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Moriarty9 · 04-11-2008, 06:16 PM

2000: Return to Playoffs
Boston wins AL Wild Card

The Red Sox rebounded from a disappointing 1999 season by returning to the post-season for the fifth time in six years after securing the AL Wild Card.

The team's 89-73 record was good enough for a second place finish in the AL East, 4 games behind the 93-69 New York Yankees. Boston finished just 2 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays and Anaheim Angels in the race for the Wild Card.

The team drew more than 3.43 million fans (3rd highest total in AL) to Fenway Park with a $80.3 million payroll (4th highest in AL).

KEY OFFENSIVE CONTRIBUTORS
Todd Helton, 1B (All Star)
In many seasons, Todd Helton may have won the triple crown or most certainly the MVP award with the numbers he put in 2000. Unfortunately for him, Carlos Delgado took care of both feats. Helton hit .341 with 52 doubles, 50 HR, 156 RBI, 143 runs, and had a 25-game hit streak.
He led the AL in doubles, hits (224) and extra-base hits (102) while finishing second in total bases (426) and runs, third in homers and RBI.
Helton also dominated in the playoffs, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with five homers, eight RBI and six runs scored in five games.

Mo Vaughn, DH (1,000 RBIs and runs)
Mo Vaughn added to his impressive resume in 2000, picking up his 1,000th RBI and run scored while hitting .297 with 48 HR, 140 RBI and 112 runs. Vaughn was third in the AL in total bases (377), fourth in extra-base hits (79), fifth in home runs and RBI, eighth in hits (197).

Aramis Ramirez, 3B
Claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins in August 1999, Ramirez had a career season for the 2000 Red Sox by hitting .308 with 25 HR, 95 RBI and scoring 90 runs.

Manny Ramirez, LF

After fracturing his skill in July 1999, Ramirez wasn't expected to be back in action until August 2000 --- providing Boston with a dream of a late season addition to their lineup. In just 239 at bats over 61 games, Ramirez hit .310 with 22 HR, 59 RBI and scored 48 runs.

Ichiro Suzuki, RF

Thanks to Albert Pujols' power numbers, Ichiro Suzuki was unable to win the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2000 despite his .361 average, seven triples, 10 home runs, 63 RBI, 95 runs scored and 28 steals. He finished second in the league in batting, third in hits (206), fifth in triples, eighth in steals and ninth in intentional walks (8).

OFFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENTS
Jose Cruz Jr., CF
After two strong seasons, Cruz struggled in 2000 and the result was diminished playing time down the stretch. In 113 games, Cruz hit .225 with 13 HR, 38 RBI and 38 runs scored.

KEY PITCHING CONTRIBUTORS
Derek Lowe (All Star Closer)
Lowe returned to the All Star Game in 2000 and posted an impressive 4-1 record with 33 saves and a 2.74 ERA in 55 games. He finished fourth in the AL in saves.

Mike Myers (Lefty Specialist)
Reliever Mike Myers had a strong 2000 campaign, going 4-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 53 innings out of the bullpen. Opponents hit .266 off the lefty.

PITCHING DISAPPOINTMENTS
Tony Saunders (Southpaw Hurler)
Saunders got off to a very strong start with the Cincinnati Reds (3-0, 1.96 ERA in six starts) before being traded to the Red Sox. Once he arrived in Boston, however, Saunders appeared to have left his game in Cincinnati. Saunders went 1-4 with an 8.45 ERA in 20 appearances, all but one of which were made out of the bullpen.

Scott Schoeneweis (Lefty Reliever)
Schoeneweis struggled his way out of Boston after 24 appearances, including five starts, with the Red Sox. The lefty went 6-3 with three saves and a 6.03 ERA with Boston before being traded to Milwaukee.

NOTEABLE TRANSACTIONS
Red Sox ink deal with Morandini
To Boston Red Sox: Mickey Morandini
Boston signed Morandini to a one-year deal worth $515,000 to serve as a bench player and extra middle infielder. Morandini hit .287 with one homer, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored in 83 games while playing a strong secondbase. He struggled defensively at short stop.

