Both teams made early, generally inexcusable errors, while both C.J. Wilson and Jon Lester did not have complete command of their pitches, often missing their spots.

For the Red Sox there was certainly a lot of bad (considering they lost the game), but a lot of positives came from Game 1 as well.

I’ll start with the negatives, so we can end on a positive note!

Negatives

1. Jon Lester pitched poorly. He recorded zero strikeouts for the first time in an outing since 2008, and gave up three home runs for the first time in his career.

The silver lining? He was able to tough out 5 1/3 innings, and he seemed to gain command towards the end of the game, retiring six straight batters at one point.

2. Daniel Bard pitched an atrocious game. Part of it can be attributed to his lack of velocity on his fastball (most of his pitches were around 95 MPH, instead of 99 MPH), but even with the decreased velocity Bard was missing his spots.

The velocity will come as Bard continues to ramp up from the offseason, and he is the type of pitcher who will throw a streak of scoreless innings, but then have a horrible game. He got the bad game out of the way early…

3. Carl Crawford aand the bottom third of the lineup combined for zero hits. Crawford’s zero is not concerning, given that he has never hit C.J. Wilson well, batting .133 against the pitcher for his career.

Positives

What is concerning is that the bottom three hitters (Mike Cameron, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Marco Scutaro) had no hits. Keep in mind, Cameron is a career .260 hitter, and Saltalamacchia only hit .167 last year.

Scutaro is not worrying, since he has been a consistent on-base guy and is a patient hitter, but when J.D. Drew is not playing against lefties, the Sox have a major hole with Cameron and a fairly unproven Salty.

If Salty can put up decent numbers and get on base consistently, say higher than a .335 OBP, then the problem will be less significant, but he is certainly a question mark.

Now, on to the positives:

1. David Ortiz hit a home run. Enough said given his struggles in the early-goings of the past two seasons.

2. Jacoby Ellsbury is back. He was a monster during the Spring, and his torrid hitting is carrying into the season. He looks comfortable again.

3. The Sox lineup is unquestionably one of the most dangerous in the league, and if the bottom hitters can get on-base then the offense should have no problems.

To sum it up there was a lot of bad, but a lot of the negatives can be attributed to early-season rust evident on every team, and the Red Sox certainly have a bright season ahead of them.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image Credits: Junko Kimura/Getty Images, SI

However, I disagreed with him in two areas.

1. Speed

Lewis understood from Billy Beane (Oakland A’s GM) that steals are an unnecessary risk to take, presenting high risk and relatively low reward. Transitionally, Lewis argued that since steals are not important, neither is speed.

That is where I disagree.

Although steals may be an

overrated statistic, speed itself is not. Pitchers often unravel with quicker base runners on base, knowing that if their delivery is not perfect, they can let a runner move 90 feet closer to home.

Further, it changes the pitches the pitcher will throw. Take the Red Sox, for instance.

When Jacoby Ellsbury gets on base, pitchers are more likely to throw fastballs to the next hitter (Dustin Pedroia), to give Ells as little time as possible to complete a steal.

Pedroia, however, is a fastball hitting machine, and regularly deposits fastballs into right field.

Ellsbury’s speed not only makes the pitcher change his delivery and pitching style, but it also makes the pitcher change his mentality.

2. Clutch

I believe that “clutch”, or hitting in timely situations, is something which a player either has, or doesn’t. Sure, a guy like Mark Bellhorn can hit a home run in a big situation during the World Series, but that doesn’t make him clutch if he strikes out nine out of the other 10 at bats he has!

The bottom line is, clutch is something that can be measured, and I am working on building up a statistic which relies on hitters’ stats with two outs and runners on base.

That situation is when a hitter feels pressure similar to that of a 9th inning at-bat with the game on the line since a scoring opportunity is possible, as is letting down a full dugout of teammates.

This statistic can determine how "clutch" a player is.

Singles, doubles and triples all help a players clutch factor equally.

A single is equivalent to a triple since speed is already taken into account with steals, and sometimes balls hit with little power can find their way into the  corner for extra bases, dependent upon ballparks and factors external to the hitter.

Home runs are the most valuable hit, since they automatically produce runs, and stealing in clutch situations can be game changing, while getting caught hurts a teams chances of winning.

On-Base percentage is another large factor in determining a player’s clutch factor, since the single most important thing a player can do is to get on base to prolong an inning.

Alternatively, striking out is the worst thing a player could do, not even giving himself a chance to put runs on the board.

Coming soon: ClutchFactor Calculator to NESO’S TAKE.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter @neso17

Image credits: Boston.com

Carl Crawford is truly an intriguing player. He is arguably the game’s most feared five-tool player, in that he can hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, field well and throw well.

Crawford has stolen 50 bases five times in his career, including one 60 steal season. His lowest steal total for a season (other than his rookie year) came in 2008 with 25, when he only played in 109 games.

