A Few Thoughts on ‘Tek
Why would a 37 year old player have a wOBA spike of over 50 points from one season to the…
Category: Jason Varitek
BOS 16, NYY 11: Lumber party
As if last night's game between Boston and New York didn't provide enough drama.
It’s early, but the stats still exist.
Dustin Pedroia: OPS+ 86: Speaking of picking it up...I guess that is what the Orioles pitching staff allows a hitter to do. Although, I do not want to dismiss the offensive explosion of the last few days completely.
After all, they did "rock" Orioles "Ace" Jeremy Guthrie, and last time I checked, he is a pretty good pitcher. But anyway, Pedroia has reached base 10 times in the past four games. His OBP is now roughly league-average, and his slugging has broken the .400 mark. And both of those categories should only improve from here on out.
The Red Sox know how to manage “injuries.”
If Lowell goes down, Youk can shift to third and David Ortiz and Chris Carter can share the 1B/DH spots. Or even Rocco could DH at times.
If Daisuke suffers from "arm fatigue." Which could also be labeled as "we are being careful with him because of the the WBC." Then Justin Masterson can shift from the pen to the rotation.
But Theo has built a team that can handle suspensions, injuries, performance issues, more than just about any team in the game of baseball.
And the organization as a whole has built a farm system that has the players to either be quality Major Leaguers, fill temporary holes, or be traded to address any of these "holes."
BOS 5, LAA 4: Bombs away
That wasn't a playoff game was it? Yesterday's match-up between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels had everything a fan could ask for in a regular season game.
The good, the bad, and the Tek
Early season series against top flight division rivals are always difficult to measure. It's been said time and time again that the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees are likely to play themselves all around .500 against each other by the time this season shakes out and the team that outperforms against the rest of their schedule has the upper hand in the race for the division. That said, it's never easy to swallow being beaten in your own house by a team you'll be battling with all season long.
Given that it was the first three games of the season, a whopping 1.9% of the full slate of regular season games, it's difficult to draw any firm conclusions without being beaten over the head with comments about sample size. But as it is the regular season and no longer the fruitless analysis of in game Spring Training analysis, it is fair to point out a few things that were both good and bad omens, directionally speaking.
BOS 5, TB 3: Beckett’s back
Any questions about Josh Beckett returning to his 2007 form were answered against the Tampa Bay Rays. At least for one start.
Know Thyself 2009: Boston Red Sox
The 2009 Boston Red Sox are in the final stages of preparing for what is certain to be an entertaining and exciting season. The spring is finally behind us, the roster is set and the team is moving northward to christen Citi Field with some Major League talent.
Now all the roster moves are behind us and the questions move from the "who" of the offseason as they shift to the analysis of performance and the "what" of baseball. This past week has been spent looking at the competition in the American League East, and stiff competition it is. In most cases, the Red Sox had the position by position edge over each team from the Yankees to the Orioles and it should come as no surprise, in that light, that the staff here at Fire Brand gives the Red Sox the edge to win the AL East in 2009.
Today we summarize much of what we've talked about in our "For Better or Worse" series this offseason as we go player by player through the Red Sox roster and prepare for live baseball next week.
Know Thine Enemy 2009: New York Yankees
The other half of the best rivalry in sports, The New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers "only" ended up with 89 victories last season. And the key players they inked this past off-season, have them looking incredibly strong on paper for this upcoming 2009 season.
The philosophy about building a strong farm was basically put on hold for a year. But Brian Cashman made some nice maneuvers, and the result--whether it was intentional or not--allowed the Yankees to lose their first three picks this year. And that is better than losing a first-round pick in three consecutive seasons, of course.
Jason Varitek: No, he cannot field
As you might have deduced from the headline to this article, I've learned that Varitek can't field. Not only can he not field, he can't throw either.
There are two newfangled statistics that bear this out -- Adjusted Earned Runs Saved and Stolen Bases Saved. Needless to say, Varitek doesn't fare well in either statistic.
What do you think is the overriding reason why, in the face of declining offensive and defensive skills, Jason Varitek is still a starting member of the Boston Red Sox?