Jimcs50
09-30-2004, 11:37 AM
Red Sox fans, this could be your year
Ken Rosenthal / The Sporting News
Posted: 8 hours ago
For those who may have forgotten, righthander Curt Schilling started three times for the Diamondbacks against the Yankees in the 2001 World Series.
In 21 1/3 innings, he allowed a grand total of 12 hits, struck out 26 and walked two. The Diamondbacks won in seven games, and Schilling was named co-Series MVP along with Randy Johnson.
Schilling now is a member of the Red Sox -- Team Affliction, Team Affleck, Team Afro, all things to all people, except, for 86 years, World Series champions. But Schilling, at age 37, is poised to repeat his '01 heroics and primed for his stiffest challenge yet: Helping the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918.
I'm not going to bet against a pitcher who allowed the Yankees one hit in seven innings last Sunday, a pitcher who has thrived in his return to the higher-scoring American League, overcome his fly-ball pitcher's trepidation about Fenway Park and -- ahem -- posted a 1.66 ERA in 86 2/3 career postseason innings. Nor am I going to bet against Schilling's team, even if his Sox co-ace, Pedro Martinez, suddenly is calling the Yankees "my daddy." The Yankees aren't Schilling's daddy, and they're not the Red Sox's daddies; the Sox won the season series 11-8 , boast the best run differential in the A.L. by a considerable margin and feature a boisterous throng of battled-tested veterans who embrace the challenge ahead.
Heaven help me, I'm picking the Red Sox to win it all.
Yes, a hot pitcher such as the Twins' Johan Santana can wreck a more powerful opponent in a best-of-five series. Yes, anything can happen in the postseason -- especially this postseason, when so many of the participants are flawed. But even after the Angels' surprising title in 2002 and the Marlins' unlikely run in '03, it still makes sense to pick the best teams to reach the World Series. Give me the Red Sox in the A.L., the Cardinals in the National League, and prove me wrong.
Frankly, I'm less comfortable with the Cardinals than I am with the Red Sox, even though St. Louis could finish with 10 more wins than any other club. For the first time this season, the Cardinals have health concerns -- righthander Chris Carpenter's biceps, third baseman Scott Rolen's calf, lefthanded setup man Steve Kline's index finger.
You could tell manager Tony La Russa was getting tight when he wouldn't let the Cardinals celebrate after they clinched the division crown via a tiebreaker, preferring to wait until the outright title was assured. Welcome to the real world, Tony: Several other N.L. contenders -- most notably the Cubs, Astros and Braves -- have struggled with injuries all season.
The uncertainty surrounding Carpenter, the Cardinals' best starting pitcher, intensifies questions about a rotation that is effective but uninspiring. Any decline in Rolen, who figures to play at less than 100 percent, might compromise the best offense and defense in the league. Closer Jason Isringhausen's hip is another potential issue. Put it all together, and you're looking at a wide-open N.L. postseason picture.
Curt Schilling will make the difference for the Red Sox this time around. (Elise Amendola / AP)
My preseason World Series pick was Cubs over Red Sox. At midseason, I switched to Cubs over A's. I still think the Cubs can win, if they qualify -- their rotation is that good. But it's difficult to get overly excited about a team that has failed to achieve consistency, in large part because of injuries. The Cubs make a ton of mistakes. Their offense is overly reliant on home runs. And their bullpen is about as trustworthy as a presidential debate.
The Braves are similar to the Cardinals, only not as strong offensively and significantly weaker defensively -- but they are potentially more dominant in their rotation. Is anyone even aware that righthander Jaret Wright is 13-3 with a 3.05 ERA in his last 23 starts and righthander John Thomson is 8-1 with a 2.43 ERA since the All-Star break? It would be only fitting if the Braves won their second World Series in 13 post-season appearances under manager Bobby Cox at a time when winning it all was least expected.
I love the Giants' moxie, but I can't see any team from the N.L. West mounting a threat. Heck, I can't see any N.L. team standing up to the A.L. champ. My midseason flirtation with the A's was based on the assumption that their starting pitching would exhibit its usual second half dominance (wrong) and that the Red Sox were about to implode (wrong again, thanks to the trading-deadline work of general manager Theo Epstein). Now, I like the Sox even better than I did at the start.
