by Jerry Curtis

Created on: October 22, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

The 2007 World Series will begin on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. The red-hot National League champions Colorado Rockies will take on the (once again) come-from-behind American League Boston Red Sox in a match up that promises to be a good one. How do these two teams match up? Let's look at their 2007 records:

Won-loss: (BOSTON has the edge)
BOSTON: 96-66 (51-30 at home; 45-36 on the road) - Won their division and recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the NL championships.

COLORADO: 90-73 (51-31 at home; 39-42 on the road) - Won the NL wild card with an end of season surge.

Offense: (a dead heat)
BOSTON: .279 batting average, with 5.34 runs per game
COLORADO: .280 batting average, with 5.28 runs per game

Fielding: (COLORADO has the edge)
COLORADO: .989 fielding percentage, 68 errors (best in the AL)
BOSTON: .986 fielding percentage, 81 errors (second best in the AL)

Pitching: (BOSTON has the edge)
BOSTON: 4.06 ERA, allowed 3.87 runs per game (best in the AL). Boston has a 20-game winner, Becket, and a highly rated reliever, Pabelon, with 37 saves.
COLORADO: 4.32 ERA, allowed 4.65 runs per game (8th in the AL). Colorado's ace is Francis with 17 wins. No Colorado reliever has made the top ten in NL saves, but their middle and late game relievers have performed well in the post-season.

The ballparks of both teams provide a contrast in both ambiance and measurements. Fenway Park (capacity about 35,000) is crowded into Boston's downtown and accommodates major league dimensions by bring fans closer to the playing field. Coors Field (capacity 50,200), on the other hand, provides a spacious backdrop to the Rocky Mountains front range with bigger overall dimensions.

Here are some field comparisons for both stadiums:

Left field: BOSTON 310 feet (with the tall "Green Monster" fence); Colorado 347 feet
(Note from Fenway Park's home page: "The left field wall - also known as the Green Monster - measures 37 feet high, with the screen above the wall extending 23 feet.)"

Center field: BOSTON 390 feet (420 feet in deep center); Colorado 415 feet (375 in Right Center)

Right field: BOSTON 302 feet (down the right field line with a very low fence); Colorado 350 feet (with a high, 17-foot wall)

There are, of course, intangibles: Boston's designated hitter and star, David Ortiz, may have a rough time with Coors Field's larger dimensions in right field. On the other hand, Colorado's MVP candidate and right-handed batter Matt Holiday may not fare well against Boston's "Green Monster." Boston's pitching crew headed by 41-year-old Curt Schilling, may dominate, but Colorado's best-in-the-league defense could keep Boston runners off base.

There is no question, however, that the Colorado Rockies are the hottest team in baseball, having ended their season with an astonishing record of 21 out of 22 and a seven-game sweep in post season. Boston, on the other hand, will likely be equally ready with their typical come-from-behind AL series win over the Cleveland Indians.

This series promises to be one of those classic match ups. Boston, who only two years ago finally broke the Babe Ruth jinx and beat St. Louis in a four-game sweep hopes to repeat. The Rockies, who defeated the Red Sox two out of three games in an interleague match up last June at Fenway Park, hope to combine that precedent with their current hot streak and win the baseball championship for the fans out west.

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