World Series Info

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Where were you when the Red Sox won the World Series?

It’s one of those questions usually reserved for tragic moments like the day Kennedy was shot. But when Boston won its first world championship in 86 years back in 2004, the world watched.

It wasn’t Boston’s four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series that year that captured everyone’s attention. It was how the Red Sox made it to that point that made a permanent impression.

Boston was down 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS to the New York Yankees, who finished first in the American League and had outscored Boston 32-16 in the first three games of the series. That included a 19-8 Game 3 beating that left the Red Sox for dead.

Then, like a flatline that starts to wiggle on an electrocardiogram, Boston’s heart started to beat. Gradually the Red Sox clawed back and won four straight to advance.

Baseball fans familiar with this tale couldn’t help but think of 2004 after watching Boston rally from a 3-1 series deficit against the Cleveland Indians in this year’s ALCS. Bettors can also compare the two comebacks before deciding on this year’s World Series wager.

Now, I don’t think that in years from now I’ll be telling my grandkids about the BoSox comeback of 2007. According to Las Vegas sportsbooks, however, Boston’s three straight wins this past week carry more weight than its four straight did back in 2004.

“They’re not even the same type of comeback,” says John Avello, an oddsmaker for the Wynn Hotel Sportsbook. “First of all, against the Yankees, the Red Sox were lifeless. In this recent series, you knew it was coming.”

It’s true. Even when Boston was coming off a 7-3 trouncing to the Indians in Game 4, anyone who had witnessed the 2004 resurrection knew there was plenty more fight left in this year’s Red Sox – and fight they did.

Boston’s offense exploded, outscoring Cleveland 30-5 in the final three games of the ALCS. It is this domination that stands out for bettors heading into the Fall Classic. That makes it unlike 2004. Then the Red Sox had to scratch out close wins in all but one of their four victories over New York. (The exception was a 10-3 win in Game 7.)

Back then, oddsmakers priced the American League champs as only -120 home favorites for Game 1 of the World Series against the Cardinals. It was a series in which the entire sports world was hoping the Sox could continue their fairy tale run as the underdog against the team with the majors’ best record.

“Boston was a cheap favorite in the World Series and the books got hammered,” recalls professional handicapper Ted Sevransky.

This year it’s a different story. Well, the story is the same, but the Red Sox have changed roles. Boston opened as a huge -210 favorite for this Wednesday’s Game 1 and is around a -200 fave to win the series over Colorado.

Instead of being the loveable underdog, Boston is now the powerhouse. The Rockies, who have startled the sports world with their 21 wins in 22 games, are playing the same role the Red Sox did back in 2004.

It’s hard to tag Colorado as an underdog after what it’s done in the past month. However public perception is that the American League is better than the National League. Boston’s momentum heading into the World Series has made people forget about the Rockies’ run.

“People will remember the last thing that’s happened and Boston coming back with three straight wins is fresh in the bettors’ minds,” says Jeff Stoneback, sportsbook director at the Mirage Hotel and Casino. “Colorado’s streak is pushed to the back burner right now.”

Boston is used to being the big bad favorite ever since its 2004 championship. The Red Sox are now always among the preseason picks to win the American League pennant and capture another title. This season was no exception. The expectations were confirmed after Boston exploded out of the gate and finished tied for the best record in the bigs.

“I think the public expects them to sweep but Game 1 will tell us a lot,” says Avello.

Wednesday’s series opener is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Fenway Park in Boston. The total is currently listed at 8 ½ with Boston’s Josh Beckett and Colorado’s Jeff Francis on the mound.



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[Raji]

The Fall Classic is finally here.

Both the Rockies and Red Sox have powerful offenses, sharp pitching staffs and incredible defenses. But which team has the ultimate edge in this best-of-seven series?

The World Series begins Wednesday in Boston’s Fenway Park and MLB analyst Jason Logan has the tale of the tape for one of the most compelling showdowns in years.

