Swept Away! Yankee/Red Sox Comparisons...
By Matthew Story
First it was an early April series at Fenway, Yankees blew a two run lead in the 9th with Mariano and a 6-0 lead behind AJ Burnett, who had an 0.40 ERA in Boston before surrendering 8 runs that game and 7 more on Tuesday!
Then it was a two game sweep in The Bronx, as Joba battled 1st Inning woes before trotting out his all-world arsenal to strike out 12 Red Sox in 5 2/3, only to be undone by the 4 First Inning runs in the end.
Now its a 3 Game Sweep at Fenway, Beckett at his best on Tuesday, but some tough, gritty play by the Red Sox and some tight, pathetic performances by veteran Yankees like Chien-Ming Wang and Nick Swisher, seemed to doom the Yankees on the 2nd and 3rd nights.
E-I-G-H-T losses in 8 games.
But only 2 out of First Place, while distancing the other AL wild cards.
Interesting.
The Red Sox are more competitive than the Yankees will ever be, so are the Angels, the Indians, Twins and Rays. If it was a war, these are the squads like the Confederacy, the Taliban, the Viet Cong, WW II Japanese - dedicated, small fire, innovative, never-say-die...such competitors thrive on close combat, that's why the Mujahadeen are so incensed the Americans don't want a 'fair fight' - they've internalized Western customs that ran from the Crusades to the Victorian Age.
America don't play that.
Neither do the Yankees.
Better resources, better roster, the long slog.
Is there any Red Sox you'd trade for?
The Players
1B Teixeira or Youkilis?
No knock on Kevin, who has made himself into a premier MLB Player. But when he hit .312/29/115, it was his first trip above each plateau in his career. He's 30. Teixeira is a switch hitter on another level entirely. The difference between an All-Star and a Hall of Famer.
Teixeira .289/.391/.628/19/52
Youkilis .350/.472/.631/10/37
2B Cano or Pedroia?
Despite the absurd MVP award for a guy with 17/83 in power numbers who lost the batting title to a Gold Glove CATCHER and still prevailed in the 'Manny Ramirez Protest Vote' by the idiots in the BBWAA (Moron's Association), just look at the data. Cano is a better player across the board. Pedroia is a hard worker with heart. Heart don't matter in The Bronx, or on The Magic Carpet.
Cano .293/.327/.463/9/35 - 2 Errors in 269 Chances
Pedroia .306/401/.406/2/24 - 4 Errors in 254 Chances
SS Jeter or Green? !
3B Alex or Lowell? !
C Posada or Varitek? !
LF Damon or Bay?
Well here is the best case for a current Red Sox over a previous one, but the disparity is slight...Bay is the guy who will kill a mistake and have big RBI games when the arms are mediocre, but Damon can hit anyone, at anytime and go deep in the deepest of doo-doo.
Damon .286/.361/.537 with 13 HR/35 RBI/5 for 5 SB
Bay .277/.399/.592 with 16 HR/57 RBI/5 for 6 SB
CF Ellsbury or Melky?
Ellsbury for all his Base Stealing heroics remains a guy with one weapon - his legs making a comparison to Brett Gardner more appropriate than one to Switch-Hitting/Rocket Armed Melky, with thump from both sides. Ellsbury is a .370 Slugger, with ONE HR.
RF Swisher or Drew?
Can you choose 'Neither'? Swisher and Drew are both mistake hitters. Swisher a great guy, Drew a creep, Swish hits both ways, Drew a LH hitter. No opinion from the Magic Carpet here...
Drew - .267/.391/.500/8/30
Swisher - .255/.394/.538/12/35
DH Matsui or Ortiz?
Ditto! Hideki and Papi are noble warriors whose bodies have betrayed them. Matsui runs on knees that barely stand, his Hall of Fame skill set just a memory, running into a few fastballs over the wall and few hooks into LF. Papi is stripped of Manny in the lineup AND the clubhouse, his knee and wrist hurt...
Matsui - .260/.350/.475/8/23
Papi - .203/.299/.338/4/25
The Starters
Josh Beckett or CC Sabathia?
