2013 Season Forecast – Boston Red Sox

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Paul Proia

Already out the gate with the best record in baseball for the month of April, let’s see if the start can hold water for an entire season.

Last Five Years:
2012: 69 – 93 (5th, AL East)
2011: 90 – 72 (3rd, Crashed AL East)
2010: 89 – 73 (3rd, AL East)
2009: 95 – 67 (2nd, AL East)
2008: 95 – 67 (2nd, AL East)

In general, the trend is working in the wrong direction, but if Bob McGrath were singing “Which One of These Things is Not Like the Other…”, we’d single out the Bobby Valentine era as the odd ball. The Sox have averaged about 88 wins a season. Without checking any of the rest of it, to guess that the Sox could bounce back to 75 – 80 wins wouldn’t have been an improbable prediction.

Runs Scored: 734 (5th in the AL)
Runs Allowed: 806 (13th in the AL – ouch)

Runs in Fenway Park: 842, tops in the AL
Runs on the road: 698, 9th in the AL

So, for 2012, Fenway – always a good hitter’s park, was even more so last season.

Season Recap:

Mixed previews…. Some people thought the Sox would remain competitive, having spent a lot of money to bring in veteran talent. Many thought the hiring of Bobby Valentine might be an odd way to mix things up following the firing of Terry Francona. I’ll say…

The team got off to a bland start, but a nice streak of six wins got the team back to .500 as the month of April ended. Losing nine of ten, the Sox fell out of the race as Bobby Valentine was losing his clubhouse as fast as you can say “Kevin Youkilis wasn’t mentally ready to play.” To the Sox credit, they battled back to 21 – 21 and a second hot streak got the Sox to 42 – 37 right as July began.

At that point, the Sox fell out of contention. They sputtered through August, first slowly, and then – starting on about 8/19 – they fell off the map. The Sox would give up ten or more runs in a game every week or more – seven times in the last 38 games. As August ended, the Sox traded away a bunch of people who were seen as under-producing (Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford) and turned it over to the next wave of Sox players. The Astros played better in September. The Sox won just 27 of their last 83 games; and went 10 – 31 in the last 41 games.

Transactions:

Some minor moves before the season – resigning Cody Ross and David Ortiz, and trading Marco Scutaro to Colorado for Clayton Mortensen. I can’t prove it, but maybe the season went south when they signed pitcher Billy Buckner on 2/29.

Actually, the were proving an interest in Chicago. The traded Michael Bowden to the Cubs for Marlon Byrd. Ouch – he was released in June. The signed Mark Prior to a minor league deal. The picked up former ChiSox outfielder Scott Podsednik when outfielders were hard to find in May. Kevin Youkilis was moved to the White Sox in June for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart. I don’t see that working out… They even sold Justin Germano (to the Cubs) and released Bobby Jenks (former Sox closer) – and in a related moved, signed Andy LaRoche, whose dad was a pitcher for the Cubs… Look – the Cubs stink, and while the White Sox were pretty good, cast offs aren’t going to help…

Here’s a move I don’t understand. They traded away Podsednik to Arizona, then signed him when Arizona released Podsednik.

I mentioned the big sell off – the Sox traded Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and CASH to the Dodgers for James Loney, Ivan DeJesus, Allen Webster, and two guys who arrived in October – Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands.

Starting Pitching:

Jon Lester had an off season, falling from ace to league average pitcher. Clay Buchholz fell from surprise ace to league average. Josh Beckett fell from famous pitcher who sometimes looks dominating to a shade below league average (and with a 5 – 11 record, looks worse than he really was). Daisuke Matsuzaka went 1 – 7 with an ERA north of 8.00, Daniel Bard proved he was a reliever in 10 starts, Aaron Cook was given 18 starts to prove he was done (5.65 ERA). Felix Doubront looked tolerable in 29 starts – I think he can build on that.

Going forward, the Red Sox could make immediate gains if Lester and Buchholz just got back half of what they lost in 2012 – that’s 30 saved runs. Getting a fourth starter that could be CLOSE to league average to replace Dice-K and Cook could save 30 runs. Replacing Josh Beckett with Ryan Dempster looks to be a wash – Dempster was awesome in Chicago, but rocked in Texas. Boston just feels more like his kind of place – I think he can be at least league average in 30 starts, which is still better than 21 Josh Beckett starts and 10 bad Daniel Bard starts… If Doubront doesn’t fall back and if John Lackey ever gets healthy, who knows. I like the rotation to be 50 – 60 runs better than last year.

Bullpen:

Losing Andrew Bailey, who was brutal, and having to use Alfredo Aceves as a closer was bad. I know Aceves got 25 saves, but the two combined to cost the Sox six unnecessary runs. The rest of the pen was a nice patch work of guys like Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, Clayton Mortensen, Vincente Padilla, and Matt Albers. Sure, they had a few sore thumbs (I’m looking at you, Mark Melancon and Zach Stewart), but every bullpen has one or two.

This year, the Sox signed Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, have Andrew Bailey back, and added Koji Uehara to Tunizawa, Miller, and Mortensen. This could be a bullpen that is ten runs better than last year.

Catching:

I’m thinking that the Sox missed their captain, the retired Jason Varitek. Boston gave the job to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with Kelly Shoppach (now gone) and Ryan Lavarnway as backups. People could run on both Salty and Lavarnway (108 stolen, 21 caught), and as a unit, the team was below average in winning percentage, team ERA, and tended to be error prone. The only category in which Boston catchers were above average was mobility (assists not tied to caught stealing), and that’s not saying a whole lot.

Shoppach was their best defensive catcher, had the best batting rates (5 runs per 27 outs, the only above average offensive player) – so he’s gone. I know – Saltalamacchia hit 25 homers, but he batted .222 with a sub .300 OBP. He hit like Jason Varitek did at the end, but with no defensive positives. Salty is back, but the Sox did bring in David Ross from Atlanta, who is a fine catcher and should get at least 500 innings of work.

Infield:

Adrian Gonzalez was underperforming, maybe, but he was still hitting .300 with 37 doubles and 86 RBI with a month to go. And, he was saving them 35 runs with his glove in five months – gold glove play. James Loney can’t hope to replace that – so the Sox let him leave and signed Mike Napoli to play there. Napoli is an underrated catcher – I’d let him do that from time to time and try to find a better hitter (Daniel Nava?) to play first. Dustin Pedroia was productive but his range is falling quickly. Never GREAT before, he cost the team more than 15 runs because he makes nearly nine fewer plays per 870 balls in play than the average second sacker. Mike Aviles was a below average hitter – first time in a full season he did that – but ordinary at short. The Sox will try Stephen Drew there in 2013 – and I think he’s going to be a weak fielder and I fear he may not be that great a hitter anymore. He has the tools to be, but it’s been a while. If he hits his 150 game norms, he’s not going to be appreciably better than Mike Aviles overall. A few more runs on the board for both teams… The one place Boston may improve is at third, where Will Middlebrooks will get full time duty. Youkilis struggled last season, so if Middlebrooks can match his half season stats across a full season, that will help. He is NOT in Youkilis’s league as a fielder, but Youk was fading there last year.

As a whole, this group will likely be 50 runs worse defensively, but break even offensively.

Outfield:

A team that had so many injuries, nine guys played in left, eleven guys played in center, and eleven more played in right. With Crawford gone, the Sox may try Jackie Bradley (he already got sent back) in left, or Daniel Nava. They need a full (and productive) season from centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury – who is, at best, a league average fielder but CAN be a crazy good hitter. Cody Ross is gone; Shane Victorino, who is as productive a hitter and a slightly better fielder will play right. If Nava can step forward and get on base, or at least be a solid platoon with Jonny Gomes, and Ellsbury can get healthy, there is a chance for 40 – 50 extra runs on the board with little change in defensive value.

DH/Bench:

David Ortiz should be around for 25 more games than the 90 games he played last year, but at his age, he might decline some. Nava can play all over, Victorino can spell Ellsbury if needed, and Pedro Ciriaco will be the utility infielder. Not a bad bunch.

On the Farm!

At Pawtucket, the only prospect from 2012 may have been catcher Ryan Lavernway, who hit .295 and played with the big club. He’s at least a good backup. The best pitcher was probably Justin Germano, but he is 29 and now a Cub. He’s no prospect.

2010 first round pick Bryce Brentz hit .296 at Portland (AA), showing power, and might make the big club this year. Jackie Bradley didn’t look overmatched in his 61 games there – he was a 2011 first rounder. Stolmy Pimentel didn’t look as strong as he had previously. The reliever with promise may be Aaron Kurcz, who fanned 72 in 50 innings, but is wild. 2008 first round pick Joshua Fields is getting there – better control and 59 Ks in his 44 innings. Unfortunately, he’s an Astro right now…

Look out for 3B Michael Almanzar, who hit .300 with power at A+ Salem. He and SS Xander Bogaerts, who is just 20, will follow in the shoes of Jackie Bradley one day. 1B Travis Shaw had Adrian Gonzalez numbers there – but I don’t think that’s what he will be when he gets to the majors… Keith Couch is looking close to being a prospect after going 11 – 9 with good control in 145.2 innings. The better prospect might be Matt Barnes, the 2011 top pick, who strikes people out and is building a solid minor league resume very quickly.

Forecast:

Well, when I add up the offensive gains and the defensive gains (pitching) and losses (infield gloves), I see the Sox making strides toward .500. I see them scoring about 65 more runs, and maybe saving five to ten runs over last year. That puts them around 800 runs scored and allowed – or 81 wins. I’m not convinced the hot start is going to stay for the year, but it will be a better season for Sox fans than 2012.

Ellsbury Out With Separated Shoulder, and Happy Birthday, Ben Tincup!

