Can someone post the Herald's Sox Report Card?

[PissedPrincess]

I don't know how.:(

It's really good. :help:

[PissedPrincess]

:wait:

[cxlx]

Throughout lineup, Sox earn many high grades: Potent offense, intangibles lift club to next level
By Tony Massarotti/Red Sox Report Card
Tuesday, September 30, 2003

In the final standings, all that separated these 2003 Red Sox [stats, schedule] from their 2002 predecessors were two measly victories. One year after going 93-69, the Red Sox finished 95-67, once again placing second to the New York Yankees [stats, schedule] in the American League East.

The similarities pretty much end there.

Where the 2002 Red Sox missed the playoffs by six games, this group clinched a postseason berth with three games to play; where the 2002 club became demoralized in the midst of repeated bullpen meltdowns, this team found resolve; and where the All-Star-laden 2002 Sox looked more impressive on paper than they did on the field, this club played even better than its gaudy offensive numbers, thanks largely to the enormous contributions of a hard-nosed Midwestern rug rat (Bill Mueller [stats, news]) and an embraceable, Dominican gentle giant (David Ortiz [stats, news]).

You have every reason to like this team.

Even when the Sox had justifiable cause to lose, they found impossible ways to win.

What happens from here is anybody's guess. Will the bullpen hold up? Will the comebacks continue? In the interim, let's all take a moment to recognize the relentlessness, perseverance and simple fight with which this team routinely played. Nothing comes for free during the marathon that is a baseball season. The Red Sox are in the playoffs because they deserve to be.

Plain and simple.

The final grades:

Positional players

Johnny Damon [stats, news] (B-) - After a very disappointing first half - and despite a slight September dip - Damon batted .296 after the All-Star break. And given that he finished with nearly as many steals (30) as the entire Oakland A's [stats, schedule] roster (48), Damon could be a difference maker in the postseason. Quite simply, the A's don't have anyone like him. Run, Johnny, run. (First-half grade: D+)

Nomar Garciaparra [stats, news] (A-) - First, the holes: Nomar batted .170 in September, .274 after the All-Star break, .243 on the road and .228 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Still, he ranked first or second on the club in most offensive categories, and from May 6 through Sept. 17, he made only eight errors in 115 games. That's pretty darn good. (First-half grade: A-)

Damian Jackson [stats, news] (B-) - He was a pinch runner and defensive replacement, and he played every position but pitcher and catcher. At times, purely to entertain his teammates before games, Jackson would sprint from the field and leap onto the roof of the dugout, often over the head of an unsuspecting soul standing on the dugout steps. This guy should be a decathlete. (First-half grade: B)

Gabe Kapler [stats, news] (B-) - There is a difference between athletes and baseball players, and Kapler is more the former than the latter. As an outfielder, six errors are too many for someone who appeared in 68 games. But what he gave the team was a nice option vs. left-handed pitchers, against whom he hit .319. In that way, he was a nice complement to Trot Nixon [stats, news]. (First-half grade: Incomplete)

Kevin Millar [stats, news] (B) - Millar had never totaled more than 449 at-bats in a season before this year, so maybe that helps explain why he batted only .251 after the All-Star break and just .238 in September (is anyone else worried about that?). All in all, Millar had a solid season and was worth chasing around the globe, but come tomorrow night, it's about time to cowboy up. (First-half grade: A-)

Doug Mirabelli [stats, news] (B) - Mirabelli has served as Tim Wakefield [stats, news]'s personal catcher all season, so it makes no sense to change that now. But while Mirabelli has historically performed better against left-handed pitching in his career entering a Game 2 matchup against Oakland A's southpaw Barry Zito [stats, news], he hit all six of his home runs this season against right-handers. Discuss. (First-half grade: B)

Bill Mueller (A) - The American League batting champ hit .342 at home, .309 on the road, .332 before the All-Star break and .320 after. And we're willing to bet that when Mueller was a kid, he was getting tears in the knees of his pants long before it ever became fashionable. Isn't it nice to find a big leaguer who still plays with dirt under his fingernails? (First-half grade: A)

