Say Hello To The 'New' Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox took a lead they would not relinquish in Game one of the American League Divisional Series against the Angels on a home run from their left fielder.  Sox fans have seen this scenario before, but this year the cast of characters is different. 

Granted, Manny Ramirez DID hit a home run in a Game one of a playoff series on Wednesday, although he hit it against the Chicago Cubs, donning a Los Angeles Dodgers jersey.  No, the go-ahead home run off John Lackey came from Jason Bay, former leader of the Land of Misfit Ballplayers in Pittsburgh.  This is just one of the differences the 2008 Red Sox portray in this years playoffs.

In 2003 and 2004, the Boston Red Sox made their name on offense.  Names like Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Kevin Millar we plentiful as the Sox tried to out-slug opposing teams, and did just that, scoring 961 and 949 runs in those respective years. 

After a heart-breaking loss to the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS, Sox GM Theo Epstein went out and stockpiled on the assumed missing pieces.  He went to Curt Schilling's home for Thanksgiving, snagged Keith Foulke out of Oakland, and even went as far as to jettison fan-favorite (but clear clubhouse cancer) Nomar Garciaparra, replacing him with a spark plug named Orlando Cabrera. 

The outcome?  The most wins the team has celebrated since 1946 and the biggest playoff comeback in sports history against their arch-rivals in the Bronx.

Changes continued throughout following years, but Theo never made the same mistake twice.  He refused to overspend on RBI and home runs, other then signing Ortiz to a contract extension.   Theo chased pitching, on-base percentage, and defense.  He allowed names like Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon, and Derek Lowe to leave town via free agency, and dropped his few mistakes from the roster (Mark Bellhorn, Edgar Renteria, Matt Clement). 

In came names like Coco Crisp, Mike Lowell, Josh Beckett, and JD Drew.  All the while, the farm system continued to home-grow some of the best prospects in baseball.

The hesitation to part with top prospects may be Epstein's best decision to date.  With the exception of the Hanley Ramirez-Beckett deal, the Sox have remained reluctant to part with their young guys whom they value as their future.  If you look at the Red Sox 2008 postseason roster, the future is now. 

Game one starter Jon Lester (age 24) is coming off a season in which he went 16-6 with 152 K's and a 3.21 ERA.  Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (age 25) stole 50 bases and continued the legacy of stellar defense in the middle of the outfield.  Johnathan Papelbon (age 28) turned in his third straight professional season with over 35 saves and an under 2.40 ERA, while Dustin Pedroia (age 25) submitted a possible MVP sophomore season, just missing the batting title (.326) while tying for the lead in hits (213), and leading in runs (118) and doubles (54). 

A monster year from corner specialist Kevin Youkilis, and flashes of brilliance from farmhands like Clay Buchholz, Justin Masterson, and Jed Lowrie show the stars of tomorrow are not far from the Big Show.

Sox fans should thank their front office for deciding on a direction and sticking by it.  Theo and company chose to watch teams like the Mariners, Yankees, Mets, and Tigers go on spending sprees in the off-season.  They refused to swap prospects for Johan Santana, kept their core roster from 2007, and paid for Manny to be Manny in the NL West. 

One thing in common about those four aforementioned teams?  They all missed the playoffs, whereas the Red Sox have made the postseason for the fifth time in six years, and are considered legitimate threats to win their third World Series title in the last five seasons.  Just business as usual in Boston.  The leaves change color, but the Sox stay the course.