The Red Sox are in the World Series for the first time in six years. On one hand, 2007 seems like yesterday and my memories of those games make it seem so. On the other hand, a lot has happened since 2007, both for the Red Sox and for the world outside Boston baseball. For the purposes of this blog, we'll stick to the Red Sox.
After winning the World Series in 2007, the Red Sox were on top of the baseball world. They had won their second championship in the span of four years and they were the class of MLB. They had the best heart of the order hitters in David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Mike Lowell. An exciting young center fielder had burst onto the scene in Jacoby Ellsbury. They had a dominant pitcher in Josh Beckett and an emerging star in Jon Lester, who had beaten cancer to pitch the World Series clinching Game 4 against the Colorado Rockies. They looked forward to repeating their feat in 2008 and unseating the Yankees as the Beasts of the East. What could possibly go wrong?
2008 saw the Red Sox come within a game of a return trip to the World Series, but a new division nemesis in the Tampa Bay Rays sent them packing in Game 7 of the ALCS. They lost Manny to his playing and Manny-ing his way out of town, Beckett lost his mojo, Lowell hurt his hip, and they couldn't figure out those Rays.
They made the playoffs again in 2009, but didn't win a single game in the ALDS against the Angels. Their season ended in an uncharacteristic meltdown by Jonathan Papelbon. In 2010, the Red Sox were besieged by injuries to key players, from Dustin Pedroia to Kevin Youkilis, to Victor Martinez, Jason Varitek, Josh Beckett, and Jacoby Ellsbury. They were still a likeable team, thanks to the likes of Adrian Beltre, Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald, and Martinez, among others. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
Then came 2011 and 2012, in which the team's steady decline took a sharp turn and fell off a steep cliff. The front office went all-in in the 2010-2011 offseason to trade for Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, but did very little to shore up the starting rotation. Beckett and Lester pitched well for most of the year, but Lackey's elbow was falling apart, Dice-K never recovered from the 2009 WBC and was sent for Tommy John surgery mid-season. Wake was nearing the end of the line and the number five spot was held down by the likes of Andrew Miller and Kyle Weiland. Miller found his niche in the bullpen before a season-ending foot injury this past July, but his stint in the starting rotation was a disaster. Weiland was overwhelmed and overmatched pitching in the AL East. Trade deadline Erik Bedard wasn't much help either. Then September happened. Then the Red Sox dumped Francona in favor of Bobby Valentine and all of 2012 happened.
That brings us to 2013. How does this year's highly enjoyable group of guys compare to the last Red Sox team to play in the Fall Classic? Let's break it down position-by-position:
Catcher: Jason Varitek (2007) vs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia (2013)
There's no doubt Salty has come into his own this season, both behind the plate and in the batter's box. However, in 2007, Tek was still a force to be reckoned with and had already been on one championship team. The edge here goes to Varitek in 2007.
First Base: Kevin Youkilis (2007) vs. Mike Napoli (2013)
This is a close one. Both were bearded first basemen who could hit the ball a long way, but were prone to the K. Both played an excellent first base. It all comes down to consistency and Youk had the better batting average. The slight edge goes to Youkilis in 2007.
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia (2007 and 2013)
It's the same guy, but he's been limited somewhat by his thumb injury this season. However, didn't he play with a broken hamate bone in 2007? The edge goes to 2013 Pedroia, only because he has played in the World Series before and he's a veteran now.
Shortstop: Julio Lugo (2007) vs. Stephen Drew (2013)
Despite how brutal the younger Drew has been at the plate this October, he has an excellent glove, which cannot be said for his 2007 counterpart. The clear edge goes to Stephen Drew in 2013.
Third Base: Mike Lowell (2007) vs. Will Middlebrooks/Xander Bogaerts (2013)
There's no denying the X-Man has that same dynamic, exciting future star vibe that Ells had in 2007 and he could play a huge part in the World Series. However, you can't deny the impact Mike Lowell had on the 2007 postseason. He was the World Series MVP! The edge goes to Mike Lowell in 2007.