At this point, here’s what the Red Sox lineup would presumably look like:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B

3. Carl Crawford, LF

4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

5. Kevin Youkilis, 3B

6. David Ortiz, DH

7. J.D. Drew, RF

8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

9. Marco Scutaro, SS

(Red means downgrade from last year, Green means upgrade)

I have heard people criticizing the decisions Sox’ GM Theo Epstein has made this off-season, saying that re-signing Victor Martinez and Adrian Beltre would make the Sox’ lineup as dangerous as it currently looks.

However, Adrian Beltre has had two great seasons in his entire career, both of which were contract years. In Beltre’s twelve-year career, he’s only hit above .300 twice, and has only topped 25 home runs three times.

Victor Martinez will certainly be missed, especially since it is unclear whether or not his replacement, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, can produce in the major leagues.

Martinez is one of the best hitting catchers in the MLB, if not the best, and considering the wear-and-tear his body takes he is durable, hits for average and belts home runs. His fielding was good, but he was unable to throw runners out.

Also, with four years on the contract he earned from Detroit, he’ll be 36 at the expiration of the deal. Generally, catcher’s careers are shorter than most players, since their body does take a beating. The Sox did not need another Mike Lowell situation down the road.

To see whether or not this Red Sox team is better than the one they would have had by reusing last year’s squad, let’s compare each team position by position.

Right Field: J.D. Drew vs. J.D. Drew;

Wash.

Center Field: Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Mike Cameron;

Ellsbury. Jacoby Ellsbury is a better player. He has had a better average over his career (albeit a short one thus far) and is brutally dangerous on the base paths.

Left Field: Jacoby Ellsbury vs. Carl Crawford;

Crawford. First of all, we must realize that the team’s left field last season was made up of a platoon of Darnell MacDonald, Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish and Jeremy Hermida. Crawford is an upgrade over every one of those players.

Against Ellsbury: Crawford has a slight speed disadvantage, but has put up All-Star numbers throughout his career, showing consistency and veteran poise and leadership.

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia vs. Dustin Pedroia;

Wash.

Short Stop: Marco Scutaro vs. Marco Scutaro;

Wash.

First Base: Kevin Youkilis vs. Adrian Gonzalez;

Gonzalez. Both are phenomenal defenders. Youkilis has shown himself to be one of the all-time great defensive first basemen after not only earning a gold glove but also setting the record for most error-less games in-a-row. Gonzalez, although he holds no records, has won two gold gloves.

Offensively, Youkilis has a better career OBP and batting average. However, Gonzalez’s numbers are hurt by his first two years in Texas, where he played sparingly. Once in San Diego, he began to put up massive numbers. His OBP is just 20 points lower than Kevin Youkilis’ ridiculous .394.

His batting average, .288, is just 6 points less than Youk’s .294, and both strike out with the same regularity (both averaging about 120 K’s/season).

However, it is A-Gon’s home run total that sets him apart. He average 32 bombs per season to Youk’s 23, and he also averages more RBI.

Nonetheless, it is not as if the Sox lost Kevin Youkilis, so his abilities are still a part of this lineup.

Third Base: Kevin Youkilis vs. Adrian Beltre;

Youkilis. I think it safe to say that Beltre will not be a part of this team next season, simply because there’s no space for him at either corner of the infield. Youkilis is a more consistent fielder than Beltre, although Adrian does have a knack for flashy, bare-handed plays.

Still, Youkilis isn’t afraid to get down and dirty on any play, and makes his share of highlight plays as well. Offensively, as I mentioned earlier, Beltre has had two good seasons, both in contract years. With a long-term deal likely on its way, Beltre won’t be in a contract year for quite some time.

Youk has better career numbers in terms of average and OBP, and has consistently put up his high numbers. Beltre, if his two fluke seasons are not considered, is a career .265 hitter who barely averages 20 HR/season.

Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia vs. Victor Martinez;

Martinez. There’s no way around this one. Martinez is just a better player compared to Salty. He’s a proven veteran who can put up big numbers in key situations.

Overall:

As a whole, the Sox have a more balanced offensive attack with more weapons, including speed and power. The only flaw I see with the current lineup is how lefty-heavy it is. Only Pedroia, Youk, Scutaro and Salty are right-handed hitters.

Against the Yankees, who will feature C.C. Sabathia, potentially Andy Pettite, and possibly Cliff Lee (all pitchers who are very tough on lefty hitters), the Sox may have trouble.

Luckily, they have players coming off the bench who showed that they had starting capabilities last year, including Daniel Nava and Darnell MacDonald.

It is clear the Sox are a better team with Crawford, but they also cut the Rays’ squad apart by removing their most potent weapon.

Both the Sox and Yankees had a better record than the Rays last year. The Rays have gotten worse, and the Sox have improved.

The AL East is once again a two-horse race between the Red Sox and Yankees.

Liked this? Follow me on twitter for an always fresh perspective @neso17

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?

