Since that game, Beckett has thrown 9 2/3 innings while allowing four home runs, 13 earned runs, and 21 hits. Ugly, ugly numbers.

Moving forward, should we expect to see the Josh Beckett who dominated the Cleveland Indians and pitched admirably against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (7 IP, 3 ER)? Or should we get used to him giving up bombs, blowing big leads and leaving fastballs over the middle of the plate?

We’ll look at the teams he has recently faced.

The Angels and Indians have both been weak offensive teams this season. In terms of batting average, the Indians rank 27th in the MLB with a .247 team average, while the Angels stand at 19th, with a .256 team average. Both are in the bottom half of the league in hitting.

On the other hand, the New York Yankees (6th) and Texas Rangers (2nd) are both offensive powerhouses as apparent from their .269 and .271 batting averages. Stepping away from stats, simply look at the players.

Of the 18 starters on the Rangers and Yankees, is there anybody you would LIKE to pitch to?

What I’m saying is that Beckett had great success against weaker hitting teams, but against talented offenses he has struggled. Still, Beckett of old had no problem shutting down any team he faced, and watching him on the mound struck fear into the eyes of opponents.

It’s clear that Beckett is no longer the ace of this staff, and if he needs a reminder he can just look at his 6.51 ERA. But, will he ever be considered a co-ace once again?

I think yes. In Beckett’s career, his struggles occur due to a lack of control or movement with his curveball. When this occurs, he becomes very hittable.

Generally, he has to rely on his fastball velocity, movement and location. He has historically used his fastball as his “out” pitch.

Against both New York and Texas, Beckett seemed on the money with his curveball. Although one of his curves was taken deep, it still had lots of movement and was not left hanging over the middle of the plate.

His fastball has been giving him issues. His velocity is down from 95 MPH on average to 93 MPH.

There are two major possibilities as to why Beckett is not throwing as hard as he used to.

First, he is still suffering from back pain, and aggravated his injury in a previous start. Beckett has continuously rejected this notion asked about it, so I do not believe an injury is the source of his woes.

Second, he may be trying to “aim” his pitches, as opposed to just “throwing” them. Pitchers are coached to think of pitching as playing catch with the catcher. When a pitcher starts to “aim” pitches, or focus solely on a release point, accuracy and velocity both suffer.

Pitchers fall into this trap when struggling, and Beckett is clearly having trouble right now.

Luckily, this problem is very fixable. All it takes is one or two solid innings of pitching for a pitcher to regain some swagger and be unafraid to challenge hitters.

Hopefully, Beckett is able to make it to that second inning.

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Nonetheless, I’ve tried to give the players who have seen significant action on the field grades..

Starting with the pitchers:

Scott Atchison: B-. He spent time in the minors early on, but has been a useful player out of the bullpen, eating up innings in big wins or losses.

He has not been very consistent, however, and as a result holds a hefty 4.26 ERA. He’s only given up three bombs this year, and his 1.23 WHIP is slightly misleading, as he tends to give up runs, and base runners, in bunches.

In all, he’s done what the team has asked him to do, and that’s the most you can ask from a journeyman like Atchison.

Daniel Bard: A-. He has been the best bullpen pitcher for this Red Sox team. He has a great 1.99 ERA while logging 41 innings with 44 strikeouts. On the downside, he has given up four home runs, a result of the velocity he throws, so he must fine-tune his location.

Clay Buchholz: A. Despite a recent hamstring injury, Clay Buchholz has been involved in Cy Young talks and was deserving of his All-Star selection. He is 10-4 with a 2.45 ERA. His 1.25 WHIP is not at all shabby, nor are his 64 strikeouts and .231 opposing average. How is that not impressive, and aren’t you glad we still have this kid? Yes, you are.

Manny Delcarmen: B/B+. It does not seem like Manny deserves this grade based on his stats. His ERA is lofty at 4.59, he has walked 20 batters while only earning 20 strikeouts in 33 appearances, and his WHIP is 1.41.

However, a lot of these stats were skewed by his last two outings, during which he pitched through a forearm strain (allegedly) and was absolutely hammered. If he actually injured himself, and he’s able to return healthy, expect him to be a 7th/8th inning go-to guy, along with Daniel Bard.

Until the end of June, he was a stud of a pitcher in the pen.

John Lackey: B-/C+. Lackey has pitched some great games, but has really had troubles during day outings. Unfortunately, it seems that he’s always pitching in day games for the Sox. He has a decent 9-5 record with a 4.78 ERA.

Despite giving up 5-6 runs in some outings, he’ll still eat up 6-7 innings, pitching like the horse he truly is. However, he has had control issues (rare for Lackey), issuing 46 walks in 113 innings compared to 33 in 108 last year. He has pitched okay, but okay is not what we paid John Lackey $80 million to be.

