Preview 2008: Boston Red Sox
by FOXSports.com
After 86 title-free seasons, the Red Sox just celebrated their second championship since 2004. And the same fans who once reveled in misery are now awash in self-entitlement.
Red Sox loyalists have gone from Mike Torrez serving up that gopher ball to Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner's gaffe-for-the-ages, to the Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar "idiot" phase and Jonathan Papelbon's dog "Boss" eating the ball from the final out of the 2007 World Series.
Lindy's MLB 2008
 |
Team previews:
- AL East: Orioles | Rays | Blue Jays | Red Sox | Yankees
- AL Central: Royals | Twins | Indians | Tigers | White Sox
- AL West: Rangers | Mariners | A's | Angels
- NL East: Nationals | Marlins | Phillies | Braves | Mets
- NL Central: Reds | Pirates | Brewers | Astros | Cardinals | Cubs
- NL West: Giants | Padres | Dodgers | Diamondbacks | Rockies
Order Lindy's previews:
FOX Fantasy baseball:
Life has been awfully good for Boston fans, and it doesn't figure to change much in 2008. The Red Sox sported the second highest payroll in the game at $143 million last season, but they've also devoting money and manpower to maintaining the pipeline, and they've assembled a deep and talented farm system. In the meantime, good luck finding a ticket.
The Sox finished last season with a streak of 307 consecutive sellouts at Fenway. Given the passion gripping New England, they look like a virtual lock to surpass Cleveland's all-time mark of 455.
It was never really that grim to begin with in Boston. For all the hand-wringing and talk of "curses," the Red Sox haven't endured a 90-loss season since 1966. But now they're really making up for lost time. Manny. Big Papi. Josh Beckett.
A welcome injection of youth on the big league roster, and lots more to come.
For a baseball-mad city, life doesn't get much better than this.
Pitching
Josh Beckett now has a 20-win season on his resume and a proven reputation for coming up big in October. He's 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA in the postseason. Curt Schilling isn't the guy he once was, but he's making a Hall of Fame push in 87 mph increments. But the Sox will be without Schilling indefinitely due to his bad right biceps tendon. Some people think Daisuke Matsuzaka would be wise to junk his kitchen-sink repertoire and concentrate on three or four pitches, but the guy did win 15 games. The rest of the rotation is veteran Tim Wakefield and the kids, lefty Jon Lester and no-hit author Clay Buchholz. Papelbon had the lowest batting average against (.146) and the highest ratio of strikeouts per nine innings (12.96) among major league closers. He's ably set up by Hideki Okajima.
Pitching
Josh Beckett — RHP
2007 line: 20-7, 3.27 ERA, 30 GS, 200.2 IP, 189 H, 40 BB, 194 SO, .245 BAA, 8.48 H/9, 1.79 BB/9, 8.70 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Was the 11th player in MLB history and the first
Red Sox to win four games in one postseason. His 200.2 IP were the third-fewest in MLB history for a 20-game winner.
Scouting report: Power pitcher. Classic drop-and-drive delivery. Builds
around a four-seam fastball (94-97 mph) with an explosive finish. Locates his fastball to both sides; pushes hitters off the plate with it. Changes speed and eye level with a sharp, two-plane curveball and a hard changeup that fades from lefthanders. Gets a lot of strikeouts with his curveball. Athletic fifth infielder.
Grade: 4.0.
Daisukie Matsuzaka — RHP
2007 line: 15-12, 4.40 ERA, 32 GS, 204.2 IP, 191 H, 80 BB, 201 SO, .246 BAA, 8.40 H/9, 3.52 BB/9, 8.84 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: First Asian-born pitcher and first MLB rookie to start Game 7 of a playoff series (ALCS). Posted a 5.29 ERA on five days' rest, a 3.96 on
more than five.
Scouting report: Deliberate delivery. Easy arm action. Throws a lot of different
pitches, including two- and four-seam fastballs (89-95 mph), a power slider that bites late, a tight 12-to-6 curveball, a circle-change and an occasional split. Inclined to pitch away from contact; runs up high pitch counts. Should be stronger this year as he adjusts to pitching every five days (instead of the once-a-week he worked in Japan). Plus fielder;
very quick reflexes.
Grade: 3.3.
