The Red Sox, Grounders, and You

Brett Cowett goes into detail about how good - or bad - grounders can be for the Sox.

9/19: Game 2 – I won’t panic until later tonight

Baltimore Orioles (63-89) @ Boston Red Sox (87-66) Brian Matusz (1-7, 9.84) @ John Lackey (12-12, 6.19) 7:10 PM EDT |…

Assessing Boston’s other left field candidates

Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Jason Bay. Matt Holliday. Matt Holliday. Jason Bay. Okay, let's take a break from the two obvious left-fielder candidates and focus on other free agents that could be manning left field for the Red Sox in 2010. I'm thinking that Theo's going to give this club another run with a fill-in left-fielder because as comprised, the team is still very good. As comprised, the team can still hit 95 wins -- if things go right. To compete in a transition year, however, we're going to need a left-fielder that can produce.

Sizing Up the Angels: The Hitters

Now that the Magic Number is down to zero (special thanks go to Texas for their Heimlich Maneuver on the Red Sox choke job), the Sox can safely prepare for the Anaheim Angels.

Make no mistake, this is not the Angels teams of past years, who had been thoroughly cooked by the Sox and served on a platter. They have a lot of advantages over the Boston club: they are healthier, have a deeper rotation (though not as top heavy), and they have momentum from four straight wins and a recent division clincher over the Rangers.

Still, with a new sworn enemy for the next two weeks, let's remove the veil from the Angels and find out who this team really is.

Where to start? Hmm... how about the sluggers?

The Sluggers

1B Kendry Morales: This guy has had one of the biggest turnaround seasons in recent memory. It looked like he was headed straight for the former-prospect label after three lackluster stints with the big club. He's been a completely different hitter in 2009, however, as he's added power and learned how to hit major league off-speed and breaking pitches (particularly the change-up and curve). He has had problems making contact this season though, which is probably the only part of his game that has regressed...

LAA 5, BOS 4: Tempers flare, Angels take series

Bobby Abreu got all the revenge he needed.

American League West Preview…And the rest of the remaining divisions too.

The Angels do not get on base much, and they haven't hit for all that much power of late. I am a stat-guy. So I believe that an offense needs to do these things to score enough runs. There is only so much that can happen as a result of "hit and runs" and taking the extra base. Now, taking the extra base is great, and often overlooked--as is baserunning in general. But a team must get on base enough, in order to score enough.

The Abreu acquisition was great. For that amount of money, the team put aside their philosophy of having only players who can play defense, and sacrificed "it" for a little offense. There is no risk in signing Abreu, and he should still hit for average, get on base, and flash enough power to make him a quality all-around player.

Change the rule: Willits was safe!

Take a moment to reflect on a season that never really happened. To understand

Series Preview: Boston vs Orange County

This is not 1986. This is not 2004. This is not 2007. The 2008 Halos are 100-62 and, on paper,…

LAA 4, BOS 2: Beckett falters in 7th

Josh Beckett had blanked the Angels through six innings, but the seventh was a different story. A solo homer by…

The 2007 ALDS: A Personal Narrative

Game 1: Wednesday, October 3rd. One of the great things about playoff baseball is that it brings old friends together.…