Jon Lester: A. A Cy Young front runner, hoisting an 11-3 record and a sub 2.80 ERA. His WHIP sits at an astounding 1.09, and batters have only managed a .203 average off this lefty. Ace of the staff.

Daisuke Matsuzaka: C+. Daisuke has gotten progressively worse since his second year, when he had a 2.90 ERA. Currently, he has a 4.71 ERA, and considering all the stamina he was supposed to have coming from Japan, has only thrown one complete game in four years here.

On the bright side, he’s only given up three home runs this whole year, so I think he ends the year with a respectable 14-6 record with a 4.10 ERA.

Hideki Okajima: D-. After a great first two seasons with the Sox, it seems the mystery that was Okajima has been solved. He has a 6.00 ERA, has blown three saves and struggles to get outs in any scenario.

He has been relegated to a role in the back of the bullpen. I have noticed that he is throwing his splitter too often, not allowing it to be a counter to his deceptive fastball.

As a result, he has allowed five home runs. I expect him to improve after the break, but don’t expect his ERA to be much better than 4.50. Telling of Okajima’s season is the fact that he has appeared in 34 games, but only recorded 27 innings.

Jonathan Papelbon: B. Most other pitchers with Pap’s current statistics earns themselves a B+. However, Jonathan Papelbon is not living up to the high expectations he has set for himself. His ERA is currently at 3.50, but he has allowed six home runs this season, twice as many as Daisuke.

However, he is holding opposing batters to a .211 average and has a 1.11 WHIP. His strikeout:innings pitched ratio is the lowest in his career, at just 0.89. Don’t worry about him though, he gets the job done (20/23 in saves) and his ERA is currently lowering with every outing.

I expect his final WHIP to be below 1.10, with an ERA at 2.65 and a K/innings pitched ratio around .95-1.05 (still low for Pap).

Ramon Ramirez: C-. He has really turned things around. At the beginning of last season, he was a stud in our pen, but after June, he couldn’t record outs. This season started similar to the way last season ended for him, horrifically.

However, he has pulled himself back together, bringing his ERA down to 4.66. Expect this to further decrease, as he is not giving up nearly as many home runs. In his last 18 appearances, he’s only allowed 2 home runs, compared to 2 in his first 10.

Tim Wakefield: C. He has had games that he’s lost despite pitching well, but he has also lost because hitters treat his knuckle ball like the ones from the home run derby. His ERA of 5.65 is not pretty, nor is his 3-9 record. However, over his past 6-7 starts (not including the Rangers one), he has gone 41.2 innings with an ERA of 4.58. He’ll end with an ERA in the 4′s, but don’t expect another All-Star (half-year) from Wake.

The Rest: B+. These pitchers, Felix Doubront, Dustin Richardson and Robert Manuel, have done exactly what the team needed from them. Hold the fort until the team puts itself back together. Doubront won his first major league game, striking out the first batter he ever faced.

He remained calm and collected despite pitching against Manny and the Dodgers. Dustin Richardson and Rob Manuel both have ERAs in the three′s in their limited appearances with the team.

Outlook: When Josh Beckett returns, healthy, the starting rotation should continue dominating, and even without a trade, the bullpen seems to be straightening itself out (at least a little).

Many of the current Red Sox pitchers seem to be improving their games over the past three weeks (until the recent, 4 game stretch where they’ve had problems). Overall, I foresee a strong push from the Sox’ pitching.

Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are clearly dominating this season, and with a healthy Josh Beckett, the Red Sox have three possible ace pitchers (if Josh Beckett is, in fact, healthy, we all know how he can pitch). Plus, with improvements in John Lackey’s game (he’s pitching fewer day games), and an upswing in Wake’s performances, the starting five and Daisuke should be very successful.

This rotation and guys like Bard, Delcarmen and Pap have kept the Sox in the hunt while over 14 guys have visited the disabled list. As an overall grade, this pitching deserves an A-, simply for the amazing job they’ve done keeping the Sox in the hunt.

To keep the Sox’ title hopes alive, however, they must continue pushing and carry this team to the promise land.

What do you think?

Personally, as a baseball fan, that would be a dream come true. Can you imagine 38 games a season between your team and either the Sox, Yankees or Phillies? Intense, playoff-atmosphere games which are nerve-wracking and just fun to watch.

As a Sox fan, that’s unfair. If those three teams are in the same division, then realistically one of them will win the division, and the second place team will win the wild card. However, the third place team, which still may have better records than other division winners, will not have a spot in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, Selig has a decision to make: Sacrifice a little fairness for more exciting baseball?

This move is very dangerous for two reasons.

Firstly, it upsets Tim Wakefield, who was just 17 wins away from the club record in career wins. An upset Wakefield means lower overall team chemistry and a disgruntled player is never one that a team wants to have in a locker room.

