2011 Red Sox Will Challenge 1927 Yankees for Title of Greatest Team in Major League History

[JonEJet]

http://www.nesn.com/2011/01/2011-red-sox-will-challenge-1927-yankees-for-title-of-greatest-team-in-major-league-history.html

The Red Sox have won 100 or more games three times in their 110-year existence.

They will make it four in 2011. But this team has the potential to accomplish something even bigger than winning 100 games.

The last time the Red Sox reached the 100-win mark was 1946, when they went 104-50-2 and lost the World Series to the Cardinals in seven games.

Prior to that, the Red Sox posted 101 wins in 1915 and 105 in 1912. Both seasons ended with World Series titles.

Will the duck boats be rolling through the streets of Boston again next fall?

Bookmakers like the Red Sox’ chances. Current odds put them at 9-2 to win the 2011 World Series. Only the Phillies, at 7-2, are bigger favorites, with the Yankees not far behind at 5-1 shots.

Championships, of course, aren’t won in January. But championship teams are built during the offseason, and Theo Epstein has put together a roster that would make Branch Rickey proud.

Look at the starting lineup.

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF

Dustin Pedroia, 2B

Carl Crawford, LF

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Kevin Youkilis, 3B

David Ortiz, DH

J.D. Drew, RF

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Marco Scutaro/Jed Lowrie, SS

Speed. Power. Plate discipline. This lineup has it all. Good luck finding a hole from 1 to 7. Saltamacchia is a bit of a wild card, but the 25-year-old could be ready for a breakout season. And whoever is the starting shortstop -- Scutaro or Lowrie -- gives the Red Sox one of the toughest No. 9 hitters in the game.

Besides a potent offensive attack, the Red Sox will boast airtight defense, perhaps the best of any team in baseball.

Turn to the bench, and manager Terry Francona has plenty of options.

Mike Cameron, OF

Darnell McDonald, OF

Marco Scutaro/Jed Lowrie, INF

Jason Varitek, C

Youth, experience and versatility will ride the pine like lions waiting to hunt. Depth won’t be a problem, especially with players like Ryan Kalish, Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick on the farm.

In 2010, the Red Sox scored 818 runs (second-most in the majors), or 5.1 per game. They hit 211 home runs (second in MLB) and posted a .790 OPS (tops in MLB). The offense, with even more weapons now, could demolish those numbers.

Yet one run is all it might take to win a game on some days with the starting staff the Red Sox have assembled.

Jon Lester, LHP

Josh Beckett, RHP

John Lackey, RHP

Clay Buchholz, RHP

Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP

Lester is a Cy Young winner waiting to happen. Beckett will notch more than six victories. Lackey should be better equipped to avoid the one-bad-inning syndrome. Buchholz has become a force. And Dice-K might be the best No. 5 starter ever. The Japanese right-hander is the only pitcher in the rotation who’s never been an All-Star, but this could be the year he ends that streak.

Every Red Sox starting pitcher has something to prove. While the Phillies might be the popular choice as the best rotation in baseball, don’t be surprised if people are singing a different tune come October.

When Red Sox starters have to hand the ball to the bullpen this season, Boston fans won’t have to have to cover their eyes and pray. The weak link in 2010 could be one of the best relief corps in the business.

Tim Wakefield, RHP

Scott Atchison/Matt Albers, RHP

Hideki Okajima, LHP

Dan Wheeler, RHP

Bobby Jenks, RHP

Daniel Bard, RHP

Jonathan Papelbon, RHP

Okajima is the only known left-handed quantity. But youngster Felix Doubront has talent and should see some action. Rich Hill, Lenny DiNardo and Andrew Miller also could contribute.

The right-handers in the mix all bring experience and different styles to the fire. Need long relief? Call on Wakefield to disrupt hitters’ timing. Need a middle-inning specialist to get key outs? Wheeler knows how to do the job, and Atchison proved serviceable last season. Albers could be a diamond in the rough. Want heat? Jenks and Bard throw seeds. Want to turn out the lights? Papelbon is pitching for a contract, so trust he will be ready to show he’s far from washed up. Reliability and consistency -- foreign concepts to Boston’s bullpen last season -- will be common words associated with this group.

Every day should feel like Christmas for Curt Young, the new Red Sox pitching coach. The former A’s pitching coach didn’t have anything close to the horses he has now, and Oakland’s staff posted a 3.56 ERA last season, the best in the American League and fourth-best in the majors. Imagine what he can do with a Grade A collection of arms.

