BostonSportsHub.com - Boston Red Sox

Grade	Player	On Pace For:	Notes
B-	Terry Francona	88 wins, 74 losses	44-37 certainly goes into the books as a disappointing first half for the Red Sox. Though they have fought numerous injuries and have had tons of bad luck, there isn’t much reason for a team as talented as this to be on pace for only 88 wins. Francona has done a nice job juggling the lineup but he has been slow to remove pitchers that are losing it (sound familiar?). Terry will be under great pressure to get things turned around in the second half.
A+	David Ortiz	.301, 44 HR, 152 RBI, 62 2B, 196 hits	Once again, David Ortiz is having an MVP-caliber season for the Red Sox. He is leading the American League in extra base hits, doubles and RBIs and is tied for the league lead in homers. If Ortiz was a stock, he'd be up tenfold since the middle of last year.
A	Manny Ramirez	.337, 44 HR, 134 RBI, 54 2B, 200 hits, 98 runs	Before the season, I was concerned that Manny would pout because of the Red Sox multiple attempts to get rid of him during the off-season. What has happened is quite the opposite. Ramirez is having his best season since he left Cleveland and he seems to be having a great time playing for the Red Sox. His numbers are awesome, only overshadowed by what David Ortiz has done in the first half.
A	Curt Schilling	22-8, 3.08 ERA, 220 K	Thank God for Curt Schilling. The Red Sox as a team are now two games under .500 in games not started by Schilling. He has pitched brilliantly despite battling a sore ankle and will be rewarded with a trip to the All Star Game in Houston. I am so happy he is not a member of the Yankees. Way to go, Theo.
A	Keith Foulke	4-2. 1.28 ERA, 26 saves	Unlike Mariano Rivera, Keith Foulke has not been given many opportunities for saves because the Sox never seem to be ahead by small margins in the late innings. The Sox either win big or lose close nearly every night. When he has been given the chance, Foulke has been nearly automatic, converting 13 of 15 save chances.
A	Scott Williamson	1.25 ERA	Due to multiple injuries, Scott Williamson has pitched only 21.2 innings in 2004. When he has pitched, he has been outstanding. A healthy Williamson gives the Sox one of the best late inning bullpens in the majors
A-	Johnny Damon	.307, 14 HR, 192 hits, 122 runs, 16 SB	Johnny Damon's has a new look in 2004 in more ways than one. Like Ramirez, the Sox centerfielder is having his best year in a Sox uniform. Damon's on base percentage of nearly .400 has helped teammates Ortiz and Ramirez put up MVP-like numbers.
A-	Mike Timlin	8-6, 3.12 ERA	Mike Timlin continues to be the workhorse out of the Sox bullpen (43 1/3 innings). In 2003, he was very steady. He's been much better than that in 2004. After two bad outings in April, Timlin has given up just 9 earned runs in 40 innings (2.03 ERA).
B+	Pedro Martinez	16-6, 3.74 ERA, 210 K	So far this season, Pedro has not been himself. His ERA has ballooned to 3.74 (which would be great for most guys). Still, Pedro is on pace for 16 wins and has come up with several great performances. He has thrown 110 innings already this season (186 last year, 199 in 2002) so wear and tear is a concern. It sounds strange to say this, but it would be great for the Sox if Pedro spent his usual 15 days on the DL over the summer. I'm not sure Pedro will be an effective pitcher in the playoffs if he throws 220-225 innings during the regular season.
B	Mark Bellhorn	.261, 18 HR, 92 RBI, 116 BB, 114 runs	I can't think of anything more astonishing this season than the fact that Mark Bellhorn has produced 94 runs in the team's first 81 games (runs + RBI - HR). Bellhorn's .261 average doesn't do his productivity justice. His .384 on base percentage does. Bellhorn, like Damon, Ramirez, Mueller and others, sees a lot of pitches and that is a tremendous value for the Red Sox. Bellhorn's biggest negative is his proclivity for striking out. He's whiffed 91 times so far this season.
B	Pokey Reese	.245, 6 HR, 52 RBIs, 54 runs, 12 SB	Pokey Reese has done exactly what the Sox needed from him - he has played great defense on a team that is miserable in the field. Pokey has contributed with his bat at times and his .245 average is acceptable given the way he plays in the middle of the infield.
B	Kevin Youkilis	.294, 38 RBIs, 48 runs, .400 on base pct	Kevin's projected numbers really don’t mean much since he has played in only 35 games so far this season. The number that does mean something, however, is .400. That is the rookie third baseman's on base percentage. So far, Youkilis has lived up to his hype in the book Moneyball. I see a very bright future for this young player. I pray that the Sox do not swap him for an instant gratification veteran before the trading deadline.
B	Tim Wakefield	10-10, 3.97 ERA	Ups and downs are nothing new to Tim Wakefield. He was great through his first eight starts, slumped badly in his next four starts and has been brilliant again in his last three outings (1 ER in his last 21 IP). All in all, Wakefield has been an excellent fourth starter.
B-	Jason Varitek	.272, 18 HR, 60 RBI, 66 runs	Jason Varitek has played well behind the plate and continues to be a team leader for the Red Sox but his offensive numbers are off a bit from last season when he bashed 25 homers and drove in 85 runs. The frightening part is that Tek's numbers declined in the second of last season after a remarkable first half. Hopefully, he can turn this trend around after the All Star break.
B-	Bronson Arroyo	4-14, 4.50 ERA	Bronson Arroyo has been victimized by lack of run support most of the season. Like many young pitchers, he's been up and down. The good news is that the ups have been more frequent than the downs. Arroyo has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 7 of his last 11 starts. That is pretty solid for a #5 man in a rotation. Like Kevin Youkilis, I hope that the Sox do not trade Arroyo for a quick veteran fix.
C+	Alan Embree	4-2, 4.60 ERA	Alan Embree has seen more action as a result of injuries to Scott Williamson. The good news is that Embree has been solid against right-handed batters. If anything, his performance against lefties has been a tad disappointing.
C	Kevin Millar	.275, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 56 runs	After a breakout season in 2003, Kevin Millar has been a bit of a disappointment in 2004. Like most of the Sox players, his defense has been atrocious. He has shown little power this season after whacking 25 longballs and driving in 96 runs in 2003.
D+	Derek Lowe	12-16, 6.02 ERA, 220 hits allowed	Derek Lowe has been the victim of terrible Red Sox defense. Lowe gave up 15 unearned runs in the first half of the season alone (as compared to 14 in 2002 and 2003 combined). The bad defense and seemingly endless parade of lucky hits have hurt Lowe, who has repeatedly been asked to get four or five outs in an inning. Still, defense and bad luck aside, Derek Lowe has been awful. It is hard to believe that this is the same pitcher who won 38 games in 2002 and 2003.
B+	Doug Mirabelli	.304, 12 HR	Solid backup. .304 avg is a surprise.
C	Lenny DiNardo	4.23 ERA	Nothing great. Nothing terrible.
C+	Mark Malaska	4.60 ERA	Ditto.
C	Gabe Kapler	.259, 20 RBI	Can't hit but I like his defense.
C	David McCarty	.223, 18 RBI	A nice defensive replacement. One huge HR.
D	Cesar Crespo	.165, 4 SB	Mario Mendoza without the glasses.
INC	Mueller, Garciaparra, Nixon		I can't accurately grade any of these players because of the time the trio spent on the DL in the first half of the season.