I think Wake will handle Terry Francona’s decision with grace, and his frustration will certainly not show, being the savvy veteran that he is, but he is definitely not happy.

More importantly, however, Wakefield is not the type of pitcher you want in the bullpen.

Wake’s primary pitch is a knuckleball, and if a hitter can make decent contact with a pitch, fly balls become very common. The more solid the contact, the deeper the ball will travel.

Therefore, Wake gives up a lot of home runs, simply because of the type of pitch he throws.

As a starter, home runs are less significant, because your team will have more opportunities to neutralize the run allowed, but as a bullpen pitcher, these bombs cause momentum swings and can really lower team morale.

Would you want a guy who tends to give up home runs pitching in the 7th or 8th inning?

As a bullpen pitcher, this characteristic of pitching is literally the last thing that a team would want. Picture the Sox going into the sixth inning after a Daisuke five inning performance in which the Sox lead just 5-4 and need Tim to log some innings.

It will not be unbelievable if he gives up a game tying or even game winning blast. A prototypical bullpen pitcher is one who, even if hittable, is difficult to take deep, and strikes out a lot of batters. Wakefield is neither.

Clay Buchholz would have been a better choice to move to the bullpen. Last season, the Yankees faced a similar decision and sent their young pitcher with lots of potential, Phil Hughes, to a relief role. He thrived, and was a major part of their World Series title.

Buchholz has better overall strikeout numbers than Wakefield, with 7.6 strikeouts every 9 innings pitched versus 6.1 strikeouts every 9 innings. Striking batters out is imperative, especially for a long reliever, who will most often be used to get starting pitchers out of their jams or take control in a late bullpen game.

Also, Clay has better home run numbers this season, as he is averaging 0.5 homers/9 innings, three times better Wakefield’s 1.6 homers/9.

Buchholz will not be set back in development, as he will still hold an important role and will pitch under pressure, and if anything will be even more required to hit his spots so as to prevent leads from being blown.

Essentially, Wake may have been the odd man out of the rotation, but in terms of team building and overall potential as a bullpen pitcher, Clay Buchholz may have been the better option.

Laugh with me.

Red Sox and Yankees are a disgrace to baseball? OK. So the two best teams in the league are what’s disgracing it?

What many people don’t know is that West is a major contributor in these admittedly lengthy games. He made CC Sabathia change shoes in the second inning because they weren’t the Yankee blue, instead matching the gray of his uniform.

Similarly, Marcus Thames had to change the wrist on his tape for the same reason.

In the past, Joe West has had a history of making small problems become major. At one point in 1995, the Mets third base coach Bobby Wine brought out the lineup card two minutes too late, and West was angry at him.

Initially, the bench coach thought he was joking, but got upset when he realized that Joe was angry at him, eventually getting ejected.

Next, the Mets manager Dallas Green, standing up for his third base coach, got tossed. Joe West turned a two-three minute delay into one lasting 22 minutes.

Well, enough about Joe West’s problems with lengthening games. The Sox and Yankee players may not agree a lot, but they were certainly able to come together on this one.

I don’t know if he got fined or whatever, but if we ever called an umpire pathetic and embarrassing, it would be the end of the world. We’d get fined and we’d deserve it. ~Kevin Youkilis

Does somebody have dinner reservations? We’re playing baseball. It’s not a timed game. There’s not a shot clock. … If those guys have an issue with that, it might be time to pick a new profession or talk to the umpires’ association about not working any more Yankees-Red Sox games. ~Dustin Pedroia

It’s incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else. What does he want us to do, swing at balls? … He has a job to do. He should do his job. ~Mariano Rivera

You can’t control the time. You can’t do one thing because every game is different. … If it’s 20 minutes shorter, it’s not pathetic or embarrassing? At what point is it not embarrassing? You’d have to ask him. If you go over 3:12, it’s embarrassing? ~Derek Jeter

We’re not going to ask our hitters to change their approach to speed the game up. … We’re trying to win games, not trying to see how quick we can play. ~Joe Girardi

“Have you ever gone to watch a movie and thought, ‘Man, this movie is so good I wish it would have never ended.’ That’s like a Red Sox-Yankees game. Why would you want it to end? If you don’t want to be there, don’t be there. Go home. Why are you complaining. I’m not going to sit somewhere I don’t want to be. If you go to a movie or any entertainment event and you like it, you’re going to stay and watch and you’re not going to want it to end. If you don’t, then you won’t. Why is it such a big deal?” ~Jonathan Papelbon

Not only was Joe West out of line in his comments, he was also blaming the wrong thing. As Jacoby Ellsbury and even Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire put it:

The biggest thing is the TV. [Nationally televised games require 2:25 for commercial breaks every half inning, roughly 30 seconds longer than a NESN or YES game, which adds about 10 minutes to every game.] I’ll go up for an at-bat, and I’ll have to wait a minute and a half. … Leading off a game, I don’t know how many times I’ve had to wait. The pitcher is ready, I’m ready. ~Ellsbury

Over three hours is pretty much normal in baseball. You want to cut it out? Cut out the 2:25 between innings for TV. See if that’s going to happen. Ain’t going to happen, right? That’s where they make their money. ~Gardenhire

Not only do people enjoy watching these tight, intense games, but calling the two best teams in baseball a disgrace? It’s frustrating that West can’t get fined for this.

