The Red Sox: Top 12 Moments of the 2008 Regular Season

Here we are in the postseason once again. But, the regular season had some very memorable moments. Here are a few of my favorites.

12. The trade for Mark Kotsay brings his hot wife to town

Need I say more?

11. Bill Buckner returns to Fenway

We all know Buckner, mostly as a punch line, but we know him. Still, he was a great part of this team for a long time, putting up great numbers and contributing to his team every day. He had that one error, but you can't blame an entire series on one error; if only one time the ball goes through your legs.

And, he has not been treated well by the media—it has taken a terrible toll on the rest of his life.

So what do the Sox do? They bring him back, and the fans give him a huge, extended, standing ovation. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked the fans for how much it meant to him to come back a hero. No commentary necessary, that says it all.

I will mention that I may have had a tear in my eye when I saw it, though it may have been raining on my face.

10. Pedroia’s grand slam against the Yankees, August 28

What a way to put away the Yankees! The MVP does it again, in what many could see as the Yankees last stand for the playoffs. Pedroia delivered it by knocking one out and putting four on the board—pulling the game just out of reach of the Bronx Bombers.

Pedroia has proven over and over just how consistent and essential he is to this team, displayed his trademark confidence, and proved why he is one of the best hitters in the game.

The guy looks like he should have never made it past the AA Sea Dogs; he’s tall enough to come up to most guy’s shoulders; but he is arguably the best athlete on the team.

9. Jed Lowrie and the 2-1 extra innings win

This was one of the most pivotal games of the season, and it’s easy to see why. When you get rid of one of your marquee players, a guy who helped win two championships, who helped break the curse, a guy who will inevitably end up in the Hall of Fame, things aren’t guaranteed to improve.

But while the big story of the night was the debut of Jason Bay, Jed Lowrie was the unspoken champion of the night. He was the one that won the game.

Jed Lowrie drove in Jason Bay in the 12th for the walk off win, and made Bay the hero—the guy who scored both runs in the game. But it was this RBI that said a lot of things. It said Lowrie could come through for a team that needs him so badly, filling in SS for hurt Lugo in the weakest position the Sox have had since we let Nomar and Cabrera get away.

He proved his worth silently, and let the credit go to the new guy. He contributed to the team, and it’s hard to say we’d be in this same playoff position without him.

8. Youkilis puts away Texas in the most absurdly high scoring game I’ve ever seen

When facing Texas, it’s the offense you must fear. This isn’t the best team to put an untested pitcher, called up from Pawtucket, up against. Bad things can always happen when Milton Bradley, Ian Kinsler or Josh Hamilton come up to the plate. And on Tuesday, August 12, bad things did happen. Texas managed to score 17 runs against us.

But something else happened. The Red Sox proved why they are the best offense in the sport. How do you beat the team that scores 17 runs against you at your home stadium? Why, you score 19 runs, of course.

But the game didn’t always seem that easy.

Sox went into the eighth inning down a run. But then, the two most dependable people on the team came through in the clutch, once again.

Pedroia drove in Ellsbury to tie the game, and after Ortiz got on, Youkilis showed what he could do. Youk went out there every day to prove himself, never resigning his passion for the game, always exhibiting his hyper-intense competitive spirit. A three-run blast told Texas “nice try.”

7. Masterson debuts

We needed a pitcher to take over, so we pulled up a kid from the AA Sea Dogs with a sweet side arm. There weren’t many expectations, as there never is when a no-name kid is given a chance. Masterson did what he wanted to do that day—he impressed.

He won a 2-1 game, holding his team in it the entire time. He pitched with the command and composure of someone years older. It’s great to see someone come up and prove his depth—great to see a pitcher who is not only talented, but precocious.

6. JD Drew MVP at the All Star Game

Well, it was practically a Red Sox game. We had our coaching staff, and most of the team out there. Hell, I’m counting it.

If I could, I’d just choose “June.” It’s been said over and over how JD Drew stepped up in the absence of Ortiz, hitting near .400 and hitting an absurd amount of home runs.

It was his month, it was the month that made all that promise he always showed look as if it had all come true. Sadly, he got injured and the Season didn’t continue like that, but it peaked at the All Star Game. He won the game in the end, in 15 innings. If he hadn’t, he would have been pitching.

(You think I’m kidding?)

