Red Sox AL East Champions First Time Since 1995

by Niteowl049

Baseball Notebook

Red Sox Win AL East First Time in 12 Years

The last time the Red Sox had won the AL East was 1995 before their AL East clinching win yesterday. However, it wasn't easy with them being 14 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees on the 29th of May but let the Yankees remain in the race until the last weekend of the season. Now the scene is set for the Red Sox to play the Yankees if the Yankees can defeat the Indians and Red Sox can defeat the Angels in the first round of the AL playoffs. Nothing is certain in baseball though so it could even be the Angels and Indians playing each other to decide who goes to the World Series in 2007. Ironically the pitcher the Red Sox paid $103 million to talk to and eventually sign Daisuke Matsuzaka won the biggest game of the season last night to take his 15th win.

Carlos Pena and Fausto Carmona Battle For Comeback Player In AL

There have never been two more deserving players for Comeback Player of the Year than Carlos Pena and Fausto Carmona.

Pena has 45 home runs with two days left in season after hitting only one home run for Red Sox last season while Carmona has won 19 games this season after having a 1-10 record last season. I have no complaint with either winning the award or sharing the award which would be the fair way to reward both players for fantastic comebacks.

Stats Corner

Magglio Ordonez has extended his lead to ten points over Ichiro Suzuki in the AL batting race leading Suzuki .360 to .350 after yesterday's games. Ordonez hit .393 in August and .376 in September while Suzuki hit .369 and .342 in the last two months of the season. Suzuki has 235 hits so far this season and has an amazing 1589 hits in only seven seasons. Suzuki who will not be 33 till next month has a very good chance of reaching 3000 hits if he can stay healthy the next 6 or 7 years. He is averaging 227 hits a season.

With two days left in the season Chipper Jones and Matt Holliday are dead even in the NL batting race with identical .339 averages. Diamondbacks starting pitcher Micah Owings has the same .339 mark this season and which includes seven doubles, a triple and a home run and has driven in 15 runs this season. Ryan Braun didn't even play this season till the 25th of May and has 34 home runs and 96 RBI's which to me makes him worthy of the NL Rookie of the Year award.

It was pointed out to me by ArmchairGM.com member Yakob that Jimmy Rollins has set the record for most at bats in a season with 709 with two days remaining in season. Willie Wilson had the old record of 705 established in 1980....Ryan Howard needs two strikeouts to post his 200th strikeout of the season....Matt Holliday has 90 extra base hits to lead the majors. Since 1948 only Barry Bonds with 107 and Todd Helton with 103 have had over 100 extra base hits in NL with Stan Musial being the last to reach that mark in 1948 with 103. Albert Belle with 103 in 1995 is the last AL player to pass the century mark in extra base hits since Hank Greenberg had 103 in 1937.

Josh Beckett will be the only 20 game winner in majors this season with no pitcher with more than 18 wins is slated to pitch in the remaining two last days of the season. Mark Redman 1-4 is going to pitch today for Rockies in a game that can have a bearing on the NL wild card race. The question is why is Redman starting such an important game? Just the fact that he enters the game with a 8.67 ERA is scary enough but when you consider that he has given up 35 runs in 36 innings along with 52 hits and 16 walks that is even more cause for alarm. Is the Rockies pitching staff in such desperate situation that they have to start Redman in such a crucial game? In 21 innings with Braves this season he had given up 29 runs and 38 hits in 21 innings while walking 11 batters. Redman may surprise and pitch the game of his life but I wouldn't bet any money on it.