Carl Crawford Will Be 2012's Curtis Granderson

With all of the other drama surrounding the 2011 Boston Red Sox, it seems that the criticism of Carl Crawford has died down quite a bit. Rightfully so. Since the beginning of the 2011 season I maintained that Carl Crawford would most likely under-perform in Boston while adapting here. Sure enough, he did. Let's just get a couple of things out of the way before I make my case for the man - you cannot blame him for the contract he signed. It was the same deal with J.D. Drew - the man signed on for what was offered to him. However, Crawford, unlike Drew will have a tremendous career in Boston. Here is why: Carl Crawford is too good of a player NOT to do well here. Is he worth $142 million? Probably not. Is he a hell of a ballplayer and athlete? You bet he is.

I want to take a look back at another very similar player before we get into Carl Crawford. In 2010 the New York Yankees tossed a bunch of money at Granderson (5 years, $30 million, in that ballpark.) It is safe to say at this point that the Yankees got Granderson for a steal, considering the numbers he put up in 2011. However, they probably were not feeling that way after his 2010 campaign. The reason why nobody is talking about this obvious comparison is literally because of the dollars involved. I don't care about that. I care about production, so that is what I want to show my audience.

Curtis Granderson is 30 years old, same as Carl Crawford. Granderson came up with the Detroit Tigers in 2004 and 2005 sporadically, but had his first full season in 2006. While with the Tigers, in his four full seasons he averaged 104 runs, 163 hits, 30 doubles, 13 triples, 24 home runs, 70 RBI's, 17 stolen bases, a .272 batting average, a .347 on-base percentage, a .484 slugging percentage and and OPS of .831. Pretty solid numbers for you starting center fielder.

Carl Crawford came up with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2002 part time, and had his first full season in 2003. In his 8 seasons with the Rays before coming to Boston he averaged 93 runs, 177 hits, 26 doubles, 13 triples, 13 home runs, 70 RBI's, 49 stolen bases, a .298 batting average, a .339 on-base percentage, a .447 slugging percentage and an OPS of .786.

For both men something changed when they arrived at their new teams. Obviously, both were facing the tremendous pressure of playing in a major market. Curtis Granderson put up career low numbers in runs scored (76), hits (115), doubles (17), triples (7), batting average (.247) and on-base percentage (.324). Carl Crawford put up career lows in runs scored (65), triples (7), stolen bases (18), batting average (.255) and on-base percentage (.289). Could this be all related to major market pressure?

Nope.

One thing that has been glaringly overlooked in both instances is the fact that in his 4 years in Detroit, Curtis Granderson led off in 2006 139 times. In 2007 he led off 132 times. In 2008 he led off 124 times. Finally in 2009, he led off 130 times. In 2010 with the New York Yankees, Granderson hit 2nd 21 times, 3rd 22 times, 7th 63 times and 8th 32 times.

For Carl Crawford, in 2003 with the Rays he led off 112 times. In 2004 he led off 144 times. In 2005 he led off 78 times, batted 2nd 60 times. In 2006 he hit 2nd 86 times, 3rd 41 times. In 2007 he hit 2nd 61 times, 3rd 71 times. In an injury shortened 2008, he hit 2nd 83 times. In 2009, he hit 2nd 150 times. In 2010, Carl Crawford hit 2nd 100 times, 3rd 48 times. In his first season with the Boston Red Sox in 2011, Carl Crawford hit lead off 7 times, 2nd 10 times, 6th 47 times, 7th 34 times and 8th 27 times.

The problem facing these prolific players was not necessarily the pressure of playing in the major market. The problem was inconsistency in the batting order. In 2011, the New York Yankees finally found a home for Granderson in the lineup. He did a majority of his hitting from the 2 spot. As we all know, it brought forth a level of comfort that allowed for him to have an MVP caliber season, bringing about career highs in runs scored (136), home runs (41), RBI's (119), slugging percentage (.552) and OPS (.916).

What the Boston Red Sox need to do is put Carl Crawford in the 2 hole behind Jacoby Ellsbury and before Dustin Pedroia. Let that lineup live and watch Carl Crawford flourish in Boston. He may never live up to the contract he signed, but remember - that is not his fault. What he will do is give you a legitimate outfielder with speed on the bags and a great ability to score some runs.

The Next Manager of the Boston Red Sox

With the World Series now over, at 12:01am tomorrow, the Hot Stove season officially begins. While many people will be speculating on what players will sign where, I want to take a more concerted approach at the vacancy in Boston. The one with pretty big shoes left to fill.

There have been dozens of names floated around regarding the next manager for the Boston Red Sox. What I wanted to do was take a look at all of them and quickly write off a few, then examine my top 5 candidates for the position.

Having said that, really easily here - Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine are not going to be the next manager. Torre has far too cushy of a job working for MLB and Valentine both has a great gig going for ESPN, but also would not fit in with the Sox mentality. There are three more candidates that are pretty easy to write off as well, Bud Black, manager of the Padres, Eric Wedge, manager of the Mariners and finally Brad Mills, manager of the Astros. All of them are already managing ball clubs and it is highly unlikely that their respective ownerships would allow them lateral moves.

Now, after that list comes the herd of solid leaders, but guys that would not fit properly for Boston. First - Demarlo Hale - Red Sox bench coach. I think it is fairly obvious that the brass is moving away from the management team that was in place here. Though Hale is an excellent coach, his name is tied to all of the drama and the collapse of the 2011 team. He very well may be a manager some day, just not in Boston.

Torey Luvollo, the first base coach for the Toronto Blue Jays has been the hot rumor this week. The problem is, Buster Olney has reported that his sources indicate Luvollo is not going anywhere. I trust Olney. I think he knows what he's talking about and really, the only manager the Sox wanted from the Jays was John Farrell - and that door was slammed shut.

Dale Sveum, the Brewers hitting coach, Tim Walloch, the Dodgers 3rd base coach, Joey Cora, the Marlins bench coach, Don Wakamatsu, the Blue Jays bench coach and Trey Hillman, the Dodgers bench coach all suffer from the same issue - none of them are a "high profile" candidate. What I mean by that is, though they have all either played the game or have been in baseball for quite some time, they just all seem to lack that special something that a manager needs here in Boston.

When I think of a successful coach in Boston, especially on the heels of the September to forget, I think that the Sox need a manager who is either a player/manager - someone of elite playing status in his day OR perhaps a coach that has presence about them. Here are my top 5 candidates, in descending order.

5) Mike Maddux/Texas Rangers Pitching Coach

Aside from being the older brother of the great Greg Maddux, Mike Maddux spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball, two of which were spent in Boston. It is worth noting that his only post season playing experience came while in Boston in 1995. What Maddux brings is his pitching knowledge and discipline, which clearly has been working in Texas. They just keep churning out great pitcher after great pitcher. Maddux has been to the World Series with the Rangers two years running now and seems to have great composure, I just worry about how his demeanor would fare in Boston.

