OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - A Red Sox Dynasty: 1995-????

Moriarty9 · 05-09-2008, 12:54 PM

With more than 1/3 of the season come and gone, a number of teams have already found themselves as serious contenders while a few have already been forced into the "wait 'til next year" mode.

In the American League East, the Boston Red Sox have surprised many by holding onto the division lead once again. The team - which lost Ryan Howard and Victor Martinez to free agency while Matt Kemp and Ichiro Suzuki were lost to injuries - has put together the second best record in baseball at 40-24. The New York Yankees sit 9 games back at 31-33, the Baltimore Orioles 9 1/2 games back at 31-34, the Toronto Blue Jays 10 1/2 games at 30-35 and the last place Tampa Bay Rays are 11 1/2 back at 29-36.

In Boston, the lineup has produced better than many expected. The team has put together a .286 batting average (best in baseball), hit 73 home runs (5th most in baseball) and scored 361 runs (2nd most in baseball).
Miguel Cabrera is the star of the Red Sox lineup. Through June 17, Cabrera has hit .390 with 15 home runs, 42 RBI, 54 runs and nine stolen bases. He leads the AL in batting average, on-base percentage (.469), slugging (.679), OPS (1.147), hits (96), extra base hits (38) and total bases (167).
Nick Markakis has also been huge for Boston, hitting .343 with 14 homers, 47 RBI and 48 runs scored in 62 games. Manny Ramirez has also performed well, hitting .292 with 13 HR, 46 RBI and 46 runs in 62 games.
The team's pitching is just as responsible, if not moreso, than the offense for Boston's success. The Red Sox staff has put together a 3.79 ERA (2nd best in the AL, 5th in baseball). The starters have a 3.84 ERA while the bullpen has put together a 3.66 ERA.
Roy Oswalt has been the pitcher the Red Sox thought they had traded for last season. The 32-year-old has gone 8-3 with a 2.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 13 starts so far. Johan Santana has been the victim of poor run support (he has three 1-0 losses) but has pitched well. Santana is 5-6 with a 3.44 ERA and 101 strikeouts in his 13 starts. Scott Kazmir has also performed well, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 13 starts.
In the offseason, Boston acquired three closers to replace closer Joe Nathan. Patrick Misch, picked up from the Detroit Tigers, won the closer's job in spring training and leads the league in saves. Misch is 2-2 with 17 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. Jonathan Papelbon is working on an All-Star type season as a middle reliever, going 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 appearances. Manny Delcarmen has adapted well to the role of setup man, going 0-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 20 appearances, picking up five saves. Hong-Chih Kuo has also performed superbly as a setup man, going 1-0 with one save and a 1.69 ERA in 19 games.

In the Central division, the Cleveland Indians are in the lead with a 35-29 record. The Detroit Tigers, at 32-32, are 3 games back, the Twins are 4 games back, the Chicago White Sox are 4 1/2 back and the 30-35 Kansas City Royals sit 5 1/2 games behind the Indians.

In the West, the Texas Rangers have a strong division lead. The Rangers own baseball's best record (42-23) and hold a 10 1/2 game lead over the second place Angels (31-33). The Oakland Athletics, 29-35, sit 12 1/2 back while the Seattle Mariners are 13 1/2 behind at 28-36.

In the National League East, there's a three-team race for the division crown. The Philadelphia Phillies, owners of the NL's top record at 40-26, are two games ahead of the 38-28 Mets and 2 1/2 ahead of the 37-28 Washington Nationals. The Atlanta Braves (32-33) and Florida Marlins (33-34) each sit 7 1/2 behind the Phillies.

In the Central, the 39-27 St. Louis Cardinals are 4 games up on the 34-30 Chicago Cubs. The Cincinnati Reds, 30-34, are 8 games behind, the Houston Astros, 29-35, are 9 games back, the 28-37 Milwaukee brewers are 10 1/2 behind and the 27-38 Pittsburgh Pirates are 11 1/2 back.

In the NL West, its a tough race with all five teams within three wins of each other. The 33-32 Colorado Rockies are clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead over the 32-34 Los Angeles Dodgers. At 31-35, the Diamondbacks and Padres are 2 1/2 behind while the Giants, 30-36, sit 3 1/2 back.

