Favorite Red Sox Decade This Century

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

With 2020 coming soon, now may be time to reflect on the past 10 years. Or 20…

Compare both decades of this Red Sox Century. Boston won two world titles in each: ’04 and ’07; ’13 and ’18. The Sox also had MVPs and Cy Young winners in both 10-year spans: Pedroia and Martinez; Betts and Porcello.

 

2000-2009

Regular: 920-699 .568, seven 90-win seasons, 1 first place, 8 seconds, 1 third.

Post: 34-23 .596, 2-2 ALCS, 4-2 ALDS.

Notables: 5 Wild Card berths, made Game Seven of the ALCS 4 times.

2010-2019

Regular: 872-748 .538, five 90-win seasons, 4 first place finishes, 3 thirds, 3 fifths.

Post: 23-14 .622, 2-0 ALCS, 2-2 ALDS.

Notables: 3 straight AL East crowns, 4 in 6 years.

 

Idiots breaking an 86 year-old curse; the greatest comeback in baseball history.

David and Manny, Pedro and Schill. DLowe and Wake, Foulke and Tek. Mueller, Millar… OCab and Nomar, Damon and Nixon.

 

Underrated ‘07 champs, dominant from April through October.

Dustin and Youk, Beckett and Lowell. Pap and Okie, Coco and Ells. Dice-K Matsuzaka.

 

Boston Strong, Bearded Band of Brothers, this is our f***ing city.

Papi, Pedey, Koji… Lester and Buck, Salty and Vic. Gomes and Napoli. Drew brothers.

 

Do Damage, outfield dances, a franchise-record 119 wins.

Mookie/Beni/JBJ. Bogie and Rafie. JD, Brockstar, Joe Kelly. Pearce and Eovaldi. Nunez and Moreland: PH WS HRs. Chris Sale.

 

The Owes or the Teens? Which Red Sox decade is your favorite… and why?

Edited December 1, 2019 by 5GoldGloves:OF,75

[S5Dewey]

Nothing will ever equal 2004 and it's not just the WS Championship. Nothing will ever match beating the MFY after being down 3-0, something that had never been done before, and then winning the World Series Championship. The WS was just "gravy on the cake" as my friend with a gift for malapropisms says. If the Sox hadn't won another game between the 2004 WS and the end of the 2010 season that decade would still be my favorite.

[Bellhorn04]

As Dewey says, nothing can top a decade that had 2004 in it.

 

But 2010-2019 was a very admirable sequel. And 2018 was the dream season.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

My dad died in March ’04 – I’m not going to say ’03 made his illness worse, but it didn’t help. So for me, when the Sox finally won, it was less exultation than exhaustion, more relief than disbelief.

 

I favor the 2010s, because I’ve been able to share this decade with my son. He was almost three when the Sox won in ‘13; I woke him up to see the last out in case they never won again in his lifetime. I got to wake him again five years later.

[notin]

My dad died in March ’04 – I’m not going to say ’03 made his illness worse, but it didn’t help. So for me, when the Sox finally won, it was less exultation than exhaustion, more relief than disbelief.

 

I favor the 2010s, because I’ve been able to share this decade with my son. He was almost three when the Sox won in ‘13; I woke him up to see the last out in case they never won again in his lifetime. I got to wake him again five years later.

 

I got married in ‘04 and my daughter was born in ‘07. I’m not allowed to like the other decade better...

[vegasbob]

2000-2009 took the cake. The second decade was 3 more layers of icing. The net decade will BLOOM like spring flowers, I'm sure. But first we have to cut the budget to self flagellate for all the success of the 2000-2019 period.

[moonslav59]

2000-2009 took the cake. The second decade was 3 more layers of icing. The net decade will BLOOM like spring flowers, I'm sure. But first we have to cut the budget to self flagellate for all the success of the 2000-2019 period.

 

"Three layers?"

 

2000-2009- 2 rings in 6 playoff runs

 

2010-2019- 2 rings in 4 playoff runs

[a700hitter]

‘00-‘09

[cp176]

‘00-‘09

 

00-09 of course gets the nod but I loved me the decade of the 70's! Truth be told though, I had my most amount of fun with baseball during the decade of the 60's. It is not all about winning the gold ring for me. it's as much about the hunt where I come from.

