Credit to John Hunneman
Since Monday’s horrifying events at the Boston Marathon and the irascible days that followed, it has been difficult to place total focus on professional athletics. I began to realize, once again, how precious and short life is. I watched CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News with malice in my heart towards those responsible for Monday’s devastation. Their acts can only be described as wicked and evil, and the question of why is something that I will never be able to truly understand or grasp.
Yet, for Bostonians, New Englanders, and Sox fans alike watching the Red Sox becomes a personal release from fear, anger, and other feelings that come to be associated with acts of terror. Watching America’s Pastime becomes a form of uncorrupted healing. It is a time where we can cheer, holler, and remember how magnificent life can be.
We relish moments like Saturday’s pregame ceremony, Big Papi’s impromptu F-Bomb on national TV, and when Daniel Nava brings you out of your seat with a 3-run bomb to win the first baseball game in Boston since two men tried to rip the city’s heart out on Monday afternoon. Those two men tried, but they failed. Way to go, Boston.
3 Up
Lester cutter efficiency in 2012 (ESPN)
I feel like a broken record with having these two atop my list every week, but their appearance is well deserved. Since I last wrote my 3 Up, 3 Down column the Sox have ripped off 7 wins in their last 8 games with a chance to make it 8 of 9 tonight in the night cap of a double header with Kansas City. During that span, Lester and Buchholz have, once again, been the driving force behind it with the team winning all 4 of their starts. The Sox are now 8-0 when they toe the rubber, which accounts for 8 of their 12 wins.
Lester has been the Lester of 2008-2011 while Buchholz has been who former GM Theo Epstein expected him to be when they drafted him 42nd overall in 2005. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Lester’s current run is the following: 0 HR allowed, 6.6 H/9, 1.4 BB/9, and 8.0 SO/9. While he will eventually give up
Lester cutter efficiency in 2013 (ESPN)
home runs, walk more hitters (career 3.3 BB/9), and give up more hits (career 8.4 H/9), the great news is that Lester’s strikeout rates are back near his 8.2 SO/9 career average.
According to ESPN Advanced Stats, Lester’s pitch selection is not radically different from 2012, but heat maps do show that he is locating his cutter much better in 2013 than 2012. This is one of the few reasons that we have and will continue to see a Lester resurgence in 2013.
Prior to the 2013 regular season Andrew Bailey knew that he was not going to be the Red Sox closer. The Sox had traded for Joel Hanrahan and Bailey was prepared to be the set-up man. Through this entire situation Bailey never uttered a negative word about the situation, but instead was heard saying the complete opposite: “I don’t really see too much trouble in that transition. You still have a job to do, you’re the closer of the eighth inning, or however you want to say it. But you’ve got to pick up the team, the only difference is you have someone behind you. You’ve still got to keep the score the same, and you still have to execute pitches.” Not the type of remark you get everyday from professional athletes who just lost their job.
Well, after a few Hanrahan implosions and a subsequent hamstring injury, Bailey has saved 3 games and seems poised to run away with the job even when Hanrahan returns.
Photo by Kelly O’Connor of sittingstill.smugmug.com
Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Daniel Nava
This trio of contrasting characters’ offensive firepower this week has helped the Red Sox continue their winning ways. Ellsbury has been the spark for the Red Sox at the top of the lineup and has been as advertised when healthy thus far in 2013.
While Napoli was brought in this offseason to hit for power and drive in runs, which he has been doing at a rapid rate recently, Daniel Nava made the roster as a 4th outfielder and emergency first baseman. Since that point Nava’s bat is making the argument that he is the Red Sox offensive MVP through the first 16 games. Although the season is young, Nava has found himself atop the American League stats leaderboard in the following categories: 10th in BA, 4th in OBP, 6th in SLG, and 4th in OPS. That places him ahead of guys like Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, and many more. While that is not likely to continue, I have learned to never say never with Daniel Nava.
3 Down
My placement of Middlebrooks on Week 2’s 3 Down list did not spark a 3 HR day as it did after Week 1. Instead Middlebrook’s slump has continued as he is hitting a putrid .190 to go along with a measly 6 extra base hits, 7 RBI, and 21 SO (7th in the AL). He was dropped to 7th in this afternoon’s lineup against Kansas City, and it is likely to remain that way until he starts hitting.
It has been a dismal start to the season for the Sox new SS. His .100/.206/.133 hitting line is absolutely terrible. He has looked lost at the plate, which is illustrated by his 12 SO in 30 AB.
Red Sox Nation’s abhorrence of imported SS (see: Renteria and Lugo) will continue if Drew does not start hitting. At least he has shown more on-field raw emotion than his older brother. Meanwhile homegrown Jose Iglesias remains in Pawtucket.
While Doubront is 1-0 with an impressive 11.7 SO/9, he has only thrown 10 innings in his two starts. While he had recurring efficiency issues in 2012 with throwing too many pitches (only made it into the 7th inning only 7 times in his 29 games) we hoped that it was something that would be fixed with another offseason and spring. Let’s hope that Doubront can find a bit more productivity the rest of the way in 2013 and throw into the 7th inning more than 7 times this season.
Up:
Clay Buchholz: 3
Jon Lester: 2
Daniel Nava: 2
Jacoby Ellsbury: 1
Jose Iglesias: 1
Shane Victorino: 1
Mike Napoli: 1
Andrew Bailey: 1
Down:
Will Middlebrooks: 3
Mike Napoli: 1
Andrew Miller: 1
Joel Hanrahan: 1
Ryan Dempster: 1
Jose Iglesias: 1
Stephen Drew: 1