4)Pete Mackanin/Philadelphia Phillies Bench Coach

Mackanin's name has been floating around since the day Terry Francona rode out of town. Mackanin has the experience of dealing with egos as well as great pitchers in a high profile sports town like Philadelphia. The problem I see with him is his age. I hate to say that, but I do think its true. He is the oldest candidate being mentioned. That can work for him, garnering instant respect, or against him. I think he is an excellent coach - I just don't have that feeling about him. I know it isn't a very good explanation, but its what I've got to go on, my gut.

3) Ryne Sandberg/Philadelphia Phillies Triple A Manager

Sandberg is my personal favorite horse in this race. However, I think that Theo Epstein would be stupid not to bring Sandberg back to Chicago and win the fans over instantly. The fans already look to Theo as their savior, what better way to earn him instant credibility than to bring a Cub legend in to be the face of this new generation of Chicago Cubs?

2) Sandy Alomar, Jr./Cleveland Indians First Base Coach

Alomar lost out the managerial job with the Blue Jays to John Farrell. He has been coaching ever since his 20 year career ended in 2007 with the New York Mets. The man is a multiple time all-star and borderline Hall of Fame catcher. He has a high baseball IQ and knows pitchers. I love the idea of having Alomar come in here and taking the reigns. I think the players would respond to him immediately.

1) Dave Martinez/Tampa Bay Rays Bench Coach

This job is Martinez's to lose. Would the Red Sox love to have Joe Madden here? Absolutely. That isn't happening, so why not go after Madden's protege? Martinez spent 15 years playing in the big leagues, but more importantly, he has spent 4 seasons (since 2007) learning the Joe Madden brand of baseball in Tampa Bay - something that John Henry would love to see in Boston, for sure.

Dave Martinez is exactly what Boston needs right now. He is young, sure footed and has been around baseball for a long time. He can relate to the players on this roster and lead them as he has learned to under the tutelage of Joe Madden, a manager many consider to be the best in the game today.

Freese Frame!

I was wrong. I admit it. I truly thought that the Texas Rangers were the superior team going into this series. On paper, certainly I was correct. The problem with that theory was, you can't measure heart, determination and momentum in quantifiable sums on paper. The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals had all three in their corner, and it showed.

Game 7 lived up to the hype set forth by Game 6, a game many are calling the greatest World Series game ever played. It was hard to argue. The Rangers were one pitch away not once, but twice, from winning the grand prize, only to let it slip away in an extra inning gem as played by the Cardinals. That brought forth a seventh game that started eerily similar to game 6.

In the top of the first, Ian Kinsler singled off of Chris Carpenter and it seemed as though Texas was about to begin another offensive show early on. That was when I saw one of the finer catching plays in recent memory made by Yadier Molina. While Carpenter was dealing to Elvis Andrus, Molina caught Kinsler sleeping at first and made a snap thrown down to Albert Pujols. Kinsler was sent back to the dugout.

Though Carpenter would go on to give up 2 runs in that first inning, again, eerily similar to game 6, he would not give up another run in his next five innings of service. In fact, he would only surrender 1 more hit, completely shutting down the Texas Ranger offense that has been so powerful throughout the season. Carpenter looked like a man on a mission. It is worth mentioning that had game 6 not been rained out on Wednesday, Carpenter would not have started that game last night.

With the Cardinals down 2 runs going into the bottom of the first, it appeared as though they would be set down in order. Ryan Theriot grounded out to lead things off. Allen Craig then flied out for the second out of the inning. Then, things turned around. Albert Pujols drew a walk. So did Lance Berkman. That brought up the hometown hero. The "MAN" from game 6, David Freese.

He lived up to the hype again.

Freese doubled to left field, scoring both Pujols and Berkman. Game tied. Momentum starting to shift. The Cards would come out of the first inning no worse off than when the game started, all things being equal. Allan Craig would go on to hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning that would prove to be the game winner. However, the Rangers still had heart, until they gave away the game in the bottom of the 5th, walking in a run with the bases loaded, followed up by hitting a batter with the bases loaded to give the Cardinals a 5-2 lead.

The eyeball test proved accurate at this point. You could see that the Cardinals had the "eye of the tiger" in them, while the Rangers looked to be a team defeated.

David Freese, the hometown boy, had come up big in Game 6 with 2 hits and 3 RBI's helping his team force game 7. He added his 2 run double in game 7 to even everything up early on and give the Cards a chance. But what Freese did extended beyond the paper numbers. His hits came in pressure packed situations. He came through for his team when they needed him the most. He proved that on a team with so many great players, Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Rafael Furcal - that the player with the most heart, grit, and determination often times proves to be the most valuable.

Congratulations to the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. Well done.

Congratulations to David Freese, a player that exemplified Most Valuable Player throughout the entire post season.

The Case for Mike Napoli

Every year the fall classic brings out the best in some previously unknown player. Last year, Cody Ross stole the show for the San Francisco Giants. This year, Mike Napoli has proven to be a legitimate big-game player. Going into this World Series I swore that Adrian Beltre would prove to be the MVP of the series. It looks like I may have to eat those words as Napoli is just feeding them to me.

In the 5 games he has played thus far Napoli has compiled the following stat line: 13 at bats (18 total plate appearances), 2 runs scored, 4 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, 9 runs batted in, 3 walks and he has struck out twice. His batting average is .308 while his on-base percentage is .389. His slugging percentage is .846 and his OPS is 1.235.

What does that all translate into? He is first on the Rangers in OPS, Slugging and OBP. He is 3rd in batting average (2nd if you only quantify players that have played in all 5 games.) I need to repeat this, he has 9 RBI's - that is as many as Michael Young (3), Adrian Beltre (2), Nelson Cruz (2) and Josh Hamilton (2) combined. He has become an offensive machine.

On the other side of the ball - he has not allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to steal a base on him, throwing out all 3 attempts: Allen Craig twice and Jon Jay once.

While Napoli's star is surely shining bright right now, the question is, why haven't we noticed him before? The obvious answer is that he is buried on a team full of offensive and defensive weapons. But, Napoli is single handedly destroying my case for the Texas Rangers needing to/being in the hunt for Albert Pujols. Now, allow me to clarify here, I am not saying that Napoli is as good as Pujols, but what I am saying is that Napoli is good enough to not need Pujols.

First of all, Napoli is only 29 years old. Pujols is 31 - not a huge difference in age, but nevertheless, a difference exists. Napoli is capable of both catching and playing first base as well as DH'ing if need be. Pujols can play first or DH. Those are the plain eyeball examinations of the players, but lets take a quick look at the meat and potatos.

During the 2011 season Mike Napoli's stat line looked like this: 113 games played, 72 runs scored, 118 hits, 25 doubles, 30 home runs, 75 RBI's, 58 walks, .320 batting average, .414 OBP, .631 slugging and 1.046 OPS.

During the 2011 season Albert Pujols' stat line looked like this: 147 games played, 105 runs scored, 173 hits, 29 doubles, 37 home runs, 99 RBI's, 61 walks, .299 batting average, .366 OBP, .541 slugging and .906 OPS.

For arguments sake, Prince Fielders 2011 stat line looked like this: 162 games played, 95 runs scored, 170 hits, 36 doubles, 38 home runs, 120 RBI's, 107 walks, .299 average, .415 OBP, .566 slugging and a .981 OPS.