Curt Schilling — RHP
2007 line: 9-8, 3.87 ERA, 24 GS, 151.0 IP, 165 H, 23 BB, 101 SO, .275 BAA, 9.83 H/9, 1.37 BB/9, 6.02 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Tied for fourth all-time with 11 postseason wins.
Missed June 19-Aug. 5 with a sore right shoulder. Went 0-3 with a 5.51 ERA in three starts against the Yankees.
Scouting report: Big-game veteran. Clean, repeatable delivery. Reaches 93
mph with his fastball, but pitches at 87 to 91 now. Commands his heater to all four quadrants of the strike zone. Cuts it. Complements his fastball with a big breaking curveball and a split that dives straight down. Holds runners very well because he holds the ball a long time.
Grade: 3.0.
Tim Wakefield — RHP
2007 line: 17-12, 4.76 ERA, 31 GS, 189.0 IP, 191 H, 64 BB, 110 SO, .264 BAA, 9.10 H/9, 3.05 BB/9, 5.24 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Missed AL Division Series and World Series with
a sore right shoulder. Had MLB-high 26 straight starts with a decision to start the season.
Scouting report: Durable knuckleballer. Displays an uncanny ability to throw the unpredictable "dancer" for strikes. Works in an occasional 76-mph fastball when behind in the count. Saves the pitching staff because he eats up a lot of innings. Can start or relieve. Still fields his position well.
Grade: 2.5.
 |
| Hideki Okajima is one reason why Boston's bullpen is a strength. (J. Meric / Getty Images) |
Jon Lester — LHP
2007 line: 4-0, 4.57 ERA, 11 GS, 63.0 IP, 61 H, 31 BB, 50 SO, .257 BAA, 8.71 H/9, 4.43 BB/9, 7.14 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the first Red Sox lefthander to start and
win a World Series game since Bruce Hurst in 1986. Made 12 regular-season starts without a loss.
Scouting report: Strong pitcher's body. Sound three-quarters delivery. Hides the ball well with a good shoulder turn. Features a fastball (89-93 mph) with a slight tail away from righthanded hitters. Likes to cut his fastball down and in to righthanders. Supplements his fastball with a 1-to-7 curveball, hard, tilted slider and a sinking changeup he reserves for righties. Inclined to run out of gas in the middle innings. Very good
pickoff move.
Grade: 2.4.
Relievers
Jonathan Papelbon — RHP
2007 line: 1-3, 1.85 ERA, 59 G, 58.1 IP, 37 SV, 30 H, 15 BB, 84 SO, .146 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: His 13 career innings in postseason without allowing a run is sixth-most in MLB history. First Red Sox pitcher with at least 28 saves in consecutive seasons.
Scouting report: Power closer. Aggressive mindset. Attacks hitters with
an exceptionally live fastball (93-96 mph) and a filthy split (88-90). Throws his split on any count. Mixes in an occasional slider. Maintains his stuff in consecutive appearances. Slow to the plate.
Grade: 4.0.
Hideki Okajima — LHP
2007 line: 3-2, 2.22 ERA, 66 G, 69.0 IP, 5 SV, 50 H, 17 BB, 63 SO, .202 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Became the first Japanese-born pitcher to appear
in a World Series game. Recorded a 0.83 ERA before the All-Star break, 4.56 after it.
Scouting report: Chief setup man. Extremely deceptive delivery. Looks
toward the third-base dugout when he delivers the ball, which can be disconcerting to a hitter, to say the least. Commands a moving fastball (87, 88 mph) to both sides of the plate. Mixes in a tight curveball and two different splits, one for a strike early in counts and the other to put hitters away late. Effective to righthanders as well as lefthanders.
Grade: 3.0.
Manny Delcarmen — RHP
2007 line: 0-0, 2.05 ERA, 44 G, 44.0 IP, 1 SV, 28 H, 17 BB, 41 SO, .183 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Closed the regular season with 9.1 scoreless innings. Appeared in a franchise-record 44 games without getting a decision.
Scouting report: First-rate stuff. Easy to follow. Pitches in the mid-90s with
a fastball that tends to be straight. Gets behind in the count and elevates his fastball too much. Could take his game to the next level with better fastball command and more effective use of his secondary pitches, a curveball and much-improved changeup.
Grade: 2.5.
