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i wasnt scared of the Tigers, now i am... just a little.

I wasnt really that concerned with the Detroit Tigers... not even after their blockbuster trade with the Marlins... but after listening to a lot of talk i decided to do some research. i chose to compare what each teams official website had as their starter at each position in 4 categories that i feel give an accurate description of their play regardless of how high or low powered the offense they play on may be. equalizers more or less.

i chose:

on base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage (SLG), batting average (AVG), and fielding percentage (F%)

i TRIED to be as unbiased as i could, and i feel like i did a pretty good job though it hurt at times.... but i gave each position the value of one point

and to my surpise the Tigers won 6-3! (keep in mind this is offense only)

will these #'s translate the same in 08? am i completely insane?

the breakdowns and a breif comment on each position are as follows:

(starters are accurate as of 12/22/07)

DH 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Ortiz .445 .621 .332 N/A

Detroit: Sheffield .378 .462 .265 N/A

Ortiz and Sheffield both had off years by their career standards in 07. given a full season both should be expected to drive in at least 100 runs in 08 given the offenses to which they belong. 07 stats give the sox an easy win in this position. However in 08 their numbers could be closer. BOSTON +1

1B 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Youkilis .390 .453 288 1.00 (@ 1B)

Detroit: Guillen .357 .502 .296 .995

As much as I hate to say it the 07 stats give this position to detroit narrowly. Guillen is not a career first baseman so theres no telling if he actually spends the season here. Even though detroit takes this point, if Youk can maintain close to the success he had his first half of 07 and in the playoffs for a whole season in 08… the sox have the potential to take this one in a landslide… but for this argument DETROIT +1

2B 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Pedroia .380 .442 .317 .990

Detroit: Polanco .388 .458 .341 1.00

Wow… I didn’t expect this one. Polanco’s numbers were above his career average in 07, but not by too terribly much. the sox have to hope Pedroia doesn’t have any kind of sophmore slump. Hopefully the playoffs were a preveiw of the 2Bman the sox will see in 08. DETROIT +1

SS 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Lugo .294 .349 .237 .968

Detroit: Renteria .390 .470 .332 .977

He might have sucked in Boston, but Edgar has a chance to make the sox look bad if Lugo doesn’t get back to career average form in 08. DETROIT +1

3B 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Lowell .378 .501 .324 .961

Detroit: Cabrera .401 .565 .320 .941

Based on the fact that Lowell’s 07 numbers were above career average this battle of ex fish 3Bmen looks a lot closer than it will in 08 in all probability unless Miguel has trouble adjusting to AL pitching (he does have WS success) Lowell’s D is a huge plus but DETROIT +1 (very reluctantly)

C 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Varitek .367 .421 .255 .994

Detroit: Rodriguez .294 .420 .281 .993

This ones almost even, but im giving this to Tek because the sox really need it. These two reputable catchers could possibly rebound offensively in 08… both are still good in the clutch.

BOSTON +1

LF 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Ramirez .388 .493 .296 .990

Detroit: J.Jones .335 .400 .285 .986

Ramirez EASY! He’ll take it again in 08 with out a doubt. Keep in mind it’s a “contract” year for him. Its nice to see maybin gone though. BOSTON +1

CF 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Crisp .330 .382 .268 .998

Boston: Ellsbury .394 .509 .353 1.00

Detroit: Granderson .361 .552 .302 .989

I put them both in for arguments sake. Ellsbury will put up good numbers if he gets the starting job, but he wont keep that up. Coco will have a rebound year wherever he is too. Not suprisingly im giving this to detroit for 07… but im giving it to them for 08 too! I didn’t realize what a good year Granderson had. 23 homers isnt bad out of a centerfielder! Add 26 SB to that too. He’s a stud ive underrated. DETROIT +1

RF 2007 OBP SLG AVG F%

Boston: Drew .373 .423 .270 .974

Detroit: Ordonez .434 .595 .363 .996

Magglio takes this one as easy as Ramirez took left. He’ll take it again it 08 too… though drew will have a comeback year.

DETROIT +1

total DETROIT 6 BOSTON 3

im really shocked by my outcomes and DO believe the sox will kill the Tigers in 08 regardless of what this exercise may say. but anyone that can logically flip some points one way or the other please respond. im interested in seeing how other people see these matchups as well as the teams OFFENSIVELY head to head. i plan to break down the pitching at a later date.

-elmedius

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December 22, 2007

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Comments

I not as worried. The other factor here is the word "team," and the Sox played together as a team. As far as Renteria is concerned, he is a National League player, and I predict he will has as much trouble in the Motor City as he had in Beantown. Ordonez and Polanco may be issues, but I still think that the team aspect outweighs pure statistics. I think you also have to do the same comparison on pitching, including bullpen...
9:57 AM

ImpossDr..

