Red Sox Down, But Not For Long

No matter how you look at it, the Boston Red Sox are having a poor season. Despite a great deal of anticipation surrounding the team for 2014 after winning the World Series last year, the Sox currently hold the last place position in the American League East division. With a better win-loss record (13 games under .500) than only the Astros and the Rangers in all of the American League, the Red Sox have lost all their hope for the 2014 season being a memorable one — memorable in a good way, that is.

Any remaining hope that the Sox did have was diminished last week just before the trade deadline when they made several trades that sent some of their key players off to other teams. Most significantly, Jon Lester being sent out to Oakland in exchange for Yoenis Cespedes, who should provide some pop to a struggling Red Sox outfield, was a big blow to the team.

While Cespedes is a fantastic player, and will undoubtedly help the Sox moving forward, Lester was an ace, and aces are extremely valuable. A team simply isn’t the same after loosing such a valuable asset, and it will certainly show.

But Lester wasn’t the only Red Sox pitcher who changed uniforms. Also getting sent packing were John Lackey and Jake Peavy, who brought back Allen Craig and Joe Kelly, and a couple of minor league prospects, respectively.

Though David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, and breakout Brock Holt, have been big parts to the Red Sox team this year, coming through big in games, there have been too many injuries to have the Sox make any sort of run towards making the playoffs. Last season everything seemed to go right every single day of the year, but this season things are just the opposite, with players not being able to get on a roll.

With a mere 51 games left to their season, the Red Sox are beginning to look to the future for signs of better things to come. And, fortunately for them, they have an unbelievable amount of young talent set to contribute to the Sox as soon as the 2015 season, leading many to envision big things for them next year.

Consisting of Mookie Betts, Henry Owens, Blake Swihart, Garin Cecchini, Allen Webster, Anthony Ranaudo and Christian Vazquez, all of which are age 24 or younger, the Sox have seven of their top ten prospects currently at Triple-A or in the major leagues, leaving them with numerous options to help improve their ball club shortly down the road.

Two of those multiple options were just recently promoted to Triple-A, in Henry Owens and Blake Swihart, however, they are arguably the most talented of any players in the Red Sox farm system.

Owens holds a 15-4 record between Double-A and Triple-A this year, with an ERA of 2.47, after an outstanding Triple-A debut on Monday night. Swihart is hitting an even .300, with a career high 12 home runs and 55 RBI’s to this point in the season.

Though it isn’t likely that either one will be a September call up, seeing that the Red Sox are out of things, both could play huge roles in a resurgence for the Red Sox in 2015.

As far as Mookie Betts, Garin Cecchini, and the remaining, previously mentioned prospects go, all have seen some major league time at some point this season, and while none of them blew people away by posting amazing stats, they each are expected to have bright big league futures.

Once the Red Sox’ top prospects begin to reach the big league level and stick, combining their talents with the likes of the always consistent David Ortiz, newcomer Yoenis Cespedes, and star second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, the Sox should begin to see things turn around.

With there being rumors that the Red Sox could potentially resign Jon Lester this coming offseason to a deal for 2015 and beyond, despite 2014 being a down year, next year could wind up being the year the Red Sox begin to see that expected major turn around to their overall team. If all goes as predicted (given, that hardly ever happens), 2015 could turn out to be a very special season.

Home Run Milestones that Should Occur In 2014

Below you’ll find a list of the home run milestones that *should* occur in 2014. I say should because there’s no guarantee that any given player on the list will reach the milestone; they could get injured, have a bad season, or whatever. I’ve made the same type of list the past two seasons, and they have been well-received, so I figured I’d post another one for this season.

In order to make the list a player has to meet the following criteria:

1. You can’t be a pitcher. Although there are some pitchers that can hit home runs, you won’t find any on my list. Reason being is that they’re not everyday players.
2. You have to have hit at least one home run in the major leagues. There are several dozen players going into 2014 that haven’t hit an MLB home run, but adding them to the below list just didn’t make sense.
3. You have to be closing in on an even milestone, like 100, 200, 300, etc. I didn’t include anyone that’s a few homers away from number 50, 75, 125, etc. It just didn’t seem necessary.

