The Red Sox don't get much respect, but have been in the playoffs two years in a row, and last year knocked off the Indians in a great series. They have arguably both the best pitcher and player in the game (Martinez and Garciaparra), and some pretty good spare parts to support them.
     As usual, the Red Sox are not a very impressive team on paper. And if anything happens to either Nomar or Pedro, they are in big trouble. But none of the other wild-card contenders look any better, and the Sox have some impressive young arms in their system. I expect them to challenge for the wild-card again, and could get a boost if Saberhagen comes back in July.
MANNY ALEXANDER (IF, 29, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 NYM-CHC 87 248 66 12 4 3 37 22 17 54 266 320 383 13 1
1998 CHC 108 264 60 10 1 5 34 25 18 66 227 278 330 4 1
1999 CHC 90 177 48 11 2 0 17 15 10 38 271 309 356 4 0

      This is the guy who the Orioles once considered as a replacement for Ripken at shortstop. It didn't work out, but Alexander is a decent backup infielder. He is versatile, and hits a little. He is still young, and should stick around a few more years, but will never be better than he is now.
JERMAINE ALLENSWORTH (OF, 28, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 PIT 108 369 94 18 2 3 55 43 44 79 255 340 339 14 7
1998 3TEAMS 133 360 98 20 3 5 54 31 28 76 272 344 386 15 6
1999 NYM 40 73 16 2 0 3 14 9 9 23 219 310 370 2 1
      Allensworth isn't a bad player, but he fell out of favour with the Mets, and spent most of the year at Norfolk. He will never be a regular, but Allensworth should be a fourth-or-fifth outfielder for another five years or so, probably with another team.
ROD BECK (32, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 SF 7 4 73 0 0 0 37 70 67 8 53 347
1998 CHC 3 4 81 0 0 0 51 80 86 20 81 302
1999 CHC-BOS 2 5 43 0 0 0 10 44 50 18 25 593
      Beck had a disastrous start to the season in Chicago (7.80 ERA), but pitched better after he was dealt to Boston (1.93 ERA). At this stage in his career, he has got to have pinpoint control to survive. I really wouldn't want him as my closer unless I was desperate, and if he doesn't throw strikes I wouldn't want him on my team. Now has 260 career saves.
JIN HO CHO (25, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1998 AA 5 2 13 13 1 1 0 74 59 19 62 219
1999 AAA 9 3 17 17 4 0 0 110 99 29 80 345
1999 BOS 2 3 9 7 0 0 0 39 45 8 16 572
      Cho is a young pitcher who looks great. He pitched very well at Pawtucket last year, and looked good with Boston, too. The Sox have lots of holes in their pitching staff, so he should get a prominent role, and with any luck will be starting by mid-season. Looks very good for the future.
MICHAEL COLEMAN (OF, 25, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 AA-AAA 130 498 152 26 10 21 83 77 53 116 305 377 524 24 9
1998 AAA 93 340 86 13 0 14 47 37 27 92 253 322 415 12 9
1999 AAA 115 467 125 29 2 30 95 74 51 128 268 341 531 14 6
      Coleman is a prospect with the Red Sox who can hit home runs. Some other aspects of his game are weaker, like hitting for average and striking out too often. But he is young enough to improve in those areas, and could be a solid cleanup man. He deserves a chance to play, and the Sox don't exactly have Ted Williams or Jim Rice standing in his way.
RHEAL CORMIER (33, L)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1999 BOS 2 0 60 0 0 0 0 63 61 18 39 369
      Cormier returned after missing two years with shoulder surgery. He performed well, showing surprisingly good control, and held left-handers to a .198 average. He was a starter in the past, but should probably stick to bullpen duties from now on; I expect more of the same in 2000.
BRIAN DAUBACH (1B, 28, L)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 AAA 136 461 128 40 2 21 66 93 65 126 278 367 510 1 8
1998 AAA 140 497 157 45 4 35 102 124 80 114 316 421 634 9 3
1999 BOS 110 381 112 33 3 21 61 73 36 92 294 360 562 0 1
      Daubach was a non-prospect for a long time, when in 1998 he suddenly started to hit the cover off the ball. His success continued in the majors with Boston last year. I think that Daubach has had his best season, and that he will never be a quality regular. He should continue to help the Sox in a platoon role, however.