To be completely honest, there was one thing that was pathetic and embarrassing, as well as a disgrace to baseball, during the series.

The balls and strikes calls were atrocious.

Image Credits: realdirtymets.files.wordpress.com

Well I beg to differ.

Apparently, few people remember what David Ortiz did at the end of last season, and choose to focus on the negative first half he had. After Papi hit his second home run of the season on June 6th, he was tied for the league lead in home runs. Not just in the AL, but in all of baseball (tied with Adrian Gonzalez).

I say that Papi will top 30 bombs this year (after leading the league after June 6th), and throw in Kevin Youkilis and a full season with Victor Martinez, and that supposed lack of pop seems a lot less legitimate. Also, Jason Varitek hit a lot of home runs early on in the year, but then cooled off. I think as he got more tired, his bat became less effective (not good). With more rest, I think he will hit a reasonable 15 home runs this year.

While the Red Sox lineup may not be as powerful as last season without Jason Bay, I would not say it will not be as good. Obviously Jason is a tough player to lose, but Papi showed signs of heating up last season and gave no reasons at the end of the year to change that.

So, do not forget that Ortiz has not completely fallen off the radar, and with better defense and pitching, the Sox are poised to make a deep playoff run.

What do you think? Will Papi be back to hitting monster home runs in clutch moments?

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia. Yes, PD has only had 3 years in the league, but compared to the other Sox’ second baseman, he is by far the best. Todd Walker was a solid player early in the decade, but was not nearly the offensive or defensive player Pedroia is. Mark Bellhorn, the 2B for the ’04 World Series was also a strike out king (not good) and an okay defensive player. He came up with the occassional big hit, but struck out too often to be a great hitter. Mark Loretta was good, but he was only here for a short period of time, and Pedroia’s numbers are far better than his. Nevertheless, PD is a solid choice for the Sox’, and has a bright future ahead of him, already winning rookie of the year and an MVP award.

Short Stop: Nomar Garciaparra. He is the only one who spent more than two seasons as a short stop with the team while producing numbers. Orlando Cabrera would certainly be a healthy pick, but he was not with the team long enough, Alex Gonzalez never was the offensive player Nomar was, and Jed Lowrie has really not proven himself at all. Gonzo is certainly a potential pick, but Garciaparra was with the team longer and simply was a better player (despite shaky defense at times).

Third Base: Mike Lowell. To me, it was between Bill Mueller and Lowell. Mueller did win a batting title, but Mike Lowell Has been a maniac since joining the Sox, including a World Series MVP. Also, Lowell is a better defensive player than Billy, and regularly drove in more runs.

Catcher: Jason Varitek. Scott Hatteberg and Victor Martinez weren’t with the team long enough, and Jason Varitek is a master at calling games. He has pretty much been the Sox’ catcher throughout the decade, and before age took his bat from him, consistently hit around .270.

At this point, I really cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be a Red Sox fan. I see the Sox, and I see an exceptional team which has the second highest payroll in the majors. Well, with the second highest payroll, we should definitely have made more of a splash in the postseason, as opposed to being swept out like a small dust particle by the Angels’ broom stick.

I mean, having the second highest payroll is great, except that you keep coming in SECOND place in terms of signing the great players, like Mark Teixeira or A.J. Burnett or even C.C. Sabathia.

Sure, the Sox had a strong farm system, producing the likes of Ellsbury and Lester, but the Red Sox had too many inconsistencies both pitching and hitting-wise. During the off season, we’ll see what the Sox do to address their needs.

But, congratulations Joe Girardi. It takes a lot to manage three All-Star caliber pitchers and a lineup that could very well be the American League All-Star team. It seems coincidental that the moment that hell freezes over, the Yanks take home the World Series trophy.

It’s just a whole lot of frustration. My most hated team in all of professional sports outdid the Sox. It took them nine years, but they did it. Maybe the Sox can play up to expectations next season, as in Jon Lester and Josh Beckett coming out strong, Daisuke remembering what a baseball is, at the lineup is at full strength with Vmart and hopefully Jason Bay.

Or will it be the other way around? Will the Angels get rid of the monkey on their back, and start a post season run against the Red Sox?

Position by position, this is NESO’s breakdown of the Red Sox’ 2009 ALDS.

