My daughter, Kaitlyn, came home with her mid-term progress report the other day. Not sure why the teachers pick on her so.
Last time I checked 66, was not a C as she has been telling us since September. And she did do well in Music, Art and Gym. I'm sure that will get her into an Ivy League school.
In any event, her poor with an occasional gust to fair grades, has whet my appetite to grade the Red Sox at the end of the first month of the season.
Like President Obama's first 100 days, we grade a bit easier early in the semester as shrapnel remains from the previous administration (Can you say waterboarding?).
As the season progresses, for example, Brad Penny may be get his knuckles slapped while today he only gets an F warning.
Honor Students
Yoooouk: A+
The head of the class, both team- and league-wise is Kevin Youkilis. Not only did he have to conduct the Passover Seder but he sipped from Elijah's cup by leading the AL in hitting with a Williams-esque .405 with five home runs and 15 RBI.
The pride of Cincinnati had a .716 slugging pct. and was on base 52 percent of the time. As always, Youk played a solid first and even slid across to third at one point.
His one black mark is he should have run to first instead of entrusting Javier Lopez with the non-catch that ended the Sox' 11-game win streak.
Dustin Pedroia: C+
Traditionally a slow starter, The reigning MVP started the campaign with a home run to left. And there he sits. One home run and seven RBI does not an MVP make.
Seventeen singles, seven doubles and one dinger simply won't cut it.
Toss in three for six in steals, a couple of base running blunders and a costly error against the Indians, and Pedroia may find himself bounced from his role as David in the Dunkin Donuts "David and Goliath" commercial. No worries here, but certainly not a grade worthy of an MVP.
Nick Green: B+
.280, 1 and 7 is certainly better than advertised. He has filled in admirably after injuries to Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie and one has to wonder if Lugo isn't on a short leash. Green has also taken it in the back 5 times (HBP) already, apparently seen as the Weakest Link in the Sox tough line up. Hey pitchers...pick on someone your own size.
Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie: Incomplete
With 4 AB to date between them thanks to a bum knee and wrist respectively, the sample size is simply too small to grade. I do anticipate a detention and a dunce cap from the resident cut-up before the end of May.
A 2-4 performance in his first game may be a case of first day luck. The obligatory error and a sore knee excuse from the line-up doesn't bode well for Julio.
Mike Lowell: A+
With all the questions surrounding Mike Lowell and the controversy that surrounded him with the potential free agent acquisition of Mark Teixeira, a looser grader would give Lowell an A++.
His weighted score is the highest on the team as he is hitting .317 with 4 HR, 23 RBI (second in the league) and thirteen total extra base hits.
Lowell even legged out his first triple since 2007 and only the seventh of his career (on bad wheels no less). His fielding has been as expected.
With a player of the week vote under his belt in week 3 of the season the Sox have to be mighty pleased as they cross a big IF off of their 2009 list of concerns.
Jason Varitek: B+
It's awfully hard to give a .250 average this high a score as it is .12 below his career average. However, the one in four, represents a .30 point increase over last year. With 4 HR and 10 RBI to date, Varitek looks more like the pre-divorce hitter of 2007 as opposed to last year's beaten Captain.
Handling of the pitching staff doesn't suffer with age and despite the fact that naysayers contend it is overrated, I know of 14 hurlers who say it isn't. Should Varitek end at .250 with 15 and 60 his B+ rapidly climbs to an A for the C (aptain).
Jason Bay: A
Manny Who? .338, 5, 19 with a ton of heart vs. 360, 4, and 14 with a none at all. I pick Bay...Not to mention a solid glove thus far, several big and/or game winning hits and 2-for-2 stealing bases.
The question with Bay was his ability to hit in the clutch. To date since his acquisition? Not a concern. No teammates or traveling secretaries grappled with, either.
Jacoby Ellsbury: B
The season started with justified concerns about his ability to hit big league pitching and his ability to consistently get on base. The first two weeks of the season the concern continued.
However, we're grading on a season-to-date basis and .289 is respectable. Needs to continue to learn patience as this is the job of the lead-off guy in the Red Sox style of play. A .323 OBP isn't strong enough.
Especially when Ellsbury is on pace to steal 80 bases. His steal of home vs. the Yankees was Roberts-like and was a slap in the face during a three-game home sweep. His glove has been gold. This will be an award at season's end.
