About two weeks ago, I predicted the Boston Red Sox would win the AL East, the AL pennant, and the Worlds Series. I know, I know, I’m too big to go out on a limb as thin as that! Now, just eleven games into the season, I’m starting to wonder if I should revise my bold prediction. A few days ago, I wrote it was too early for fantasy owners to panic, but what about the Red Sox? Should they, and their fans, be worried their season is in jeopardy? What has gone wrong with the best team money can buy? Is it their hitting? How about the pitching? Well, yes to both. Neither has been very good at all.
Only four everyday players for the Sox are hitting over .265 and five are hitting under .200, plus four have an OB% of less than .275. That ain’t good. Add in that on top of those pitiful numbers, Boston only has 4 stolen bases and 7 home runs. Eighteen doubles and one triple in 11 games isn’t anything to get excited about either. Nothing is popping for this offense except for the bats of Pedroia and Lowrie. Compare the high priced offense of the Red Sox with the Cracker Jack prize line-up Kansas City throws out there on most nights and Boston should be embarrassed. The Royals have five regulars hitting over .300 and only two with an OB% under .300. In one more game, Kansas City has 15 stolen bases, 9 homers, 3 triples, and 26 two-baggers. Ouch!
The pitching hasn’t been any better. Two well paid starters for the Sox have ERAs over 12.80. That is not a typo. 12.80! Beckett and Lester have been fine but everyone else has been horrific. Eight pitchers who have appeared in a game this season have ERAs over 5.75. The Sox’ mound men have also surrendered 21 home runs in 11 games. Oh my goodness! Talk about throwing fuel on a fire.
If you are a Red Sox fan, you can know one thing for certain – it can only go up from here. With 151 games to go, the Sox only have to make up five games on the Yankees to win the division. Does anyone really think John Lackey won’t be able to lower his ERA from 15.58? Is he really going to allow 2 hits every inning he pitches? Of course he isn’t. While Dice K’s best days are behind him, his ERA isn’t going to remain on the high side of 12, either. These pitchers are only going to settle down.
Does anyone really believe the Kansas City Royals are going to out hit and out power the Sox over a whole season? Don’t be ridiculous! Carl Crawford is too talented to hit .152 for very long. He is probably pressing in an effort to earn his crazy contract. Kevin Youklis is one of my favorite players and his .182 average is just a slump. The good news there is his OB% is a whopping .426! Youk and Crawford have not hit a home run yet and stud Adrian Gonzalez has only crushed one out. If these slumps occurred in mid July, no one would even notice.
I think it is only a matter of days before the Red Sox get on a team hot streak. Today is tax day and we are only half way through April. This team has too much talent to stay this cold for very long. Think about this team on fire. They will score runs by the dozen, sooner rather than later.
The Boston Red Sox are not done – not by a long shot. Five games behind is nothing this early. Even if Boston just plays even with New York the rest of April, five games is nothing. Rabid Sox fans can rest assured their beloved team will pull it together. I stand by my predictions of a divisional title, a pennant, and a ring for the Boston Red Sox.
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