CARL EVERETT (CF, 29, S)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 NYM 142 443 110 28 3 14 58 57 32 102 248 308 420 17 9
1998 HOU 133 467 138 34 4 15 72 76 44 102 296 359 482 14 12
1999 HOU 123 464 151 33 3 25 86 108 50 94 325 398 571 27 7
      Many players don't start to hit until after they leave Houston; with Everett, the opposite is true. A switch hitter, Everett hit .325 vs lefties, .326 vs right-handers. Most of his power comes from the left side of the plate, where he hit 21 home runs. The future for Everett looks good; he has power and speed, he is in his prime, plus he is leaving the Astrodome and going to Fenway Park.
JEFF FASSERO (37, L)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 SEA 16 9 35 35 2 1 0 234 226 84 189 361
1998 SEA 13 12 32 32 7 0 0 224 223 66 176 397
1999 SEA-TEX 5 14 37 27 0 0 0 156 208 83 114 720
      The essential facts are that he is 37 years old, and he didn't get anybody out in 1999 (he also gave up 35 home runs!) He appears to be finished, and probably is, but his strikeout rate wasn't bad; he might be able to thrive in a relief role for a couple of years, kinda like Mike Flanagan did after he was written off.
BRYCE FLORIE (30, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 MIL 4 4 32 8 0 0 0 75 74 42 53 432
1998 DET 8 9 42 16 0 0 0 133 141 59 97 480
1999 DET-BOS 4 1 41 5 0 0 0 81 94 35 65 465
      A decent pitcher, does a solid job of moving back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation. His control is getting better, so he might be able to handle a more important job, either as a starter or a setup man. But Florie has to convince someone that he can do the job.
JEFF FRYE (2B, 34, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS 127 404 126 36 2 3 56 51 27 44 312 352 433 19 8
1998 INJURED
1999 BOS 41 114 32 3 0 1 14 12 14 11 281 362 333 2 2
      Frye is a fine player, a career .292 hitter who can hit doubles and draw walks and run the basepaths. But he keeps getting hurt, and the best he can probably hope for in 2000 is a backup role. He would be a terrific player in that role.
RICH GARCES (29, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 0 1 12 0 0 0 0 14 14 9 12 461
1998 BOS 1 1 30 0 0 0 1 46 36 27 34 333
1999 BOS 5 1 30 0 0 0 2 41 25 18 33 155
      Had a great season for Boston in a limited bullpen role, and has been effective for two straight years now. Garces is still young, and his success will probably continue for another year; he may even get a crack at a setup role. The bad news is that he is very heavy, and you always have to worry about guys who aren't in good condition.
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA (SS, 27, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS 153 684 209 44 11 30 122 98 35 92 306 342 534 22 9
1998 BOS 143 604 195 37 8 35 111 122 33 62 323 362 584 12 6
1999 BOS 135 532 190 42 4 27 103 104 51 39 357 418 603 14 3
      Midway through last season, I heard a Boston sportswriter talk about how surprised everyone was that the Red Sox were playing so well. How dumb are the sportswriters in Boston? You have the best pitcher in the league, you have Joe DiMaggio playing shortstop... and you don't think your team will be good?
      Nomar isn't quite as good a hitter as DiMaggio, and he doesn't race back on those deep fly balls quite as well... okay, we're nitpicking. He's a phenomenal player, probably the #1 MVP candidate in the league. He should probably have one or two MVP's under his belt already. Most players have their best seasons at age 27, so look out. Clearly on pace for numerous milestones, 3000 hits, 400 home runs, etc.
TOM GORDON (32, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 6 10 42 25 2 1 11 183 155 78 159 374
1998 BOS 7 4 73 0 0 0 46 79 55 25 78 272
1999 BOS 0 2 21 0 0 0 11 18 17 12 24 560
      After a glorious 1998, his season was ruined by injuries. The Red Sox will give him every opportunity to come back, but at the moment the future looks grim.
