Final Pawtucket Red Sox grades

How do you apply a grade to the Pawtucket Red Sox (PawSox)- a team that finished last in the International League? By the end of May the PawSox were in first place in the IL North and are now entrenched in last place. The only team with comparable misery is the Detroit farm team – the Toledo Mud Hens. The PawSox finished at 59-85 (.410). The previous season Pawtucket was 79-65.

You examine the stats for the IL just choose an offensive stat – Average, OBP, OPS, slugging, total bases and runs. All say Pawtucket is last. This is not an offensive juggernaut. Even a last place in doubles, triples and hits. Any significant offense eventually was promoted to Boston.

Pitching was a different avenue to explore and even with the staff decimated by Boston looking for both starters and relievers the staff still managed to function reasonably well. The final figures show a 3.73 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP and consider that the most productive members were promoted to Boston.

Even attendance took a hit as for the first time in years Pawtucket dipped under 500,000. This may change in the next few years as the team has been sold and the political football is in play for a new stadium in picturesque downtown Providence that will, no doubt, end the free parking and $12 top ticket at McCoy Stadium.