With the Red Sox clinching the best overall record in the American League, they had to choose between schedule A and schedule B for the American League Division Series.
Here is a look at both schedules:
| Date | Series A | Series B |
| October 3 | Game 1 | |
| October 4 | Game 1 | |
| October 5 | Game 2 | Game 2 |
| October 6 | ||
| October 7 | Game 3 | Game 3 |
| October 8 | Game 4, if necessary | Game 4, if necessary |
| October 9 | ||
| October 10 | Game 5, if necessary | Game 5, if necessary |
The 8 day schedule B provides the best advantage. It would allow you to throw your top 2 starters twice and on regular rest. Although that can be disadvantage if the team you are playing has good pitching.
This is the one the Red Sox have chosen. So sometime on Wednesday afternoon, the Red Sox and Josh Beckett will be taking on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
What a season it has been and the Sox are now considered the best team in baseball through the reg season. Great job guys!
I think this is the right move…extra day for Beckett, so he can start games 1 and 4 with no problem. Only problem is this hurts the Indians who will be trying to beat the Skanks…o well, go get em Sox!
IMO, it would be tough either way especially when the Sox now have to change timezones.
Travel is more of a concern, Ian, as you know, for the Halos than it is for us…. thanks to Tito’s correct decision to go with the logical plan B. Plenty of rest for the ‘pen, Schill on Friday, AND NOT TODAY! That is so huge, because Schill is pitching as well as he has in a long time. The bats are coming around, with Youk and JD having 3 hit games last night. My goodness, this is the best time to become healthy, and we are.
You have a great blog, but I’ve told you that a thousand times. Care-free baseball today, and then “it” starts. I LIKE OUR CHANCES. Thanks Ian!
Only problem is this hurts the Indians who will be trying to beat the Skanks…o well, go get em Sox!
You can’t worry about anyone else but yourself. You shouldn’t base your schedule on what’s bad (or good) for a possible second round opponent. You have to do what’s best for your team to win the first round. You worry about the second round and who that opponent is if and when you get there.
The biggest thing here is that no matter how well the Yankees are hitting or have hit this year their starting pitching is still very suspect after Wang and maybe Pettitte. Clemens has the whole hamstring/elbow thing going, Mussina save three starts in September has blown dead monkeys all year and Hughes is an untested kid. The same can be said of the bullpen. Chamberlain has been good but can he keep it up in the playoff pressure and you have to wonder which Mariano Rivera will show up and that’s something they’ve never had to worry about.
On the Cleveland side you have two good starters, in Sabathia and Carmona then a guy in Byrd who is crafty but you have to wonder and then who knows. The bullpen is only so-so, Borowski may have all these saves but look at the ERA and the WHIP. He has a red flag on his head everytime he comes to mound. The Cleveland hitting can be as dangerous as NY’s but Hafner needs to show up. His slugging % is 200 points below last season when he was a MVP candidate.
I think travel will affect both teams although the Angels could come into town early to adjust to the time. The Red Sox don’t have that luxury but I’d rather have the home field advantage early on.