What a great season!

[Imgran]

Best title defense since the Yankees in 2001. We kept our honor against this year's destiny squad and lost a close game to a team of equal power who just executed that little bit better, and we did it with many nagging injuries on the staff and with several key pieces severely compromised (notably Beckett, Varitek, Lowell and Ortiz).

If I knew what was going to happen with this season going into it I'd have taken it as is, no questions asked.

I challenge anyone to look back and tell me that the Red Sox had a craptastic year. Could have ended better, but could have ended a heck of a lot worse, especially with Beckett showing a good sign, knowing we get all of Oki, Pap, and Masterson back next year, and that Lester finished strong.

Plenty of treat memories, plenty of great signs for next year. And if Beckett gets healthy and Buchholz gets straightened out, this team is going all the way next year, I have no doubts in my mind.

[mrakbaseball]

The Red Sox have nothing to be ashamed of, however Tampa Bay in the World Series is better theatre.:cap:

[DickZ]

You're absolutely right, Imgran, it was a great year. The Big Comeback in ALCS Game 5 was as big a thrill as we could have - maybe even bigger than winning the series outright in a ho-hum fashion. It will be overshadowed only by the thrill of snapping the string of futility in 2004 with all those great games in that ALCS, and going on to take the World Series too.

And many thanks to guys like you, maximum jack, Mike D, Dogdaze, and Westlake, who always had such a positive outlook on everything. It's so much more enjoyable, for me at least, to have that kind of an attitude with respect to our Red Sox.

[VTSoxFan]

It was a good year, with some amazing moments. How many times did we go "WOW!" upon seeing Pedroia make a fantastic play? How about the run that Drew went on in June? And Youk never disappointed. Ellsbury's 50+ stolen bases...

Remember Sean Casey crawling back to 2B in Yankee Stadium back in April? :rofl:

And Lester's no-hitter...:dance

The Sox had a very good year. It was a pleasure to watch (most of the time).

4 months till Spring Training, and then we begin all over again. GO SOX!!

[bakes781]

It was a good season. Just goes to show just how hard it is to repeat. I really didn't think they could get even this far! I love the young nucleus we have going forward. There are some areas which need additional injections of youth, but I'm confident in Theo.

Can I officially start the let's get Tex campaign now? :rofl:

[Mike D.]

I was so pleased to see this thread when I logged in this morning!

I was afraid the negative feeling from the loss would overrun folks perspective and we'd see lots of negative posts. But the facts are the facts...the Sox lost a game 7 for the first time in a long time, but they had an amazing year that ended one game short of the World Series.

Those fans who only tuned in during 2004 and 2007 might not realize this, but getting to the World Series is an incredibly difficult proposition in any year, and nearly impossible two years in a row.

The Sox had a great year despite dealing with a lot of injuries and poor performances. It's a testiment to the management of the team and the players in the clubhouse that they were able to plug guys in when holes opened up, and just keep on winning.

Remember, this team:

- Dealt with injuries to Beckett, Lowell, Drew, Ortiz, Lugo, Wakefield, and others.

- Lost their starting shortstop to ineffectiveness and then injury, and had a rookie step up big time and contribute.

- Lost their best hitter (Ortiz) for an extended amount of time and stayed in it.

- Had their clean-up hitter quit on them and have to dump him in a trade, and got better!

It truely was an amazing year, with breakout years by guys like Lester, Youk, Pedroia, and Dice-K, and great rookie season contributions from Ellsbury, Lowrie, and Masterson. This team is good, and the future looks bright....it has been SO much fun being a Red Sox fan lately! :)

[sharrock]

There is a growing resentment of the Red Sox in certain circles but this team is gutty, sound, and never gives anything away without a (helluva ALCS) fight. Any baseball fan can at least appreciate that.

Its been a great year following this team. Last night's game still hurts some but the better team won.

[maximum jack]

It was a fun season and a great (well at least 5 of the 7 games were great) ALCS. I'm a little worried though, that my daughter (born August 5, 2008) hasn't seen the Red Sox win a World Series Championship yet. :laugh

[Mike D.]

