more or less glad he will not be, as I don’t want to push an injury. As far as the rest of the Sox participating, I am a little nervous about Ortiz in the Home Run derby. The potential for a power outage afterwards is there, but as Prince Fielder showed last year (24 HR post-HR derby 2009) there is no guarantee of one.

On the flip side, I do like the idea of him being there, as it could quite possibly be the last All Star Game and HR Derby that David Ortiz ever participates in. Ortiz will probably get two at bats in the game after Vladimir Guerrero gets two at bats in. I hope he puts on a show, gets a big fat smile all over his face, and goes back to hitting well after the break. The other selection I like a lot is Adrian Beltre getting his first appearance. Beltre is less likely to get an at bat due to A-Rod being on the Roster, but could get up to the plate in the late innings if the AL has gone through the lineup a few times. DH, 3B, or pinch-hitter are all places he could fit in, but probably not for more than 1 at bat.

Lester will likely pitch 2 innings of the game; I view him as the most logical choice to replace David Price when he comes out followed by either Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia. No issues there. It’s not a full start so I find it hard to see him injuring himself.

Kevin Youkilis is the wild card here. Voting closes at 4:00 PM. I can go either way on this one. I would love to see the guy honored, but especially with his recent almost-injury I wouldn’t mind Youk getting a rest. The guy plays the game so hard day in and day out it must take a toll on his body. Go lie down, fall asleep for 48 hours and then go get a massage. Rest my friend, we need you.

What a Choke!

What a weekend for sports! The Boston Celtics knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers, in LeBron’s last chance before his upcoming free agency to show what he is made of. The Boston Bruins just died in a game 7 that was eerily similar to the series, as they went up 3-0 only to blow it and lose 4-3. The Celtics then went on to win game 1 in Orlando, at times dominating the Magic. Oh yeah, there was some baseball played too, but it wasn’t that exciting in comparison. With some rather big collapses happening, I decided to reflect on some of the biggest (as well as some of my personal favorite) collapses and chokes in history. With a lot of discussion about chokes in sports, I will start with what I used as a definition.

Choke [chohk] (verb,choked, chok·ing, noun) -A choke is a team failing to execute in a situation where they should be more than just a favorite to win. This often occurs in a situation where any par performance would have resulted in a sound victory. Some sort of failure on the team to execute is required. A choke may be viewed in the context of a single game, a series, or a season.

And with that, my top 13.

#13) 2010 NCAA Tournament: Kansas University loses to Northern Iowa in 2nd round

Kansas was not only the favorite to win this game but one of two favorites to win the tournament. Over 80% of ESPN Tournament Bracket players had either Kansas or Kentucky winning. Neither made the final four, but Kentucky wasn’t eliminated in the second round by a 9-seed. Brackets were decimated.

#12) 2007 ALCS: Cleveland Indians

Cleveland loves their collapses, as they were unable to hold a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Red Sox. For a team with 19 game winners C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, as well as future Cy Young winner Cliff Lee, this team was completely unable to close, allowing the Red Sox to steamroll themselves to their 2nd world series in four years.

#11) 1964 Phillies Phold

After a magical season including Jim Bunning’s perfect game (first in the NL since 1880), the Phightin’ Phils had a 6.5 game lead with 12 to play. After losing 10 games in a row, with the first seven at home, the Phillies had sunk to 3^rd place, and would not be a part of any postseason activity. Phail.

#10) 2007/2008 Regular Season: New York Mets

The Mets have recently become the poster child for late season failures. In 2007, the Mets had a 7 game lead on September 12th, with 17 games left to play. The Mets only won 5 of those 17. They lost 5 of 6 to the 4th place Nationals. This one went down to the last game of the season, only to have Tom Glavine let up seven runs in the first culminating in a great collapse.

