If there is one player that has been indispensable to the Boston Red Sox this season, it has been designated hitter David Ortiz.
Ortiz sports a .999 OPS, has clubbed 43 home runs so far, and has earned his status as one of the greatest clutch hitters in Red Sox history. He has also delivered time and again in many of Boston's games this month with late-inning heroics.
"Big Papi" will likely get serious Most Valuable Player award consideration, but he will be hurt by the fact that he is a designated hitter and that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is putting up another monster season.
In the past, other Sox stars have siphoned off MVP votes from Ortiz, but he shouldn't have that problem with his teammates this season. Ortiz has managed to become the most feared hitter on the team, stealing the mantle from outfielder Manny Ramirez. In Friday's game against the Oakland Athletics, A's manager Ken Macha elected to intentionally walk Ortiz in a tie game, with runners on first and third with one out. Macha chose to face Ramirez with the bases loaded instead. Ramirez was hit by a pitch, giving Boston the win in the tenth inning.
That situation shows how far Ortiz's star his risen, and to a lesser degree how much Ramirez's has fallen. Manny's 35 home runs and 123 RBI are impressive, but his .939 OPS is the lowest of any full season he has had in his career. Ramirez may just be having a bit of a down year, or perhaps his age (33) is catching up with him. One thing is for sure, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein will at least explore the possibility of trading Ramirez this off-season.
In addition to the magnificent play of Big Papi, Boston has gotten key contributions recently from less heralded players. Tim Wakefield has pitched 26 innings combined in his last three starts and allowed just five runs. David Wells has been solid all season long, going 13-7 with a 4.35 ERA. That ERA is also inflated by two starts where Wells first injured his ankle and then came back too early (he gave up 13 runs in six combined innings in those two starts).
Rookie Jon Papelbon has continued to be a savior for Boston out of the pen, posting a 2.77 ERA, while striking out 24 batters in 26 innings. Mike Timlin has also done as well as could be expected stabilizing the back of the relief core.
On the offensive side, two of Epstein's in-season acquisitions have proven to be major upgrades. First baseman John Olerud has helped mitigate the impact of Kevin Millar's down season by posting a .865 OPS and providing steady defense. Though Olerud's age and lack of speed make his base-running painful to watch, he has still been a big part of Boston's success in June, August and September.
Second baseman Tony Graffanino has provided a big lift in the aftermath of Mark Bellhorn's implosion. Graffanino has now appeared in 41 games for the Sox and put up a solid .818 OPS. He also appears to have more regular hygiene habits than his predecessor.
Despite Ortiz's heroics and the unexpected contributions of players like Olerud, Boston remains just one game ahead of the Yankees in the loss column of the Eastern Division. The Sox have looked tired and lethargic recently. They are just 9-7 in September and have had little time off since Aug. 22.
Although a month ago it looked like Boston's place in the post-season was assured, the Cleveland Indians have been so hot recently that it remains questionable whether Boston could even win the wildcard. For the moment, Boston is ahead of both New York and Cleveland, albeit by small margins. One positive note for Boston is that its remaining schedule, with the exception of three games against the Yankees at Fenway Park, contains only the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