Catching
Jason Varitek has 1,142 starts behind the plate on his resume and he turns 36 in April, so there's not a lot of tread left. But he's still got some pop, as evidenced by his 17 home runs and 68 RBIs, and he's earned everlasting respect from his pitchers for his selflessness and attention to detail. When the Red Sox say Varitek would be just as valuable if he hit .200, it's not all lip service.
Jason Varitek — C
2007 line: .255 BA, 435 AB, 57 R, 111 H, 15 2B, 3 3B, 17 HR, 68 RBI, 71 BB, 122 SO, .367 OBP, .787 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Has 10 career postseason home runs, tying the
record by Johnny Bench and Javy Lopez for most by a catcher. Hit .309 with seven HRs from the seventh inning on.
Scouting report: Switch-hitter. Patient early in the count. Shows a decline in bat speed, but retains the strength and leverage to hit mistakes a long way. Prefers the ball up righthanded, middle-down from the left side. Inclined to chase up or down with two
strikes. Smart, well-prepared backstop. Receives the ball smoothly; frames pitches adeptly. Calls a great game. Outstanding intangibles.
Grade: 2.7.
Infield
The Red Sox sure don't lack for grinders. First baseman Kevin Youkilis takes great at-bats and handled 1,080 chances in the field without an error. Little Dustin Pedroia takes a huge hack, but he struck out only 42 times in 520 at-bats. "He doesn't back down to anyone or any situation," general manager Theo Epstein said. "He walks around like he's an Adonis instead of 5-foot-6." Shortstop Julio Lugo drove in 73 runs from the ninth spot in the order. And Mike Lowell was so thoroughly embraced by Boston fans that they chanted "Don't Sign A-Rod!" from the box seats at Coors Field after the final game of the World Series. The Red Sox took that advice, bringing back Lowell for three years and $37.5 million. David Ortiz, bothered by knee and shoulder problems, slipped from 54 to 35 home runs, but everybody notices him in the on-deck circle.
Kevin Youkilis — 1B
2007 line: .288 BA, 528 AB, 85 R, 152 H, 35 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 83 RBI, 77 BB, 105 SO, .390 OBP, .843 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had 1,080 total chances without an error, which led
to the first Gold Glove by a Red Sox 1B since George Scott in '71. Led the AL with a .388 postseason average.
Scouting report: Selective hitter. Right on top of the plate. Short, handsy
stroke. Turns on the ball quickly. Attacked more first-pitch strikes in the second half of last year. Has 20-home run power. Very steady defender. Fields throws to either side of the bag. Reacts quickly to batted balls. Has a very accurate arm.
Grader: 3.0.
Dustin Pedroia — 2B
2007 line: .317 BA, 520 AB, 86 R, 165 H, 39 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 47 BB, 42 SO, .380 OBP, .823 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Led AL rookies in BA (.317) and 2Bs (39) and was
second in OBP (.380) and third in runs (86). Played the final two months with a cracked hamate bone in his left hand.
Scouting report: Cocky little player. Similar in many respects to Lenny
Dykstra. Possesses outstanding eye-hand ability; makes hard contact despite a big,
uppercut swing. Could slide backward if he becomes too excited with his power (like Marcus Giles). Surehanded 2B. Plays deep to enhance average range. Goes better to his left than his right. Hangs in tough on the double play.
Grade: 3.0.
 |
| Mike Lowell has revived his career in Boston. (Elsa / Getty Images) |
Mike Lowell — 3B
2007 line: .324 BA, 589 AB, 79 R, 191 H, 37 2B, 2 3B, 21 HR, 120 RBI, 53 BB, 71 SO, .378 OBP, .879 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Was the World Series MVP after batting .400 with
four RBIs, six runs and three BBs. Became the first 3B in franchise history with back-to-back 20 HR seasons.
Scouting report: Veteran bat. Short, quick swing. Clears his hips in a hurry to spin on balls on the inner half. Can dilute his power by pitching him away. Quality 3B. Has exceptionally soft, quick hands, an accurate arm and very good instincts. Goes better to the hole than the line. Below-average runner.
Grade: 3.5.
Julio Lugo — SS
2007 line: .237 BA, 570 AB, 71 R, 135 H, 36 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 73 RBI, 48 BB, 82 SO, .294 OBP, .643 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had 33 SBs, the most by a Red Sox player since
Otis Nixon had 42 in 1994. Hit .190 on the road vs. .286 at Fenway Park.
