In The Field, At The Plate

As teams across the major leagues walk out under the lights for what is the first game of the 2006 baseball season, let's take a look at what the Sox have actually done on the field and at the plate during the first 81. In case you didn't know, the Sox are 3 games in front of the second place Yankees in the American League East, an indicator of no small amount of success, but by no means an indication of stability. With the exception of the 16-2 run against the National League in Interleague competition, the Sox have been hit or miss all year. But let's go and look at the Olde Towne Team on a player by player basis, and see if we can't determine just what they're all about. Special thanks to RedSoxStats.com, Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com for the use of their stats.

Numbers waiting to be crunched: Check out RedSoxStats.com for where I got my numbers, specifically.


o. David Ortiz: I'm going to skip the formalities here. This guy is, as Trup so eloquently said, Superman. He's already had 3 game-winning hits at home, and despite the troubles the Maddon Shift has given him, the power numbers are still there. A contract extension assured that Papi will be in the Fens for some time to come.

1. Jason Varitek: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: In all honesty, Tek's value to educated Sox fans comes in his ability to instill confidence in the pitching staff and call a game. Any offensive output he is able to give in additiong to the most average of numbers is pure gravy. WHAT WE GOT: The power he showed between 2003 and 2005 really seemed to be more of an abnormality than anything. He's lived up to our expectations behind the dish, but he's really struggled with the stick. Whether it's because of the World Baseball Classic or simply the wear and tear of a career in progress, the Tek we see is the Tek that we typically watch in September and October, swinging through fastballs of no great velocity right down Broadway. Still, with all the work he's put in with the pitching staff, bringing along the young guns in the rotation and the 'pen, not to mention trying to keep headcases like Matt Clement and Jason Johnson in one piece, we've got all we need. Still, a little extra would be kinda nice.

2. Kevin Youkilis: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: Somebody who wasn't Kevin Millar, which is to say, someone who can catch a baseball, do more than hit long foul balls into the left field stands, and maybe play a game without shooting his mouth off. WHAT WE GOT: That, and more. Youkilis is hitting .307, with a .413 on-base and .486 SLG. He's shown that he has the ability to hit the ball to all fields, to sit on the breaking ball, and have flashes of power potential. All of this comes in addition to living up to the hype of having a great batting eye and sense of the strike zone (50 BBs in 296 AB). Defensively, Youkilis has gone to great lengths to make himself into a true ballplayer. He's able to make the awkward stretches and seems to maybe have learned a thing or two from Doug Mientkiewicz about guarding the line. With the loss of Johnny Damon, Youkilis' ability to get on base (and Terry Francona's oh-so-true belief that he belongs at the top of the lineup) has contributed to this kid's astounding success.

3. Mark Loretta: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: You're going to notice a trend in these examinations, that's for sure. We needed someone who wasn't a strikeout king, and someone who would show at least medium range and turn the double play. WHAT WE GOT: Loretta's reputation was for bat control and solid play in the field, and that's what we've gotten. He slumped a bit towards the beginning, but has maintained enough consistency to bat .300 and earn himself a starting berth at the All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. He's basically been a small improvement over Tony Graffanino, and his attitude has contributed to the view of the Sox clubhouse as the home of professionals.

4. Alex Gonzalez: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: Anything but Rent-a-Wreck. WHAT WE GOT: Words can't even express. We'd all heard the hype, read the reviews, and looked at Gonzalez's signing as a stopgap measure between 2006 and Dustin Pedroia or Jed Lowrie's assumption of the role. We really had no idea that the hype was true. In all my time as a baseball fan I have never seen a shortstop, or an infielder for that matter, play with the natural instincts and fluidity of Gonzo. This man has made the most difficult plays look like water ballet, and even his offensive struggles have been overlooked by the harshest of the Fenway Faithful. His offense at the beginning of the year was every bit as terrible as his defense was amazing, but somehow he's managed to work a little bit on his stick, to the point where he's now hitting .269. This guy, my friends, is good.

