World Series Thoughts
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World Series Thoughts
So, the World Series is under way. Who would have thought that the Rockies would be in it? Not I.
Yes, we are 2 games into the Series, but my prediction - Sox in 5 or 6. The Sox are just too good - they have a perfect lineup; a combination of power, speed, contact, and clutch hitting. They have incredible playoff experience, with 4 players from the 2004 'Reverse the Curse' year, and it has obviously shown in the Series thus far. It was really no surprise to see the Sox coming out in Game 1 - such a long layoff is not good for any team in any sport, and considering that they haven't seen Major League pitching in 8 days, they were doomed to get beaten (not blown out). It was likely a combination of both rust and the head-turning pitching of former playoff MVP Josh Beckett. These lines are filthy - in the playoffs so far, he has produced 4 wins, going 30 innings, allowing 19 hits and walking only 2, while striking out 35. Wow.
I expect the Rockies to win at least one at home - the field dimensions are far too different for the Sox outfielders to get accustomed to, especially with the disgraceful fielding of Manny Ramirez (more on him later). The thin air in Denver is going to post a problem for the Sox and not the Rocks, seeing as they have become accustomed to it by now.
The big decision Terry Francona was faced with was the no-DH rule in the NL - he has a RBI machine in Mike Lowell, a blue-hot hitter in Kevin Youkilis (Yooooouk), and one of the most clutch hitters in postseason history in David 'Big Papi' Ortiz. As of today, Francona has benched Youkilis in favour of Papi at first, a decision he may soon regret. Youkilis, a Gold Glove first baseman, is defensively sound, and is on fire in the playoffs (19-48, .396 AVG, 16 runs, 4 HR, 10 RBI and only 1 K). Papi, on the other hand, plays even worse defense than Manny Ramirez at first, and is already playing and suffering through a bum knee, as seen by his frequent wincing while running the bases. I truly doubt that Youkilis will sit the entire game - Francona already said that in big lead games late, he is pulling Papi for Youkilis, but even against a LHP, Youkilis must be given heavy consideration.
Francona may have played it smart though - a 1-2 punch at the dish in Papi and Manny Ramirez is absolutely lethal, and with the way the rest of the lineup is producing, the Sox should be fine. One guy I'm not surprised about is Dustin Pedroia - the dude has been tearing it up as of late; he had started off the postseason slowly, hitting the ball hard, but in the wrong places. He later said that he didn't care what people said, he was hitting great. And so he was. Pedroia has 14 postseason hits, including 2 homers (one leadoff, one nail-in-the-coffin), and 10 RBI, also drawing 6 walks. His play at second has been phenomenal to say the least, and the defensive combo in the infield is disgusting - Varitek behind the plate, Lowell, an above average defensive third baseman, Julio Lugo, a speedy defensive specialist with little to no bat, Pedroia, and a Gold Glover in Youkilis. Their outfield is also good too - Manny, who actually threw out Kenny Lofton on a Green Monster double, Jacoby Ellsbury, the future centre fielder, who will most likely be permanent as of 2008, and J.D. Drew in right.
The Rockies are slipping, and are facing three back-to-back-to-back must win games. They need to take advantage of the home field crowd now while they can, before the table turns and they are back in Boston, facing the rowdy crowd there. They are down 2-0, and have not accomplished much - Ubaldo Jimenez had his stuff working, but his location was atrocious. Patient plate discipline saw the Sox draw 5 walks on him in only 4.2 innings, and then again twice more against Affeldt and Herges.
Now, on to Manny Ramirez. Firstly, he is not a great baseball player. His defensive ability has gotten better from practicing off the Green Monster, but he still plays grounders and frozen ropes terribly. He is slow around the bases, and very slow to get to fly balls. His cockiness often comes back to haunt him, as seen in Game 2 last night (Manny was rounding third on a Mike Lowell RBI double, and Holliday, I believe, threw it in on one bounce and almost got Manny lazily rounding third without paying attention to the third base coach, the players around him, or where the ball was).
Manny's attitude problems really bother me - I see him frequently playing for himself, and not for the team. He was quoted back during the ALCS as saying;
"If it doesn't happen, so, who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world. We're confident everyday. It doesn't matter how things go for you, you know, we're not going to give up. We're just going to go and play the game like I said and move on. And if it doesn't happen, so, who cares?..."
What kind of attitude is that? If we don't make it, who cares? I don't even like the Red Sox and I care! Ramirez makes $18 million this year to hit the ball, lazily jog around the bases, misplay balls in left field, strike out a fair bit, and to come through in the clutch. It doesn't matter if you don't want to win, but others around you sure do. Take Schilling, Varitek, Papelbon (who is freakin' amazing, by the way), Papi, and Youkilis. They play to win, not because it's ok if they don't. That really makes me mad.
It really makes no sense. It's like saying, 'So, A-Rod, you just signed a 10-year deal worth $365 million dollars. What are your plans for the upcoming season?"..."Well Mike, I'm just gonna go out there, do my thing, and that's it. We don't need to win, there's always next year. What? Of course there's a;ways next year. Bud Selig is gonna keep the league running, this year isn't the last year baseball is going to be played. Wait, what? I've got to try and win too?'
No. It doesn't work that way. Players are supposed to have fun because baseball is a game. But, they are also being paid a ridiculous amount of money to turn that franchise into a championship caliber team, something Manny believes isn't important. Guys like Brett Favre and Steve Yzerman take pay cuts to sign overpaid, talented athletes to their team, all in the hopes of winning the Stanley Cup, World Series, or whatever trophy that sport covets. Each player should play every day as if it were their last - every game, you go out, and play 110%, because, as Tony Dungy says, "We play...to win...the game!" Yes, Manny Ramirez possesses an incredible swing, something very few big leaguers can copy, and has an incredible eye when seeing a breaking ball right out of the pitchers hand. I'm not trying to criticize his playing ability, because he truly is a remarkable hitter. What he needs to correct is his 'I-in-team' attitude. He isn't the only player on his team, and there are tons of guys who go out there, give their blood, sweat, and tears into the game, and go all out. To say 'it's ok if we don't win, there's always next year' is disgusting. If that's the attitude he wants to take, go play elsewhere.