In 34, and 49 fewer games played respectively, Napoli put up fairly similar numbers to both Pujols and Fielder. Of course, on the free agent market, both of those gentlemen will command big dollars and long term contracts. The Rangers have Napoli arbitration eligable for the 2012 season and he becomes a free agent in 2013. According to SI.com, the average salary for a catcher is $2,160,425.94. The Rangers have something special in Napoli and if they are wise, their biggest signing this off-season could be a nice contract extension for him. Not bad for a guy who was traded to the Blue Jays, stayed there for all of 4 days and was turned around and traded to the Rangers last winter.

After all that, I need to offer up 2 mea culpa's... first, Mike Napoli, not Adrian Beltre will win the World Series MVP. Second, the Rangers do not need, nor will they sign Albert Pujols, they're gonna be just fine without him.

Ace in the Hole

It was his first day on the job and Ben Cherington already has won over the hearts of Red Sox Nation. How, you may ask? It was not by his smooth talking during the press conference. It was not by fielding difficult questions. No, no, Ben Cherington could have come out and been verbally assaulted by the harsh Boston media. Instead, instantly he managed to get one phrase trending in the Boston area on Twitter...

"Tommy John Surgery."

Ben Cherington took care of a major concern this off-season for Red Sox fans by telling everyone that the much despised John Lackey will miss all of the 2012 season after opting to have Tommy John surgery. Though it does not get Lackey out of Boston, like most fans want, it does get him out of our minds for a year.

Let's face it, if Lackey were healthy he would have been dealt. If we could not deal him, he would have to have been released and ownership swallow a $45million pill. Now, they will pretty much have to do the latter. There is no way they can rehabilitate this man in Boston. Listening to either sports radio station, there is no buzz about keeping Lackey. There are no articles bein written regarding the perks of trying to rehabilitate the man in this market.

Cherington also seems to have a bead on who he wants to interview for the new managerial position. Knowing that he (Cherington) has over 14 years in Major League Baseball is comforting. He came up the hard way, as a scout, conducting player development and analysis, finally moving into front office. He was a large proponent in the signing of Adrian Beltre, a man who far exceeded expectations while in Boston. I'm still sorry that he is not still here in Boston.

What I see with Cherington is a General Manager with a good head on his shoulders. His obvious passion and knowledge for the game is evident in just listening to him talk. While the Cubs fans are busy ushering in their "savior" in Theo Epstein - I think Red Sox fans will find that we have made out just fine in the deal.

The Stars at Night are Big And Bright

It's all over now, right? I mean, Texas has been an absolute beast playing at home this season and they've just stolen home field advantage after splitting in St. Louis. True, Josh Hamilton has a hernia that is going to require off-season surgery. That didn't seem to slow him up in game 2 when he drove in a the game tying run in the top of the 9th.

Look, I love the story of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals as much as the next guy. The problem is, the Cinderella story is going to be all over within the next 3 games, 4 at best. The Texas Rangers went 52-29 at home this season. That is a .642 winning percentage for those keeping score at home.

The drama comes in here: The Cardinals had an identical home and road record, 45-36, or .556 winning percentage. That is damn good. Though the Rangers finished the season with 6 more wins overall, the Cardinals have been the hottest team in baseball since September 1st (that is still playing.)

The fact that Josh Hamilton is injured does not change my opinion of this Rangers team. They are stacked. They have the pitching advantage and offensively they have an advantage over the Cards in all 5 categories that win post-season games: hits - 1599 to 1513, runs scored - 855 to 762, home runs - 210 to 162, team batting average - .283 to .273 and finally OPS - .800 to .766.

Though the Cardinals had a better team ERA during the regular season 3.74 to 3.79 (Texas finishing JUST behind the Cards) - the Rangers pitching staff had more quality starts, 99 to 86 and gave up one less earned run 607 to 608.

Statistics on paper are one thing that can be a measure of how far a team can go. I believe heavily in the natural eyeball test. Texas just looks to be more dominant than the Cardinals. With the series shifting to Texas, and on the heels of a dramatic win, the Rangers have all of the momentum right now. Aside from the fact that I have already predicted the Rangers winning the series, I think its time to make my prediction for the World Series MVP: Adrian (the Red Sox should have resigned me) Beltre.

What a Mess

Have you ever read something and thought to yourself, "this has to be made up?" Every day it seems as though some new major development is happening to the Boston Red Sox that is just making this team and organization look absolutely terrible. It is literally a P.R. nightmare right now.

Just yesterday I wrote a blog in regards to Jon Lester coming out and admitting his wrongdoing during the 2011 season. It appears now, through verification from 3 apparent anonymous Red Sox sources, that Lester was telling half-truths. Apparently, according to a report on WHDH, Channel 7 Sports anchor Joe Amorosino, Lester, Beckett and Lackey were all drinking in the clubhouse and apparently in the dugout as early as the 6th inning on days in which they did not pitch. Between Amorosino's 2 sources, The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham has since come forth with another unrelated source that verifies this report.

It gets worse, apparently the Red Sox knew about the drinking and did nothing. At 11pm last night, the Boston Red Sox posted a denial of the drinking on their website. the following statements from Lackey, Lester, Beckett, Terry Francona and Larry Lucchino are taken from that release:

Jon Lester: "The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false. Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media."

Josh Beckett: "I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough. I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true."

John Lackey: "There are things that went on this season that shouldn't have happened, but this latest rumor is not true, and I felt that it was important to try and stop this from going any further."

Terry Francona: "In 32 years of professional baseball, I have never seen someone drinking beer in the dugout."

Larry Lucchino (On behalf of the Boston Red Sox): "Tonight our organization has heard directly from Jon, Josh, John and former manager Terry Franconca. Each has assured us that the allegation that surfaced today about drinking in the dugout during games in 2011 is false, and we accept their statements as honest and factual. As we continue our internal examination to fully understand what went wrong in September, 2011, we appreciate these strong and clear statements from our players. It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from 'anonymous sources' to mislead the public."

Wow.

Somebody here is lying and it doesn't look good for the Boston Red Sox. I mean, if all of these other stories and rumors had not been coming out in tandem, this easily could be swept under the carpet and forgotten about, or taken as inaccurate information. The fact of the matter is that players are verbally, or non-verbally admitting that Terry Francona lost the clubhouse respect. The reasoning behind "why" will surely be another shoe to drop in the coming days/weeks, etc.

The Jon Lester article the other day, Lester stated (in regards to Tito) "there comes a time when your authority is no longer there." This of course coming shortly after referring to the drinking in the clubhouse as 9th inning rally beers.

This morning on 107.3 WAAF, team captain Jason Varitek was interviewed on the air. The same basic questions about Tito came up, and the same evasive answers were given. Here is the link to read his long-winded reply: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2011/10/19/jason-varitek-on-waaf-i-believe-this-team-liked-each-other/

I am starting to really be confused by everything that is going on in Boston. Terry Francona, a players manager if there ever was one, is run out of town by his own team. To this day, Tito has their backs, not saying a damn thing negative about anyone. In return, the only player going to bat for Tito has been Dustin Pedroia. All of this while the recklessness inside the clubhouse is coming to light. This team is like a star before it dies - a bunch of hot gas, ready to explode.

