Now that the Yanks are gone, perhaps there isn’t much to care about, what with two teams thousands of miles away meeting in a less-than-buzzworthy World Series.
But before you put away the peanuts and cracker jacks (because we all eat them while sitting on our couch at home and watching baseball, right?) take note of the fact that this is a rather intriguing matchup filled with fantastic storylines.
If those don’t grab you, or if you are too Red Sox-minded to care, here is a tidbit for each and every projected starting player, with a taste of Boston mixed in for your pleasure.
Texas
Elvis Andrus, SS
A young (22), talented, athletic and defensively sound shortstop under the Rangers’ control for several more years. It’s been a long time since the Sox have boasted of such a prize (see Ramirez, Hanley, 2004) but they may have one waiting in the wings in Jose Iglesias.
Michael Young, 3B
Once rumored to be coming to Boston after he was upset with the Rangers’ decision to move him from shortstop to third base to make room for Andrus. Some even had Young and Jarrod Saltalamacchia going to the Red Sox in a package that would include Clay Buchholz. At least one part of that came true.
Josh Hamilton, CF
Was drafted first overall in the 1999 amateur draft, ahead of one Josh Beckett. Hamilton beat Beckett then, and has hammered him since, going 6-for-12 with two homers and six RBIs in their meetings. If you ever get a chance to see a Rangers game at Fenway Park, get in early to catch Hamilton during batting practice.
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Roomed with Pedro Martinez during his rookie year in Montreal in 1997. We challenge you to find a better pitcher-hitter combination living under one roof in baseball history.
Nelson Cruz, RF
Hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch he saw from Tim Wakefield in extra innings earlier this year. Shades of Aaron Boone. Also from the same town in the Dominican Republic as former Red Sox catcher Tony Pena, who has three fewer gold gloves and Bob Boone, Aaron’s father. Anyway….
Ian Kinsler, 2B
Lost a battle with Dustin Pedroia to win the starting shortstop position at Arizona State University, ultimately winding up at second base for the Sun Devils before transferring to Missouri. Just couldn’t hack it, it seems.
David Murphy, LF
OK, so this connection is legit. Murphy was the Red Sox’ top pick and 17th overall in the 2003 amateur draft. Boston traded the Houston, TX, native to the Rangers in the ill-fated Eric Gagne deal back in 2007. He has hit .283 in three-plus years with Texas.
Bengie Molina, C
The eldest of the Molinas and one of the slowest players in baseball history made history himself at Fenway Park this year when he hit a triple to finish an unlikely cycle in an 8-4 Texas win. The three-bagger took about four minutes to complete and had the Rangers’ beat writers rolling in the aisles of the press box. It was the sixth triple of Molina’s 13-year career. He promptly left the game with a strained right quad.
Mitch Moreland, 1B
He shares a birthday (Sept. 6) with Vince DiMaggio, whose younger brother Dom is a Red Sox legend. They had another brother named Joe. Also, Mitch hit his first major league home run off of Beckett, who seems to just keep popping up.
Cliff Lee, SP
Perhaps the greatest postseason pitcher in the history of baseball was left off the Cleveland Indians’ roster in the 2007 ALCS vs. Boston. Hard to imagine.
C.J. Wilson, SP
Was taken in the fifth round of the 2001 draft, one pick after a guy by the name of Ryan Howard went to Philadelphia. Just thought it was interesting that Howard was taken in the fifth round. The Red Sox took infielder Eric West a few picks later. He hit .224 in three seasons in the minors.
Colby Lewis, SP
Led the Japanese Central League with 186 strikeouts for Hiroshima in 2009. Red Sox reliever Scott Atchison was 24th with 81.
Tommy Hunter, SP
Gave up nine runs in 1 2/3 innings in his first start at Fenway Park.
San Francisco
Andres Torres, CF
Hit a two-run homer in his only at-bat against John Lackey. That’s all we could come up with.
Freddy Sanchez, 2B
Drafted by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2000 draft, Sanchez was traded with reliever Mike Gonzalez in the deal that brought Jeff Suppan back to Boston in 2003. Considering Suppan was left off Boston’s postseason roster and Sanchez went on to win a batting title three years later, it’s safe to say that deal didn’t exactly work out well for the Sox.
Aubrey Huff, 1B
Rumored more than once to be a candidate to join the Red Sox, Huff has 14 career homers against Boston, more than he has against all but just three major league teams.
Buster Posey, C
Has plenty in common with Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew. They attended high schools roughly 100 miles apart in Georgia and both went to Florida State. The 22-year-old Posey has half as many .300 seasons (one) than the 34-year-old Drew.
Pat Burrell, LF
In 47 career games against Boston, Burrell is a .216 hitter. In 21 games at Fenway Park he is a .216 hitter. Gotta give him credit for consistency.
Cody Ross, RF
The 2010 postseason darling was on the Red Sox’ radar near the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He was eventually passed over by Boston and claimed off waivers by the Giants in August.
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Of all the players in the World Series this year, Sandoval has the build that most closely resembles that of former Red Sox reliever Rich Garces.
Juan Uribe, SS
Like Ross, Uribe was once nearly dealt to Boston. He was heavily rumored to be a target in July 2008, when he was playing a part-time role in Chicago and the Red Sox’ collection of shortstops was failing to produce. The deal fell through and Uribe has been reborn in San Francisco, hitting 40 home runs over the last two years.
Tim Lincecum, SP
The two-time Cy Young Award winner would be a great fit in Boston. It’s a college town, and he would be a swell guy to live next to in the dorms.
Matt Cain, SP
The only time he has ever faced the Red Sox came in 2007, when he allowed one run on three hits in seven superb innings at Fenway Park. And lost. The reason? Daisuke Matsuzaka struck out eight Giants in seven scoreless innings and a Manny Ramirez solo shot off Cain held up.
Jonathan Sanchez, SP
Threw the pitch that Pedroia fouled off his left foot on June 25 in San Francisco. The foot, of course, was broken and Pedroia’s season all but over with. Sanchez ended up walking Pedroia during that plate appearance, one of the lefty’s major league-leading 96 free passes.
Madison Bumgarner, SP
Made his 2010 debut against Boston on June 26, the game that saw Clay Buchholz leave with a strained hamstring. Bumgarner allowed four runs in seven innings but took the loss as eight Red Sox pitchers teamed to scatter six hits in a 4-2 win.
