A second Sox championship in 4 years wipes away all the little disappointments of the 2007 season: The free agent signings that didn't quite work out, the injuries that seemed to undermine a swan-song season for Schilling, and the power outage in the middle of the lineup (manny and ortiz just didn't seem to have that home run swagger this year).
Anyhow, my top ten list for the 2007 Sox:
10. Julio Lugo, J.D. Drew, Daisuke Matsuzaka: None of these guys quite measured up to the preseason hopes that accompanied their signings. Lugo couldn't get his average up to respectable levels. Drew's power disappeared, and his average was pretty disappointing (but he did play a full season for once!). And Daisuke's early season promise faded as the rigors of a long season took its toll on him. All these guys are going to be with the team (barring a trade) for a few years, and all of them have better years ahead of them. The good new: Gutty performances in the playoffs erased any regular season disappointments, and take the pressure of them for next year. I'm feeling pretty confident that all of them will improve in 2008.
9. Curt Schilling. He's a an old man, out of shape, losing his fastball. But he managed to put together a good run down the strech in the regular season and he won a few big games in the playoffs. He got a quick hook in Game 2 of the series, robbing him of a an opportunity to go out in style Fenway, but he still got a solid ovation, he got his second ring, and he probably made himself a borderline Hall of Famer with his 3 wins in this year's playoffs. He'll be pitching somewhere else in 2008, and good luck to him. He did his job and the Sox have 2 chamiponships as a result. Thank you, Curt!
8. The emergence of Josh Beckett. Josh has had moments of greatness. Some really big moments.... such as his 2003 World Series MVP performance against the Yanks. But until 2007, Beckett had never put together a full season of ace-level performance. Either injuries, slumps or gopheritis (see 2006) had kept him from emerging as a top 10 pitcher in the league. He's got my imaginary vote for the Cy Young this year. He owned the competition in the playoffs. Yeah, he won 20 in the regular season, but he took it to another level in the playoffs. He's done that twice now. It's clear that Beckett likes the big stage and he isn't scared at all. He's no Pedro, but he's definitely capable of being Roger Clemens, minus the oafish, mercenary BS.
7. Dustin Pedroia: This kid's swing is just too big. Too big. It's painful to watch him hit because it always looks like the bat is going to fly out of his hands on every swing. But for some reason he gets the job done. I was so disappointed when the Sox let Dave Eckstein slip through their fingers 6 or 7 years ago because it was obvious that the kid had the ability to put together 4 or 5 solid years as a middle-infielder. Pedroia reminds a lot of people of Eckstein, only Dustin is a lot more talented. He reminds me of a shorter Marty Barrett. Solid defense, excellent number 2 hitter. And he's with us for at least another 5 years. His postseason home runs this year showed everyone that he's solid under pressure. What a gamer!
6. Hideki Okajima: The Japanese afterthought. No one expected much from him in 2007. It's been said over and over, he was signed to be Daisuke's caddy. Well after that home run surrendered to John Buck in his first MLB appearance, he turned it on. Hitters never figured out his crazy delivery and he was a rock for us all year. He wilted in the final game against Colorado, but he was real tired. Here's hoping he can be half as good next year. If he is, the Sox will have a great bullpen again.
6. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez: Both of them had off years in 2007 but both of them inspired confidence in fans and teammates in the playoffs. Just having them in the lineup made things easier for everyone else. Opposing pitchers had to fear them, and that took the focus off the other guys in the lineup. These guys will be hard to replace when they finally move on. We probably have one more year with them in the middle of the Sox lineup. Here's hoping Theo can find a way to transition to the future when these guys are finally broken up.
5. Jonathan Papelbon: No runs in the postseason. This guy gave up no runs in October. That is just big balls. This kid is now the top closer in baseball in my book, and that's not just a homer talking. Really, it isn't. He's got to grow some facial hair in order to take it up a notch. I just can't take that glare seriously without a badass beard or handlebar mustache. But then again, I don't have to face his 98 mph fastball. I guess he can keep shaving if he wants. Who am I to argue. I love the fact that this kid is homegrown. I love it!
4. Kevin Youkilis: He just fouls off pitches. I love how he does that. He is such a professional hitter. When Bill Mueller moved on, Youkilis became the official biggest pain in the ass in the Sox lineup. He doesn't have the raw ability of Manny or Ortiz. And he doesn't have Lowell's natural skills. But he is just so damn good at recognizing pitches and setting himself up for the pitch he wants. And he's become a gold glove firstbaseman without us noticing. I've been a big fan of Youk since he was drafted out of the University of Cincinatti about 5 years ago. From day one with the Lowell Spinners I just knew this kid was going to be a solid hitter in the majors. It's been fun watching him establish himself. He doesn't have enough power to be a top firstbaseman in the MLB, but I love having him on this team, all the same.
3. Mike Lowell: He is just such a gentleman. He had such a fantastic season. And he had a fantastic postseason. He does it so quietly, you don't notice it. I mean, when they gave him the MVP for the Series I was shocked. But then they reviewed his performance, and I realized, oh yeah, he deserves it. But the fact that you can easily miss how good he is... that's what I love about him. He doesn't strut. He doesn't beat his chest. He just wins. He's like Paul O'Neill without the temper... which makes him my favorite player. I hope they get him to sign a 2-year contract. I don't want A-Rod!
2. Jacoby Ellsbury: This kid hits over .400 in the WS, won the country a free taco, has a WS ring, and he's still going to be a rookie next year. Is anyone else excited about him? :) I love Jacoby. He just seems to get it done. He's got so much talent, he's just a great story. Everybody is going out to buy Ellsbury jerseys. Problem is, you can't find them yet. Here's a kid who's going to be hitting .320 every year with 110 runs and 40 SB. The Sox have never had a player like that in the last half century. I just can't wait to watch him next year.
1. Terry Francona: Even after leading the Sox to the title in 2004 there were still people complaining about him. This guy will never get the respect he deserves. Two titles in 4 years. Yeah, he's got a talented roster, but how many managers could integrate rookies like Pedroia, Ellsbury, Daisuke, Okajima, and Delcarmen into a team that wins a World Series? He overmanaged a little bit in the playoffs, giving his starting pitchers a real quick hook, but that's just nitpicking at this point. He did a great job. He has the best playoff winning percentage of any manager in baseball history with more thn 20 games managed. That is something that has gone largely unnoticed by people. I don't even know the number he wears on his jersey, since he never seems to wear one, but I hope they retire his number some day. He deserves it.
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