Looking Forward to 2007 - Boston Red Sox

BOSTON RED SOX 2007
Patching the Hot-Air Balloon

Don Malcolm
Special to BTF

THE POST-MORTEM

1.

Clearly the Boston Red Sox won fewer games than they were “supposed to” in 2006, no matter which perspective is applied (one can think of at least a half-dozen, but that’s another essay). As usual, let’s look at the one that’s not yet surfaced elsewhere.

The 2006 Red Sox were the thirty-ninth team since 1901 to have two hitters in their lineup whose league-adjusted OPS was 160 or higher (Manny Ramirez 168, David Ortiz 164). Yes, of course, there are “better” measures—but that’s another essay, too.

Those thirty-nine teams have won pennants or gone to the post-season fifteen times, a bit ...