JD Drew: C-
This is getting old. a .242 with 3 and 10 and tight quads and a bad back is getting tiring. I haven't been a fan from the get go. This is a case of the teacher giving the bad student a bad grade based on reputation.
Sorry. It exists. Any student who skips school each time his nose runs gets sub par grades. Not to mention a student who is capable of an A who perpetually under achieves. Detention warning!
David Ortiz: D
This is a concern. some students start of the semester slowly and catch fire as the year goes on. Others simply either start to think too much or give up thinking at all. I truly think that Papi's brain is more to be concerned about than his brawn at this point.
He entered the season thinking he'd struggle without Manny behind him and he is fulfilling that prophecy. I'd recommend a visit to the sports psychologist or his season will resemble Tony Clark's in 2002 (.207, 3, 29).
Bench: A
George Kottaras has been a pleasant surprise catching Wakefield and spelling Tek. Jeff Bailey, Chris Carter, and Jonathan Van Every have filled in adequately for Drew and Youk including Van Every's defensive gem and GW HR against the Indians.
Baldelli is incomplete after getting injured early and Gil Valazquez is incomplete due to lack of playing time.
With Mark Kotsay soon to return soon and Lowrie and Baldelli to return in the coming months and weeks, the bench should continue to score good grades.
Josh Beckett: D-
This is a concern. As I'm writing this, Beckett is getting lit up by the Rays. Add this to 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA and one needs to be concerned if there is a problem. He is averaging one K per inning so the velocity is there, but location is spotty with 13 BB in 24 innings (14.4 HBP/9).
Jon Lester: C-
Lester is a Cy Young candidate and 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA is Matt Young-like instead of Cy. The last three starts have been stronger than the first two and this prevented him from getting a Beckett-like grade.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: F
We're really going to give the WBC the F and Daisuke an incomplete. The tourney isn't going away. However, imagine what we'd be saying if the Sox didn't weather the storm by starting 14-7 and if Youk and Pedroia's injuries were more serious.
When Daisuke's first bullpen session after the tourney was reported as "all over the place" we should have known that something smelled rotten.
Tim Wakefield: A
What more can be said about Wake. When the Sox needed to rest the bullpen he went deep and almost threw a No-no.
He is in a groove reminiscent of his 14-1 in 1995 or his 8-1 for the Pirates in 1992. Am I really pulling stats on an active player from 17 years ago? Wake enters may at 2-1 and a 1.86 ERA and the teams top starter.
Justin Masterson: A
Masterson gets an A with an asterisk. His flexibility and poise is note worthy. I suspect that he may take Penny's spot when Dice-K returns as opposed to bouncing Masterson back and forth.
If injuries don't become a factor, Justin may not go to the pen until Smoltz returns.
Brad Penny: F
A Penny spent is a Penny wasted. Penny is 2-0 with a Wang-like 8.66 ERA. He has 6 K in 17 innings and is pitching deep into counts. This is causing his pitch count to sky rocket by the fourth inning. As mentioned earlier, Penny may not see June 1 if he doesn't find some consistency.
Bullpen: A
The pen is tops in the league with Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez, and Hunter Jones yet to be scored upon in 29 total innings. Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, and Takashi Saito have been less than effective but sit at a collective 2-2 with 2 saves thanks to some late game heroics.
Jonathan Papelbon is perfect in saves with 6 and a 1.74 ERA but his pitch count has been a little high in most appearances. Overall the bullpen is ingredient which separates the Sox and the Yankees to date.
Terry Francona: A+
With 12 wins in their final 13 games with the loss being a dropped toss to first, there isn't much to criticize. His use of Jones and Bowden against the Yankees was a message: If we can beat you with two rookies in a close game, we simply do not fear you. Then we'll steal home to boot.
That game was the most telling of the three-game sweep and it was Tito's use of the pen which was the key. Van Every delivered when called upon along with Green and Kottaras all season long.
Overall Grade: B+
We can't forget the 2-6 start when tabulating grades. The positives are the line-up 1-9 and the pen. Concerns are clearly Papi, Beckett, and Penny. Most of the other lower grades (Lester, Okajima, and Dice-K) should be improved by the end of June.
- Login to post comments