SCOTT HATTEBERG (CA, 30, L)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS 114 350 97 23 1 10 46 44 40 70 277 354 434 0 1
1998 BOS 112 359 99 23 1 12 46 43 43 58 276 359 446 0 0
1999 BOS 30 80 22 5 0 1 12 11 18 14 275 410 375 0 0
      Hatteberg was hurt last season, but played as well as can be expected when he was in the lineup. He's a good platoon catcher who should get lots of at bats if he is healthy.
DARREN LEWIS (CF, 33, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 CHW-LA 107 154 41 4 1 1 22 15 17 31 266 339 325 14 6
1998 BOS 155 585 157 25 3 8 95 63 70 94 268 352 362 29 12
1999 BOS 135 470 113 14 6 2 63 40 45 52 240 311 309 16 10
      Lewis is an outstanding defensive outfielder, and a pretty fast runner, and that is about the extent of his positives. He is an awful hitter; 1998 was his career year, and even then he wasn't very good. He really should be a backup.
      But Jimy Williams has put a premium on outfield defense, and likes having Lewis out there. And Boston won, so I can't argue that this is a bad strategy. The Red Sox have gone out and acquired a good two-way centre fielder in Carl Everett, so I guess that Lewis will hit the bench this season.
STEVE LOMASNEY (CA, 23, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 A 102 324 89 27 3 12 50 51 32 98 275 353 488 3 4
1998 A 122 443 106 22 1 22 74 63 59 145 239 348 442 13 4
1999 AA 47 151 37 6 0 12 24 31 31 44 245 401 523 7 5
      Lomasney played in one game with the Red Sox last season. At the moment, he appears to be a low-average power hitter. Look for him to arrive 2-3 years down the road.
DEREK LOWE (27, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 2 6 20 9 0 0 0 69 74 23 52 613
1998 BOS 3 9 63 10 0 0 4 123 126 42 77 402
1999 BOS 6 3 74 0 0 0 15 109 84 25 80 263
      The Red Sox were able to survive Gordon's injury primarily because of Lowe's wonderful season. Though his success was a surprise, there is no apparent reason why it should not continue. Everything in his record is good, including improved control and more strikeouts. Gordon has had the Tommy John surgery, so the Red Sox will need a new closer; Lowe should be first in line for the money job.
PEDRO MARTINEZ (28, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 MON 17 8 31 31 13 4 0 241 158 67 305 190
1998 BOS 19 7 33 33 3 2 0 233 188 67 251 289
1999 BOS 23 4 31 29 5 1 0 213 160 37 313 207
      Did he have the greatest season ever by a pitcher? Well, I'm not going to start comparing Pedro's season with Three-Fingered Brown in 1906, but Martinez's ERA is possibly the best ever, relative to the rest of the league. And no pitcher has ever had so many strikeouts with so few walks.
     For a guy having a phenomenal season, Martinez did not pitch many innings. Jimy Williams babied him much of the year, not letting him pitch more than he had to. This, I think, took courage from a manager whose team was fighting for a playoff spot most of the year. But I like the way Williams handled him; many pitchers who have had similar seasons (i.e. Koufax, Marichal, Guidry) were burned out at a young age.
      Martinez, on the other hand, has an excellent chance to repeat in 2000. Hell, he could win the Cy Young Award for the next ten years, if he stays healthy. He's everything Dwight Gooden was supposed to be.
RAMON MARTINEZ (32, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 LA 10 5 22 22 1 0 0 134 123 68 120 364
1998 LA 7 3 15 15 1 0 0 102 76 41 91 283
1999 BOS 2 1 4 4 0 0 0 21 14 8 15 305
      Pedro's older brother, Ramon won 20 games for the Dodgers ten years ago. His career has been derailed by injuries, but he has been a pretty good pitcher, winning 125 games in his career. His arm problems returned last season, but he performed well for the Red Sox at the end of the season and in the playoffs. If he is healthy, he will be pitching well for somebody.
