If you could go to any 10 Red Sox games in 2010... by Jared Carrabis
SoxSpace's Jared Carrabis counts down the Top 10 games to attend in '10


Here’s the situation: a guy walks up to you and tells you he has season tickets to all 81 home games at Fenway Park this year and he’s trying to get rid of them for free.

Here’s the catch: you can only pick ten games and you have to pick them before the season starts so that you’re not guaranteed to see a certain starting pitcher. What are you going to pick? Opening Day? Interleague games? Got a favorite team that you always love to see? Starting from the bottom and working my way up, here is what I would pick and why.

10.) May 19-20 Vs. the Minnesota Twins: You won’t be seeing Joe Nathan coming out of the bullpen, but this Twins team has plenty of stars worth coming to see A couple of my personal favorites, the Twins have added the O-Dog, Orlando Hudson, to play second base and they’ve also brought on board a former Red Sox-killer with Cleveland, Jim Thome. Aside from those names, they’ll have a healthy Justin Morneau at first and you know who behind home plate. Mr. $184 million himself, Joe Mauer, who hit .365 last year to take home American League MVP honors, is reason enough to come out and see the Twins take on the Red Sox in May.

9.) August 23-25 Vs. the Seattle Mariners: There are several reasons why I make this pick, but let’s start with the supporting reasons. Barring injury, you have a 40% chance of seeing either Felix Hernandez or Cliff Lee on the hill. If that’s not enough to get you to come out to the ballpark, then Ichiro Suzuki should be. The man has never had less than 200 hits in a season and he’s entering his tenth major league campaign. If I haven’t convinced you to draft a game for this series, then I have one word for you: Griffey. Though he may not be the perennial All Star he once was, the man can still rake. He hit 19 HR last year to bring his career total to a first ballot Hall of Fame-worthy 630 long balls. If not for you, take your kids to see Ken Griffey Jr., because you’ll be watching one of the greatest players of all time.

8.) June 15-17 Vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks: I can’t say that the D-Backs are going to be much of a threat to contend over in the National League like the previous two teams I’ve discussed here in the AL, but they do have some exciting players to see. I usually save the best for last, but this time I can’t. Justin Upton, who entered last season at just 21 years of age, has quickly become one of the game’s most exciting players. In 2009, Upton batted an even .300 with 26 HR and 86 RBI. Though he’s led the NL in strikeouts each of the last two seasons, Mark Reynolds has transformed himself into a home run hitting machine. Last year, Reynolds launched 44 bombs and drove in 102 runs. He’s basically the right-handed version of Adam Dunn. If healthy, the D-Backs’ rotation could be lethal. With Brandon Webb at the top and Dan Haren right behind him, Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy round out what could be a very solid rotation. If you draft this game, be prepared for a low-scoring affair.

7.) August 17 Vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: You may have noticed that I picked a specific date instead of just highlighting the entire series. Well, there’s a reason for that. On top of the Angels being a great pick for a game to go see, as they have been a Red Sox postseason foe for four out of the past six years, August 17 just so happens to be Dustin Pedroia’s birthday. Coincidence or not, Pedey has homered on his birthday every year since being called up to the big leagues. After 2008, the Halos lost out on Mark Teixeira, Francisco Rodriguez and Garret Anderson. After 2009, the depletion of the Angels continued, as Vladimir Guerrero, Chone Figgins and John Lackey departed from the west coast. Do these losses make the Angels less of a competitor? Not necessarily, but they do make the AL West a little more interesting.

6.) September 6-8 Vs. the Tampa Bay Rays: This will be the final series of the season between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. If you don’t think that this three-game series will be a huge factor in who makes the postseason and who doesn’t, then you’re out of your mind. This could be the season that Evan Longoria keeps pace with Dustin Pedroia and takes home the American League MVP Award. The Rays have added Rafael Soriano as their closer, which has been their missing link since they established themselves in 2008. With a pitching rotation of James Shields, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann, David Price and Wade Davis, it’s no wonder the boys from Tampa are feeling confident. The already dangerous Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena are in the final year of their contracts, which should only lead to more production than expected. It’s also worth mentioning that Pat Burrell will be playing for a new contract, too. This is a guy who is capable of putting up 30 HR and 100 RBI, but had a weak first season in Tampa.

5.) October 1-3 Vs. the New York Yankees: It’s the final three games of the regular season, and hopefully the Red Sox will have some distance between their divisional foe, but the baseball Gods more than likely have other plans in mind. Just like it did in 2005, I think that the AL East will come down to the final days of the season to be decided. Only in 2010, I think that the Tampa Bay Rays will be very much so involved and scoreboard watching in Kansas City. I’ll get more into the Yankees later on, because I’m sure you know that they appear on this list more than once.

