RED SOX at the Break

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Around this time of year, every baseball anaylist, columnist, and blogger puts together a list of Baseball’s First Half awards.  One of my favorites is Jayson Stark on ESPN.com: Honoring the very best (and worst) of the first half.

So now that I have a blog, I finally get to put together a little list of my own.  But instead of including the whole baseball world, I’m narrowing it down to my Nation….Red Sox Nation that is.  So here goes:

1st Half MVP:    Kevin Youuuuukilis

.314, 15HR, 63RBI

How can this guy not be MVP?  He is the most consistent hitter andfielder on the Sox.  He is by far the most intense player on the field, muttering to himself all the way back to the dugout after making an out.  The only concern I have withhis MVP status, is his ability to maintain this production.  He plays 110% each and every play, which has got to take a toll on you…your already playing 162 games but with the way Youk plays he’s playing about 324 games.  So let’s hope he can keep this up. 

Honorable mention: Dustin Pedroia and J.D. Drew

 

 

 

 

Unsung Hero: Tim Wakefield

Numbers Lie: 6-6, 3.60ERA

This was a hard one for me.  There are a couple guys that get overlooked on the Red Sox roster…they get lost somewhere between Beckett-Ortiz-Rameriez-Papelbon.  But after a lot of consideration, Wake got the nod. 

This guy is one of the most consistent pitchers in all of baseball-working his knuckleball magic since 1992.  He could easily have 10 wins at the unofficial halfway point if his team could muster up some runs when he’s on the hill.  I know he’s not particularly exciting to watch pitch…he doesnt have a blazing fastball (his clocks in somewhere in the 70’s), he doesnt have a devastating changeup or a sick slider…he throws one pitch 90% of the time, and most of the time, he’s not even sure where it’s going to end up.  Lately Tim has been the guy that can give the bullpen a little rest, having gone at least 7 innings in 8 of his 9 last starts.  He keeps them in the game, having given up 3 runs or less in his last 9 starts.  He is also one of the most unselfish guys in the clubhouse, willing to move his start date to accommodate other pitchers, having been sent to the bullpen for other guys to get a start, or even giving up his roster spot last post season to help his team.  Every manager would love to have a guy like Wakefield on his team. 

Honorable mention:  Mike Lowell and Sean Casey

“Sox” Young:  Jon Lester

7-3, 3.38ERA

This was a no-brainer.  I dont care if Dice-K has 10 wins and Beckett has 9, Jon Lester has been the Ace of the Sox pitching staff the first half of the season, and not because he threw a no-hitter (although that didnt hurt).  Lester is a young guy who is still developing but has quickly become a very mature pitcher.  Like Wakefield, he has been a guy that you can count on going deep into games and knocking out quality starts, and hasnt got much in the run-support category. His May 19th no-hitter was a thing of beauty but let’s face it, no-hitters do not always tell the truth about a pitcher’s “stuff.”  Right Colin?  But since then, he has been eating up innings and mowing down hitters. 

Sox Surprise:  Dustin Pedrioa

.314, 9HR, 47RBI, 9SB and 124H

It’s not that I was surprised to see him do well, he was Rookie of the Year for a reason, but I was surprised to see him do this well so early in the season so consistently.  He came out swinging and it has paid off in a big way.  He leads the Soxin hits and doubles, and is tied for first with Youk with 181 total bases and a .314 average.  His 124 hits landed him 3rd in the Major League and a starting job in the All-Star Game.  They don’t call him the Pedrioa the Destroyah for nothing.

Honorable mention:Bartolo Colon

Biggest Disappointment:  Hideki Okajima

2-2, 2.82ERA

What the heck happened?!?  Last year he was the biggest surprise on the Sox pitching staff, showing that he deserved just as much attention as his buddy Dice-K was getting.  His ERA was non-existent throughout most of the season and he was the best 8th inning guy in the American League.  Now each pitch seems like a struggle and his signature “Okie Dokie” pitch is nowhere to be found.  His last couple of appearances have been encouraging but they have both come in a clean inning (no inherited runners).  Without him in that 8th inning slot, the bullpen has had some tough times, so let’s hope the second half is a little more stable. 

Not far behind:Clay Buchholz and Captain Varitek

 

Most Memorable Moment:  Jon Lester’s No-Hitter

A Hollywood writer couldn’t have scripted it any better.  A young guy witha promising pitching career in front of him gets struck with cancer.  Battles it and beats it.  Wins the clinching game of the World Series.  Then the next year throws a no-hitter.  Sounds hard to believe right?  Well believe it baby, cause that is Lester’s story and he’s sticking to it.  I don’t care which team you root for, if you werent happy for Jon Lester on May 19th (or 20th when you found out) then you aren’t a real baseball fan.  It was a magical moment that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Honorable mention (to say the least):  Manny’s 500th career home run.

 

That’s all for now, let’s see what the second half has in store…..

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Tags: All-Star Break, Boston Red Sox, ESPN, red sox, Red Sox Nation