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| Monday, February 3 Updated: March 13, 12:55 PM ET Boston Red Sox By Sean McAdam Special to ESPN.com |
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2002 in review Following a tumultuous spring that saw new owners arrive, followed in short order by changes in the coaching staff, dugout and front office, the Sox experienced a relatively tranquil season, with little of the selfishness that so marred the second half of the 2001 season. Johnny Damon proved to be a quality free-agent acquisition, providing outstanding defense in center, a measure of speed (31 steals) on the basepaths and on-base ability at the top of the lineup. Despite a six-week absence thanks to an ill-advised head-first slide into home plate, Manny Ramirez captured the AL batting title. For the first time in more than a half century, the team sported two 20-game winners (Martinez and Derek Lowe) and rookie lefty Casey Fossum, the object of desire for many other organizations this winter, continued to show great promise.
What went wrong? First baseman Tony Clark was a total bust, providing just three homers and 29 RBI while leaving a big hole in the batting order. Dustin Hermanson, another offseason acquisition, missed most of the year following two separate injuries. As a team, the Sox often seemed incapable of coming from behind. They went months between posting victories in their final at-bat, and despite finishing among the league leaders in team OBP (third at .345), were often frustratingly impatient at the plate.
In retrospect, the critical decisions were: Lowe had a disastrous season in the bullpen in 2001, losing his closer's job to Urbina, and in the process, losing his confidence, too. The Sox shifted him back to the rotation -- he had been a starter when he was obtained from Seattle in 1997 -- and saw Lowe respond with a 21-win season. The emergence of Lowe took some pressure off Martinez and gave the Sox staff a legitimate and durable No. 2 starter for the first time since Martinez came to the club prior to the 1998 season. 2. A clean sweep when the new owners took over. After some brief internal debate, the new ownership team decided to start over, firing GM Dan Duquette and manager Joe Kerrigan. Grady Little replaced Kerrigan and restored some order to what had been a chaotic clubhouse. Mike Port, selected to fill in for Duquette, was himself replaced last fall by Theo Epstein, the youngest GM in the history of the game. By dumping Kerrigan and Duquette, the franchise had a fresh start and new approach. Epstein is intent on rebuilding a farm system that has fallen into alarming disrepair while instituting a much-needed organization-wide philosophy.
3. Moving Tim Wakefield into the rotation -- permanently. After shifting Wakefield from the bullpen to the rotation -- and back again -- in the previous three seasons, the Sox finally made the knuckleballer a full-time starter again midway through last season. Wakefield responded by going 9-3 with a 2.39 ERA in 15 starts and giving the rotation another dependable arm. Of his last nine starts, Wakefield allowed two runs or fewer on eight occasions. He finished the season with the fourth-best ERA in the league.
Looking ahead to 2003 A year ago, Martinez entered spring training nagged by questions about his right shoulder, which was determined to have some fraying of the rotator cuff. But after a cautious spring and slow start to the season, Martinez was typically brilliant, winning 20 games and finishing second in the AL Cy Young Award race. Still, the Sox understand they'll go nowhere without Martinez, the anchor of their staff. Should he suffer from shoulder woes, the rotation would suddenly become thin. Worth watching is Martinez's contractual status. The Sox have until November to pick up a $17.5 million option for 2004, but Martinez wants it exercised now. The longer the Sox wait, the more anxious (and vocal) Martinez is likely to become. 2. Will the infield defense be sufficient? While Todd Walker (56 extra-base hits) represents a huge offensive upgrade at second base over Rey Sanchez (14 extra-base hits), the Sox have sacrificed in the field. Walker led all NL second baseman in fielding percentage last season, but his range is merely average and his work on the double play could stand some improvement. Similarly, first base could be an adventure as neither Jeremy Giambi nor David Ortiz is a defensive whiz around the bag. The left side of the infield last year combined for 48 errors, but Bill Mueller will be an upgrade over Shea Hillenbrand at third and Nomar Garciaparra, though occasionally erratic at short, is hardly a liability. 3. How will the "closer-by-committe'' approach work in the bullpen? The Sox walked away from free-agent closer Urbina and his 40 saves and have decided to turn back the clock with their relief staff. Any one of five pitchers could be called upon to get the final three outs. The Sox insist that this approach makes sense -- both from a baseball sense and an economic standpoint -- but there are bound to be some bumps in the road. It's true the Sox have a number of different options and styles in the late innings, but will the uncertainty create problems on the club? Also a concern is the health of several key relievers -- Alan Embree, Ramiro Mendoza and Chad Fox all spent time on the DL last year.
Can expect to play better Obtained from the Philadelphia Phillies during the winter meetings in exchange for fringe pitching prospect Josh Hancock, Giambi will be counted on to deliver in a big way for the Red Sox in 2003. Powerful and patient, Giambi in some ways typifies the kind of offensive player the Sox want under new Epstein. His .435 OBP with the Phils is evidence that he's capable of getting on base. The Sox believe that Giambi can, at 28, finally emerge from the shadow of his older brother Jason. He spent the winter working out and vowing to realize his potential. Fenway Park should be of some help, as its inviting left field wall should be perfect. He'll also be surrounded by plenty of offense in the batting order, affording him some protection. With Garciaparra and Ramirez hitting in front of him, he won't be asked to carry the offensive load, but merely contribute.
Can expect to play worse If Giambi is what the Sox are trying to become, Hillenbrand is what they're turning away from. In his second season as the everyday third baseman, Hillenbrand made the All-Star team and posted respectable numbers (.293-18-83). But a closer look reveals that he drew just 25 walks in 634 at-bats and he slumped miserably over the second half. In fact, while Hillenbrand had 10 homers as Memorial Day approached, he hit just eight after May 27. He also committed 23 errors at third base. The Sox spent a good deal of the offseason talking about deals involving Hillenbrand. For a time, he was the central part of a package to lure either Bartolo Colon or Javier Vazquez and the Sox were so sure he would be traded that they signed Mueller to a two-year deal to play third. For now, Hillenbrand could split some time at third with Mueller and perhaps play some first. But it wouldn't surprise anyone if he were to be traded in spring training (or during the season) for additional pitching help.
Projected lineup
Rotation
Closer
A closer look Instead of relying on one pitcher to close out games in the ninth, as they did last season with Ugueth Urbina, the Sox will choose from a number of options in the late innings. Ramiro Mendoza, Alan Embree, Bobby Howry, Chad Fox and Mike Timlin each will get save opportunities. Like a number of other clubs, the Sox believe the notion of a single closer is both outdated and overrated. Privately, they pointed to the fact that 32 of Urbina's saves were earned with two- and three-run leads, while pointing out that he preserved only two-thirds of his one-run save opportunities. By having the option to select lefty (Embree) or righties (the rest), the Red Sox believe the additional flexibility will translate into more efficiency. Additionally, they have different styles -- Mendoza is a classic sinkerballer, while Embree is a lefty power pitcher capable of pitching in the mid-90s. Still, there are bound to be issues. Will the pitchers, brought up at a time when every player likes to have a defined role, be able to deal with the uncertainty? How will manager Grady Little and pitching coach Tony Cloninger deal with the inevitable second-guessing? If it works, the Sox could be trend-setters, forcing other teams to re-examine the way they deploy their bullpen. If it doesn't, they'll be placing their season -- and playoff hopes -- in jeopardy. Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com. |
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