Before Turning the Page - Reliving a Happier Time ... the 2007 Champions

[sk7326]

Hey, they celebrated the decade of it five years ago - but what is there to celebrate this season? But then I saw in Ian Browne's newsletter some reliving of the 15th anniversary - so hey why not???

So - back in the wayback machine we go to the middle child of the Red Sox 4 championships - but it really should get more play. After all, it featured:

- Josh Beckett delivering a True #1's season from start to finish, a level he would never reach again
- Dustin Pedroia's emergence into stardom, after a 2006 call up where it looked like he might not know how to play baseball
- Everything about Hideki Okajima
- The sudden discovery of Papelbon as a closer. Papelbon would stop being thoroughly dominant soon enough, but 2007-2009, he was absolutely electric in that position
- Yooooooooooooooooooook
- It was not the magical comeback that the 2004 ALCS was - particularly because all of the wins in the comeback were routs at the end - but this team ALSO had to comeback from a big deficit in the ALCS against what looked an awful lot like the 2nd best team in the majors that season.
- The season did not have a ton of adversity, but as the season hit a bit of a lull, out of nowhere callup Clay Buchholz throws a no hitter against the Orioles
- And of course Mike Lowell, the salary dump piece of the Beckett trade, wins the World Series MVP

[moonslav59]

We also saw Wake go 17-12 in 31 starts and the start of lester's career.

No real need to mention Manny (.881) or Papi (1.006,) because we all can never forget them.

Lugo gave us solid D, that first year of his contract, and then injuries derailed his best asset.

Let's not forget Coco Crisp's brilliant defense in CF and decent OBP (.330) with 28 SBs.

Cora, Hinske and Ellsbury gave us some decent bench help.

The pen had some nice depth, that year, too- not many big names, but still....

[moonslav59]

The sweep of the red hot Rockies was sweet!

[sk7326]

We also saw Wake go 17-12 in 31 starts and the start of lester's career.

No real need to mention Manny (.881) or Papi (1.006,) because we all can never forget them.

Lugo gave us solid D, that first year of his contract, and then injuries derailed his best asset.

Let's not forget Coco Crisp's brilliant defense in CF and decent OBP (.330) with 28 SBs.

Cora, Hinske and Ellsbury gave us some decent bench help.

The pen had some nice depth, that year, too- not many big names, but still....

The next season Okajima turned back into a pumpkin - when teams figured out how to lay off that splitter. But wow was he good in 2007.

Of course there was the excitement of signing Dice-K, and then the ageonizing reality of watching him pitch. Even when he pitched "well", it was still a lot of baserunners and a game you could time with a sundial.

[moonslav59]

The next season Okajima turned back into a pumpkin - when teams figured out how to lay off that splitter. But wow was he good in 2007.

Of course there was the excitement of signing Dice-K, and then the ageonizing reality of watching him pitch. Even when he pitched "well", it was still a lot of baserunners and a game you could time with a sundial.

Okajima was never really a pumpkin before 2007. he wasn't in MLB.

He had a nice 2008 season- not as good, but nice. He was decent in 2009, but yes, never the same.

[redsoxrules]

The next season Okajima turned back into a pumpkin - when teams figured out how to lay off that splitter. But wow was he good in 2007.

Of course there was the excitement of signing Dice-K, and then the ageonizing reality of watching him pitch. Even when he pitched "well", it was still a lot of baserunners and a game you could time with a sundial.

He pitched in 64 games to a 2.61 ERA.
Far from turning into a pumpkin.

[notin]

Bobby Kielty getting the first and only World Series plate appearance of his career - resulting in a home run that was the difference in the final game…

[Jasonbay44]

I was a big Manny Delcarmen fan on this team.