Position	Red Sox' Player	Angels' Player	Winner
1B	Kevin Youkilis	Kendry Morales	Kevin Youkilis
2B	Dustin Pedroia	Howie Kendrick	Dustin Pedroia
SS	Alex Gonzalez	Erick Aybar	Erick Aybar
3B	Mike Lowell	Chone Figgins	Chone Figgins
LF	Jason Bay	Juan Rivera	Jason Bay
CF	Jacoby Ellsbury	Torii Hunter	Torii Hunter
RF	J.D. Drew	Bobby Abreu	Tie
DH	David Ortiz	Vladimir Guerrero	David Ortiz
C	Victor Martinez	Mike Napoli	Victor Martinez
Pitching (Starting and Bullpen)	Lester, Beckett, Buchholz, Matsuzaka, Papelbon	Lackey, Weaver, Kazmir, Saunders, Fuentes	Red Sox (Starting and Bullpen)
Manager	Terry Francona	Mike Scioscia	Terry Francona
Verdict	Red Sox	Angels	Sox Win in Four

First Base:

Kendry Morales vs. Kevin Youkilis

Kendry Morales has more home runs than Youkilis and more RBI, but both share an almost identical batting average. Youk sits at .305 with Morales at .306. However, Kevin Youkilis has a far better On Base Percentage.  Youk’s OBP this season was .413, a significant 58 points higher than Kendry Morales’ .355.

Morales clearly has an advantage with the power numbers, but in the postseason, and in tight late inning games, getting on base will be the deciding factor.

Also, Morales has struggled in limited post season appearances. First off, a negative factor for Morales is just that: He does not have nearly as much playoff experience as Youkilis. Kendry has played in seven career post season games, Youk in 26.

Also, Youkilis has played better in October.

Home runs and RBI would be useless to compare, as Youk has a clear advantage based purely on the fact that he has played more games. However, Kevin has a .333 career post season batting average to Morales’ insignificant .231. Yes, Morales has improved vastly this season, but that improvement does not necessarily contribute to more postseason success.

Look at A-Rod. Even on Roids, Rodriguez struggled in clutch situations. Morales may certainly produce this year, but that is an if.

Lastly, Youkilis has a .998 fielding percentage with one error to Morales’ .994 with eight errors. Miscues on playable ground balls will give the opposing team free base runners, and with both teams posessing base stealing speed (majorly Figgins on the Angels, Ellsbury on the Sox), the team with less miscues will have a slight advantage.

That seems obvious, doesn’t it? Of course it does, and it should, but there is an advantage nonetheless.

Overall:

Morales has put up more electrifying numbers over the season, but Youkilis is a consistency freak with exceptional fielding abilities. If  (again that’s a big “if”) Morales can produce like he did during the regular season, then I would give him a slight advantage over Youk, but he will be facing top pitching everyday and will be unable to whale on weak pitchers. Plus, Kevin simply has more experience.

Advantage: Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox

Second Base:

Dustin Pedroia vs. Howie Kendrick

This head-to-head match-up is clearly dominated by Pedroia. In an “off-year” for PD, where he hit .296, he still had more hits, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases than Kendrick. Not to mention his higher fielding percentage (PD was at .990 with Morales at .988), higher batting average (Kendrick batted .291) and higher On Base Percentage.

Not only statistical dominance over the season, but also over the past postseasons. Pedroia has a .262 post season average (albeit not great) to Kendrick’s weak .148.

Granted, Pedroia’s worst playoff hitting experiences came against the Angels, but he does have more experience than Howie and still possesses a higher average.

Overall:

Dustin Pedroia dominates Howie Kendrick in all major hitting and fielding categories, both regular season and post season.

Advantage: Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox

Shortstop:

Alex Gonzalez vs. Erick Aybar

Erick Aybar, at first glance, would seem to be better offensive player than Alex Gonzalez, as he hit .312 with five home runs. Gonzo, when playing with the Red Sox, hit five home runs (the same amount as Aybar in 1/3 the amount of games) and batted .284.  Alex is a much better defensive shortstop than Aybar, as he fielded .994 to Erick’s .983.

I do think Aybar is a better overall player than Gonzalez, as he bats with a high average, but people must remember that Gonzo has fared completely differently offensively with Boston thus shrinking Aybar’s offensive advantage.

In the postseason, neither player has fared very well, both batting under .200. Although Gonzalez does have an edge (.165 to .105) the fact that he’s batting .165 really nullifies the advantage.

Overall:

Neither hitter possesses great power or speed, but Aybar hits with a higher average. Gonzalez is definitely the better defensive player, and as stated previously that is a major factor in the postseason.

Advantage: Erick Aybar, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but by less than a hair.

Third Base:

Mike Lowell vs. Chone Figgins

Mike Lowell is characterized by his grit, consistency and clutch hitting ability, but his overall numbers have dipped since his 2007 campaign. Chone Figgins on the other hand is in the prime of his career, and possess sensational baseball abilities all around.