I can't even begin to say who I believe and who I don't. What I do know is that the next person to come out and make any public statements needs to air out everything if this team is going to survive the winter. There are people already calling for the team to be blown up. If some type of honesty and integrity cannot be restored, then I think that idea may be best.

What needs to happen right now is this: The Red Sox ownership needs to stop playing around and 1) get the Theo deal done. End this stalemate with Chicago. 2) Sign a new general manager. Ideally someone who can deal with the drama - which might require over-paying for a guy like Joe Torre. 3) Cut the dead weight on this team. All of the non-organization guys: Lackey, Beckett, Ortiz, Wakefield, Varitek - and wipe the slate clean. Also - probably should replace some of their sponsorships with Tylenol Tension Headache... because that is certainly what the brass... and the fans are feeling right now.

Lester Stands Alone

I sat down at my computer and started to look at the statistics of my website. It appears that my following is based purely on my Red Sox blogs, as they have the highest hits above any other article I've written. I guess I have to give readers what they want, primarily Red Sox musings, filled in occasionally with other baseball thoughts and news. So, since that is out of the way, it is time to address the latest Red Sox revelations.

Jon Lester has gone on record stating that he had in fact drank beer and ate fried chicken in the clubhouse during his off days. He completely downplayed the beer drinking and fried chicken eating. He claimed that the pitchers only did it a "handful of times" and attributed the weight gain of the pitching staff to a hectic travel schedule and inability to eat properly at proper times.

Give me a break.

I appreciate the fact that Lester is the first (and presumably will be the ONLY) guilty party to step forward, but don't patronize Red Sox Nation. We saw the staff get fat and lazy. We (fans collectively) would not have given a damn if the pitchers did this and won, but the fact is that they lost. They lost bad. They lost historically bad.

I won't get on Lester any more than that, I'm pretty sure he's taken his share. I will say this, Lester has shown to me that he is the true ace on this team. Josh Beckett should have been the first one out of the gate with fire and vitriol to comment on the whole issue. Lester has super-ceded Beckett on this team, in my eyes.

Going on record and opening himself up to the full ridicule of the Boston media says a lot about the character of Jon Lester. He is not too far gone. He can be saved. He can straighten up. He can be the anchor of this staff and I can see him coming into camp in the best shape of his life with a chip on his shoulder. I predicted Lester would win 20 games next season (of course, this was before the whole fried chicken fiasco) but now I firmly believe he will do it. He will take the hill on opening day and be a beast.

The problem still remains with Beckett and Lackey. At this point, I could give a damn if either of them comes back next season. They let me down. They let their team down. They let fans in Boston down. They haven't come out and apologized for it. They haven't acknowledged it. They are staying away, taking the easy road. I hope that easy road just leads them both out of Boston.

Lester will be your ace, in every sense of the word next season. Wait and see.

So Many Baseball Thoughts This Morning!

First things first - how amazing is Justin Verlander? October always seems to have a way of bringing out the best in players and Verlander has emerged from being excellent to other worldly as of last night. I mean, the man threw for 133 pitches on short rest and picked up the win in Texas, to breathe life back into the Tigers and allow them to play another day.

On the flip side, is it possible that C.J. Wilson is killing his stock in the off season? This is yet another underwhelming performance by a pitcher many people feel to be the best on the market this winter. Texas could have been in the World Series with a decent outing from Wilson, but only going 6 innings and giving up 6 runs won't get it done against a team in Detroit that looks hungry.

On Saturday this series returns back to Texas for game 6. The probables are 15-9/4.43 ERA Max Scherzer for the Tigers squaring off with 16-5/3.95 ERA Derek Holland for the Texas Rangers.

How about them Brewers?!? Here is another team that has completely impressed me with their heart and determination. I fully admit, once they passed the Diamondbacks, I assumed their run was over in the playoffs. I truly believed St. Louis to be a team better suited to win in October. Milwaukee keeps proving me wrong. Bud Selig must be over-joyed! Randy Wolf and John Axford's mustache managed to keep the Cardinals bats at bay and tie this series up at 2-games a piece.

The Brewers are certainly the underdog story of the playoffs now. A team that has a minimal payroll in a small market is tearing it up against a very good St. Louis Cardinal team. One could sit here and write article after article on the stars of this team, Bruan and Fielder, but it is the other cogs that are making this team work. I have been impressed by the play of Jerry Hairston, Jr. at third base; last night going 2 for 4 with 2 hits and an RBI. The loud-mouthed Nyjer Morgan has been proving that he can back up his bark with some bite, going 2 for 4 with a run.

Game 5 will be on tonight at 8:05 EST and should be a great match up as we will see 16-6/3.83 Zack Greinke toe the rubber against another young stud, 13-7/3.56 ERA Jaime Garcia. This may be quite the pitchers dual, definitely a game to tune in and watch.

In other baseball news, more directly, in other Red Sox news, this morning I read a great article by ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes "Sounds Crazy, but Red Sox can be saved" (http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7099013/sounds-crazy-red-sox-saved) which detailed a few ideas to repair the Boston Red Sox. I encourage you to read the article. Edes offers some great options and insight at to what the Sox may decide to do or rather, should do.

One idea that I really liked was the notion of trading Josh Beckett to Texas for Michael Young. It may be the biggest takeaway I had from this article, especially if the Sox do decide to make a Beckett trade bait. Another great thought (albeit most likely a pipe dream) is to sign Ellsbury to a long term deal. It seems like a no-brainer, but with Scott Boras as his agent, there is a very slim chance of that ever happening.

For now, Sox fans just need to sit back, wait, and hope that this ownership group can take the proper steps to fix this team.

The Time Has Come

Dustin Pedroia has to emerge as the true leader of the Boston Red Sox. There is no room for debate. From the reports circulating now regarding the true downfall of the 2011 Boston Red Sox, Pedroia is one of only a small handful of players that look to be a bright spot on the organization. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

In this mornings Boston Globe, Bob Hohler unveiled details surrounding the firing of Terry Francona, drinking in the clubhouse and the general malaise of the Red Sox late in the season. There was no leadership on this team. Those that in the past stepped up for their team sat idly by while disorder and disunion overran the clubhouse.

As a fan, there are many players that I am ashamed of after having read this article. Though I was never a fan of John Lackey, I now have reason to dislike he, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. As it has been reported previously, questions of drinking in the clubhouse had arisen after the collapse. Now, names are being given. Apparently, Lackey, Lester and Beckett had a habbit of drinking beer, ordering fast-food fried chicken and biscuits, and playing video games during games. They became fat and lazy.

There are no rules against drinking beer, ordering food, or even playing video games in the Red Sox clubhouse. What the trio (occasionally joined by Clay Buchholz) did was violate an unwritten rule of not just baseball, but all competitive team sports: Support your teammates; especially in times of crisis. According to Hohler and his sources, the trio started this routine in late 2010 and on top of continuing this trend in 2011, they also cut back on their exercise regimentation despite appeals from the teams strength and conditioning coach Dave Page.

