Does anyone seriously see the Sox winning?

lander · Oct 7, 2003

I'm a Yanks fan, so perhaps I'm partial, but it seems the odds are really stacked against the Sox.

Sox Weaknesses
1. No bullpen.
2. Pedro & Lowe (the only 2 good starters, ok one great and one ok starter) must be exhausted
3. Damon's status
4. No rest after a grueling series
5. HUGE offensive woes.
6. Perenial horrible team at "small ball", base running, bunting, etc ..
7. Below average defense.

Yanks Weaknesses
1. Pedro factor - could he pull a Randy Johnson & dominate the series?
2. Slightly above average bullpen, compared to the usual 7 innings & chalk it up game
3. Age. Clemens, Wells will be hard pressed to go 7 or over 100 pitches.
4. Leadoff woes. Soriano is a great player, but he sucks at leadoff. Too many K's, popups & not enough walks.

ChuckSims · Oct 7, 2003

The law of averages are on the Red Sox side. For whatever reason the Red Sox hitters have no problem tatooing NYY pitching. I give them a great shot at beating the NYY.

TheOldBallgame · Oct 7, 2003

I see the BoSox winning in five or six games.

blueedwards · Oct 8, 2003

lander, i agree with you. the yankees pitching looked awfully good against minnesota and they were able to set up their rotation for this series, unlike boston. boston has to be physically and emotionally exhausted by that oakland series. i'm sure they are more than motivated to play the yanks but it does seem like the odds are stacked against them.

gambler1 · Oct 8, 2003

Yankees in 6.

jimbutorac · Oct 8, 2003

Sox could win in 7 if they get one of the first two games in NY. To me the biggest problem for them is that Pedro is so far back in the rotation. They'll have to somehow get to Game 7.

Not very promising, though.

cincy_ · Oct 8, 2003

The Sox aren't laying -200 now, are they ?

At +180 for the series, I love the Red Sox. The season series was split 10-9. The Red Sox disadvantage is that their rotation is screwed up.

IF

a) The Sox win one out of two in NYC.
and b) win two out of three in Fenway,

that means the Yanks have to beat Pedro Martinez in game seven to win the series.

Yeah, I may be asking for too much but at +180, I take a shot for a unit.

... and today, I may take the Cubs -120 for a unit to win the NLCS too. 4 out of 6 games to be pitched by Prior and Wood. Win three out the 4 and then split the other two - that's all I ask for.

IntuitionBET · Oct 8, 2003

It will be hard for the Red Sox to beat the Yankees...but there is still a good chance they may get lucky and pull it off.

You never know...that's why they call this gambling

questionme5 · Oct 8, 2003

NO.

NO. DOES THAT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS?

killy · Oct 8, 2003

cubs -120 to win the NLCS?

you have got to be crazy if you think there is value in that. Cubs have to win 4 of 6 while the fish only need 3 of 6. I don't understand why the cubs are still favored. The Marlins have won 4 in a row now and against good teams and presumably good pitchers.

RobFunk · Oct 8, 2003

the yanks won the series 10-9 but the red sox beat them in HR's, ERA and BA. a few of those loses had grady tinkering with the lineup and the original BP by comitee. im not saying hand the trophy to them based on this, but those are some facts.

we're talking about the sox. they avg. 5.9 runs a game and when the team is slumping, casually whack HR's to pull out games to win a series. its just awesome. its hard to believe how good this flippn offense is. 6.2 runs vs. righty starters as well as 71-41 record. with the yankees avg. 4.8 runs in home games, you got to think they can get this thing back to fenway with an advantage.

after game 1 in the twins series, all everyone talked about was how terrible the yanks outfielding is. we quickly forgot when they were able to take the series from the twins, a team that got hardly any mention all season long until september when they seemed to just arrive at the playoffs.

then theres the roger factor. he gets absolutely waxed in both games at yankee stadium but in both games at fenway is able to pull out close wins. strange stuff. if we pitch any one but wakefield at fenway vs. roger well wax him there too.

and they say rivera's looked great lately, but this is against. . . who now?!

theres so much to disect and talk about. this series is a huge huge huge deal. they say this is a classic rivalry (obviously and of course) but i believe its only the second time theyve played in the playoffs. you gotta be happy for the new generation of baseball fans theyre going to see more playoff dandys than ever.

blueedwards · Oct 8, 2003

i hope it goes 7 but, i kinda doubt it will. i agree that the biggest disadvantage the red sox have to overcome is pedro not pitching until gm 3.

ericdixon · Oct 8, 2003

I just don't think they have the pitching to go all the way!

My guess is "cry baby" Pedro is getting tired and then all you really have left is Lowe and he has thrown a lot of pitches as well.

I just hope Roger knocks down Manny for acting like an idiot and not respecting the game! Walking to 1st base was "low class" , whoops thats what Manny is all about!

jimbutorac · Oct 8, 2003

Eric17,

Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated had a great article on perceptions the other day and would probably say something like this:

When my star player walks to first base, he is simply reveling in the moment and forgot where he was.

When your star player walks to first base, he is an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical jerk whose showboating shows disrepect for the game.

Manny may be a jerk, but he's our jerk. Go Sox.

RobFunk · Oct 8, 2003

yup. everyone forgets that manny places his bat down (doesnt whip it at the bat boy) and jogs the bases with his head down without any emotion after hitting a homerun.

but becuase he smashes a series winning 3 shot HR off zito who was pratically laughing at him (zito smirked obnoxiously) and then walks to 1st base pointing at his team mates who never gave up on him, all the sudden he's a "bad guy" and "has no class"

give it up

lander · Oct 8, 2003

Rob,
Just because the ass play for your team doesn't mean his charades are suddenly ok.

He was classless. End of story.

ChuckSims · Oct 9, 2003

How come nobody said Barry Bonds was classless when he did not walk to first but stodd at HP watching his HR sail over the fence? Or the time he stood at HP admiring his ball hit off the right centerfield wall and get thrown out at second? Oh I know, you would have been called a racist.

cincy_ · Oct 9, 2003

Ortiz

Manny

Walker

Manny rules. If I hit a 3 run HR to take a lead in a deciding game, I want to watch it too.

As far as Clemens throwing at Manny is concerned, all I have to say is, CLEMENS WOULDN"T BE AS BRAVE IN THE NL

My case in point is Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez (even though he's a Red Sox) - check how their hit-batsmen number changes as they change leagues.

jwunderdog · Oct 9, 2003

Clemen's has walked enough batters, the way he has pitched this year he can't afford giving bases away in the playoffs. Besides if he does it you know damn well Pedro will do it the next inning.

festeringZit · Oct 9, 2003

"Sox Weaknesses:
5. HUGE offensive woes."

LOL. HAHAHAHHAHA.

Yeah... They broke just about every
offensive record in the book this year.

What have you been smoking?

Georgie tried to buy the best team in baseball
again this year, and this time it ain't
going to be enough.

I'll be at Yankee Stadium for game 6 if it goes
that far. Sitting on the right field foul pole,
watching the Sox batter the weak Yankee
pitching.

Heh heh.