Unfortunately, the Celtics are just 12th in the league in 3rd quarter score margin, and 21st in the league in their 4th quarter margin. On average, the Celtics gain a half a point on their opponents in the third quarter.

Essentially, the team wins the quarter by 0.5 points, on average.

In the fourth quarter, however, the C’s average point differential is -0.5, or they lose the fourth quarter by an average of 0.5 points.

The Celtics are not putting teams away in the third (a point differential of 0.5 points won’t cut it) and are losing ground in the fourth. This team is unable to play with a lead.

Over the past three games (Magic, Hawks and Lakers), the Celtics have lost the fourth quarter by an average of 6.7 points, or 3+ possessions.

Obviously, Kevin Garnett is not yet 100%, which is a major factor for their lack of dominance, but even in previous seasons with KG hurt, the Celtics have been solid at closing out games.

Again, an unfortunate Boston Sports theme is erupting. An inability to close out games when leading. Talk to the Patriots, 66-1 going into this past season with a lead at half, lost seemingly countless games despite leading at the mid point. They lost in a heart-breaker to Indy, and in a game that went into overtime against the Broncos.

And then there are the Red Sox. Of course, there are no half times in baseball, but there were blown leads and scares.

Jonathan Papelbon, despite putting up 38 saves, had a career high in walks and fewest number of strikeouts since his rookie season in 2006.

He seemed to lack his normal dominance, and in the playoffs surrendered his first post season runs and gave up a stunning game three loss against the Angels.

Call it coincidence, but the Sox, C’s and Pats have all had legitimate trouble closing out games. How do you know when you’ve lost a game that was failed to be put away?

You feel it in your heart. After the final play, your heart drops. For instance think about the feeling after the Pats lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl(sorry about that). That same feeling (on a lesser scale) is when you can tell that your team “blew it”.

The parallel between the Celtics and Patriots is undeniable. Both are seemingly in a better position to lose games when holding leads halfway through games.

Statistically this is not true, demonstrated by the teams’ respective win-loss percentages when leading at the half, but there is certainly question in a fan’s mind during a game about whether either team will be able to finish a game.

This is not normal. Not for the Patriots, and certainly not for these Celtics.

Now, back to the Celtics.

Against the Lakers tonight, despite another halftime lead, were unable to hold on for a win. Ray Allen had 7 points, and went 2-10 from the field. He is having his worst career season in terms of three-point shooting (0-6 tonight, including a potential game winner).

Now, I’m not calling for his head, as he did play solid defense tonight, but he really needs to find a way to step it up. I think he has played too many minutes considering his age and the fact that Pierce and KG have both been injured.

I expect there to be games where he will get rest after the game is out of reach for either team, and this would really benefit his legs.

After going 0-3 in this huge stretch, the Celtics have dug themselves into a hole, and have major questions to answer.

Will they be able to compete with the big teams?

I say yes, considering they beat the best teams when fully healthy earlier this season (other than Atlanta, a team that has caught the Celtics in awkward periods, like in the second night of a back-to-back, but match up well with Boston).

But it is just frustrating to watch the Celtics blow these leads. Whether it be a 16 point lead against the Magic or a five point lead against the Lakers, the C’s should be able to close out games. Obviously, there was a questionable call on Pierce tonight, but I think that there is an underlying problem with this team. Two, in fact, which have been causing Boston to lose games they shouldn’t be.

First, they allow too many offensive rebounds. With Kevin Garnett and Glen Davis missing extended periods of time, this becomes slightly more excusable. Plus, they demonstrated an ability to control the glass tonight against LA (a very good rebounding team), winning the rebound battle 39-36.

However, they have had trouble pulling down boards, and this solid play NEEDS to continue for Boston to have success.

Secondly, they turn the ball over too often. Against the Lakers, especially, that cannot happen. 18 turnovers were committed in tonight’s game. They are 26th in the league in turnovers, with 14.7 per game.

Again, part of this can be because of KG’s absence as a large part of the C’s offense is passing down low, something Garnett excels in. Despite this, the team still needs to find a way to control the ball.

Garnett was playing today, wasn’t he? The Celtics committed an unacceptable 18 turnovers.

I think the problem lies with too much dependence on the skip pass, as good defending teams can easily pick off bounced passes across the length of the floor.

The only way to fix the passing problem is to coach it, and I think Doc Rivers will be able to fix it, and bring the Celtics’ turnover numbers down to the middle of the league.

However, the Celtics should be expected to grab a rebounding player in the trade market, as Rasheed Wallace seems to have little interest crashing the boards. Sheed can shoot, but the C’s really need a rebounding player.

The Celtics will definitely make the playoffs despite their recent struggles, and in a few weeks, with the team healthy again, should win these tighter games.

I expect them to rely on solid 6-10 game win streaks to build camaraderie essential in the playoffs, but again, there are two major problems that need fixing

At this point, however, I think that if the playoffs started now, the Celtics would make it through the first round and be bounced in the second.

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.