There are maybe ten guys in the top rank of Starters and both these guys are on it (Johan, Halladay, Lincecum, Zambrano, Verlander, Greinke, Peavy, Volquez). Beckett is RH and has an indomitable persona and breathtaking stuff, a proven Champion. Sabathia is an Offensive Linemen playing with Cornerbacks, a bruiser LH who mixes, mesmerizes and goes all day long.
AJ Burnett or Jon Lester?
Burnett has stuff that is the equal of any MLB RH pitcher, but that is all he has. He lacks the mental preparedness of an Ace and his ball moves so much it often leads to walks or out pitches that suddenly lurch over the plate. Lester is an assassin, a great LH arm, control, composure. A MUCH better pitcher than AJ.
Chien-Ming Wang or Daisuke Matsusaka?
Wang's struggles have been well documented. But let's take a deeper look, this is a guy who broke his foot last June 18 and only Weds did he return to the 95-96 mph that made him 54-20 in his first four MLB seasons. He is big, strong, healing and will dominate as he always has once he gets innings under his belt and gets a feel for the Strike Zone. Dice-K is hard used, in part because of his style of throwing TONS of pitches (unlike Wang who cruises late on low pitches) and reminds me of Hideki Matsui, who is HOF all the way, but left too much back in Japan to last at this level once his body started claiming him.
Andy Pettitte or Tim Wakefield?
Andy is a borderline Hall of Famer (check the incredible numbers) and one of MLB's all-time winners, who is also LH. Wakefield is a Knuckleballer, who reliably takes the ball every five days, dominates when it dances and struggles when it doesn't.
Joba Chamberlain or Brad Penny/John Smoltz?
Joba is Smoltz twenty years ago. No comparison in 2009. Penny, despite his heroics tonight, is just a guy today.
Phil Hughes/Alfredo Aceves vs. Justin Masterson/Daniel Bard?
Four good young arms, with different strengths.
Jose Veras vs. Manny Del Carmen?
Equal on arm, Del Carmen has been far better on a hill. Veras needs to be able to throw strikes or the oohs and ahhs his stuff provides are useless.
Phil Coke vs. Hidkei Okajima?
A flamethrowing (96 mph) LH with 4 pitches who was a starter vs. a crafty veteran with a freaky motion and a sterling MLB record.
Mariano Rivera vs. Jonathan Papelbon?
Jon is ten years younger, and throws 4-5 MPH harder. Mo has far better control (30K, 2 BB (1 intentional) in 25 IP), Papelbon (29K, 13 BB in 27 IP). Mo is cool, PapB is hot. Either way, you are probably toast.
The Rest
Joe Girardi vs. Terry Francona?
The brilliant engineer Girardi, who is fitter than 75% of MLB players and has both a Manager of the Year trophy and 3 World Series Rings versus the classy survivor Francona, who has brought Boston two rings in five seasons.
Brian Cashman vs. Theo Epstein?
Brian heads for the shadows, the ultimate organization man in the ultimate organization, Theo is his own man in a loose group of executives. The two cultures are as opposite as the fan bases, ballpark and rosters and really cannot be compared, neither guy could do the other ones job. Brian 'swings for the fences' envisioning Rings and Yankeeographies and Theo craftily prefers guys who suit the Nation and will drive through glass of the B crew.
Hal Steinbrenner vs. John Henry?
Again, the culture clash is severe. The Steinbrenner belief (like Jerry Jones in NFL) is create top shelf conditions, ultimate amenities for fan and player and demand accountability for top dollar, John Henry openly campaign for a salary cap that will reign in the need to expand his payroll, tries to chisel dollars from HOF free agents in his grasp (Alex, Tex) while signaling his closer he'd prefer to pay a reduced salary for his continuing services. As different as any two management philosophies could be.
Empire vs. Nation?
I don't really know any Yankee fans, I am a loner, most of my close friends are actually Red Sox fans! I think the biggest difference is the sense of companionship Nation fans have for one ANOTHER. To be 'Red Sox Nation' is to be bonded to something larger than the Red Sox results, to be a Yankee fan is only about Wins and Losses. And Championships.