The one thing I will not agree with or endorse in his article is what Hohler writes about Francona. I believe the air is clear for him. Dealing with players that in essence just gave up on you is by no means an easy task and I feel that part of this article can be taken as kicking the man while he's walking out of town. Terry Francona brought this city two World Series championships and dealt with personalities like no other manager has had to overcome, (insert random Manny Ramirez joke here) while pushing his players forward.

This team needs to be looked at from the top to the bottom and players need to be set free, or traded. There are only four players that I feel entirely comfortable bringing back after having read this article. Jacoby Ellsbury, Alfredo Aceves, Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia. Take the "C" off of Jason Varitek's chest. He no longer deserves it. He failed to step up and be the captain. He brushed aside his leadership role and became an observer. As did David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis. Those three men were all players that I thought very highly of, whose character is now definitely in question in my book.

Speaking of leadership, where was Adrian Gonzalez in all of this? The new poster-child for the Boston Red Sox came off as productive, bust soft. In this market you cannot be soft. Complaining about playing five Sunday night games will not win you over with the Boston fans or media. Sure, you may not have much time invested in this team, but you just got a huge contract and were pretty much granted a key to the city of Boston. You need to be a leader on this team and talk sense into these players that think they can do whatever they want. Not in my city. Not on the team I love.

It is time for Dustin Pedroia to become the official Captain of the Boston Red Sox. Give him the "C" on his chest. Pedroia is quoted as saying, "I just know that playing in Boston, you're required to play your tail off every day to try to win ballgames for this city. That's what hurt so much as a player, that we not only let each other down in the clubhouse but we let the city down." Pedroia gets it. His time has come to be the unenviable voice of the Boston Red Sox. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

SOX: Go Get One of These Pitchers

Baseball has become a young man's game, has it not? It seems as though with the passing of the steroid era older players are less and less dominant in the game as they were a few short years ago.

Look back 10 years ago, 2001. Who were the all-stars of the game? Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez... you get the point. All of the names heading up any of the lists you see there were largely names that had been in the game for awhile. There were exceptions, as there always is, but you seldom saw young men taking over the league.

Fast forward to 2011 and just look at the teams that remain in the League Championship Series. Milwaukee is almost exclusively 20-somethings. The same can be said for Texas. In the playoffs you had a very young Arizona Diamondback team as well. The league is obviously getting younger and though the big market teams (New York, Boston, Chicago etc.) want to go out and overspend for the players that were viable in their 20's, they just are not as durable as ownership's want to believe.

I started thinking about the age of the Boston Red Sox and considered that pitching was a major concern last season. Going into 2012 the team certainly has a lot of question marks. As I mentioned in my previous post, they should explore trades and signings, just not stupid trades or signings. I developed my own little stat sheet and analyzed 3 of my favorite pitchers of all time: Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez. Before you get on me about the fact that all three of these guys pitched for a long time and Clemens was a "steroid guy" allow me to explain myself.

What I did was look at the first five full seasons that each player was in baseball. I then looked at 4 very specific statistics: ERA, Games Started, Innings Pitched and WHIP. Why did I select these particular stats? First of all, ERA and WHIP really tell you the quality of stuff a pitcher is dealing out there. Is he really pounding the cheese or is he just throwing crap? The number of games started and innings pitched I believe to be a testament as to the durability of a pitcher. You want to look at a guy that has the capability of throwing for 200 innings, but doesn't necessarily need to do so. Having said that, I broke down my research into three main categories, my Ryan, Clemens and Martinez columns. From that, I found 5 pitchers that I think could both perform well in Boston, but also be horses in this rotation for 5 or more seasons.

The Nolan Ryan Club

1. Jaime Garcia from the St. Louis Cardinals: First things first, Garcia is only 24 years old. He is signed through the end of the 2011 season for only $437,000. He is concluding his 3rd major league season and has a 3.27 career ERA over 374.1 innings pitched. In that time he has started 61 of the 70 games he has appeared in. His career WHIP is 1.321. As always with young pitching, the question is, why would the Cardinals want to give him up? I think, realistically, the only shot we have of obtaining Garcia is if Albert Pujols walks. If he does, the Red Sox could use Kevin Youkilis as a trade chip (eating some of Youk's team friendly salary if need be.) I'm sure I could come up with other scenarios, but that's not my job.

2. Gio Gonzalez from the Oakland A's: Oakland is like a factory for amazing starting pitching. Billy Beane and company just know what the deal really is. This is a huge factor when looking at Gio Gonzalez. The guy is 26 years old with 4 years of major league experience. He posts a career ERA of 3.93 in 535.1 innings pitched. He has started 89 of the 95 games he has appeared in and has a WHIP of 1.410. True - he is in a pitchers ballpark. Looking at his splits, his away ERA is 4.32 and his WHIP is 1.468. I'm not saying this guy will be front of the rotation pitcher, but he's got good stuff and with the right pitching coach, he could be very good.

The Roger Clemens Club

1. Ricky Romero from the Toronto Blue Jays: Of all five of the pitchers I will list, Romero was the only one with a long term deal in place. Tornoto and John Farrell know their stuff when it comes to pitching, so I doubt the guy would be available. First, in the division would be real tough unless we offered up Lester, Buchholz or Ellsbury perhaps, unless GM Alex Anthropoulos is asleep at the wheel and we trade Kalish for him! Anyways, Romero is only 26 as well with 3 major league seasons under his belt. His ERA is 3.60 in 613 innings pitched. He has started all 93 games he has appeared in and offers a 1.302 WHIP. His contract is through 2015 and is a 5-year deal for $30.05million. I don't think the Jays will part with him, but his numbers are impressive.

The Pedro Martinez Club

1. Ian Kennedy from the Arizona Diamondbacks: YES! The same Ian Kennedy that Red Sox nation booed when he pitched for the Yankees. The kid has got his confidence back pitching in Arizona. It is like somebody flicked a switch that said, "You can be an ace in this league." I mean, 21-4 is impressive, but what I am more impressed with is his career numbers, even though he had some rough years in New York. First he is 26 as well and was signed through 2011 at $423k. He has a career ERA of 3.65 (2.88 in 2011) over 475.2 innings pitched. He has started 77 of the 79 games he has appeared in and has a career WHIP of 1.207. First problem: Scott Boras is his agent. He is going to be looking for ridiculous money IF Arizona lets him get away. Kennedy hits the market, he could fill a nice hole in the Sox rotation.

2. Michael Pineda from the Seattle Mariners: It is no secret that I think this kid is legit. He was my early pick for AL Rookie of the Year. He is only 22 years old with 1 season under his belt. His ERA is 3.74 in 28 games, he started all 28. He pitched 171 innings with a WHIP of 1.099. This dude is a beast. The Sox should do whatever it takes to get this man in town. His splits look good. His ERA goes up to 4.40, but his WHIP only goes up to 1.170. There is a ton of potential in this kid.

Thoughts? Opinions? Things better left unsaid?

How to Fix the Boston Red Sox

Stop right there. If you are casual baseball fan or not one to give a damn about raw numbers, statistics or the business of baseball - this particular post will not be suited for you. This post is going to examine the problem areas that the 2011 "Best Team EVER" Boston Red Sox have and what can be done to right this ship so that a complete blow up will not be in order.