Trot Nixon (A-) - Given that Nixon has now hit 97 of his 106 career home runs against right-handed pitching, it is worth noting that he had a higher slugging percentage against righties this season than Philadelphia first baseman Jim Thome. Know what that means? It means if Nixon could hit lefties better, we might be comparing him to Reggie Jackson. (First-half grade: B+)

David Ortiz (A) - Get this: After the All-Star break, only Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell, Sammy Sosa and Thome had more home runs than Ortiz, who led the Sox with 21 homers and 55 RBI in the second half. If this were Edgar Martinez we were talking about, the national media would more seriously be considering him as a candidate for Most Valuable Player. (First-half grade: B+)

Manny Ramirez [stats, news] (B+) - When Ramirez comes up to the plate during the playoffs, here's what the Red Sox should do: play ``Puttin' on the Ritz'' (by Taco) over the loudspeakers at Fenway Park. Since having tea and crumpets with Yankees utility man Enrique Wilson, after all, Ramirez has hit .375 and slugged .675 with an on-base percentage of .485. Now that's a wakeup call. (First-half grade: B+)

Jason Varitek [stats, news] (A-) - Varitek batted only .230 after the All-Star break, but such a dip is not terribly unusual for catchers given their workload. In the end, he produced more home runs and RBI than anyone at his position in baseball but the Braves' Javy Lopez and the Yankees' Jorge Posada, both of whom play for teams in the postseason. Does anyone see a correlation there? (First-half grade: A)

Todd Walker [stats, news] (B) - Ultimately, he came precisely as advertised: While only Bret Boone, Alfonso Soriano and Jeff Kent finished with more RBI among second basemen, only Soriano had more errors. Walker had an excellent September, however, batting .347 and hitting that unforgettable home run against Baltimore last week. It was a moment that will transcend time. (First-half grade: B)

INCOMPLETE - Andy Abad; Adrian Brown; Lou Collier; Bill Haselman [stats, news]; David McCarty; Lou Merloni [stats, news]; Freddy Sanchez.

FIRST-HALF GRADE ONLY - Jeremy Giambi (F); Shea Hillenbrand (B).

[cxlx]

Pitchers

John Burkett [stats, news] (B-) - Because his margin for error is so slim, the final numbers are terribly skewed. Burkett had an ERA of 2.67 in his 12 wins and 8.80 in his nine losses. And in case you're wondering, Burkett made one start against Oakland, allowing five runs in the first inning before settling down and pitching through the sixth. The Sox lost, 5-3. (First-half grade: B-)

Alan Embree [stats, news] (B-) - In the Red Sox bullpen, remember, success was a relative term. Embree was among the better relievers on this team and his career postseason history (0-0, 2.45 ERA in 11 appearances) is good. Still, like everyone else, he has had hiccups throughout the course of the year. No wonder we're all holding our breath. (First-half grade: B-)

Casey Fossum (D+) - For someone who began the season with so much fanfare, he ended it in remarkable obscurity. Fossum pitched just 19 2/3 innings after the All-Star break, though he did make a contribution during that span. He was, after all, the starting pitcher the night Pedro Martinez [stats, news] was sidelined with pharyngitis. And like Bruce Chen before him, he won. (First-half grade: D+)

Todd Jones [stats, news] (D+) - Jones got off to a good start with the Red Sox, but the finish wasn't pretty. He allowed 16 runs in his final 19 appearances covering 19 2/3 innings, an ERA of 7.32 that isn't good in any bullpen. Jones' spot on the playoff roster is obviously in jeopardy, but if he doesn't pitch in the postseason, maybe he can still write about it. (First-half grade: Incomplete)

Byung-Hyun Kim [stats, news] (B) - Lil' Kim clearly didn't like being pulled out of a game at Cleveland on Sept. 19, and he has pitched like it ever since. In Kim's last four outings covering four innings, opposing hitters went 1-for-13 against him and struck out five times. If that carries into October, the Red Sox will be a very, very scary team. (First-half grade: B+)

