Red Sox Midseason Power Rankings

I thought I’d combine my love for power rankings with my love of the Red Sox.  These rankings are based on 1st half performance, pre-season expectations, and other random criteria that just pulled out of my ass.  Without further adieu, here’s my 2009 Midseason Red Sox Roster Power Rankings:

jason bay

becket

kevin youkilis

jacoby ellsbury

wakefield

ram ram

oki

nick green

paps

jason varitek

lester

dustin pedroia

bard

drew

penny

delcarmen

masterson

saito

ortiz

lowell

rocco

kotsay

dice k/smoltz

kottaras

lugo

1. Jason Bay LF– JBay is leading the team in home runs/RBI but is mired in a month long slump.  He still anchors the lineup, but unless he starts bringing that average up, expect him to slide in these rankings
2. Josh Becket P – after a slow start Beckett looks like the guy who carried us in 2007.  With the offense currently struggling, we need him to remain nasty now more than ever.
3. Kevin Youkilis 1B – YOOOOOUUUUUKK!!!!  Like Bay, Youk had a hot start but has been struggling recently.  If the Sox offense is ever going to get going it will probably start with Youk.
4. Jacoby Ellsbury CF – The kid can do it all, it seems.  Jacobs is playing gold glove center field, and since his drop in the order has found some unexpected power.  His steal of home against the Yankees might be the highlight of the season so far.
5. Tim Wakefield P – Wake has given us everything we could ask for this year.  His 10 wins are tied for the lead in the AL, and at 42, he’s making his first All Star appearance.  He has a history of breaking down in the second half, so Tito will have to manage him carefully.
6. Ramon Ramirez P – The first member of the bullpen to make the list, Ram Ram has been a pleasant surprise so far.  His 1.03 WHIP leads the team and he’s been a key part of the best pen in the league.
7. Hideki Okajima P – See above. Ram and Oki have been solid all year in the setup role.
8. Nick Green SS – I’m putting Green here because of how much he has exceeded expectations.  For a guy that was supposed to be in Pawtucket, Green has filled in nicely in Lowrie’s absence.  His bat is steady and his glove has been improving all year.  Not a week goes by without a web gem worthy play from this guy.  Julio who?
9. Jonathan Papelbon P – Paps is sure making it interesting this year, but the numbers don’t lie: 24 saves and a 1.70 ERA.  I’ll take that any day.
10. Jon Lester P – Expect him to rise on these rankings if he continues his June numbers.  After early struggles, Lester looks back to normal.
11. Dustin Pedroia 2B – Pedey hasn’t been the MVP this year and he struggled mightily as the leadoff hitter.  Now that he’s back in the 2 hole, expect his numbers to return to normal.
12. Jason Varitek C – Another player who’s quietly exceeding expectations.  With Tek, any offense is a plus, and so far he’s hitting .240 with 12 home runs.  I’ll take it.
13. Daniel Bard P – Finally the Sox have a fireballer in the pen.  I love watching this kid pitch.  If Paps breaks down or leaves in the next few years, expect Bard to get the call.
14. J.D Drew RF – Drew annoys the crap outta me, but his numbers aren’t terrible and he plays decent D.   If he can stop watching strike 3 go by, I’d be a lot happier.
15. Brad Penny P – No longer trade bait, Penny looks more like a 3/4 starter.  Another pleasant surprise.
16. Mike Lowell 3B – Decent numbers, but his hip is a major concern.  Don’t be surprised is the Sox go after a 1B/3B type player at the deadline just in case.
17. Justin Masterson P – Not quite the lights out setup man from last year, but he’s still the most versatile pitcher on the roster, and an invaluable part of the pen.
18. Manny Delcarmen P – The last 2 bullpen guys are almost interchangeable.  Both have been solid, but don’t get much action and could get decent value in a trade.
19. Takashi Saito P – Decent fill in closer, when the Sox actually decide to use him.  The most likely to be traded.
20. David Ortiz DH – Overall, Big Papi has been a disappointment this year, but he had a good June, so the critics have backed off.
21. Rocco Baldelli OF – Nice story, good bad off the bench.  Still not sure if he can be a full time injury replacement.
22. Mark Kotsay 1B/OF – Too early to tell, but seems decent enough as a backup.
23. Diasuke Matsuzaka / John Smoltz P – I’m lumping these two together because they’ve split time and been equally ineffective.  Smoltz shows some promise, but keeps giving up big innings.  Dice-K’s future is in serious jeopardy, lets hope they find out what’s wrong.
24. George Kottaras C – No wonder the Sox wanted Teagarden/Salty/Montero.  This guy can’t hit for shit, but he handles Wake ok.
25. Julio Lugo SS/Waste of Money – Who else? The $36 million pile of dog shit has quitely been hitting well in limited action.  But his defense is still a disaster and he’s been thoroughly outshined by a minor leaguer 2 seasons in a row.  He’s the only player I’ve seen in a long time getting consistently booed by the home crowd at Fenway.  Just a train wreck.