Left Field: Manny Ramirez (2007) vs. Jonny Gomes/Daniel Nava (2013)
Manny was by no means the team player that both Jonny Gomes and Daniel Nava are. Gomes and Nava win the intangibles/likeability vote by a landslide. The baseball edge goes to Manny in 2007 however, because he was clearly the better hitter and far more fearsome for opposing pitchers before he started his bizarre cravings for estrogen.
Center Field: Coco Crisp/Jacoby Ellsbury (2007) vs. Jacoby Ellsbury (2013)
This comparison is similar to second base, in that we're essentially comparing one player's performance in two different post-seasons. Like Pedey, Ells was a rookie in 2007. He was such a force off the bench that he played his way into the ALCS and World Series starting lineups much like Xander Bogaerts is doing this year. However, experience wins out and 2013 Ellsbury, who has been one of the better hitters in this offensively-challenged post-seaon, gets the edge.
Right Field: JD Drew (2007) vs. Shane Victorino (2013)
Both right fielders hit redemptive grand slams in Game 6. Both are stellar defenders. Drew performed a little better in the 2007 postseason, so he has the slight edge.
Bench: Doug Mirabelli, Alex Cora, Royce Clayton, Eric Hinske, Bobby Kielty (2007) vs.
David Ross, Will Middlebrooks, Daniel Nava, Mike Carp, Quintin Berry (2013)
Even though Kielty hit the home run that won Game 4 of the World Series, the 2013 bench has the clear edge here. Daniel Nava and Mike Carp are huge bats to have off the bench and Middlebrooks can hit a ball far if he runs into one. David Ross hasn't done too badly either and Quintin Berry waits in the wings if they need speed to push across a run late in the game.
Starting Rotation: Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Jon Lester (2007) vs. Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Jake Peavy (2013)
The 2013 starting rotation has been very good, for the most part, in the postseason. However, they don't possess a lights-out starter like Josh Beckett in 2007, so the edge goes to the 2007 rotation.
Bullpen: Mike Timlin, Eric Gagne, Manny Delcarmen, Bryan Corey, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon (2007) vs. Brandon Workman, Franklin Morales, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront, Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara (2013)
The 2013 bullpen was a concern going into the playoffs, but has been, with a few exceptions, rock-solid so far. The 2007 bullpen had Eric Gagne. Edge: 2013
Manager: Terry Francona (2007) vs. John Farrell (2013)
Both managers have a similar managerial style, with Farrell being more aggressive with the running game and not averse to playing a little small ball. This comparison, of all the comparisons made between the two teams, feels the most incomplete in making it before the World Series even begins. Francona has yet to lose a World Series game. Farrell has yet to play a World Series game. Track record says Francona wins this match-up, but Farrell has had a much more challenging row to hoe in cleaning up the mess after the 2011-2012 debacle. That he has played a key role in turning this team into what it is today in such a short time is nothing short of amazing.
The 2007 team was a dominant juggernaut, a steamroller that was expected to win. The 2013 team was expected to, in all probability, finish with better than a 69-93 record, but not much more. There were a plethora of unknowns going into this season, starting with how John Farrell would do stepping into this role and regaining the trust of a team that couldn't trust its skipper last year. There were questions surrounding Lester and Buchholz, Lackey's return from Tommy John surgery, what to expect from Ellsbury in his walk year, how the new acquisitions would fit in with the team, and how soon Papi could return from his Achilles injury and what to expect from him once he did return. Could they avoid the miserable starts of the last two seasons? Would they fall apart in the second half? When would Buchholz return from his mysterious neck/shoulder injury? Could Lester find his form again after regressing in June? Who will close games now that Hanrahan and Bailey are done for the season? Will they pony up for a starter at the trade deadline? Could they really win the AL East? They have answered these questions in walk-offs, high-fives, 18-8 April records, comeback seasons, Jake Peavy, Xander Bogaerts, 97 regular season wins and an AL pennant.
The only question that remains is: Can they beat that other best team in baseball and win the World Series?
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