| 18 January 2010
Here's a look at the last six World Series winners and how they pulled it off:
1) In 2004 the Red Sox were one of the most balanced teams in baseball. Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe lead the third best rotation in the AL (4.18 ERA) and combined to go 8-2 with a 3.26 ERA in the postseason. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez both hit over .300 with 40+ homers and 130+ RBI, while the rest of the starting nine all hit above .280 and played solid defense.
That enabled them to pull off the greatest comeback in baseball history against the 103-win Yankees, but it was the pitching that dominated in the World Series. The offense carried Wake and Arroyo to an 11-9 victory in Game 1 and then Schilling (6 IP, 1 R) beat Morris, Pedro (7 IP, 0ER) beat Suppan and Lowe (7 IP, 0ER) beat Marquis.
2) In 2005, it was the opposite. Manny and Big Papi were otherworldly, each logging 40+ homers and 140+ RBI, and the Sox lead the league in OPB (.357), AVG (.281) and runs (910). But the pitching staff ranked 24th with a 4.74 team ERA. Pedro was gone, Schilling was hurt and Wake was the ace at 16-12 with a 4.15 ERA. Matt Clement, Bronson Arroyo and David Wells rounded out the rotation and Keith Foulke was a mess.
The result was a 95-67 tie with the Yankees in the AL East and a first round shellacking at the hands of the eventual WS champion White Sox. Jose Contreras held the Sox to two runs through seven while Matt Clement got pounded for eight run through 3 1/3 in Game 1. In Game 2, Mark Beurhle out-pitched David Wells, who gave up 5 runs (2 earned) thanks to a Tony Graffanino (who?) error. And the bullpen coughed up Game 3 after Manny and Ortiz combined for the 3 homers (the Sox hasd 7 hits total).
The Chi Sox beat the Red Sox and won the World Series with the AL's best rotation (Garland, Beurhle, F. Garcia and Contreras), a top five defense (.985 F%) and a mediocre offense that ranked 17th in AVG (.262), 13th in runs scored (741) and 22nd in OBP (.322).
Pitching beat hitting.
3) In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals won the NL Central with an 83-78 record. They had a middle of the road offense (781 runs, .269 BA) and an average trio of starters in Chris Carpenter (15-8, 3.09), Jason Marquis (14-16, 6.02), Jeff Suppan (12-7, 4.12).
So how the hell did the win the World Series?
Pitching.
Carpenter, Suppan, Jeff Weaver and Anthony Reyes combined to go 8-4 with a 2.65 ERA throughout the playoffs in 2006. They even overcame losing closer Jason Isringhausen thanks to Adam Wainwright's 4 saves, 0.00 ERA and 15:2 K:BB ratio through 9+ postseason innings.
In the World Series specifically, the Tigers had a better offense and solid pitching of their own, but Reyes beat Justin Verlander with an 8-inning performance in Game 1. Carpenter went 8 to beat Robertson in Game 3. The bullpen won a 5-4 Game 4. And Weaver went 8 to beat Verlander in Game 5.
4) In 2007, Josh Beckett was unstoppable and the Red Sox were balanced enough to do the rest. The offense was not as powerful as it had been in previous years, but the Sox posted the AL's best team ERA that season at 3.87 and were one of only two teams to finish the regular season under 4.00 (Padres @ 3.70 were the other).
Josh Beckett won 20 games that year and he and Curt Schilling were undefeated in the playoffs, combining to go 7-0 with a 2.00 ERA. Beckett was god-like, fanning 35 and walking only two while posting a 1.20 ERA and a .178 BAA himself. He out dueled C.C. Sabathia twice the 7-game ALDS and made easy work of the Rockies in Game 1 of the World Series. Schilling was also superb, bouncing back from a poor outing in Game 2 to force a Game 7 with seven quality innings and the win in Game 6.
There are two important notes from this season:
a) The Red Sox has three solid starters in Beckett, Schilling and Matsuzaka and got a win from Lester in the WS. The offense ranked well in AVG (.279, 6th), OPS (.806, 2nd) and runs (867, 4th)... but they were 18th in homers with 166. Sounds alot like the projected numbers for the 2010 squad, no?
b) Beckett and Schilling showed us how important clutch pitching can be in the playoffs. And Sabathia (8.80 ERA), Fausto Carmona (7.20) and Jake Westbrook (5.60) showed us how damaging poor pitching can be in the postseason. Paul Byrd was the best Cleveland starter in the 2007 playoffs with a 2-0 record and a 3.60 ERA.
5) In 2008 the Phillies won the World Series on a Beckett-like performance from Cole Hammels, who went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA through the playoffs, including two World Series victories. The Phillies, ranked 6thin the MLB with a 3.88 ERA, faced a unique challenge in that they had to beat the Dodgers (3.68, 2nd) and Rays (3.82, 3rd) to win it all that year.
I can't deny that the power hitting duo of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley didn't help the Phillies, but it should be noted that if you take out the 10-2 win in Game 4, the Phillies outscored the Rays 14 to 13 in the other four games.
Hammels beat Scott Kazmir 3-2 in Game 1. James Shields beat Brett Myers 4-2 in Game 2. The Phillies bullpen beat the Rays pen in a 5-4 Game 3. Sonnanstine proved to be the weak link, lasting just 4 innings in Game 4. And Hammels and the pen out pitched the Rays in Game 5 to seal the WS victory.
More proof that pitching wins in the playoffs and a lack of pitching can kill you.
6) Finally in 2009, we saw the Yankees out pitch and out hit their opponents thanks to a stacked roster of experienced players. While the Yankees were a juggernaut in 2009, it is important to note that the Angels went toe-to-toe through six games in the ALDS and made quick work of the Red Sox in the ALCS... thanks to pitching.
The Halos posted a 3.74 ERA through the playoffs, but the Yankees were better, posting a 3.26 ERA even after allowing 27 runs in six games with the Phillies in the World Series.
The Angels proved that pitching can get you far, but if you run into equally good pitching in your opponent, you need some offense if you hope to win. This is what scares Red Sox Nation...
Despite the roster changes, the Red Sox will still have a Top 10 offense and could have one of the best rotations in baseball history if everyone performs up to their potential.
But will that get them past the Yankees?
The 2004 Red Sox did it with magic. The 2007 Red Sox did it with balance. The 2010 Red Sox could do it with pitching.| < Prev | Next > |
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