They're well organized

Affiliates filled with winners

With 35 games remaining, it is anyone's guess how we will look back on the 2008 Red Sox season. A third World Series crown in five years? A division title? Finishing behind a Tampa Bay team that had never wound up .500? Missing the playoffs?

Within the Red Sox organization, however, 2008 is almost guaranteed to be viewed as a major success. The "scouting and player development machine" Theo Epstein promised when he became general manager in November 2002 is definitely up and running.

One measure has been the number of players drafted and developed by Boston who have been major contributors at the major league level this year. Those include a few who were drafted under the Dan Duquette regime (Kevin Youkilis, eighth round, 2001; Jon Lester, second round, 2002) and several under Epstein (Jonathan Papelbon, fourth round, 2003; Dustin Pedroia, second round, 2004; Jacoby Ellsbury, first round, 2005; Jed Lowrie, first round, 2005; Justin Masterson, second round, 2006).

Within the Sox minor league system, 2008 has been a sparkling year. A number of highly regarded prospects have climbed the ladder, and the overall team success has been impressive. Four of the six minor league squads are in first or second place in their division. Within all of minor league baseball, the Sox have the fourth-best collective record at 380-314 (trailing the Yankees, Giants, and Rangers).

At the highest levels, Sox teams have competed extremely well. Triple A Pawtucket is 79-54 and on its way to a near-certain playoff bid for the first time in five years. The PawSox stand a legitimate chance to break their all-time win total (a 5-5 record down the stretch would do it) and might overtake Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for first place (they are 1 1/2 games behind).

At Double A, the Portland Sea Dogs are second in the Northern Division of the Eastern League at 69-59 and have the inside track on a playoff berth.

The Sox' high Single A affiliate in the California League, Lancaster, took first place in the first half of the split season. The JetHawks also hold a narrow lead in the second half in the South Division. Their overall record is 70-58.

Also of note is the performance of the Lowell Spinners in the short-season Single A New York-Penn League. The Spinners have won six of seven and are comfortably in first place in the Stedler Division with a 32-26 record, headed for their first playoff appearance.

They bobbled it

File this one under the category of regrettably timed minor league promotions. When the Sea Dogs return home from their road trip in Pennsylvania to play New Britain Monday night, fans are slated to receive a free Clay Buchholz Bobblehead Doll. The giveaway was scheduled many months ago and seemed like a good idea. After all, Buchholz was a former Sea Dog who had apparently been launched to big league fame, having pitched a no-hitter against the Orioles last September.

After his record dipped to 2-9 with a 6.75 ERA following Wednesday night's flameout in Baltimore (2 1/3 innings, 5 earned runs), Buchholz was sent back to the minors - to Portland.

The Sea Dogs' Arnie Beyeler posted his 500th win as a minor league manager with Wednesday night's 4-3 decision at Altoona. Also, Dave Gassner became the first pitcher in Sea Dogs history to win six straight starts. Despite a 6.12 ERA, Gassner is 7-5.

Also of note was the fifth save for 2006 first-round pick Daniel Bard. After a disastrous first year as a starter in 2007 (3-5, 6.42 at Greenville, and 0-2, 10.13 at Lancaster), he has been transformed this season as a reliever. After going 1-0 with an 0.64 ERA in 15 games with Greenville, he was promoted to Double A. With the Sea Dogs, he has gone 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA. Bard, who has reached 100 miles per hour, has recently stepped into the closing role.

"He's handled everything we've thrown at him, and he's worked really hard," said director of player development Mike Hazen. "You can count on just a few fingers his bad outings. Other than that, he's dominated."

Sauveur savior

At least some of the success for the Pawtucket staff (second among 14 teams in the International League in ERA) is attributable to pitching coach Rich Sauveur, who came to the Sox organization this year after spending the last five seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers organization.

Sauveur might provide the ultimate definition of that wonderful baseball term: journeyman. His professional career ran for 18 years and included 34 big league games in parts of six well-spaced seasons: 1986, '88, '91, '92, '96, and 2000. Along the way, he played minor league games in 36 states, got released by five organizations, and made three big league starts when the knuckleball was his primary pitch.

"I always wanted to coach," said the 44-year-old Sauveur. "I just felt it was meant to be. I just try to be the pitching coach that I always wanted."

Sauveur's low-key approach has been a hit with his hurlers.

"Everything's been real good," said David Pauley, who posted his league-leading 14th win Wednesday night. "He's there for that extra bit of guidance and any questions that we have that we might not be able to fix on our own."

"A lot of us are having the best years we've ever had in our career," said Charlie Zink (13-5, 2.88), who is enjoying having a pitching coach with knuckleball expertise for the first time. "He's been really helpful in teaching me how to pitch when it's not working. He's been helpful with my thought process."

In the hunt

Prospect to watch: Hunter Jones. The 24-year-old lefthanded reliever began the year at Portland, where he went 0-1 with four saves and a 1.19 ERA before getting promoted to Pawtucket. He has gone 7-2 with seven saves and a 3.35 ERA with the PawSox. In his last 23 appearances, he is 5-0 with seven saves and a 2.10 ERA.

With two outs in the ninth and the tying run on base against Syracuse Wednesday, Jones came on and struck out Wayne Lydon to polish off an 8-5 victory.

 

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