5. Mike Lowell: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: A good glove at the hot corner and maybe a resurgent bat after what appeared to be an off-year offensively. WHAT WE GOT: Exactly what we wanted. Lowell, like Gonzalez and Loretta, is the consumate professional. He plays a mean third base and, in bizarre fashion, has found the AL pitching to be to his liking. With a steady diet of breaking balls, Mike Lowell has turned the left field line into a shooting gallery, placing himself among the leaders in the AL for doubles. Never mind his $9 million contract, he's probably been the best part of the deal with Florida.

6. Manny Ramirez: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: Manny to be Manny. WHAT WE GOT: Manny, and a quiet what at that. No complaints and no zany antics, Manny has just decided to produce and ignore the press. A great idea if you ask me.

7. Coco Crisp: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: Speed, above-average defense, some power, and decent on-base skills. Oh yea, and a new media darling. WHAT WE GOT: Coco appeared to be well on his way to doing what he was supposed to at the start of the season, lighting up opposing pitchers, stealing bags, and flashing some serious leather as early as the first game of the season. Unfortunately, a broken finger suffered in the final game of the opening road trip sidelined number 10 for a good chunk of time, delaying his Fenway debut until late May. Still, despite the injury, the front office felt good enough to lock Crisp up for the next three years as the everyday center fielder with a 3 year, $15 million deal. Since that deal and since his return, Crisp has been crammed down the throats of Sox fans on TV and radio, and has simultaneously struggled at the plate, posting .267/.318/.373 with only a handful of steals. If you take overexposure in the media, add a dash of offensive pressing, and just a pinch of the twitchiest plate habits this side of Nomar (whose twitches were at least graceful) and you get a player who is not in the best of places with the fans right now. I have no doubt that he'll eventually figure himself out and begin to hit again, but for the moment we're not really seeing the promised production out of this Damon replacement. Sure, we all feel bad for the Sox, but what about the fantasy owners who overpaid?

8. Trot Nixon: WHAT WE HOPED FOR: Health, health, and more health. Trot is beloved by The Nation both because of his production, work ethic, and loyalty to the organization. If only he could stay healthy. WHAT WE GOT: It appears that after his power surge in 2003, Trot has decided that he's more help to the club by simply getting on, getting over, and getting in. The drop in power has been replaced by a .332 BA and a .437 OBP. Francona's been putting him against lefties more often than before, both because Trot's holding the hot hand and because the right-handed platoon options post-Wily Mo have not been stellar.

9. The Bench: I think my wrists are about to start bleeding so I'll keep this little bit short. The bench, so far, has been...well...OK. I guess.
i. Wily Mo Peña: Wily Mo really struggled in the beginning and then turned it around until he went on the DL to have his hammate bone with a line of .321/.370/.482. He's currently on rehab assignment in the minors, and his right-handed caveman stick will be much appreciated when he gets back.
ii. Alex Cora: This guy is seriously Captain Utility. He's a great defender, a heads-up ballplayer in general, and a left-handed bat all rolled into one. His biggest contribution, outside of his versatility, is his .391 OBP. Surprising, isn't it?
iii. Gabe Kapler: Gosh, we sure did miss this guy didn't we? He's been pretty solid as of late, returning from the leg injury he suffered mid-2005 in Toronto. And a 1.000 OPS? Who knew?
Rapid Fire:
iv. Willie Harris: He's fast, that's about it.
v. Doug Mirabelli: He's older, and can't swing it too well any more, but he can catch the knuckleball, and that's a valuable skill.
vi. Dustan Mohr: Flash in the pan.
vii. J.T. Snow: Who?

There's a lot to be said about the 2006 Sox, and it's obvious that they've found a pretty solid level of success even with the high offseason turnover. The team is still an offensive force to be reckoned with, but there is undoubtedly a newfound focus on the defensive side of the ball. A run taken away is sometimes more important than a run scored, and with the Sox leading the majors in fielding, it's a sight to behold.

Well, thanks for sticking around. Stay tuned for the report on the pitchers in the next couple days.