MVN: Most Valuable Network

Last night’s blowout win over the Texas Rangers was more than your garden variety slaughtering of mediocre pitching. Luis Mendoza played the role of Victim (the same Mendoza we traded straight up for recently departed Bryan Corey) to a red hot offense led by Dustin Pedroia, who has decided to begin the season destroying the baseball to quiet any sophomore slump predictors, Kevin Youkilis and the rejuvenation of one J.D. Drew. Manny Ramirez leads the American League in runs batted in and is doing his very best to make sure the Red Sox pick up his 2009 and 2010 options.

But, this third inning of Friday’s game was more than just a seven run rally. Ever since Theo Epstein took over the show before the 2003 season, his main goal for the franchise was to accomplish two main objectives: year in and year out, put a 93+ game winner on the field and make the playoffs by using the resources available, along with stabilizing a torn farm system and attempting to guarantee the long-term success of the team by bringing up young talent slowly and carefully when they can contribute. Friday night the top guns in the second ranked farm system by Baseball America led the way.

Jed Lowrie started the ferocious two out rally with an opposite field double down the left field line. Lowrie, who won the 2007 Red Sox Offensive Player of the Year in the minors and one bandied about in the Johan Santana talks, contains the tools to force the Red Sox to dump and swallow some of the Julio Lugo contract to plug Lowrie into the shortstop position by the start of 2009, or even earlier.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia then drew walks. One of the reasons why this Red Sox system is widely regarded as the best in the business is the specific approach minor league managers take to tutoring the young players before they reach their big leagues. Plate discipline, as you might imagine, is the trait taught the most extensively. It’s no surprise that Ellsbury and Pedroia are not only exciting, all-around, knock-the-cover-off-the-ball-to-all-fields type hitters, they also have excellent eyes at the plate and showed it in this inning.

Following a huge breakout grand slam by Ortiz, we head to the fourth inning where Jed Lowrie drives in another run with a sacrifice fly. Ellsbury returned to the plate and smoked an RBI triple over the head of center fielder Josh Hamilton. Dustin Pedroia then drove him home with a dinger from a pitch in his preferred location- high and inside.

The smile on my face was so big, my mouth began to hurt. And hurting has never felt so sweet.

Again, this wasn’t your usual rally. It started in the World Series last year when Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester starred in the final two games of a miraculous 2007 run to the title. The influx of young talent is now flowing into this 2008 campaign, with Ellsbury beginning to see consistent time in center field with Crisp injured, Pedroia second in the AL in hits, and Jed Lowrie receiving an opportunity with the injuries of Alex Cora and Mike Lowell.

This is the result of a player development system that is absolutely top notch. It starts with ownership willing to do whatever it takes to build a winning franchise. It involves a general manager and his partners having the correct approach towards drafting players, signing players, and picking the players that correctly fit their system. From Lowrie to Ellsbury to Pedroia to Buchholz to Lester to Delcarmen to Papelbon to Youkilis to the future contributions of Justin Masterson, the Red Sox truly hold in their deck a perfect mix of veteran presence and cheap, young uber-talent.

Diehard fans like me and the majority of readers here at Fire Brand feel even more special when these rookies and second year players are leading the way. We appreciate the kids because we feel like they’re our own, like we’re seeing just the glimmer of light to a pathway of a distinguished career in a Red Sox uniform. A fresh style is displayed- like the lightning speed of Ellsbury, or the persistence of Pedroia, the heat of Delcarmen, or the terrific batting eye of Youkilis. It’s difficult to explain, but the connection is stronger and you root for the young guys with even more intensity.

That third and fourth inning tonight seemed to be years of scouting and development coming to fruition at the major league level, in more of a symbolic nature. The Red Sox now find themselves in possession of the previously named players for years to come, along with a lofty payroll for boosting their team through the free agent market. The Yankees, with their influx of young arms and guys like Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata preparing in the minor leagues, are taking in the same mindset and approach.

The fashion in which our young players are performing is truly a sight to see. And I have a fairly confident feeling the success of the Red Sox and their system won’t disappear any time soon.

(Yes, I’m gushing at levels I never thought I’d approach. Deal with it, I love these kids.)