CBS SportsLine.com breaks down the Yankees and the Red Sox to see which team has the edge:
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
2004 finish: 1st AL East 2004 record: 101-61 2004 playoffs: Lost ALCS Key newcomer: Randy Johnson
Boston Red Sox
2004 finish: 2nd AL East 2004 record: 98-64 2004 playoffs: Won World Series Key newcomer: Edgar Renteria
Offense
Alex Rodriguez
Is it a shocker that the teams with the two highest payrolls have excellent lineups? Not really. Boston features two of the game's most fearsome power hitters in Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz while the Yankees counter with Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield.
New York
Boston
Manny Ramirez
Defense
Tino Martinez
The Yankees improved their infield defense by signing Tino Martinez. However, center field is a question mark as Bernie Williams has lost several steps. The Red Sox strengthened themselves up the middle by signing shorstop Edgar Renteria.
New York
Boston
Edgar Renteria
Starting Rotation
Randy Johnson
The Yankees' No. 1 priority during the offseason was to upgrade the rotation. In: Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright. Out: Orlando Hernandez, Jon Lieber, Javier Vazquez. For Boston, Curt Schilling needs to regain his health and Wade Miller could turn into an X-factor. How will they deal with the loss of Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe?
New York
Boston
Curt Schilling
Bullpen
Mariano Rivera
If Mariano Rivera went down with injury or started to show his age, the Yankees would be in trouble. Even though they did improve their bullpen, Rivera is irreplaceable. Keith Foulke stepped up during the postseason and the Red Sox hope Matt Mantei will rebound from injury and become a solid setup man.
New York
Boston
Keith Foulke
Bench
Ruben Sierra
If Tino Martinez plays first and Jason Giambi DHs, the Yankees have Ruben Sierra's lethal, switch-hitting bat coming off the bench. After that, they are kind of thin. The Red Sox made a trade that netted them outfielder Jay Payton and infielder Ramon Vazquez to help bolster their bench.
New York
Boston
Jay Payton
Manager
Joe Torre
Yankees skipper Joe Torre had a tough 2004 ALCS. During their championship run, he seemed to push all the correct buttons. With that said, he is still one of the best at handling different personalities in the clubhouse. Red Sox manager Terry Francona gave Boston what eluded them for 86 years -- a world championship. What else can you say?
New York
Boston
Terry Francona
Intangibles
Derek Jeter
When you measure Derek Jeter, you don't measure him by his stats, but instead by his incredible leadership abilities. If anyone is a 'true Yankee', he is it. Same can be said about Red Sox captain Jason Varitek. He was the stable influence in what was otherwise a crazy clubhouse during their championship run.
New York
Boston
Jason Varitek
The Ultimate Edge
If you look at the head-to-head records and team stats over the last couple of seasons, it is incredible how equal these two teams have been. Since the Yankees added the Curt Schilling equalizer in Randy Johnson, they get a slight edge. However, anything can happen in a short series come October. We found this out last October and you can't discount the swagger the Sox will bring into the 2005 season as world champions. Bottom line: Count on the tiebreaker with Schilling and Johnson on the mound for Game 7 of the 2005 ALCS.
New York
Boston
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