5. (Tie) Every damn time Dice-K got out of a bases-loaded situation unscathed

Well, these weren’t the best moments for my blood pressure, but man, did it feel good afterwards.

But Daisuke loved getting himself into trouble. He never looked like the ace, or a guy who would garner a record of 18-3, with an ERA under 3. But he pulled it off somehow, winning almost every game, frustrating the other side to no end. He was the ultimate tease, and you have to love him for that.

4. Consecutive sell-out record broken at Fenway.

There are two reasons that we were able to pass this milestone this September, breaking the record for most consecutive sell-outs that the Indians seemed to have a lock on since ’01.

There have always been Red Sox fans, and we have always had a ridiculous devotion to our team. But, Red Sox fans will always be the first to tell you the problems within the team. But, The “Red Sox” are a much greater thing, an idea, and beyond that, an ideal. There are certain things that they value most—determination, grit, dedication and passion—that not every player has embodied.

After talking with my friend Pat Smith about how, although the Yankees always suck, it’s hard to hate the players that embody a “Yankee.” Sure, we want the Red Sox to win, but who can hate Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, or Paul O’Neil? These days, there is a lack of those “Yankees” on the team, which makes this current team so much easier to hate.

It’s for this same reason that these Red Sox are so easy to love. Youkilis, Pedroia, Lester, Papelbon, Lowell, and Ortiz (to name a few) are “Red Sox.” This team is probably the closest this generation is going to get to finding a team that lives up to it’s name.

And the fans will not tell you otherwise. They pay this team back every day, selling out every game, following as closely as possible. It is from Fenway that the heart of Boston beats. The mood of the town is set by what’s going on down on that side of the city.

The fans spend the money to come sit in the old seats because it’s not about comfort—it’s about something more than that. Because only sitting in those seats can you feel the soul of the team, and know what makes the Red Sox so special.

3. The most ridiculous Manny play of all time

He makes the running catch. He high-fives a fan running up the wall. He makes the double play. Is there any defensive play that summed up ‘Manny being Manny’ (woo! 1,000,000,000 time someone writing about sports has used that phrase!) better than that?

He may have been the most frustrating person at times, but this was the last great moment, the last time he was the true love of the town. He had a great career here, and I wish him all the best. It’s a shame the relationship between the team and Ramirez got so strained, because it was so damn beautiful sometimes.

2. Jason Bay’s Fenway greeting

This was the moment when the fans came through the biggest. Like I said earlier, losing a Hall o’ Famer is a blow, but we at least got Jason Bay, who had great numbers in Pittsburgh. The problem with that? They were numbers in Pittsburgh, a.k.a., the low expectations capital of the world. Better players than Jason have crumbled under the expectations of wearing the Red Sox uniform.

But the fans made it okay. The second Jason Bay stepped on the field he got the warmest standing ovation I have seen in a while. Jason Bay was instantly humbled; he smiled and seemed to get a little choked up.

That crowd welcomed Jason to the Bay State as warmly as they could have, and he repaid them by becoming one of the best team players on the team. He is consistently making plays offensively and defensively, never letting an ego get in the way, and never trying to garner all the attention. He’s the anti-Manny in a lot of ways, and that’s just what we needed.

But if the fans had just let him go out with a few cheers, or silence? Who’s to say what would have happened to Jason Bay if everyone hadn’t stood up? What if they hadn't told Jason that they were happy to have him, or believe in his potential?

1. Lester’s no-no

Every person I’ve asked agrees with me here. A pitcher who was diagnosed with cancer, coming back and doing something that only the best can do, throw that rare no-hitter, seems crazy. This is not just the best moment for one team's regular season, but one of the best moments in sports history.

It would not have be so special if Jon Lester was not so special, if he didn’t prove that you can be one of the nicest, most humble guys on the team, and still dominate any team that comes to town.

This was the turning point, this is the moment that he proved himself, and he has yet to really let the team down since. There’s a reason he’s starting the first game of the ALDS, and it’s not just because Beckett’s hurt. Jon Lester is an ace.

But for me? It wasn’t just the no-hitter that made this the moment. It was how happy the team was afterwards, how happy they were for their friend Jon, and everything he’s been able to do.

The moment for me was that extended hug with Francona, as he was hugging his own son. This team is a family, and that showed here. They genuinely care about each other, and love this game, and that is what makes them great.

Even if they lose in the postseason, this team is still great.