World Series Wrap-up

Well, it didn't take five games and unfortunately we fans weren't able to see multiple dominant Josh Beckett performances. However, as expected, the Rockies as a team just couldn't compete against the Red Sox. At the plate they had no rhythm, batting .218 as a team, striking out 36 times and walking only 10. Their pitching also struggled to gain ground or challenge the Red Sox hitters posting a 7.68 ERA and a most telling 1.94 WHIP. That many base runners would spell defeat for any team.
When you look at the Red Sox team, every single player on their lineup stepped up their game. They made plays, hit the ball with authority and pitched at a level that dared the other team to beat them and the Rockies didn't.
After World Series sweeps like this, where one team is in total command of the game, we're left to ask ourselves if there was another team from the NL that could have challenged them. They were clearly the class of the AL, and are the undisputed best team of 2007, but did anyone fall through the cracks? Could the Phillies or Dbacks or Cubs have challenged them in ways the Rockies couldn't? I say no, looking at the rosters, I personally don't see a starting rotation that could've pushed the Red Sox hitters into a corner the way their staff did to a good hitting Rockies team. So that matter is put to bed. I guess I'm confident they didn't steal the World Series, although Cleveland will challenge them next year with the fire and gusto they lacked in this year's ALCS.

In a related note looking ahead at seasons to come, The DMG sent me a column on the designated hitter written by ESPN's Howard Bryant in which he argues that the DH gives American League teams a distinct advantage in the World Series. I'm adamantly opposed to the DH and feel that any position player that only plays half the game shouldn't be eligible for MVP consideration no matter what their stats are. For me, they will never achieve the greatness that someone like a Matt Holliday or an Alex Rodriguez can, because their game has obvious holes. They would hurt their team if they were put onto the field which offsets their offensive value. After reading the article, which does shown a very good correlation between dollars and the designated hitter, it was not able to convince me that dollars impacted wins on the grand stage. Give it a whirl yourself though; this kind of debate will continue to rear its head every season and we should never shy way from lively debate.
The season is over, good day to you sir, let the winter meetings begin. All I want for Christmas is a starting rotation.

- The Hokie