Batting Around is BC Sports' look back at the week's happenings in the world o' sports, presented in a lineup card format for some undisclosed reason.
The majority of this week's Batting Around is in tribute to the World Series I've sorely neglected to discuss with all you good folks, because Gawker Media trapped my soul in a mason jar for the duration of it. But it's over, I'm released, so let's have some fun.
The Lineup Card
1. CF Dustin Pedroia
2. 3B Mike Lowell
3. RF Matt Holliday
4. LF Manny Ramirez
2. G Miikka Kiprusoff
6. R Pete Morelli
7. 1B Todd Helton
8. QB Jim Sorgi
9. RPs Matt Herges/Jeremy Affeldt/Manny Corpas
Manager: Terry Francona
1. CF Dustin Pedroia — The sport was looking for its rookie sensation. They had something going with New York's reliever Joba Chamberlain, but once the Indians throttled the Yankees, they looked cross-country to the Rockies Troy Tulowitzki. And finally, the "young kid who plays like a 10-year veteran" label landed on Pedroia, who led off for the Red Sox, basically for most of the playoffs.
All Pedroia did was hit .283 and score 12 runs while batting in 10 of his own. He both started and continued several big innings for Boston this year, but he's not the MVP. (Keep reading to find out who.)
2. 3B Mike Lowell — (You didn't have to read much farther, now did you?)
A couple innings before Game 4 was over, a friend asked me if middle reliever extraordinaire Hideki Okajima was an MVP candidate. He sure was, but that home run in the game hurt his chances in an otherwise solid series.
Lowell, almost the forgotten No. 5 hitter, was my choice before really looking at the stats. And maybe that's how one should look at it. Take the box score out of your hands, and picture who you've seen on base more often than anyone else. Pedroia, sure. Ortiz... well, a couple times. Doug Mirabelli... no.
Lowell batted .400 in the series with a home run, 4 RBI, and a team-high 6 runs. Plus he demonstrated some swell defense. That's especially sweet for a guy who came to the Red Sox alongside touted ace Josh Beckett through a trade from the Florida Marlins, but only as a payroll dump.
Oh, and he beat cancer. Well, not during the World Series. Eight years ago. Although had Eric Gagne beaten mesothelioma in the past week, I don't think a Bostonian would argue that he ought not win the MVP outright.
Article comments
1 - Chris McVetta
Seriously, dude, Jim Sorgi???
I think we need to have an "editorial meeting" - STAT!
2 - RJ
"But I'm pretty sure the Calgary Flames wouldn't care if their star goalie was named "Shitstain Babycancer." (Well, maybe they'd object. But they'd call him Shi-Bay or something overly catchy.)"
LOL...