05-09-2008, 12:54 PM	#82 (permalink)
Moriarty9 Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 399	June 18, 2010 - MLB update With more than 1/3 of the season come and gone, a number of teams have already found themselves as serious contenders while a few have already been forced into the "wait 'til next year" mode. In the American League East, the Boston Red Sox have surprised many by holding onto the division lead once again. The team - which lost Ryan Howard and Victor Martinez to free agency while Matt Kemp and Ichiro Suzuki were lost to injuries - has put together the second best record in baseball at 40-24. The New York Yankees sit 9 games back at 31-33, the Baltimore Orioles 9 1/2 games back at 31-34, the Toronto Blue Jays 10 1/2 games at 30-35 and the last place Tampa Bay Rays are 11 1/2 back at 29-36. In Boston, the lineup has produced better than many expected. The team has put together a .286 batting average (best in baseball), hit 73 home runs (5th most in baseball) and scored 361 runs (2nd most in baseball). Miguel Cabrera is the star of the Red Sox lineup. Through June 17, Cabrera has hit .390 with 15 home runs, 42 RBI, 54 runs and nine stolen bases. He leads the AL in batting average, on-base percentage (.469), slugging (.679), OPS (1.147), hits (96), extra base hits (38) and total bases (167). Nick Markakis has also been huge for Boston, hitting .343 with 14 homers, 47 RBI and 48 runs scored in 62 games. Manny Ramirez has also performed well, hitting .292 with 13 HR, 46 RBI and 46 runs in 62 games. The team's pitching is just as responsible, if not moreso, than the offense for Boston's success. The Red Sox staff has put together a 3.79 ERA (2nd best in the AL, 5th in baseball). The starters have a 3.84 ERA while the bullpen has put together a 3.66 ERA. Roy Oswalt has been the pitcher the Red Sox thought they had traded for last season. The 32-year-old has gone 8-3 with a 2.76 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 13 starts so far. Johan Santana has been the victim of poor run support (he has three 1-0 losses) but has pitched well. Santana is 5-6 with a 3.44 ERA and 101 strikeouts in his 13 starts. Scott Kazmir has also performed well, going 6-3 with a 3.53 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 13 starts. In the offseason, Boston acquired three closers to replace closer Joe Nathan. Patrick Misch, picked up from the Detroit Tigers, won the closer's job in spring training and leads the league in saves. Misch is 2-2 with 17 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 24 games. Jonathan Papelbon is working on an All-Star type season as a middle reliever, going 2-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 appearances. Manny Delcarmen has adapted well to the role of setup man, going 0-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 20 appearances, picking up five saves. Hong-Chih Kuo has also performed superbly as a setup man, going 1-0 with one save and a 1.69 ERA in 19 games. In the Central division, the Cleveland Indians are in the lead with a 35-29 record. The Detroit Tigers, at 32-32, are 3 games back, the Twins are 4 games back, the Chicago White Sox are 4 1/2 back and the 30-35 Kansas City Royals sit 5 1/2 games behind the Indians. In the West, the Texas Rangers have a strong division lead. The Rangers own baseball's best record (42-23) and hold a 10 1/2 game lead over the second place Angels (31-33). The Oakland Athletics, 29-35, sit 12 1/2 back while the Seattle Mariners are 13 1/2 behind at 28-36. In the National League East, there's a three-team race for the division crown. The Philadelphia Phillies, owners of the NL's top record at 40-26, are two games ahead of the 38-28 Mets and 2 1/2 ahead of the 37-28 Washington Nationals. The Atlanta Braves (32-33) and Florida Marlins (33-34) each sit 7 1/2 behind the Phillies. In the Central, the 39-27 St. Louis Cardinals are 4 games up on the 34-30 Chicago Cubs. The Cincinnati Reds, 30-34, are 8 games behind, the Houston Astros, 29-35, are 9 games back, the 28-37 Milwaukee brewers are 10 1/2 behind and the 27-38 Pittsburgh Pirates are 11 1/2 back. In the NL West, its a tough race with all five teams within three wins of each other. The 33-32 Colorado Rockies are clinging to a 1 1/2 game lead over the 32-34 Los Angeles Dodgers. At 31-35, the Diamondbacks and Padres are 2 1/2 behind while the Giants, 30-36, sit 3 1/2 back.