Like Them Or Hate Them, It Is What It Is

Just the other day I was copied on a series of e-mails. These e-mails were about who’s the better baseball player: Manny Ramirez or A-Rod. Those of you who read here often know my take on this situation, at least from my opinion of A-Rod.

Aside from the fact that Manny is just flat out clutch, I went on to talk about Manny and his ability to be a professional hitter. What Manny brings to the table is so much more than the home runs and the RBI’s. His presence makes that lineup what it is. My key comparison between Manny and A-Rod was the following:
Say the hitter in front of each of the players at question leads off the inning with a double. What is the approach at the plate for each player?

This is what differentiates the two hitters. Manny’s thought process is to look to the right side and try to get the runner over at all costs. Sure if he gets a pitch he can crush, he’ll turn on it but his focus is the runner. A-Rod however, is looking to pull a ball down the line to that short porch. That’s even a low percentage play for him. Manny’s game is taking balls the other way and if he gets a pitch he can handle, going deep. A-Rod doesn’t think like that.

Not to mention, Big Papi gets a lot of the credit for clutch hits. Rightfully so. But what you also have to remember is that the best right handed hitter in baseball is sitting in that on deck circle. I’d rather face Papi any day. Manny’s presence has made Ortiz such a big name in the game.

So now, we’re talking about two guys on the Red Sox. We’re now talking about a lineup that is being affected by perfect placement of players. And this is what I’m getting at. It’s really hard to argue that there is a better franchise in sports right now than the Boston Red Sox.

Sure, they have a large payroll, but you know they’re going to sell the tickets. You know they’re going to make the money back in merchandising that they pay their players. So we could talk business all day, but they get that aspect and you know that. But what differentiates them from the Yankees?

After all, that is their competition. Their job is to beat the Yankees. Coincidentally, beating the Yankees does wonders for your chances of winning titles. But it’s no different than Army’s job or North Carolina’s job. So if we are talking about the two most powerful franchises in America, what makes the Red Sox so superior?

It’s this simple. They know the business of baseball. They understand structure….not only in the board room, but in their lineup. The Yankees, aside from what business cards say, are run by the ownership group. The Red Sox let the titles from their business cards mean something, and that creates expertise opposed to egoism.

That expertise does what? Well, the Yankees have the highest payroll. We know that. But I’ve been saying forever that they don’t have the right players. They think in most cases, the most expensive players, the ones with the best stats, are the ones to have. I see the point. But look at their recent pitchers….guys like Kevin Brown, Unit, Mussina, the recent Andy Petite. They paid a lot of money for these guys who couldn’t stay healthy at the back ends of their careers. The Red Sox pick their spots. Sure Schilling isn’t getting younger, but he doesn’t have the complicated motion of Kevin Brown, nor does he put stress on his elbow like Unit.

So then you look at their lineup. And this is what I love about the Red Sox. The Yankees say, we need someone to play this position, who’s the best I can get? So they end up with guys who hit 3-4-5 in lineups but hit 7-8 for the Yankees. I mean, A-Rod was hitting in the 7 spot in his first post season. Seriously. The Yankees say, who’s the best player, let’s throw him in there. Damon was a liability. End of his career. Beat up. There’s a reason the Red Sox didn’t try too hard to keep him.

When they knew they couldn’t afford him, or really want to, what’d they do. They said, “We need a CF to play in our ball park. We have a huge centerfield…we need a guy with reckless abandon. We have our future in this Ellsbury guy, but who can we go and get.” Coco Crisp was that guy and though he didn’t do what was expected of him offensively, he provided the defense that oh…won a championship. Plus, he was a good guy to have at the bottom of the order to do the little things.

Take a look at the lineup. It is absolutely perfect. Today, you have a rugged blue collar centerfielder at the top who’s going to be the face of that franchise for years. A second baseman who goes the other way and makes great contact. Then Papi and Ramirez…a first baseman who hits in the gaps, and has an OBP up around .400 ever year. Lowell to drive in runs, Varitek who can do whatever you need him to, throw in a nice left-handed JD Drew in there somewhere and a shortstop and you have a balanced lineup of guys who can do all the right things for you. Not a bunch of guys who are going to hit 50 jacks, but guys who have the ability to do what you need to win games in the post season.

Put all of those things together for the Red Sox and you have a tough team to beat. The see what the value is for their players. That’s why they didn’t keep Damon or Derek Lowe around. DICE-K has been worth every penny they paid. And you look at the big money they paid to Varitek. The leadership that he provides, supposedly since I’m not in the clubhouse, is incredibly important, especially from your rock behind the plate.

The Red Sox just get it. They get it in all accounts. They see the angles and they see how the business angles affect the game of baseball. Front office guys like to talk about the “Product they put on the Field.” That product is so well put together, it’s ridiculous. They have a team of ball players, role players, and they all fit together in the right way. You may not like them, but you have to watch them at least once a week because they seem to always be on. But even though you may be sick of it, they do it right on the field. And they have the wins and the rings to prove it.