Boston lands Soriano in three-man trade
To Boston Red Sox: Alfonso Soriano, David Howard
To Houston Astros: Lorenzo Barcelo
The Red Sox landed middle infielder Alfonso Soriano during a July trade with Houston, a trade that helped Boston down the stretch. In 72 games with Houston, Soriano had hit .273 with seven homers and 30 RBI. With Boston, Soriano hit .272 with nine homers and 36 RBI in 66 games.
Howard spent 2000 in the minor leagues but did spend some time with Boston in 2001. In 10 big league seasons, Howard hit .232 with 14 homers in 530 games.
Barcelo, a reliever taken in the 2nd round of the 1999 amateur draft, pitched well for the Astros in 2000. In 25 relief outings, Barcelo went 1-3 with a save and a 2.82 ERA. To date, he has spent four seasons in the big leagues (all with Houston, 2000-2003) and is currently back in Boston's minor league system. Barcelo is 12-12 with 7 saves and a 4.57 ERA in 175 career appearances.
Soriano remained with the Red Sox until he was traded in 2005. Through the 2008 season, Soriano had hit 179 homers and 635 RBI in 10 seasons.

Red Sox, Brewers Swap Southpaws
To Boston Red Sox: Odalis Perez
To Milwaukee Brewers: Scott Schoeneweis
Boston gave up on Schoeneweis and dealt him away to Milwaukee in exchange for Perez. Schoeneweis was 6-3 with a 6.03 ERA in 24 games with Boston, primarily out of the bullpen, before the trade. With the Brewers, as a starter, he went 3-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 games.
Schoeneweis remained with Milwaukee through the 2008 season (first as a starter but then as a reliever since 2004) before signing a one-year deal with Tampa Bay prior to the 2009 season.
Perez started the 2000 season with Milwaukee and went 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 19 starts. In 14 starts with Boston, Perez went 3-4 with a 4.44 ERA, putting him at 12-9 with a 4.02 ERA on the year.
Perez remained in Boston until he was traded to Baltimore in 2004, where he has remained in the Orioles starting rotation since. Through the 2008 season, Perez had posted a 127-122 record in 394 games, 355 of which have been starts.

Saunders shipped off to Boston for relievers
To Boston Red Sox: Tony Saunders
To Cincinnati Reds: Greg McMichael, Bill Pulsipher
The Red Sox dealt away a pair of hurlers for a lefty starter off to a hot start in Cincinnati. Saunders was 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in six starts with the Reds. In Boston in 2000, Saunders went 1-4 with an 8.45 ERA in 20 games, only one of which was a start. Saunders was blown away in his only playoff appearance that season, being hit for 11 runs, eight earned, over five innings in which he walked six batters and allowed nine hits.
Saunders made very short appearances with Boston's bullpen in a number of seasons since before retiring prior to the 2008 season. In his career, Saunders went 36-39 with a 5.38 ERA in 193 games, 106 of which were starts. In Boston, he went 1-6 in 33 appearances.
McMichael went 1-0 with a save and a 7.71 ERA in 18 appearances out of the bullpen. He was released during spring training with Cincinnati in 2001 and officially retired several months later.
Pulsipher went 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in six starts with the Reds. Like McMichael, he was released in the spring of 2001 and retired several months later.

