Red Sox will never be the same

[jacksonianmarch]

Red Sox will never be the sameComment Email Print Share By Howard Bryant

ESPNBoston.com

 

Dustin Pedroia's soft floater curled downward into the open, waiting glove of Erick Aybar to end the 2009 postseason for the Boston Red Sox, and the old inevitability of a momentous, improbable and historic comeback gave way to a new one: The Red Sox as we knew them are dead.

 

That is not to say they will not come back, perhaps as soon as next year, but they will never be what they once were. From 2003 to 2007, the Red Sox were one of the great postseason teams in baseball history. Call them a dynasty if winning two championships in four years fits your standard. If not, just say no team was tougher, more dangerous as it edged closer to the death of playoff defeat. No team scared more opposing players, more managers and more fans. No team had more lives, could be more propelled toward a championship charge by an important game.

 

It had created a mystique so powerful that even if in the aftermath of beer showers and disappointment they refuse to say it, both the Red Sox and Angels players had to be silently wondering just what was going to happen had there been a Game 4 on Monday, with Jon Lester on the mound. If staying alive would have meant what it meant for the 2003 A's and 2004 Yankees and 2007 Guardians, if it meant the Red Sox were going to do it again, to an Angels team it had haunted -- again.

 

In a sense, what the Red Sox of 2003 to 2007 accomplished was even more impressive than the Joe Torre Yankees dynasty of 1996 to 2001, for while the Yankees were truly dominant, the Red Sox seemed only to reach their zenith when faced with permanent extinction. From 1996 to 2001, the Yankees played just six elimination games, and were 4-2. They lost Game 5 to Cleveland in the 1997 Division Series and Game 7 to Arizona in the 2001 World Series while beating the A's both in Game 5 of the Division Series and in three straight after being down 2-0 in the Division Series a year later. The Red Sox, meanwhile, were 11-2 in elimination games from 2003 to 2007. Down 3-0 to the Yankees in 2004, the Sox famously did not lose a game the rest of the season, winning eight straight and the World Series. Three years later, they beat Cleveland and Colorado in seven straight games after being down to the Guardians three games to one.

 

But those days are yesterday, meaning about as much as Dave Henderson's throwing out the first pitch before Sunday's games, or Joey Gathright's being on the Boston roster, waiting for an opportunity to reprise the role of Dave Roberts during the epic 2004 Championship Series. Torii Hunter said as much and backed it up with his ebullient and ferocious play, and in the end, Henderson and Roberts were reduced to ghost images, nothing more.

 

David ortiz was just 1 for 12 against the Angels.None of this should be news, for eventually all great teams crumble. For a five-year period, the Red Sox were legendary. There were signs last year that were exposed further during this season as Boston played so poorly on the road and finally by the Angels during their impressive three-game sweep. And now the period of transition from the title years -- far more emotionally than physically -- must begin.

 

Beyond the Angels' outplaying them and just being better this week, there are many salient reasons why the Boston master plan did not work this year: the pitching flameouts of John Smoltz, Brad Penny and -- most chiefly among them -- the enigmatic $102 million investment that is Daisuke Matsuzaka. That Clay Buchholz, making his first postseason start, stood between the Red Sox and elimination represents the severest indictment of Matsuzaka's season.

 

But the single biggest difference between the 2009 Red Sox and the previous editions under the John Henry regime is that the David Ortiz/Manny Ramirez anchor has given way, finally and completely, with all of its future implications and consequences.

 

The dismantling of the 2004 championship team took place almost immediately, while the 2007 team was largely intact. The constant was that despite the turnover, Ramirez and Ortiz and what they represented were still there. And now that is gone, too.

 

Essentially, the Red Sox lost two Hall of Fame-caliber bats in consecutive seasons.

 

For a time, it appeared that the Red Sox might be able to escape losing Ramirez, when Jason Bay arrived last year, drove in 37 runs in 49 games and then hit .412 against the Angels, .341 for the playoffs last year. Bay was professional in the clubhouse, a proven run producer without Ramirez and his headaches, and seemed unaffected by the maelstrom that is often Boston baseball.

 

Addition by subtraction never works, and while Bay is a very good player -- someone the Red Sox probably should re-sign in the offseason -- there will never be (not in this generation, anyway) another combination in Boston like Ramirez and Oritz, two players who played at a Hall of Fame level at the absolute height of their powers.

 

And in turn, even with the addition of Victor Martinez, it was obvious this season and postseason that the Red Sox were that much less dangerous, that much more ordinary. The stirring comebacks never came. No longer needing to calculate when Ortiz and Ramirez would bat, opposing pitchers, once cautious, now challenged the Red Sox order. Boston hit .131 for the series

 

There are numbers and there are memories, but justice cannot be done to Ortiz and Ramirez without the combination of the two. In 43 postseason games from 2003 to 2007, Ramirez hit .321 (53-for-165) with 11 home runs, 38 RBIs and 29 runs scored. Ortiz during that same period hit .325 (52-for-160) with 11 home runs, 38 RBIs and 35 runs. The Red Sox won 28 of those games, including two World Series titles.