	Wow, nice job! I also agree with you about ManRam...I have been sick of him since before the 04 WS. Yes he does his job, but I want someone out there that REALLY wants to be in Boston. He not only has said time and time again he doesnt want to be there you can see it. I would love to see Ellsbury in left!! 1:33 PM
RedSoxFan

	impossdream: no doubt! the team factor is what gives me so much hope. (plus the pitching) and yeah i do plan on breaking down the pitching, including the major relievers. as for manny: id love for him to stay in boston. (provided he wants to be there like you said sox fan) the maybin i was referring to was a prospect the tigers had that they sent to florida. that kid is going to be scary. 1:50 PM
elmedius

	I'm anxiously awaiting your analysis of the pitching! 4:18 PM
ImpossDr..

	Fahget about the Tigers...We are the m-fen WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!~~~ WE AINT SCARED OF NOBODY OR NOTHING~~ GO RED SOX!!~~~ 7:12 PM
Mr. Jest..

elmedius.. I'm NOT Nit-picking.. ;+) but Ya got two LFs ...I just had to point that out to keep you on your toes.. anyway sooo O.K. I think in the long run .. entire picture, the Sox have the better team. Our Sox have a better chemistry and Fraconna and the front office seem/should have a better handle on that than the Tigers do. BUT the Tigers do have competition in their Div... The Indians although not really "all" there .. do have something to prove and THAT could spark the Tigers to really be aggresive in 08..they learnt that from 07. Do you think that the White S. are going to still be in a numb post WS ?? I think that the ALC will be beating up AND heating up more so on itself. Whatever team comes out of it will be an interesting Foe. A good coaching staff can do wonders and make winners of a "stats inferior" team.
11:36 PM

~PsychoS..

	Ordonez had a career year last year, and surprisingly didn't get hurt. He also turns 34 this year, I think his numbers are going to decline a bit next season. 3:54 AM
butters

	two LF, yep one should be right. ill fix that. thanks. 12:23 PM
elmedius

	YOUR WACKED .. CAN YOU SAY JACOBY ELLSBURY R.O.Y IN 08 ' ? GO BUY A TIGERS HAT YOU SELL OUT ! 11:39 AM
captain ..

	I think elmeduius is right about the CFers. Granderson is a very good player, and whether you want to hear it or not Ellsbury has only had 116 major league ABs 1:12 AM
butters

	I cannot say either way. Only time will tell. On paper, Detroit is the better team. But united as a team, Boston is clearly the way to go. Tigers have so many new changes, half of the starters are different than last year or like Guillen, have switched positions. Also, Brandon Inge wasn't in those stats, but I doubt he will sit..Tigers will make room for him. 5:38 AM
Diamonds..

	"When you have 'Red Sox' across your chest, you are one bad mother f-ker." - Big Papi We are the Red Sox and we fear NOBODY. 2:28 PM
BoSox Ho..

	Put that in perspective though. Tigers hitters have to hit Red Sox Pitching. Our hitters have to hit up theirs. That's gotta be a few passive points to us. Dontrell couldn't hold it in a weak NL division, Bonderman has been a mess, Rogers is old and on the rebound from an injury year, and Robertson is inconsistant. Only legit ace they have is Justin Verlander. 10:50 PM
Red Sox ..

This is embarrassing.."oooh eeewww I'm scared"..Thats not how Sawxheads carry themselves...like I said we arent scared of anyone! If youre scared then like my brother said go but a Tigers hat, you SELLOUT!! What happened to the "Leave it to Buckner" blog?? let me guess..You got scared again?...why do I have to read your lame "featured blog" for like 2 weeks about your sissy ass being scared of Detroit..ok, Rabbit, go back to 8 mile..they need to fear us, NOT the other way around..if youre scared, then youre in the wrong game.
9:03 AM

Mr. Jest..

This is what it’s like when you win, Billy Buck. I’m crammed behind a table in what years ago was the training room for the New York Jets football team but these days is just another ratty corner of ratty Shea Stadium. (You remember Shea, Buck.) There are 40 or 50 of us packed in with our television cameras, tape recorders, and notebooks, and the room is crackling with excitement. It’s like a party in here. Tonight the New York Mets are celebrating the 20-year reunion of the…oh, sorry, Buck, you know what they’re celebrating. The Mets have brought all the big stars from their 1986 World Series team back to Shea for the festivities. They’re going to be introduced in a couple of hours to a sellout crowd, but at the moment they’re sitting before us reporters at three long tables arranged in the shape of a U. Keith Hernandez, Howard Johnson, Lenny Dykstra, Rick Aguilera, they’re all here, and so are Darryl Strawberry and Gary Carter, though as the biggest names they’ve been moved to a separate area to accommodate all the press attention. Oh, your good friend Mookie Wilson is here, too. hey, sickies, Are you sure you're a Red Sox Fan..oh yeah, you aint kind of a big deal..youre kind of a big dummie....You think its friggin cute to disrespect Billy Buckner??? it isnt..it proves youre a bandwagon attention seeker....move to Detroit and suck some eggs!
10:49 AM

Mr. Jest..

	hmmm... i never said anything about buckner did i? 6:10 PM
elmedius

	That was meant for another blog that was posted at around the same time El. There was a blog about Billy Buck up, that stirred a GREAT amount of angst because the original author for Boston Magazine was laying waste to Billy Buck pretty hard core. Not that Jester can't tell you that himself, but I figured to clear it up while he was out. 7:05 PM
~~~~~~

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