The list is organized by player name, team, milestone they’re going for, and how many home runs they are from that particular milestone:

2014 Home Run Milestones

Ryan Doumit, Braves — Home Run Number 100 (1 home run away)

Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox — Home Run Number 100 (1 home run away)

Colby Rasmus, Blue Jays — Home Run Number 100 (2 home runs away)

Mark Trumbo, Diamondbacks — Home Run Number 100 (5 home runs away)

Brian Roberts, Yankees — Home Run Number 100 (8 home runs away)

Geovany Soto, Rangers — Home Run Number 100 (9 home runs away)

Pablo Sandoval, Giants — Home Run Number 100 (10 home runs away)

Yadier Molina, Cardinals — Home Run Number 100 (11 home runs away)

Matt Wieters, Orioles — Home Run Number 100 (13 home runs away)

Pedro Alvarez, Pirates — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)

James Loney, Rays — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)

David Murphy, Indians — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)

Jimmy Rollins, Phillies — Home Run Number 200 (1 home run away)

Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays — Home Run Number 200 (5 home runs away)

Josh Hamilton, Angels — Home Run Number 200 (18 home runs away)

Josh Willingham, Twins — Home Run Number 200 (19 home runs away)

Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals — Home Run Number 200 (21 home runs away)

Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers — Home Run Number 200 (22 home runs away)

Brian McCann, Yankees — Home Run Number 200 (24 home runs away)

Prince Fielder, Rangers — Home Run Number 300 (15 home runs away)

Adrian Beltre, Rangers — Home Run Number 400 (24 home runs away)

Miguel Cabrera, Tigers — Home Run Number 400 (35 home runs away)

Albert Pujols, Angels –Home Run Number 500 (8 home runs away)

2013 Gold Glove Awards

The 2013 Major League Baseball Gold Glove award winners were announced last night on ESPN2. There were multiple first-time winners, but everyone that won was extremely deserving — though I might not agree with them all.

The Gold Glove Award is an award given out each year to the players that are judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League, as voted by the managers and coaches in each league. (Managers can not vote for their own players.)

This marks the 56th annual Gold Glove Awards, which began back in 1957.

Here’s a recap of the winners, with my thoughts on each:

CATCHER

AL Nominees– Joe Mauer, Salvador Perez and Matt Wieters

AL Winner– Salvador Perez (1st career)

NL Nominees– A.J. Ellis, Russell Martin and Yadier Molina

NL Winner– Yadier Molina (6th career)

Salvador Perez was the most deserving of this award, among the nominees. While they’re all great players, Perez had the overall better year; becoming the first Royals’ catcher to receive the award since 1989. On the National League side, Yadier Molina winning was an obvious choice. He picks up his sixth career Gold Glove.

PITCHER

AL Nominees– Mark Buehrle, R.A. Dickey and Doug Fister

AL Winner– R.A. Dickey (1st career)

NL Nominees– Patrick Corbin, Zack Greinke and Adam Wainwright

NL Winner– Adam Wainwright (2nd career)

After winning his first career Cy Young award last season, R.A. Dickey picks up his first career Gold Glove. Though he had his share of rough games, he had an overall decent season. But I would’ve liked to have seen Mark Buehrle win. Of the nominees, it was a rather difficult choice for NL, but Adam Wainwright ended up getting the accolade.

LEFT FIELDER

AL Nominees– Yoenis Cespedes, Andy Dirks and Alex Gordon

AL Winner– Alex Gordon (3rd career)

NL Nominees– Carlos Gonzalez, Starling Marte and Eric Young Jr.

NL Winner– Carlos Gonzalez (3rd career)

Alex Gordon picks up his third straight Gold Glove, beating out Andy Dirks and Yoenis Cespedes in the AL. Carlos Gonzalez, like Gordon, received his third career Gold Glove award. Both were deserving, in my mind, and both have the potential to win several more before all is said and done.

CENTER FIELDER

AL Nominees– Lorenzo Cain, Jacoby Ellsbury and Adam Jones

AL Winner– Adam Jones (3rd career)

NL Nominees– Carlos Gomez, Andrew McCutchen and Denard Span

NL Winner– Carlos Gomez (1st career)

After winning a Gold Glove in 2012 — many feel Mike Trout got snubbed — Adam Jones picks up his third career award, as he had another really great year. Carlos Gomez picks up his first career Gold Glove award, for the National League, having a deserving season for the Brewers.

RIGHT FIELDER

AL Nominees– Nick Markakis, Josh Reddick and Shane Victorino

AL Winner– Shane Victorino (4th career)

NL Nominees– Jay Bruce, Jason Heyward and Gerardo Parra

NL Winner– Gerardo Parra (2nd career)

Both Shane Victorino and Gerardo Parra aren’t really acknowledged all that often for their gloves, however, both are really good right fielders for their respective teams. This is Victorino’s fourth Gold Glove, and Parra’s second. Both have the potential to win more down the road.