THE DRAFT
Boston nabs Ichiro and Eckstein in draft
The Red Sox selected outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in the 1st round and paid instant dividends, hitting .361 with 10 HR, 63 RBI and scoring 95 runs while stealing 28 bases in 125 games. In his 9-year career with Boston, through 2008, Ichiro has maintained an average no lower than .306 with 89 homers, 50 triples, 618 RBI, 905 runs and 181 runs.
Eckstein was a fine complimentary player for the Red Sox in 2000 and throughout his career. In 2000, Eckstein hit .265 with five homers and 42 RBI in 85 games. Through the 2008 season, Eckstein had played in 565 games (all with Boston), never appearing in more than 136 games. He has been an excellent player in clutch situations and in the post-season, hitting .341 (31-for-91) with three homers, 17 RBI and 18 runs in 26 playoff games with the Red Sox. A free agent following the 2008 season, Eckstein signed a one-year deal with Toronto in February 2009.
Boston's other draft choices included pitchers Kurt Ainsworth (2nd round), Victor Zambrano (3rd round), Sun Woo Kim (4th round), Travis Phelps (5th round) and catcher Ken Huckaby (6th round).

THE PLAYOFFS
Division Series: Athletics v. Red Sox
Boston made its return to the playoffs while the A's were looking to defend their World Series championship when the two teams locked horns in the ALDS. After five games, it was Oakland that came out on top and was one step closer to repeating.

Division Series: Indians v. Yankees
The Yankees advanced to the ALCS with a 5-game victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Division Series: Expos v. Pirates
Pittsburgh narrowly escaped from the NLDS after five games against the Wild Card Expos.

Division Series: Dodgers v. Mets
After defeating the former New York Giants in 1999 NLDS, the New York Mets swept the former Brooklyn Dodgers in the 2000 NLDS to advance to the NLCS.

ALCS: Athletics v. Yankees
The A's quest for a second straight World Series title ended in the ALCS as the Yankees took out Oakland in six games.

NLCS: Mets v. Pirates
With the Yankees in the World Series, the Mets were hoping for a Subway Series in 2000 but it was the Pirates that won the pennant, knocking New York out in six games.

World Series: Pirates v. Yankees
Though they were underdogs for their World Series matchup with the Bronx Bombers, the Pirates controlled the championships quite well and won the World Series in five games.

AWARDS
Delgado, Floyd win league MVP trophies

After being a strong candidate for the MVP over the last few years, Kansas City's Carlos Delgado finally took the trophy home after winning the triple crown with a .370 average, 60 HR and 174 RBI. Delgado led the league in almost all major catergories, including batting, on-base percentage (.473), slugging (.747), OPS (1.220), runs, total base (446), homers, RBI, intentional walks (14) and times hit by the pitch (20).
Montreal Expos slugger Cliff Floyd was this year's NL MVP after he hit .338 with 48 HR, 132 RBI and scoring 116 runs. Floyd trailed only Lance Berkman's .345 average in the race for the batting title but led the league in slugging (.708), OPS (1.118), total bases (371) and RBI. Floyd was second in batting average and homers, and fifth in runs.

Maddux takes home another trophy, Oswalt wins 1st Cy Young

For the fourth time in five years, the NL's top pitcher proved to be Greg Maddux, ace of the Atlanta Braves staff. Maddux, the game's only 20-game winner, went 23-4 with a 2.85 ERA, striking out 190 batters in 36 starts. He led the NL in wins, winning percentage (.852), complete games (3), shutouts (2), innings (259 1/3) and was second in ERA, third in opponents batting average (.224).
In the AL, it was Tampa Bay's Roy Oswalt taking home his first Cy Young Award. Oswalt went 18-9 with a 2.91 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 36 starts for the Devil Rays. Oswalt led the AL in ERA, wins, innings pitched (254), walks per nine innings pitched (1.5), hits per nine innings pitched (8.1) and opponents batting average (.235).

Pujols, Santiago win ROY awards
If not for Delgado's historic season, Minnesota Twins rookie slugger Albert Pujolas just may have recieved some first place votes for the AL MVP after. Instead he had to settle for the Rookie of the Year award in 2000 after hitting .316 with 42 HR and 138 RBI.
Jose Santiago of the Milwaukee Brewers came out of nowhere to become one of the league's top closers in 2000. Santiago went 7-2 with 36 saves and a 1.93 ERA for the BrewCrew. His 36 saves were third most in the NL, trailing Robb Nen of the Marlins (42) and Ugueth Urbina of the Expos (37).