He batted .298 this season to Lowells’ .290. Mike Lowell did amass more home runs and RBI, but Chone Figgins is a lead-off hitter who’s roll on the team is to get on base and dominate the base paths.

Lowell has an inferior OBP to Figgins, and it isn’t even worth bringing up Lowells’ steal numbers in respect to Figgins’. (For the record, he had 2). While caught 17 times, Chone still managed a very respectable 42 steals.

Defensively, Lowell used to be a better player, but as they say, father time is undefeated, and the two currently possess near equal fielding percentages (both around .967).

Lowell is a better post season player than Figgins’ is in terms of statistics, but both are experienced enough to make the necessary big plays. Lowell (discounting last post seasons at-bats when Lowell was essentially hitting on one leg), is about a .275 hitter. However, Figgins is a .205 hitter.

Overall:

Despite Lowells’ higher power numbers and similar batting average, Figgins is a more valuable player, as he is a key asset to the Angels team and is a sensational table setter for the rest of the lineup. Plus, his base stealing ability will terrorize the Red Sox’ team which has been unable to catch runners stealing bases.

Advantage: Chone Figgins, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but mainly based on his base stealing ability which will work well against Boston.

Left Field:

Jason Bay vs. Juan Rivera

Juan Rivera has a higher batting average than Jason Bay (.287-.267) but Bay has more RBI, home runs, stolen bases and a significantly higher OBP (.384-.332). Also, Bay has not made an error this season, whereas Rivera committed two.

Essentially, Rivera has a higher batting average, but that’s it.

Overall:

Batting averages are important in the postseason, but Jason Bay has performed at a much higher statistical level in every other category, including OBP, meaning that Bay still manages to reach base more often than Rivera.

Advantage: Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox

Center Field:

Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Torii Hunter

There’s not much to compare here. Hunter holds an advantage in nearly every offensive category, with the exception of course being stolen bases.

Jacoby Ellsbury is a more electrifying player, with 70 steals to Hunters’ 18, but Hunter is as good a fielder as Ellsbury, and while his batting average was lower (.299 to Jacobys’ .301), he has a higher OBP and more home runs. Furthermore, Hunter has better postseason performances than Ells.

Overall:

Essentially, Ellsburys’ role with the Red Sox is similar to that of Chone Figgins’ with the Angels, as a table setter. Ellsbury is developing into a sensational leadoff hitter, and his major weapon is obviously his speed. He will wreak havoc against the Angels’ pitching staff, but Torii Hunter is simply a better offensive player than Jacoby currently is. Hunter is more of a threat, but if the Angels overlook Ellsburys’ ability, he will do damage.

Advantage: Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Right Field:

J.D. Drew vs. Bobby Abreu

As with anything concerning J.D. Drew, health plays a large factor.

Drew batted .279, less than Abreu’s .293, but Drew managed to have a higher OBP than Bobby, as he ended with .392. Abreu ended at .390.

J.D. is a better outfielder in terms of fielding, and if he plays like he did towards the end of the season he will be a major force. Drew has not been as good in the post season as Bobby, but Drew has enough postseason experience to keep him composed during times of pressure.

Overall:

Bobby Abreu is a huge asset to the Angels, and is a large reason for their recent jump in on base percentage and walks, as he has influenced them in terms of working the count. Drew is a better player if healthy, but again, that’s a big issue with J.D.

Currently, Drew is healthy, and his offensive numbers were comparable to Abreu’s. Drew gets on base more and is a better fielder, but Abreu’s impact on his team is massive.

Advantage: Tie. J.D. Drew is healthy and while he does have more home runs and a higher OBP, he has a lower batting average and has not influenced the Red Sox nearly as much as Abreu has influenced the Angels, something that cannot be overlooked.

Catcher:

Mike Napoli vs. Victor Martinez:

Victor Martinez is a far better offensive player than Mike Napoli. He batted .330 to Napolis’ .272 and hit 23 bombs to Mike’s 20. Also, his OBP was 30 points higher than Napolis’, as Victor ended at .381. Martinez is simply more of an offensive threat.

Defensively, neither are exceptional catchers, but Napoli has a slight edge becuase of his ability to throw out runners. While he’s not great, Napoli is a bit better than Martinez defensively, but that advantage can be easily overlooked when you see that Martinez plays an average first base and has much better offensive numbers.

I’m not too much of an RBI guy, because I feel that a lot of RBI comes with a lot of players getting on base ahead of you, meaning that it is not a solely individual stat like the home run or batting average. However, Martinez had 108 RBI, which is significantly more than Napoli’s 56. Even if Mike had as many plate appearances as Vmart, he would still be well short of Martinez’s mark.