FIRST BASE

AL Nominees– Chris Davis, Eric Hosmer and James Loney

AL Winner– Eric Hosmer (1st career)

NL Nominees– Paul Goldschmidt, Adrian Gonzalez and Anthony Rizzo

NL Winner– Paul Goldschmidt (1st career)

Both the National League Gold Glove winner, Paul Goldschmidt, and American League Gold Glove winner, Eric Hosmer, had great seasons, earning them their first career Gold Gloves. Goldschmidt is a top candidate for National League Most Valuable Player — leading the NL in RBI’s and home runs — with Hosmer becoming the first Royals first baseman to win the award.

SECOND BASE

AL Nominees– Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia and Ben Zobrist

AL Winner– Dustin Pedroia (3rd career)

NL Nominees– Darwin Barney, Mark Ellis and Brandon Phillips

NL Winner– Brandon Phillips (4th career)

For me, it came down to Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano, as both had great seasons and always seem to flash their gloves at some point during nearly every game. Pedroia ended up receiving the Gold Glove, which I’m completely fine with. Brandon Phillips winning his fourth career Gold Glove award is another one I’m fine with. Amazingly talented players on both the AL and NL sides.

SHORT STOP

AL Nominees- Yunel Escobar, Alcides Escobar and J.J. Hardy

AL Winner- J.J. Hardy (2nd career)  

NL Nominees- Ian Desmond, Andrelton Simmons and Troy Tulowitzki  

NL Winner- Andrelton Simmons (1st career)

I was a bit surprised with J.J. Hardy winning, however, I don’t really have a problem with it. He was deserving of the award. Andrelton Simmons was also deserving of the award, as he made some amazing plays this past season and is worthy of his first Gold Glove. Simmons is a player to keep an eye on to win several more in his future.

THIRD BASE

AL Nominees- Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria and Manny Machado

AL Winner- Manny Machado (1st career)

NL Nominees- Nolan Arenado, Juan Uribe and David Wright 

NL Winner- Nolan Arenado (1st career)

When you’re having to pick between Adrian Beltre, Evan Longoria and Manny Machado for the third base Gold Glove award you run into a problem: They’re all very deserving. But I have to agree with Manny Machado winning, as he had an incredible year, slightly greater than Longoria or Beltre. Nolan Arenado picks up his first career Gold Glove, for the NL, but it’s likely to be just one of many in his career.

2013 GOLD GLOVE AWARDS FAST FACTS

• There were eight first-time Gold Glove winners.
• The Royals and Orioles had the most Gold Glove winners, with three apiece.
• This was the first year that sabermetrics were used as a voting component.
• Nolan Arenado is just the tenth rookie to ever win a Gold Glove.

Wild Finishes Send World Series Back to Boston

As I wrote in my last blog post, there was a chance coming into St. Louis that either the Cardinals or the Red Sox could win the World Series, should they be able to sweep the other team. But thanks to a couple of wild finished, the series heads back to Boston — the Red Sox lead 3-2 — where a champion will be crowned at Fenway Park for the first time since 1975, when the Reds beat out the Red Sox in seven games. (If the Sox win it will be their first World Series clinch at home since 1918.)

But a lot took place to get to this point.

Going into game three, on Saturday, the Red Sox had Jake Peavy on the mound taking on the Cardinals’ Joe Kelly. Both Peavy and Kelly had been decent this season/postseason, and both were looking to give their team the edge in this talent-laden World Series.

Peavy had a bit of trouble early, allowing a couple runs to the Cardinals in the bottom of the first inning, but he quickly regained himself, not allowing a run the remainder of his four inning outing. Kelly was just a bit better, however, as he gave up only one run over 5.1 innings, when he was replaced by Randy Choate, who promptly gave up the game tying run to the Red Sox.

The bottom of the seventh saw the Cardinals retaking the lead, on a two-run double by Matt Holliday. But just as to be expected in an exciting World Series game, the Red Sox tied things up in the very next inning. Making the score 4-4, heading into the ninth.

Things would then get interesting.

The Sox failed to score in the top half, as Trevor Rosenthal was dominant once again, giving the Cardinals a chance to walk-off with a big win. Which they did, but not in the most conventional way. A Yadier Molina single was followed up with an Allen Craig pinch-hit double, placing runners at second and third with just one away. Jon Jay would then ground to Dustin Pedroia, who quickly threw home for the out, but a wide throw by Jarrod Saltalamacchia led to the most talked about World Series play in years.

Will Middlebrooks found himself with nowhere to go after diving for the errant throw, leaving third base umpire, Jim Joyce, to signal obstruction, after Allen Craig tripped over Middlebrooks, which would subsequently win the Cardinals the ballgame. Not a way you’d like to see a game of that magnitude end, but you had to figure it would give the Red Sox added motivation in the next game.

