YankeesRedSox.com

Sox - Buchholz
Yankees - Joba

Wagner/Bard combo setting up and closing works for me. Ship Pap away, his head games are starting to wear out his talent. Doesn't seem like the type that will listen to a coach tell him to use more pitches like he used to, must be scared on his shoulder or arm to consistently use his fastball the way he did. Get something while you can.

blmeanie, how goes it, long time, not speak (the fault is all mine...I was a bit MIA for a bit).

I don't mind that combo Wagner/Bard combo at all, but given Wagner's age/health and Bard's youth/inexperience, I can't imagine they'd ever deal Papelbon. Instead they'll just offer him arb after this year and take the draft picks.

Pap is playing for a mega-contract and I would think he'd be very good in 2010. Bard/Wagner/Papelbon has a nice ring to it.

My overated picks: Red Sox - Beckett (His first year here, he had a 5+ era and in the postseason the past 2 years, has allowed 18 earned runs in 21 innings. Yikes. He was something a while back, but I cannot see how he can be considered a stopper anymore.

Yankees - Rivera...I'm kidding, please. I too think Joba is a good pick. 4.75 era ain't going to get it done. He has the potential, but hasn't been consistent.

Tough call. I would say Joba is a decent choice. I would also add Melky Cabrera into the mix because a lot of people seem to view him as a great player and he really isn't an average one.

For Boston. Ellsbury comes to mind, but what about Pedroia? He wasn't even the best player on his team in 2008 (Youkilis was far better) and he won the MVP. Don't get me wrong, nice player, but not one of the best in baseball.

I don't think Pedroias rep is as MVP despite winning it in 08. He did carry the team numerous stretches in 08 when others were out hurt or whatever, batting anywhere from leadoff to cleanup.

I think Beckett isn't a bad "overrated" pick either.

I tend to make the choice based on my own "hype" of players, that is why I would not rate Ellsbury or Melky up there. I think Ellsbury has the potential to be very good but is still learning. Melky I think is an ok piece to have on a team so I never thought that highly of him anyway.

It became that way in NYC BL. After Varitek's fade and Ortiz's cheating, Pedroia was the guy who Yankees' fans focused on.

Pedroia came up a bunch on the radio show.

As for Cabrera, and Peter, you know this, I never have thought anything of him and wonder why he is on the team? Can't the Yankees find someone better? So no, he isn't overrated as I have always thought he stunk (stunk is too strong a word, but he is below average as you suggest).

Derek Jeter would definitely come up in Boston. The radio show didn't ask about Yankee players, but having listened for so long, here would be the arguments: always dives into pitches (elevated hbp = higher OBP and OPS), terrible fielder, and my favorite, "looks smug." I love that one when I hear it b/c of course, we can all look at Baseball-Reference.com and see that Jeter's career smugness-rating is off the charts at 95.3% (rating is how many times he looks smug on tv divided by how many total times he is shown on tv in total). SMG% = 95.3%.

It's interesting you point to diving into pitches. Over the last three seasons Jeter has been hit 28 times. In 1986, Don Baylor got hit 35 times, yet I can't recall anyone saying Baylor was diving into pitches. (One similarity between the two is that they just take first instead of all the other BS that hitters engage in too much today.)

Andy, I think you would agree when I say that I am not a Jeter guy. I never drank the Kool-Aid on him. But, I have grown to realize this about him- he is the rare type of athlete worthy of our praise.

I know Boston hates him and I get it, but I imagine if the Fenway faithful stopped and thought about it they would realize that Jeter is very similar to Tom Brady. Both guys are hated because of the success they have had, the money they make and the models they have slept with. But, both guys are simply first class in the way they play the game and I wish more people just appreciated them.

thinking...thinking...thinking...ok, Brady's skill at what he does is better than Jeter's skill at what he does.

I get the models, money, and success.

QB in the NFL in more paramount to the success of a team than a good hitting SS.

I also agree that both need to be appreciated.

Andy - I am surprised that in Boston they crap on Jeter, more jealousy I guess. I have no doubt he is not overrated. He is what he is, a tremendously competitive and successful player that has more air-time than most athletes so becomes the target of criticism.

BL

I think that while you are right about the QB being more paramount to the success of a team, a good QB needs some help to be good while a good baseball player doesn't. The QB needs a line that can protect him, receivers who can catch, etc.. Put Tom Brady on the Lions and I am not sure he becomes an immortal player. They would have won more games, but the QB can't do it by himself.

without saying of course, but, put Jeter on the Nationals and we never see his face except in an all-star game.

Oh no doubt, but I think he would still hit over .300. My point being that in baseball individual stats (except for runs and RBI's) are really based on the individuals ability while in football the team has more influence on them.

Tom Brady was on that kind of team in 2006. Reche Caldwell was his # 1 receiver and the team went 12-4.

Off point, I know.

Back to Jeter, I think I over did it a bit with my Jeter comment. Blmeanie, you are right, Jeter is not thought of in Boston the same way ARod is, and in fact there is a fair amount of respect on the overall, that said, the morning after a tough loss, especially on a nationally televised game (FOX), Boston fans have typically heard just about enough on Jeter's wonderfullness.

He is a great player.

Lastly, Don Baylor didn't dive into pitches, if you remember his stance, he did stand right up to the plate, but was statuesque in his stance. The ball hit him so much because he basically took away anything to the right of the plate. If it was on the paint, it was a strike, if it was an inch to the right? It probably hit him.

I never once remember an opposing team complain that he dove or stood on or over any part of the plate.