In impressive style, the Sox rolled off 7 straight playoff wins to take home the trophy. They not only survived but dominated each of the 3 elimination games against the Indians. Contributions came from every position. It's the first time in a while that the team with the best regular season record won the World Series.
Most people are pointing to the 8 day layoff for the Rockies leading to their downfall. But if you look at their stats during the ALDS & ALCS they weren't impressive. They had solid pitching against poor lineups. The Sox dominated them in every category.
World Series & Playoff Records - a few of the many...
Biggest run differential ever in WS – 29-10 (19 runs)
Greatest run differential in playoffs – 99-46 (53 runs)
7 game win streak – outscored opponents by astounding 59-15
Second highest BA ever in WS
Biggest run differential ever in WS – 29-10 (19 runs)
Greatest run differential in playoffs – 99-46 (53 runs)
7 game win streak – outscored opponents by astounding 59-15
Second highest BA ever in WS
Only mananger to win 8 straight WS games
Best stat from the Playoffs? Dice-K batted 1 for 1 with RISP with 2 RBI - while A-Rod is 0-21 and only 1 RBI in the last 3+ seasons...
Free Agents
The playoffs were redemption time for both JD Drew and Julio Lugo. Both had sub-par regular seasons but really stepped it up when it counted. You can't put a pricetag on that - just ask A-Rod. It's safe to say that their performances in the post season wiped out any poor performances during the regular season. Expect good things from these guys next season.
The Kids are alright...
We almost forget that Pedroia is a rookie because he performed all season. What a weapon the newest Dirt Dog will be now with playoff success under his belt. Ellsbury is going to be a star. Would he have been the first "rookie" to ever have won the World Series MVP the season BEFORE? (his status for next season will be a rookie) - Almost happened... Jon Lester looked really good in his first ever playoff start. He'll have nothing but confidence coming in next year bundled with a full offseason of conditioning. Delcarmen had a great season and should take the 7th inning role. Could be the most dominant bullpen in the majors next season.
Japanese Connection:
Dice-K & Okajima are also rookies. Just think about the cultural and baseball operational differences they encountered. Their diet is drastically different, not to mention finding appetizing food. Can you imagine needing a third person just to communicate every day? Now imagine yourself being dropped off in downtown Tokyo with no english signs anywhere. Now think about that happening each time you are on a road trip. You have trained your entire career to pitch every 6th day and now you are required to every 5th day. The extent of your road trips was confined to a ride on a bullett train and now you travel in a cramped airliner for 6 hours and subjected to time zone changes. Now that is an adjustment. Amazing how well they performed with all of those distractions. They'll be even better next season now that they know the routine.
Might be gone:
Mike Lowell - don't let Yanks get chance to bid on him. And we don't want A-Rod (see clubhouse, playoffs). 3rd option is Youkie & trade Crisp for a 1B
Schilling - Sox can afford the risk at $13M but they may not. Unfortunately may come down to him or Wake.
Wake - Will injuries force him to hang it up or will he give it another shot? Sox would be willing...
Mirabelli - actually may be expendable even if Wake stays...
Timlin - might be time to hang em up, but worth a shot for 1 more season
Tavares - good insurance policy, might want to be a starter elsewhere
Kielty - WS hero to be replaced with Kapler?
Sayonara Division:
Eric Gagne we hardly knew ye. Despite his #'s he enabled Okajima to get rest down the stretch.
Coco Crisp - Ellsbury dazzled the masses. We'll miss his defense. Never fully developed his bat.
Javier Lopez - cheap, but not reliable down the stretch
Pound Sand Division:
To all of you Yankee fans who proclaimed the Sox wouldn't win for another 86 years... Pound Sand & get a new slogan. We like the Sox to break the goals you set for them. Thanks.
Yankee Reaction:
Don't look now Yankee fans, but the "younger" Steinbrenners are wackier than the old man. So far in the media they have shown to be bitter, arrogant, and frankly dumb. Whatever quote they published about not dealing with A-Rod is just bad business. "Never let anyone outside the family know what you're thinking again." Thanks Vito!
Hank Steinbrenner (Sr. VP) didn't congratulate the Sox like Georgie did. He proclaimed; "The Red Sox can have their Nation. The Yankees have the universe." The universe of second place? One & done? Being dilusional is not a good trait for management. Kicking Torre out the door was their biggest mistake. They just let the glue (or what was left of it) of the franchise walk away after 12 years of outstanding service for $3M. $3M. That figure will haunt you for years. Perhaps 87 or so...
Congrats to the Sox & all of you lucky Jordan Furniture winners!!! Enjoy your offseason!
8 comments:
dude, I think that title went straight to your head. You are saying the dumbest things I've ever read on this site. Torre was not dumped, he rejected the contract offer and left. Girardi is thousand times better, Torre was just getting plain old, cannot catch up with the current pace of baseball.
Torre was dumped. The "offer" they gave him was embarassing & transparent. He was offered a pay cut & a 1 yr deal with an option. He'd be a lame duck manager AGAIN. He had arguably his best season as a manager bringing them back from the abyss. Do you not see or don't want to see it?
Girardi is a thousand times better? Wow, what a track record of 1 year of experience. Yeah, that Florida press is much nastier than New York's. Dealing with the NY press is a full time job, never mind all the wacky Steinbrenners now in the mix. Being a field general is job #3.
Wish him luck, he's going to need it especially in year 1. It's going to be messy when they start to struggle - and they will. Good luck re-signing Posada & Rivera too...
I love that stat -- Dice-K is more clutch batting in the playoffs than A-Rod!
he did not bring them back, players did. Girardi is a Yankees man, played for them and won World Series with them. He was a catcher and will know how to deal with young pitchers. Did you not see the mistakes Torre did over and over again with taking pitchers out and leaving them in at the worst times during the season? Good riddance to him and A-Rod - Yankees will be better off next year.
Anonymous, you can't have it both ways. If your argument is that Torre did not bring the team back, then the same holds true for what got them there in the first place -- players under performing and he should never have been on the chopping block. Yankee's may be better off w/out A-Rod next year, but don't confuse that with better. He's the one guy that kept them in the race!
Girardi is already feeling the pressure -- this is going to be good. During a press conference, Girardi was asked if he thinks the playoffs are a crapshoot. He responded, “I am a big believer that the best team wins." The follow up question was a beauty…"So that means you think the Indians are better than the Yankees?" His response, while getting annoyed, was that the Indians were better for four games. Which prompted the reporter to explain that means it is a crapshoot -- and now he's really annoyed! Outstanding!
he is the one guy that kept them in the race, and he is the one guy that always sucked in the playoffs. So we are better off without A-Rod and we will be better without A-Rod. There should really be no arguments on this one - the man is the ultimate loser, never won a championship and brings the entire clubhouse down.
Well, well, well. Your thoughts on A-Rod were clear. According to you, "So we are better off without A-Rod and we will be better without A-Rod. There should really be no arguments on this one - the man is the ultimate loser, never won a championship and brings the entire clubhouse down." You must be really proud of your team for trying to get him back for next year. All I've seen/heard is a bunch of sellers/fans/players that talk our of both sides of their mouths. Find some integrigty.
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