TROT NIXON (RF, 26, L)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 AAA 130 475 116 18 3 20 80 61 63 86 244 331 421 11 4
1998 AAA 135 509 158 26 4 23 97 74 76 81 310 400 513 26 13
1999 BOS 124 381 103 22 5 15 67 52 53 75 270 357 472 3 1
      Nixon hit well for the first time in 1998, and carried his success to Boston last season. He is a good hitter with some power and some speed and good strike zone judgment. Last year he was used mostly as a platoon player, and hit only .116 against left-handers; if he can learn to hit southpaws he can become a star.
JOSE OFFERMAN (2B, 31, S)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 KC 106 424 116 23 6 2 59 39 41 64 297 359 394 9 10
1998 KC 158 607 191 28 13 7 102 66 89 96 315 403 438 45 12
1999 BOS 149 586 172 37 11 8 107 69 96 79 294 391 435 18 12
      Was given a big contract by the Red Sox, and had a good year. He's an above average second baseman, but not an All-Star; the good news is that he hits for average, draws a lot of walks, and hits doubles and triples. On the other hand, his base stealing was a disappointment, and his defense is still cause for concern. Though Offerman doesn't make so many errors anymore, the Sox still used him at first base for eight games, and at DH for 17. A quality player, he should be good for the rest of his contract.
TOMOKAZU OHKA (24, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1999 AA-AAA 15 0 24 24 1 1 0 140 123 36 116 231
1999 BOS 1 2 8 2 0 0 0 13 21 6 8 623
      In his first year in North America, Ohka pitched brilliantly at both Trenton and Pawtucket. I think a 15-0 record speaks for itself; the Red Sox' rotation is a bit of a shambles, but Ohka could be a star by mid-season.
TROY O'LEARY (OF, 31, L)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS 146 499 154 32 4 15 65 80 39 70 309 358 479 0 5
1998 BOS 156 611 165 36 8 23 95 83 36 108 270 314 468 2 2
1999 BOS 157 596 167 36 4 28 84 103 56 91 280 343 495 1 2
      Like many players, he boosted his numbers a little, and may have had his best season. He's a middle-of-the-road outfielder, hits for a decent average, and has medium range power. A left- handed batter, he hit .346 vs lefties. I doubt he will get any better than he is now; will have to maintain his current production, because he's no good if he hits .260.
JUAN PENA (23, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 A 4 6 13 13 3 0 0 91 67 23 88 296
1997 AA 5 6 16 14 0 0 0 97 98 31 79 473
1998 AAA 8 10 24 23 1 1 0 140 141 51 146 438
1999 AAA 4 2 10 10 0 0 0 48 44 13 61 413
1999 BOS 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 13 9 3 15 069
      Another outstanding young pitcher with the Red Sox. Pena is still developing, still learning how to consistently overpower hitters, but all of his numbers look great. The Red Sox have some outstanding young pitchers; Pena should be a good regular starter within a couple of seasons.
     ADDENDUM: At the end of spring training, Pena required surgery on his arm, and will miss the whole season. How depressing.
BRIAN ROSE (24, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 AAA 17 5 27 26 3 0 0 191 188 46 116 302
1998 BOS 1 4 8 8 0 0 0 38 43 14 18 693
1999 BOS 7 6 22 18 0 0 0 98 112 29 51 487
      Rose rebounded from a lost 1998 season to pitch well for the Red Sox. His control is good, and his strikeout rate was up. He is very young and could be fragile, but he should be a good pitcher in the near future.
BRET SABERHAGEN (36, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 0 1 6 6 0 0 0 26 30 10 14 658
1998 BOS 15 8 31 31 0 0 0 175 181 29 100 396
1999 BOS 10 6 22 22 0 0 0 119 122 11 81 295
      He's a wonderful pitcher, obviously, with good stuff and pinpoint control. Unfortunately, there is always the chance that his next start will be his last. Saberhagen had his arm operated on in the off-season, and it is anybody's guess if he will come back. The Red Sox need him.
DONNIE SADLER (IF, 25, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 AAA 125 481 102 18 2 11 74 36 57 121 212 295 326 20 14
1998 BOS 58 124 28 4 4 3 21 15 6 28 226 276 395 4 0
1999 BOS 49 107 30 5 1 0 18 4 5 20 280 313 346 2 1
      Sadler is a young utility player with the Red Sox, can play almost any position on the field. Last year he solidified a spot on the bench by hitting .280. He's not a good hitter, and won't ever be a regular, but should get some at bats off the bench.
