Why the Red Sox will best the Indians

C.C.. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona are an excellent pitching tandem for the tribe, and match the Sox duo of Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling handily. But despite the usual pronouncements that October baseball success is predicated mostly on pitching, the Bostonians are clear favorites to reach the World Series.
This goes beyond their first-rate closer in Jonathan Papelbon, their hot-hitting duo of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and the fact that the Boston roster has literally twice as much experience at this level of the playoffs than do their counterparts. (The Red Sox personnel have played in 126 ALCS games combined. While the Indians, due in large part to the ageless Kenny Lofton’s 33 games in the fray, have 63.)
No, the reason the Sox are superior still has to do with sticks-and-balls, but it’s not the starting nine. It’s the whole 18.
While Ohio as a state has one of the nation’s greatest collection of golf courses, with great venues from Columbus (especially) to Cincinnati, Akron and Toledo, Cleveland itself is a bit behind the curve. There’s classic Canterbury, which has played host to two U.S. Opens, the U.S. Amateur, and the PGA Championship. Also in the big-time mix are the Country Club of Cleveland, Shaker Heights Country Club, Acacia, Pepper Pike and Chagrin Valley. Fair enough.
But within an hour of Fenway Park’s Green Monster are some of golf’s most storied venues. The Country Club, for starters. Four-time U.S. Open venue and delightful anachronism, Myopia Hunt Club. Magnificent Salem CC, venerable Worcester CC, site of the first-ever Ryder Cup. There’s Kittansett Club, by the sea. The quirky Essex County Club, always-pleasing Winchester CC, Charles River, where the members’ blood runs Barbicide-blue. Yes, be it batter’s box or tee box, Boston has the upper hand over Cleveland.