Once again the Boston Red Sox will not go away easily. For the second time in the last five games the Sox have roughed up potential American league Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia. Post season stats are not supposed to have any baring on regular season awards, however it seems highly likely that voters may reconsider Josh Beckett as the American League Cy winner after he dominated Sabathia twice in one series, and also had a shutout in the ALDS. Regardless of who has the better ace, the Red Sox/Indians series now rests on the arms of the secondary starters. Grizzled playoff veteran versus upstart youngster, and perhaps shaky former ace against struggling international sensation.

Despite the best efforts of the Indians, the series is heading back to Boston, where white towels will not be flying. Fenway Park may be one of the most difficult places to play for opponents, and one of the most difficult places in terms of ground rules. That is bad news for this crew of umps, who seemed to have weekend plans that didn’t involve a trip to New England. (Just out of curiosity, has anyone made sure that Tim Donaghy is not part of this umpiring crew?)

All joking aside, Sox skipper Terry Francona will decide this series. His reluctance to make necessary changes will either help or doom the Sox. Dustin Pedroia has shown he can play (as he will likely win the Rookie of the Year) but has struggled as a leadoff hitter. Jacoby Ellsbury has shown during the regular season that he is the best outfielder on the Sox next to Manny Ramirez, however Coco Crisp and JD Drew have been sucking the life out of the bottom of the Sox order. While you can understand the rational of the “dance with who brought you” philosophy, Ellsbury as a leadoff hitter was the fuel that carried the Sox down the playoff stretch. If the Sox miss the World Series due to a manager sitting on his hands (paging Grady Little) Francona may find himself looking for a job. Joe Torre in the Boston Red Sox dougout next year? Stranger things have happened, just look at whom the Indians or Red Sox will be playing in the World Series, the powerhouse Colorado Rockies.

Thanks to the Dropkick Murphy's for the column title, hopefully the band will bring us some luck like in 2004. 

Now that spring has finally started to emerge it means that the real baseball season is about to start. The slate will be wiped clean for those players struggling so far this season, but are hot starts a signal of success of what may lay ahead? Each year players come out of nowhere to surprise fans and journalists alike. On the flip side, talented players see their careers go down the drain due to injuries, age, or ineffectiveness. So which players will take home baseball’s hardware this year, and which players will land on hard times? Only time will tell, but here are my fool(proof or ish) picks.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Cy Young – Johan Santana might be the best pitcher in baseball, but his contract demands might have put a wedge into the team first Twins. While Santana will have a good season his contract issues will be a story all year, and he won’t repeat as Cy Young. Roy Halladay is a workhorse that is always in the running, and he has recovered from injuries late last year. Mike Mussina is a stellar pitcher on a great team, and uncertainties with the Yankees rotation make him the go to guy. Ervin Santana is a future star that looks like he will become an ace for the Angels. C.C. Sabathia has all the tools to become one of the best lefties in baseball; he only needs to grow up. Curt Schilling talks a good game and may have one last magical run left in his arm. Winner – Scott Kazmir Tampa Bay. Here me out on this one. Kaz is the best young lefty in baseball, he has already been a major league ace for almost two seasons despite just turning 23. The Devil Rays have one of the best outfields in baseball, and a wealth of young talent. Kaz missed part of the second half of last year with a sore shoulder but his stats would have projected to 15-12 with an ERA of just over 3, and 240 strikeouts in just over 200 innings. Don’t be shocked to see him duplicate the one-man rotation performance that Randy Johnson posted with the Diamondbacks a half dozen years ago.

MVP – Carl Crawford, Vernon Wells, and Grady Sizemore are all MVP quality players stuck in small market hell (see Beltran, Carlos Kansas City Royals). Travis Hafner is a great hitter than is now stuck with the “DH only” label that will prevent him from winning an MVP. Arod has the stats and skills to win another MVP but has too large and frail of an ego to win another MVP. Derek Jeter deserves a lifetime MVP award but his importance isn’t measured just by stats, but also by leadership and intangibles. Justin Morneau should hide his MVP because his win last year seemed like an episode of Punk’d without Ashton Kutcher taking back the award. Manny Ramirez’s defensive shortcomings and mental tomfoolery will prevent him from winning an MVP. Ichiro lacks the power to win over the voters despite being on a level with Jeter in terms of value to his team. Winner – David Ortiz Red Sox. This is the year for Big Papi. He will play enough in the field to squash the “DH only “debate, he has a better lineup with JD Drew and Julio Lugo, as well as the best protection in baseball in Manny Ramirez. There is no player in baseball that can deliver like Ortiz and this is the year that he will be rewarded for his efforts.  