While Jason Varitek is no longer the main man at catcher, he is still a presence calling the game, and may play when Beckett is pitching. When he calls games, Angels hitters will need to focus harder, as Tek’s preparation and skill at managing a game is spectacular. His batting and fielding are well worse than what they used to be, but because he’s not going to be starting the majority of the games, he does not hurt Martinez’s case.

Overall:

Martinez is not quite the defensive catcher that Napoli is, but Napoli is not nearly the offensive player and threat that Martinez is.

Advantage: Victor Martinez, Boston Red Sox

Designated Hitter:

David Ortiz vs. Vladimir Guerrero

Ortiz had a horrific first half, but since his first home run on June 6th, he leads the Majors with home runs. Guerrero batted .295, but again, Papi in the second half of the season is a different player than in the first half, so his .238 average is tinted.

The fact is, Papi is on a hot streak, and has success against the Angels in the past. Think back to…… Every post season the Sox have played against the Angels. Exactly, Papi is great against them.

He has also had success against the Angels’ closer Brian Fuentes, something that may prove useful come late game situations.

Overall:

Guerrero is no slouch at DH, but Papi has been playing better as of late the majority of the league, and his clutch postseason hitting cannot be overlooked.

Advantage: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox, but only by a little

Starting Pitching:

Game 1:

Jon Lester vs. John Lackey

Lester pitched more innings, had a better ERA (3.41 to 3.83), threw more strikeouts, and had a better record. Hard not to go with the guy that not only performed better in the regular season, but has also proven himself in the playoffs.

Overall:

As previously stated, Lester had a better season and has proven himself to be a better postseason pitcher.

Advantage: Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox

Game 2:

Josh Beckett vs. Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver performed slightly better than Beckett in the regular season, but not by much. Plus, Beckett’s stats are slightly tinted by a back injury which he pitched through, causing his ERA to be higher than it should. Nevertheless, Beckett had more K’s and wins, with less losses.

Also, Beckett is one of baseballs’ best postseason pitchers, and has dominated the Angels in the postseason. Beckett did have late season back issues, but he is expected to be fully healthy for the postseason.

Overall:

Beckett and Weaver both had similar seasons (Beckett finished with a 3.86 ERA and Weaver with 3.75), but Beckett had more wins and less losses than Weaver. Plus, Josh’s postseason dominance is hard to argue against.

Advantage: Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox

Game 3:

Scott Kazmir vs. Clay  Buchholz

Clay finished the season exceptionally well, going 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA, but Kazmir has had success against the Sox in Fenway over his career. He is 2-2 with a 1.73 ERA.

Kazmir has postseason experience, going to the World Series with the Rays, but this will be Buchholz’s first postseason start.

Overall:

Buchholz ended the season extremely well, but Kazmir’s postseason experience is very valuable for a pitcher to have.

At this point, I’d say Kazmir has the advantage just because of his experience and success at Fenway, but if Buchholz is able to hold is own he is a dangerous pitcher.

Advantage: Scott Kazmir, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, again though, by a hair

Game 4:

Daisuke Matsuzaka vs. Joe Saunders

Daisuke had an atrocious first part of the season, but after coming off the DL he’s been great, going 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA. Plus, Daisuke will be well rested and healthy going into the playoffs, and he is a great post season pitcher. He has participated in big Sox’ post season games and has pitched Japan’s biggest game in the World Baseball Classic.

Saunders was 16-7 with a 4.60 ERA, (both better than Daisuke) but Matsuzaka came into his own after coming off the DL.

Overall:

Matsuzaka is one of the best “pressure pitchers”. Saunders isn’t bad himself, but Matsuzaka certainly will be more composed.

Matsuzaka has been healthy recently so he’ll be pitching like the Daisuke we’ve seen over the past few weeks, if not better.

Advantage: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox

Bullpen:

The Red Sox had the second best bullpen in the AL this year in terms of ERA. They are deeper than the Angels with Jonathan Papelbon, Billy Wagner and Hideki Okajima along with the young flamethrower Daniel Bard.

Brian Fuentes, the Angels’ closer, piled up a lot of saves this year, but he gives up a lot of runs. Ervin Santana, a previous starter for the Angels, has been pushed to the bullpen, so he will be able to eat up innings if he needs to pitch in a long game.

The Red Sox have had success against Fuentes in the past, and this year should be no different.

Overall:

The Sox have as much depth but overall more skill in their bullpen, and the addition of Billy Wagner has only strengthened the already strong unit.

A major factor here is that Jonathan Papelbon is just better than Brian Fuentes, both in the regular season and the post season. Paps has yet to give up a run in his postseason career.

Advantage: Boston Red Sox

Bench:

Casey Kotchman is a great player at first base, and is certainly capable of starting (he did with the Angels). Nick Green and Jed Lowrie have both been plagued by injuries this year, but they are average hitters and average defenders with average speed.