[Bellhorn04]

For me the 70's were very exciting but incredibly frustrating.

[moonslav59]

00-09 of course gets the nod but I loved me the decade of the 70's! Truth be told though, I had my most amount of fun with baseball during the decade of the 60's. It is not all about winning the gold ring for me. it's as much about the hunt where I come from.

 

Those 70's teams were fun to watch. I was a kid, at the time, so maybe that is part of the nostalgia, but we had some colorful and/or talented players to cheer for: Luis Tiant, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Yaz, Bill Lee, Rico, Fisk, Evans, Burleson and on and on...

 

The ring in 2004 beats them all, though. I wasn't sure I'd ever see one.

 

Thanks, Henry.

Thanks, Theo.

Thanks, Dan D for setting the table.

Thanks, Papi, Manny, Schill, Pedro, VTek and everyone who helped make that dream come true.

[mvp 78]

80’s>00’s>10’s>90’s

[moonslav59]

80’s>00’s>10’s>90’s

 

You have it almost backwards.

 

00's> 10's>70's>90's>80's

[mvp 78]

That’s not almost backwards.

[notin]

That’s not almost backwards.

 

Why didu you like the 1980's so much?

 

The Sox finished 4th place or lower 6 times that decade. The first 5 years of that decade was the team's least successful stretch since the first half of the 1960's through to today...

[moonslav59]

That’s not almost backwards.

 

True, just the 1 is 4, the 2 is 1, the 3 is 2 and the 4 is 3.

[moonslav59]

Why didu you like the 1980's so much?

 

The Sox finished 4th place or lower 6 times that decade. The first 5 years of that decade was the team's least successful stretch since the first half of the 1960's through to today...

 

The only thing great about the 80's was watching Clemens and Boggs, and both soured by either using PEDs and/or signing with the Yanks.

[notin]

The only thing great about the 80's was watching Clemens and Boggs, and both soured by either using PEDs and/or signing with the Yanks.

 

That's like getting excited about the 2012 Red Sox because they had Ortiz, AGon, Lester and Beckett...

[Bellhorn04]

1986 was exciting. Just ended wrong.

[kenmeister]

The only thing great about the 80's was watching Clemens and Boggs, and both soured by either using PEDs and/or signing with the Yanks.

 

To be fair, those are 90s gripes on those players, not 80s.

[mvp 78]

Why didu you like the 1980's so much?

 

The Sox finished 4th place or lower 6 times that decade. The first 5 years of that decade was the team's least successful stretch since the first half of the 1960's through to today...

 

I was 9 in 1986, so it was my prime card collecting/baseball daydreaming days. Team was pretty good from 86 on.

[mvp 78]

The only thing great about the 80's was watching Clemens and Boggs, and both soured by either using PEDs and/or signing with the Yanks.

 

 

Dwight Evans and Jim Rice hater. ^^^^

[notin]

I was 9 in 1986, so it was my prime card collecting/baseball daydreaming days. Team was pretty good from 86 on.

 

Except in October...

[mvp 78]

Except in October...

 

How were they in October during the 90’s?

[mvp 78]

Being one out away in 86 is light years ahead of anything since 1918. That team was great and should be cherished.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Those '80s Sox, with three division crowns in five years, were loaded with young homegrown regulars, stars and borderliners; the '88 Morgan Magic squad started an all-homegrown nine in the playoffs. Nothing like rooting for and watching your own progenies as they develop into winners.

 

Back to the title of the thread: by my count, it's currently 8-1 for the 2000s. That's about the ratio I expected, as nostalgia will never end for the monumental greatest choke of all-time by the '04 Yankees.

 

I'm still curious if there are any other talksox posters or lurkers who give a slight edge to this current decade? There may be someone with a more personal connection or a younger poster who could better appreciate fandom in the Teens, or maybe even an old-schooler who favors four first place clubs over one first and five Wild Cards...

[notin]

How were they in October during the 90’s?

 

Not good, but no one is ranking that decade first, either...

[mvp 78]

10’s get downgraded because of

 

[Bellhorn04]

Being one out away in 86 is light years ahead of anything since 1918. That team was great and should be cherished.

 

In 1975 was pretty close too - 7 outs away.

[mvp 78]

7 outs is the grand canyon.