Boston's Former Cardinals Crash and Burn

Joe Kelly will try to figure it out in the minors (Yahoo Sports)

With Joe Kelly's demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket today, the Red Sox have officially lost last summer's trade with the St. Louis Cardinals--the one that sent John Lackey packing to St. Louis in return for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig, neither of whom are currently on the big league roster..

In fact, I think it might be the worst trade Ben Cherington has ever made. Kelly and Craig have both been massive busts in Boston, while Lackey has continued to be an effective starter for the Cards. Kelly has not developed into a viable starting pitcher, much less the Cy Young winner he predicted he'd be. With a 5.67 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, he's been one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball this year. At this point, his best bet is to take his heater to the bullpen, where he may enjoy a renaissance a la Andrew Miller.

As for Craig, he has yet to rediscover the stroke that made him a .300 hitter and one of the league's best RBI men. Not even Fenway Park could help restore the former All-Star's bat, as he's hit a meager .130/.235/.192 since joining the Red Sox. His age, injury history, non-existent production, and costly price tag (he'll earn $11 million next year) makes him all but untradeable.

Meanwhile, Lackey has continued to thrive in St. Louis. He faded down the stretch last year but has bounced back strong this year, posting a 3.41 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 3.14 K/BB ratio. He's been one of the most reliable starters for the first-place Cardinals, leading the staff in innings pitched and helping pick up the slack in Adam Wainwright's absence. Even at 36, he shows no signs of slowing down.

At the time, trading a veteran starter in his mid-30s for a hard-throwing hurler in his mid-20s made plenty of sense, but taking on Craig's costly contract and expecting him to bounce back proved to be too much of a gamble. Boston really could have used Lackey in its rotation this year, and had absolutely no need for Craig given its already-crowded outfield situation when he arrived. Now it looks like the Sox are stuck with him, unless they can convince somebody that regular playing time will rejuvenate the soon-to-be 31 year-old's bat.

I still think Kelly has a future as a shut-down reliever, but that's not as valuable as a reliable starting pitcher, especially given the struggles of Boston's rotation this year. This trade is just one of many reasons why the Red Sox have underperformed this year, but it's now clear that they'd be better off had Cherington never done this deal.

Sox Should Stick Kelly in Pen

Kelly's overstayed his welcome in Boston's starting rotation (Fox Sports)

How many beatings does poor Joe Kelly have to take before the Red Sox realize he is, in fact, not cut out to be a major league starting pitcher. How long before they realize what the rest of the baseball world has known all along; that his live-wire arm is better suited for the bullpen than the rotation?

Because right now, at least, it's obvious that Kelly has no place in John Farrell's stable. He was roughed up last night, surrendering eight hits and five runs as he failed to make it through the fourth. The beating inflated his ERA to 5.67--fifth-worst in the majors among qualified starting pitchers--while his WHIP ballooned to 1.50 (eighth-worst).

After a promising April in which Kelly averaged over a strikeout per inning and managed a 3.5 K/BB ratio, he's reverted into the mediocre starting pitcher he was prior to this year. Since May 1st, Kelly has made 10 starts, of which the Red Sox have won only two. His earned runs have exceeded his strikeouts during that stretch, a period in which he's struck out more than three batters in a start twice. Meanwhile, his K/BB ratio has been an ugly 32/23.

Expand the sample size a little further--to include his last dozen starts--and the numbers look even worse. He has a 6.39 ERA over that span, getting raked to the tune of an .813 OPS. For every decent start Kelly makes, he has a clunker like last night's, failing to display the consistency one would hope to see from a major league starter.

With their season already doomed, the Red Sox appear to be sticking with Kelly for two reasons. One is a clear lack of superior alternatives. The other is Kelly's tantalizing velocity, which thus far has produced the fourth-highest average fastball speed among starters. When a pitcher throws that hard and is able to sustain it throughout the course of a start (Kelly was still throwing darts when Farrell yanked him yesterday), it's hard not to be seduced by the possibility that he'll blossom into the next Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer.

Therein lies the problem. Kelly's struggles have nothing to do with velocity but everything to do with how he attacks hitters. He's the epitome of a "thrower," lacking the command and secondary pitches needed to make his heat effective. Kelly knows this, as his curveball and slider have both been mediocre pitches, which causes him to rely on his gas. But with over 70 percent of his pitches coming in as fastballs, he's not fooling anybody. Batters are looking dead-red and punishing him for it.

Anyone can come out and blow away three batters in an inning, but it takes a tactician to survive several trips through a major league lineup. Everyone can hit the fastball, otherwise they wouldn't be in the Show. Navigating your way through a batting order is less about velocity and more about location, deception, and pitch-sequencing. How do you think Mark Buehrle won over 200 games, or Tim Wakefield lasted nearly two decades?

At 27 Kelly still has time to figure it out. Maybe like Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling he will be a late-bloomer. With their season sunk, the Red Sox can afford to give him more time this year. But what about next year, when they'll be trying to contend? Boston, and Kelly, won't have that same luxury.