The Mets then went out and signed two time Cy Young Award Winner Johan Santana, figuring that this would compensate for any weaknesses associated with their collapse. They went into 2008 as surefire favorites to win the NL East, only to be once again eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of season. This was just the beginning of the issues for the Mets as they would plunge to 4th place and a 70 win season in 2009, a team that was once again predicted to contend for a playoff run.

#9) 2007-2008 Pursuit of Perfection: 18-1 New England Patriots

You may note that in my definition above I said that a choke may be defined as a season and I would like to make that distinction here. This was a choked season which is not to be confused with a choked game. The only reason that they make this list was the potential implications of being the greatest NFL team of all time by obtaining a perfect 19-0 record. The Super Bowl itself does not quite qualify to me as a choke. Sure, the Patriots were up 14-3 going into the 4th quarter, but the Giants’ 14 point run bordered on the miraculous. “The Helmet Catch” was a freak play, something one could probably not reproduce in many attempts.  It turned out to be a game where the clock operators were under as much scrutiny as any coach’s decision. There didn’t seem to be a failure on the part of the Patriots to win the game, but more like a spectacular drive by the Giants to put them over the top. The NFL, probably more any other sport, is one where any team can win on any given day. For this reason, I categorize failure to capitalize on the pursuit of perfection as a choke and not the game itself.

#8) 1942 Red Wings / 1975 Penguins

Any team that has ever been up 3-0 in a series and doesn’t win certainly falls into the choke categories. Both of these teams lost to the higher seeded team in the end, after failing to complete their respective underdog runs. For this reason, they get only slightly more credit than #7.

#7) 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (Hockey): Boston Bruins

They had four chances to beat out the somewhat injured and defeated Flyers, who became only the third hockey team to accomplish such a feat. I thought about ranking this higher, but let us not forget that the Bruins were not a very good team to begin with this season. Two months ago, there were questions as to them even making the playoffs. The Flyers were a lower seed than the Bruins, making this slightly worse than #8. Give it five years for all to settle in, and this will be grouped in the same category as the Wings and Penguins.

#6) 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals (Basketball): Cleveland Cavaliers

In a collapse that left LeBron James without a title in Cleveland, the Celtics may have not only made headlines for themselves, but they may have just cost LeBron a huge part of his legacy.  Cleveland was his city and his team. After numerous opportunities to make a championship run and numerous failures, one can accuse coaching, front office management, and the players themselves.

The fact is that LeBron will take the brunt of this, and Cleveland will suffer if he leaves. For a team that was the best home team in Basketball for several years, they squandered their last two home games. Boston may have earned this win with spectacular defense and a tremendously elevated level of play, but the fact remains that LeBron choked in his abilities to bring a championship to the Cavs.

#5) 1978 Red Sox

Boston held a 14 game lead over the New York Yankees, a lead that would dwindle only to be eventually erased after being swept in a four game set by New York, now referred to as The Boston Massacre. The Yankees forced a one game playoff tie breaker where Bucky Dent, who had hit an average of three HR’s per season in his career; hit a 3 run homer to lead the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Sox. The Yankees went on to win the World Series. Bucky ******* Dent.

#4) 1990-1994 Buffalo Bills

The only thing worse than being 0-4 in Super Bowl appearances (Vikings, Bills) is doing it in four straight years. The Bills made their first appearance in the Super Bowl in 1991, only to lose by one point to the New York Giants. They would repeat their Super Bowl run in the next three years losing to the Redskins, and then in back to back years to the Cowboys.

#3) 2003 NLCS: Chicago Cubs

Similar to #11, the Cubs squandered a 3-1 series lead. What makes this much worse than the Indians, was that in game 6, the Cubs had a 3-0 lead behind Matt Clement’s three hitter with just five outs to go. Lifetime Cubs fan Steve Bartman interfered with a foul ball off the bat of Louis Castillo, preventing Moises Alou from making the catch. The thread had been pulled, and the unraveling began. Bartman was escorted out of the stadium for his own safety, and has been ridiculed ever since. The Curse of the Billy Goat lives on.