The Red Sox were slated to win about 95 games last year. They won 89 despite injuries to Pedroia (a former MVP) and Youkilis (a possible future MVP). Add them back, along with the new players and a healthy Ellsbury, and 100 wins doesn’t just appear plausible. It seems downright inevitable.

So does a date with history.

The 2001 Mariners won 116 regular-season games to set the American League record for most wins in a single season and tie the 1906 Cubs for the major league record (though the North Siders accomplished the feat in 152 games). Both those teams failed to win the World Series. The Cubs lost to the White Sox in six games in the Fall Classic. The Mariners didn’t even make it that far, falling to the Yankees in five games in the ALCS.

The Red Sox have no intention of suffering a similar fate. The way they are constructed, they could surpass the 116-win mark, but nothing less than a World Series title will make Boston happy.

The 2011 Red Sox possess all the pieces to have a season for the ages. If everything falls into place and the breaks go their way, they could do more than set records and become champions. They could do more than take their place on Immortality Peak and end up being mentioned in the same sentence as legendary clubs of the past: the 1929 A’s, the epic Yankees teams of the ‘30s, the 1970 Orioles, the 1976 Reds.

The 2011 Red Sox could accomplish a feat that has never been done. They could unseat the 1927 Yankees as the greatest major league team of all time.

That would be something to celebrate.

Please pass the bong

[PFSIKH]

While challenging the 27 Yanks for best ever is over the top, the 2011 Red Sox should make a serious run at the title and 100 wins.

[JonEJet]

While challenging the 27 Yanks for best ever is over the top, the 2011 Red Sox should make a serious run at the title and 100 wins.

I like the Jenks signing

But I still can't figure out why Gonzo and Crawford are a better than Beltre and Martinez

Wash

It will come down to Becks and Lackey

[Bugg]

I like the Jenks signing

But I still can't figure out why Gonzo and Crawford are a better than Beltre and Martinez

Wash

It will come down to Becks and Lackey

If Beckett and Lackey are ordinary, they will win 90 games, but not much more. If they go out and win close to 20 apiece, yes, they could get to 100 wins. The lineup 2-5 is great . Remains to be seen if the rest of it is better than replacement value or a little better.

[Maxman]

Free agents. The Sox are trying to win it all with payroll. Ironic.

[#27TheDominator]

Interesting article. Something tells me that the '27 Yanks would be prohibitive favorites, not behind the Phillies and barely ahead of the 2011 Yankees. That's just me though.

[PFSIKH]

I like the Jenks signing

But I still can't figure out why Gonzo and Crawford are a better than Beltre and Martinez

Wash

It will come down to Becks and Lackey

Dude are you serious?

First, do not over value Beltre. Is it coincidence his two best years were contract years? Every other season he is a 270ish hitter with decent power (i.e. 20+ HRs).

Second, VMart would have been nice to keep. Even in an injury plagued year he put up decent numbers in Boston.

Third, Crawford has hit .300-32x2Bs-9x3Bs-12xHRs and 62 SBs in Fenway. While the 62 SBs are more an aberration of Boston's catching corps, he adds more speed to the line-up in an era that is less about power and more about pitching. A guy that can stretch a single into a double will be needed. Why people want to get rid of Ellsbury and keep old guys like Camerron and Drew is beyond me. Ellsbury and Crawford can be a couple of speed guys that can rule the Sox outfield for the better part of this decade.

Last, Gonzo is a huge upgrade. His career 162 game power numbers are better then Beltre's and this is with playing 5 of 7 seasons in the pitcher friendly Petco Park. Look at his home/away splits. His BA drops 40 points in San Diego. As a lefty in Fenway, his numbers are going to explode. Similar to Big Papi's when he left Minny.

VMart and Crawford are a push as both players bring different things to the table, but provide the same production. I think Crawford is better suited especially if pitching takes over. Gonzo is a huge upgrade over Beltre. The Sox have their power bat for the next decade in Gonzo.

[Blackout]

funny because the 1939 Yankees were probably better than '27

[Blackout]

Dude are you serious?

First, do not over value Beltre. Is it coincidence his two best years were contract years? Every other season he is a 270ish hitter with decent power (i.e. 20+ HRs).

Second, VMart would have been nice to keep. Even in an injury plagued year he put up decent numbers in Boston.