Another way Boston could try to salvage this situation would be to put him in the bullpen and hope for the best. If he thrives there like Andrew Miller did, then they'll have a nice bargaining chip at the trade deadline. If he struggles, then he can rejoin the rotation and try his hand at starting again. Either way, it seems clear that a change is in the best interests of both parties. Kelly can't continue to be pounded like this. He could really use some relief.

Red Sox Rout Royals

Ramirez kicked off the scoring with his second inning solo shot (Boston Herald)

In the midst of a season where everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, the last-place Red Sox enjoyed a day where everything went right.

Boston authored its most dominant victory of the season yesterday, bludgeoning the Kansas City Royals 13-2. The 13 runs marked a season high for the Sox, who lost the only other time they scored in double digits this season. It was also the team's largest margin of victory this year, surpassing their 8-0 pasting of the moribund Philadelphia Phillies back on Opening Day.

A season that began with so much hope and promise has quickly deteriorated into a nightmare. In between those two routs the Red Sox were abysmal, going 29-40 and getting outscored by 64 runs. There is no quick fix, as their pitching, hitting, baserunning, and defense have all been horrendous. Frustration seems to be setting in, first manifesting itself in the form of Wade Miley's outburst in Baltimore, then again on Saturday with David Ortiz's ejection.

But on Father's Day, at least, all was right in Red Sox Nation. Boston didn't just beat the best team in the American League (on the road, no less); they clobbered them. The bats, mysteriously quiet for much of the spring, came alive on the first day of summer to pound out 16 hits, all but three of which went for extra bases. Miley continued to redeem himself in the aftermath of his blow-up with six shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 4.50 after his second straight strong outing.

It has to be a great feeling as the Red Sox return home for a three-game set with the O's, having just won their first series in two weeks. Mookie Betts, back in the leadoff spot, scored three times and was a single shy of the cycle in extending his hitting streak to nine games. Brock Holt, who cycled on Tuesday, bolstered his line with a triple and two doubles. Dustin Pedroia also had a trio of hits including two doubles, shaking off the knee soreness that caused him two miss two games earlier in the week and snapping a stretch of 12 hitless at-bats.

Ortiz, still smoldering from Saturday's ejection, belted a towering home run over the right field bullpen. The blast--Papi's fourth in the past 11 days--was also the 476th of his career, breaking a tie with Stan Musial and Willie Stargell for 30th on the all-time list. Hanley Ramirez hit a monster home run of his own, crushing his team-leading 15th of the year over the left field bullpen for the game's first run. Xander Bogaerts continued to impress at the plate with three doubles and a game-high three RBI.

Miley, meanwhile, allowed eight Royals to reach base in his six innings but none to score--impressive given that he notched just two strikeouts. It helped that the Boston defense behind him did not commit any errors.

This is exactly the kind of game Ben Cherington must have envisioned when he brought in Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval over the winter, assembling what at the time was widely thought to be the best offense in baseball. The Red Sox were supposedly returning to the formula that helped them win it all in 2013, building a deep lineup that could blow teams out of the water on any given night. It hasn't panned out that way, but perhaps with the weather warming and several Sox hitters coming around, the team's frustrated fans may finally get to see what Boston's bats are capable of.

Doerr Defying Age

Doerr was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1986 (Boston Baseball History)

Having survived 97 years and 72 days, Bobby Doerr is officially the longest-living member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He just passed former catcher and manager Al Lopez, who passed away on October 30th, 2005. Doerr, the oldest living former Red Sox, is also the only living person to have played a major league baseball game during the 1930s.

Pretty cool.

Doerr debuted on Opening Day 1937, not even two weeks past his 19th birthday. Under owner Tom Yawkey and player manager Joe Cronin, Boston was slowly returning to respectability after nearly two decades in the American League cellar. Doerr joined an infield with future Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx at first and Cronin at short, plus All-Star Pinky Higgins at third. The outfield featured perennial All-Stars and .300 hitters Ben Chapman and Doc Cramer, while the rotation was anchored by Bobo Newsom, Wes Ferrell, and the indomitable Lefty Grove.  For Doerr to make such a star-studded roster out of spring training, less than a year after graduating high school, was exceedingly impressive.

Batting leadoff in Cronin's lineup card, he paced Boston's 11-5 rout of the Philadelphia A's with three hits. His next game he cracked two more hits, including a double. The game after that he slugged his first home run, a two-run shot that drove Yankee starter Bump Hadley from the game.

What was shaping up to be a phenomenal rookie season for Doerr was derailed in just his fourth big league game, when Ed Linke beaned him above the left ear his third time up. Doerr remained conscious and returned to the starting lineup for Boston's next game, but soon fell into a nasty slump. He was batting a lowly .232/.338/.319 when Cronin removed him from the starting lineup in favor of the veteran Eric McNair, who went on to enjoy a fine season by hitting .292 with 12 home runs, 10 steals and a .793 OPS. Doerr remained on the big club but played sparingly until September, by which point he was too rusty to be of much use. He finished his rookie year at .224/.313/.313 in 170 plate appearances--easily the worst figures of his career.