I am going to throw out names that I believe would work in Boston based on my personal research and eyeball test as to what a player has to offer. I will discuss contracts and I will discuss trades. I will say some unpopular things to the average Red Sox fan. I do this to try and offer up my personal opinion as to the direction this team should take. I openly admit that I don't know everything and some of my ideas may seem ridiculous. Call me on the carpet for it. But, do so with a tangible idea in its place. Having said all of that, let's get down to business.

The 2011 Red Sox faced a few glaring holes down the stretch. It was obvious that the team chemistry was off (this has been confirmed by numerous reports post Terry Francona "firing") as well as player durability and lack of depth, specifically pitching depth. We witnessed this team blow a 9 game lead in the wild card race with 27 games to play in the month of September. All they really needed to do was go out and play .500 baseball and they would have made the playoffs, but that drive was not in them. So let's tear apart this team on several levels. First, I want to examine the free-agents and who to sign, who not to sign.

Alfredo Aceves. There is no doubt in my mind that this man should be given a contract for at least a couple of seasons. He was one of about three players that seemed to want to play in October. In 2011 his contract was only for $675k. What's more, he is only 28 years old. Is there anyone out there who would oppose offering this man an incentive-laden multi-year deal? Realistically speaking, though we may want to spot start him in the rotation, this is your long relief man for the future. Why not a 3-year deal in the $2mil range with a vesting option for a 4th year? What I learned watching Aceves this season was that he wants the ball. It doesn't matter if he throws 90 pitches the night before, he will come out and throw another 80 out of the bullpen the very next night. Any man with that fortitude I want on my team.

Jason Varitek. It is no longer 2005. Jason Varitek is no longer a viable option on this team. Many Sox fans over value what the Captain actually brings to this team. He is Josh Becket's personal catcher. That is pretty much it. Previously, you may have been able to sway me into thinking that we need his keen sense of game calling on this team. Jarrod Saltalamacchia has done a pretty damn good job calling a game on his own. Salty has been under Varitek's tutelage for long enough. We don't need to give the roster spot to a man that might appear in 30 games next year, offer you a .210 batting average and drive in a whopping 11 runs. I appreciate everything that Jason Varitek has done for this team, but his time has passed. Cut him loose.

Tim Wakefield. Timmy is the oldest starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. The appeal of Wake used to be the fact that he was an inning eater on the cheap, at a reoccurring $4mil contract that was pretty much a no-brainer for so many years. The problem is that Wake got old... in 2010, but we still brought him back in 2011 to try and win his 200th game in a Red Sox uniform. That's all fine and well, but it took that man 2 months and 8 starts to finally get that 200th win. The faithful will cheer you down the road when you come back to visit Wake, but again, your time has passed. Cut him loose.

J.D. Drew. I don't want to waste a whole lot of time on J.D. Drew. I hated the signing when we made it. He showed minor flashes of wasted potential, then sat out pretty much the entire last half of the remaining year on his contract. Enjoy your freaky ass hyperbolic chamber.

Jonathan Papelbon. I really want the Red Sox to try and bring Papelbon back. Last year at this time I was of the mindset that we really didn't need him and we could fill his role. While I learned a lot of negative things about other players on this team this season I was really impressed with Papelbon when it came time to answer the bell. If he blew a save he seemingly matured quite a bit and would take all the blame upon himself. Not once this season did I think of him as the jackass dancing around in 2007 with the Bud Light box on his head wearing just boxer shorts. I saw a real personality development in him that I believe to be a step towards a stable, long lasting career as a closer. He has gone on record stating that he wants to set the market for closing pitchers. He may very well do that. I don't think the Sox will over-pay for him and unfortunately, I do think we will lose him on this staff.

David Ortiz. It is time to move on from Big Papi. It is as plain and simple as I can put it. Has he been the greatest clutch performer in Red Sox history? Absolutely. What has he done lately? Yes, he gave the team 29 home runs and 96 RBI's; but he also gave the team a headache. We all seem to forget Ortiz barging in on a Terry Francona press conference, cursing about an RBI that was taken away from him. This team cannot be about individual statistics. This has to be about the team as a whole. Papi, in my opinion is probably more of a problem in the clubhouse than what most will say. At his age, looking for a contract as a one-dimensional ball player is going to be very tough. The league is changing and the DH position needs to be one of versatility, on top of decent offensive numbers. It is time to move on from Ortiz, even if it means facing him 18 times a year in Toronto, New York, Baltimore or Tampa Bay.

Marco Scutaro & Jed Lowire. I think Scutaro has played well enough here to be offered a position on this team for next season. It may not be the starting shortstop position he gets, but at least give him a shot to earn it back before we turn the page and just give the job to (presumably) Jose Iglesias. He played with a lot of heart down the stretch, and for me that goes a long way. As for Jed Lowrie, I am not really sure what to think about him. He has not exactly "made it" yet in baseball, but he seems to have the tools to be an everyday player. Last season I referred to him as a poor-mans J.D. Drew: always nursing an injury, just without the bank account to not care about the game. Lowrie is affordable at $450k, but he may be better suited as a sign and package in a trade to a team looking for some infield help.

Obviously those are not all of the free agents on this ball club, but I feel they might be the most important cogs in this machine. The next piece I want to tackle is the subject of players that I believe should be traded. Again, this may not be popular, but I think these things need to be explored.

Kevin Youkilis. If you know me then you know that Youk is my favorite player on this team. Has been since 2004 (though he shared time with Mike Lowell for awhile.) I mention this to prove a point that I am not singling out players that I don't like or am annoyed by. I am looking at the needs of the team and what corrective measures can be taken. Youk is going in for hip surgery after a season that saw him only play in 120 games. That is 18 more than in 2010 and 16 less than in 2009. What we are seeing with Youkilis is the breaking down of a player before our eyes. He is not geared up to be a third baseman. He has one year left on his contract at a team friendly $12mil which means that there will be teams looking to acquire a solid first-baseman (which at this point in his career, is what Youk really is) for a decent price. You may be able to get some good value in return. I'm sorry Youk, the clock is up.

Josh Becket. He did it again. He let down the fans of Boston by not giving a damn about his routine and just showing up out of shape. Look back to July, read any Boston Red Sox article written the day after Becket pitched. He was consistently in the conversation when it came down the the Cy Young award. Then he got fat and lazy... literally. We thought that Becket would be our big hard-nosed Texan ace, and he was for one great season in 2007. Since then he has been unreliable, inconsistent pitcher that should not be the anchor on this pitching staff.

John Lackey. If I have to explain why Lackey cannot pitch in Boston next season then you really shouldn't be reading this blog at all.

Right about now you are probably thinking I have left this team with a bunch of holes in it. That is true. You may also think I want to go out and spend like crazy on the free agent market. That is not true. I want to mention a few acquisitions that I think might make sense and offer an answer to some of the problems this team is facing.

Free Agents to Consider: Unlike some, I am not enamored with the list of free-agents this season. There are really only a couple that I think would be able to make an impact on this team and fill a few prospective gaps. While looking at free agents, I thought it was imperative to not only look at a players statistics, but also their make up. How well could they perform in a pressure cooker like the city of Boston? It is hard to come up with a long list of names, but this is what I have managed to come up with.