Posted on April 14, 2012 by Paul Proia

The Boston Red Sox placed centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury on the 15-day DL due to a separated shoulder suffered when he was removed in the front end of a double play against the Rays. Ellsbury could miss at least six weeks, so if this is YOUR fantasy baseball team, you’ll want to know that Cody Ross will get the bulk of the starts, even though AAA outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin (more Lin-sanity???) was called up from Pawtucket. Lin doesn’t have the minor league resume that screams out START ME! – but you never know. He makes contact, he can run, and he covers ground in the outfield. Bobby Valentine, in his “boy am I smart” way explained that Lin might not be here longer than the weekend. [MLB]

The Detroit Tigers activated infielder Brandon Inge, who will likely get a start at second base this weekend. To make room, Detroit sent infielder Danny Worth to AAA Toledo. Meanwhile, the Tigers gave an unconditional release to outfielder Clete Thomas, who was promptly picked up by Minnesota. The signing of Thomas means that outfielder Ben Revere was optioned to AAA. [MLB, ESPN]

It’s okay, I’ll still follow Revere on Twitter. He seems like a nice kid.

Hurry Back!

Seattle placed reliever George Sherrill on the 15-Day DL with an elbow strain. In his place, the Mariners have recalled lefty pitcher Charlie Furbush.

Welcome Back!

Washington outfielder Rick Ankiel came off the DL, which means that Brett Carroll was designated for assignment.

The Transaction Wire…

The Phillies signed free agent infielder Mike Fontenot.

The Angels called up David Carpenter from AAA Salt Lake City. The Angels are looking for depth in the bullpen and Carpenter might be able to help immediately. He has remarkable control, a great strikeout rate, and minor league hitters have batted just .207 against him.

Happy Birthday!!!

Those celebrating with cake, cards, and remembrances include:

(1893) Ben Tincup (See below)
(1927) Don Mueller (See below)
(1931) Kal Segrist (See below)
(1941) Pete Rose, the greatest singles hitter and baseball gambler ever.
(1947) Joe Lahoud – wow, he’s 65?
(1966) David Justice, Braves outfielder now portrayed in the movie Moneyball…
(1966) Greg Maddux, the best pitcher I ever saw… I loved Clemens and Carlton, don’t get me wrong, but Maddux was an ARTIST.
(1969) Brad Ausmus, longtime catcher
(1970) Steve Avery – which means at least three Braves were celebrating birthdays on the same day each spring in the early 1990s. At least for a couple of years, anyway…
(1976) Kyle Farnsworth

I’ve been writing this blog on and off for a long time, I guess… This is an odd day in that I have actually written small biographies for two players on this list. Go figure.

If you want to learn more about Giants outfielder Don Mueller, click here…

If you want to learn more about Yankee Infielder and Texas Tech baseball coach Kal Segrist, click here…

Ben Tincup

A baseball lifer, Austin Ben Tincup spent fifty years playing and teaching baseball to thousands of kids all over the country – but not before he became the first Native American from Oklahoma to make it to the big leagues.

In doing the research, I found four different birthdays listed for Ben. A couple of places, including FindaGrave.com and the Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen biography of Tincup, show his birthday as December 14, 1890. Baseball-Reference.com has a main player page and a minor league player page for Tincup, too. Those show April 14, 1893. His obituary and his grave stone in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tulsa, OK says his birth year is 1894. (You’d think that the findagrave.com mini-bio would want their data to match the picture, right?) SABR and Retrosheet.org, as well as the database I use for compiling this data, say 1893. Let’s go with that one…

Tincup was born on April 14th, we’re pretty sure, to James and Lucinda (Vance) Tincup. A TSN article listed Ben’s birthplace as Sherman, TX, but other sources say Adair, OK. (I’m tempted to go with Adair, mostly because the TSN writer probably read that Tincup came from Sherman when he joined the Phillies, but that was his minor league city and not his birthplace.) Not long out of school, Tincup was signed to pitch for Muskogee in the Oklahoma State League, the first professional team to operate in Muskogee. By the end of the 1912 season, though, he had been shifted to Sherman in the Texas-Oklahoma League. He stayed in Sherman for 1913, figured things out, and won his last fourteen starts.

The winning streak got him noticed, and the Philadelphia Phillies brought him out for spring training to see how he’d fare. Before long, the young Cherokee Indian was making relief appearances in May and June. In July, he was given his first major league start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tincup pitched a masterful game, winning 1 – 0, and holding the Pirates to just five hits – three of them by Honus Wagner.

Tincup became a bit of a celebrity and the newspapers called him The Millionaire Indian, one of many landowners who got rich when oil was found on a number of large farms in Oklahoma. Ben countered, however, that the writers missed their mark. “The stories were only half right,” said Tincup. “I’m 100 percent Cherokee Indian and I own 500 acres of Oklahoma land. But I’m the Indian who owns land where they didn’t find oil.”

Among the first Native Americans not nicknamed “Chief”, Tincup won two other games by shutouts: a 1 – 0 blanking of St. Louis and a 2 – 0 win over the Pirates. However, he mixed in a few rougher outings, including a 13 – 5 loss to Brooklyn and 12 – 3 loss to Boston. When the year was out, he finished 8 – 10 as the third starter on the roster.

However, the fourth starter was lefty Eppa Rixey, a fine thrower out of the University of Virginia. Rixey roomed with Tincup for a year while the rookies found their way through the league. In 1915, Rixey made the step forward, joining Grover Cleveland Alexander and Erskine Meyer and New York Giant import Al Demaree. The new rotation helped propel the Phillies to their first pennant in 1915. Tincup was reduced to a marginal reliever, making just ten appearances, and hardly contributing to the 1915 National League championship. In fact, Tincup was voted just a half-share of the team’s post-season take.

The Phillies chose to dispatch Tincup to the minors for a little more seasoning. In 1916, Tincup went 16 – 11 for Providence in the International League. Moved to Little Rock in 1917, Tincup threw a perfect game against Birmingham in the Southern Association. He kept a ball and the press clippings for years – the ball finally being donated to the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, OK.

St. Louis claimed Tincup for the 1918 season, but the National Association ruled that Tincup still belonged to the Phillies, who called him up for a few outings. Tincup decided to retire and went off to join other Americans in the US Army who were fighting in Europe during the first World War.

When he came back in 1919, he was declared a free agent. Bill Neal, who had scouted and signed Tincup for Philadelphia, was now associated with the Louisville Colonels in the American Association. Neal signed Tincup for more money than he might have made with the Phillies – and Tincup became a minor league lifer. For the next twelve seasons, Tincup was a regular starter and later a reliever for the Colonels. He won 20 twice; the first time he went 20 – 14 in 1922, and two years later he won 24 games. And he could hit, too. One year, he played left field when he wasn’t pitching and wound up hitting .331 with 16 doubles, 16 triples, and eight homers. He missed the batting crown by four points. However, the next season manager Joe McCarthy and Tincup decided pitching was the right thing to do – and Tincup only played the outfield in emergencies.

The 1921 team won the American Association and challenged Baltimore in the Little World Series, a battle between the top minor league teams. Louisville won, in part, behind the pitching of Tincup. Tincup outdueled Lefty Grove to put Louisville in charge of the series.

In 1922, Harry Davis, the old Athletics first baseman, was sent to scout the team. He was looking at two players, Brewers outfielder Al Simmons and Colonels outfielder Earle Combs. Davis asked Tincup to really bear down on Simmons to see what he could do.

“I brushed Al back with a high, inside pitch. I had plenty on it, believe me,” said Tincup. “I wanted to scare Simmons, but he didn’t scare at all. Instead, he just just dug in and dared me to come back with the same pitch. I did. He didn’t move an inch. The next ball was a dandy curve. Simmons whacked it over the first baseman’s head for a triple. I figured he just had beginner’s luck. The next time he came up he lined a double to left… Some time later I read that Simmons had been sold to the Athletics for $100,000. I wasn’t surprised. When I saw Davis later, I told him that I had helped ‘sell’ Simmons to the A’s the day I pitched to him. Davis had a smart comeback. ‘You’re right, Ben. But I made a mistake. The day we bought Simmons, we also should have bought Combs.'”

Combs signed with the Yankees – and years later, well after he was done playing, Tincup would join the Yankees, too.

In the winters, Tincup would play ball in Cuba. The 1925 Marianaos Gray Monks may have been the best team of his generation, featuring players such as Freddy Fitzsimmons, Jess Petty, Otto Krueger, Mike Griffen, Charlie Dressen, Eddie Brown, Mark Koenig, Walter Christensen, Tiny Chaplin, Bill Burwell, and Jim Cooney. Some of those names we still recognize today – others, we’d probably have to look up.

Toward the end of his Louisville career, Joe McCarthy was with the Cubs – he needed a temporary reliever. He called for Ben Tincup, who got a couple more appearances in the majors. Then, he was returned to Louisville. As he got older, Tincup left the rotation and became a quality reliever. According to a TSN article:

“Manager Allan Sothoron this spring decided that the veteran redskin could best serve his team in the role of relief chucker, and in this capacity Ben has proved invincible.” He would finish the season 14 – 3 in relief, and another article claimed that he “…saved approximately 13 games, for which other pitchers received credit.” Jerome Holtzman hadn’t yet coined the term “Saves.”

1930 was Tincup’s last hurrah. He had a rough year (7 – 16) in 1929 and was given a pay cut. After 1930, he wanted a raise and Louisville ownership didn’t agree. Before long, Tincup was cut and scooped up by Minneapolis. The next year, Tincup was pitching in Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League, but he was pretty much done as a pitcher.

Instead, he was signed as am umpire by the American Association – a job that barely lasted two months. Per a blurb in TSN:

“Ben Tincup, veteran Indian pitcher formerly with Louisville, has been released as an umpire in the American Association by President Thomas J. Hickey. Tincup made his debut as an arbiter this season, but there were so many complaints over his decisions on balls and strikes that his release resulted.”

He went back to his farm in Oklahoma for the next three years.

However, guys who knew Tincup needed scouts and coaches – and Tincup was hired by the Cincinnati Reds to manage their farm team in Paducah, a member of the Kitty League. In his first season, Tincup led Paducah to a first-half crown and a trip to the playoffs. However, Tincup argued that two pitchers that helped Union City to a second half crown should have been ineligible. When that protest failed, he began to lose favor with his Paducah owner, B.B. Hook. Tincup next complained that he had to play night games in Union City, when his team only played day games at home. That, too, failed.