#2) 1986 World Series: Boston Red Sox

It was game 6 and the Red Sox had a 3-2 series lead. After scoring two in the top of the 10th, the Red Sox had a 5-3 lead with two out. They were one out from their first championship since 1918, and one out from defeating the curse of the Bambino. A few hits later it was 5-4. Enter Mookie Wilson. Mookie Wilson was at the plate and fought out a ten pitch at bat. On the 7th pitch of the at bat, Bob Stanley’s wild pitch tied the game at five. Pitch number ten to Wilson was the infamous grounder through the legs of Bill Buckner, scoring Ray Knight to win the ball game. There is no guarantee that had Buckner fielded the ball that they would have won, however their inability to close out this game, as well as game 7, lands them in the #2 spot all time. I refuse to lower this on the list on the basis that the “curse” has been broken, or that Boston has more or less forgiven Buckner. At the time this was an epic collapse, and it should remain so when talking about it.

#1) 2004 ALCS: New York Yankees

The biggest collapse in sports history, as well as my personal favorite, was the New York Yankees failing to close out the Boston Red Sox after a 3-0 series lead with home field advantage. With a lead going into the 9th inning of game 4, Kevin Millar led off with a walk, off of arguably the best closer of all time, Mariano Rivera. Pinch runner Dave Roberts was Boston’s personal savior that night. The entire world knew that Roberts was stealing second, and after several pickoff attempts he went on the first pitch Rivera sent home. Safe.

This was the single turning point, as Bill Mueller would single him in for the tie. David Ortiz would then hit a two run shot in the 12th, giving the Sox their first win in the series. This was just a taste of what was coming. Rivera would blow the save again in game 5, this time with some help from Tom Gordon. Boston went on to win this game in the 14th where David Ortiz was the walk-off star again singling in Damon. Curt Shilling would pitch the “Bloody Sock” game in game 6 in Yankee Stadium, and the Boston bats beat up the Yankees in game 7 to cap the greatest comeback ever. Everything made this series epic. It was Sox/Yanks, it was Rivera, it was David Ortiz, it was long games ending well after midnight, it was the lovable idiots taking down the evil empire, and it was certainly the biggest choke ever.

Really RedSox.com?

I was perusing redsox.com as I do several times a day, as I typically enjoy that over espn or any 3rd party sites for my red sox official news.

Over the past few months of the offseason, I’ve been looking at the Red Sox Stat Leaders area, I saw the following.

Woahhh! Good for you Mr. David Ortiz! You managed to slump for pretty much the first half of the season, and still lead the club in RBI and HR!

But wait a minute… no you didn’t…

Somebody had more home runs than David Ortiz! Jason Bay! So naturally, I want a reason why. Is Bay being left off the list because he left as a free agent?

In addition, Jason Bay AND Victor Martinez had more than 99 RBI. Alright, I get it, Martinez might not be on the list because he only had 41 RBI as a Red Sox, the other 67 came as an Indian. But Bay? Was he snubbed here too?

So RedSox.com, I ask you this…

What’s up with the Bay stats missing?

Are you trying to avoid the fact that the most productive RBI and HR machine we had left?

Regardless of how I feel about him,  his leaving, or any aspect of it, give the man the respect he deserves for his performance in Boston!

Modern Day Ruth

Before reading this post, read this one, as I’ll give all the credit to the On Deck Circle for this topic.

It really got me thinking about how the game has changed. Our athletes our now celebrities, and scrutiny of every move leads to a PR fiasco of epic proportions. See Tiger Woods or Alex Rodriguez. Good for you George Herman, you got your flappers and floozies in pre-TMZ times. You could drink, smoke, and fornicate to your hearts content in an era where people didn’t care what you did outside the diamond.

So how would your career had gone 80-90 years later?

My first question is really, would you even had made the majors? I know this seems silly, he is after all, BABE RUTH! But think about it, he wasn’t the most athletic build, and given his behavioral tendencies, would he have been able to compete with the lifetime driven athletes of today?

