Team of the Decade

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In just 10 years, the culture and perception of the Red Sox has done a complete 180. Cobbling together the Red Sox All-Aughts Red Sox shows a clear indication of the timeline where the Red Sox morphed into the franchise to be envied, but similarly showed that the early parts of the decade helped lay the foundation for the success to come.

The All-Aughts team is as follows*:

  1. C – JASON VARITEK (1997-2009): .257/.347/.431, 4 no-hitters
  2. 1B – KEVIN YOUKILIS (2004-2009): .292/.391/.487, 354 BB
  3. 2B – DUSTIN PEDROIA (2006-2009): .307/.370/.455, 324 R, 1 RoY, 1 GG, 1 MVP
  4. SS – NOMAR GARCIAPARRA (1996-2004): .323/.373/.541, 154 2B
  5. 3B – BILL MUELLER (2003-2005): .303/378/.474, 2 GS in 1 G, opposite sides of plate
  6. LF – MANNY RAMIREZ (2001-2008): .312/.411/.588, 274 HR, ‘04 WS MVP
  7. CF – JOHNNY DAMON (2002-2005): .295/.362/.441, Caveman
  8. RF – TROT NIXON (1996-2006): .278/.368/.480, 400 BB
  9. DH – DAVID ORTIZ (2003-2009): .288/.388/.578, 259 HR, Greatest clutch hitter
  10. BENCH C – DOUG MIRABELLI (2001-2005, 2006-2007): .238/.315/.433, Police escort
  11. BENCH IF – ALEX CORA (2005-2008): .252/.321/.350, 11 3B
  12. BENCH OF – GABE KAPLER (2003-2006): .270/.321/.391, Great debut (7-9, 7 RBI)
  13. BENCH UTIL – ERIC HINSKE (2006-2007): .229/.327/.406, one faceplant
  14. SP – PEDRO MARTINEZ (1998-2004): 117-37, 2.52 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, Greatest pitcher ever
  15. SP – CURT SCHILLING (2004-2007): 53-29, 3.95 ERA, 675 IP, Bloody Sock
  16. SP – JOSH BECKETT (2006-2009): 65-34, 4.05 ERA, 2nd in Cy Young voting 2007
  17. SP – JON LESTER (2006-2009): 42-16, 3.66 ERA, No-hitter
  18. SP – TIM WAKEFIELD (1995-2009): 110-95, 4.33 ERA, 1,747 IP, 346 G, 250 GS
  19. RP – MIKE MYERS (2004-2005): 52.1 IP, 3.44 ERA
  20. RP – RICH GARCES (1996-2002): 152 G, 4.09 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
  21. RP -  DEREK LOWE (1997-2004): 3.72 ERA, 111 G, 154 GF, clinched every ‘04 playoff series
  22. RP – ALAN EMBREE (2002-2005): 211 G, 4.69 ERA
  23. RP – HIDEKI OKAJIMA (2007-2009): 198 G, 2.72 ERA
  24. RP – MIKE TIMLIN (2003-2008): 3.76 ERA, 409 IP, 90 holds
  25. CL – JONATHAN PAPELBON (2005-2009): 298 IP, 1.84 ERA, 151 SV

MGR – TERRY FRANCONA (2005-2009): 565-407
GM – THEO EPSTEIN (2003-2009)
HONORABLE MENTION – MIKE LOWELL (2006-2009): .295/.350/.479, ‘07 World Series MVP
DISHONORABLE MENTION – (Fire Brand vote)

*Note: years given are player’s complete years of service with Red Sox up to 2009; statistics are from 2000-2009 served with Boston.

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12 Comments to “Team of the Decade”

  • rsfl says:
    November 29, 2009 at 5:16 AM

    c – tek
    1b – youk
    2b – pedroia
    3b – lowell
    ss – nomar
    lf – manny
    cf – damon
    rf – drew
    dh – papi
    sp – beckett
    sp – pedro
    sp – schill
    sp – lester
    sp – wake
    rp – guapo
    rp – timlin
    rp – foulke
    rp – pap
    rp – oki
    rp – embree
    ut – cora
    ut – kapler
    c – belli
    ut – mueller
    ut – millar

    Reply
  • jtorra says:
    November 29, 2009 at 5:54 AM

    C-Varitek
    1b- Millar
    2b – Pedroia
    3b- Lowell
    ss- Nomah!!!
    lf- Manny
    cf- Ellsbury
    rf – JD
    DH- Papi
    Sp- Beckett
    Sp – Schilling!!!!
    Sp- Pedro
    Sp- Lester
    SP- Wake
    Rp- Timlin
    Rp- Embree
    Rp- Leskanic
    Rp- Foulke…

    Nuff Sed

    Reply
  • Jtorra says:
    November 29, 2009 at 5:55 AM

    I missed Dave F'n' Roberts as an Honorable mention for stealing that base in 2004 ALCS game 4

    Reply
  • AJM says:
    December 17, 2009 at 9:27 PM

    c-tek
    1b-youk
    2b-pedroia
    3b-mueller
    ss-nomar
    lf-manny
    cf-damon
    rf-JD
    dh-big papi

    sp-pedro
    sp-schilling
    sp-lester
    sp-lowe
    sp-beckett

    rp-Papelbon
    rp-Foulke (destroyed his arm for the 2004 title)
    rp-Timlin
    rp-okajima

    bench-dave roberts baby!

    Reply
  • Ryan Hoffman says:
    December 20, 2009 at 5:35 PM

    c-tek
    1b-youk
    2b-pedey
    3b-lowell
    ss-nomar
    lf-manny
    cf-damon
    rf-drew
    dh-papi

    sp-schilling
    sp-beckett
    sp-lester
    sp-wake
    sp-pedro

    rp-papelbon
    rp-foulke
    rp-oki
    rp-timlin

    bench
    cora and roberts

    Reply
  • D. says:
    January 1, 2010 at 12:41 PM

    Where’s the love for Pedro, Papi, and Lowell?

    Reply
  • Alex says:
    January 7, 2010 at 2:27 AM

    2. 1B – Youk! (better than Millar)
    7. CF – Damon (original Idiot and best of the decade, despite betrayal)
    9. DH – Papi (Papi! Papi! Papi! Papi!)
    10. BENCH C – DOUGIE
    13. BENCH UTIL – Dave Roberts (he stole 2nd base, and our hearts)
    14. SP – Pedro
    16. SP – Beckett
    21. RP – Okajima
    23. RP – Foulke (gotta give one to him, closer or no)

    MGR – Terry Francona
    HONORABLE MENTION – Mike Lowell
    DISHONORABLE MENTION – Julio Lugo

    Reply
  • d-bo says:
    January 27, 2010 at 6:33 PM

    Your Starting Lineup (position, not batting order, obviously)
    1. SP – Pedro
    2. C – Tek
    3. 1B – Youk
    4. 2B – Pedroia
    5. 3B – Mueller
    6. SS – Nomah
    7. LF – Manny
    8. CF – Damon
    9. RF – Nixon
    10. DH – Papi

    Reserves

    IF – Lowell (yeah he wasn't a bench player, and he was probably better than Mueller, but he didn't have The Hit. But he has to be in here somewhere right?)
    IF – Cora
    C – Mirabelli
    OF – Roberts (cmon how can you not?)
    UTIL – Hinske

    SP – Schill
    SP – Wake
    SP – Lester
    SP – Beckett

    RP – Foulke
    RP – Embree
    RP – Timlinson
    RP – Okajima
    RP – Lowe
    RP – Papelbon

    MGR – Tito
    Honorable Mention – The Boss Millar
    Dishonorable Mention – Grady f*cking Little

    Reply

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