So, Tincup told his team to play but he was going to stay home to protest the league’s decisions. After Paducah lost to Larry Irvin (one of two players Tincup felt should not have been eligible to pitch) and Union City in that first game, seven other players decided to side with Tincup. The series was forfeited to Union City and National Association President W. B. Bramham chose to put Tincup and the seven players on the ineligible list. That ban lasted about four months, and Tincup was signed to manage a different Reds farm team, this one in Peoria, Illinois.

While there, Tincup traded for a pitcher who had been successful for him in Paducah, Gene “Junior” Thompson. Thompson was the ace of the Peoria staff and the Reds soon promoted him to the big league team where Junior (he hated that nickname) helped the Reds win the 1940 National League Pennant. Thompson’s ascent and Tincup’s role in his development earned Tincup the reputation as someone who could mold young pitchers.

Tincup was a proponent of throwing strikes, saying that the biggest problem young pitchers have is not being willing to hit the catcher’s glove. “They’re so scared somebody is going to get a base hit they throw all around the target but seldom at it,” said Tincup. “What they don’t realize is that even when you put across a perfect strike with nothing on it, the batter won’t hit it safely more than three times out of ten. That’s proved in batting practice.”

By 1938, he was taken by Larry McPhail from Cincinnati to Brooklyn to become a roving pitching instructor and coach. In 1939, young kids would have seen an advertisement for a California baseball camp where young ballplayers could learn from coaches like Leo Durocher, Charlie Dressen, Bill Killefer, and Ben Tincup. On the other hand, some things from his minor league days didn’t go away as quickly. Tincup earned a fine in his last days managing Paducah in 1939. When he tried to step on the field as a coach in 1940, the league told him he had a $10 fine due and Kennesaw Mountain Landis wouldn’t let him on the field unless he paid that fine. A wire was sent, and Tincup was allowed to coach.

After two more seasons as a coach, Tincup took a short hiatus to join the war effort for World War II – this time helping build boats on the docks of the Ohio River at Jeffersonville. During that time, he ran into an old friend – Ray Kennedy. Kennedy was Tincup’s catcher when Tincup tossed that perfect game in 1917 for Little Rock. Now, Kennedy was the General Manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kennedy knew a few people – and by 1946, when the war was over, Tincup was a scout for the Boston Braves.

Tincup’s scouting and coaching career meant he went all over the place for a bunch of different teams. He left Boston to join the Pirates. Roy Hamey had brought him into the Pirates organization, and when he left for the Yankees, he took Tincup with him there, and then to the Phillies. “We had him traveling around the farm clubs and working with the pitchers,” said Hamey. “He helped fellows like Bob Friend and Vernon Law so much that when I moved over to the Yankees, I talked George Weiss into bringing him to New York. He did such a good job with the Yanks that I had a tough time getting him for the Phils. But I told Weiss I needed him worse than the Yankees did, so George turned him over to me.”

During his time with the Phillies, a prized prospect was a young Yaqui Indian out of Arizona named Phil Ortega. Hamey assigned Tincup to handle the negotiations, figuring that one Native American might be better able to relate to another Native American than the other scouts. The Dodgers, however, countered with a bigger bonus check. Buzzie Bavasi wired Hamey when he won. “How dumb can you get,” Bavasi asked. “Don’t you know Ortega’s and Tincup’s tribes have been at war for 300 years?”

The Yankees got Tincup back when Ralph Houk, who had used Tincup as a pitching coach in the middle 1950s, asked for him to coach his 1961 squad. Joe Falls wrote about it in the Detroit Free Press: “The Yankees have signed Ben Tincup, a 73-year-old Cherokee, as their minor league pitching coach… And this is the team that fired Casey Stengel because he was, at 70, too old.”

If Tincup was 73 in 1961, that would put his birth date at 1888… Another option… I don’t think so.

Anyway… Eventually baseball’s tribal elder called it a career and returned to the Tulsa area. He was inducted into various Halls of Fame in Oklahoma, including those celebrating Native Americans in sports. In 1980, he was staying at the very hotel in Claremore, the Will Rogers Hotel, where his perfect game baseball would have been on display. Sometime in the night on July 5, 1980 Tincup was called to pitch on the great ball field in the sky.

Sources:

The Sporting News
“Finishing Second No Small Honor in A.A.” The Sporting News, Oct. 7, 1920, Page 5.
“Colonels Carry On and Never Say Die.” The Sporting News, July 14, 1921, Page 3.
“Didn’t Start A One But Has Won Seven.” The Sporting News, June 19, 1930, Page 4.
Williams, A. W. “Louisville Releases Tincup.” The Sporting News, July 30, 1931, Page 3.
“Ben Tincup New A.A. Umpire.” The Sporting News, January 19, 1933, Page 2.
“Tincup to Pilot Paducah” The Sporting News, March 26, 1936, Page 7.
“Bramham Punishes Paducah ‘Strikers’.” The Sporting News, September 24, 1936. Page 7.
“Long Arm of the Law.” The Sporting News, May 23, 1940, Page 3.
“Tincup Donates No-Hit Ball.” The Sporting News, April 10, 1941, Page 11.
“8-Game Streak Has Almendares Out in Front.” The Sporting News, November 17, 1948, Page 20.
The Sporting News, March 8, 1950, Page 14.
“Old-Time Ben Tincup Back; Gives Advice to Phils’ Kids.” The Sporting News, March 7, 1956, Page 33.
Notes, The Sporting News, January 1, 1961, Page 12.
Obituaries, The Sporting News, August 9, 1980, Page 50.
“Phils Forgot Tribal Wars When They Bid for Ortega.” The Sporting News, June 27, 1964, Page 26.

Obituary:
Claremore (OK) Progress (July 8, 1980)

Baseball Digest:
Bryson, Bill. “The Indian Glove Call.” Baseball Digest, Feb 1964, Pages 67 – 73.
Levy, Sam. “Simmons First Steps to Hall.” Baseball Digest, April, 1953, Pages 25 to 27.

Websites:

FindaGrave.com
Baseball-Reference.com
Retrosheet.org

2011 Season Forecast: Boston Red Sox

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Paul Proia

Last Five Seasons:

2010: 89 – 73 (3rd AL East)
2009: 95 – 67
2008: 95 – 67
2007: 96 – 66 (WS Champs)
2006: 86 – 76

Runs Scored: 818 (2nd, AL to NYY)
Runs Allowed: 744 (11th in the AL, but considering where they play, it was 6th if you adjust for the park)

2010 Recap:

After a lack-luster start in April, the Red Sox started rolling in May and June, at which point everyone started getting dinged up, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and J.D. Drew (which, frankly, was expected). Bill Hall turned into an everyday player, Darnell McDonald was forced into the lineup, and Mike Lowell’s body finally gave out having to play as often as it did. Even Tim Wakefield went down with a back injury. The Red Sox played near .500 the rest of the way, but with both New York and Tampa playing lights out in July and August, the Red Sox weren’t really in the race despite almost making it to 90 wins.

The Red Sox made few mid-season moves of any consequence, other than putting people on the DL.

Starters:

On paper, as good a rotation as can be found. Jon Lester is an ACE; a lefty in Fenway with a 3.25 ERA and 19 wins who strikes out more than a batter an inning and keeps the ball in the park. Clay Buchholz earned 28 starts and was even better in terms of runs saved (34 to 26.5), but Lester really had the better stuff and pitched 35 more innings. John Lackey took a while to get started, but still won 14 decisions and pitched 215 innings. Daisuke Matsuzaka only made 25 starts, but had a winning record. Josh Beckett, on the other hand, made 21 awful starts and finished with a 5.78 ERA. He needs to move off the fastball and find another out pitch. Tim Wakefield made 19 starts, got swatted around more than usual, and won just four games. He’s not retired yet, but the league may retire him anyway.

The same five return for 2011, and Wakefield may not have a spot on the roster. I don’t think Buchholz will match his 2010 rate, but Beckett could be better if healthy. I don’t expect improvement from the three or five spots (Lackey or Matsuzaka) and worry what would happen if a key starter went down to injury.

Bullpen:

Like Josh Beckett, Jonathon Papelbon was more hittable than in previous years, finishing with a 3.90 ERA. He walked more batters than usual and just had days where it didn’t work for him. I think he’ll be fine, but 8th inning stud Daniel Bard could get some save opportunities if needed. Hideki Okajima fell off a little in 2010, as did Manny Delcarmen. Guys like Scott Atchison, Ramon Ramirez, Dustin Richardson, and Scott Schoeneweis didn’t really move the needle. On the other hand, Lester, Lackey, and (down the stretch) Buchholz didn’t need more than two innings of help most nights.

Still, the Red Sox brought in a bunch of guys to help out for 2011, including Bobby Jenks (not really a closer), Matt Albers, Dan Wheeler, and Alfredo Aceves to shore up the pen, which should make it slightly stronger than in 2010.

Catching:

Last year, Victor Martinez proved he could still hit and Jason Varitek proved he could still catch. On the other hand, Varitek can’t hit much, and Martinez should be a DH. So, for 2011, Martinez will get to DH in Detroit, and the Red Sox imported Jarrod Saltalamacchia to be the primary starter. Salty was acquired for prospects in July, 2010 but didn’t play much. And, he comes to Boston as a question mark. He has a great work ethic, but hasn’t ever really been a dominant hitter. And, last year he was sent to AAA because he couldn’t make the throw from behind the plate back to the pitcher. Let’s hope he’s got this behind him now…

Offensively, this will be a slide – maybe 25 runs – but defensively (unless Saltalamacchia falls off on his game) it could be a minor improvement.

Infield:

The infield was anchored by third baseman Adrian Beltre, who had his best season in Boston, hitting .321 with power, and fielding his position as well as just about anybody. Shortstop Marco Scutaro didn’t miss many games, but he didn’t make many plays in the field, made quite a few errors, and his batting fell off to league average levels. The other half missed half the season – Dustin Pedroia only played in 75 games and Kevin Youkilis missed 60.

Youkilis produces a run a game and can still field. He will be moving off of first base to take over third as Beltre signed a free agent deal with Texas. And, Adrian Gonzalez was aquired from San Diego (albeit after shoulder surgery) to play first base. A healthy Gonzalez is a world class hitter and fielder, and if Pedroia plays 140 games, this unit will generate perhaps 15 more runs than they did in 2010. If Scutaro struggles at the plate this year, it might be time to dig into the minors for glove wizard Jose Iglesias. Jed Lowrie backs everyone up in 2011.