In the days ahead, you will hear the usual nonsense about the Yankees' curious spell over the Red Sox, about a curse that is not a curse at all, but a historic pattern of one team outperforming another. No longer is that inevitable. The Sox's offseason additions of Schilling and closer Keith Foulke created a pitching staff that will finish with an ERA approximately one-half run lower than the Yankees'. Epstein's midseason makeover made the Sox stronger defensively while barely denting their league-leading offense. Finally, it can be said: Boston is the better team.
Make no mistake, the Yankees remain formidable. But for them to win the A.L. pennant, Mike Mussina must turn into Schilling and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez must turn into Martinez. Could happen. But I wouldn't count on it. Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and David Wells are gone. Kevin Brown appears useless. Neither Javier Vazquez nor Jon Lieber looms as an October hero.
Of course, the Red Sox might be in a predicament if Martinez is done in by fatigue, cooler weather or a Terry Francona brain cramp and Derek Lowe reprises his recent Yankee Stadium meltdown. But the Sox's presumed No. 4 pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, has a lower ERA than every Yankees starter but Hernandez. And the Yankees' bullpen began the week with a 5.57 ERA since the All-Star break, worst in the A.L., and a .291 opponents batting average, worst in the majors, according to STATS Inc. The Yankees lack a quality lefthanded specialist, and opponents were batting a league-high .355 with men on base against one of their three principal righties, Paul Quantrill.
Then again, the idea of a Red-Sox Yankees ALCS is presumptuous. The Twins, dubious offense and all, appear much more capable than the A's, Angels or Rangers of pulling a first-round upset. A's G.M. Billy Beane likens the postseason to a crapshoot, and to an extent he's right. But the Yankees of the late 1990s sure weren't lucky, and the Red Sox won't be, either. They're good enough to survive the Division Series, good enough to win the ALCS with Schilling possibly making three starts, good enough to strike down every demon that has haunted them since 1918.
Ken Rosenthal / The Sporting News
Posted: 8 hours ago
For those who may have forgotten, righthander Curt Schilling started three times for the Diamondbacks against the Yankees in the 2001 World Series.
In 21 1/3 innings, he allowed a grand total of 12 hits, struck out 26 and walked two. The Diamondbacks won in seven games, and Schilling was named co-Series MVP along with Randy Johnson.
Schilling now is a member of the Red Sox -- Team Affliction, Team Affleck, Team Afro, all things to all people, except, for 86 years, World Series champions. But Schilling, at age 37, is poised to repeat his '01 heroics and primed for his stiffest challenge yet: Helping the Red Sox win their first World Series since 1918.
I'm not going to bet against a pitcher who allowed the Yankees one hit in seven innings last Sunday, a pitcher who has thrived in his return to the higher-scoring American League, overcome his fly-ball pitcher's trepidation about Fenway Park and -- ahem -- posted a 1.66 ERA in 86 2/3 career postseason innings. Nor am I going to bet against Schilling's team, even if his Sox co-ace, Pedro Martinez, suddenly is calling the Yankees "my daddy." The Yankees aren't Schilling's daddy, and they're not the Red Sox's daddies; the Sox won the season series 11-8 , boast the best run differential in the A.L. by a considerable margin and feature a boisterous throng of battled-tested veterans who embrace the challenge ahead.
Heaven help me, I'm picking the Red Sox to win it all.
Yes, a hot pitcher such as the Twins' Johan Santana can wreck a more powerful opponent in a best-of-five series. Yes, anything can happen in the postseason -- especially this postseason, when so many of the participants are flawed. But even after the Angels' surprising title in 2002 and the Marlins' unlikely run in '03, it still makes sense to pick the best teams to reach the World Series. Give me the Red Sox in the A.L., the Cardinals in the National League, and prove me wrong.