Now, if he put up numbers, of course he would make it. Anyone who hits that many dingers gets noticed. So now you have made the modern MLB, and you are “theoretically” putting up the same numbers you did then. Now what?

Now many of ODC’s points come in to play, and oh how many of them are spot on. This guy would be the most loved/hated controversy in baseball. Every fan would love him for every HR, and hate him for his poor ability to be a roll model and responsible face of the game. He would be more controversial than Manny Ramirez, Ocho Cinco, and Terrel Owens combined.  It would be that fiery balance of love and hate that would get him more sportcenter time than Brett Favre. He would be a marketing locomotive, barreling forward at an unbelievable pace, getting money anywhere he could. He would be the face of every razor, car, and deodorant commercial there is.

He would most certainly be accused of steroids, even if his figure was less than built. It’s just the nature of the beast. Then again, who knows, his personality may have been one to say, “What the hell I’ll do it.” Imagine the disgusting numbers he would have put up if he did. 100 HR season?

Most importantly, I don’t think he would play for the Red Sox OR the Yankees. NL teams only. You have a pitcher who can hit like that, some NL team would pay the big bucks. Then again, who knows, he basically didn’t pitch after going to the Yankees in 1919 so maybe he would sacrifice that aspect of his game again. I doubt any major league club these days would say, “Oh, you just had 5 seasons of sub 3 ERA? We are going to have you hit full time.”

It’s tough to see a team out bidding the Yankees, but his true value is in the NL, hitting and pitching. If he did play in the AL, can you imagine him closing for the Yankees? After a game where he hits 3 HR’s and 6 RBI, he walks in from first base to the mound for the save. That’s a scary thought. MVP forever.

Why I love baseball, and the Sox

Here we are, a little more than a week into spring training, and just as I expected, not a whole lot to talk about. The biggest stories have stemmed from injuries to Jose Reyes and the odd one day retirement contract of Nomar Garciaparra.

The combination of the Nomar story and Matthew Berry’s Love/Hate ’10 which had an interesting “Why I hate the Yankees” segment, made me want to write about why I love baseball, and why I love the sox. As a side note, Matt, I have had food thrown at me in Yankee stadium as well. Nachos to be exact.

Why do I love baseball? Man that is a question of a million answers. The biggest reason probably being that I played. I played and I loved it. I played, and I wasn’t good for a long time. I remember my dad promising me batting gloves as soon as I got my first hit, which took me maybe half a season to get. With time, I got better, I worked hard, and eventually got pretty decent at hitting as well. I was fast too, like really fast. Rickey Henderson fast.

I beat out more ground balls in little league than anyone. I led off a lot of games before I had the strength to get the ball over an infielder’s heads. There was value in my abilities when I was not the best athlete, and that made it fun. I have distinct memories of my first layout in center field, much like Jacoby Ellsbury. When I caught the ball, the man on second had already crossed the plate, making it an extremely easy double play.

Which by the way, I can still do…

Aside from playing the game, I loved to watch it. I loved to watch it since my dad took me to my first game at Fenway. I loved the stats, standings and analysis in every way possible. I checked the paper every morning for the new stats. (I became a math major down the road). I loved the dirt dogs, the guys who worked hard. Trot Nixon, Pedro Martinez, and Nomar.

I remember the epic debates in the late 90’s as to who the best shortstop ever was. Nomar, Jeter, or A-Rod. I argued hard for Nomar every time. Funny what 12 years can do to the perception of a players career.

I loved the vigor and love these guys showed on the field. I hated that their passion always seemed to be dominated by the Evil Empire. I loved these guys for the same reasons I love Dustin Pedroia, and John Lester.

These guys play the game the right way. The play hard, work hard, and give the effort that I gave as a kid. These players not only won my loyalty for the last 2 decades, but have won it for long after they are no longer with the team.