Outfield:

The outfield of Ellsbury, Cameron, and Drew hardly ever played together, so it was a patchwork crew of guys like Jeremy Hermida, Bill Hall, Ryan Kalish, Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava, and Josh Reddick.

This should change as the Red Sox signed Rays left fielder Carl Crawford for 2011. Ellsbury will be back, hopefully staying in the lineup and batting in front of the boppers, playing center. He’s the wild card of this group, not being an especially good defensive centerfielder, and having lost much of the season to build on his offensive tool set. Drew returns to play as many games as possible in right, with Cameron and McDonald around to pick up games and innings as needed. If Ellsbury can return to form, and having added Crawford, the offense could improve by 50 runs, easily.

DH:

David Ortiz is still around, having generated 98 runs of offense with a 32 – 102 – .270 campaign. He’ll still play, but he might get a day off from time to time against a tough lefty with Cameron on the bench. I don’t see Ortiz repeating 2010, but at least the Sox have options.

Down on the Farm:

AAA Pawtucket’s featured outfielders already got a shot, those being Ryan Kalish and Josh Reddeck – both are mid-level power decent bat types and don’t have jobs in Boston just yet. Among the pitchers, Michael Bowden keeps getting calls to the Red Sox, but hasn’t been able to stick and probably is looking forward to free agency.

Pitcher Felix Doubront made eight solid starts for AA Portland, earning a trip to Pawtucket. After another eight good starts, he was in Boston for a few outings and didn’t look overmatched. I don’t see him making the roster in April, so expect the lefty to start in AAA for 2011. Anthony Rizzo is a potential power source, having hit 20 homers in Portland after being moved up from A+ Salem. Just 21, he may start at Pawtucket, but his route to the majors is also blocked.

Salem featured pitcher Stolmy Pimentel, who has decent command but needs a little seasoning. Infielder Oscar Tejeda hit .307 in Salem, with decent power and some speed. Ryan Lavarnway showed power and command of the strike zone and should start the year at AA Portland.

Forecasting 2011:

The Red Sox are the consensus pick to win the AL East and possibly the World Series. It’s hard to argue with the logic. By my methods, I see the offense improving by perhaps as many as 40 runs, and the pitching holding steady. The defense will be stronger in the outfield, and the only hole will likely be short and catcher. With 860 runs scored, and about 740 runs allowed, that puts the Sox around 93 wins. It’s fewer than many others have predicted, but still enough to edge the Rays for the division crown.

2010 Top AL Left Fielders

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Paul Proia

Carl Crawford – TB (128.8 Runs Created, 13.1 Runs Saved = 141.9 Total Runs Productivity)

Which player had the better contract season, Crawford or Adrian Beltre? Maybe it was Jose Bautista… Did what he always does, only with a few more homers and triples. Nobody compares them, but Crawford and Johnny Damon are extremely similar players. Well – the Damon of a few years ago, anyway.

Josh Hamilton – TEX (131.5 Runs Created, 3.7 Runs Saved = 135.2 Total Runs Productivity)

Still played some center, but only because Julio Borbon isn’t that strong a hitter. Who does he remind you of, as a hitter? I can’t think of any modern player… Al Simmons? Goose Goslin?

Scott Podsednik – KC/LAD (77.6 Runs Created, 10.0 Runs Saved = 87.6 Total Runs Productivity)

Kind of like Juan Pierre, but with a touch more power and a bit more range. Led the AL in hitting early on, earning a trip to a contender – that flopped upon his arrival. Returns to the AL with Toronto in 2011. Turns 35 in spring training, which should give you pause, but has retained his speed and skill thus far. Alex Gordon got the spot after Podsednik left and proved he still isn’t a prospect.

Bobby Abreu, if he were a regular left fielder, would rank about here (85.2 Total Runs Productivity).

Juan Pierre – CHI (77.9 Runs Created, 3.1 Runs Saved = 81.0 Total Runs Productivity)

Still can run (68 stolen bases), still slaps singles but not at the rate he once did. Unless he hits .310, he’s not that valuable, but he still gets 650 at bats because he has a great work ethic and people think his speed makes up for a complete lack of power and a bunch of ground outs.

Brett Gardner – NYY (73.2 Runs Created, 3.9 Runs Saved = 77.1 Total Runs Productivity)

A better leadoff hitter than Derek Jeter, and the best #9 hitter in baseball. Gets on base, runs like the wind, and covers plenty of ground. The new Brett Butler. If he had 650 at bats rather than 450 (not that you can tell Jeter he’s batting ninth), would have created about 100 runs. One day, he will.

Johnny Damon – DET (79.7 Runs Created, -3.0 Runs Saved = 76.7 Total Runs Productivity)

Heads to Tampa where he and/or Manny Ramirez will share the field and DH duties. Not as mobile as he used to be as a myriad of leg injuries are sapping him of his old speed, but he’s still a quality bat. Damon’s power, never great, is tolerable and he now works the count like a veteran who is losing his ability to catch up to a fastball. Not sure how many years he has left and wouldn’t be surprised if his career runs out of steam. 29 hits from 2600.

Delmon Young – MIN (97.7 Runs Created, -25.0 Runs Saved = 72.7 Total Runs Productivity)

Took his batting and fielding to new levels – albeit in different directions. Hit .298 with power, driving in 112 runs – by far his best season. Also avoided fly balls at a career worst rate. Hard to believe he’s really that bad in left, but he just doesn’t get to anything.

Juan Rivera – LAA (57.6 Runs Created, 12.1 Runs Saved = 69.7 Total Runs Productivity)

Decent hitter, average glove (don’t let the runs saved number fool you, it was his best season since 2006 and usually is a shade under league average). Another guy moving to Toronto where he might explode for a year.

Brennan Boesch – DET (64.0 Runs Created, 4.0 Runs Saved = 68.0 Total Runs Productivity)

Played more in right field – nearly full time combined. He’s got mid-range power, can cover some ground, a bit better eye than Ryan Raburn. If nothing else, when the Tigers kept Damon or Ordonez as a DH, they had a young and mobile outfield. Damon is gone now, so both Raburn and Boesch will get 550 at bats rather than 400.

Austin Kearns – CLE/NY (57.3 Runs Created, 8.8 Runs Saved = 66.1 Total Runs Productivity)

Saved what looked to be a dead career with a strong start as an unplanned outfielder in Cleveland and wound up an insurance extra outfielder for the Yankees. Showed surprising range in the outfield and contributed by hitting for a little power and getting on base. He hasn’t been consistently productive, but if he plays like he did in 2010, he’ll have a job for a few more years. Heck, he probably got two years of contracts out of this season alone.

Ryan Raburn – DET (61.2 Runs Created, 1.8 Runs Saved = 63.0 Total Runs Productivity)

Played a lot of left, but also snuck innings in at second base (not badly), third, first, center, and right. A decent hitter, too – sowed power and hit .280. Will get more time in 2011 – might be worth a late look in your fantasy leagues.

Fourteen guys played left field for Oakland, led by Rajai Davis at 320.1 innings – but Davis also split time in center with Coco Crisp, leading the team in innings there, too. Josh Willingham would appear to have the job in 2011 (62.7 Total Runs Productivity). Willingham hits, plays hard, is a consumate professional, but with a stiff back is really not a good outfielder.

Trevor Crowe – CLE (49.0 Runs Created, 11.4 Runs Saved = 60.4 Total Runs Productivity)

Has speed, but will probably show little growth as a hitter since he’s already 27 and wasn’t a world beater in the minors, Crowe played more centerfield but was just a few innings from leading the Indians in time spent in left field as well. At this point, he’s a much better defensive player than Grady Sizemore, but he needs to increase either his on base percentage or slugging percentage to be worth giving 1000 innings in the field. He’s really a fifth outfielder at best.

Corey Patterson – BAL/OAK (52.7 Runs Created, 7.0 Runs Saved = 59.7 Total Runs Productivity)

An older version of Felix Pie with more power and a greater willingness to steal bases.

David Murphy – TEX (67.4 Runs Created, -7.9 Runs Saved = 59.5 Total Runs Productivity)

Would be the best fourth outfielder in baseball if he were more consistent in the field, but he never gets to play one position for a long period of time. Valuable player.

Fred Lewis – TOR (60.6 Runs Created, -9.2 Runs Saved = 51.4 Total Runs Productivity)

Doesn’t hit for much power, doesn’t get on base enough, runs a little but not a ton. Didn’t field his position well in 2010 (was slightly below average in 2008, slightly above in 2009). Fourth outfielder at best.

Bill Hall – BOS (49.5 Runs Created, -2.5 Runs Saved = 47.0 Total Runs Productivity)

Valuable player, logging time at six positions and playing most of them pretty well. With the current rosters lugging bigger pitching staffs, a guy like Hall is remarkably valuable.

Michael Saunders – SEA (35.7 Runs Created, 7.9 Runs Saved = 43.6 Total Runs Productivity)

A bit of power and decent range in the outfield made up for a low batting average – strikes out a lot. Never had a GREAT year in the minors and I’d be hard pressed to believe he’s really a 20 homer guy. I think he might improve – but that means .240 with 15 homers, which isn’t good enough.

Felix Pie – BAL (35.5 Runs Created, 6.4 Runs Saved = 41.9 Total Runs Productivity)

Mobile fielder, can play all three fields, ordinary hitter with no bonuses for on base percentage. Once a prospect, now a servicable fourth outfielder.

Milton Bradley – SEA (29.1 Runs Created, 6.1 Runs Saved = 35.2 Total Runs Productivity)

If he’s got ANYTHING left, he’s way over due to show it. Career may be in final tailspin and with his personal history, it’s not like people are going to bend over to give him an EXTRA chance.

Shelley Duncan – CLE (31.5 Runs Created, -3.0 Runs Saved = 28.5 Total Runs Productivity)

Got a chance because he has decent power and his dad is Dave Duncan. Doesn’t do much else, though… Low batting average, not much of a fielder.

