2001 Record: 82-79, 2nd in AL East 2001 Results | 2002 Schedule | 2002 Roster | 2001 Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (AL rank) Defense (AL rank) 772 runs (7th) Home: 391 runs (9th) Road: 381 (tied for 7th) 745 runs allowed (5th) Home: 4.16 ERA (4th) Road: 4.13 ERA (5th) 2001 Stats Leaders   Average: Manny Ramirez, .306 Runs: Trot Nixon, 100 On-base pct: Ramirez, .405 Stolen bases: Carl Everett, 9 Wins: Hideo Nomo, 13 Saves: Derek Lowe, 24 Home runs: Ramirez, 41 RBI: Ramirez, 125 Slugging pct.: Ramirez, .609 OPS: Ramirez, 1.014 ERA: Tim Wakefield, 3.90 Strikeouts: Nomo, 220

ESPN's Take Q: Do the Red Sox have enough pitching behind Pedro Martinez to challenge the Yankees? The Red Sox will score runs with Johnny Damon leading off in front of Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez. But pitching is the big concern. A healthy Martinez will lead the staff, but then who? The Red Sox replaced Hideo Nomo with John Burkett. While Burkett has pitched great in the NL, the AL has not been kind to him. Can Derek Lowe endure a 200-inning workload or can knuckleballer Tim Wakefield shine while constantly being shuffled between the bullpen and the rotation? There are too many questions and unknowns hovering around the pitching staff. The offense will take pressure, but the Red Sox will break more hearts because their pitching will come up short. -- Tom Candiotti  ESPN.com's Crystal Ball Pedro starts the All-Star Game after going 12-2, 1.78 in first half, but hurts shoulder after striking out Alomar, Helton, Bonds, Sosa, Griffey and Piazza in a row. John Burkett tapped the mind and style of control master Greg Maddux during his two-year stay in Atlanta, resulting in a career best 187 K's and 3.04 ERA in '01. Now he brings his Maddux act to Boston and AL-only owners should note that his K total from '01 would have ranked 6th on the junior circuit. When Tony Clark is at his best, he's a .280 hitter capable of 30+ HRs and 100+ RBI. Don't be surprised if Clark is at his best in '02. He's a career .382 hitter at Fenway and has had a hit in 27 of 28 games played there. A strong, healthy spring is more hint of a comeback season. -- Brandon Funston Batting order Johnny Damon, CF Trot Nixon, RF Nomar Garciaparra, SS Manny Ramirez, LF Tony Clark, 1B Brian Daubach, DH Jason Varitek, C Shea Hillenbrand, 3B Rey Sanchez, 2B Bench Jose Offerman, Rickey Henderson, Doug Mirabelli, Michael Coleman, Lou Merloni Rotation Pedro Martinez, John Burkett, Derek Lowe, Dustin Hermanson, Frank Castillo Bullpen Ugueth Urbina, Rich Garces, Rolando Arrojo, Darren Oliver, Casey Fossum, Tim Wakefield Freddy Sanchez, SS He's been getting some ink after hitting .339 at Class A and .326 at Double-A. He lacks power (3 HR) and doesn't walk (31 BBs) and may be stretched to play shortstop, but if Nomar goes down he may be the best option to fill in.

Catcher: Jason Varitek A broken elbow sidelined him for the season in June, but he should return at full strength. If healthy, he's one of the better-hitting catchers in the league. Backup Doug Mirabelli slugged .518 after coming to Red Sox last year. AL Position Ranking: 4th First Base: Tony Clark The Tigers tired of Clark's repeated back problems and put him on waivers, where the Red Sox claimed him in the offseason. He also had wrist and shoulder injuries during the second half last year. He turns 30 in June and hit 30 HRs per year from '97-99, so is capable of comeback. AL Position Ranking: 10th Second Base: Rey Sanchez One of the game's best defensive shortstops, if he gets the starting nod over Jose Offerman and Quilvio Veras he should give the Red Sox outstanding range up the middle, something lacking in recent years with Offerman and Mike Lansing. AL Position Ranking: 9th Third Base: Shea Hillenbrand His .263 batting average and hot April (.343) masked his true ineptitude at the plate. His .291 OBP was third-worst among AL regulars and he compensated with just 12 HRs. Proof that not striking out is not always a good thing. AL Position Ranking: 14th Shortstop: Nomar Garciaparra An MVP candidate if healthy, but will last year's wrist injury linger in any way? People talk about his toughness, but facts are facts and he misses at least 20 games per year which means we have to rank him below Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada. AL Position Ranking: 4th Left Field: Manny Ramirez He led the AL with 165 RBI in 1999. He could top that total if the guys in front of him stay healthy and reasonably productive. Last major leaguer with 170 RBI? Jimmie Foxx, 1938 -- playing for the Red Sox. AL Position Ranking: 1st Center Field: Johnny Damon Had disappointing year with Oakland, but that didn't stop Boston from giving him a four-year, $31 million deal. Will provide much better defense than Carl Everett and perhaps provide top-flight leadoff skills. Will likely hit second on days Rickey Henderson plays and hits first. AL Position Ranking: 5th Right Field: Trot Nixon Had a better OPS than league MVP Ichiro (881 to 838), not that anyone noticed. If he can improve .210 mark vs. lefties, he can be an All-Star. Underrated defender, who plays Fenway's big right field nicely. AL Position Ranking: 4th Designated hitter: Brian Daubach Underrated and could be listed higher than below. Best suited for a platoon role (look for Rickey Henderson to play vs. lefties) and best kept off the field, although he can play outfield in a pinch. AL Position Ranking: 12th No. 1 Starter: Pedro Martinez He was 7-1 with a 1.44 ERA through May when shoulder problems set in. A comeback in August was shut down and he finished with just 18 starts. Obviously dominant if healthy, look for the team to give him five or even six days between starts as often as possible. Rough spring has Red Sox faithful at midseason panic level already. AL Ranking among starters: 2nd No. 2 Starter: John Burkett Can he repeat last year's out-of-nowhere season, when he finished third in the NL with a 3.04 ERA? Unlikely, but Red Sox will settle for 4.04 ERA and another 200-inning season. AL Ranking among starters: 20th No. 3 Starter: Derek Lowe Lowe lost his closer role after losing five games by early May. He started three games at the end of the year and joins the rotation full time this season. He relies on a heavy sinker that should produce effective results as a starter. AL Ranking among starters: 27th No. 4 Starter: Dustin Hermanson Acquired from St. Louis for three minor leaguers, Hermanson is a decent No. 4 starter if he can approach 200 innings. Fell prey to the longball last year (34 HRs allowed). AL Ranking among starters: 29th Bullpen: Rich Garces, Tim Wakefield, Rolando Arrojo, Casey Fossum Red Sox relievers were seventh in the AL in bullpen ERA, after ranking in the top three the previous two years. Lack of innings from the starters meant they had the second-most innings pitched in the AL, so they need that workload to drop. AL Position Ranking: 6th Closer: Ugueth Urbina Urbina bounced back from elbow surgery (bone chips) in 2000 to fan 89 in 66 2/3 innings. On the other hand, his ERA was just 3.65 and lefties hit .278 off him. AL Position Ranking: 7th

Overall Power Index Rankings (AL rank):
Position: 7.00 (7th) | Pitching: 4.83 (4th)

-- David Schoenfield