An All-Champions Red Sox Team (modern)

[sk7326]

So - what if we made a 25 man all-star team of player-seasons from the 4 teams. I'll use an 11 man staff, and assume we are trying to win a playoff series. It's fun to really be able to relive the seasons again.

 

C: 2004 Varitek

1B: 2007 Youkilis

2B: 2013 Pedroia

SS: 2018 Bogaerts

3B: 2007 Lowell

LF: 2004 Manny

CF: 2013 Ellsbury

RF: 2018 Betts

DH: 2004 Ortiz (this is actually the lowers OPS+ of the four DH seasons - 2018 JD is totally justifiable here, but my heart can't go there)

 

C: 2007 Varitek

OF: 2018 Benintendi

OF: 2018 Bradley

IF: 2007 Pedroia

IF: 2004 Cabrera

 

 

SP: 2004 Schilling

SP: 2007 Beckett

SP: 2004 Pedro

SP: 2018 Sale

 

CL: 2013 Uehara

 

Set Up Guys

 

2004 Foulke

2007 Okajima

2008 Papelbon

2004 Timlin

 

Longer Guys

 

2018 Price

2007 Wakefield

[moonslav59]

You have VTek & Pedey twice and no Lester or Kimbrel.

 

Damon & JBJ >>> Ellsbury

[sk7326]

You have VTek & Pedey twice and no Lester or Kimbrel.

 

Damon & JBJ >>> Ellsbury

 

Right - because they are player-seasons and not just players. In terms of the players as they were in the championship years, Kimbrel was clearly the least effective closer. Would be have been an upgrade over Mike Timlin. I'll allow that. Ellsbury had a fantastic 2013, and he had the 2 best CF seasons of any Red Sox player over these 15 years. It is easy to forget since he fell off a cliff in NY. Damon's 2004 was brilliant but 2013 JAcoby played the position better.

[notin]

Price over Eovaldi?

[sk7326]

Price over Eovaldi?

 

Bigger body of work in the season.

[dgalehouse]

I'm thankful for all of them that contributed to the four championships . Trying to pick an all star team from it , I will leave to others. I will say that David Ortiz is still the post season MVP.

[moonslav59]

Right - because they are player-seasons and not just players. In terms of the players as they were in the championship years, Kimbrel was clearly the least effective closer. Would be have been an upgrade over Mike Timlin. I'll allow that. Ellsbury had a fantastic 2013, and he had the 2 best CF seasons of any Red Sox player over these 15 years. It is easy to forget since he fell off a cliff in NY. Damon's 2004 was brilliant but 2013 JAcoby played the position better.

 

Okay, I see now how you did it.

 

1B

2013 Napoli> 2007 Youk

2004 Millar> 2007 Youk

 

Jacoby's 2013 OPS of .781 was 7th best on the team- just ahead of Stephen Drew and Gomes. Damon had an .857 OPS in 2004 and was much more influential in the playoffs.

 

 

[sk7326]

Okay, I see now how you did it.

 

1B

2013 Napoli> 2007 Youk

2004 Millar> 2007 Youk

 

Jacoby's 2013 OPS of .781 was 7th best on the team- just ahead of Stephen Drew and Gomes. Damon had an .857 OPS in 2004 and was much more influential in the playoffs.

 

 

 

bWAR:

 

2013 Ellsbury 5.7

2004 Damon 4.3

 

fWAR

 

2013 Ellsbury 4.6

2004 Damon 4.3

 

Damon was better offensively (123 wrC+ vs 112), Ellsbury much better defensively and was one of the league's most impactful baserunners. I don't sweat differences in WAR too too much, but I am comfortable saying Ellsbury was a better all around CF than Damon. I mean if you can defend Bradley despite his adventures at the plate due to his glove, Ellsbury deserves similar consideration.

 

2007 Youk beat Napoli in WAR in both flavors (though Napoli was not at all bad). Yook's glove and superior on-base skills take the day. While I am considering single seasons - that Yook was on his way to being one of the league's best offensive players does matter to me when trying to settle something close. I've always maintained that Yook's body falling apart piece by piece was one of those real developments that set the team back in 2012, 2014 etc.

[moonslav59]

bWAR:

 

2013 Ellsbury 5.7

2004 Damon 4.3

 

fWAR

 

2013 Ellsbury 4.6

2004 Damon 4.3

 

Damon was better offensively (123 wrC+ vs 112), Ellsbury much better defensively and was one of the league's most impactful baserunners. I don't sweat differences in WAR too too much, but I am comfortable saying Ellsbury was a better all around CF than Damon. I mean if you can defend Bradley despite his adventures at the plate due to his glove, Ellsbury deserves similar consideration.

 

2007 Youk beat Napoli in WAR in both flavors (though Napoli was not at all bad). Yook's glove and superior on-base skills take the day. While I am considering single seasons - that Yook was on his way to being one of the league's best offensive players does matter to me when trying to settle something close. I've always maintained that Yook's body falling apart piece by piece was one of those real developments that set the team back in 2012, 2014 etc.

 

Damon also did well in the playoffs in that playoff year.

[Jasonbay44]

I think JD has to be on the team somewhere, as at least a bench piece.

[Youk Of The Nation]

2004 Lenny DiNardo

2007 Eric Gagne

2004 Pokey Reese

2013 Rubby De La Rosa

2007 Julio Lugo

2018 Sam Travis

2004 Ramiro Mendoza

2013 Joel Hanrahan

 

 

UNSTOPPABLE!

 

Seriously, I don't think I could construct this theoretical team. No matter how you do it, a dozen incredible seasons by a dozen incredible players are going to be left out.

[Bellhorn04]

I think JD has to be on the team somewhere, as at least a bench piece.

 

That's my thought too.

[sk7326]

Damon also did well in the playoffs in that playoff year.

 

2004 Damon playoff .268/.297/.465 5-6 SBs ... excellent against Anaheim, terrible against New York (with a couple of obvious exceptions), fine vs Saint Louis

Ellsbury playoff

 

2013 Ellsbury playoff .344/.408/.453 6-7 SBs .

 

Damon's 2004 postseason

.268/.297/.465

5 SBs in 6 attempts

 

Ellsbury's 2013 postseason

.344/.408/.453

6 SBs in 7 attempts

 

Damon's "greater impact" is almost entirely due to the Game 7 in New York. It was one of the most important games in Red Sox history - but it was one game of a series where he slashed .171/.216/.343

[sk7326]

I think JD has to be on the team somewhere, as at least a bench piece.

 

I think that is fair - upon further reflection, swapping him in for Bradley works.