Jeremy Hermida – BOS/OAK (17.4 Runs Created, 5.4 Runs Saved = 22.8 Total Runs Productivity)

Awkwardly effective in the outfield (runs fast, plays the ball well, but hates diving and walls), and a disappointing hitter – won’t be in the majors after next year, probably, unless he can turn himself into Jay Johnstone. And Hermida’s not that funny.

Daniel Nava – BOS (19.8 Runs Created, -10.4 Runs Saved = 9.4 Total Runs Productivity)

Got the most innings when Jacoby Ellsbury went out with more maladies than a guest star on House. Not that strong a hitter, for someone who is fast Nava didn’t look comfortable playing in Boston’s oddly shaped left field.

Volquez Gets PED Suspension; Hoodie is “OKAY!” – MLB

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Paul Proia

Edinson Volquez, the injured Reds ace, apparently tested positive for PEDs during a spring training test. He claims that he had taken a fertility drug in the Dominican Republic as he and his wife are trying to start a family. If that’s the case, don’t you get that approved with the league before you actually take it?

Moreover, why does his suspension start now while Volquez is on the DL, rather than after he would be eligible to play (perhaps, say, late July or August)? If you get suspended, like Cliff Lee did, for throwing at a player that suspension doesn’t start until you are an active member of the team. This just encourages people to try something while recovering from a major injury to get better faster (are you reading this, Tiger Woods?). [SI/MLB]

Others who agree with me? Joe Lemire of SI. Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports. It may be for different reasons, but we all agree this stinks.

Speaking of Cliff Lee’s Suspension…

It’s not gonna happen. The MLB, upon appeal, decided that Cliff Lee‘s recovery from injuries to his foot contributed to his lack of control in a spring training game – and not throwing at Chris Snyder‘s head after Lee and Snyder collided at the plate in a previous inning. [ESPN]

From the Training Room…

Darnell McDonald and Josh Reddick have joined the Red Sox outfield as both Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron were placed on the DL. McDonald is a longtime bush leaguer who has about 140 at bats in a couple of previous MLB trips. He’s organizational depth. Reddick has occasionally looked like a prospect, once hitting .343 at A+ Lancaster in the California League, but despite his power and occasional bat control, I think he’s no better than a fifth outfielder anyway… [ESPN]

Ranger second baseman Ian Kinsler is testing his injured ankle in hopes of starting his rehab assignment this month for Texas. [MLB]

Mets centerfielder Carlos Beltran is “making progress” in his knee rehab – but he still cannot run. Neither can pitcher Ryota Igarashi, who strained a hammy trying to field a bunt against the Cubs last night. It probably doesn’t affect your fantasy team, though. [MLB]

MLB Approves Hoodie…

At least Joe Maddon can rest more easily, as can your local Walmart or Target. [SI]

For my Fellow Cub Fans…

The Cubs are looking at Braden Looper. Forgive me if I don’t get too excited. On the other hand, I watched them last night and wasn’t too excited about what I saw either. [FoxSports]

From the Transaction Wire…

The Dodgers returned Jon Link to AAA Albuquerque, and activated reliever Ronald Belisario.
The Angels placed catcher Jeff Mathis on the 15 day DL and recalled Robb Quinlan.
Houston placed infielder Chris Johnson on the DL with a strained right intercostal muscle, and recalled Lance Berkman.
Cleveland recalled hitter Russell Branyan, costing outfielder Michael Brantley his job. Brantley heads to AAA Columbus.
Baltimore dispatched struggling pitcher Brad Bergesen to AAA Norfolk and called up Alberto Castillo.

I watched Bergesen get lit up by Seattle. Castillo is a minor league and independent league veteran, throws lefty, and has had a couple of previous shots with Baltimore and never been too bad. He’s a platoon guy – but very happy to have made the roster. Castillo jumped from Cuba in 1994 and is just shy of 35 years old. Maybe he can stay a little longer this time.

The Red Sox traded Andrew Dobies to the White Sox. Dobies was a third round pick out of Virginia six years ago who never got out of AA. He recently converted to a relief role and has been a bit more successful, but we’ll see if he can make it one more step or two forward.

Happy Birthday!

1887 – Joe McCarthy – Hall of Fame manager
1919 – Stan Rojek – “Happy Rabbit”
1937 – Gary Peters
1941 – Dick Green
1947 – Al Bumbry
1962 – Les Lancaster
1963 – Ken Caminiti
1973 – Kevin Brown
1977 – Kip Wells
1981 – Ronny Paulino – Wonder if the Marlins will let him catch tonight?

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5118215 n

Look Who is Contending! And, Notes From the Training Room…

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Paul Proia

I was looking at the standings and there it was… Pittsburgh is 7 – 5, and with a win last night the Nationals are 7 – 6. San Diego matches that – good enough for second in the NL West. Oakland leads the AL West at 9 – 5.

It’s only been two weeks, sure… Still – nice to see a couple of surprise teams making a little early noise.

One Cheat Passes Another…

Alex Rodriguez hit home run #584, passing Mark McGwire for eighth on the all-time list. Somewhere, a chemistry teacher feels rewarded for his or her work in the classroom. Anyway… Frank Robinson is next, and in a few months, there should be seven players with at least 600 homers in their career. [FoxSports]

Fond Farewell…

Eric Gagne, for a few years the most feared reliever in baseball, called it a career. The Dodgers released Gagne after a few poor outings in Spring Training and Gagne told a Montreal website he had lost his desire to play. Gagne’s elbow, back, and shoulder have all required surgery, and it was fraying in his rotator cuff a couple of years ago that scared off the Red Sox. Gagne was also mentioned in the Mitchell report for having received HGH from Kirk Radomski. [SI]

But He Made The Ten Best Dressed List…

Tampa Rays manager Joe Maddon was told by MLB that he can no longer wear his favorite hoodie sweatshirt – one he frequently wears under his jacket to stay warm. Maddon says he prefers the hoodies to winter coats.

From the Training Room…

Baltimore outfielder Felix Pie will likely miss the next three months recovering from an injury to his left shoulder – he ruptured the latissimus dorsai behind that shoulder. Fortunately, no surgery is required, but he needs rest and rehab before he can play again. [MLB]

Meanwhile, other Orioles remain on the mend… Brian Roberts, already on the DL with abdominal injuries, saw a spinal specialist, Koji Uehara is testing his sore left hamstring, and Miguel Tejada says he’s ready to play after straining a hip adductor muscle. The guy who may not be on the mend is manager Dave Trembley. The Orioles are 2 – 11 already and now face New York or Boston for the next dozen games. [MLB]

The Red Sox can’t buy a win, and now are stuck playing Bill Hall in centerfield with two other outfielders unable to play… Jacoby Ellsbury collided with Adrian Beltre a week ago and has a severely bruised chest, while Mike Cameron still hasn’t found abdominal relief days after passing a kidney stone. [MLB/ESPN]

Phillies starter J.A. Happ will miss a turn with a strained elbow. Is Pedro Martinez still available? [ESPN]

Seattle starter Erik Bedard‘s return from shoulder surgery continues apace with the goal of making the team by Memorial Day. [MLB]

San Diego starter Chris Young is playing catch, but is still some time away from returning to the Padres. Young is the new Mike Hampton. [MLB]

Transaction Wire

The Dodgers sent Russ Ortiz back to AAA (he was actually designated for assignment), and will give a roster spot to Jon Link. Link was a former Padre and White Sox farmhand who was acquired in the Juan Pierre trade. A Virginia Commonwealth grad, Link has made steady progress in the minors and looks to have closer stuff – but not quite. Link has good strikeout numbers but he’s a touch wild, and his ERA hasn’t been around 2.00 – it’s more like 3 to 3.5. Still – he can take some middle innings and not be too bad.

Arizona placed Conor Jackson on the DL with a right hamstring strain and immediately recalled Esmerling Vasquez – who hadn’t even made it to AAA when he was recalled.

The Mets recalled 1B prospect Ike Davis, the 23-year-old out of Arizona State. Davis had made progress in the minors and was a stud during spring training. He looks to have mid-range power, a big swing, and a little patience. I think he can hit .275 or so in the bigs (but strike out a LOT) – still the Mets might as well give him a shot. It’s not like Carlos Delgado is coming back any time soon.

Happy Birthday!

1876 – Charlie Hemphill – I think he played with Rube in the California League in 1902
1891 – Dave Bancroft (Hall of Fame shortstop)
1946 – Tommy Hutton – now a Marlins TV commentator and a good one
1950 – Milt Wilcox
1961 – Don Mattingly
1973 – Todd Hollingsworth

2010 Season Forecast: Boston Red Sox

Posted on March 18, 2010 by Paul Proia

Last Five Seasons:
2009: 95 – 67 (2nd AL East)
2008: 95 – 67
2007: 96 – 66
2006: 86 – 76
2005: 95 – 67

Runs Scored: 872 (3rd AL)
Runs Allowed: 736 (3rd AL)

Season Recap:

Most people figured that the Red Sox would finish first or second in the AL East and, as they have done four times in the last five years, the finished with at least 95 wins.

The Sox actually stumbled out of the gate, losing their first three series to Tampa, Los Angeles, and then Oakland. An eleven game winning streak got things going, however, putting the Red Sox out front in the first month of the season. Jason Bay‘s April made up for the struggles of David Ortiz, but already there were problems.

As the calendar turned to May, the Sox were dealing with a hole at shortstop, the lack of offensive production behind the plate, and still David Ortiz hitting like a middle aged AAA infielder. Brad Penny wasn’t pitching well as a fourth starter, and the team leader in wins was a 40 something knuckeballer. Daisuke Matsuzaka was rehabbing a sore back – and dealing with his lack of fitness.

In June, things started to look up. Ortiz started hitting. Jon Lester hit his stride, and the Sox went 20 – 8 to regain control of the AL East. Unfortunately, the Yankees were becoming more complete as the season went on while the Red Sox were just coping. Mike Lowell‘s hip became problematic. Jed Lowrie was out and Julio Lugo couldn’t stay in the lineup. Nick Green, who had taken over for both, began hitting the way Nick Green usually hit – which is .240 with no power or patience. J.D. Drew missed a month of games, and Jason Bay took a month off with poor production in July.

