How Boston Broke the Curse

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

It all started on December 20, 2001 when the Red Sox were sold to a group headed buy John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino for $660 million. 

These men were not only shrewd businessmen but also baseball insiders.  They fired their general manager immediately and hired an interim one so they could take time to find their guy. They also fired their manager and hired Grady Little. 

The most important hire they made that off-season was for their assistant general manager position which went to Theo Epstein. 

Epstein, a Yale graduate, was only 28 at the time, but was more than ready for the job. He had a different mindset than most of the ‘old school’ guys. 

Epstein believed that you can find talent and evaluate players based on some numerous statistics.  Epstein was of a big fan of Bill James and his sabermetrics approach and Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics. 

The front office was run in the relatively same manner in 2002 but Epstein and other young assistants made their first move when they acquired Alan Embree in June of 2002, who went on to be a key cog in the Red Sox’s bullpen for the next four seasons. 

The Red Sox won 93 games in 2002 but missed the playoffs, and in the off season, John Henry set out to find his general manager.  Henry himself was a supporter of sabermetrics and statistical analysis, and so he went after Billy Beane, but was turned down by him and eventually hired the guy who Beane recommended, Theo Epstein. 

It became official on November 25, 2002, just shy of Epstein’s 29th birthday.  Henry also hired James as a senior adviser and Josh Byrnes, a 32-year old, as assistant general manager.  The transition was complete and the Red Sox had effectively turned into the Oakland Athletics, only with a lot more money.

The Red Sox’s first battle with the Yankees was over Jose Contreras.  Epstein personally went to Nicaragua to wine and dine Contreras. Contreras ate it up and all signs pointed to him signing with the Red Sox. 

Then the Yankees swooped in with a better offer and signed Contreras.  Though the Red Sox lost another battle to the Yanks, they were not beaten up over it.  The Red Sox were determined to get value for their players and not get into any bidding wars, but also be bold and not worry about looking stupid if things didn’t work out like with Contreras. 

The Red Sox then went on to have one of the most efficient off seasons in baseball history. 

With only 13 million dollars spent and trading three low level prospects the Red Sox acquired David Ortiz, Kevin Millar, Todd Walker, Bill Mueller, Jeremy Giambi, Mike Timlin, and Bronson Arroyo.  The common denominator was that all of the hitters were better than the league average in on base percentage, a key statistic in sabermetrics. 

Every one of the players panned out except for Giambi, who got injured.  These players, along with the core players of the Red Sox, help guided the Red Sox to 95 wins in 2004 and a playoff appearance. 

In 2003, they led the league in slugging and runs while also setting a franchise record for home runs.  In only two years, the Red Sox had built a true rival to the all mighty Yankees.

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