Hitting

The Rockies are usually known for smashing the ball but they have mixed up the offense with some good ol’ fashion National League small ball this postseason. Colorado is occasionally playing the hit-and-run and staying aggressive on the base paths while also relying on timely hitting from some surprising outlets.

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba and shortstop Kazuo Matsui are providing life at the top and bottom on the order. The middle of the Rockies lineup is struggling after hitting just .209 in the postseason. However, NLCS MVP Matt Holliday is heating up, knocking four hits in the last two games – two of those for home runs.

Boston was the opposite of Colorado for most of October. The Red Sox rode David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell (hitting a combined .371 batting average) and wasn’t getting much from the top and bottom of the order. But after going down 3-1 to Cleveland, the BoSox hit a team .380 and outscored the Tribe 30-5 in the final three games.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia, first baseman Kevin Youkilis and right fielder J.D. Drew are finally putting in their two cents at the plate. Catcher and team captain Jason Varitek is also find his stroke after struggling most of the playoffs.

Edge: If Boston hits like it did the last three games, Colorado has a tall task ahead to match that firepower – especially if the extended layoff hurts the Rockies’ timing at the plate.

Pitching

Colorado’s pitching continues to go against the grain after an average regular season. The team has an ERA just over 2.00 in the playoffs, getting impressive efforts from Jeff Francis, Josh Fogg and rookies Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales. Fellow starter Aaron Cook, who hasn’t pitched since mid-August with an oblique strain, may also rejoin the rotation during the series.

The bullpen is the Rockies’ best weapon this postseason. Relievers Brain Fuentes, LaTroy Hawkins, Matt Herges and closer Manny Corpas have kept the bullpen’s collective ERA to 1.50 and recorded six saves and three wins in the playoffs.

The BoSox are almost guaranteed a Game 1 win with Josh Beckett getting the start. The right-hander has allowed just three runs in three postseason starts, striking out 26 batters and walking only one. Veteran Curt Schilling is solid as the No. 2 starter and was effective in his Game 6 start against Cleveland. Outside those two, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield haven’t pitched exceptionally well.

Boston’s bullpen is deep and boasts star relievers Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon. But aside from Mike Timlin, other BoSox relievers were inconsistent when called upon against the Indians.

Edge: Here comes the barrage of hate mail from Red Sox Nation – Colorado’s pitching is better in the postseason. There I said it, let it rain down. Yes, I know the Rockies faced Arizona, the league’s worst offense. But they did shut down Philadelphia, a team that owned the NL’s best offense. The Rox bullpen has been untouchable October while the Red Sox’s reserve arms have shown flaws and put in more work this postseason.

Defense

The World Series is a defensive battle. Colorado’s .989 fielding percentage this season was a major league record, breaking the previous mark set by last year’s Red Sox team. The Rockies’ men at the corners, first baseman Todd Helton and third baseman Garrett Atkins, bookend second baseman Matsui and rookie shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.

Boston’s fielders have an identical .989 percentage as Colorado this postseason, but committed seven errors compared to the Rockies’ three. However the Red Sox have played 25 more innings of playoff baseball. Third baseman Mike Lowell is the star of the infield along with shortstop Julio Lugo and Pedroia. First baseman Youkilis is accountable for three of those seven bloopers.

Edge: Colorado. The Rockies’ infield is as flawless as Marissa Miller in a bikini. The outfield of Holliday, Willy Taveras and Brad Hawpe keeps the grass on lockdown. They’ll be busy in the World Series facing the team that led the majors in fly balls. Meanwhile Boston’s outfield has some issues. Ramirez was never great in left, J.D. Drew has limited speed in right and Coco Crisp is dinged up after colliding with the wall during the final out of Game 7.

Intangibles

Boston and Colorado are riding two momentum trains on the same track.

If you’ve been living in the rain forest in a cave with a blindfold on and cotton balls in your ears, then you might be wondering how in the world the Colorado Rockies made the World Series. Well, winning 21 of their last 22 games. That’s how.

The Rockies have lost only once since mid-September, a stretch that includes seven straight postseason wins. But their success is also their curse. Colorado hasn’t played since Oct. 15 and will have waited eight days before the start of the World Series. This extended vacation could slow the Rockies down.