When August began, the Yankees were in control and the Red Sox were an afterthought. The Sox didn’t have enough bats to make up for a pitching staff that had 4.86 ERA for the last two months of the year. In fact, if you consider May, July, August, and September, the Red Sox were just eight games over .500 (59 – 51) and had no business being considered among the elite teams in baseball. A decent April and a very good June gave them the gaudy record they had.

Pitching:

At the top of the rotation, the Red Sox were solid. Jon Lester went 15 – 8 and saved his team 33 runs over 203.1 innings. Josh Beckett delivered a healthy season, 17 wins, and saved his team 20 runs in 212.1 innings. Tim Wakefield wasn’t bad, but with his bad back, he couldn’t pitch much after the all-star break, making just 21 starts. After that, however, nobody else was really that impressive.

Brad Penny had a 6.08 ERA in his 24 starts. John Smoltz returned from surgery to make eight ugly start (8.33 ERA). Daisuke Matsuzaka went 4 – 6 with a 5.76 ERA. The Sox gave four starts to Junichi Tazawa that they wish hadn’t happened. Boston finally gave 16 starts to Clay Buchholz, and he went 7 – 4 with a 4.21 ERA – but you have to wonder what took so long. Same goes with Justin Masterson, who was left in the bullpen but should have had more than six starts.

In the bullpen, the Red Sox remained solid with Jonathan Papelbon‘s 38 saves and 1.85 ERA. Hideki Okajima, Takashi Saito, and Ramon Ramirez were capable and competent middle and short relievers. Even Billy Wagner and Daniel Bard contributed when asked to pitch.

Looking to 2010, if the Sox want to keep up with the Yankees, they need to have more starting pitching. John Lackey was signed away from the Angels to give the Sox a big three to go along with Beckett and Lester. Matsuzaka has to find his way back to 2007 – 2008 form. If so, that’s four solid starters. Look for Matsuzaka to fight with Buchholz and Wakefield for the last two spots in the rotation. Justin Masterson, as you might remember, is with Cleveland after the Sox traded for catcher Victor Martinez.

The bullpen includes Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, and Ramon Ramirez, and is supported by Manny Delcarmen, Daniel Bard, and possibly prospect Michael Bowden. I think the Sox will miss having Saito, but if Lackey can stay healthy for 30 starts (he’s been nicked up the last couple of years), they might not need the bullpen as often.

That being said, this unit is more potential than actual at the back end – and that tempers my opinion just a little bit. There is every good reason for this group to be 30 runs better than last season, but in all likelihood, I see it more like 15 runs better.

Catching:

Victor Martinez joined the Sox in the late summer and helped sustain the offense (.336 BA, 507 Slugging). I think he’ll do just fine in a full season – which will be about 15 runs better than having more Jason Varitek playing full time. At the same time, Martinez isn’t in Varitek’s league as a catcher (though neither is any good against the run anymore), so it might cost the team about five runs defensively.

Infield:

Kevin Youkilis is a mobile and dependable first and third baseman who, with the addition of Adrian Beltre, will find most of his playing time at first base. He hits for some power, gets on base a lot – one of the best first basemen in baseball. Mike Lowell, if he remains, could be a competent backup at both corners.

Dustin Pedroia wasn’t as good in 2009 as he had been in 2008 – but he dropped off both offensively and defensively. I think he’ll bounce back some defensively, but we’ve probably seen his best offensive season already.

After a year trying Julio Lugo, Jed Lowrie, Nick Green, and Alex Gonzalez at short – failures abounding here – the Sox went out and signed free agent Marco Scutaro from Toronto. As mentioned in my comments about the shortstops, Scutaro is NOT a top flight defender, but he’ll be a step up. He’s also coming off a career year and is closer to 35 than 25.

At third, the Sox went defensive – signing Mariner Adrian Beltre to replace Mike Lowell (only Lowell couldn’t leave). Beltre remains as good a fielder at the position as you will find, and if he can return to good health will have offensive numbers not too different than what Lowell produced. Lowell was supposedly traded to Texas for catcher Max Ramirez, but hand injuries prevented that trade from happening. So, for now the Sox have a really good (and expensive) insurance policy.

Bill Hall arrives from Milwaukee to join Jed Lowrie and Lowell in providing bench support.

As a group, this is going to be a bit better than last year – maybe 20 runs better defensively and 15 runs better offensively.

Outfield:

Jason Bay, an all-star left fielder, is gone – and his replacement is Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Mike Cameron. Cameron is still a solid defensive player so he’ll get the nod in center and move speedster (but not nearly as good defensively) Jacoby Ellsbury to left. Bay was surprisingly good in left, so Ellsbury will hopefully just maintain the good numbers. Cameron will be an improvement over Ellsbury in center – assuming that he doesn’t suddenly age in Boston. In right, J.D. Drew returns – just as likely he’ll be missing time and we’ll get to see more of former Marlin Jeremy Hermida. Bill Hall could play some out here as well.

I don’t see this as an offensive improvement – it’s probably a loss of 40 runs from 2009. Defensively, however, it should be fifteen runs better.

DH/Bench:

David Ortiz struggled and you all read about it. What is lost is how well he played in the last four months, nearly making it to 100 RBI. I don’t think he’s going back to his old days – he doesn’t have the bat speed and needs to lose about 30 pounds. But, he can be productive and guys like Hermida and Martinez will do fine as his occasional replacement.

The rest of the bench is pretty good – Hermida can play two positions in the outfield, Hall can play four or five positions. Jed Lowrie covers the other two, and Varitek is a tolerable back up catcher. I just don’t think that the offense off the bench will be that good.

Prospects:

Most of the AAA hitters are getting long in the tooth, and the one player who stood out was outfielder Chris Carter, a former Diamondback farmhand who is 27 and should have made it by now. He must have defensive issues – because he can surely hit. Of course, he’s with the Mets now. Let’s hope he catches a break there. The best pitchers, Daniel Bard, Michael Bowden, Hunter Jones, and Clay Buchholz are already with the big club. (Hunter Jones is with the Marlins.)

The Portland River Dogs (AA) featured a couple of pitchers that might make an impact in a couple of years – but likely somewhere else. Junichi Tazawa smoked AA, pitched well enough at AAA and got a shot with the big club. He’s not ready, but he’s close. Good control, decent strikeout numbers… Felix Doubrant, a 22-year-old, has great stuff but needs to work on his control. I see him in AAA at the start of 2010. And reliever Dustin Richardson has NASTY stuff, 80Ks in 63 innings, but walked 40 – and that’s going to be a problem. He COULD be a future closer, but not yet.

First baseman Aaron Bates alternates between hitting .340 and .240 – the good guy would be great, but the former third round pick (2006) hasn’t been consistent at the top levels. Outfielder Josh Reddick is 23, has great power, but needs another season before he makes the concert tour with the big boys.

At A+ Salem (where I was surprised to see former Royals infielder Carlos Febles is the batting instructor), the most interesting prospect is from Taiwan, Che-Hsuan Lin. Lin can run, is 21, and shows some patience and the potential to find a little power. If he has a big year in AA, look for someone to give him a MLB look. Anthony Rizzo is even younger and hits a bit like Mark Grace – and plays first base, too. Ryan Kalish was so good at Salem, he moved to Portland and still showed power. He’s 22 and will start 2010 at AAA.

Two pitchers that caught my eye were Casey Kelly and Eammon Portice. Portice has control, an out pitch, and the Ft. Lauderdale native who was a late round 2007 draft pick has been a pleasant surprise at every level. Kelly is a rare find – the spot starter/shortstop. He won’t hit enough to play in the big leagues, but has a live arm and might make it based on his great control and power strikeout numbers. In 95 innings, he’s walked just 16 batters, allowed 65 hits, and fanned 74.

Forecast:

With the offense staying good but likely not great, the improvements defensively and in the rotation should be enough to push the Red Sox back to the top. The system says 97 wins, but personally, I’d play the under. If my hunches about both the Yankees and Red Sox are right, Boston and New York would finish in a dead heat – but the system picks the Sox.

Top AL Centerfielders in 2009

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Paul Proia

In case you were curious, Boston’s new outfielder, Mike Cameron, produced more total runs (offensively and defensively combined) than any other AL centerfielder in 2009. I would never have guessed this had I not run the numbers… I don’t think that this will hold when he gets to the AL East, but you never know. He could surprise us by staying young and avoiding curveballs.

Franklin Gutierrez (SEA): A key player in Seattle’s improvement… Mid-range power but has room to grow. Defensively was as good as advertised. His lone weakness would appear to be his lack of patience at the plate. Cleveland is going to miss this guy… (87.0 Runs Created, 14.4 Runs Saved = 101.34 Total Run Production)

Denard Span (MIN): A valuable leadoff hitter with decent range in the outfield – had a OBP near .400 and stole 23 bases. You gotta like that kind of production. Span is one of the biggest reasons that the Twins won the AL Central… (94.9 Runs Created, 4.2 Runs Saved = 99.15 Total Run Production)

Ryan Sweeney (OAK): Can play this position, but is probably destined to play in right… Would rank here if he was the starter.

Torii Hunter (LAA): Missed time with injuries, else would have ranked #1. By my count, this is the first time that he’s been better than average defensively in the last four seasons – and it could have been the time off. Hunter’s season was very good – average was up, OBP and SLG were up. However, that makes me think he might be due for a step back. Doesn’t make me less of a fan – just more of a realist. (87.4 Runs Created, 7.7 Runs Saved = 95.07 Total Run Production)

Curtis Granderson (DET): Heads to the Yankees in a period of decline. His batting average fell below .250, though he works for walks, hits for power, and steals bases. Still – he was below average defensively and has slipped each of the last two seasons following his breakout 2007 season. He’s a gas to watch play – I hope he finds his way back to greatness. (96.7 Runs Created, -3.8 Runs Saved = 92.89 Total Run Production)

If you are a Detroit fan, you are probably going to want to know more about your new center fielder, Austin Jackson. The Yankee prospect hit .300 and stole 24 bases at AAA Scranton last year. Jackson has little power and if he’s a burner, isn’t stealing 60 bases but occasionally hitting the 30 mark – and he doesn’t get thrown out a lot. He does, however, strike out a bit. I like Scott Sizemore more than this guy, but he might be okay. He’ll likely cover more ground than Granderson did – but I think he’ll be lucky to generate 80 runs of offense in 550 at bats without finding a way to get a few more extra base hits.