However, the Angels major weapon of the bench comes in the form of Gary Matthews Jr. and Maicer Izturis. Izturis is a great hitter who can play a good short stop or second base. Izturis hit .300 this year, and he has enough speed to steal the occasional base (13). Matthews’ major strength is fielding, as is an amazing outfielder and possesses good speed.

Overall:

The Sox have more depth, and about the same amount of skill as LA. Kotchman started on the Angels, and he is a consistent player.

Matthews Jr. is weak at the plate, but Izturis is capable of doing damage.

Advantage: Tie. Both teams feature benches which have average hitting, but the Angels have an excellent fielder in Matthews Jr. Nick Green and Lowrie are both average defensive shortstops, but Jed Lowrie has had success against the Angels in the past, as last season he had a game winning hit in the playoffs against LA.

Manager:

Mike Scioscia vs. Terry Francona

Francona has won two World Series over the past 10 years, Scioscia only one. Francona has won two World Series through the Angels, but the Angels have never beaten the Sox in a playoff series.

Both are great managers, but Francona knows and remembers what winning tastes like, whereas Scoscia is still thirsty for a win against Boston.

Terry knows what it takes to beat Anaheim, and while Mike is a sensational manager, I do not believe that he is as strong as Francona.

Advantage: Terry Francona, Boston Red Sox

The Verdict:

The Red Sox in Four.

It will be a more competitive series than in previous years, but the Sox simply have an overpowering 1-2 punch in Lester and Beckett, and Buchholz has pitched well this season. Also, Matsuzaka is a sensational big game pitcher, and I think he’ll be the pitcher of the deciding game four (which as I said, the Sox will win).

Also, the Sox’ lineup features a bunch of hitters who have high OBP’s, something that Angels hitters have just begun to become accustomed to.

The Angels’ bullpen has not been able to control the Boston lineup in the past (especially this season) and Boston features great power hitters and speed with some batting average guys in between.

The Angels are a good team, but the Sox are stronger.

Sox fans, imagine the fire burning your insides, as your stomachs roller coaster through the emotions involved with the last out against those damn Yankees.

Yankees fans, imagine the pain you felt when Ortiz scorched your team in the 2004 ALCS, imagine yourself praying that Papi could not, and would not do it again.

Now stop. Imagine neither Ortiz nor Sabathia was playing. It’s a really empty memory, isn’t it?

If it weren’t for Jackie Robinson’s brave, heroic efforts, that’s what it would be.

Jackie Robinson, a gifted baseball, football and tennis player as well as a top-notch swimmer, opened doors for African-American and Hispanic ball players. He allowed modern day baseball to be what it is today.

In 1945, Robinson played his only career in the Negro Leagues. He put up a stellar batting average, as he hit .387.

The team formerly known as the Brooklyn Dodgers decided that skin color was no way to determine eligibility to play in America’s favorite sport. They felt that if a guy had talent, he should be allowed to compete in the big leagues.

As a result, Brooklyn took a shot with Robinson, and in 1946 signed him to a Major League Contract, all the while knowing that they were gambling. If Robinson didn’t work out, Brooklyn fans would be calling for not only the Dodger’s throat, but Jackie’s too.

Robinson played through the immense pressure, not only was he the first ever black player in the Major Leagues, but he was also under the scrutiny of one of the most passionate fans in the game. The Dodger fans were those who watched the team drop easy fly balls, as they started to “Expect lapses.”

Jackie hit .311 in his career, with 137 home runs and 197 steals. In other words, the Dodgers’ gamble paid off, as they went all in and came out with a Royal Flush.

Jackie Robinson was so good, he “Walked into a white man’s world… and he did a thing mightier than play baseball, he put his name in the history books.” Unfortunately, on some occasions Jackie was not even able to walk into a “white man’s world,” as restaurant and hotel owners refused to allow a black man into their buildings. Despite the daily attacks and death threats that were directed towards him, Robinson continued to compete.

Robinson not only desegregated baseball, but he also gave African-Americans around the nation hope. In other words, he allowed regular, every day African-Americans and Hispanics to keep working hard with their heads held high. A baseball player inspired the entire country.

For the first time, minorities were able to connect with the formerly Caucasian game of baseball.

One fan said, “To see Jackie Robinson in the Brooklyn lineup gave us hope.” He reminded people to keep their dreams in mind, and never give up hope.

He truly embodied the statement, “Never give up.”

Now, I want you to think about the legendary hug Pee Wee Reese shared with his teammate Jackie Robinson. It was a symbol of hope for whites and blacks alike, a symbol that someday, Hispanics and African-Americans would be accepted into American society.

That single hug illustrated the American Dream, as a man who fought through adversity, a man who always looked forward but lived in the now, was able to reach success.