Derek Lowe [stats, news] (B) - Don't look now, but here's yet another key to the playoffs. In his final nine outings, Lowe went 6-1 with a 2.97 ERA and allowed only 48 hits in 57 2/3 innings. He faced the A's twice during that span, going 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA and holding Oakland hitters to a .184 batting average. And that was including the infamous caper of The Burst Blister. (First-half grade: B-)

Pedro Martinez (A-) - The last time he finished this strong in September was 1999, when he went 4-0 with a 0.88 ERA and led the Sox into the playoffs. This year, Pedro's September numbers were 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA, bringing his Sox career totals to 101-28 (.783 winning percentage) with a 2.26 ERA. During that span, the Sox' winning percentage without him is .523. (First-half grade: A-)

Ramiro Mendoza (F) - For one brief moment, when he won consecutive starts in early July, it appeared as if he might make a contribution. But before you could say Mike Torrez, Mendoza reverted to early season form and spiraled into the abyss. Given that he is signed for next year at $3.6 million, this was easily young Theo Epstein's most fruitless maneuver of 2003. (First-half grade: D-)

Scott Sauerbeck [stats, news] (F+) - The left-handed specialist has allowed lefties to bat only .152 against him, but that is very, very deceiving. Sauerbeck also has walked eight left-handed hitters and hit two others, giving them an on-base percentage of .341 against him. While he pitched better in the final week, take note: Eric Chavez [stats, news] is 1-for-2 against him with a walk. (First-half grade: Incomplete)

Jeff Suppan [stats, news] (C-) - Three bad starts, one good one, one bad one, two good ones, a bad one, a good one, a bad one. Is your head spinning yet? Suppan had tremendous difficulty against left-handed hitters, who batted .305 against him and slugged a frightening .626. Admittedly, he was better than Fossum or Mendoza, but the Red Sox were hoping for more. (First-half grade: Incomplete)

Mike Timlin [stats, news] (B) - In a team-leading 72 appearances, he somehow allowed more home runs (11) than walks (nine). But from beginning to end, Timlin was about the only person who gave manager Grady Little anything close to consistency, particularly against right-handed hitters (.195 average). Against Oakland, Timlin had a 0.00 ERA in four outings. (First-half grade: B-)

Tim Wakefield (B) - Wait a minute: Aren't knuckleballers supposed to be inconsistent? Wakefield went 6-4 with a 4.10 ERA before the All-Star break, 5-3 with a 4.08 ERA after. Wakefield has had better seasons with the Red Sox, but he may never have had a more consistent one. If the Sox are smart, they'll give him the ball every five days for the rest of his career. (First-half grade: B)

Scott Williamson [stats, news] (D-) - For all of Sauerbeck's struggles, Williamson has been perhaps the biggest disappointment in the bullpen, if only for the fact that expectations were greater. In two months with the team, Williamson made 24 appearances and recorded neither a win nor a save. Maybe his success in Cincinnati was also a figment of the imagination. (First-half grade: Incomplete)

INCOMPLETE - Hector Almonte; Bronson Arroyo [stats, news]; Bruce Chen; Bobby Howry; Robert Person; Ryan Rupe; Rudy Seanez; Kevin Tolar; Matt White; Steve Woodard.

FIRST-HALF GRADE ONLY - Chad Fox (C-); Brandon Lyon [stats, news] (B-); Jason Schiell (C-).

Manager

Grady Little (A-) - Let's see if we've got this straight: A new ownership assumed control of the Red Sox and hired a manager in 2002, and it took all of one year before they started making him squirm? You would think they might have shown a little more faith in their guy, even from purely a public relations standpoint. It really would not have cost that much.

Little showed signs of growth late in the season, meanwhile, both on the field and off. He put the team first when he benched Manny Ramirez in Chicago, and something like that can go a long way in the clubhouse. And he bruised some egos with the way he aggressively handled the bullpen in the final month, which is what the situation called for.

