Red Sox After Season Awards

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am going to do my post season awards (not postseason awards). These are the players I think deserve the after season awards on this Red Sox team.  These are all based on my own thoughts; so if you disagree, certainly you can explain who you think should win and why in the comments.  Now, here's the awards:

MVP: David Ortiz

Photo from Bleacher Report

David Ortiz hit .309 during the season with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 28 doubles.  Those numbers are great, but you need to add it to what he meant to this team.  Ortiz made his now famous post Boston Marathon speech in April, and that seemed to be the catalyst for this team to strive for the top.  Yes, they had a point to prove after last season, but they also wanted to lift the City of Boston on their shoulders.  Ortiz was the man to make the speech and bring this team back to greatness.

Of course, in the World Series, he was dominant.  He hit .688 with 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 11 hits, and 8 walks (with only 1 strike out).  He now has 3 World Series rings and 1 MVP award in his career.

Cy Young: Jon Lester

Photo from NESN

This season, Lester went 15-8 with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.294 WHIP.  Some people may be asking how he can by Cy Young with those good but not great numbers.  I chose Jon Lester because he was the workhorse the Red Sox needed this season.  He pitched 213.1 innings, when the next closest was John Lackey with 189.1 innings.  After the All Star break, Lester seemed to improve with every start.  His ERA fell from 4.58 to 3.75 for the season, almost an entire run.

This postseason, Lester made a name for himself as an ace.  In the World Series, he had 2 winning starts, pitched 15.1 innings, and only gave up 9 hits, 1 run, 1 walk while striking out 15.  His World Series ERA was 0.59.

Rookie of the Year: Xander Bogaerts

Photo from USAToday

This one was a little hard for me, as there wasn't a Rookie that made a season-long impact on this team.  There were players that had been up and down in the minors for the past couple years (Daniel Nava, Will Middlebrooks), but I don't think any player made more of an influence on the team than Xander Bogaerts.  During the season, he hit .250 in 18 games with 11 hits, 1 home run, and 5 RBIs.  Defensively, he showed he was capable at both shortstop (his natural position) and third base (the position he eventually took over for Will Middlebrooks in the postseason).

In the World Series, Bogaerts started all 6 games, batted .238 (which was surprisingly the third highest on the team behind Ortiz and Ellsbury) with2 RBIs and 5 hits, including a triple.

Comeback Player of the Year: John Lackey

Photo from ESPN.GO

John Lackey didn't pitch at all in 2012 because he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Tommy John surgery is serious, but I think it was a blessing in disguise for Lackey.  In 2011, many Red Sox fans cast Lackey as a villain, as the post child for everything that went wrong with the team in September.  He heard more boos than cheers, and the media seemed to be against him as well.  He took 2012 off to recover from surgery.

When he came back this season, no one knew what Lackey would bring.  He looked healthier, physically thinner and stronger, than he had in recent years.  He had a presence to him that showed confidence, and he pitched with confidence.  He had a 10-13 record, but that was because he couldn't get the run support.  He completed the year with a 3.53 ERA (it was 6.41 in 2011), 189.1 innings pitched, and a 1.157 WHIP.

This World Series, Lackey pitched in 3 games (2 starts), had a 1-1 record, and a 2.57 ERA.  He gave up 14 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and struck out 11.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Nava

Photo from YawkeyWayReport

No one can argue that Daniel Nava had an incredible season.  If you recall, Nava made headlines in 2010 when he hit a grand slam on the first pitch he ever saw in the minors.  He was the guy who didnt make his college baseball team right away and was the team manager for two seasons.  Then, he played in the Golden Baseball League, and his contract was bought by the Red Sox for one dollar.  In 2011, he was buried in the minors and designated for assignment without any other team showing interest.  In 2012, he hit only .243 in 88 games.  Many thought he was just a good story, but he wrote another chapter this season.

Daniel Nava hit a career high .303 this season with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.  He played 134 games, platooning with Jonny Gomes and filling in for Victorino when needed.  He was a presence at the plate, but he wasn't one of the over-the-top players that seemed to flood the media this season.  He was grounded, and he will certainly be back in the Majors next season.

That's it for me today.  Tomorrow, I will be attending the Red Sox World Series parade, so make sure to check back early next week for photos and commentary.  It's been a great and intense season, but you can't be upset about the outcome.

Red Sox @ Yankees, September 7, 2013

As I stated last week, I went to the Red Sox-Yankees game at Yankees Stadium on Saturday.  The Red Sox won 13-9, and I'd like to say that they won handily.  They didn't, as you can tell from the score.  Despite that, it was exactly what I expected a Red Sox-Yankees game to be.  There were lots of runs, great plays, and the atmosphere was incredible.  The Red Sox ended up taking 3 of 4 against the Yankees in the series.

Lackey was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox.  I was really expecting a great performance by Lackey and a low-run support from the Red Sox offense, as that seemed to be the case for the last month or so of Lackey's starts.  I got the opposite.  Lackey gave up 7 earned runs in 5.2 innings, but he got the win as the Red Sox exploded with 12 runs before he was pulled.

I witnessed Xander Bogaerts' first, MLB-career home run on Saturday as well.  The ball was crushed (estimated at 443 feet) to right-center-field and landed about 10 rows in front of where I was seated.  I found it interesting to hear people cheer when the person who caught the ball tossed it into the Red Sox bullpen, as if a Yankee fan wouldn't want a home run ball by anyone (I would... unless maybe it was A-Rod hitting the home run).  What the people booing may not know is it was Bogaerts' first home run, and the fan who caught the ball was probably compensated by the Red Sox.