04-11-2008, 06:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
Moriarty9 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 339	2000: Return to Playoffs Boston wins AL Wild Card The Red Sox rebounded from a disappointing 1999 season by returning to the post-season for the fifth time in six years after securing the AL Wild Card. The team's 89-73 record was good enough for a second place finish in the AL East, 4 games behind the 93-69 New York Yankees. Boston finished just 2 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays and Anaheim Angels in the race for the Wild Card. The team drew more than 3.43 million fans (3rd highest total in AL) to Fenway Park with a $80.3 million payroll (4th highest in AL). KEY OFFENSIVE CONTRIBUTORS Todd Helton, 1B (All Star) In many seasons, Todd Helton may have won the triple crown or most certainly the MVP award with the numbers he put in 2000. Unfortunately for him, Carlos Delgado took care of both feats. Helton hit .341 with 52 doubles, 50 HR, 156 RBI, 143 runs, and had a 25-game hit streak. He led the AL in doubles, hits (224) and extra-base hits (102) while finishing second in total bases (426) and runs, third in homers and RBI. Helton also dominated in the playoffs, hitting .429 (9-for-21) with five homers, eight RBI and six runs scored in five games. Mo Vaughn, DH (1,000 RBIs and runs) Mo Vaughn added to his impressive resume in 2000, picking up his 1,000th RBI and run scored while hitting .297 with 48 HR, 140 RBI and 112 runs. Vaughn was third in the AL in total bases (377), fourth in extra-base hits (79), fifth in home runs and RBI, eighth in hits (197). Aramis Ramirez, 3B Claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins in August 1999, Ramirez had a career season for the 2000 Red Sox by hitting .308 with 25 HR, 95 RBI and scoring 90 runs. Manny Ramirez, LF After fracturing his skill in July 1999, Ramirez wasn't expected to be back in action until August 2000 --- providing Boston with a dream of a late season addition to their lineup. In just 239 at bats over 61 games, Ramirez hit .310 with 22 HR, 59 RBI and scored 48 runs. Ichiro Suzuki, RF Thanks to Albert Pujols' power numbers, Ichiro Suzuki was unable to win the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2000 despite his .361 average, seven triples, 10 home runs, 63 RBI, 95 runs scored and 28 steals. He finished second in the league in batting, third in hits (206), fifth in triples, eighth in steals and ninth in intentional walks (8). OFFENSIVE DISAPPOINTMENTS Jose Cruz Jr., CF After two strong seasons, Cruz struggled in 2000 and the result was diminished playing time down the stretch. In 113 games, Cruz hit .225 with 13 HR, 38 RBI and 38 runs scored. KEY PITCHING CONTRIBUTORS Derek Lowe (All Star Closer) Lowe returned to the All Star Game in 2000 and posted an impressive 4-1 record with 33 saves and a 2.74 ERA in 55 games. He finished fourth in the AL in saves. Mike Myers (Lefty Specialist) Reliever Mike Myers had a strong 2000 campaign, going 4-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 53 innings out of the bullpen. Opponents hit .266 off the lefty. PITCHING DISAPPOINTMENTS Tony Saunders (Southpaw Hurler) Saunders got off to a very strong start with the Cincinnati Reds (3-0, 1.96 ERA in six starts) before being traded to the Red Sox. Once he arrived in Boston, however, Saunders appeared to have left his game in Cincinnati. Saunders went 1-4 with an 8.45 ERA in 20 appearances, all but one of which were made out of the bullpen. Scott Schoeneweis (Lefty Reliever) Schoeneweis struggled his way out of Boston after 24 appearances, including five starts, with the Red Sox. The lefty went 6-3 with three saves and a 6.03 ERA with Boston before being traded to Milwaukee. NOTEABLE TRANSACTIONS Red Sox ink deal with Morandini To Boston Red Sox: Mickey Morandini Boston signed Morandini to a one-year deal worth $515,000 to serve as a bench player and extra middle infielder. Morandini hit .287 with one homer, 13 RBI and 17 runs scored