It was a fun season and a great (well at least 5 of the 7 games were great) ALCS. I'm a little worried though, that my daughter (born August 5, 2008) hasn't seen the Red Sox win a World Series Championship yet. :laugh

Congrats on the new addition to the family (and to Red Sox Nation). While your daughter has not yet seen a Red Sox championship in her lifetime, I hope it brings you some consilation that with the current management team and the makeup of the team, I'm fairly confident that your daughter will see a Red Sox World Championship team long before she's 86 years old! :)

[Imgran]

I was so pleased to see this thread when I logged in this morning!


I have to admit that I made this post in part to convince myself. Still, it was a great run, and as strong a title defense as any team has made in awhile, other than the Yankee dynasty.

[MadHatter]

Agreed! Great season, and congrats to the Rays!

[sharrock]

It was a fun season and a great (well at least 5 of the 7 games were great) ALCS. I'm a little worried though, that my daughter (born August 5, 2008) hasn't seen the Red Sox win a World Series Championship yet. :laugh

Too funny.

She only knows a world where the Beast of the East is the Rays. Who woulda thunk it.

[ColbyPants]

I have to admit that I made this post in part to convince myself. Still, it was a great run, and as strong a title defense as any team has made in awhile, other than the Yankee dynasty.

Yep, as I posted in another thread, this was a season worthy of a defending champion. . .


:rofl: I guess there is always next year. . . :rofl:

[The Kid]

Always dissapionted to go home early, but it was a pretty good title defense. Repeating is almost impossible these days, and we just lost to a very good team (who now merit my choice as public enemy no. 2, behind the Yankees). And heck, I think we'll be even better next year. This loss makes our team hungry, and with some big off season additions (which I feel Theo will make), I'm ready for a 3 rings in 6 years run.

[josh24]

It was a great season. Thanks to Francona, Pedroia, Matsuzaka and all Red Sox team....and of course, WE, THE FANS!!!!:D:D:D:D

[scaffolds]

Without a doubt that the Sox gave Tampa a fight at the end of the serie, however the same serie showed what the Rays will be like (injuries aside) in the next few years (Rays will stronger in 2009) and exposed the weakness of a Red Sox line up and what a line up minus Manny Ramirez is all about. This a line up that don't have a clean up hitter, have holes (with the bat) at SS and catcher and inconsistent performance in CF and RF.

[Imgran]

Without a doubt that the Sox gave Tampa a fight at the end of the serie, however the same serie showed what the Rays will be like (injuries aside) in the next few years (Rays will stronger in 2009) and exposed the weakness of a Red Sox line up and what a line up minus Manny Ramirez is all about. This a line up that don't have a clean up hitter, have holes (with the bat) at SS and catcher and inconsistent performance in CF and RF.

The lineup had a cleanup hitter, or weren't you watching when Youkilis took over, put 29 over the wall, and put himself on the fringes of the MVP conversation?

Bay instead of Manny was not the problem with this offense with the possible exception of specifically Game 7, and frankly, I doubt Manny hits Garza or Price either the way they were dealing. They had all the Sox hitters completely off balance..

[scaffolds]

The lineup had a cleanup hitter, or weren't you watching when Youkilis took over, put 29 over the wall, and put himself on the fringes of the MVP conversation?

Bay instead of Manny was not the problem with this offense with the possible exception of specifically Game 7, and frankly, I doubt Manny hits Garza or Price either the way they were dealing. They had all the Sox hitters completely off balance..

It seems like you watch players in a different view than I do, Youkilis had a very good year, but Youkilis isn't a clean up hitter, pitchers don't have a problem pitching to Youkilis and as long as they do Ortiz isn't going to see pitches that he can hit. Youkilis should hit in the 6th spot, not in the fourth.

[Imgran]

Pitchers don't have a problem pitching to Youkilis? Every pitcher I've ever heard quoted on the subject was pretty clear that Youk was one of the guys they really didn't want to face in a big situation.

I love intangibles as much as the next guy but Youkilis was the best offensive player in the AL in an offense-driven position (1B). Your statement is ridiculous on the face of it.