ROY – Is there really even a need to discuss this? Alex Gordon and Delmon Young might have great careers ahead of them but they picked the wrong year to be a rookie. Daisuke Matsuzaka is not only the best rookie in baseball this year, he could also challenge for the Cy Young. DiceK reminds me of Pedro Martinez when he was pitching in Montreal. He has a ton of talent, great natural ability, but just needs a bit of polishing around the edges. By the time his first contract expires after the 2011 season, DiceK will have more hardware on his mantle than U2.

Comeback Player – Mike Maroth is a quality starter that could be crucial for the Tigers to make a repeat trip to the World Series. Sammy Sosa looks like his year off was for the best, as he has gone from outcast to a key member of a team with playoff goals. Sosa could easily hit 25 home runs in a hitter’s park. If Eric Gagne can make it through the season without his arm flying off than that will be a miracle.  Winner - Gary Sheffield Detroit. One of the best offseason moves was the Tigers trading for Sheffield, a power hitter that suddenly became expendable for the Yankees. Expect the trade of Doc’s nephew to burn the Yankees come playoff time.

Biggest Disappointment – Gil Meche is in an impossible situation. He is an average pitcher (a number 3 starter at best) who was given eight figures a year to be the ace of the worst team in baseball. Meche would have been a good signing at half the price, but there is no way Meche can even come close to pitching well enough to justify his contract.

NATIONAL LEGAUE

Cy Young – The National League lacks a true dominant pitcher; even the Cy Young winner would have trouble cracking the top five in the American League. You have the fading veterans like John Smoltz, Jason Schmidt, and Tom Glavine that are on their last legs. There are always the injury risks such as John Patterson, Chris Carpenter, and Jake Peavy. What is left over are the pitchers that have talent but haven’t been able to completely refine their game over a complete season, defacto aces like Dontrelle Willis and Carlos Zambrano. So who is left? A great pitcher on a poor team in Brandon Webb, an All-Star pitcher attempting to switch leagues in Barry Zito, and a good pitcher on a solid team. That pitcher will win the Cy Young because, well, someone has to…Congratulations to Roy Oswalt the 2007 NL Cy Young.

MVP – Baseball just isn’t fair and the MVP race proves that very fact. Talented small market players are often overlooked despite immense talent. Jason Bay and Miguel Cabrera have the misfortune of playing for the wrong team at the wrong time. Lance Berkman and Andruw Jones have skills but fail to grab headlines. David Wright and Chase Utley are up and coming stars that play second fiddle to teammates that can put up gaudy stats. Alfonso Soriano is a five-tool player but moving from team to team and position to position (in the field and in the batting order) doesn’t do him any favors. Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard are the best power hitters in the National League and will both be multiple time MVPs before their careers are done. None of these deserving players will take home the hardware this year, that distinction goes to a player with the least amount of power amongst the MVP candidates. Winner - Jose Reyes New York Mets. Reyes could lead the league in hits, runs, batting average, stolen bases, triples, and on base percentage. Reyes is the fuel that makes the Mets run and is the catalyst to one of the best teams in baseball. Reyes is entering his fifth season and will only turn 24 this year. His best is yet to come.

ROY – Kevin Kouzmanoff looks like the real deal for the Padres, and the recent release of Todd Walker gives him a spot as a starter at third base. Chris Young looks to have the Diamondback’s center field job nailed down and could impress on a young team. Homer Bailey will start the season in the minors but with the Red’s rotation (or lack there of) Bailey could be in the rotation by May. Chris Iannetta looks to be the Rockies catcher of the future, with the future possibly coming this year. Andy LaRoche stands a good chance to get a lot of playing time for the Dodgers, but putting a young player’s future in Grady Little’s hands isn’t a smart idea. Troy Tulowitzki won the Rockies starting shortstop job but will have Clint Barnes breathing down his neck. Winner - Mike Pelfrey New York Mets. A good pitcher on a great team that will have a lot of run support. The National League ROY race looks weak as several key candidates have been send down to the minors.

Comeback Player – Derrek Lee and Todd Helton will not only battle for the rights to be the third best first basemen in the National League behind Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard, they will also battle for Comeback Player of the Year. Both men are Triple Crown threats if they can stay healthy, but Lee has a much more experienced lineup around him to take off some of the pressure. Helton also has to deal with the speculation of constant trade rumors and inexperienced players around him. Both men have all the talent to win an MVP award, but other talented players at their position overshadow both.

Biggest Disappointment – Carlos Lee is a great player in a hitter’s park but was greatly overpaid this offseason by Houston. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him easily pass thirty home runs this year, but I also wouldn’t be surprised to see him balloon to 350 pounds eating Texas barbeque and end up needing gastric bypass surgery by the trade deadline. Grady Little also getting a contract extension through 2009 (club option) might be the worst off the field move since Pete Rose was named manager of the Reds.