PETE SCHOUREK (31, L)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 CIN 5 8 18 17 0 0 0 85 78 38 59 542
1998 HOU-BOS 8 9 25 23 0 0 0 124 127 50 95 443
1999 PIT 4 7 30 17 0 0 0 113 128 49 94 534
      Schourek was runner-up to Greg Maddux in the 1995 Cy Young vote; since then it has been arm surgery and three losing seasons. His strikeout rate was good last year, but he needs to improve his control. I think he can do it; I wouldn't expect a big year, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he won 13-15 games in 2000.
MIKE STANLEY (1B, 37, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS-NYY 125 347 103 25 0 16 61 65 54 72 297 393 503 0 1
1998 TOR-BOS 145 497 127 25 0 29 74 79 82 129 256 364 481 3 1
1999 BOS 136 427 120 22 0 19 59 72 70 94 281 393 466 0 0
      Stanley has retained remarkable consistency late in his career, and was a key member of the Boston offense in 1999. At his age, a sharp decline is definitely possible, but at the very least he should remain valuable in a platoon role. For the moment, he's a formidable hitter.
JOHN VALENTIN (3B, 33, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1997 BOS 143 575 176 47 5 18 95 77 58 66 306 372 499 7 4
1998 BOS 153 588 145 44 1 23 113 73 77 82 247 340 442 4 5
1999 BOS 113 450 114 27 1 12 58 70 40 68 253 315 398 0 1
      Valentin was a great player in his prime, but the clock is ticking. He has had two off-years in a row; he doesn't hit for much power anymore, doesn't get on base much, and last year had injuries. There is always a chance of a comeback, but the Red Sox should be looking for another third baseman.
JASON VARITEK (CA, 28, S)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1998 BOS 86 221 56 13 0 7 31 33 17 45 253 309 407 2 2
1999 BOS 144 483 130 39 2 20 70 76 46 85 269 330 482 1 2
      Varitek played on a regular basis after Hatteberg was injured. He had a good year, and probably deserves to be the everyday catcher from now on. He's a switch hitter, is equally good from both sides of the plate. He should continue to hit around .260 with some power.
WILTON VERAS (3B, 22, R)
YEAR TM GM AB HT DB TP HR RUN RBI BB SO AVG OBA SLU SB CS
1998 AA 126 470 137 27 4 16 70 67 15 66 291 319 468 3 2
1999 AA 116 474 133 23 2 11 65 75 23 55 281 318 407 7 6
1999 BOS 36 118 34 5 1 2 14 13 5 14 268 323 398 0 2
      Veras is a very young prospect with the Red Sox. He had a bit of a disappointing season with Trenton, but played well with the big club, filling in while Valentin was hurt. He needs more time to develop, but has plenty of time to improve. Looks good.
TIM WAKEFIELD (34, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 12 15 35 29 4 2 0 201 193 87 151 425
1998 BOS 17 8 36 33 2 0 0 216 211 79 146 458
1999 BOS 6 11 49 17 0 0 15 140 146 72 104 508
      When was the last time a pitcher had 15+ games started and saves in the same season? Wakefield isn't a very good pitcher, but he isn't awful, and he was durable in a number of roles. At this point in his career he should probably be a fourth starter or long reliever, but he might have better years ahead; knuckleball pitchers are as unpredictable as the pitch they throw.
JOHN WASDIN (28, R)
YEAR TEAM WN LS GP GS CG SH SV IP HIT BB SO ERA
1997 BOS 4 6 53 7 0 0 0 125 121 38 84 440
1998 BOS 6 4 47 8 0 0 0 96 111 27 59 525
1999 BOS 8 3 45 0 0 0 2 74 66 18 57 412
      After being demoted to the minors in 1998, he rescued his career with a fine season, and was a key member of the Boston bullpen. He is still young, and should have more good years; his K/BB ratio was very good. He should probably also forget about starting from now on.