Schilling gives up 51 runs, all earned

Buoyed by the recent Curt Schilling shutout, the Stat Man came across a rather interesting factoid. All 51 runs Big Schill has given up this year have been earned.

Does this stat really mean anything? The Red Sox play good defense behind Schilling? Perhaps. You could counter that by saying the errors made behind Schilling don’t cost the team. Still, just like some pitchers get a lot of run support, Schilling seems to get quite a bit on the defensive front.

What it means more than anything is Schilling’s not giving away any cheap runs. Couple that with him leading the team in innings pitched with 134.1 and fewest walks (a remarkable 19) and you have a pitcher who makes the other team earn every run they get.

Youkilis leads Sox with five errors

That’s not a typo. Kevin Youkilis leads the Boston Red Sox in errors with five.

The Stat Man brings this up not to trash Youk but to demonstrate how good the Red Sox D has been. Youkilis has played a stellar first. So much so the Red Sox felt comfortable letting J.T. Snow—a former Gold Glove—go.

But here’s an even more surprising number regarding the Greek God of Walks. He’s second on the team in steals with four, one behind Coco Crisp. Granted, CC missed two months, but did you ever think you’d be talking about Youkilis as a base running threat? The numbers don’t lie, folks.

Papelbon having a monster season?

The last rookie closer who drew as much attention as Jonathan Papelbon was “The Monster” Dick Radatz back in 1962. Barring injury and a sudden loss of stuff, Pap should break the Monster’s rookie save record of 24—but that might be it.

In 1962, Radatz finished with a 9-6 record and 24 saves, coupled with an impressive 144 strikeouts to just 40 walks in 125 innings. So far, Papelbon owns an 0-1 record with 13 saves and 18 strikeouts to just three bases on balls in 20 innings.

The comparison is actually an interesting study of how the role of the closer has evolved. Papelbon, at his present rate, will probably have more than 24 saves by the All-Star break. Yet it’s highly unlikely he pitches more than 100 innings or strikes out more than 100. We won’t even discuss the Monster’s 9-6 record. The Red Sox fifth starter won’t have nine wins, never mind the closer.

So while Papelbon is having a “monster” season, he’d have to go quite a ways to have as good a rookie season as “The Monster.”

Hot two Trot

While Red Sox Nation continues to beat on Wily Mo Pena like a human piñata, chew on this. Trot Nixon is batting .500 with two outs.

Granted, Trot missed a little time earlier, but his.500 average spans 10 at-bats. Given he’s hitting behind Manny in the five hole and not coming up with two outs all that often, that kind of clutch hitting is rather impressive. Especially when you consider Trot’s batting .333 when behind in the count.

As for Wily Mo, this project remains just that, batting.182 when behind in the count and .182 with two outs.

Red Sox are 2-4

As of Sunday, the Boston Red Sox own a 7-4 overall record. Yet the one Red Sox Nation will follow more closely this year is how the Sox do in games not pitched by Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett. As of April 15, that record holds at 2-4.

Now, before folks go running for the proverbial Tobin Bridge, remember a few things. Matt Clement has always been a very good first half pitcher. Sure, he threw up a stinker last week against the Jays. Even last year when he didn’t lose any games for the first month or so, there were more than a few shaky starts. The Red Sox bats bailed him out.

Tim Wakefield, as Coach Bill Belichick would say, “is what he is.” In his career, he’s 145-124 and hasn’t had a sub-.500 record since 2001.

As for the number 5 hole, that’s another Stat Man column for another day. Yet it could define the entire season as the Red Sox have to ask: are we a better overall team with Jonathan Papelbon as the fifth starter and Keith Foulke as the closer or with young Papi in the pen and a to-be-determined starter. Stay tuned…

26 HRs for Wily Mo in ‘04

While everybody wants to focus on Wily Mo Pena’s propensity for strikeouts, keep one thought in mind. The last Red Sox player not named Ortiz or Ramirez to hit more than 25 home runs in a season was Trot Nixon three years ago.

It took Nixon 441 at bats to hit 28 home runs in 2003. Wily Mo hit 26 home runs in a mere 336 at-bats in 2004.

Sure, Wily Mo will strike out and make a few plays in the field that will end up in the highlight reels (for bloopers). But you can’t teach raw power or youth. Wily Mo Pena has both. And with a Nixon pull or tear but an at-bat away, you’ll be seeing a lot of Wily Mo this summer.

94 KOs for Mohr in ‘05

You might say Dustan Mohr, the guy who will share time with Trot Nixon in right field this season, has a tendency to strikeout. Exhibit A being 94 strikeouts in 263 at-bats in 2005.

What makes those numbers even more scary is that Mohr doesn’t walk all that much, an argument Mark Bellhorn defenders always used. Mohr walked only 23 times last year. Coupled with 57 hits and being hit by the pitcher twice and you’ve got an OBP that makes Bellhorn look like Wade Boggs.

So, why is this guy the favorite to be the Red Sox fourth outfielder? Good question. He has a reputation as a dirt dog. He does have some power (17 HRs for Colorado last year) and can play right field, a very important position at Fenway.

Still, with the spring Adam Stern has had for both Canada’s WBC team and the Red Sox, you’ve got to wonder who will remain standing come April.