Red Sox fans should salute J. D. Drew... yeah you read that right

When Sully Baseball was in its infancy, I got into an internet argument with several Red Sox fans.

They all wanted J. D. Drew.
I didn't want the Sox to touch him with a cattle prod.

The J. D. Drew crew were all stat heads who were screaming about his OPS, his power, his ability to get on base and thought I was some stuck up fool for not seeing it.

I kept saying "He plays well when he has a contract on the line and is hurt all the other years."
I pointed out that he wore out his welcome in St. Louis, jumped ship in both Atlanta and Los Angeles following his only 2 seasons of note.

I was practically holding candlelight vigils to keep Drew from signing with the Sox.
And when he did, I wrote an early post explaining how the Sox should compensate a player who I thought was going to be a flop.

I felt that signing Drew for 5 years was going to be a disaster and there is no way he will live up to it and he will be on the DL for long stretches and not put up the numbers.

The contract is over. Let's review.
So let's review...

He gave the Red Sox 140 games once, his first year. That was also the only year he made 550 plate appearances.
He never hit 25 homers.
He never got more than 126 hits.
He never drove in 70 runs.
He never walked 85 times.
He struck out 100 or more times three times.
His average peaked at .280.
He cracked the top 10 of OPS once.

He was mediocre and injury plagued.
And his $14 million a year salary is coming off the books.

That's a good thing.
And I turned out to be right about J. D. Drew.

Except I am saluting him and I believe all Red Sox fans should do the same.

Lest we forget some of the great memories that J. D. Drew gave Sox fans.

In Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS, after Beckett and company forced the series back to Fenway, Cleveland still had the advantage.

And when the Sox loaded the bases with nobody out in the first, it looked like they were going to squander the opportunity to draw first blood. Drew came up with 2 outs and the bases still juiced and still no score. Fausto Carmona was going to get out of it when he went 3-1 on Drew. Every Sox fan (including one that Fox cut to) thought "Just walk J. D. Get a run on the board."

He drove one deep to center... maybe an out.
Sizemore went back... maybe a double.
And it cleared the wall. NOBODY was thinking grand slam. Even Carmona's reaction was "Are you F---ing Kidding Me?"

Bill Simmons called it the $70 million homer. The Red Sox took control and Game 7 was inevitable. Drew drove in another run for good measure.

In Game 7, he drove in a key insurance run in the 8th as the Red Sox won the pennant.

In the World Series against Colorado, he drove in 2 runs in the opener and got 2 hits in Game 2 as the Red Sox rolled.

But his greatest moments came in 2008, his lone All Star year for the Sox.
His home run in Yankee Stadium earned him All Star MVP honors.

Then in the Division Series he clubbed a go ahead homer off of Francisco Rodriguez to win Game 2 on the road.

In the ALCS against the Rays, he hit a home run to pull the Sox to within in and clubbed the walk off 9th inning hit giving the Red Sox the mindboggling 7 run deficit erasing victory in Game 5.

The Sox lost that series, but that Game 5 victory is still one of the great moments in recent Red Sox history.

So no, Drew wasn't worth the 5 years. He was never an elite player. I was right that he would spend a lot of time hurt and not living up to the potential.

But my goodness... he contributed big time to winning a World Series title and the next year gave us all thrills and the wonderful image of a Red Sox player being honored in Yankee Stadium.

That's got to be worth something.
So salute him, Red Sox fans and NOT with the middle finger.

He's got a World Series ring on his finger and he earned it.
That's got to be worth SOME love still.

Red Sox fans... remember THIS Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon is no longer a member of the Boston Red Sox.
When he walked off the mound that awful night in Baltimore, that was his last day pitching for Boston.

He signed a big mongo contract with the Phillies. Four years and $50 million.

I'm not saying the Red Sox should have matched that deal.
He will be 34 years old when it is over.
And most closers have about a 5 or 6 window of being really good. Papelbon has already had 6 solid years as a closer.

And cynically I can say "I'd rather have him breakdown on someone else's dime."
The Red Sox got his young energetic All Star closer days and the Phillies will pay for his expensive 30s.

But let's NOT be cynical.

Let's celebrate Jonathan Papelbon.

He came up as an energetic spot starter down the stretch in 2005. It's too bad Francona didn't stick him into the closer role. The Red Sox needed a closer in that stretch run (Schilling and Timlin couldn't cut it) and the Red Sox lost the Division by one game.

Keith Foulke broke down at the start of the 2006 season and Papelbon stepped in. The symbolism is wonderful in retrospect. Keith Foulke and Jonathan Papelbon are the only two pitchers since 1918 to clinch a World Series for the Red Sox... and the baton was passed during that first series in '06.

