The Red Sox have long been a club based on the three-run jimmy jack: Slow, stone-handed players that mash the ball. Given the close confines of Fenway Park, the Red Sox followed this mantra for years and it continued through 2003.
The tide started to turn in 2004 but didn’t take full hold until 2006 when it was clear the Red Sox were a well-rounded club, especially defense. The Red Sox set historic marks for fielding percentage in 2006 when Alex Gonzalez anchored the team at shortstop, and the falloff was not precipitous last year. Some offense has had to be sacrificed, but given the ring that was nabbed last year, you wouldn’t notice.
The Red Sox are so well balanced, they have representatives in every aspect of baseball. Take a look at the 2007 representatives:
Hitting for average boasted Mike Lowell and Dustin Pedroia.
Power boasted David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
On-base ability boasted J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek.
Speed boasted Jacoby Ellsbury and Julio Lugo.
Fielding boasted Coco Crisp and Kevin Youkilis.
Starting pitching boasted by Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Relief pitching boasted by Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima.
I’ve made sure that each player only called one category home, but the fact is that people such as Drew (fielding), Pedroia (OBP), Crisp (speed) and other players have abilities that transcend one category. As a whole, the team is extremely versatile, and we saw that in effect the other night when the Red Sox came back against Joe Borowski. As commenter Daniel Rathman said, we started off with smallball, then went big ball.
I remember the days long gone where all we had to hang our hat on was hoping for a three-run home run. If the offense was slumping, we were screwed. Now, if the offense slumps, we have pitching. We have defense. We have speed. If we slump in one area, we can make up for it in other areas.
In the early going, Boston ranks 11th in total fielding with a .986 fielding percentage (thanks, Julio— we’d be higher if not for your three-error debacle), 19th in ERA and seventh in OPS. (All statistics prior to last night’s debacle that I’m going to forget.) The OPS should rise eventually as we are lacking in the power department, and it is only a matter of time before David Ortiz unleashes his fury.
The worry is the pitching, but Josh Beckett will not end the year with a 6.35 ERA. Kyle Snyder (21.60) and Bryan Corey (14.54) are no longer with the team. That ranking will only increase.
It’s still yet early in April, but I’ve seen enough to think that we could be in store for another 2007. We’re well-rounded. We have a few nagging questions about our pitching, but what team doesn’t?
The Red Sox made minimal changes in the offseason. It’s easy to see why.
What do you think? Are we better off for being well-rounded, or would we have benefited more from a stone-handed Miguel Cabrera or a money-draining, Ellsbury/Lester/plenty more-sapping Johan Santana? You tell me.
