Best Red Sox team ever?
I'm gearing up for my trip down south to Fenway Park. The game is not until 7 p.m. Wednesday, but the planning started months ago.
My group has six tickets - four at the dugout and two Green Monster seats. Yup, pretty lucky indeed.
The plan is for all of us to get a chance on Green Monster (at least for an inning).
However, work has thrown a wrench into some of my friends plans. I wish they would get their priorities straight. So we'll see what we end up with.
Either way, I'll be heading down in style. A limosine will transport us right to the Fenz without any worry for parking.
And for the second time this season, I'll see Daisuke Matsuzaka.
This time however a tough hitting Cleveland team awaits.
That lineup is loaded, including fan favorite Trot Nixon. I can only hope that he gets a similar reception as he did Monday.
When I saw him step up with the bases loaded Monday, I must admit I was a little worried. Wouldn't it have been fitting? Nixon afterall is having a much better year than his replacement - J.D. Drew.
Oh, it's only 24 hours away - I can't wait.
A great question was thrown at me on the last entry: The best Sox team ever?
Here are the choices:
Manny's 2004 team
Babe's 1918 team
Pudge's 1975 team
Yaz's 1967 team
Smokey Joe's 1912 team
Cy's 1903 team
Current team
Rocket's 1986 team
Splinter's 1946 team
Ernie's 1916 team
All of these teams have their merits. Yaz was the best of the best in '67 and continues to be the last man to have received the Triple Crown. Pudge's Game 6 home run was memorable indeed. Babe's 1918 has some bad connotations. I still hear "19-18" ringing in my head though it is no longer the "last time" the Sox won a championship. 1986 was pure heartbreak (It was not Buckner's fault).
For me it really comes down to only two teams: 2004 and 2007.
The 2004 team was the only team in history to come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a championship series. The talented, happy-go-lucky roster made for not only great baseball, but great fun.
We could relate to the players again. Blue collar-types, unassuming. We had the Caveman and Big Papi. We had "Cowboy up!" We had home videos. We had historic feats (Curt Schilling's ankle; David Ortiz' walk-off wins)
On a personal note: being in the bleachers for Game 5 of the ALCS series was special indeed.
How could anything top that?
It's tough, but we may be witnessing the greatest Sox team ever, right now. I can't remember the last time the Red Sox had the best record in all of baseball - this late into the season. With the competition as tough as it has ever been, the Sox have maintained a double-digit lead.
And they are doing it in non-Red Sox fashion. We have yet to see Manny's power, nor the bat of Lugo and Drew.
It's all about the pitching. And unlike the teams in '49 and '78, this team is built for success.
It may be a bit early, but should this team continue, we're talking best!
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Right now, this team appears better than 2004 because of the depth of pitching. What is wonderful to know is that the hitting, while timely and exciting, has yet to kick into full gear. The '78 team was brutal to opposing pitching (Rice, Boomer, Yaz, Lynn, Fisk, Hobson, Evans, and even Remy and Burleson were effective), but I believe statistically the 2004 team actually was a better hitting team. This year's edition won't acheive either 78 or 04 numbers I imagine, but they'll do better than they are right now, and with the pitching they have they could, conceivably, be better in August and September than they have been in May. If that happens? Yeah, this is the best of the lot.
Posted by
Old HatMay 30, 2007 08:01 AM
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