The Sox had a cool, cocky and arrogant closer. And we LOVED it!
He was fun.
He was silly.
He did the whole Riverdance routine.
He had Shipping Off To Boston as his theme song.
And more often than not, he shut down the opposition.

Three times his season ERA was sub 2.00.
In 2006, he finished with a 0.92 ERA. His strikeout per 9 innings regularly was in double digits. And in the 2005, 2007 and 2008 post season, he posted a 0.00 ERA.

And let's never forget the wonderful party that was the clinching Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS. The Red Sox clinched the 2004 AL Pennant and World Series on the road. But in '07, they had their pennant celebration at Fenway. And while the final score was lopsided, he faced the tying run at the plate in the 8th inning. He got out of it before Pedroia and Youkilis put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 8th.

And NEVER forget that he struck out Seth Smith and gave Red Sox fans a second World Series title to savor.

Never forget he came out in the 7th inning of the great comeback of Game 5, 2008 ALCS and threw 2 key shutout innings to let the Sox avoid elimination.

And never forget that when Lester, Lackey and Beckett were bombing, Papelbon was accountable to the media and gave his all, even after he lost the final game.

And never forget that he was fun.

Red Sox fan got a lot of great memories courtesy of Papelbon, including a World Series clincher.

So wish him well, Red Sox fans.
Say thank you for the memories.

And one more time, for old time sake... Let's Ship Out To Boston.

Slamming out the string

Carl Crawford should have a nice talk with J. D. Drew. Drew's first year in Boston was a mess as expectations for big stats were flushed down the toilet in 2007 and he looked like a bust.

Then he hit that grand slam in the ALCS and had a great World Series. Say what you want about him. The Sox don't win the 2007 World Series without him.

And if the Red Sox won the 2008 ALCS, Drew would have been the MVP.

So Crawford's first year in Boston has been up and down. But if today's grand slam was any indication, he has a little in the tank to contribute in October.

As for the post season, it is looking more and more like it is in the bag.

Yeah they can get into a dog fight with the Yankees for the Division. But for what?

The Red Sox have a Magic Number of 16 to make the playoffs with 24 games left.

If the Sox go 12-12 in their last 24 games, the Rays would have to go 21-3 just to force a one game playoff.

I'm not saying the Red Sox should start sitting their regulars, but the only way they aren't playing in October is if their September looked like their April.

The Sox and Rays play each other 7 times between September 9th and September 18th. If the Red Sox go 3-4 in those games, that would take 6 off the Magic Number right there.

Maybe even J. D. Drew will be healthy for October.

Nahhhh.

I don't say it often, but Thank You Tampa

Normally I'm not very happy when the Rays win. I'm not a Rays fan and frankly I don't want them getting TOO good. They can pass the Yankees, but I'm not looking for a repeat of 2008!

That being said, anytime CC Sabathia throws a solid complete game and LOSES is a good day for me.

The Sox are now 2 games ahead of the Yankees and heading back home to face the Mariners.

The Magic number?
65.

How Josh Beckett and the Star Trek films mirror each other

Josh Beckett’s tenure with the Red Sox is in sync with the quality of the Star Trek movies. Don’t believe me? Don’t understand me?

Follow along… it is logical.

Josh Beckett’s first season in Boston (2006)
mirrored Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Both were eagerly anticipated by fans:

Red Sox fans were getting the 2003 World Series MVP who conquered the Yankees.

Star Trek fans were getting to return to the Enterprise for the first time in more than a decade.


Both were trying to recreate a success from 2 years before:
The Red Sox needed an ace to fill Pedro Martinez’s shoes and replicate the 2004 World Championship.

Paramount needed a science fiction blockbuster in 1979 to answer the staggering success of Star Wars.

Both were incredibly expensive:
Beckett cost the Red Sox budding superstar Hanley Ramirez, a good pitcher in Anibal Sanchez and a big fat $30 million contract extension.

Star Trek The Motion Picture was, at the time, the most expensive movie ever produced. It’s price tag was around $45 million.

Both were initially big let downs:
Beckett let up way too many homers, his ERA soared to 5.01 and Red Sox fans shook their heads. “This is NOT what we wanted in an ace.”

Star Trek The Motion Picture lumbered along with a not exactly action packed plot. And the flight through V’Ger was the longest and most dull special effects sequence in history, rivaled only by the laborious introduction of the Enterprise.

Both had some decent numbers, but not what was expected:
Beckett won 16 games and pitched over 200 innings, which would be fine for most pitchers. But for Pedro Martinez’s replacement, it was a let down.