Doerr cracked the starting lineup for good the following year, earning the confidence of Cronin and settling in as the team's everyday second baseman. The consistency and added experience led to immediate improvements at the plate, where he batted .289 with a .363 OBP, 80 RBI, and 202 total bases. Boston improved by leaps and bounds too, jumping from 80 wins and fifth place in 1937 to 88 wins and second place in '38.

Both Doerr and the Sox continued to improve in 1939. The Red Sox received a boost in the form of Doerr's former minor league teammate Ted Williams, who was one of the best hitters in baseball upon arrival. Doerr, just four months older than Williams but already in his third big league season, batted a robust .318 and more than doubled his home run total from the previous season.

Williams and the Sox slipped in 1940, but Doerr didn't. He enjoyed his first 100 RBI season by driving in 105, something he would accomplish five more times over the remainder of the decade. He also clubbed 37 doubles, 10 triples, and 22 homers--all career highs to that point--while slugging .497 and racking up 296 total bases.

While Doerr was snubbed from the All-Star team in 1940 (Joe Gordon and Ray Mack were selected instead), he made the '41 squad despite seeing his production dip across the board. He was on hand for the American League's miracle comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Trailing by one and down to their final out, the AL walked off in shocking fashion on a three-run homer by Teddy Ballgame.

Doerr and Williams attended nine All-Star Games together (Padres Public)

Doerr was an All-Star again in 1942, and received MVP consideration for the first time after exceeding 100 RBI again and drastically improving his defense. His offense sagged a bit in 1943 with the deadened ball in use during the war years, but he rebounded to have his finest season in terms of rate stats in 1944, when he batted .325/.399/.528--all career highs. His season--for which he was named AL Player of the Year by the Sporting News--was cut short, however, by draft orders that required him to report for induction at the beginning of September. Doerr had previously been exempt because he was married and had a son, but with the war at its peak in 1944 that was no longer enough to keep him out of the service.

Doerr returned from the service in 1946 along with Williams and teammates Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, and Tex Hughson, who helped lead Boston to 104 wins and its first pennant since 1918. Doerr was an integral part of that team, what with his 18 homers, 116 RBI, and outstanding defense at second. He finished third in the MVP vote that year behind Williams and Hal Newhouser--the only time he ever polled in the top five. Though Boston lost the World Series to St. Louis in seven games, Doerr shined in his lone Fall Classic, batting .409 and leading the Red Sox with nine hits.

Though Boston was unable to replicate its successful 1946, narrowly missing out on several pennants, Doerr continued to be an elite run producer throughout the rest of the decade, driving in tons of runs because of his high batting averages and batting order position behind Peaky, DiMaggio, Williams, and later Vern Stephens--all on base machines. His defense remained strong as well, with he and Pesky teaming up to be one of the best double-play combinations in baseball.

A bad back ended Doerr's career prematurely after the 1951 season, even though he was just 33 and still near the top of his game. Accordingly, his career statistics are not particularly impressive, for he played only 14 seasons due to injury and war. Even so, he still amassed more than 1,000 runs, 2,000 hits, 1,200 RBI, and 200 homers--good numbers for a second baseman--and made nine All-Star teams. He was also, as mentioned, a strong defender and had great power for his position, with his 223 home runs ranking third among second basemen at the time of his retirement. From 1946-1950, only four players drove in more runs.

One can only wonder what Doerr would have accomplished had he not a) been plunked as a rookie, b) lost a prime season to World War II, and c) been forced to retire when he still seemed to have several good years in front of him. His numbers likely would have approached Jeff Kent's, although it's impossible to say how he would've aged, especially since most players back then were done by the age Doerr was when he retired.

Though many of Doerr's Red Sox records have since been broken by Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, he is still the only player in franchise history to hit for the cycle twice. Brock Holt might have something to say about that.

Poor Pedroia

Pedroia's playing well, but none of the other Red Sox are (Zimbio)

Poor Dustin Pedroia. The guy's having his best season in years, and nobody seems to notice or care. He's hitting over .300, his power has returned, and he's playing his usually stellar defense. He's All-Star worthy, the surefire MVP of a team loaded with big names like David Ortiz, Pablo Sandoval, and Hanley Ramirez.

Now he's hurt.

Pedroia sat out last night's game, a 5-2 Red Sox win, with knee soreness. That's the second time in the last three games he's been unable to suit up but just the third game he's missed all year. Remarkably, Boston won both those games, yet lost when Pedroia played through the pain Wednesday night (and went 0-for-5).

That hardly seems fair, given how competitive Pedroia is. He wants nothing more than to win, and you know Boston's recent misery just has to be killing him on the inside. He's doing everything he can, but he's just one guy on a 25 man roster. The ship is sinking despite his best efforts to bail out the water rushing in.

Hopefully he doesn't have to go on the disabled list. Hopefully he's able to get back on the field soon and start helping Boston win some ballgames, start turning this thing around. Because if he has to sit out for the next few weeks and the Red Sox keep sliding, he's going to lose his mind.