in 83 games while playing a strong secondbase. He struggled defensively at short stop. Boston lands Soriano in three-man trade To Boston Red Sox: Alfonso Soriano, David Howard To Houston Astros: Lorenzo Barcelo The Red Sox landed middle infielder Alfonso Soriano during a July trade with Houston, a trade that helped Boston down the stretch. In 72 games with Houston, Soriano had hit .273 with seven homers and 30 RBI. With Boston, Soriano hit .272 with nine homers and 36 RBI in 66 games. Howard spent 2000 in the minor leagues but did spend some time with Boston in 2001. In 10 big league seasons, Howard hit .232 with 14 homers in 530 games. Barcelo, a reliever taken in the 2nd round of the 1999 amateur draft, pitched well for the Astros in 2000. In 25 relief outings, Barcelo went 1-3 with a save and a 2.82 ERA. To date, he has spent four seasons in the big leagues (all with Houston, 2000-2003) and is currently back in Boston's minor league system. Barcelo is 12-12 with 7 saves and a 4.57 ERA in 175 career appearances. Soriano remained with the Red Sox until he was traded in 2005. Through the 2008 season, Soriano had hit 179 homers and 635 RBI in 10 seasons. Red Sox, Brewers Swap Southpaws To Boston Red Sox: Odalis Perez To Milwaukee Brewers: Scott Schoeneweis Boston gave up on Schoeneweis and dealt him away to Milwaukee in exchange for Perez. Schoeneweis was 6-3 with a 6.03 ERA in 24 games with Boston, primarily out of the bullpen, before the trade. With the Brewers, as a starter, he went 3-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 11 games. Schoeneweis remained with Milwaukee through the 2008 season (first as a starter but then as a reliever since 2004) before signing a one-year deal with Tampa Bay prior to the 2009 season. Perez started the 2000 season with Milwaukee and went 9-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 19 starts. In 14 starts with Boston, Perez went 3-4 with a 4.44 ERA, putting him at 12-9 with a 4.02 ERA on the year. Perez remained in Boston until he was traded to Baltimore in 2004, where he has remained in the Orioles starting rotation since. Through the 2008 season, Perez had posted a 127-122 record in 394 games, 355 of which have been starts. Saunders shipped off to Boston for relievers To Boston Red Sox: Tony Saunders To Cincinnati Reds: Greg McMichael, Bill Pulsipher The Red Sox dealt away a pair of hurlers for a lefty starter off to a hot start in Cincinnati. Saunders was 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in six starts with the Reds. In Boston in 2000, Saunders went 1-4 with an 8.45 ERA in 20 games, only one of which was a start. Saunders was blown away in his only playoff appearance that season, being hit for 11 runs, eight earned, over five innings in which he walked six batters and allowed nine hits. Saunders made very short appearances with Boston's bullpen in a number of seasons since before retiring prior to the 2008 season. In his career, Saunders went 36-39 with a 5.38 ERA in 193 games, 106 of which were starts. In Boston, he went 1-6 in 33 appearances. McMichael went 1-0 with a save and a 7.71 ERA in 18 appearances out of the bullpen. He was released during spring training with Cincinnati in 2001 and officially retired several months later. Pulsipher went 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in six starts with the Reds. Like McMichael, he was released in the spring of 2001 and retired several months later. THE DRAFT Boston nabs Ichiro and Eckstein in draft The Red Sox selected outfielder Ichiro Suzuki in the 1st round and paid instant dividends, hitting .361 with 10 HR, 63 RBI and scoring 95 runs while stealing 28 bases in 125 games. In his 9-year career with Boston, through 2008, Ichiro has maintained an average no lower than .306 with 89 homers, 50 triples, 618 RBI, 905 runs and 181 runs. Eckstein was a fine complimentary player for the Red Sox in 2000 and throughout his career. In 2000, Eckstein hit .265 with five homers and 42 RBI in 85 games. Through the 2008 