First it was an early April series at Fenway, Yankees blew a two run lead in the 9th with Mariano and a 6-0 lead behind AJ Burnett, who had an 0.40 ERA in Boston before surrendering 8 runs that game and 7 more on Tuesday!
Then it was a two game sweep in The Bronx, as Joba battled 1st Inning woes before trotting out his all-world arsenal to strike out 12 Red Sox in 5 2/3, only to be undone by the 4 First Inning runs in the end.
Now its a 3 Game Sweep at Fenway, Beckett at his best on Tuesday, but some tough, gritty play by the Red Sox and some tight, pathetic performances by veteran Yankees like Chien-Ming Wang and Nick Swisher, seemed to doom the Yankees on the 2nd and 3rd nights.
E-I-G-H-T losses in 8 games.
But only 2 out of First Place, while distancing the other AL wild cards.
Interesting.
The Red Sox are more competitive than the Yankees will ever be, so are the Angels, the Indians, Twins and Rays. If it was a war, these are the squads like the Confederacy, the Taliban, the Viet Cong, WW II Japanese - dedicated, small fire, innovative, never-say-die...such competitors thrive on close combat, that's why the Mujahadeen are so incensed the Americans don't want a 'fair fight' - they've internalized Western customs that ran from the Crusades to the Victorian Age.
America don't play that.
Neither do the Yankees.
Better resources, better roster, the long slog.
Is there any Red Sox you'd trade for?
The Players
1B Teixeira or Youkilis?
No knock on Kevin, who has made himself into a premier MLB Player. But when he hit .312/29/115, it was his first trip above each plateau in his career. He's 30. Teixeira is a switch hitter on another level entirely. The difference between an All-Star and a Hall of Famer.
Teixeira .289/.391/.628/19/52
Youkilis .350/.472/.631/10/37
2B Cano or Pedroia?
Despite the absurd MVP award for a guy with 17/83 in power numbers who lost the batting title to a Gold Glove CATCHER and still prevailed in the 'Manny Ramirez Protest Vote' by the idiots in the BBWAA (Moron's Association), just look at the data. Cano is a better player across the board. Pedroia is a hard worker with heart. Heart don't matter in The Bronx, or on The Magic Carpet.
Cano .293/.327/.463/9/35 - 2 Errors in 269 Chances
Pedroia .306/401/.406/2/24 - 4 Errors in 254 Chances
SS Jeter or Green? !
3B Alex or Lowell? !
C Posada or Varitek? !
LF Damon or Bay?
Well here is the best case for a current Red Sox over a previous one, but the disparity is slight...Bay is the guy who will kill a mistake and have big RBI games when the arms are mediocre, but Damon can hit anyone, at anytime and go deep in the deepest of doo-doo.
Damon .286/.361/.537 with 13 HR/35 RBI/5 for 5 SB
Bay .277/.399/.592 with 16 HR/57 RBI/5 for 6 SB
CF Ellsbury or Melky?
Ellsbury for all his Base Stealing heroics remains a guy with one weapon - his legs making a comparison to Brett Gardner more appropriate than one to Switch-Hitting/Rocket Armed Melky, with thump from both sides. Ellsbury is a .370 Slugger, with ONE HR.
RF Swisher or Drew?
Can you choose 'Neither'? Swisher and Drew are both mistake hitters. Swisher a great guy, Drew a creep, Swish hits both ways, Drew a LH hitter. No opinion from the Magic Carpet here...
Drew - .267/.391/.500/8/30
Swisher - .255/.394/.538/12/35
DH Matsui or Ortiz?
Ditto! Hideki and Papi are noble warriors whose bodies have betrayed them. Matsui runs on knees that barely stand, his Hall of Fame skill set just a memory, running into a few fastballs over the wall and few hooks into LF. Papi is stripped of Manny in the lineup AND the clubhouse, his knee and wrist hurt...
Matsui - .260/.350/.475/8/23
Papi - .203/.299/.338/4/25
The Starters
Josh Beckett or CC Sabathia?
