I would surely welcome this 3-year trend.
(cache.boston.com)
What a weekend of football, huh? Funny, because you would think it would be hard for me to consider it was a good football week when the Patriots weren't in the picture and the Colts are advancing to their 2nd Super Bowl in 4 years , but there was still joy in my mind this past Sunday. So much for Favre's Tour de Vengeance (add French pronunciation here). Yippee! Now we have the gift of watching him cut grass for six months as he waffles on his future. God, it's seems like it's a long ways away from Truck Day, even with the nice thawing out we had the past few days. A bit of baseball would especially be helpful right now during the Bruins recent belly flop, the Celtics putting their Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage to full use, and my continuing recovery from the whiplash I got seeing Ray Rice and the Ravens run over the lackadaisical Patriots a few weeks back. Although I have concerns about the lack of pop on the 2010 edition of the Red Sox, I'm always excited to see my Mudville 9 doing their thing at my personal cathedral at Yawkey Way, all in an effort to hoist the World Series trophy to start a new decade right. My withdrawals have been so bad that I have watched every disc from those Red Sox A&E DVD sets to quell my urges, the methadone to my heroin. While watching the Game 4 disc of the 2007 World Series, the AT&T poll question repeated throughout the game was asking which of the two Sox championship teams was the better one. It's a question I have struggled with since the Sox were partying in Denver after their 2007 triumph. Both teams do have a few commonalities, like sweeps against the Angels in the ALDS and miraculous comebacks the ALDS that preceded World Series domination. However, the composition of both teams have to be not only appreciated, but analyzed to solve this little riddle of who was better. So in an effort to try to solve this once in for all, I'm gonna do a 3-part entry dedicated to who were the better set of "idiots". Forgive me, I'm going through withdrawals! I'll try not to go Favre on ya with my decision! Here are some significant team stats before I get rolling.
2004: When Hell required mittens.
(i.a.cnn.net)
2004 Boston Red Sox - (+180 Run Differential, 2nd in MLB)
Record - (98-64, AL Wild Card, 3 GB in AL East)
Team Fielding Percentage - (.981) (1oth in AL)
Homeruns - (222) (4th in AL)
Team Batting Average - (.282) (1st in AL)
Team BB - (652) (2nd in AL)
Team OPS - (.832) (1st in AL)
Team ERA - (4.19) (3rd in AL)
Other Tidbits - Had .295 with RISP (1st in AL), 949 runs (1st in AL), only team in baseball history to come back from 0-3 deficit to win series (2004 ALCS vs. Yankees), first team to have an 8-game win streak in postseason, didn't trail once in last 59 innings of postseason, were 4th team in MLB history to not trail in World Series, won first franchise title in 86 years (under a lunar eclipse, an on my 19th birthday!!!)
2007: Just when you thought '04 was a fluke...
(cache.boston.com)
2007 Boston Red Sox - (+210 Run Differential, 1st in MLB)
Record - (96-66, AL East Champs)
Team Fielding Percentage - (.986) (2nd in AL)
Homeruns - (166) (8th in AL)
Team BB - (689) (1st in AL)
Team Batting Average - (.279) (5th in AL)
Team OPS - (.806) (2nd in AL)
Team ERA - (3.87 ERA) (1st in AL)
Other Tidbits - were 5th team to hit 4 consecutive homeruns (4/22 vs. Yankees), earned 1st AL East title since 1995, became 10th team in MLB to win series after trailing 1-3 (Indians in ALCS), outscored opponents 59-15 in 7-game postseason win streak (from Game 5 of ALCS), only trailed in 3 of last 63 postseason innings since Game 5 of ALCS, broke record with 18 doubles in World Series, achieved largest run differential in 4 game World Series (+19)
1st Baseman
Idiocy has never been so productive.
(cdn.bleacherreport.com)
2004: Kevin Millar (18 HR, 74 RBI, .297 Avg, .383 OBP, .474 SLG)
One of the many spiritual leaders for "The Idiots", Millar was a solid presence in the middle of that dynamic Sox offense in '04. Along with Johnny Damon and the David Ortiz of old, he's was that team unifier that I wish we had on today's Sox teams. He was the symbol of the New Red Sox, the team that would never give up no matter how dire or tragically familiar the situations became. Although 2004 was a down tick from his career year in '03 (25 HR, 96 RBI), you still did not want to hang a fastball on Mr. Millar. He was a solid fielder at first (6 E in 530 chances), but he actually played more games in the outfield due to the injuries that plagued a huge bulk of Trot Nixon's season. He only hit .196 in the 2004 postseason, but got the key walk in Game 4 of the ALCS that turned the fortunes of the franchise forever. Plus, you can't forget all the shenanigans, the Jack Daniels, all the beards and the open stances. Besides, anybody who would introduce the phrase, "Cowboy Up" to a fan base north of the Mason-Dixon line and make it popular gets huge kudos.