With less than a month left until the regular season starts, and not much happing story wise in baseball, I guess it’s time to go watch some march madness to hold me over!

2007 Baseball Awards

It’s over ladies and gentlemen. 2007 was a great baseball season filled with records, magic, underdogs, and juggernauts. Now it’s time to take a look back and pick my Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and MVP awards. These are my picks, not the actual winners, though I’m hoping they closely align.

 AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett
This is a lock, I’ve been saying it since August. Nobody beat Beckett when it mattered this year. 4-0 in the postseason (which isn’t supposed to count in voting) and the only 20 game winner, which he did even while missing a few starts with that “evulsion” earlier in the game.

NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy
In my mind, this is another no brain-er. I know San Diego didn’t make the playoffs, but they were right there. He had more K’s than many of the strikeout kings of Beckett, Santana, Kazmir etc. His ERA was almost .5 runs lower than the second place guy, at an amazing 2.54 runs per 9. He finished with 19 wins, most in the NL and Beckett’s 20 was the only thing keeping him from a pitching triple crown. His one weak resume point was game 163 when that super hot Colorado team was in their fantastic run to make an amazing playoff appearance. I don’t think that one loss is enough to discount what he did the rest of the season.

AL Rookie of the Year: Dustin Pedroia
Do I need to explain this one? After this kid hit less than .200 to start the season, the media and fans around Boston were calling for his exit. Terry Francona stuck to his guns, backed by Theo Epstien, and this guy was amazing all year. He was able to lead off, hit second, get on base, and hit a surprise home run now and then. In 520 at bats, he only struck out 42 times.
NL Rookie of the Year: Troy Tulowitzki
.291 Average, 24 HR, 99 RBI
Those are the numbers you expect a grizzled veteran to put up. Combine that with his excellent defense and you have a guy who is destined for good things with Colorado.

Manager of the Year: Terry Francona
I say this not as a Red Sox fan, or because his team won the World Series. I say this because of what he has accomplished with this club. The environment he has created allows each and every player to continue to learn and develop, wether they be a veteran or a rookie. Sticking with Pedroia in April can be looked at as one of his best moves all year, right up there with his fantastic bullpen management. Papelbon and Okajima did very well through the postseason and were able to pitch multiple effective innings strictly because of the way Francona handled the team. These players are just a bunch of guys having fun out on the field, not worried about consequence or failure. They can go out there day in and day out and just have some fun, and it’s all to the credit of Terry Francona.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Doesn’t even need to be discussed. Everyone already knows it.

NL MVP: Matt Holiday
I almost picked Ryan Howard for this one, it was very close. Holiday beats Howard in RBI by one, and average .340 to .268. Their OBP are about the same, but Howard has 11 more home runs finishing in at 47 dingers. At 26 more runs scored, 74 more hits, and almost twice as many doubles, I have to go with Holiday here. He was a better all around player.

Red Sox Gold Gloves:
Kevin Youkilis – Perfect. Enough Said. No regular season errors.
Jason Varitek – Not just his glove, but the way he handles pitchers and calls the game. I think that should be counted in gold glove discussions because it’s how he plays his position.
Dustin Pedroia – He might not actually win it, but he absolutely could have. He made amazing plays and highlight reels all year. Polonco had a fantastic year at second and very well may win it over Pedroia.
Coco Crisp – “Did you see that game where Crisp went horizontal and made that game saving catch?”   …   “Which one?”

World Series: Red Sox – Rockies

The Red Sox have done it again. After spectacular pitching performances by Schilling, Beckett, and Matsuzaka, as well as the offence waking up a little, the Sox climbed out of a 3-1 hole against what I think is a lesser team in the Indians.