Star Trek The Motion Picture grossed over $130 million world wide and made $30 million in profits for Paramount. Impressive, but not even close to Star Wars.


Both had, in retrospect, some bright spots:
Beckett pitched brilliantly out of the gate, winning his first three starts convincingly. He homered in a game against the Phillies. And on September 21, in his second to last start of the season, he out pitched Johan Santana in a game where the Twins were trying to take over the Division lead. Beckett went 8 innings of shutout ball.

There are some cool scenes in Star Trek The Motion Picture. The Klingons attacking the V’Ger cloud at the opening was neat. Spock’s spacewalk and mindmeld with V’Ger was a cool scene. And in retrospect, the film plays like a very good episode that happened to have some overlong special effects sequences shoved into it.

Josh Beckett’s second season in Boston (2007)
mirrored Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Both addressed what went wrong before:
Beckett stopped relying on his fastball and learned how to pitch in the American League with his breaking stuff and location. And along the way reduced the walks and homers that plagued his 2006 season.

For Star Trek II, they brought in a whole new creative cast and crew. And (get ready for some blasphemy) removing Gene Roddenberry in favor of Harve Bennet was the best thing to ever happen to Star Trek! The Wrath of Khan acted like Star Trek The Motion Picture didn’t even happen. It picked the story up with Kirk wanting the Enterprise back and, unlike the first movie, acknowledged the fact that the cast was old. Now the age of Kirk was no longer a distraction but part of the story and it worked big time.

Both obliterated all of the earlier doubts:
Beckett’s 2006 made people wonder if he was yet another National League pitcher who couldn’t make it in the American League. And some people started pointing out that his regular season stats weren’t exactly eye popping. Nobody was saying that after 2007.

Critics wondered if Star Trek was just a TV show that couldn’t translate to the big screen. I mean if they couldn’t make it work with a big budget and Robert Wise directing, what chance did it have? The new producers, writers and director solved that!

Both were so much better than anyone could have imagined:
Beckett was hoping for a good rebound season. What he got was a Cy Young caliber season where he played the role of ace and etched his name into Red Sox lore.

The Wrath of Khan became the gold standard of every Star Trek movie and episode since. It was more than a good Star Trek movie. It was a good MOVIE. Even non Trekkies (or Trekkers) admit that it is a heck of a good sci fi action film.


Both had a cool bad ass quality:
Beckett didn’t just win. He won with an unmistakable swagger and he was unflappable. Remember how the Red Sox were down 3-1 in the ALCS and Beckett had to save the season? He not only won, but he barely broke a sweat. The Indians hired his ex girlfriend to sing the national anthem. He didn’t care. Kenny Lofton tried to charge the mound, and Beckett shrugged. Nothing phased him.

Think Star Trek is nerdy? Check out Riccardo Montalban as Khan, chest out and out hamming William Shatner. There was nothing dorky about dropping creatures into Chekov’s ear. And Kirk was at his coolest, out smarting Khan and finding out he was a dad. Even Spock showed a unflappable side, lying in one scene taking one for the team at the end. The Enterprise was never cooler.

It just kept betting better:
Beckett just kept winning. On September 15th he faced off against the Yankees supposed ace Chien-Ming Wang and won easily. He opened the Division Series with a complete game shutout of the Angels. Won the ALCS MVP and probably would have been the World Series MVP if he got another start.

Wrath of Khan kept topping itself. The Khan sneak attack. The Genesis planet. Kirk screaming Khaaaaaaaan! The battle in the Nebula. And just when the film couldn’t get any better, Spock had a death scene. Are you kidding me?

The ending was not delivered goose bumps but promised more greatness:
Beckett won the opener of the World Series and set the tone for the Red Sox sweep. When they won, it felt different than 2004. There was the possibility of more titles on the way.

Wrath of Khan ended with the funeral of Spock. But then the camera swooped down to the Genesis planet with all new life forming from death… AND SPOCK’S COFFIN WAS INTACT! And the “Space The Final Frontier” monologue was said by Spock, not Kirk. You know what that means: There was going to be an awesome sequel with Spock in it!

Josh Beckett’s third season in Boston (2008)
mirrored Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Both had an impossible act to follow:
How could Beckett top his near Cy Young winning 2007 season where he built on his reputation of being an all time Post Season pitcher? He couldn’t.

Could The Search for Spock even come close to the awesome roller coaster that was Wrath of Khan? Nope.