4.) June 11-13 Vs. the Philadelphia Phillies: You won’t want to miss this series. Ryan Howard and the boys from the City of Brotherly Love come to Fenway Park in June, and with the hopes of Red Sox fans, Boston will give the Phils a little taste of what would have happened in 2008 had the Red Sox defeated the Rays in Game 7. What do you get when the Phillies come to town? Two MVPs in Howard and Jimmy Rollins, a Cy Young Award winner in Roy Halladay and a World Series MVP in Cole Hamels. That’s not even considering Chase Utley, who could very well win an MVP himself, averaging 29 HR, 100 RBI over last 3 seasons and Jayson Werth who over the last three seasons has gone from 8, to 24, to 36 HR. If healthy, you also get a closer who was perfect in save opportunities in 2008 in Brad Lidge. Should be a great series and one heck of a measuring stick for this 2010 Red Sox team.

3.) July 30 Vs. the Detroit Tigers: Another specific date for another specific reason. While the Tigers would have been a great pick regardless, the reason they are so high on this list is because it’s the first game that Johnny Damon will return to Fenway Park since leaving the Red Sox, while not wearing a Yankee uniform. When Damon returned on May 1, 2006 with the New York Yankees, I was on hand. I’d say it was about 87% boos and the rest were half-hearted cheers. The boos were undoubtedly directed towards the jersey in which he donned that night, but after what Damon did for this team, there should have been none at all. In four seasons with Boston, Damon hit .295 and averaged 14 HR and 75 RBI. He brought character to this team, he played hurt, he never turned down an autograph and he gave it his all every time he took the field. On July 30, Red Sox Nation will be given a second chance to get it right. Stand and applaud for Damon, because he earned it. Aside from the Damon attraction, Justin Verlander is one of the game’s best hurlers and Rick Porcello (yes, the one that Kevin Youkilis charged the mound and threw his helmet at) is becoming one of baseball’s best young arms. It’ll be the first major league season for center fielder Austin Jackson, the prospect that Detroit acquired from the Yankees in the Curtis Granderson deal. And it should be interesting to see how the first season of being sober affects Miguel Cabrera.

2.) June 18 Vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers This would have been my number one pick, but something tells me that Manny Ramirez will come up with an excuse not to even play in this series. If he does, June 18 will mark the return of Manny to the city that he “couldn’t stand to play in” and “couldn’t be happy” in even though he was being paid more money than most small market teams’ entire roster. As much as I loved Manny when he was here, I’m really going to have to think long and hard whether I’m going to stand and clap for him. It’s like having an angel and a devil on each of my shoulders. One side is telling me to cheer him. That without him, the Red Sox would not have won in 2004 or 2007. The other side is telling me to boo until my face turns blue because he disgraced the Red Sox, the city of Boston and most importantly, us; the fans. Does he deserve a standing ovation? Probably not. There are some things that discredit what you’ve done in the past. For example: I’m sure a man wouldn’t be given the Husband of the Year Award for being the best husband a woman could ask for in the first eleven months and then cheating on her in the final month. It’s kind of like that. Manny was one of the most important figures in Boston sports history, but the way that he acted in his final days in a Red Sox uniform were inexcusable. Ask Pete Rose. It only takes one major slip up to be shunned forever. Unfortunately for Manny, that just may be the case. And I use the word “unfortunately” loosely, because he could probably care less how Boston receives him upon his return. In actuality, it’s unfortunate for the fans because we loved him and adored him. Whether you cheer, boo, or do nothing at all, it won’t make you any more or less of a Red Sox fan. This is also your chance to see the likes of Matt Kemp, Andre Eithier and Clayton Kershaw play live in your backyard.

1.) April 4 Vs. the New York Yankees – Opening Night: They’re baaack. For the second straight year, the Red Sox open up a season with so much promise against the defending American League Champions; only this time, the AL champs went on to win the whole thing. I don’t need to read you off the numbers; you know how good they are. Led by their captain Derek Jeter; Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and the rest of the boys in pinstripes are back on top of the baseball world and it’s up to the Red Sox to dethrone them. As we saw in several cases last year with the Red Sox, it doesn’t matter how you start, but how you finish. It was David Ortiz’s motto when he struggled for the first two months of the season, but it could have also been the Yankees’ motto when talking about head-to-head competition with Boston. The Yankees gave the Red Sox an 8-0 head start, but still managed to tie the season series at nine games apiece. Consistency will be key for the Red Sox when battling the Bronx Bombers in 2010, and it all starts on Opening Night.

That’s my Top 10. What’s yours?

To order Jared's debut book, One Fan's Story: If This Hat Could Talk, click HERE!

Jared also hosts the TruFan Red Sox Webcast live from Boston, MA every Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3pm EST on TruFan.com/Webcast





Published on March 26, 2010

---

Tweet