Maybe we're wrong, but this guy seems to be getting better at his job.

General manager

Theo Epstein (A-) - No matter the age of a general manager, the obvious truth is that baseball executives all make good moves and bad ones. But just as it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, so, too, is it better to err on the side of aggressiveness. And during 2003, there may have been no more proactive GM in the game than our very own prodigy.

Was it perfect? No. But after overestimating the pitching staff over the winter, Epstein did everything possible in an attempt to improve it while teams like the Seattle Mariners [stats, schedule] (who have an accomplished, veteran GM in Pat Gillick) did not improve in any area. And in case you didn't keep score, the Mariners ended up just two games behind the Sox in the wild card race.

One year, one playoff appearance. That's a nice start to a career.

[PissedPrincess]

Thanx Bobaloo.:cool:

Can't say I disagree about much.

[PissedPrincess]

I wasn't aware how well Manny has played since "The Incident."

[PissedPrincess]

My team MVP--->Jose Ortiz:fro:

[Fragmentsofme]

I don't think you'll have too many people disagree with you on that

[PissedPrincess]

Originally posted by Fragmentsofme
I don't think you'll have too many people disagree with you on that

:lust: Someone talked to me!

:banana:

[cxlx]

Originally posted by pedro's princess
:lust: Someone talked to me!

:banana:

Im getting there, I just wanted to read the article. ;)

[cxlx]

My avatar big enough? I believe James made it so you can have a bigger picture. I love it. :clap2:

COWBOY UP!!!!!

[PissedPrincess]

:clap2: I'm searching for a Millar Avatar. We should all have Cowboy Up titles.:clap2:

Or is that gay?

[cxlx]

Originally posted by pedro's princess
:clap2: I'm searching for a Millar Avatar. We should all have Cowboy Up titles.:clap2:

Or is that gay?

Richard Simmons is gay....but having the same title is, as James said, "Good Karma". :thumbsup:

[Fragmentsofme]

"Good Karma" is good living

[PissedPrincess]

:thumbsup:

Go Fragtastic!

[Cyberlibrarian]

LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Can I get a Sox avatar too?? Please?

[PissedPrincess]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Can I get a Sox avatar too?? Please?

Cowboy up sister!:cool:

[cxlx]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Can I get a Sox avatar too?? Please?

Ill find one for you. :D

[I Are Baboon]

Excellent article.

I refuse to change my avatar and title because the Sox have been playing better since I went with the Rams avatar. :cool:

[cxlx]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!

Can I get a Sox avatar too?? Please?

You like?

[cxlx]

Originally posted by cxlx
You like?

If you no likey, me takes. :D

[Cyberlibrarian]

Me likey!!! :thumbsup:

But I can't figure out how to add it. I put in the URL and was told that it wasn't in the proper format. :(

[cxlx]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
Me likey!!! :thumbsup:

But I can't figure out how to add it. I put in the URL and was told that it wasn't in the proper format. :(

When you click on it and it opens, just right cilck the picture and save it somewhere on your computer. Then when you go to change your avatar, click the browse button and select the file. Its the right size too. :thumbsup:

[Cyberlibrarian]

I'll have to wait until I get home. We can't save things outside the network here.

[Cyberlibrarian]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
Excellent article.

I refuse to change my avatar and title because the Sox have been playing better since I went with the Rams avatar. :cool: Too bad the Rams haven't... ;)

[cxlx]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
Too bad the Rams haven't... ;)

:eek:

WOW!!!

[I Are Baboon]

Originally posted by LeiterFan
Too bad the Rams haven't... ;)

HA!

Who cares. It's all about the Red Sox right now. :cool:

[cxlx]

Originally posted by I Are Baboon
HA!

Who cares. It's all about the Red Sox right now. :cool:

WORD

[Fragmentsofme]

palabra

[PissedPrincess]

DOUBLE WORD!!!!!!!!