Both seemed like hollow facsimiles of the previous triumph:
Beckett got some big wins to be sure. But he hovered around .500 around most of the season and his ERA hovered around 4.00. Not bad, but not great.

There were some nice scenes in The Search for Spock. But Christopher Lloyd was a poor man’s Khan. And destroying the Enterprise and killing Kirk’s son just didn’t hold a candle to Spock’s sacrifice.

Both saved the best for last:
Despite some bad outings against the Angels and Rays in the playoffs, Beckett won Game 6 forcing the ALCS to go the limit. It didn’t have the cool ending as 2007, but Beckett did his job at the end.

The Search for Spock felt a little cheap and slapped together after Wrath of Khan. But the finale on Vulcan and Spock raising his eyebrow was a great ending.

Josh Beckett’s fourth season in Boston (2009)
mirrored Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Both were fun if a little light and less ambitious:
Beckett won a bunch of games including a terrific opening day start against the Rays and a complete game shutout against the Braves. He also showed his fire was there when he threw at Bobby Abreu’s head and got suspended. The Angels got revenge by beating Beckett in the playoffs.

The Voyage Home had no intention of topping Wrath of Khan. There was no bad guy and no great sacrifice. There were funny scenes in San Francisco and a save the whales message. It was the big screen equivalent of The Trouble with Tribbles.

Both were a nice return to form:
While he didn’t dominate in the playoffs, Beckett became an All Star starter and along side Jon Lester, it looked like the Red Sox had their aces back.

The Voyage Home was no Wrath of Khan. But all the crew was back and in uniform. Rand and Chapel had cameos. Even Spock’s mom showed up to say hello. And at the end, a new Enterprise was introduced meaning that the series was going to get a fresh start.

Josh Beckett’s fifth season in Boston (2010)
mirrored Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Both looked bad right from the beginning:
Beckett started the season against the Yankees got clobbered, being chased in the 5th inning. He looked bad and it wasn’t going to get better.

The Final Frontier opened with Spock, McCoy and Kirk singing "Row Row Row your boat" around a camp fire. It was worse than embarrassing. It was Mystery Science Theater material.

Both tried but failed to fix things in mid stream:
Beckett sat out a start in May before getting his butt kicked by the Yankees again. He was put on the disabled list after the Yankee start. But when he came back, he was dreadful, watching his ERA rising to 6.67 in mid August.

The Final Frontier went through so many different script changes and reedits that I am convinced that none of the actors knew what the plot was from scene to scene.

Both were so bad that you wondered if there was any hope for the future:
Forget being an ace. A 30 year old pitcher going 6-6 with a 5.78 ERA could be filed in the “he’s done” bin.

With the incomprehensible ending on the God planet, a return to the camp fire and a fat and old cast, the idea of another Star Trek voyage seemed unlikely.
Both made you think “better leave it to the next generation”:

Beckett was no longer the ace. Buchholz and Lester had that title. Should Beckett step down and give the Michael Bowden and Felix Doubronts of the world a shot?

Kirk, Spock and McCoy? By 1989 they should leave the “boldly going” to Piccard and company.



So where does this leave Beckett for 2011?

The good news is that Star Trek VI was the best written film of the series other than Wrath of Khan and gave the crew a great send off. So things look good for the Sox and Beckett.

Bad news is the NEXT Star Trek film, Generations, blew a great chance to have Kirk and Piccard team up. The film was a mess. Which means Beckett will probably flop in 2012.

However Star Trek: First Contact was a terrific and fun film. The Borg on the big screen? Awesome. Which bodes well for Beckett and the Sox in 2013.

The last year of Beckett’s contract is 2014. Sadly Star Trek: Insurrection was so forgettable that I forgot I saw it while I was in the theater. Doesn’t look good for Beckett that year.

And if a team signs him for 2015, bad news. I couldn’t finish Star Trek: Nemesis. I am guessing Beckett won’t finish that season.

A ray of hope for 2016? The Star Trek reboot wasn’t bad. Maybe he’ll finish in style.


Live long and prosper, Josh Beckett.

(How often can I combine two different childhood obsessions into one post?)

Teams that avoided the big collapse

One of two things are going to happen today at the Trop:

The Rays will complete a remarkable comeback in a series where they were 5 outs from elimination and looked dead from the neck up.

Or

The Rangers will have fought off a gigantic scare and win their first ever post season series.

Both are pretty dramatic.

We hear a lot about the teams that have come back from deep holes to win the final 3 games of a post season series.

Teams down 2-0 in a best of 5 series or down 3-1 in a best of 7 series who storm back and win. (Only one team pulled it off being down 3-0… I don’t remember which one.)