A waterfall is not pouring off his head. Must be April.
(projo.com)
2007: Kevin Youkilis (16 HR, 83 RBI, .288 Avg, .390 OBP, .453 SLG)
Speaking about Kevins with funky beards, let's dive into Youk's year in '07. Youk began his elevation in the major league level as a rookie for the 2004 team (1 of 8 guys in the 2007 team from that '04 team), for he was called up to play 3rd when Bill Mueller was recuperating from knee surgery (208 ABs). In 2007, he lived up to his reputation as a walk machine, while maintaining his defensive form so well in his 2nd year at 1st base, he won a well-deserved Gold Glove with a perfect fielding percentage at the position. Youk's power numbers were decent, but we got a glimpse of what kind of hitter he was going to be in the 2007 postseason, especially in that insane ALCS where he batted .500 with 3 homers, 10 runs and 14 hits against the Indians. His unmatched intensity and grit make him a fan favorite where the fans take each game with the same intensity as a Packer game, while establishing himself hopefully as one of the core pieces of many future Sox championships.
Winner: I love Millar. In fact, I want him to be back on the Sox as a bench player when he decides to go one more go-round, kind of like Ellis Burks in 2004 or Royce Clayton in 2007. However, Youk takes the cake here for his all-around play. Plus, 2007 was the year in which Youk showed that he was going to be a MVP-caliber player and a force to be reckoned with in the American League. ADVANTAGE: 2007
Bellhorn: A terror to right field poles everywhere.
(i.a.cnn.net)
Speaking about Kevins with funky beards, let's dive into Youk's year in '07. Youk began his elevation in the major league level as a rookie for the 2004 team (1 of 8 guys in the 2007 team from that '04 team), for he was called up to play 3rd when Bill Mueller was recuperating from knee surgery (208 ABs). In 2007, he lived up to his reputation as a walk machine, while maintaining his defensive form so well in his 2nd year at 1st base, he won a well-deserved Gold Glove with a perfect fielding percentage at the position. Youk's power numbers were decent, but we got a glimpse of what kind of hitter he was going to be in the 2007 postseason, especially in that insane ALCS where he batted .500 with 3 homers, 10 runs and 14 hits against the Indians. His unmatched intensity and grit make him a fan favorite where the fans take each game with the same intensity as a Packer game, while establishing himself hopefully as one of the core pieces of many future Sox championships.
Winner: I love Millar. In fact, I want him to be back on the Sox as a bench player when he decides to go one more go-round, kind of like Ellis Burks in 2004 or Royce Clayton in 2007. However, Youk takes the cake here for his all-around play. Plus, 2007 was the year in which Youk showed that he was going to be a MVP-caliber player and a force to be reckoned with in the American League. ADVANTAGE: 2007
2nd Baseman
Bellhorn: A terror to right field poles everywhere.
(i.a.cnn.net)
2004: Mark Bellhorn (17 HR, 82 RBI, .264 Avg, .373 OBP, .444 SLG)
Oh, Mark Bellhorn! I admit, the first thing I reminisce about is the absurd amount of strikeouts he he tallied (177), chilling an already cool Boston climate. It seemed as if he just picked a spot to swing at and swung there for the whole season, which was as annoying as the Jersey Shore phenomenon is right now. To top it all off, he had that J.D. Drew-cool demeanor that makes Bill Mueller seem like Kevin Youkilis in comparison, even after recording a golden sombrero. He was an average fielding 2nd baseman (11 E in 550 chances) and proved his versatility, playing 13 games at 3rd. However, you can't forget he came through in the clutch. Even after hitting .129 in the postseason prior to Game 6 of the ALCS, he went bonkers by homering in 3 consecutive postseason games, including that 3-run homer in Game 6 of the ALCS that made a gigantic difference in a 4-2 game, and the go-ahead homer of Pesky's Pole in a see-saw Game 1 of the World Series against the Cardinals. All in all, I have no hard feelings for Bellhorn. A ring sort of helps that.