season, Eckstein had played in 565 games (all with Boston), never appearing in more than 136 games. He has been an excellent player in clutch situations and in the post-season, hitting .341 (31-for-91) with three homers, 17 RBI and 18 runs in 26 playoff games with the Red Sox. A free agent following the 2008 season, Eckstein signed a one-year deal with Toronto in February 2009. Boston's other draft choices included pitchers Kurt Ainsworth (2nd round), Victor Zambrano (3rd round), Sun Woo Kim (4th round), Travis Phelps (5th round) and catcher Ken Huckaby (6th round). THE PLAYOFFS Division Series: Athletics v. Red Sox Boston made its return to the playoffs while the A's were looking to defend their World Series championship when the two teams locked horns in the ALDS. After five games, it was Oakland that came out on top and was one step closer to repeating. Division Series: Indians v. Yankees The Yankees advanced to the ALCS with a 5-game victory over the Cleveland Indians. Division Series: Expos v. Pirates Pittsburgh narrowly escaped from the NLDS after five games against the Wild Card Expos. Division Series: Dodgers v. Mets After defeating the former New York Giants in 1999 NLDS, the New York Mets swept the former Brooklyn Dodgers in the 2000 NLDS to advance to the NLCS. ALCS: Athletics v. Yankees The A's quest for a second straight World Series title ended in the ALCS as the Yankees took out Oakland in six games. NLCS: Mets v. Pirates With the Yankees in the World Series, the Mets were hoping for a Subway Series in 2000 but it was the Pirates that won the pennant, knocking New York out in six games. World Series: Pirates v. Yankees Though they were underdogs for their World Series matchup with the Bronx Bombers, the Pirates controlled the championships quite well and won the World Series in five games. AWARDS Delgado, Floyd win league MVP trophies After being a strong candidate for the MVP over the last few years, Kansas City's Carlos Delgado finally took the trophy home after winning the triple crown with a .370 average, 60 HR and 174 RBI. Delgado led the league in almost all major catergories, including batting, on-base percentage (.473), slugging (.747), OPS (1.220), runs, total base (446), homers, RBI, intentional walks (14) and times hit by the pitch (20). Montreal Expos slugger Cliff Floyd was this year's NL MVP after he hit .338 with 48 HR, 132 RBI and scoring 116 runs. Floyd trailed only Lance Berkman's .345 average in the race for the batting title but led the league in slugging (.708), OPS (1.118), total bases (371) and RBI. Floyd was second in batting average and homers, and fifth in runs. Maddux takes home another trophy, Oswalt wins 1st Cy Young For the fourth time in five years, the NL's top pitcher proved to be Greg Maddux, ace of the Atlanta Braves staff. Maddux, the game's only 20-game winner, went 23-4 with a 2.85 ERA, striking out 190 batters in 36 starts. He led the NL in wins, winning percentage (.852), complete games (3), shutouts (2), innings (259 1/3) and was second in ERA, third in opponents batting average (.224). In the AL, it was Tampa Bay's Roy Oswalt taking home his first Cy Young Award. Oswalt went 18-9 with a 2.91 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 36 starts for the Devil Rays. Oswalt led the AL in ERA, wins, innings pitched (254), walks per nine innings pitched (1.5), hits per nine innings pitched (8.1) and opponents batting average (.235). Pujols, Santiago win ROY awards If not for Delgado's historic season, Minnesota Twins rookie slugger Albert Pujolas just may have recieved some first place votes for the AL MVP after. Instead he had to settle for the Rookie of the Year award in 2000 after hitting .316 with 42 HR and 138 RBI. Jose Santiago of the Milwaukee Brewers came out of nowhere to become one of the league's top closers in 2000. Santiago went 7-2 with 36 saves and a 1.93 ERA for the BrewCrew. His 36 saves were third most in the NL, trailing Robb Nen of the Marlins (42) and Ugueth Urbina of the Expos (37).