 Yes, I put Matsuzaka in that category. I know he only went 5 innings, but he pitched well and I hope people see that. His mistakes were all out of the strikezone, unhitable mistakes are better than meatballs over the plate. When he got guys on he worked hard, and had fantastic composure. He only let one run score on a hit, the other a sac fly. He pitched out of any “jams” he got into and finished his own business. The ONLY reason he didn’t pitch longer is because this was game 7 of the ALCS. No chances, why leave the guy in to blow up? He pitched well and I am looking forward to seeing how he does game 3 in Colorado.

Don’t get me wrong, the Indians are still a excellent team, getting up 3-1 was no fluke, but they just couldn’t close. With Sabathia and Carmona unable to beat us, and the Sox putting up 3 double digit scores, the Indians were hoping that we would fail, not that they would win.

On to the World Series. I did fairly well in my Playoff Predictions post, with the only upset being the Rockies, whom I greatly underestimated with their ridiculous 21 for 22 or whatever it’s at now. I still have to stick with my prediction of the Red Sox, and I’m going to say Red Sox in 6.

Why you ask? Josh Beckett.

If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind about who should win the Cy Young, that doubt should be long gone by now. He beat Sabathia in 2 head to head matches, and even though post season isn’t supposed to count in Cy Young voting, it only solidifies his regular season numbers. Only guy with 20 wins, great era, many K’s.

The Rockies have been stifling hot, but look for Beckett to shut them down in game 1. Beckett isn’t messing around and with home field advantage, Beckett will be pumped. I firmly expect 2 wins from Beckett in this World Series, and quite possibly some sort of Postseason/World Series MVP award.

Rockies pitching, they’ve been amazing I’ll give them that. They have a team era less than 2 in this postseason, but I just don’t see them shutting down this lineup. We have the AL Rookie of the Year (Yes I’m calling him to win rookie of the year now too) leading off the game, and they have Jeff Francis and Ubaldo Jimenez as your 1-2 punch. (I am excited to have 2 potential ROTY’s in this WS). Pedrioa had a HUGE home run in game 7 and has proved that he is a threat. Youkilis, Ortiz, Manny, and Lowell are going to wear this staff out. Their starters haven’t had to face an offense like this, and certainly aren’t used to the DH. They are going to throw many pitches and I can’t really see either of them pitching into the 7th. Hope their bullpen is ready for some work.

Sox Prove They’ve Got It

Another chapter in the Sox-Yankees rivalry has just been written. A fantastic September series between the two teams saw all that this rivalry has to offer. In a year where these two teams could meet in the ALCS again, we saw it all. Okajima/Papelbon blow a 7-2 lead and the Yankees have a come from behind thriller. Josh Beckett beat Chin Ming Wang for sole possession of the wins lead, leaving him as one of the frontrunners in the AL Cy Young race. Boston’s bats came alive in a 10-1 rout. Schilling and Clemens matched off in a spectacular pitchers duel. Derek Jeter continues to show the world he can get it done with a 3-run homer that would win it for the Yankees. Rookie Joba Chamberlin’s scoreless streak ends at the hands of Mike Lowell. The Sox score off of Marino Rivera in the Bottom of the 9th, load the bases, and get David Ortiz to the plate with 2 out, only to have him pop out to end it.

I mean this is the kind of epic storyline that makes this rivalry so fantastic. The Yankees took 2/3 from the Red Sox. That may make it seem like the Yankees are a better team, but here’s what I saw this weekend that makes me think the Red Sox still have the edge over the Yankees in a 7 game series.

Starting Pitching

The Red Sox had 3 superb outings. I use the term superb, not because they were Cy Young performances, but because they were against the Yankees.

Daisuke Matsuzaka threw 5.2 innings of 2 run ball. He got into jams, and he worked himself out. He had 7 K’s in his short outing, most (if not all) were on his fastball, the same pitch that was getting him knocked around for that 12.bad ERA and the streak of bad outings. Daisuke used his off speed stuff much better against these Yankees, and it made his fastball better. Daisuke will be on 6 days rest for his next few starts because of off days, so look for his pitch efficiency to get better and any signs of fatigue to fade. This guy is still the #3 starter.