Frankly, I'm less comfortable with the Cardinals than I am with the Red Sox, even though St. Louis could finish with 10 more wins than any other club. For the first time this season, the Cardinals have health concerns -- righthander Chris Carpenter's biceps, third baseman Scott Rolen's calf, lefthanded setup man Steve Kline's index finger.
You could tell manager Tony La Russa was getting tight when he wouldn't let the Cardinals celebrate after they clinched the division crown via a tiebreaker, preferring to wait until the outright title was assured. Welcome to the real world, Tony: Several other N.L. contenders -- most notably the Cubs, Astros and Braves -- have struggled with injuries all season.
The uncertainty surrounding Carpenter, the Cardinals' best starting pitcher, intensifies questions about a rotation that is effective but uninspiring. Any decline in Rolen, who figures to play at less than 100 percent, might compromise the best offense and defense in the league. Closer Jason Isringhausen's hip is another potential issue. Put it all together, and you're looking at a wide-open N.L. postseason picture.
Curt Schilling will make the difference for the Red Sox this time around. (Elise Amendola / AP)
My preseason World Series pick was Cubs over Red Sox. At midseason, I switched to Cubs over A's. I still think the Cubs can win, if they qualify -- their rotation is that good. But it's difficult to get overly excited about a team that has failed to achieve consistency, in large part because of injuries. The Cubs make a ton of mistakes. Their offense is overly reliant on home runs. And their bullpen is about as trustworthy as a presidential debate.
The Braves are similar to the Cardinals, only not as strong offensively and significantly weaker defensively -- but they are potentially more dominant in their rotation. Is anyone even aware that righthander Jaret Wright is 13-3 with a 3.05 ERA in his last 23 starts and righthander John Thomson is 8-1 with a 2.43 ERA since the All-Star break? It would be only fitting if the Braves won their second World Series in 13 post-season appearances under manager Bobby Cox at a time when winning it all was least expected.
I love the Giants' moxie, but I can't see any team from the N.L. West mounting a threat. Heck, I can't see any N.L. team standing up to the A.L. champ. My midseason flirtation with the A's was based on the assumption that their starting pitching would exhibit its usual second half dominance (wrong) and that the Red Sox were about to implode (wrong again, thanks to the trading-deadline work of general manager Theo Epstein). Now, I like the Sox even better than I did at the start.
In the days ahead, you will hear the usual nonsense about the Yankees' curious spell over the Red Sox, about a curse that is not a curse at all, but a historic pattern of one team outperforming another. No longer is that inevitable. The Sox's offseason additions of Schilling and closer Keith Foulke created a pitching staff that will finish with an ERA approximately one-half run lower than the Yankees'. Epstein's midseason makeover made the Sox stronger defensively while barely denting their league-leading offense. Finally, it can be said: Boston is the better team.
Make no mistake, the Yankees remain formidable. But for them to win the A.L. pennant, Mike Mussina must turn into Schilling and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez must turn into Martinez. Could happen. But I wouldn't count on it. Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and David Wells are gone. Kevin Brown appears useless. Neither Javier Vazquez nor Jon Lieber looms as an October hero.
Of course, the Red Sox might be in a predicament if Martinez is done in by fatigue, cooler weather or a Terry Francona brain cramp and Derek Lowe reprises his recent Yankee Stadium meltdown. But the Sox's presumed No. 4 pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, has a lower ERA than every Yankees starter but Hernandez. And the Yankees' bullpen began the week with a 5.57 ERA since the All-Star break, worst in the A.L., and a .291 opponents batting average, worst in the majors, according to STATS Inc. The Yankees lack a quality lefthanded specialist, and opponents were batting a league-high .355 with men on base against one of their three principal righties, Paul Quantrill.
Then again, the idea of a Red-Sox Yankees ALCS is presumptuous. The Twins, dubious offense and all, appear much more capable than the A's, Angels or Rangers of pulling a first-round upset. A's G.M. Billy Beane likens the postseason to a crapshoot, and to an extent he's right. But the Yankees of the late 1990s sure weren't lucky, and the Red Sox won't be, either. They're good enough to survive the Division Series, good enough to win the ALCS with Schilling possibly making three starts, good enough to strike down every demon that has haunted them since 1918.