By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer

Defense wins championships.  Yes it’s cliche, but it’s true.  Boston fans need to look no further than the 2008 Celtics and 2001, 2003 and 2004 Patriots for proof.

Now it’s the Red Sox who are trying to win with defense and pitching.  But will it work?

The short answer is, why shouldn’t it work?  Take a look at the 2004 team.  At the trading deadline, the Sox traded away shortstop Nomar Garciaparra for shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz.  The Red Sox weren’t looking for offense when they made the deal, instead they sacrificed by getting Cabrera, a gold glover, to replace Nomar, a shortstop who couldn’t reach first with his throws consistently.

After the deal the Sox went 42 and 19 in the regular season (they were 56-45 before it), and ended it with winning their first World Series in 86 years.  The always outspoken Curt Schilling referred to Cabrera as “a game changer in the field for me.”

But the approach might not be so successful this year.  On paper the 2010 team lacks something the 2004 group had plenty of: offense.

In 2004 the team offense was led by the 3-4 combo of David Ortiz (41 home runs, 139 RBI) and Manny Ramirez (43 home runs, 130 RBI).  The depth on offense didn’t stop there, five other players had 12 or more home runs.

After losing Jason Bay to free agency, the 2010 club lacks that sort of punch.  Sure, the team still has some offense, in the form of Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Victor Martinez and JD Drew, but that group lacks the punch of 2004’s big hitters (it’s likely they won’t get as many homers combined as Ortiz and Manny did in ‘04).  The Sox still have Ortiz, but he isn’t the same player he once was.

New addition Adrian Beltre could give the team’s offense a shot in the arm (no, not steroids).  In 2004, he had 48 home runs with the Dodgers in a contract year.  He then went to the Mariners, where he hit 95 home runs in his first four years, before hitting just 8 last year.  The Red Sox attribute some of Beltre’s drop off on the Mariner’s home park, Safeco field.  General Manager Theo Epstein said at a press conference, “It’s hard to emphasize just how much Safeco deflates offensive performance for right-handed power hitters. It’s really a tough place to hit. … left-field, left-center field, center field, even if you hit the ball well to the opposite field it’s hard to get rewarded as a right-handed hitter there.”

So, will the Sox new and improved defense bring a title to the Hub?  It certainly won’t hurt. But if the new players brought in for defense (Beltre, center fielder Mike Cameron, and second baseman Marco Scutaro) can’t hold their own at the plate, it could be a long summer in the fens.

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