Red Sox mid-term report

By ADAM WENG
Even after being swept by the American League defending champion Tigers in the Motor City, the Boston Red Sox arrived at the All-star break holding the best record in Major League Baseball. Their 53-34 record gave them a 10 game lead in the American League East division over Toronto and the Yankees. The double-digit breathing room is also the biggest gap between a first and second place team, the next largest is the four and a half game lead the Brewers have over the Cubs in the N.L. Central. Still, many questions remain for the over-achieving Sox.
Are they that good, or just in an unusually poor division? Teams of the A.L. East play each other 19 times throughout the course of the season. Therefore it’s easy to rack up wins in a weaker division, and the Sox are the only division leader whose second place team has a losing record, and playing in a weak division isn’t their fault. Still, they do have winning records against the central, west and in interleague play.
The Sox sent six players to the Midsummer Classic, more than any other team. Are they all deserving? Manny Ramirez missed the final starting spot and it’s a wonder he didn’t miss the team entirely. In his 11th trip to the All-star game, the 35 year old’s numbers don’t compare to fellow outfield selections. Only Carl Crawford has similar offensive numbers — with the addition of 23 stolen bases to Manny’s zero.
David Ortiz’s power numbers are down from recent seasons, still his numbers are impressive enough to give him the start in San Francisco. With only 14 home runs at the break, Sox fans are wondering where the man who set the home run record has gone. It should be noted that at this point last season, there were more than 300 more home runs around the league.
Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett were a package trade just two seasons ago and now both are headed for the All-star game (neither starting). Beckett is tied with C.C. Sabathia for most wins in the A.L. with 12, and Lowell leads the team in RBI, is tied with Ortiz in home runs, and is second in doubles and total bases.
Jonathan Papelbon is back for his second straight All-star game as a closer. He has 20 saves in 21 chances with an ERA of 1.93. After being touted as a fourth starter in spring training, Pap has flourished as the go-to closer in the Sox pen.
Speaking of the pen, Hideki Okajima beat out Tigers’ pitcher Jeremy Bonderman as the A.L. final vote winner to earn himself a spot in San Francisco. The lefty set-up man is arguably the most valuable member of the bullpen, sporting a 2-0 record with an untraceable 0.83 ERA in 39 appearances. He has also subbed in for Papelbon when the closer was not available and has earned four saves in five opportunities. Not a bad turn-around for a guy whose first pitch of the season yielded a home run.
As for the second half of the season, the Sox still have some looming issues to contend with.
Why isn’t Manny being Manny? His offensive numbers are uncharacteristically low in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, RBI and home runs. His lackluster performance isn’t providing any protection to Ortiz, which has limited the number of pitches to Big Papi.
Alex Cora: trade bait or starting short stop? Some people thought (present company included) that Cora should have been starting in place of rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia, but his .318 batting average has proven those nay-sayers wrong. Julio Lugo on the other hand may become the first everyday player on a Red Sox team with a BA, OBP and SLG under .300. He’s tried the lead-off, eight and nine spot and none has improved his performance. There has to be a spot for him somewhere, maybe next to the water cooler or Wily Mo Pena (who strikes out 37 percent of the time he comes to the plate.
When will Curt Schilling be back? Will he be the Curt of old or just old? How long does management keep Jon Lester in Pawtucket? Is there room in the outfield for Jacoby Ellsbury, Brandon Moss or David Murphy?
All these unanswered questions and still the Red Sox have the best record in baseball and if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it. The Yankees are no larger than they appear in the rearview mirror and following the All-star break, the Sox have an 11-game homestand against three teams with a combined record of 121-141.
Don’t print the playoff tickets just yet, but don’t plan any vacations for October either.