Playoffs Approaching...

Just felt like getting in a few words on the exciting times in sports that are approaching.

I am finally comfortable with the Red Sox' lead over the Yankees (7 games) again. I don' think that they can blow it with the fairly easy schedule that they have left. The only thing that remains to be seen is whether the Yanees will hold on to the wild card (I think they will). I feel like we are destined for another Sox Yanks ALCS, for better or for worse.

So these are the questions the Sox have to figure out in the meantime:

Should they get as much as possible out of top prospect Clay Buchholz, or save him for the future as he approaches his "innings limit" for the season. Personally, I think that if they feel that he can contribute to a playoff run, they should use him. The point of pro sports is to win championships, so when you have an opportunity, you should go all out. Don't save him for the future when he could help you win a championship now.

How long should they rest Manny? On one hand you don't want to alienate other players by giving him all the time he needs (a privilege he is sure to abuse). On the other hand, it doesn't seem that they need him, so make sure he is ready for the playoffs when the time comes.

Who would be in a 4 person playoff rotation? Beckett obviously, but after him they have some tough choices. It would appears as though Wake is in. Schilling is battled-tested, but isn't what he was. Dice-K has struggled lately but has turned in plenty of good starts this year. Buchholz tossed a no-hitter and is 2-0. Lester has also had multiple dominant starts. Tavarez will surely wind up in the bullpen.

Should the young guys play ahead of the veteran backups in the playoffs? Personally, I feel better with Ellsbury at the plate than with Hinske.

Do you even take it a step further and start Ellsbury or Kielty over Drew, then give Drew a fresh start next year?

As of September 5, this would be my playoff roster/lineup

Lineup
1. Lugo
2. Pedroia
3. Ortiz
4. Manny
5. Lowell
6. Youkilis
7. Varitek
8. Drew
9. Crisp

Rotation
10. Beckett
11. Wakefield
12. Matsuzaka
13. Schilling

Bullpen
14. Tavarez
15. Papelbon
16. Okajima
17. Delcarmen
18. Gagne
19. Timlin
20. Snyder

Bench
21. Mirabelli
22. Cora
23. Ellsbury
24. Kielty
25. Hinske

Buchholz, Moss, Royce Clayton, Javier Lopez, and Lester could each make a case for their inclusion, but who would you remove? It's a nice problem to have.

A few more question:

Might we see Matt Clement one more time in a Sox uniform? It's something fun to root for.

Is Kevin Cash the long, lost replacement for Doug Mirabelli? The Sox have tried out a whole mess of catchers, looking for one who can catch a knuckler but none have succeeded. Hitting isn't even required. Cash has looked respectable. I'm a little afraid that Wake will follow through with his threat to retire when Mirabelli is gone for good if they cannot find a suitable replacement.

Whose position will Ellsbury eventually take? It may not be this year, but Drew and Crisp both need to watch their backs.

Should the Sox try to extend Lowell? My instinct is that nothing will happen until the off season. I fear that Lowell may now deserve a longer contract than the Sox will want to give him. Lowell has made the Beckett trade look like a steal despite the fact that Hanley Ramirez is tearing up the NL.

It's so great to see so many rookies contributing. The Sox have 3 legit ROY candidates in Pedroia and the 2 Japanese pitchers. Buchholz and Ellsbury have also contributed significantly. Moss, Masterson, and Bowden could be ready to contribute as early as next year. The future is looking good. The toughest mission that Theo will have is searching for some power when Manny and Lowell are gone. Papi can't do it alone and none of the young guys are power threats.