If I was Youkilis, I wouldn't want them to fear me. Give me more meatballs that way.

Seriously, Scaffolds. Do you EVER adjust your opinions of a player when confronted with reality? Or was Ortiz a 4 year fluke as well? After all, he wasn't exactly a terrifying hitter when we picked him up.

[scaffolds]

Pitchers don't have a problem pitching to Youkilis? Every pitcher I've ever heard quoted on the subject was pretty clear that Youk was one of the guys they really didn't want to face in a big situation.

I love intangibles as much as the next guy but Youkilis was the best offensive player in the AL in an offense-driven position (1B). Your statement is ridiculous on the face of it.

If I was Youkilis, I wouldn't want them to fear me. Give me more meatballs that way.

Seriously, Scaffolds. Do you EVER adjust your opinions of a player when confronted with reality? Or was Ortiz a 4 year fluke as well? After all, he wasn't exactly a terrifying hitter when we picked him up.

Ingram the issue is that you love low ceiling players, players that the main goal is to take pitches and take base on balls. The meaning of job of a clean up hitter explain it self to do a clean up , that's not Youkilis approach at the plate, it doesn't make Youkilis a bad hitter just not right hitter (again he had a very good 2008 season) for the spot and one more time we disagree, pitchers rather pitches to Youkilis than to Ortiz. Ortiz need a hitter behind that pitchers fear them as much as Ortiz so that he could get pitches that he can hit, that was part of his struggles at the end of the year he didn't get many of those. Pitchers would rather walk Ortiz and have to pich to Youkilis than having to pitch to Ortiz.

[Imgran]

No, the issue is that of the two of us only one of us can see a player performing well and adjust their expectations accordingly.

Youkilis is not the pitchtaker he was in '06. Only a blind fool would say he was. The numbers tell the story as well as anything else as his OBP minus AVG is as low as it's been in his career, but it's also a documented fact that he's swinging early in the count much more than before.

Players CHANGE, Scaffolds. That's the issue. If it was up to you I'm sure Mike Piazza would never be more than a backup catcher since his ceiling was initially considered low.

[scaffolds]

Ingram not only you are a fool, but you are a typical fanatic, one that believe that everything its right for the team he roots for, the SS is great, the clean up hitter is great, the manager is a great. ISN't This team need some adjustments in their line up in order to compete in 2009. This adjustments aren't like the stupid post like that the sox should move Youkilis to third base and trade Lowell, because isn't going to happen, no organization is going to trade for a 35 yrs third baseman coming from a serious hip injury making 13 millions, besides Lowell its a better third baseman than Youlkilis.

PS I agree that Youkilis has been more more agrresive at the plate but his approach still remain in taking pitches and getting a base on balls.

[Imgran]

THe Boston Red Sox lineup was second in the AL and third in MLB in runs scored. That's fact, not fanaticism. Worrying about the bottom 2 rotation spots and keeping the bullpen tight and the bench strong is more productive use of perfectly good panic.

Theo should look hard for a good catcher to replace 'Tek, but I don't trust the available FA's to be better than Lowrie, even if you assign Lowrie the value of a roughly league-average hitter with roughly league-average D at SS. His upside based on his minor league numbers suggests that he should be a fair bit more than that.

Good SS is only behind a good C and a good SP as something that's hard to find on the FA market. I really think that improving on Lowrie is unlikely without spending more resources than you'd be smart to.

[scaffolds]

Lowrie minor league stats:

2006 (Wimingtom) 262 Ave in 97G 21 doubles, 6 tripples, 3 HR 32 RBI 34 BB 30K and 25 E

2007 (Portland) 297 Ave in 93G 31 doubles 7 tripples, 8 HR 49 RBI 65 BB 58 K 13 E

2007 (Pawtucket) 300 Ave in 40G 16 doubles, 2 tripples 5 HR 21 RBI 12BB 33K 7 E

2008 (Pawtucket) 268 Ave in 198 AB 14 doubles, 2 tripples and 5 HR, 32 RBI 31 BB 43 K and 7E in 48 G

Good year in 2007, not other sucess.