A destroyah hopefully for many years to come.
(media-2.web.britannica.com)
(media-2.web.britannica.com)
2007: Dustin Pedroia (8 HR, 50 RBI, .317 Avg, .380 OBP, .442 SLG)
Winner: With his overall play and extremely high ceiling, Pedroia gets the win in this matchup. Simply a more powerful presence in the lineup and more range on the field, and you can't argue with a Rookie of the Year who can be counted on when the spotlight shines brightest. Also, his pluckiness and his dirty uniform gain him millions of fans that admire passion from their players. ADVANTAGE: 2007
In a team with rookies like Dice-K, Ellsbury and Okajima, Pedroia became the most stellar of all the young guns, earning himself the Rookie of the Year. The little guy also came out the gate as a solid Gold Glove candidate, committing only 6 errors in 625 chances. Not bad for a guy who was batting a buck-eighty two in April. What was more impressive than his over-sized swing was his anti-Bellhorn-type contact rate with that swing, striking out only 42 times in 520 ABs. However like Bellhorn, he started off very slow in the postseason with a .154 average in the ALDS. For the rest of the postseason, he batted .319 with 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 4 doubles and 10 runs scored, including a coming-of-age monster performance in Game 7 of the ALCS and a tag-team performance in the World Series with fellow young Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury that had more than Red Sox Nation talking. Expecting big things from the little guy for many years to come.
Winner: With his overall play and extremely high ceiling, Pedroia gets the win in this matchup. Simply a more powerful presence in the lineup and more range on the field, and you can't argue with a Rookie of the Year who can be counted on when the spotlight shines brightest. Also, his pluckiness and his dirty uniform gain him millions of fans that admire passion from their players. ADVANTAGE: 2007
Shortstop
It was a thrill riding the O-Cab to victory.
(i.cdn.turner.com)
2004: Orlando Cabrera (10 HR, 62 RBI, .264 Avg, .306 OBP, .383 SLG)
Ah yes, Orlando Cabrera, a.k.a, the man that we can consider the 1st man in the revolving door known as the Red Sox shortstop position. You can also consider him the most memorable out of everyone who have been employed between 2nd and 3rd in the past 5 years (in a good way). All this considering Pokey Reese (56 games started) and Nomar Garciaparra (37 games started) could easily qualify has the headliner for the position. But in the end, you can't deny that was Cabrera, who not only added an electric defensive presence (8 E in 233 chances), but also added more complimentary offense to a run-scoring juggernaut (.294 Avg, 6 HR, 31 RBI in 58 games started with Sox) while adding to the swagger and spunk of the team with his multiple collection of quirky hand shakes. He carried his energy into the postseason, where he hit .364 while hitting in 10 straight games. Most importantly, Cabrera went through the 2004 postseason without committing one error. Thanks to Cabrera, all it took was 3 months to make a whole fan base say, "Nomar, who?".
Well, at least Lugo has a ring to it.
(theghostofmoonlightgraham.files.wordpress.com)
Big sighs all around. Coveted for years, the Sox finally roped up who they thought would be their all-franchise shortstop by signing Lugo to a 4 year, $36 million deal. Saying that this deal is a roller coaster is an understatement. The 19 errors in 593 chances wasn't indicative of his range, but more for his arm that had an accuracy of a first-generation machine gun. Then there was the drop he made in Game 7 of the ALCS that almost made me have a stroke right in my college pub, and how he couldn't be that leadoff hitter that we so desperately needed since the departure of Johnny Damon. However, there were ups on this roller coaster ride, evidenced by his hustle on 'The Mother's Day Miracle' game against the Orioles, his leading of the club with 33 swiped bags, and even made some smart defensive plays in the postseason. Plus, 73 runs driven in for a guy who primarily hit 9th has to be noticed. Ultimately, Lugo may go down as one of Theo's biggest busts in his tenure, but getting that ring in '07 added a bit of grace period for this much maligned shortstop.
Winner: Cabrera, bar none. Probably the biggest no-brainer out of all the positions, with a guy who personified the skill of the team as well as its carefree spirit. I need not say more. ADVANTAGE: 2004
Third Baseman
Oh, how I miss Billy Ballgame.
(redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com)
2004: Bill Mueller (12 HR, 57 RBI, .283 Avg, .365 OBP, .446 SLG)
Amongst the talented Mannys, Papis and Pedros, there was nobody I admired more on those Sox teams in the mid-2000's than Billy Mueller. He wasn't the most gifted guy on the team, but with Mueller on the field, you knew you were going to get a smart ballplayer who would give 100% at all times, even if his knees weren't at that percentage. Arthroscopic surgery on his damaged knees would only allow him to play 110 regular season games in 2004, but still maintained a quiet aggressiveness that not only made him the skilled player that he was, but a fan favorite amongst the Fenway Faithful. Mueller's 2004 was down a couple of ticks from the previous year where he earned a batting title and a Silver Slugger, but any year where you can say you got the best of Mariano Rivera twice should be an overall successful campaign. The first blow was in that famous July 24th fight game where Mueller's homer capped a Sox comeback that changed the course of the season, the other a single up the middle that not only tied Game 4 of the ALCS, but changed the course of Sox history. For that, drinks will be on me when Billy Ballgame walks in a bar.
The pose of an MVP.
(sox4life13.mlblogs.com)
2007: Mike Lowell (21 HR, 120 RBI, .324 Avg, .378 OBP, .501 SLG)
2 years removed from hitting .236 in Miami, Lowell racked up arguably his best year in the bigs, backing up the dynamic duo of Manny and Ortiz with an explosive season of his own, while ranking 5th in AL MVP voting. Despite his apparent struggles on defense in 2007 through basic statistical analysis (15 E in 384 chances), Lowell was still considered one of the most defensively sound 3rd baseman in the game, all before his hip went like my '90 Jeep in the next season. He only got better in the postseason, as his .333 average and 8 RBIs in the ALCS was only topped by his all-around play in the World Series against the Rockies, earning him a well-deserved MVP. Not only was he a talented on the field, but he had the respect of his peers, which made him a distinguished leader in the clubhouse. Makes you wonder why the Sox have done everything but buy his bus ticket out of town the last two offseasons by trying to escape the latter years of his 3 year, $36 million dollar deal he earned after 2007, even with his recent hip woes (or why they even bothered to sign him to that kind of deal in the first place).
Winner: Both are personal favorites are mine, which makes choosing this one tough. Both were loved by many in Boston and both were known to be clutch, but you have to go with Lowell, who had an MVP-caliber season along with better health during the season. Gonna dread the day when we finally pull the trigger when Lowell goes out the door, all for an out of shape prospect. ADVANTAGE: 2007
Catcher
Looking like a guy who knew $40 million was on his way.
(multimedia.heraldinteractive.com)
Hard to believe now, but this was where 'Tek was in the midst of his golden years, good enough to be one of the only major Sox free agent out of the Big 4 (Lowe, Pedro, Nomar, Varitek) to receive a deal to stick around past the Rolling Rally parade, while earning that big red 'C' on his jersey. Not only was he a core element to a formidable offense that led the league in runs scored, but he showed immense leadership and a willingness to step it up, shown vividly in that famous confrontation with A-Rod in that late-July pivot game against the Yankees. 'Tek also displayed his continued mastery with a pitching staff mixed with veterans and young arms, committing only 2 errors in 931 chances as the backstop. The future captain had a solid postseason (3 HR, 11 RBI), but will be most noted for all those innings he caught, especially in those marathon games in the ALCS. Ah, those were the days.
'C' is for Champion
(mlb.mlb.com)
2007: Jason Varitek (17 HR, 68 RBI, .255 Avg, .367 OBP, .421 SLG)
This definitely wasn't the 'Tek of old, but his power numbers were surprisingly on line with those from the curse-breaking campaign, which was actually encouraging considering that it was a huge mystery as to how he would recover from an injury-plagued '06 season. The leadership was still admired, especially by staff ace Josh Beckett. Yes he was (and apparently still is) the captain, however, it seemed as if the, "he calls a good game" card was becoming his shield with his overall offensive prowess deteriorating (122 Ks in 435 ABs). Even though it wasn't the dynamic 'Tek of old, I can't help but be nostalgic when thinking about 2007, which could be considered the year before 'Tek completely fell off off the table like a Buchholz curve.
Winner: A decisive victory for '04 'Tek for being one of the best all-around catchers in the game at the time. It was from those glory days that he has carried a rep as one of the most knowledgeable players in baseball, even now as he takes on the role of being Victor Martinez's backup. ADVANTAGE: 2004
Stay tuned for Part 2, Outfielders/DH!!!
(allstondave.tripod.com)
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