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Bountiful farm system, productive free agents make title possible
By Jack Curry
New York Times
Published on Thursday, Oct 09, 2008
BOSTON: Another Boston Red Sox champagne celebration was over and the clubhouse attendants dutifully put 48 empty bottles of Korbel into four cardboard boxes. Those bottles represented the residue of a celebration after the Red Sox tamed the Los Angeles Angels, 3-2, and won their division series Monday night.
The many reasons the Red Sox were able to celebrate again were scattered throughout Fenway Park. Whether it was Jed Lowrie getting the game-winning hit, Jason Bay diving home with the decisive run or Manny Delcarmen helping stifle a squeeze play, the Red Sox received valuable contributions from homegrown players and recently acquired ones.
As the Red Sox reviewed how they subdued the flawed Angels again, they know there could be even more reasons for future celebrations. The Red Sox made shrewd decisions building their team, decisions that should make them formidable for a while. If the New York Yankees studied their fiercest rivals honestly, they would realize they trail them in more than victories these days.
When the Red Sox play the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of the American League Championship Series Friday night, they will be eight victories away from winning back-to-back championships for the first time since 1916. If the Red Sox win it all, it would be their third title in the last five seasons. If that happens, Boston will creep into sacred territory.
The last team to have such a dynastic run was the Yankees, who won four titles from 1996 to 2000. The Yankees used their own homegrown core of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte and supplemented them with smart additions and pricey free agents to rule baseball. Now the Red Sox are beating the Yankees and trying to be like the old Yankees.
''I'm the one who gets to stand here on nights like this and talk,'' manager Terry Francona said after halting the Angels. ''But I hope we do this as an organization because it's an exciting time for the Red Sox.''
The excitement peaked when Lowrie slapped Scot Shields' first pitch to right field for a memorable run-scoring single. Lowrie was drafted in 2005. So was Jacoby Ellsbury, who knocked in Boston's first run. Dustin Pedroia, who was drafted a year before them, doubled in the second run. The Red Sox won a tense game in dramatic fashion, just as Joe Torre's Yankees often did in October.
Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein believes in developing a stable of reliable youngsters who can serve as a talent pipeline to the major leagues. Since young players usually remain healthier, have more room to improve and do not earn as much money, they are vital assets. Lowrie took over at shortstop after Julio Lugo injured his calf, and his smooth play has essentially made the $36 million Lugo expendable.
Epstein, who joined in the champagne spraying Monday, explained the Red Sox philosophy earlier this season. He said the team was trying to build a long-term foundation around young, homegrown players ''who have been immersed in the Red Sox way.'' Epstein noted how it was cost-effective and could be more reliable than signing free agents.
''The organization, we've brought some kids up and they have done such a phenomenal job of competing,'' Francona said. ''I think our organization should be proud.''
In addition to intelligent drafting, the Red Sox acquired the dependable Bay from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-way trade that jettisoned Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers. While Boston's priority was to dump Ramirez, the team was savvy enough to get Bay, a younger, cheaper left fielder. Bay doubled off Shields to start the winning rally. Mark Kotsay, who was claimed off waivers from the Atlanta Braves, made two nifty plays at first and singled to start a two-run rally off John Lackey.
Before Epstein became the general manager in 2002, the Red Sox had drafted Jon Lester and Delcarmen. Delcarmen recalled how the Angels victimized him with a squeeze bunt last season, and he prevented them from repeating it this time around. Lester, a talented, homegrown pitcher, tossed seven scoreless innings in Game 4 after not allowing an earned run in winning Game 1. He replaced Josh Beckett (strained oblique muscle) as the ace and pitched the way Beckett usually does in the playoffs.
''He's been awesome all year,'' Pedroia said.
BOSTON: Another Boston Red Sox champagne celebration was over and the clubhouse attendants dutifully put 48 empty bottles of Korbel into four cardboard boxes. Those bottles represented the residue of a celebration after the Red Sox tamed the Los Angeles Angels, 3-2, and won their division series Monday night.
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