Josh Beckett. Need I say more? This guy is the Ace of the staff this year, and should start Game 1 in any series. He stifled the Yanks for 5 baserunners over 7 innings with 7 K’s. One of those baserunners was his only hiccup of the game, a Jeter home run in the first inning.

Curt Schilling pitched very well. For a guy whose heat is cooling off, Schilling is becoming a more masterful pitcher with his other pitches. He kept the Yankees to 1 run into the 8th inning. Yeah so he gave up a 3 run shot to Jeter in the 8th. He’s DEREK JETER! He is going to do that now and then. Great show by Schilling and I’m not afraid to have this guy start Game 2 in a playoff series.

If you look at the Yankees, we tagged 2 of their starters very well. Clemens was the only guy we couldn’t get a few off of, but he only went 6 innings. That was the longest performance by any Yankee starter. Burn out your pen like that in a playoff series and you won’t be getting the save in a game 6 or 7.  Advantage Red Sox.

Bullpen

Congratulations to the Yankees for beating Okajima/Papelbon to overcome a 7-2 game. A rare feat. Don’t get your hopes up though because this won’t be the norm. You won that specific game, but at least 90% of the time, that game is a Sox win and you can’t count on winning the game against these guys.

Oki will get more rest as we close out the season, they won’t burn him out. Papelbon will be more ferocious next time you see him, feeding off the adrenaline you have so kindly provided him with. Don’t look now, but even Gagne held you to two scoreless innings in this series. Fill out that pen with Timlin, Delcarmen, and a possible Buchholz addition to the postseason roster, I’ll take a 1-0 lead any day.

 Defense

That’s it. This defense deserves some credit. Most of the year, they have been riding under the radar. Not many errors, not much in the way of spetacular. Just kind of there.

I’m changing that. These guys are fantastic. You can’t even count the number of times Dustin Pedroia has robbed guys of hits. Mike Lowell is making great plays all over the place, even if the guy is still safe (stole a double from Jeter by snagging one over the line. Kept Jeter to an infield single.) Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury have made some excellent outfield catches and their speed only works to their advantage. JD Drew and Manny aren’t even bad defensively either! Drew has speed and Manny always seems to wow you when you think he can’t play defense. Lugo has speed and Youk has his errorless streak. Crisp, Pedroia, and Youk all could be in gold glove discussions. These guys are GOOD! They are second in the league in defense for a reason and I think it’s about time they earned some credit. Defense was a huge part of the ’04 club and it should not be overlooked in this years run.

Offense

Okay, so the Red Sox aren’t #1 here. They aren’t going to score 10 runs every game, but certainly can. The Sox batters did what they did best this weekend. They grinded out at bats, they made the pitchers work, and they got themselves in situations where they could win. If you can’t create these situations you have nothing but the home-run to save you.

It took the Yankees Derek Jeter to win last night. There was no other offensive hero. Jeter hit the home run off Beckett the day before. Jeter is a hugely talented All-Star and will continue to do this.

The Red Sox don’t need too. Every one of our guys can put together a situation. A walk, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, a bloop single. Any of these things are huge because this team has so many tools. Think about the 9th last night. Julio Lugo gets a double with 2 out off of proven closer Mariano Rivera to get the Sox within one. ROOKIES Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia reach base with a hit by pitch and a walk. Those aren’t the David Ortiz’s, Derek Jeter’s, or Alex Rodriguez’s of the world. They fill out the team and they do it well. All of these guys can make things happen, and last night, almost did.

I’m not telling you the Yankees can’t win. On any given day, any given team can win. A lesser team can beat a better team, even in a 7 game playoff series. That’s what we saw this weekend, the lesser team (though not by much) coming through for some wins. I am telling you though, that the Red Sox are the better team. They have the tools, the weapons, and the ability to make it happen. They have more ways to win, and will do so well into the playoffs.

-Kevin Cole