Until next time…

Currently listening to: Franz Ferdinand – Ulysses

Today, I am the greatest of all time

Congrats to Jim Rice and Ricky Henderson for being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame yesterday.  While I never got to watch either player (except for Ricky when he was old and washed up), both provided me with some memories.

Jim Rice waited 15 years to get into the hall and only made it by 7 votes.  I’m glad he finally made it and now the Sox can get on with retiring number 14.  My favorite (and only) Rice memory was his commercial appearance that doubled as the acting debut of the reigning AL MVP, el caballito himself, Mr. Dustin Pedroia.  There’s no questioning the greatness of this ad, and I can easily say that Rice is 2nd best actor involved (not including the Sullivan Tire guy at the end).

I’m still not sure what that has to do with tires.

Next up, Ricky Henderson, who was nearly unanimous selection in his first year of eligibility and has always been a source of entertainment for me.  Whether it was his habit of referring to himself in the 3rd person, or declaring “I am the greatest of all time,” Ricky always kept things interesting.  But Ricky also helped me achieve greatness in my own life.  Not just by providing a sterling example of baddassness but by aiding me in countless victories in the most boring of all board games, Trivial Pursuit.

Now if you’ve ever played against me in Trivial Pursuit (unlikely), you’d know that my strategy is to stick to the super easy green spaces (sports questions) and avoid the pointlessly hard browns (books or something, who knows?).  This allows me to continue moving around the board at will until I feel like winning.  The secret to the green questions (other than being a sports genius), is that Ricky Henderson is the answer to every baseball question.  No joke, every question.  I wish I was kidding.  I’ve been saved at least twice by guessing Ricky on a question that  I was clueless about.  One of those times I even joked earlier in the game about Ricky always being the answer, and followed my answer by informing everyone of my greatness (a la Ricky).

So thank you Jim and Ricky for making my laugh and helping me win.  Enjoy the hall, you both deserve it.

PS The answer to at least one brown question is Judge Judy.  I actually won the game on that one.

more to come…

Red Sox Sign Rocco Baldelli & John Smoltz

The newest member of the Red Sox, Rocco Baldelli

Good news for the nation today as the Sox announced they have agreed to terms with free agents Rocco Baldelli and John Smoltz.  Both deals are very low-risk/high-reward.

Baldelli will be the 4th outfielder, after spending his entire career with Tampa.  He’s in Boston recieving the Tony Conigliaro Award today and the deal was announced then.

The Herald reported the details of Rocco’s contract:

It’s a one-year deal, with a $500,000 base salary, which is just $100,000 over the 2009 major league minimum. Baldelli can earn as much as $1.75 million in roster bonuses if he stays healthy and off the disabled list for the season.

Also, Baldelli’s deal includes plenty of performance bonuses, which start to kick in at 325 plate appearances, all the way up to 600 plate appearances.  If Baldelli were to make 600 plate appearances — a highly unlikely figure, to be sure — he could earn as much as $5.25 million in performance bonuses in addition to the roster bonus.

Smoltz’s role is still unkown, as he has started and closed in the past.  He isn’t expected to pitch until June because of recent shoulder surgery.  His deal is expected to 1 year, 5 million and will be announced soon.

Currently listening to:  Modest Mouse – The View

more to come…