With J.D. Drew finally gone, the Sox need a solid right fielder. I think this team could use a dirt dog, someone who gives it his all every game. I came up with a list of three free agents that I thought would make an immediate impact. First up is Michael Cuddyer from the Minnesota Twins. According to www.baseballreference.com, over the course of 162 games Cuddyer averages a nice .340 on-base percentage, 20 home runs and 82 RBI's. This is not too far off from J.D. Drew's 162 game average of a .384 on-base percentage, 25 home runs and 82 RBI's. The problem with that comparison is that Drew has never played more than 146 games in a season in his entire career. Though Cuddyer is not the picture of health, he has played over 150 games he has played in more games than Drew and would probably be a bit more affordable at presumably $10.5mil per season for what I assume would be a 3-year deal, as Cuddyer is 33 as of today. This is not my favorite option by any means.

Next up would be Cody Ross of the San Francisco Giants. He is only 31 and much more affordable than Cuddyer, making $6.3mil in 2011. His 162 game projections put him at a .323 on-base percentage with 21 home runs and 79 RBI's. He was the unsung hero of the World Series Champion 2010 Giants, but is definitely an injury plagued player as well. Coming to Boston might suit him well, or crush him entirely. Also, not my favorite option.

Back to Minnesota we go with the best right field free agent on the market: Jason Kubel. What is not to like about this guy? First of all, he is only 29 years old. His 162 game projections puts him at a .335 on-base percentage with 22 home runs and 92 RBI's. He made the least in 2011 at $5.250mil and is due for a raise. His play reminds me a lot of Trot Nixon, a guy that Red Sox Nation would absolutely love. The problem is that I really think the Twins are going to sign him no matter what. If he can be bought, we should buy and buy high.

What if those options aren't viable? Then I think the best right field option you have is your left fielder, Carl Crawford. Move Crawford over to right, where is fielding range will not be wasted and go after the best free agent left fielder on the market: Josh Willingham. Oakland won't be able to afford to keep him. With a projected .361 OBP, 27 home runs and 88 RBI's - Willingham would give that added boost of production to the outfield that we were lacking last season while platooning Reddick, Drew, McDonald, etc.

What then should happen to the disaster of a pitching staff? My first concern would be your replacement for Jonathan Papelbon, should he decide to walk. There are two names that I would give serious consideration to and one that I'm up in the air about still. First, I think the best candidate, even on a 2-year deal would be Heath Bell from the Padres. Over the last three seasons he has saved 42, 47, and 43 games respectively. (By the way, in the same time Papelbon has saved 38, 37 and 31 games.) Bell has an explosive personality that would mesh nicely in Boston. He is a little older than Papelbon at 34, but he still has good stuff as his record shows. Christ, he's saving over 40 games a year in San Diego!

My next option to fill an empty closer role would be Jon Rauch from the Toronto Blue Jays. Though he doesn't seem to fit the bill of a closer entirely, I think he has the makeup to be one as he showed at the end of the season in Toronto. Rauch fits into my hypothetical along with my other option, Francisco Rodriguez... K-Rod. I mean, he hasn't come close to touching his 62 saves in 2008, but the man has played well in Anaheim, has handled the big city lights in New York and is now under close watch pitching for the Brewers in the NLCS. He could work as a last resort.

The Non-Free Agents.

Trades and other moves will be an important part of this off season. What the hell are other moves you're probably wondering. First and foremost - let's all agree that Daniel Bard is not the closer of the future for this team. I think it is time to put him in the starting rotation, or at least let him go for a spot in the starting five. He has proven that he's established a third pitch and may very well come back to spring training with a fourth pitch. Let's just put Bard aside with the starters for now, okay?

This team, based on what I've proposed above, will be in need of pitching, a third baseman and perhaps a DH. The first player I thought of when considering pitchers that would perform well in Boston is actually one that I think we don't stand a chance at getting: James Shields from Tampa Bay. First of all, and most glaringly, he is in the same division. Outside of that, Boston would make for a perfect trade partner with Tampa. They seem to like to turn over pitchers before they start to get "too old" like Scott Kazmir or Matt Garza. James Shields is right in line with their thinking there. Also, Shields is arbitration eligable and looks to make $7mil in 2012, $9mil in 2013 and $12mil in 2014. That's big dollars for the small market Rays. If there was a way to pry him off of their hands, he would be an excellent addition to this team. His career ERA is 3.96 with a .533 winning percentage.

Next on my radar is Matt Garza. I called for him to be traded to Boston all year long and I am not going to change that opinion now. Garza is a beast that has proven he can pitch well in the AL East. He can pitch well in big games. He does not crumble under pressure. Seeing as how he is on the Cubs, I think there is a much greater chance of acquiring Garza over Shields and I would be okay with that. Garza finished this season 10-10 for the Cubs with a 3.32 ERA! That is what this team needs, a pitcher that maintains a low ERA and keeps his team in the game so that the offense can win the game for him. I could get over all the spitting.

John Lackey and his terrible contract have to be traded. There is no way that the Sox will just release him, there is too much money at stake. Lackey is still owed a little over $45mil for 3 more years. From what I have heard, the only way to rid yourself of Lackey and his contract (short of eating $45mil) is to trade your trash for another teams trash and allow some players a fresh start. There are only 2 names that really come to mind that could make this deal work. First is Barry Zito for the Giants. He's done next to nothing in San Francisco and may very well be washed up, but he's owed $39mil for 2 more seasons. Other than that, there is Carlos Zambrano for the Cubs. He is owed a little over $37mil for 2 more years in Chicago. I don't really think big Z would perform well under the pressure in Boston, so that one might just be out. However, why not give it a shot with Zito? At the very least it is only 2 years of him and not 3 years of Lackey.

What about bringing Johnny Damon back to DH for this team? He's gonna be looking for 1 more contract and the man can still play. If he comes back here you know people will happy to have him back. Aside from the history, the man can still get on base. He can still hit for power. He can still swipe bags occasionally. He can fill in as a corner outfielder. He can fill in at first base. He fits the profile of the modern DH and I think we should consider it at the very least; especially considering it will probably be for about half of what David Ortiz will be looking for financially.

That leaves us with options for third base. I really only have my eyes set on one player in particular which may very well be a crap shoot or a pipe dream. From what I have been hearing, it seems that other than Jose Reyes, the Mets are looking to do a bit of a fire-sale. This means that David Wright might be available. He is still under contract through the 2013 season with the Mets, but would like nice fielding the hot corner in Fenway. I really have no rational reason for wanting him to play here other than the fact that he could.

This team has a lot of holes. There are a lot of moving pieces and intangibles that we are not privy to. What I have done here is try to come up with viable options for this ball club without sounding over the top. Based on my thoughts, here is what I THINK the 2012 Red Sox could look like on opening day:

Pitchers:

Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Matt Garza, James Shields, Alfredo Aceves, Felix Doubront, Michael Bowden, Heath Bell (I have no idea what the other 3 pitching slots would be.)