 

During the first comeback from elimination in the 2003 Division Series against Oakland, Ramirez hit .200 in the five games, but his only home run came in Game 5 off Barry Zito and pushed the Red Sox toward the upset. For five seasons, Ramirez and Ortiz were the most fearsome offensive combination of average, power, pitch selection and clutch hitting of this generation. From 2003 to 2007, Ortiz and Ramirez combined for an on-base percentage of .405.

 

Throughout the postseason and the later weeks of the regular season, much was made of the Ortiz resurgence. Yes, he had hit just one home run over his first 48 games. Yes, he led the league with 27 home runs since June 6. Yes, he showed tremendous resiliency in overcoming his slow start and the emotional damage he faced in dealing with the addition of his once-untouchable name to the steroid era scandal to finish the season with 99 RBIs, and yes, only he knows the full extent of the effect of injuries to his wrist and his knees.

 

But for five years, David Ortiz was a Hall of Fame level offensive player, and he is no longer. From 2003 to 2007, Ortiz posted five consecutive top-5 MVP finishes. Ortiz has 317 career home runs in 13 big league seasons, but 208 were hit during those five years.

 

Even if you remove his slow 48-game start, Ortiz hit .264 the rest of the way, the same .264 he hit in 2008. His power numbers are still impressive, and pitchers may still respect him. But they do not fear him, not as they once did, evidenced by Jered Weaver's late-game fastball challenge in Game 2 that struck out Ortiz in a close game.

 

 

In the 14 playoff games since Ramirez left and his wrist and knees betrayed him, Ortiz is hitting .200 (9-for-45) with one home run and five RBIs. And while Ramirez's replacements, Bay and Martinez, have at times produced -- Bay hit .341 last postseason, .125 this year, Martinez .182 against the Angels -- there is no substitution for what Boston baseball enjoyed during those years.

 

None of this is to say that the Red Sox should have kept Ramirez or that Ortiz is finished as a productive player. Ramirez had run his course in Boston and Ortiz is still a relative 30-homer, 100-RBI threat. But the Angels exploited the end of the old Boston personality, and the reason is simple: What Ramirez and Ortiz did for those five years just doesn't happen. Those five years were a special moment in time in Boston.

 

Eventually, great teams fade and must subsequently reinvent themselves. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein knows this, which is why he put together what appeared to be a deep and formidable pitching staff in the offseason to help his offense. Josh Beckett and Lester are a twosome no club wants to face in a short series. The Red Sox are in that process now.

 

There are other examples. The Yankees of 2002 to 2008 had been trying for years to duplicate the magic of the 1996 to 2001 teams and only now, eight years later, do they seem to have created a new personality divorced from the pressures of reliving the magical years when time and chemistry made them unbeatable.

 

This is what happens to dynasties and dynasty-level teams. Free agency and age, decay and time robs every great team -- evidenced not only by their offensive failings but also by their weary and ineffective captain, Jason Varitek, exposed by the Yankees two weeks ago, not playing a minute in the postseason for the first time -- of their special auras. As the series wore on, it wasn't that the Red Sox couldn't win but that they would not as they once did. Time has run out.

 

In the end, the Red Sox lost the battle Sunday, but a generation of their fans won, for few teams have given their fans and their region such energy. The identity of the franchise has changed irrevocably and it was one of the greatest of runs, the best New England baseball has seen since World War I. The result moving forward isn't Armageddon, as it may seem, but the inevitable transition. The Red Sox will be back, of course, but it will never be the same.

 

Howard Bryant is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He is the author of Shut Out: A Story of Race and Baseball in Boston and Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball. He can be reached at Howard.Bryant@espn3.com or followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hbryant4.

 

This was an incredibly good read from ESPNBoston. I agree wholeheartedly, what Manny and Ortiz did from 03-07 will never be duplicated in Boston and they were the heart and soul of that franchise, making them impossible to extinguish.

[Looch Ness Monster]

Of course you agree wholeheartedly. Yawn. Teams don't follow 10 year trends, it's up to management to bring new players in that make the team better and it's a year by year process.

[Dipre]

Lol.

[jacksonianmarch]

just read the article. Its more about the strength that Manny and Ortiz lent to the sox than the sox "never being the same". Maybe I should change the title. But I agree with him. The sox strength when they were unbeatable was the 3-4 of that lineup. It changed the game in so many ways and made them seem invincible when the chips were down. Now, Manny is gone and Papi is a shell of himself. With those two out of the picture, Theo has collected a better lineup 1-9, but they dont come close to replicating what Manny and David did back in the 5 yr stretch of 2003-2007

[Looch Ness Monster]

Well, if what you're saying is that the Red Sox need a big bat in the middle then I wholeheartedly agree.

