Hurbi Frog Blog

Almost everything I’ve read about the 2012 Red Sox has been heavily sprinkled with gloom and doom. Sadly, many of the negative predictions have been grounded in very serious reality, especially given their monumental collapse last season. On the other hand, this Red Sox team isn’t substantially different from the team many said would reach the World Series. So, to counteract all of the negativity around Red Sox Nation, here’s an overly-optimistic (if not insane) look at Boston’s boys of summer.

Dustin Pedroia is New Red Sox Captain and All-Star Game MVP

The first part of this is a no-brainer and everyone’s been saying that Dustin is the perfect fit for the new Sox captain. His newly-acquired role as captain will drive him to work even harder than ever and the effort will show, earning him a trip to the All-Star Game. There, his natural leadership will drive the American League to a victory and earn him the All-Star MVP.

Adrian Gonzalez Wins AL Batting Champion

Adrian was a batting leader in 2011 with 212 hits, a .338 average, and 117 RBI. Some reports indicated that he was still dealing with issues stemming from right shoulder surgery. Now that he’s had a full off-season to rest and strengthen that shoulder, Gonzo will be an unstoppable offensive force for the Red Sox.

Will Middlebrooks Takes Over for Kevin Youkilis

This may not sound optimistic, but I don’t like our chances with Kevin Youkilis. Injuries have plagued the final months of both 2010 and 2011 and talk of his clubhouse antics aren’t endearing at this point. Youk will have more injury issues this season and the Sox will call on Middlebrooks to fill the gap. With the better part of the summer spent in Triple-A, Middlebrooks will develop into a stronger player that will serve nicely at 3^rd base and give the team some extra energy down the stretch.

Jacoby Ellsbury Wins AL MVP

Where he was a definite contender for AL MVP in 2011, Ells will take the award home in 2012. Considering how well he did in 2011 after coming back from season ending injuries and surgery, there’s no doubt in my mind that 2012 will be another huge year for Jacoby.

The Daniel Bard Experiment Works (with some help)

Transitioning flame-throwing relief pitcher Daniel Bard into a starter will be a tremendous success, early on. Sure, there have been other successful reliever-to-starter stories but those pitchers lose steam near the end of the season. So, why do I say that the Daniel Bard experiment will work? The X-factor… Daisuke Matsuzaka. Dice-K has been out since May 17 of last season and is preparing to come back from Tommy John surgery. As Bard begins to wind down, Matsuzaka will take over as a starter in the rotation and emerge as a late-season juggernaut. With a new pitching coach and a manager who’s actually worked with Japanese players, I’m optimistic that Dice-K will have a comeback year.

Clay Buchholz Wins the Cy Young

Clay had a career year in 2010, winning 17 games with a 2.33 ERA. A stress fracture in his back caused him to miss the last 3 months of the season, and may help explain any drop in his performance while he was pitching. Stats from the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons show that the more innings he pitches, the better his numbers. A healthy Clay Buchholz will be this year’s ace of the pitching staff.

Carl Crawford Puts Bad Year Behind Him… For Now

Based on his stats from the past couple of years, Carl Crawford’s success comes and goes in phases. In 2006 and 2007, he was batting over .300, had 50 or more stolen bases and had around 90 runs. Compare that with 2008. His batting average was .273 with only 25 stolen bases and 69 runs. Then, look at 2009 and 2010. Batting average over .300, nearly twice as many (or more) stolen bases, and around 100 runs scored. We all know what happened in 2011: Batting average .255; only 18 stolen bases; 65 runs. The good news? He’s due for two more fantastic years! We might want to make a trade before 2014 though…