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.

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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.

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.

Wouldn’t you be angry too?

Immediately after getting hit, Youkilis pointed at Porcello, charged the mound, and went for the tackle. Rick looked genuinely surprised that Kevin was charging him, but Youkilis was fired up and couldn’t be stopped. The two wrestled each other two the ground, and the benches cleared. Tempers were out of hand, as players piled atop Youk and Porcello.

Youkilis and Porcello were both ejected, and there are likely suspensions looming in the horizon.

So, why is this a good thing for the Sox?

Because it kicked them into the correct mindset, and sparked the team.

Don’t get me wrong. What Youkilis did was stupid and idiotic, but it put a fire in a team that really needed it, just like Varitek punching A-Rod in 2004.

Youkilis will probably end up being suspended by the league, but if he appeals his suspension (which he probably will), he can delay it and maybe serve it after the Yankees series when the Sox play the lowly White Sox. Thus, Boston will not be crippled by the loss of Youkilis.

Since the All-Star game, the Red Sox are 10-14, with only 2 wins coming against teams with a winning record. Those two wins were the past two nights agaisnt the Tigers. During this pathetic stretch, the Sox managed to find themselves shut out for over 31 consecutive innings.

The entire Sox’ offense has been miserable against good pitching since the break. Jason Bay’s statistics really sums up the teams’ struggles. Before the break, he had 20 home runs and a .260 batting average. He had been averaging one home run every 4.4 games. Since the break, Jason has managed just two homers, which means he is averaging one home run every 12 games. His average has been .211. If anyone needed a wake up call, it was Jason Bay, and boy was he woken up. The inning after the brawl, Jason launched a three-run bomb over the monster seats. Adding to Bay’s success was Mike Lowell, who hit two home runs in the game.

The Red Sox finally managed to reward a good starting pitching performance with a win, after getting Beckett, Lester and Buchholz no decisions despite sensational outings.

The Red Sox bullpen seems to be a problem as of late, but really, it’s just Daniel Bard and Manny Delcarmen who have been struggling. Okajima, Takashi Saito and Ramon Ramirez have both either improved their ERA’s or kept it at the same level.

Jonathan Papelbon did give up a two run shot today, but this was coming off a four-out save yesterday, and we know Pap has the necessary closer mentality to shake it off.

Bard seems to be reacting well to his recent struggles, and is taking what seems to be ineffectiveness, and using it to learn and improve himself.

Delcarmen has simply been plagued by a few bad outings which sky rocked his ERA to 5.87 after the break. Plus, he has shown that he can deal with pressure and big game situations before.

Essentially, do not worry about the recent bullpen struggles. They were the stallwart of the team for most of the season, and a few big name players have suddenly slipped up a bit, but will pull it back together. You know that they’ll be pumped up by the brawl, and you know that they’re going to come out tomorrow throwing gas and striking out hitters.

The Red Sox offense has been sleeping since the break. They have not gotten up for the big games, getting swept by both the Rays and the Yankees. Finally, after the season’s outcome started to look extremely bleak, Kevin Youkilis ignited a fire that is the Red Sox offense. Once it starts to click, it is a dangerous machine. Just look what happened at the beginning of the year, and then add the bat of Victor Martinez.

Kevin Youkilis took what was a dangerous great white shark flopping around a boat, plunged it into its natural habitat, and injected it with dangerous toxins, making the shark more vicious and uncontrollable than ever before. He revived the Boston Red Sox.