Red Sox First Half Report Card

The Red Sox have gone into the All-Star Break with a fine 54-34 record, second best record in baseball after the Dodgers. It's been a pretty uneventful first half with really no one in the starting lineup having a career year but with everyone contributing enough to ward off long losing streaks. The team has weathered the injuries of Jed Lowrie and Mike Lowell and has put to rest for the time being that David Ortiz is washed up. Once again, the American League is proving to be the best division in baseball. The Yanks have had a decent first half and Tampa Bay is coming along. The Central has proven to be a land of mediocrity once again and the West has the surprising Rangers and Mariners playing pretty well. If I was a betting man, I see the Sox winning the East with the Yanks taking the wild card. Detroit and Anaheim should grab the other two divisional titles.

Below, I'll individually assign letter grades to our beloved ball club. I try to keep all things in perspective while doing so including salary and overall value to the team and not just looking at the numbers.

Jason Varitek B+ Doing just fine this year. He definitely has simplified his swing and approach, especially from the left side. On pace for 20 plus homers and is taking his walks. He's handled the pitching staff very well. Perhaps this grade should be higher. They'd be screwed if he didn't come back.

George Kottaras B It's hard to put up offensive numbers when you only play every 5th day. He's done a superb job catching Wakefield. Dougie who? Kevin who? Nice having a young catcher in the system. And, with more playing time, I think you'll see more power. No one put on a better show in BP than George when I was in Baltimore. I'd really like the Sox to try and get him a few extra starts to keep him sharp and give Varitek more breathers as he tends to wear down each season.

Kevin Youkilis A- Only a recent swoon at the plate keeps him from a straight A. I love the guy, love what he stands for. Grinds out every at bat, has developed excellent power, plays first base at an elite level and when asked to play third, is above average there. He might be the best baserunner in the starting 9 as well. Lowell's stint on the DL and Youk's move to third recently may have contributed to the drop in numbers. Francona should look to get Youk a bit of rest here and there to keep him fresh.

Dustin Pedroia B+ His numbers are down somewhat from last year's MVP year. But, he's been positively scorching lately and the extra base hits are starting to pile up. With Youkilis, he's an elite defender and the heart and soul of the team. And, he gives every little leaguer a reason to believe.

Mike Lowell B Before being disabled, he was putting up some solid numbers and fielding quite well. If I have any complaints about Epstein and Francona, it was their decision to play him in so many games early on. Hopefully they'll give him a day off a week once he returns. He's vital to the lineup in that his replacements have done well, but do not have Lowell's power. He may be the slowest runner in the American League these days.

Nick Green B+ Been a complete godsend. Like Alex Cora, a career backup. With Lowrie down, he developed more confidence and has more or less played fulltime the last few months. Has played very steady at shortstop and got many big hits for the Sox including a few game winners. His bat has gone in the tank the last few weeks and I think this is an indication of his career backup status. With Lowrie coming back, he'll return to a lesser role and hopefully his bat will resurrect. He gives the Sox nice flexibility going forward.

Jason Bay B- I know he was a starter in the All Star game and is leading the league in RBI's. But, he's also hitting behind some serious OBP guys and probably also leads the league in opportunities. He's been good, but his average has plummeted and the strikeouts are starting to pile up. Don't get me wrong, I like Bay and hope that they can sign him long term. He's a decent outfielder and a guy who always hustles. But, he's a sucker for righthanded sliders in the dirt.

Jacoby Ellsbury B A bit of a puzzle, not from me, but from management. I give him a lot of credit for keeping his approach steady when they took him out of the leadoff spot. He's played the hell out of CF, has been at or near .300 the whole season and is on pace for over 60 SB. He doesn't yet have the patience at the plate to have the OBP that the Sox like up top. But, I almost think he's better off right now being aggressive, bunting and giving them some production from the bottom of the order.

JD Drew B We all have to come to grips and accept him for what he is. He can be infuriating to watch at times. He takes a ton of pitches and a lot of third strikes. But, when you look at the important numbers, he's right there. He's a good baserunner, a very good right fielder and seems to elevate his game at times when they need it. He's been on the field for the most part, which was always the biggest knock on JD. He's keeping the leadoff spot warm right now for Ellsbury, possibly for the rest of the year. No one has a sweeter swing than JD. I just wish he'd use it a bit more.

David Ortiz C- Not going to delve too far into his first 2 months. He's picked it up considerably the last 6 weeks. I really think they were within a few weeks of really pulling the plug on him. And, don't be fooled by what you see now. Yes, he's doing much better and that is certainly a welcome sight. But, his days of domination are over, he still does not hit good pitching all that well and he has a ton of holes in his swing. But, he's starting to make pitchers pay for their mistakes which is something he wasn't doing. He'll probably end up with 30 HR and 100 RBI when all is said and done. Papi's probably teeing off on about the 16th hole of his career, let's hope he can finish strong.

Julio Lugo D I know his average is pretty good, but for whatever reason (injury, age), he simply cannot play anymore. He has no power, has lost much of his speed and cannot get to any balls in the field. He will be designated for assignment sooner than later.