Yankee Stadium is really nice too, though I found it a little too gimmicky for my liking.  The Stadium is everything you'd expect from the Yankees: big, nice features, expensive beer, and gourmet food.  However, in between innings the Jumbotron had different features like matching games, learning Spanish words from Mariano Rivera (and teammates), and Derek Jeter giving service announcements constantly.  Overall, I would definitely go back.

Remember, I will be going to the Red Sox-Yankees game this Saturday at Fenway Park.  After this weekend's experience, I'm even more excited about the game.  Here are some pictures from the game on Saturday:

Yankee Stadium

View of the field before the game

Lackey warming up

Red Sox bullpen coach Dana LeVangie

Lackey still warming up

Lavarnway, LaVangie (not sure who is behind him), and Lackey

Me and my friend, Laura (she wore neutral navy to the game)

Another view of the field before the game

My boyfriend, Cole, and me

Pedro Martinez is the last person in the group walking towards the dugout

First batter, Shane Victorino

Red Sox are batting

Jackie Bradley Junior in Center Field

Jonny Gomes in Right Field

Red Sox Win and Moving Week

The Red Sox were able to pull off a series victory of the hot Dodgers this weekend.  The Red Sox became the first team since mid-June that had beat the Dodgers in a series.  There were definitely some good things to take away from this series.

The Red Sox starting pitching was very impressive.  Even though he received the lost Friday, Lackey held the Dodgers to two runs (coming off a Hanley Ramirez home run).  He had a complete, eight-inning game with only 3 hits, 0 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

Saturday, Lester was back in top form to get the 4-2 win.  He pitched 7.1 innings, gave up 3 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, and had 6 strikeouts.  He also lowered his ERA to 3.97. 

Sunday, Peavey pitched a complete game in a 8-1 win.  He was rolling too.  It only took him 111 pitches to get through the dangerous Dodgers line-up, and he only surrendered 1 run on an Adrian Gonzalez home run.  In his 9 innings, he had 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts.

So, in the course of 3 games, the Red Sox starting pitching gave up a total of 9 hits to the hottest team in baseball.  I'd call that a successful trip.

Xander Bogaerts had his first Major-League hit on Saturday when he pinch-hit for Breslow in the top of the 9th inning.  He followed that up on Sunday with 2 hits, including a double.  In the small sample size, he's hitting .333.

The Red Sox have an off-day today, which is deserved after taking two series on the West Coast.

In other news, I will be starting my move to Connecticut on Saturday morning.  What does this mean to the blog?  This will probably be the only blog post for the rest of the week, as I still have a lot to do both at work and at home.  The hope is to post once I get semi-settled in Connecticut next week, either Monday or Tuesday.

This blog has seen a huge surge in views over the past couple months, and I really appreciate it.  Remember, you can also follow the blog on Twitter @BornIntoItInIA.  I'm sure I'll find a few minutes to tweet this week, so check it out.

Thanks again for finding the blog, and I'll let everyone know how the move (and Red Sox) went next week!

And the Red Sox Lose Again

The Red Sox lost to the Giants last night 3-2.  With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the 9th inning, here's how the rest of the inning played out with Franklin Morales pitching:

Brandon Crawford strikes out swinging (1 Out)

Roger Kieschnick singles on a line drive to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (Runner on 1st Base)

Joaquin Arias lines out to center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (2 Outs, Runner on 1st Base)

Offensive substitution: Pinch-hitter Andres Torres replaces Sergio Romo.

Andres Torres walks.  Roger Kieschnick to 2nd (Runners on 1st and 2nd Bases)

Offensive substitution: Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez replaces Gregor Blanco.

Hector Sanchez hit by pitch.  Roger Kieschnick to 3rd.  Andres Torres to 2nd (Bases loaded)

Pitching change: Brayan Villarreal replaces Franklin Morale.

Marco Scutaro Walks.  Roger Kieschnick scores.  Andres Torres to 3rd.  Hector Sanchez to 2nd.

In summary, the Red Sox lost because of poor pitching (2 walks, 1 hit batter).  With the game on the line, John Farrell put in two pitchers (Franklin Moarales and Brayan Villarreal) who have been in Triple-A until this week because they've been on the disabled list.  To make matters worse, Junichi Tazawa gave up 2 singles and a sac fly in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game.

I haven't question Farrell very much (if at all) this season, but I have to question his use of Tazawa (who hasn't been very effective lately), Morales, and Villarreal in a such a crucial situation.  The Rays had already won their game last night, so the Red Sox knew they had to win this game in order to hold onto first place alone.  Why not use Koji Uehara for at least the 9th inning? 

Because they lost, the Red Sox and Rays are tied for first.  Actually, the Rays are points ahead of the Red Sox because the Rays have played less games than the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have not won consecutive games since August 6th-7th agains the Astros.  They have gone 4-8 since that mark.  Something needs to change.  I thought they were going to get back to their winning ways when the won the first game against the Giants handily (Lester pitching 8.1 innings like a master).  Not the case.

Pedroia is now hitting .290 for the season; and I believe his average since the All-Star Break is something like .210.  Xander Bogaerts was called up before Monday night's game and made his debut last night.  He went 0-for-3, left 5 men on, and was pulled in the bottom of the 6th inning.  The once solid bullpen is showing signs of cracks and wear.  

What needs to happen?  The Red Sox need to win if they want to stay in first place.  They play the Giants today at 2:45 CT time today and have tomorrow off before the weekend series against the Dodgers.  Let's hope they start to win again.