Catchers:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ryan Lavarnway

Infielders:

Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jose Iglesias, David Wright, Marco Scutaro, Jed Lowrie

Outfielders:

Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Willingham, Mike Aviles, Johnny Damon

So there you have it folks. It is all I can think of right now, but please, comment away, let's hear what the Nation has to say.

Detroit Rock City

As a Boston Red Sox fan there is a certain (albeit self-serving) feeling of righteousness when the New York Yankees are ousted from the playoffs. Sure, the Red Sox didn't make it to fall ball for 2 seasons in a row. That only matters minimally in this war of ages. What matters is that the Yankees didn't acquire another ring. Phew. I'll bet the Sox brass is breathing easy with that knowledge.

This isn't at all about the Red Sox though. This is about seeing teams emerge and be great in October. This is about Jose Valverde shutting the door on Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees. This is about Justin Verlander making everyone realize that he could and should be the AL MVP this season. This is about Austin Jackson coming into his own as a suitable replacement for Curtis (MVP runner-up) Granderson.

This is about Victor Martinez, settling in nicely as a part-time catcher and DH. This is about Doug Fister handling this New York Yankee lineup for four scoreless innings, only allowing 1 run over five innings. This is about Magglio (don't call me washed up) Ordonez going 2 for 3 and showing he's still got it. This is about the magic that October brings out in all of baseball.

What we are witnessing this post season is something that I'm sure Bud Selig is enjoying quite a bit. Of the 8 Division Series teams only 1 would be considered "major market" by many accounts. We are seeing the Arizona Diamondbacks show incredible resilience against a formidable Milwaukee Brewers team. We are seeing the St. Louis Cardinals ride out this wave of amazing baseball that they have been playing since September 1st, taking it to the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies. We are seeing history in the making.

Tonight should prove to be no exception to that statement. With 2 game five's lined up, this is going to be an epic night of baseball. First, at 5:00pm est we will see the Milwaukee Brewers play host to the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks. The snakes are hoping to see another Kirk Gibson-esque performance from Ryan Roberts. Justin Upton could solidify himself as a bonified star by becoming an October hero as well. On the other side the Brewers are hoping that the combo of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder will provide enough offense to rid themselves of those pesky Diamondbacks.

After that, at 8:30pm est we will see the finale' of the Cardinals and Phillies series, capping off the Division Series playoffs with a pitchers dual for the ages; Chris Carpenter against Roy Halladay. Though Carpenter is hosting a 12.00 ERA in the NLDS (he pitched on short rest in game 2) tonight he is on full rest and ready to take on his old compadre' Roy Halladay (3.38 ERA in the NLDS).

I said it on Facebook the other night - I have already made my predictions for the World Series and starting tonight, I think you'll see the Cardinals make their way to play the Texas Rangers for it all. All I know is that I will be tied to my TV tonight for some exciting October baseball.

Playoff Baseball Rocks

Is there anything better than baseball in October? It is so unpredictable and intense. I love it. Watching the Division Series these past few nights have been pretty amazing. We've been able to watch October stars be born, others have come up short under the pressure. October is truly the time to separate the men from the boys.

A fine example came last night in the first inning, yes, FIRST inning of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers game. AJ Burnett looked awful. He managed to load the bases and could not seem to find the strike zone to save his life. Luckily, a guy named Curtis Granderson was playing in center field prepared to bail Burnett out.

Burnett had managed to walk the bases full and was about to face Detroit right fielder Don Kelley. In the mean time, the Yankees already had activity in the bull-pen, as Cory Wade was up and loosening to take over for what appeared to be a dead in the water Burnett. Burnett proceeded to throw a fastball right down the middle that Kelley appeared to have gotten a good piece of lumber on.

That is when Curtis Granderson changed the face of the game. Initially he sold out and came in on the fly ball. Watching the game it was going to be an inside the park grand slam if Granderson was unable to come up with the catch. He (Granderson) realized his judgement error in barely enough time to make a spectacular catch to save the inning for the Yankees and the game for Burnett. Let's face it, that ball gets down, Burnett is pulled, Wade is in and the Tigers go on to win the game and the series. I don't think you can really dispute that fact. Last night capped off (for me) the full transformation of Curtis Granderson being a good/solid player in Detroit, to being an all-star in New York.

Travel down South to Tropicana Field and another October superstar was born last night. Adrian Beltre belted 3 homeruns to put the

Texas Rangers into the ALCS for the second straight year in a row. Beltre has been an absolute BEAST for the Texas Rangers this season and I love the fact that it has paid off for him this far.

This season he batted .296 with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. His slugging percentage was .561 this season, which is second only to his best career season in 2004 when it was .629. The guy has been a consistently good hitter and an impeccable fielder for his career and it is nice to see him in an organization that allows him the opportunity to shine.

Tonight we get to see 2 potential elimination games in the National League. The Phillies will be in St. Louis tonight trying to boot the Cardinals from the post season. The probable pitchers for tonight are Roy Oswalt for the Phillies and Edwin Jackson for the Cards. This is going to be quite the matchup. The last time Oswalt pitched in St. Louis he took the Houston Astros to their first... and ONLY World Series birth. On the other hand, Edwin Jackson has easily been the Cards best starter since late July. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 9 of his 12 starts. He has also gone 6 or more innings in 10 of those 12 outings.

Travel across the country and we will see the Milwaukee Brewers visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks and try to take them out of the playoffs. The probables for this game are Randy Wolfe for the Brewers, whom, while not an exciting pitcher, is a horse and an inning eater; squaring off with Joe Saunders for the D'Backs. I'm not sure what to think of this game - I think it may be an offensive outing, ending in a 6-4 final score - and I am assuming that 6 will be at the hands of the Brew Crew.

God, I love baseball.

Firing Squad

1. Terry Francona... gone.

2. Theo Epstein

3. John Lackey

4. JD Drew

5. Marco Scutaro

6. David Ortiz

7. Jason Varitek

8. Josh Beckett

9. Kevin Youkilis

10. Daisuke Matsuzaka

Would anyone really be surprised if the other 9 people I've listed were not on the 2012 Boston Red Sox? JD Drew is easy, he's already checked out. That leaves 8 more names. John Lackey, I can pretty much guarantee he's gone. There is no way that man can show his face in a Red Sox uniform next season.

Kevin Youkilis, apparently is a clubhouse problem. Your fringe MVP, Jacoby Ellsbury can't stand him. Youk is oft-injured and did not look all that comfortable playing third this season. A trade to a team that loses out in the Albert Pujols/Prince Fielder sweepstakes would make a lot of sense. He could go back to being a gold-glove first baseman/DH.

Scutaro, Ortiz and Varitek all have contracts up. If Theo is gone, these guys will definitely be gone. I didn't bother putting Wakefield's mug up there, that SHOULD be a foregone conclusion.

New management will probably want an ace on his staff and Josh Beckett is not that guy. Someone will want him, and he will be dealt; as will Matsuzaka.

I think the question is, what players are "safe" during the winter? It's not that long of a list. Gonzalez, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Buchholz, Saltalamacchia, Lavarnway (just earned that spot in the final week of the season, that's for sure,) I think they will bring back Papelbon, and, dare I say Carl Crawford.

This team is about to go through some major changes. Buckle up.