There are maybe ten guys in the top rank of Starters and both these guys are on it (Johan, Halladay, Lincecum, Zambrano, Verlander, Greinke, Peavy, Volquez). Beckett is RH and has an indomitable persona and breathtaking stuff, a proven Champion. Sabathia is an Offensive Linemen playing with Cornerbacks, a bruiser LH who mixes, mesmerizes and goes all day long.
AJ Burnett or Jon Lester?
Burnett has stuff that is the equal of any MLB RH pitcher, but that is all he has. He lacks the mental preparedness of an Ace and his ball moves so much it often leads to walks or out pitches that suddenly lurch over the plate. Lester is an assassin, a great LH arm, control, composure. A MUCH better pitcher than AJ.
Chien-Ming Wang or Daisuke Matsusaka?
Wang's struggles have been well documented. But let's take a deeper look, this is a guy who broke his foot last June 18 and only Weds did he return to the 95-96 mph that made him 54-20 in his first four MLB seasons. He is big, strong, healing and will dominate as he always has once he gets innings under his belt and gets a feel for the Strike Zone. Dice-K is hard used, in part because of his style of throwing TONS of pitches (unlike Wang who cruises late on low pitches) and reminds me of Hideki Matsui, who is HOF all the way, but left too much back in Japan to last at this level once his body started claiming him.
Andy Pettitte or Tim Wakefield?
Andy is a borderline Hall of Famer (check the incredible numbers) and one of MLB's all-time winners, who is also LH. Wakefield is a Knuckleballer, who reliably takes the ball every five days, dominates when it dances and struggles when it doesn't.
Joba Chamberlain or Brad Penny/John Smoltz?
Joba is Smoltz twenty years ago. No comparison in 2009. Penny, despite his heroics tonight, is just a guy today.
Phil Hughes/Alfredo Aceves vs. Justin Masterson/Daniel Bard?
Four good young arms, with different strengths.
Jose Veras vs. Manny Del Carmen?
Equal on arm, Del Carmen has been far better on a hill. Veras needs to be able to throw strikes or the oohs and ahhs his stuff provides are useless.
Phil Coke vs. Hidkei Okajima?
A flamethrowing (96 mph) LH with 4 pitches who was a starter vs. a crafty veteran with a freaky motion and a sterling MLB record.
Mariano Rivera vs. Jonathan Papelbon?
Jon is ten years younger, and throws 4-5 MPH harder. Mo has far better control (30K, 2 BB (1 intentional) in 25 IP), Papelbon (29K, 13 BB in 27 IP). Mo is cool, PapB is hot. Either way, you are probably toast.
The Rest
Joe Girardi vs. Terry Francona?
The brilliant engineer Girardi, who is fitter than 75% of MLB players and has both a Manager of the Year trophy and 3 World Series Rings versus the classy survivor Francona, who has brought Boston two rings in five seasons.
Brian Cashman vs. Theo Epstein?
Brian heads for the shadows, the ultimate organization man in the ultimate organization, Theo is his own man in a loose group of executives. The two cultures are as opposite as the fan bases, ballpark and rosters and really cannot be compared, neither guy could do the other ones job. Brian 'swings for the fences' envisioning Rings and Yankeeographies and Theo craftily prefers guys who suit the Nation and will drive through glass of the B crew.
Hal Steinbrenner vs. John Henry?
Again, the culture clash is severe. The Steinbrenner belief (like Jerry Jones in NFL) is create top shelf conditions, ultimate amenities for fan and player and demand accountability for top dollar, John Henry openly campaign for a salary cap that will reign in the need to expand his payroll, tries to chisel dollars from HOF free agents in his grasp (Alex, Tex) while signaling his closer he'd prefer to pay a reduced salary for his continuing services. As different as any two management philosophies could be.
Empire vs. Nation?
I don't really know any Yankee fans, I am a loner, most of my close friends are actually Red Sox fans! I think the biggest difference is the sense of companionship Nation fans have for one ANOTHER. To be 'Red Sox Nation' is to be bonded to something larger than the Red Sox results, to be a Yankee fan is only about Wins and Losses. And Championships.