Adam Jones (BAL): A poor man’s Franklin Gutierrez. Great glove, medium range power, would like a higher batting average and OBP, can run the bases. (73.4 Runs Created, 16.44 Runs Saved = 89.79 Total Run Production)

Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS): In a year where he had awful defensive stats, he tied the record for outfield putouts in a game. Go figure. Led AL in steals with 70… Gets to play the Monster in 2010… Let’s say that Ellsbury will look better defensively and maintain his offensive production as a left fielder. Last year, Jason Bay was worth more than 130 runs of production. At BEST, Ellsbury will be worth 100. That’s a three game difference in the standings. (102.8 Runs Created, -16.5 Runs Saved = 86.28 Total Run Production)

Scott Podsednik (CWS): Now in Kansas City – and God Forbid the Sox actually put Juan Pierre here. Podsednik was pretty much an Ellsbury clone. Ellsbury’s numbers: .301/.415/.358 – Podsednik’s numbers: .304/.412/.354. Podsednik stole only 30 bases and got fewer total plate appearances – and plays in a slightly better park for hitters. Still – not much difference. Podsednik, however, made up for the offensive production with a solid year defensively. The Royals should be happy with Studriffic Podsednik – but even with that isn’t more than a one or two year option. (81.5 Runs Created, 4.7 Runs Saved = 86.24 Total Run Production)

Grady Sizemore (CLE): Tried to play the whole season, but eventually his body broke down and he needed surgery on just about every part of his body. Must have happened after the pictures were taken… Anyway… Sizemore bounced back a little with his range and despite the .248 batting average was able to generate offense because he works the count for walks and hits for some power. He was a poor man’s Curtis Granderson with a long DL trip. (75.3 Runs Created, 1.9 Runs Saved = 77.22 Total Run Production)

Alex Rios, if he played a full season in center, would probably rank about here. Cited by some as having one of the worst contracts in baseball, Rios turned one year in his youth into a multi-year mammoth contract. Forced to play right field because the Blue Jays insisted on playing Vernon Wells in center (wasting 20 runs a year defensively that their pitchers would like back) – Rios would have been a top flight defender with tolerable offense and, as such, would likely rank near the top of this list. He’s no longer a GREAT centerfielder – he’s probably league average – and there’s a chance that his bat will bounce back. At this point, however, he’s likely staying in right for the Sox and one hopes he doesn’t struggle to hit .200 as he did after arriving in Chicago.

Marlon Byrd (TEX): Look at your new center fielder, Chicago. For the first time ever, Byrd reached out and hit 20 homers. He might do that in Wrigley Field if the wind blows out – but more likely he’ll be around 12. He does hit a few doubles though. His OBP is league average (.334) and that won’t change next year. And, he’s miscast as a centerfielder. Granted – this is still better than having to put Kosuke Fukudome out there or even Sam Fuld, but if Marlon Byrd is a championship level player, I don’t see it. Jim Hendry, stop getting players from Texas. (85.5 Runs Created, -11.6 Runs Saved = 73.83 Total Run Production)

The new center fielder in Texas will be Julio Borbon, a burner out of the University of Tennessee who has been a consistent .310 hitter in the minors and even hit .312 in his two months with the Rangers. He can fly – he’s my early pick to lead the AL in stolen bases. Not sure if he’ll lead off, too. I DON’T expect him to have the defensive impact that Elvis Andrus had, but playing him there where he has a chance to be league average, as opposed to playing Hamilton or Byrd there will still help the team.

Rajai Davis (OAK): He ranks pretty low here, but give him 1300 innings in center and 600 at bats. Unless he gets a case of Jerome Walton disease, he’s going to help the cause a lot. Decent OBP and batting average but no power, covers enough ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s given the lead off spot, gets 180 – 200 hits, and scores 110 runs. (69.1 Runs Created, 2.4 Runs Saved = 71.58 Total Run Production)

B.J. Upton (TB): Coming out of the World Series, didn’t you think Upton was on the verge of becoming a superstar? It didn’t happen. Injuries sapped his power, his batting average, and his range in the outfield. He’s an electrifying player – but last year wasn’t his thing. (73.1 Runs Created, -2.2 Runs Saved = 70.92 Total Run Production)

Vernon Wells (TB): When I listed Alex Rios as having one of the worst contracts in baseball, it’s got NOTHING on the deal that Toronto gave Vernon Wells. Slipping with the bat, has been a problem with his poor range in center. The time has come to find a speedster to take over center field for the last remaining team in Canada. 15 – 66 – .260 isn’t going to cut it if you are costing your team more than 15 runs a season with the glove… And don’t let the total runs created number fool you. The average hitter generates 5 runs for every 27 outs made. Wells is around 4.7 (84.6 Runs Created, -16.8 Runs Saved = 67.83 Total Run Production)

Melky Cabrera (NYY): The job belongs to Granderson or Brett Gardner now. Your new Atlanta Brave centerfielder was your league average offensive player (13 – 68 – .274) with slightly below average range. Unless he has a significant step up left in his body, he’s not going to be a championship calibre player. He’s better than what Kansas City played out there, but that’s not saying very much. Gardner has better range than Cabrera (6.6 runs saved in fewer innings) – and if he can push his OBP up near .400, might be a better hitter, too. (71.5 Runs Created, -6.5 Runs Saved = 65.00 Total Run Production)

Carlos Gomez (MIN): Now in Minnesota, Gomez was an AMAZING defensive player, but can’t hit a lick. No average (.229), no power (3 homers, .337 SLG), no walks (.287 OBP), runs a little. If he hits .260 and gets his OBP closer to .340, the Brewers will get a steal. As such, they get a #8 hitter who makes all the pitchers look good. (31.1 Runs Created, 20.0 Runs Saved = 51.02 Total Run Production)

Mitch Maier (KC): Coco Crisp was mightily disappointing – injured a lot, didn’t hit when he did play, and wasn’t quite league average as a fielder. Crisp is destined four fourth outfielder status somewhere after this year… Mitch Maier played the most innings, was pretty good with the leather, and while he didn’t hit much, still produced more than 50 runs. He’ll be a fourth outfielder in KC and get innings that Podsednik misses.

Josh Hamilton (TEX): Suffered through a ton of shoulder and stomach and groin injuries – isn’t really a centerfielder to be fair and should be in right field. Struggled to produce at the pace he did in 2008 – in fact was slightly below average when all was said and done. Pulling for another comeback as a right fielder. (45.0 Runs Created, -3.8 Runs Saved = 41.22 Total Run Production)

NOTES: Having done this, none of the centerfielders had a breakout season the way the other positions had someone who was in the 130 runs produced level… It’ll be interesting to see if anyone can take a step up in 2010. My money is on Denard Span.

Top AL Left Fielders in 2009

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Paul Proia

Jason Bay (BOS): Now a Met, I think the Red Sox are going to miss this guy. Had a soft summer, but otherwise was solid. Gets a bad rap for his defense, but last year I showed him as being 5.3 plays per 800 balls in play better than the average left fielder and worthy of a Gold Glove. My system says Bay was one of the 20 most valuable position players in baseball. The Red Sox will move Mike Cameron or Jacoby Ellsbury here – and will lose about 30 runs in total productivity from 2009 to 2010. (109.0 Runs Created, 17.8 Runs Saved = 126.81 Total Run Production)

Carl Crawford (TB): Good hitter, good fielder, as daring a baserunner as you can find. Another top 20 player… Here’s something to think about. Is Carl Crawford potentially worthy of the Hall of Fame? If he can stay healthy, he’d have 2500 career hits and maybe 600 or 700 stolen bases. We put all sorts of power guys in the Hall, but how about a guy who can scoot, hit, and play solid defense? (112.9 Runs Created, 12.5 Runs Saved = 125.36 Total Run Production)

Matt Holliday (OAK/STL): Left town at the trading deadline – was as productive in two months in St. Louis as he was in four months in Oakland… 126.5 Runs Created, -13.4 Runs Saved = 113.1 Total Run Production)

We’ll get to Rajai Davis, your A’s current left fielder in few paragraphs…

Adam Lind (TOR): Miscast as an outfielder, but is such a good hitter he has to play somewhere. The best hitter at this position – Bay’s power and Crawford’s batting average. (127.1 Runs Created, -15.3 Runs Saved = 111.78 Total Run Production)

David DeJesus (KC): A Carl Crawford clone, but a shade less productive – still a valuable player. Crawford hits .300, DeJesus about .280; Both are decent fielders with speed, but DeJesus isn’t a base stealer. (80.9 Runs Created, 18.9 Runs Saved = 99.82 Total Run Production)

Denard Span, the Minnesota outfielder, if he were a regular left fielder would rate here. Jason Kubel, too. I’d love to see Kubel play left every day and let Jim Thome DH as much as possible. The Twins would improve so much offensively…

Johnny Damon (NYY): Now in Detroit, Damon is still a productive hitter as he moves into his late 30s… His legs are getting in the way of his having solid range anymore and he can’t throw. Somebody could use him as a DH and part time outfielder. The new left fielder, Curtis Granderson, was barely two runs more productive than Damon, but since Granderson would be moving to an easier position, he might make up for it with a few more defensive runs. (102.7 Runs Created, -12.3 Runs Saved = 90.38 Total Run Production)

Scott Podsednik (CWS): Now a Royal, played 615 innings here and few hundred more in center… Slapped a few hits, but doesn’t do much else. Can steal a few bases. The Royals hope he’ll be better than what they got for signing Coco Crisp… (81.5 Runs Created, 4.7 Runs Saved, 86.24 Total Run Production)

Juan Rivera (LAA): An above average player – hits for power and a decent average, isn’t hurting you in the field too much. He’s better than Gary Matthews, for sure. (84.0 Runs Created, -3.0 Runs Saved = 80.99 Total Run Production)

Rajai Davis (OAK): He can run, he can field, he can throw a little. Davis can hit .300, but he has little power. If David DeJesus is a poor man’s Carl Crawford, Davis is a poor man’s David DeJesus with younger wheels. Still – he’s an above average performer and with a full season’s at bats, might get 200 hits. (69.1 Runs Created, 2.4 Runs Saved = 71.58 Total Run Production)

Juan Pierre, if he were to be ranked in the AL based on his Dodger stats, would rank here. If the White Sox think he’s a centerfielder, they are grossly mistaken. He’s a combination of Johnny Damon’s defense and Rajai Davis’s offense.