Boston is coming off another historic ALCS comeback. If you’ve been in that same cave in the rain forest for more than four years, you also missed the Red Sox’s amazing 2004 turnaround from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees.

This past week’s surge after being down 3-1 to the Indians is scarily reminiscent of the 2004 comeback. Back then, Boston rode their shock ALCS win right into the World Series and mashed the St. Louis Cardinals. Many pieces of that championship team are still in place for the BoSox, who heavily outweigh the Rockies in big game experience.

Baseball fans got a Fall Classic preview back in June when Colorado traveled to Boston during interleague play. The National League champs lost the first of three games 2-1 but then exploded for wins in the next two, outscoring the Red Sox 19-3. The Rockies’ pitchers also did their part, holding Boston’s bats to five runs and posting an ERA under 2.00 with 21 strikeouts during the series.

Edge: You can’t put much weight on what happened back in June. But you can count on the Red Sox staying red hot for at least the first two games in Fenway Park. Boston has been here before and this trip is eerily similar to that.

Pick: Boston wins in five games. I feel bad not giving Colorado its due. But in a way I think I am. The Rockies are a great club and a terrific story. However, not all made-for-Hollywood teams have happy endings. Boston flirted with elimination against the Indians and used the 3-1 deficit as a wake-up call. Since then, the Red Sox are playing with purpose. They should finish off the NL champs in swift fashion.

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BOSTON -- Ed Montague, known for his calm demeanor and consistent strike zone, will serve as the crew chief for the World Series. It is the fourth time he's drawn the umpiring assignment.

The six-man crew announced Tuesday includes three umpires working their first Series: Ted Barrett, Laz Diaz and Mike Everitt. Chuck Meriwether and Mike Reilly complete the crew.

Montague will be behind the plate Wednesday night when the Colorado Rockies play the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 at Fenway Park. Montague was last the Series crew chief in 2004, when the Red Sox won the championship.

Oddsmakers have the Red Sox listed as -205 faves in Game 1.

Diaz will be at first base, Barrett at second, Meriwether at third, Everitt in left field and Reilly in right for the opener.

All six umpires called games during the first round of the playoffs this month. Montague also worked the NL wild-card tiebreaker between the Rockies and San Diego.

This will be the sixth Series and 21st postseason assignment overall for Montague, in his 32nd year as a major league umpire. He comes from a baseball family - his father, Ed, was an infielder for Cleveland in a career that began in 1928 and lasted through 1932, then was a scout for the Giants for 40 years.

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[Raji]

Colorado Rockies at Boston Red Sox (-196, 8 ½)

Jeff Francis vs. Josh Beckett

Francis has brought his best stuff in both starts this postseason, setting the tone for both of Colorado’s sweeps by shutting down opposing hitters. He beat both the Phillies and Diamondbacks away from home, and will have to open this World Series on the road too.

The big lefty went 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA in 34 starts this season, leading the team in wins, starts and innings pitched. Francis is not a big strikeout pitcher, but after giving up a first-inning run to the D-backs in the NLCS, he retired 12 of the next 14 hitters he faced.

Francis made one start at Fenway Park this season, giving up seven hits and no runs in five innings of work to get the win.

Beckett, the ALCS MVP, has been nothing short of dominant so far in the playoffs, winning all three of his starts. His biggest performance came in Game 5 against Cleveland last week, when he held the Indians to five hits and a single run with Boston staring elimination in the face.

The right-hander is 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA in his postseason career and has given up just three runs on nine hits in the 23 innings he’s pitched in this year’s playoffs. Beckett last faced the Rockies during June’s interleague play, giving up 10 hits and six runs in his first loss of the season.

Rockies don’t fear Fenway

The Rockies are in their first World Series, while the Red Sox are making their second trip to the Fall Classic in four years. But don’t expect the Rox to be overwhelmed at Fenway Park

Colorado has some recent success in Boston on its side.