[Dipre]

Well' date=' if what you're saying is that the Red Sox need a big bat in the middle then I wholeheartedly agree.[/quote']

 

He's saying that while taking his usual shot at the organization. So i halfheartedly agree.

[rhet]

People who dwell on Manny/Ortiz as the reason for two world championships will have to acknowledge the inconvenient truth that both were probably juiced while putting up those numbers.

 

The Yanks were juiced for their last couple of rings too. And one of their top current players has admitted being juiced in Texas while he hit about 175 of his home runs. Is he clean now? Who knows.

 

What a sad and pathetic waste of enthusiasm.

[Dipre]

People who dwell on Manny/Ortiz as the only reason for two world championships will have to acknowledge the inconvenient truth that both were probably juiced while putting up those numbers.

 

The Yanks were juiced for their last couple of rings too. And one of their top current players has admitted being juiced in Texas while he hit about 175 of his home runs. Is he clean now? Who knows.

 

What a sad and pathetic waste of enthusiasm.

 

Not to mention that dominant pitching also had at least a little bit to do with the championships. At least a little.

[Mr Crunchy]

Howard Bryant left his wife and children for another man.

[jacksonianmarch]

I said nothing about juicing. I dont care about juicing, remember?

[Emmz]

Lol@This

[Mr Crunchy]

The idea that these guys are done winning is absurd, simply absurd.

MJ quit busting balls

I'll drop a dime and tell the authorities what you asked my son to do for you at the hospital for a lollipop.

and did i mention that Howard Bryant left his wife and children for a man about 12 years ago?

The only balls Howard Bryant should be writing about are the ones that pound his chin.

[Gom]

The article is great, but that duo, probably the most fearsome duo in decades, was fueled by PEDs. At least Manny was a great hitter before roids. Ortiz was below average player before and after the juice. During the juice, he was amazing.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Lol.

[jacksonianmarch]

The idea that these guys are done winning is absurd, simply absurd.

MJ quit busting balls

I'll drop a dime and tell the authorities what you asked my son to do for you at the hospital for a lollipop.

and did i mention that Howard Bryant left his wife and children for a man about 12 years ago?

The only balls Howard Bryant should be writing about are the ones that pound his chin.

 

Did I say they were done winning? No. I said they wont be the same. They very well could win it all next season, especially if they make a few key moves this offseason. But it just isnt the same driving force behind the team.

[schillingouttheks]

Did I say they were done winning? No. I said they wont be the same. They very well could win it all next season' date=' especially if they make a few key moves this offseason. But it just isnt the same driving force behind the team.[/quote']

 

The same thing can be said about any team that has ever had a period of dominance. It comes and it goes. Is there anything new that I read in this article that I overlooked?

[Spudboy]

Howard Bryant left his wife and children for another man.

 

Really!:lol:

[Lester82]

So Howard Bryant is gay? Eh, not surprised...

[a700hitter]

The article is great' date=' but that duo, probably the most fearsome duo in decades, was fueled by PEDs. At least Manny was a great hitter before roids. Ortiz was below average player before and after the juice. During the juice, he was amazing.[/quote']2003 was his only good year? It was the only year he failed the drug testing.

[Lester82]

You could argue that many players in baseball had their best years fueled by HGH, Steriods

 

Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Clemens, Pettitte, David Ortiz, Sosa

[Dipre]

You could argue that many players in baseball had their best years fueled by HGH, Steriods

 

Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Clemens, Pettitte, David Ortiz, Sosa

 

You couldn't "Argue" you could prove it.

[Emmz]

You could argue that many players in baseball had their best years fueled by HGH, Steriods

 

Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Clemens, Pettitte, David Ortiz, Sosa

 

o rlly?

 

I'll agree with that list, aside from Clemens, whose best years were in the 1980s, pre-steroid era, with the Red Sox, when he was much thinner. However the point overall is very, well, obvious.

[Keeper]

What? The 1980's weren't the pre-steroid era. It started in the 80's with the Bash Brothers. It fact, it probably started before they came along.

[Dojji]

I don't want them to "be the same." Change is cool. Especially if it might be a chance for the BETTER.

[Emmz]

What? The 1980's weren't the pre-steroid era. It started in the 80's with the Bash Brothers. It fact' date=' it probably started before they came along.[/quote']

 

It depends on your perspective, steroids weren't as common until the mid-90s, and there's a huge difference between 80s and early-90s Clemens, and late-90s and 2000s Clemens, so that's completely irrelevant to the main point of the post. Although, yeah, it started in the 80s, but the "probably" is a logical flaw, there's no proof of anything. Clemens, as far as we know, didn't take anything when he was with the Sox.