Ryan Rayburn (DET): The Tigers used three people here for the most part (Rayburn, Carlos Guillen, and Josh Anderson) and Rayburn got the most innings. Rayburn has some skills – hits for a nice average with power (.291 BA, .533 SLG, .360 OBP) and looks to have wheels in the outfield. As such, I’d like to see him play more. A full season of Rayburn at this rate would rank in the top five – assuming he can play at this pace for 150 games. (50.7 Runs Created, 14.27 Runs Saved = 64.94 Total Run Production.

David Murphy (TEX): The new Juan Encarnacion. (65.4 Runs Created, -1.1 Run Saved = 64.33 Total Run Production)

Nolan Reimold (BAL): The rookie played great until getting injured in the late summer. Reimold didn’t look comfortable as an outfielder but he got his hitting wheels down as the season rolled on… As with Rayburn, I’d like to see what would happen if he got 500 at bats. Felix Pie isn’t a bad option here, either. (61.9 Runs Created, -5.2 Runs Saved = 56.70 Total Run Production)

Carlos Quentin (CWS): It was only a half a season, but he was still marginally productive. I hope he can get back to where he was in 2008 – the Sox need all the help they can get. (50.9 Runs Created, -3.4 Runs Saved = 47.51 Total Run Production)

Delmon Young (MIN): Delmon Young has done nothing to suggest he deserves a starting position on any roster. Borderline power and batting average, poor fielder. It’s time for the Twins to move on. And, I would NEVER have made that trade with Tampa to get him and give up Jason Bartlett AND Matt Garza. (50.1 Runs Created, -10.2 Runs Saved, 39.90 Total Run Production)

Five Unproductive Guys (SEA): Wladimir Balentien, Bill Hall, Ryan Langerhans, Michael Saunders, and Endy Chavez all got between 175 and 350 innings here and nobody stands out. All five guys were great defensively, oddly, but none of them could hit his way out of a paper sack. Milton Bradley or Eric Byrnes will get the next shot here – and it HAS to be better than what they got last year. At least Bradley can hit – and Byrnes has a great attitude. Combined, they’d be a heck of a player.

2009 AL Gold Glove and Brick Glove Winners

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Paul Proia

Last week, I gave you the NL Gold Glove and Brick Glove winners and losers… It’s time to do the same for their brethren in the AL. As a reminder, here’s how I do it:

1) Look at the number of plays made per every 800 balls in play, because it provides a level playing field and because, in effect, one extra play made is essentially removing one point of batting average from each hitter.

2) Make modifications for things like flyballs and ground balls allowed by pitching staffs.

3) Make modifications to middle infielders based on double plays.

4) Remove infield assists from first basemen’s putout numbers.

5) Convert plays made/not made into runs saved/lost based on values for each hit as determined by Pete Palmer – with hits assigned by position.

6) Determine additional benefits for runs saved based on double plays and errors.

7) Sort.

For the lists below, you’ll see two numbers for each player. Positive numbers are always better. The first number tells you how many plays he makes per 800 balls in play more or less than the average guy. Nelson Cruz made 14 plays every 800 balls in play more than the average right fielder. That’s a lot. Derek Jeter’s first number is about -9, which means he makes nine plays less than the average shortstop per 800 balls in play. The second number tells you how many runs that player saved his team (or cost his team, if the number is negative). So, the effect of Nelson Cruz making 14 extra catches for ever 800 balls in play (and not make errors, or contribute to double plays) was to save his team about 35 runs over the course of the season. Again, a negative number is bad – a player’s range or being error prone would cost his team that many runs.

Right Field:

14.0 34.5 Nelson Cruz (TEX)
11.9 17.0 Ryan Sweeney (OAK)

Cruz made a lot of plays – only Suzuki made more, but Ichiro played more than 250 additional innings and had just 24 more putouts. Like Jayson Werth, Cruz had more putouts than Texas center fielders – something that rarely happens. Sweeney was solid, but in only 600 innings. Shin-Soo Choo or Alex Rios were third by my reckoning… For years, Rios should have been in center and not Vernon Wells.

– 8.4 -28.7 Nick Markakis (BAL)
-10.4 -23.3 Michael Cuddyer (MIN)
-10.2 -17.8 Magglio Ordonez (DET)

Jack Cust just missed this list and he only played 400 atrociously lousy innings… Markakis gets raves for his arm, but if you don’t get to any flies, you aren’t helping the team. Ordonez is a regular to the brick glove list and should be a DH.

Center Field:

10.0 20.0 Carlos Gomez (MIN)
7.4 16.4 Adam Jones (BAL)
5.4 14.4 Franklin Gutierrez (SEA)

All the young legs. Milwaukee will appreciate how good Gomez is defensively (the pitchers will, anyway). I thought Gutierrez should have moved Sizemore to right in Cleveland and he proved me right.

-5.9 -16.8 Vernon Wells (TOR)
-5.9 -16.5 Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS)
-7.4 -14.9 Marlon Byrd (TEX)

Vernon Wells has been a slow centerfielder for years – it’s about time to move him to left or right field. (Just listing his range numbers, 2006: -3.7, 2007: -5.1, 2008: -6.2, costing between 10 and 17 runs to his team each year.) Ellsbury was lousy despite setting the record for most putouts in a game. And pity the Cubs if they put Byrd in CF…

Left Field:

5.3 17.8 Jason Bay (BOS)
4.6 15.3 David DeJesus (KC)
4.2 12.5 Carl Crawford (TB)

Bay sure does get a bad reputation for his defense, but he wasn’t a problem last year. I think Boston will miss him. Unlike the NL, the AL has a few guys who can really play here and are truly left fielders.

-14.2 -15.3 Adam Lind (TOR)
– 4.7 -12.3 Johnny Damon (NYY)
– 4.6 -10.2 Delmon Young (MIN)

Adam Lind is a DH who is forced into left. Damon is 36 and is starting to show the effects of old and injured wheels. And Delmon Young has NEVER been a good fielder.

Shortstop:

14.1 30.8 Elvis Andrus (TEX)
7.6 15.7 Cesar Izturis (BAL)
3.5 11.1 Erick Aybar (LAA)

If anyone in their right mind really looks at this, there is NO WAY that Elvis Andrus should have been denied a gold glove. Okay – he makes a few too many errors. But he makes SO MANY plays. Compared to the worst fielding shortstop in the AL – the guy they gave the gold glove to – Elvis had 55 more putouts and 67 more assists in about 23 fewer innings. 122 additional plays.

-9.2 -14.2 Derek Jeter (NYY)

If you go by guys who played a lot of innings, Alexei Ramirez and Marco Scutaro (or Asdrubal Cabrera) would be second and third. However, I thought I would point out that even though Marco Scutaro is a step up from the 2009 position holders – he’s NOT going to make Boston’s defense airtight. Scutaro’s range is -5.0/-6.4. However, Julio Lugo’s 243 innings were brutal (-20.4 range, costing 12.3 runs) and Alex Gonzalez was a step up from abysmal to just bad (-10.9 range, costing them 5.6 runs). Jason Bartlett’s ankle injury was serious – he went from a gold glover to a problem.

Third Base:

9.3 31.9 Evan Longoria (TB)
14.0 28.6 Adrian Beltre (SEA)
8.6 21.7 Melvin Mora (BAL)

Chone Figgins is above average, but defensively is about twenty runs worse than having Beltre out there. I stand by what I wrote before – it’s not an improvement to have Figgins in Seattle, though the backups will play less. Longoria is the real deal.

-16.9 -39.0 Michael Young (TEX)
-17.0 -12.9 Ty Wigginton (BAL)

Michael Young must have been watching Elvis get all the grounders, too. This just proves that because you once were a decent enough (not great, though) shortstop you can’t just try playing third base and become good at it. It’s taken YEARS for Alex Rodriguez to go from a lousy third baseman to one who is just a little below average.

Second Base:

7.9 23.3 Placido Polanco (DET)
5.9 18.8 Aaron Hill (TOR)
6.1 16.4 Robinson Cano (NYY)

And Detroit didn’t want Polanco anymore? He remains very, very good at second base. Philadelphia hopes he can still play third but I have my doubts that he’ll be GREAT the way he is great here. Cano has improved every year. Ian Kinsler just missed this list – he’s regularly awesome.

-11.0 -31.2 Brian Roberts (BAL)
– 6.5 -19.9 Alberto Callaspo (KC)

That Mora and Izturis were solid makes me think that there could be a statistical bias here, but Roberts’ numbers, even with help, are still plain old bad. By the way – this isn’t news. He’s been below average three of the last four years.

2006: -4.8 -10.4
2007: 1.2 5.2
2008: -4.3 -12.6
2009: -11.0 -31.2

That’s a pretty big dip, which is part aging and probably part batters hitting in a different direction last year.

First Base:

14.3 37.8 Kendry Morales (LAA)
12.1 24.4 Russell Branyan (SEA)
8.2 15.1 Chris Davis (TEX)

Mark Teixeira, for the first time in a while, just missed making this list. He’s usually in the middle. I had no idea Morales was that good (or, for that matter, anyone on this list), but I will be watching to see if he remains this good going forward.

-33.5 -28.0 Victor Martinez (CLE)
– 9.6 -20.5 Justin Morneau (MIN)
-14.3 -17.3 Hank Blalock (TEX)

If you count his time in Boston, Martinez cost his teams more than 35 runs – he’s a catcher and can’t really play the position. Morneau’s injury wasn’t just killing his bat – he was less and less mobile as the year went on.

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