The Rockies won two of three games during interleague play in June, outscoring the Red Sox 20-5. They were also one of only two teams to beat Boston’s top two pitchers, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.

"Mentally, it helps that we had some success on that field," Rockies first baseman Todd Helton told MLB.com. "We know that we can win at that place." Helton is 11-for-34 in nine career games at Fenway.

Rockies right fielder Brad Hawpe went 2-for-12 in June’s series, hitting a memorable three-run homer some 400 feet in the second game.

"That's a very tough place to play, but to go there and win two out of three games was nice," Hawpe said. “I think we knew we could play, but that series showed fans what kind of team we have."

One-two punch at the top of Boston’s order

Just at the right time, Boston’s leadoff and No. 2 hitters are hot at the plate. Rookie second baseman Dustin Pedroia and first baseman Kevin Youkilis were two of the main proponents of Boston’s comeback against the Indians, combining for 24 hits and 12 RBIs in the ALCS.

That’s particularly bad news for the Rockies when you consider that the two rookies are followed by David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell in the lineup.

"His bat has really come alive," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said of Youkilis on MLB.com. "He just doesn't always hit singles. If you make a mistake, he can drive the ball out of the ballpark. You put that bat in front of Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, it gets interesting."

Youkilis is batting .425 with four homers and nine RBIs this postseason.

"I think we all thought he would be just fine," Francona said of Pedroia’s struggles in the early playoff games. "Again, sometimes when you don't get hits, don't think you run away from the guys that got you here. Either you're good enough or you're not."

Pedroia is batting .286 with one homer and six RBIs in his first playoff run. Pedroia’s only homer, a two-run shot in Game 7 against the Indians, was the killer blow that secured Boston’s World Series berth.

Colorado’s flailing bats

Despite the Rockies’ impressive postseason resume, their big four hitters have actually been quiet by their standards. Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins and Troy Tulowitzki are well below their regular season numbers in the playoffs.

Helton is hitting .194. Matt Holliday – who had a .340 average during the regular season – is hitting just .283 in October, while Atkins and Tulowitzki are hitting .185 and .179 respectively.

As a team, the Rockies had a National League-leading .280 average in the regular season, but that has dropped to .242 in the playoffs.

"Our offense is doing enough to win," Rockies hitting coach Alan Cockrell told MLB.com. "We've come up with some really big clutch hits late in ballgames to win games. In that regard, there is no change to what they did over the last three weeks.

"If anything, some inconsistency in playing every day has affected some guys. They've been doing enough to win ballgames, and that's all you want this time of year."

One area where the Rockies have been doing damage this postseason is with runners in scoring positions. Colorado is hitting .283 with runners on base in October, compared to .276 in the regular season.

Rested or rusty?

The Rockies’ eight-day break between the NLCS and the World Series has some experts speculating that the hottest team in baseball might turn cold. But Colorado’s players and coaching staff are adamant they are ready.

“I don't think the wait will bother this team," starting pitcher Jeff Francis told the San Bernardino Sun this week. “This is a team that knows how to stay focused. Everyone on this team knows what they have to do to get ready, and we will be ready.”

Manager Clint Hurdle also weighed in on the wait: "It beats the alternative.

"We could have had to get on a plane and fly to Arizona for more games and a possible four months of downtime."

The Rockies might be right considering that seven of the 10 teams that had to wait five or more days ended up winning the World Series.

Not surprisingly, the Red Sox disagree. They feel the momentum is with them after coming back from a 3-1 deficit against Cleveland.

“I think you don’t want to have too much time off, especially hitters because of timing and things like that,” Sox rookie outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury told the Boston Herald. “But I think the rest we have is perfect for us.”

“Baseball is a game of routine,” right fielder J.D. Drew added. “Throughout the season, you have two days off a month. Sometimes you don’t even want days off because you find yourself in a good rhythm, so hopefully, we can take these two days, get enough rest and catch up and be ready to go.”

Weather worries

The latest forecasts at game time (8 p.m. ET) put the chance of rain in Boston at 60 percent, making it a strong possibility there will be showers throughout the game.



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