Rocco Baldelli B Very talented guy. They have really babied him in the first half, (85 AB's). Sometimes he looks a little funny out in the field, especially when tracking balls and throwing the ball in. Don't know if this is connected to the mitochondria fatigue syndrome he's got. I'd really like to know if they are being overcautious or that he's more hampered by this thing than we know. His obvious talent level aside, it's hard to carry a guy like this on the bench that you can't count on. I look for Rocco to get more opportunities the second half.

Mark Kotsay B- Riddled by injuries. He's a great guy to have on the team, very versatile and does everything pretty well except hit for power. I'm amazed how well he plays at first considering he's a career outfielder.

Jeff Bailey, Jon Van Every, Aaron Bates et, all: Incomplete, not enough opportunities.

Pitching Staff:

Josh Beckett B+ Inconsistent as hell the first 6 weeks, absolutely dominant since. It's fun watching a power pitcher like Beckett carve up teams in Maddux like fashion. No one I'd rather have out there in a big game.

Jon Lester B- Similar season to Beckett except he was a little more erratic for a little longer. Again, like Beckett, been dominant lately. It was hard seeing him struggle, seemed like velocity and movement were there. But, when he's on, he is a pleasure to watch. With all the innings he pitched last year, the Sox will be smart in keeping an eye on his innings going forward.

Tim Wakfield A- I know his ERA is north of 4.00. I don't care. He saved the Sox when Beckett and Lester were struggling. And, take away a few bad outings where his ERA got fluffed up, he's been pretty amazing. I have not always been a Wakefield guy, but I've been converted. He seriously helps the team each year and is probably one of the most underappreciated guys we've had around here.

Brad Penny C+ Another high ERA, but he's done about what they thought he would. His stamina hasn't been great and teams 3rd time through the order have done well against him. But, for what they are paying him, he's come through. His velocity has crept up, but he lacks the offspeed stuff to keep batters off the heater for long. He could very well be dealt if they decide to take the kid gloves off of Clay Buchholz.

Dice K F Something clearly not right there. WBC killed his preparation for the season. Has shown zero command and reduced velocity. I just have a bit of a bad feeling about him. Has he used up too many of his bullets before coming over here? It's obvious he lacks the conditioning necessary to pitch every 5 days (I don't know about you, but he looks chubby to me). I hope they can get him straightened out. They have a big financial committment to him. He has been pitching professionally since age 18. I just wonder if he's got a 37 year old arm.

John Smoltz INC Has done OK since coming up. Had one shaky inning each start which has contributed to high pitch counts. They are treating him with kid gloves. I still think there will be more there than we've seen so far. I bet he wins 6 or 7 games down the stretch.

Jonathan Papelbon B+ Getting the job done per usual. But, isn't quite as dominant as he's been. Velocity looks fine, but he really hasn't trusted his secondary pitches so far. Still, an elite closer in every regard.

Hideki Okajima B+ Doing a lot of the dirty work this year. Doesn't get the publicity he deserves. He's had a few meltdowns this year, but all in all has been very consistent and as the only lefty in the pen, has been counted on heavily. He's been an absolute find for the Sox.

Ramon Ramirez B+ Started very quickly, but has slumped a bit lately. I think teams have figured him out a bit, he's got great stuff, but the velocity difference on his pitches needs to be a bit greater. If a guy is looking fastball at 94 and gets the 90 changeup, this is not enough to fool him. Overall, bullpen guys are hard to find and he's been very very good.

Manny Delcarmen B- Worldbeater one day, whipping boy the next. Great stuff, has done fairly well overall, but just when you think he's going to take things to a whole new level, he throws a stinker out there.

Justin Masterson C+ The overall numbers don't look good. He's had a few real bad outings which have driven the ERA way up. Still, a supremely talented guy. As a reliever, I think he's amped up to throw harder and I think this takes away from his strength, namely his sinker. It's almost to the point that he sees 96 on the gun and he's a fastball pitcher, but he's really not. He has not developed a third pitch yet, either. If he's not getting his slider over, he's in trouble. And, lefties get a good look at his delivery. A very durable and versatile pitcher who has started and relieved. Forget the heater, Justin, start 2 seaming and sinking. Masterson and Delcarmen could be dangled for an impact bat this offseason (especially if Bay walks).

Takashi Saito B- Hard to really know. His stuff looks good, not great. Most of the time he looks good, not great. They have babied him all the way through. He's great insurance for Papelbon, but at this point has not pitched very many impact innings for the Red Sox. I wonder if some contender will come calling for him to provide depth at the closer position. Or, maybe the Sox have played it casual with him so he'll have something left later.

Daniel Bard A- Man, is it fun watching this guy pitch. I love the easy delivery and he seems pretty relaxed out there. Nasty slider. Will be interesting if he develops a split or change to go with the heater and hook. A big part of the back end of the Sox bullpen for years to come.

Javier Lopez, Michael Bowden and Hunter Jones INC I'm being nice to Javy here, he was putrid before they shipped him to Pawtucket.

Terry Francona A- Best manager the Sox have ever had. He continues to push the right buttons and get maximum value out of his players. Only complaint is his overuse of Mike Lowell. And, here's hoping he gets 'Tek more breathers as well.