A lineup of five Babe Ruths and four Ty Cobbs still couldn't beat Sandy Koufax in his prime, because when it comes right down to it, baseball is ALL ABOUT PITCHING.
At the beginning of this year, I looked at the New York Yankees roster and asked myself: "how in the hell can this team not win the World Series?" Seriously. I mean, just take one look at the lineup card that Joe Torre can produce on any given night:
- Johnny Damon
- Derek Jeter
- Bobby Abreu
- Alex Rodriguez
- Jason Giambi
- Hideki Matsui
- Jorge Posada
- Robinson Cano
- Melky Cabrera
How can this team NOT win the American League East?
One word: pitching. The Yankees may have the best lineup in baseball, but the Red Sox have the best pitching staff in the division, and it takes only one pitcher who's having a good day to keep down nine hitters who are having great years.
Take the 1906 Chicago White Sox. Known as the "Hitless Wonders" because they batted .230, they still won the World Series because their pitching staff had an ERA of 2.13.
The Los Angeles Dodgers went to three World Series from 1963 through 1966 (and won two of them) even though they didn't have a single 100-RBI man. Instead, they had Koufax and Drysdale.
That's why the Red Sox are winning the AL East, and really, why they are doing it with relative ease. In an era when great pitchers get 15 wins, this team will have three 18 to 21 game winners in Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield and Dice K. Their fourth guy is also doing okay even though he held together with a paper clip and two rubber bands.
The team's bullpen is as good as any in the game. Okajima's a stud, Papelbon's a freak, and Gagne will be gone in November. So, don't worry Boston fans, your team has safely passed the Yankees at this stage of sport's greatest rivalry.