Game four didn’t have a controversial finish, but it did end in just as unusual of fashion.

A surprise to many, Clay Buchholz, who had been reported at thirty percent healthy, had a great game for the Red Sox, only allowing a single run through his four innings on the mound. Lance Lynn, who isn’t really acknowledged that often, had a great game as well, also giving up a single run through his 5.1 innings pitched.

Although, after Lynn allowed a couple of base runners in the fifth, he was replaced by Seth Maness — a mistake in my mind, as Maness has been getting hit all postseason — who allowed a homer to Jonny Gomes, making the score 4-1, Red Sox.

The Cardinals would score a run in the seventh, and go onto make a push to tie the game in the ninth, but a mistake by rookie Kolten Wong ended the game with everyone stunned. Getting picked off at first by Koji Uehara, Wong became the first player in postseason history to get picked off to end the ballgame.

The series once again became tied, heading into a final game in St. Louis.

A rematch of game one, game six saw Adam Wainwright going up against Jon Lester in a pivotal game. Both Lester and Wainwright pitched well — Wainwright struck out six batters through the first two innings — as they both allowed a mere one run through the first six innings.

The one run off of Wainwright came from an RBI-double by David Ortiz, who is now hitting .733 in the series — the only Red Sox player in history with back-to-back 3-hit nights in the Fall Classic. Lester’s lone run came off a solo-shot homer to Matt Holliday — one of Lester’s only four hits allowed.

The Red Sox would get the better of Wainwright in the seventh, scoring two runs to make the score 3-2, Sox. And that’s how the game would end, as Koji Uehara was stellar once again, closing out the game for the Red Sox.

The Cardinals and Red Sox now head back to Boston. It will be interesting to see how each team plays, knowing game six could be it. The way this World Series has been going, however, — especially with Michael Wacha pitching game six for the Cardinals — I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see it go seven games. But, in the end, if I had to pick a favorite at this point in the series, I’d have to give the Red Sox the edge.

We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

World Series Tied Heading Into St. Louis

Coming into the 2013 World Series the one thing everyone could agree upon, whether you’re rooting for the Cardinals or the Red Sox, was that this was going to be a great Fall Classic. Many people all around the baseball world expected a back and forth series, with several predicting a series of six or seven games. It would seem, if things keep up, that people’s predictions are going to come true.

But game one didn’t turn out to be the pitcher’s dual many envisioned.

The Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright went up against the Red Sox’ Jon Lester, in what was supposed to be a close game. But the Red Sox came out swinging. After loading the bases in the bottom of the first, Mike Napoli, who’s been heating up lately, cleared the bases on a double, making it a quick three-run Red Sox lead.

The Sox scored again in the second, off of timely hits. After that, however, neither team would score until the seventh, when David Ortiz — who had been robbed of a grand slam by Carlos Beltran, who was injured on the play, earlier in the game — blasted a home run into the bullpen, tacking on another two runs to extend the lead to seven runs, which would become an eight-run lead in the next inning.

Matt Holliday blasted a homer in the top of the ninth, but it didn’t do any good, as the Red Sox had too big of a lead and were able to take game one, 8-1.

The blowout left many people, myself included, scratching their heads and questioning whether this was going to be the series it had been hyped up to be. But doubts were eliminated in game two, as it brought the type of excitement everyone had been waiting for.

Michael Wacha was dominant yet again for the Cardinals, holding the Red Sox hitless through three innings. Jon Lackey was great as well for the Red Sox, but the Cards would strike first in this game, in the fourth, off of a Matt Holliday triple and a Yadier Molina RBI tapper over the pitcher’s head. However, the Red Sox would answer back in the sixth, on a two-run home run from (who else?) David Ortiz, which ultimately knocked Wacha out of the game.

But it didn’t take long for the Cardinals to regain the lead, as in the seventh, after a walk to David Freese, a Jon Jay single, a double-steal, and a walk to Daniel Descalso, the bases became loaded for Matt Carpenter.

Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly left field, which tied the scored up at two runs. Moments later, on the same play, a high throw in an attempt to pick off Jay at third, gave the Cardinals a one-run lead. Then Carlos Beltran — who had been questionable to even play in this game due to an injury the night before — drove in Descalso, making it a 4-2 Cardinals lead, which is where the game would end.

The Red Sox and Cardinals now head to St. Louis tied at a game apiece. Either team has a chance to win the World Series Championship at Bush Stadium if they can sweep, however, with the talent both teams possess, odds are the winner will be crowned at Fenway Park sometime next week.

This could easily turn out to be a World Series for the history books.