 

http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2006/05/01/1146489565_6834.jpg

 

http://www.thesunblog.com/sports/archives/RogerClemens_P22.jpg

 

Clemens' head alone looks like it doubled in size from the first pic to the second. I think the only appendage that got smaller from the first pic to the second was his dick most likely.

[example1]

It's true that this team won't be the same, but to say there isn't the same "driving force" behind it is absurd. The driving force was a huge investment from management in the quest to win. That force still exists. The 2008 team, one game from going to and possibly winning a 3rd World Series, had Varitek, Wakefield, Timlin, Youkilis and Ortiz on it from that "driving force" team in 2004. Obviously, the 2009 team only has four players (Tek, Wake, Youkilis, Ortiz) and 2010 will (hopefully) only have 3.

 

The core of this team has been completely turned over, and I would say it was a pretty successful refersh. In all honestly, I think the core of the current group makes them a better overall franchise than the 2004 team.

[Gom]

It's true that this team won't be the same, but to say there isn't the same "driving force" behind it is absurd. The driving force was a huge investment from management in the quest to win. That force still exists. The 2008 team, one game from going to and possibly winning a 3rd World Series, had Varitek, Wakefield, Timlin, Youkilis and Ortiz on it from that "driving force" team in 2004. Obviously, the 2009 team only has four players (Tek, Wake, Youkilis, Ortiz) and 2010 will (hopefully) only have 3.

 

The core of this team has been completely turned over, and I would say it was a pretty successful refersh. In all honestly, I think the core of the current group makes them a better overall franchise than the 2004 team.

 

I think you're way off here. As a Yankee fan, I feared the Drug Duo, Ortiz and Manny. Those two guys alone changed the complexion of every game.

 

Now who do you have that scares someone? Youkilis...is a very good player, but he can't hold a candle to Manny or Ortiz in their injecting days.

 

Truth be told...the Red Sox remind me in a way of the old Yankees...a lot of solid, good players. However, they aren't as good as the Yankee core [offensively] and none of them were the go-to guys.

 

Manny and Ortiz were the pulse of the team, and when they ceased being dominant, so did your team.

[example1]

I think you're way off here. As a Yankee fan, I feared the Drug Duo, Ortiz and Manny. Those two guys alone changed the complexion of every game.

 

Now who do you have that scares someone? Youkilis...is a very good player, but he can't hold a candle to Manny or Ortiz in their injecting days.

 

Truth be told...the Red Sox remind me in a way of the old Yankees...a lot of solid, good players. However, they aren't as good as the Yankee core [offensively] and none of them were the go-to guys.

 

Manny and Ortiz were the pulse of the team, and when they ceased being dominant, so did your team.

 

I agree with you about them needing to add some offensive power to make them better. I've been saying that since about the midseason. I disagree that when those guys stopped being good the team stopped being dominant. I think a team that wins 95 games a season is dominant. Only a spoiled Yankee fan like yourself could think otherwise.

 

2004 was built to win that year. The 2009 club (basically 2008 on) will be built to get to the playoffs every year and win occasionally. I'd rather have that, honestly. It means that with only one big acquisition they are suddenly on par with a tremendous team like the Yankees AND they have prospects to get those deals done.

[a700hitter]

I agree with you about them needing to add some offensive power to make them better. I've been saying that since about the midseason. I disagree that when those guys stopped being good the team stopped being dominant. I think a team that wins 95 games a season is dominant. Only a spoiled Yankee fan like yourself could think otherwise.

 

2004 was built to win that year. The 2009 club (basically 2008 on) will be built to get to the playoffs every year and win occasionally. I'd rather have that, honestly. It means that with only one big acquisition they are suddenly on par with a tremendous team like the Yankees AND they have prospects to get those deals done.

Example, I am very glad to see that the majority of your recent posts have dealt with using prospects to get stars. I have been saying that that is the primary purpose of the minor league player development system. It's very difficult for a system to develop impact stars. They are a very rare breed and an organization is lucky if they develop 1 in.10 years. Pedroia, Youkilis, and Ellsbury are all nice players, but not really impact players. Given Ellsbury's unbelievable speed that can turn close games, I think he has the best chance of developing into an impact offensive weapon. Papelbon is an impact player. He's the best closer in team history. Lester is a top of the rotation guy, but it took him 2 1/2 years at the major league level to develop into that kind of pitcher and he is still developing. With the solid core that the Sox have now, they need one or two big pieces to become the favorite to win a Championship. There's no time to waste trying to develop more kids into major league contributors.

[rician blast]

Wasn't Howard Bryant the driving force in creating public disdain and clubhouse turmoil regarding a fairly inane bumper sticker Mike Timlin had in his locker a few years back?