Oct 9, 2008 - 10:46 PM
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The longest regular season in professional sports has come and gone, leaving a mad scramble to decide the team that has what it takes to put together a tidy run of four wins in seven games.
The Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays have been both lucky enough and good enough to emerge from the pile with a shot at the World Series, so who is in a better position to win the American League Championship Series?
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the Red Sox and Rays.
Catcher:
Dioner Navarro, Rays. Navarro finally began to fulfill his long-rumored promise this season, making the All-Star team while batting .295 and leading the AL in caught-stealing percentage. He went 5-for-16 at the plate in the AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox.
Jason Varitek, Red Sox. Varitek joined Navarro on the All-Star team because of reputation only. Boston's captain is suffering through the worst offensive season of his career, batting .220 with a .313 on-base percentage. He went 9-for-54 (.167) against Tampa Bay in the regular season.
Edge: Rays.
First base:
Carlos Pena, Rays. After struggling in the first half, Pena hit 20 of his 31 home runs after July 1 and shook off a scratched cornea to go 5-for-10 in the ALDS with a pair of RBI in the clinching game. Quick around the bag, Pena knows how to play bounces from his fellow infielders, especially on the turf at Tropicana Field.
Kevin Youkilis/Mark Kotsay, Red Sox. Boston's injury problems cloud the situation, with Youkilis likely seeing time at third due to Mike Lowell's absence. Kotsay is much less experienced at first and is a downgrade offensively from Lowell, whose bat he would be replacing.
Edge: If it's Youkilis, the edge goes to the Red Sox. If it's not, the advantage swings to the Rays.
Second base:
Akinori Iwamura, Rays. An unconventional leadoff hitter in that he struck out 131 times this season, Iwamura made the switch from third base to second flawlessly and has good range up the middle. The 29-year-old went 7-for-18 against the White Sox and hit four of his six homers against Boston in the regular season.
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is one of the leading candidates for AL MVP after finishing second in batting average and first in doubles, multi-hit games and runs. A former shortstop, Pedroia would be a solid pick for a Gold Glove at second. He started the ALDS against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 0-for-15 before clubbing an RBI double off the "Green Monster" in Game Four.
Edge: Red Sox.
Third base:
Evan Longoria, Rays. The heir apparent to Pedroia for AL Rookie of the Year, Longoria has become the leader of the team while hitting 27 homers and driving in 85 runs. He made the All-Star team and made his postseason debut by hitting two homers in Game One of the ALDS. Oh, and he plays great defense.
Youkilis/Jed Lowrie, Red Sox. Both Youkilis and Lowrie represent a downgrade defensively from Lowell, but Youkilis has been one top offensive performers in the AL all season. Another first-time All-Star, Youkilis finished fourth in the AL with a .958 OPS and reached career-highs with 29 homers and 115 RBI - leading Boston in all four categories.
Edge: If it's Youkilis, it's a slight edge to the Red Sox. If it's Lowrie, the big edge goes to Longoria.
Shortstop:
Jason Bartlett, Rays. One of two players on the Tampa Bay roster with LCS experience, Bartlett is a strong defensive player who can hit a little (.286 average) and steal bases (20-of-26 in the regular season). He scored three runs in the ALCS and finished the series 4-for-14 with a double.
Lowrie/Alex Cora, Red Sox. Lowrie had the game-winning hit against the Angles in Game Four of the ALDS and has power to the gaps, totaling 25 doubles in 260 at-bats in the regular season. He will slide over to third when Youkilis plays first, leaving shortstop to Cora, who is a strong defensive player but a light hitter.
Edge: push.
Left field:
Carl Crawford, Rays. The longest-tenured Tampa Bay player, Crawford spent the last seven weeks of the regular season on the disabled list after finger surgery and went 3-for-14 with a pair of runs scored in the ALDS. The 27-year-old had his worst statistical season since becoming a full-time player in 2003 but adds speed and plus defense to his list of skills.
Jason Bay, Red Sox. Bay homered twice in the ALDS and has been a key part of Boston's offense since arriving at the trade deadline, batting .293 with nine homers and 37 RBI in 49 regular-season games. Including his time with the Pirates, Bay finished the season with 31 homers and 101 RBI.
Edge: Red Sox
Center field:
B.J. Upton, Rays. After a sub-par regular season in the power department, Upton went out and slugged three homers in the ALDS, including two in the clinching game. A threat on the bases with 44 steals this season, Upton has made himself into one of the better center fielders in the AL and has a strong throwing arm.
Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox. The rookie led the AL with 50 stolen bases but struggled through some growing pains for much of the season. He turned it around in August and September, batting .324 over the last 43 games. Ellsbury carried that into the ALDS, going 6-for-18 with six RBI against the Angels.
Edge: Rays.
Right field:
Gabe Gross/Rocco Baldelli, Rays. Tampa Bay used three different starting right fielders against the White Sox, with rookie Fernando Perez tossed into the mix as well. The idea is that Baldelli will get most of the at-bats against lefthanders while Gross will take on the righties, but it is not a straight platoon.
J.D. Drew, Red Sox. Drew made five plate appearances after August 17 due to a back injury but hit a two-run homer in Game Two of the ALDS and looked comfortable at the plate. He made his first All-Star Game this season and finished with a .408 on-base percentage and a .927 OPS.
Edge: Red Sox.
Designated hitter:
Cliff Floyd/Baldelli, Rays. Again, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon likes to platoon this spot, with Floyd batting against the righthanded pitchers. Floyd hit .268 with 11 homers in 246 at-bats this season and is the only player on the roster with World Series experience.
David Ortiz, Red Sox. One of the premier hitters in the majors, Ortiz spent two months on the disabled list with a wrist injury but managed to post a .914 OPS and drive in 46 runs in 55 games upon his return. He has 11 homers in 206 career postseason at-bats.
Edge: Red Sox.
Rotation:
James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine, Rays. None of Tampa Bay's starters had ever appeared in a postseason game before the ALDS, and all but Kazmir are well past their career-highs in innings pitched. They combined for a 4.68 ERA and 24 hits allowed in 23 1/3 innings against the White Sox.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Red Sox. Lester did not allow an earned run in two starts against Anaheim in the ALDS and finished the regular season 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA. Beckett has yet to suffer a loss in postseason play and, if healthy, is one of the best in the game. Matsuzaka went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in the regular season, but allowed three runs in five innings against the Angels.
Edge: Red Sox.
Bullpen:
Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell, etc., Rays. Tampa Bay finished third in the AL with a 3.55 relievers ERA in the regular season and allowed one run in 11 2/3 innings in the ALDS. Balfour and Howell form a dominating right-left combination and Dan Wheeler is solid in the ninth inning. No. 5 starter Edwin Jackson was added to the roster for the ALCS and will serve as the long man.
Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, etc., Red Sox. Papelbon has yet to allow a run in 19 2/3 postseason innings, but Boston had a hard time getting him the ball in the ALDS. Rookie Justin Masterson blew the save in Game Four against the Angels and allowed six hits and three walks in four innings in the series. Delcarmen allowed only one run in his last 18 appearances in the regular season and backed it up with two more against Anaheim.
Edge: Rays.
Manager:
Maddon, Rays. A mild-mannered skipper, Maddon has deftly handled his team this season, including sending a message by benching Upton for a failure to hustle. He has managed to keep his bullpen healthy and productive while coaxing consistent production out of his rotation.
Terry Francona, Red Sox. Francona has won two of the past four World Series and masks various injuries by plugging different players in all over the field. He has learned to handle the media crush of Boston while keeping the heat off of his players.
Edge: Red Sox.
Prediction: Red Sox in six.