Scouting report: Gap-to-gap hitter. Slider-speed bat. Struggles to handle
fastballs up and offspeed stuff down and away. Runs well; steals bases. Shaky defender. Doesn't show the range he did a few years ago. Has above-average arm strength, but tends to be inaccurate throwing. Appears to be a short-term solution until they find somebody better.
Grade: 2.2.
David Ortiz — DH/1B
2007 line: .332 BA, 549 AB, 116 R, 182 H, 52 2B, 1 3B, 35 HR, 117 RBI, 111 BB, 103 SO, .445 OBP, 1.066 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had surgery Nov. 6 to address a cartilage problem in his right knee. Holds the franchise record with 11 career postseason HRs. Set an MLB record for DHs with 51 doubles in '07.
Scouting report: Middle-of-the-order monster. Possesses big-time bat speed,
strength and leverage. Generates well-above-average power to all fields without sacrificing batting average or on-base percentage. Hits lefthanders almost as well as righthanders. Makes constant adjustments. Gets excellent protection in the order batting ahead of Manny Ramirez. Immobile defender.
Grade: 3.9.
Outfield
You get what you get with Manny Ramirez — half-hearted jogs to first, mental lapses in the field and on the bases, and nothing short of brilliance with the bat. The Man-Ram is 10 homers short of joining the 500 club. Boston spent much of the winter shopping Coco Crisp around in hopes of opening up center field for Jacoby Ellsbury, a gap-to-gap slasher with the potential to steal 50 bags. Rightfielder J.D. Drew hit 11 homers in his first season in Boston while coping with an illness to his son and the adjustment to a new league. We'll see how he fares the second time around.
 |
| Manny Ramirez's home run total has declined in each of the past three seasons. (J. Meric / Getty Images) |
Manny Ramirez — LF
2007 line: .296 BA, 483 AB, 84 R, 143 H, 33 2B, 1 3B, 20 HR, 88 RBI, 71 BB, 92 SO, .388 OBP, .881 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Set an MLB record with his 24th postseason HR.
Has 64 postseason RBIs, second all-time to Bernie Williams (80). Missed Aug. 29-Sept. 24 with a strained oblique muscle.
Scouting report: Professional hitter. Strong, balanced, quick to the ball. Controls the strike zone and uses the whole field with power. Knows the pitchers, picks up on patterns quickly. Can look bad on a pitch and come back and hit the same pitch hard. May be the best two-strike hitter in the game. Indifferent defender. Doesn't run well
or get good jumps. Accurate arm.
Grade: 3.6.
Coco Crisp — CF
2007 line: .268 BA, 526 AB, 85 R, 141 H, 28 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 60 RBI, 50 BB, 84 SO, .330 OBP, .712 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Did not commit an error in his first 153 games
and 459 chances for Red Sox, a franchise record. Hit .326 in June and July.
Scouting report: Switch-hitter. Stronger from the right side. Tends to
pull the ball more righthanded. Inclined to spray it from the left side. Can be jammed lefthanded. Strikes out too much (either way) for a hitter with limited power. First-rate CF. Gets quick breaks on the ball and runs it down in all directions. Unloads the ball quickly; hits the cutoff man.
Grade: 2.5.
J.D. Drew — RF
2007 line: .270 BA, 466 AB, 84 R, 126 H, 30 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 79 BB, 100 SO, .373 OBP, .796 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Snapped a career-long homerless drought Aug. 26
(51 games, 166 at-bats). Hit .291 with nine of 11 HRs in the fifth spot in the lineup.
Scouting report: Short stroke. Very selective approach. Hits thigh-high
fastballs with power to right-center and left-center, but doesn't turn on them like he did a few years ago. Struggles with the ball spinning away. Takes too many third strikes. May be adjusting to the AL after a hot September-October. Instinctive outfielder. Gets good jumps; takes good routes. Throws well.
Grade: 2.7.
Organization/management
Manager Terry Francona deserves lots of credit for sticking with players through the ups and downs. He gave the benefit of the doubt to Dustin Pedroia and Julio Lugo, among others, and they rewarded him with big second halves. He's also a master of defusing controversy with candor and humor, no small thing in such a media-obsessed town. GM Theo Epstein does a nice job of blending newschool SABR-metric thinking and input from the scouts. He's smart enough to realize that sound information is valuable regardless of the source.
advertisement