Third, Crawford has hit .300-32x2Bs-9x3Bs-12xHRs and 62 SBs in Fenway. While the 62 SBs are more an aberration of Boston's catching corps, he adds more speed to the line-up in an era that is less about power and more about pitching. A guy that can stretch a single into a double will be needed. Why people want to get rid of Ellsbury and keep old guys like Camerron and Drew is beyond me. Ellsbury and Crawford can be a couple of speed guys that can rule the Sox outfield for the better part of this decade.

Last, Gonzo is a huge upgrade. His career 162 game power numbers are better then Beltre's and this is with playing 5 of 7 seasons in the pitcher friendly Petco Park. Look at his home/away splits. His BA drops 40 points in San Diego. As a lefty in Fenway, his numbers are going to explode. Similar to Big Papi's when he left Minny.

VMart and Crawford are a push as both players bring different things to the table, but provide the same production. I think Crawford is better suited especially if pitching takes over. Gonzo is a huge upgrade over Beltre. The Sox have their power bat for the next decade in Gonzo.

Beltre is a Fenway guy

he was a FA in 2009 too and you don't see him being an allstar that year do you?

[PFSIKH]

Beltre is a Fenway guy

he was a FA in 2009 too and you don't see him being an allstar that year do you?

True on both of your points, but he was also injured in 2009. He shot for a big payday by declining, the Mariners big offer.

He still produced in the hopes of a big contract though.

[Blackout]

I wonder what team will scoop him up

Thank god the Yankees already have an overpaid 3rd basemen

[SenorGato]

I like the Jenks signing

But I still can't figure out why Gonzo and Crawford are a better than Beltre and Martinez

Wash

It will come down to Becks and Lackey

1. Both Beltre and Martinez are older. Martinez is a DH/C, which just means he's not really a catcher.

2. They might have as few as 2 LHPs on the opening day roster with Lester and Okajima. Less lefties = less grounders to 3B = less need for a great defensive 3B. Beltre's D is alot of his value, because when he's not in a contract year he's a slightly above average hitter.

3. What they lost in 3B defensive value they gained in LF defensive value anyway.

4. Gonzalez is a 40+ HR bat who moves the team's other best hitter to a position where his bat is even more valuable.

The 2011 Rex Sox are absolutely loaded. All they need is either the best year of Ellsbury's career in CF (it's possible since he's not old), or a real CF who is at least a right handed hitter...without starting Cameron.

[PFSIKH]

1. Both Beltre and Martinez are older. Martinez is a DH/C, which just means he's not really a catcher.

2. They might have as few as 2 LHPs on the opening day roster with Lester and Okajima. Less lefties = less grounders to 3B = less need for a great defensive 3B. Beltre's D is alot of his value, because when he's not in a contract year he's a slightly above average hitter.

3. What they lost in 3B defensive value they gained in LF defensive value anyway.

4. Gonzalez is a 40+ HR bat who moves the team's other best hitter to a position where his bat is even more valuable.

The 2011 Rex Sox are absolutely loaded. All they need is either the best year of Ellsbury's career in CF (it's possible since he's not old), or a real CF who is at least a right handed hitter...without starting Cameron.

Exactly. Can you counsel Blackout? He might be more receptive to a fellow Yankee fan showing him the error of his ways.

[CrazyCarl40]

Going from Beltre to Youk is not that much of a dropoff defensively. The Red Sox should be the favorite in the AL this season. The Phillies should be the favorite to win it all. If you can't see the improvement that Sox have made over Martinez and Beltre with Gonzo and Crawford, you're nuts. The bullpen is much improved and it is an odd year so that means Beckett will have a great year. Lackey should bounce back too.

It'll be interesting to see how the Yankees improve their bullpen, what they do with Joba, and who they throw in their 4 and 5 slots in the rotation. I wonder if the Jeter situation will have any impact too.

[GimmeShelter]

Going from Beltre to Youk is not that much of a dropoff defensively. The Red Sox should be the favorite in the AL this season. The Phillies should be the favorite to win it all. If you can't see the improvement that Sox have made over Martinez and Beltre with Gonzo and Crawford, you're nuts. The bullpen is much improved and it is an odd year so that means Beckett will have a great year. Lackey should bounce back too.

It'll be interesting to see how the Yankees improve their bullpen, what they do with Joba, and who they throw in their 4 and 5 slots in the rotation. I wonder if the Jeter situation will have any impact too.

Cashman said Joba is not in consideration for the rotation. I believe he was aked and responded around the time of Lee signing with the Phils.

[PFSIKH]

Cashman said Joba is not in consideration for the rotation. I believe he was aked and responded around the time of Lee signing with the Phils.

Will he ever be?