Lets-Go Red-Sox!!

[Justin5 20]

Great way to start the ALCS so far. They're definitely looking like the best team left so far! If Schil can do it in Game 2 Boston would be sitting pretty.

[WinCrimson 61]

See ya in game six, Fenway!

[Justin5 20]

make that game seven!!

[WinCrimson 61]

make that game seven!!

... on to game one!

Wonderful. Just plain wonderful.

[Ranger12 46]

I have resisted posting since we went down 3-1. I also started listening to "Tessie" before every game after that trying to get the mojo flowing. I even broke out my little league baseball card from when I was 12, which I just recently found after digging through some boxes of old stuff, where it had on the back of it that Wade Boggs was my favorite player and the Red Sox was my favorite team. Looks like I am going to be playing "Tessie" and keeping that card handy during the World Series also.

I also am going out tomorrow to buy me a new hat for the WS just like I did in 2004.

I am not suspicious, just cautious.

[GalensGhost 0]

I am not suspicious, just cautious.

You're definitely suspicious.

[WinCrimson 61]

I have resisted posting since we went down 3-1. I also started listening to "Tessie" before every game after that trying to get the mojo flowing. I even broke out my little league baseball card from when I was 12, which I just recently found after digging through some boxes of old stuff, where it had on the back of it that Wade Boggs was my favorite player and the Red Sox was my favorite team. Looks like I am going to be playing "Tessie" and keeping that card handy during the World Series also.

I also am going out tomorrow to buy me a new hat for the WS just like I did in 2004.

I am not suspicious, just cautious.

"We're not here to mess around!" The water's been mighty dirty these last three games, too.

I hope you bring us luck on your hat purchase. I picked up my hat on Yawkey Way when I was in Boston this past summer. I'll be wearing my Sox gear up here in Tuscaloosa and I'll let you take care of the Decatur area. Together, we can stamp out all this Braves stuff. *wink*

P.S. Check your PMs.

[Aubie16 1]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

[lukeduke 8]

Rockies in 5

[WinCrimson 61]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

Best record in baseball? AL East Champs? American League Champs?

Sure. Fine. Whatever. I'll take it.

[Ranger12 46]

I am not suspicious, just cautious.

You're definitely suspicious.

Yeah, yeah, I meant to say superstitious.

When you are on a steady of painkillers mixed with a little Calculus and C++ programming edumacation, your brain tends to short circuit sometimes, or in my case quite often here lately.

I am glad you do think I am suspicious.

[Aubie16 1]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

Best record in baseball? AL East Champs? American League Champs?

Sure. Fine. Whatever. I'll take it.

Buying their team in free agency instead of growing the team from within the farm system.

[Ranger12 46]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

Best record in baseball? AL East Champs? American League Champs?

Sure. Fine. Whatever. I'll take it.

Buying their team in free agency instead of growing the team from within the farm system.

Ummm...maybe you need to look at our roster a little better, and especially our starting lineup and pitching depth chart. The majority of our starters are either players that have been with the team for awhile or 1st and 2nd year players or players that nobody else wanted. Of the veteran players we did sign from free agency, such as Beckett, Coco Crisp, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo, and JD Drew, Lowell and Beckett were the only consistent players throughout the regular season. Out of that group Beckett was the only guy that a lot of other teams were after. Heck, we had to sit Crisp the last two games and replace him with a rookie who only played 33 games with us this season.

We did pay some big money for out Japanese pitchers, but they did not exactly light it up for us this year either. Then don't get me started on how Eric Gagne has been a bust.

We may have signed several veteran players, but we did not spend the amount that the Yankees usually spend on a Robert Clemens or an A-Rod. However, when you lose the likes of Johnny Damon, Trot Nixon, Pedro Martinez, Bronson Arroyo, Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Derek Lowe, Mark Bellhorn, Nomar Garciapara, Bill Mueller, Kevin Millar, Dave Roberts, and Ellis Burks all since 2004, I guess Theo Epstien is supposed to just sit on his hands and not sign and free agent veterans?

Yet our young talent has been contributed just as much as the veterans have. Guys like Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Palpabon, Manny Declarmen, and Jon Lester have shown they have a bright future if they can stay healthy.

[aumd03 2]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

Best record in baseball? AL East Champs? American League Champs?

Sure. Fine. Whatever. I'll take it.

Buying their team in free agency instead of growing the team from within the farm system.

The big players this series were Dustin Pedroya and Kevin Youkalis and both those guys came up through the red sox farm system.

I just want to state for the record that my avatar has been red sox for many months, not just the last few days like some peoples... cough, wincrimson, cough

[WinCrimson 61]

It makes me laugh that the Red Sox have become exactly what they hated for all those years. The Yankees.

Best record in baseball? AL East Champs? American League Champs?

Sure. Fine. Whatever. I'll take it.

Buying their team in free agency instead of growing the team from within the farm system.

The big players this series were Dustin Pedroya and Kevin Youkalis and both those guys came up through the red sox farm system.

I just want to state for the record that my avatar has been red sox for many months, not just the last few days like some peoples... cough, wincrimson, cough

Are you saying that I'm a bandwagon fan? If so, I have to tell you that I really do resent that statement. I'm not mad at you, but you really need to know how wrong you are if that's what you're thinking.

If so, I could counter with the fact that you misspelled "Pedroia" and "Youkilis." But, oh well...

I've got pictures of a me as a kid with Boggs -- both with our Sox hats on, I've got a hand-written letter from Curt Schilling, and Ted Williams autographs and memorabilia hanging on my walls. I've got a BoSox decal on my truck and a love for them in my heart. Please, please, please don't insinuate that I'm starting to follow the Sox at a "convenient" time just because I haven't had a Boston avatar on this site. I follow/care about the Red Sox as much as the Tide. FWIW, that's me signing the Fisk Pole in the picture.

Moving on. How about a little pre-game mojo courtesy of Paps? Classic stuff.

[Justin5 20]

This picture is both funny and odd. Almost looks like an optical illusion.

[Ranger12 46]

I sure hope our bats stay this hot.

[AUJarhead 70]

Doesn't hurt to have Beckett. I'd like this to go 6, I'd love to see the folks at Fenway win a World Series in Boston, and not at some other stadium (which happens to be torn down... I miss Old Busch). I did some consulting work at a small college in Salem, MA from early 2003 until mid 2004. When you guys won against my Cards, I had friends from that school calling me the next day, telling me that church bells were ringing when it happened, grown men riding the train into work the next day were crying, a really neat site.

If Schill can lock them down tomorrow night, it might not go 6 though.

Good luck tomorrow, guys...

[GalensGhost 0]

What really amazes me is that there are only about four or five guys on the Red Sox roster who were with the team when it won the Series in 2004. Granted, they're some big time players -- Ortiz, Manny, Schilling -- but at the same time when you think about a team having that kind of turnover and still being in the hunt season after season? That's some excellent front office work.

[Justin5 20]

Dice-K with a HUGE 2 out, 2 rbi single to keep the inning alive.

[Justin5 20]

I know the series isn't over but....

What will this team look like next year? I think Schilling rides off into the sunset giving the Sox another 13 million, then Lowell will be gone freeing up another 9 million. Clement's contract is up and he made 9.5 million this year. 9+13+9.5= 30.5 million. A-Rod wants 30, Sox pony up giving them a team looking like this.

SP

Beckett

Dice-K

Lester

Buchholz

Wakefield?

RP

RP: Okajima

RP: Timlin

RP: Hansen

CL: Papelbon

Line-up as:

1. 1B - Youk

2. 2B - Pedoria

3. 3B - Arod

4. LF - Manny

5. DH - Ortiz

6. CF - Ellsbury

7. RF - Drew

8. C - Varitek

9. SS - Lugo

[Justin5 20]

Well, that was rather easy all things considered.

Red Sox - 2007 World Series Champions!

[WinCrimson 61]

Think about it, Sox fans. What we've seen twice in our lifetimes is what the RSN waited 85 years for. Many fans died without seeing this. We're very lucky.

2007 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

[Ranger12 46]

What really amazes me is that there are only about four or five guys on the Red Sox roster who were with the team when it won the Series in 2004. Granted, they're some big time players -- Ortiz, Manny, Schilling -- but at the same time when you think about a team having that kind of turnover and still being in the hunt season after season? That's some excellent front office work.

You hit that nail on the head. John Henry is one of the classiest owners out there and Theo Epstien is a freakin' genius. They have everything running like a well oil machine from the major league club down to the developmental leagues. Guys like Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papelbon, Youkilis, and Lester are proof of the latter.

Of all the decisions that the Red Sox front office has made, I think the smartest thing they ever did was hiring Terry Francona. He has a 21-9 post season record in his four years as a manager. Any manager that can get modern day MLB players to come from behind down 3-0 and 3-1 in the ALCS and then sweep their WS opponents obviously has a knack of getting the most out of his players.

Anybody know when is the last time that the team with the best regular season record actually won the WS before this year? I know that since the wild card was started, several wild card teams have won it all, including the 2004 Red Sox.

[Grider 1]

What really amazes me is that there are only about four or five guys on the Red Sox roster who were with the team when it won the Series in 2004. Granted, they're some big time players -- Ortiz, Manny, Schilling -- but at the same time when you think about a team having that kind of turnover and still being in the hunt season after season? That's some excellent front office work.

You hit that nail on the head. John Henry is one of the classiest owners out there and Theo Epstien is a freakin' genius. They have everything running like a well oil machine from the major league club down to the developmental leagues. Guys like Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papelbon, Youkilis, and Lester are proof of the latter.

Of all the decisions that the Red Sox front office has made, I think the smartest thing they ever did was hiring Terry Francona. He has a 21-9 post season record in his four years as a manager. Any manager that can get modern day MLB players to come from behind down 3-0 and 3-1 in the ALCS and then sweep their WS opponents obviously has a knack of getting the most out of his players.

Anybody know when is the last time that the team with the best regular season record actually won the WS before this year? I know that since the wild card was started, several wild card teams have won it all, including the 2004 Red Sox.

I don't think there is any doubt that Francona is the best manager in baseball. I was pretty sure of it before Torre left, but its just been confirmed.

Congrats SOX!