With all the big comebacks, doesn’t it always seem like the team that ties the series has the momentum and winds up winning it?

But what about the near misses?

What about the teams down 2-0 in a best of 5 or down 3-1 in a best of 7 and force a deciding game… only to lose it?

The comebacks that fall just short. Or for the other team, narrowly avoiding a gigantic choke.

If the Rangers win tonight, they will have dodged a massive bullet.

What other teams avoided an epic collapse when they let their opponent off the matt to force a deciding game, only to compose themselves and win the do or die finale?

The 1972 A's did it in BOTH the ALCS and World Series... not a bad showing.

We here at Sully Baseball don’t just ponder questions like that?
We list them:

THE TEAMS THAT AVOIDED A MASSIVE COLLAPSE

1912 BOSTON RED SOX
Red Sox had a 3-1-1 lead over New York Giants in the World Series. (One tie due to darkness.)
Giants won 2 in a row to force deciding 8th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 8: RED SOX win 3-2 in 10 innings.
2 outs away from losing the series, the Red Sox score 2 aided my Fred Snodgrass dropping a fly ball and win the World Series.

1967 ST LOUIS CARDINALS
Cardinals had a 3-1 lead over Boston Red Sox in the World Seres
Red Sox won 2 in a row to force deciding 7th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 7: CARDINALS win 7-2.
Bob Gibson is unstoppable and throws a complete game victory and hits a home run for good measure. Jim Lonborg is no match for him on only 2 days rest.

1972 OAKLAND A'S
A's had a 2-0 lead over Detroit Tigers in the ALCS.
Tigers won 2 in a row to force deciding 5th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 5: A'S win 2-1
Reggie Jackson steals home to tie the game in the second but tears his hamstring. Gene Tenace drives home the go ahead run in the 4th. Vida Blue throws 4 innings for the save, getting Tony Taylor, the potential pennant winning run, to fly out.

A's had a 3-1 lead over Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.
Reds won 2 in a row to force deciding 7th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 7: A'S win 3-2
The A's took the lead in the 6th while the Reds threatened with the bases loaded and 1 out in the 8th. They had the tying run on base and the World Series winning run at the plate in the 9th, but Rollie Fingers got Pete Rose to pop up to win the Series.

1981 MONTREAL EXPOS
Expos had a 2-0 lead over Philadelphia Phillies in the Divisional Playoff.
Phillies won 2 in a row to force deciding 5th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 5: EXPOS win 3-0
Steve Rogers out dueled Steve Carlton and the defending World Champion Phillies in Philadelpha with a 6 hit shut out. Rogers drove in 2 runs himself with an RBI single in the 5th.

1981 NEW YORK YANKEES
Yankees had a 2-0 lead over Milwaukee Brewers in the Divisional Playoff.
Tigers won 2 in a row to force deciding 5th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 5: YANKEES win 7-3
The Brewers took an early 2-0 lead on Ron Guidry who only lasted 4 innings. But Reggie Jackson and Oscar Gamble hit back to back homers to give the Yankees the lead for good.

1992 ATLANTA BRAVES
Braves had a 3-1 lead over Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS.
Pirates won 2 in a row to force deciding 7th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 7: BRAVES win 3-2.
Pirates ace Doug Drabek took a shutout into the 9th inning. But a Pendleton double and an error by Jose Lind knocked him out. With two outs, seldom used catcher Francisco Cabrera hit a two run pinch hit single to win the game and the series for Atlanta.

2008 TAMPA BAY RAYS
Rays had a 3-1 lead over Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.
Red Sox won 2 in a row to force deciding 7th game.

FINAL GAME:
GAME 7: RAYS win 3-1.
The Red Sox took an early 1-0 lead and carried that into the 4th. The Rays got to Jon Lester and Matt Garza shut down the potent Red Sox lineup. But when Boston loaded the bases in the 8th, it looked like they were going to pull ahead. Rookie David Price came out of the bullpen and struck out J. D. Drew and pitched the 9th for the save.



So there you have it...
7 teams avoided the ignominious fate of blowing a big post season lead.
Will the Rangers join them? Or will they be the latest team to shake their heads and say "We HAD this!"?

David Price's season is taking some of the sting out of 2008... but not all of it

David Price had another terrific outing today, this time throwing 6 innings and no earned runs and as of this writing, the Rays are cruising to a victory against Cleveland.

Price is quickly becoming an All Star caliber starter. If the score holds up he'll be 6-1 with a 1.81 ERA.

So I guess Price coming out of the bullpen with only 14 innings of big league experience and ending the Red Sox World Series defense in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS with a 4 out save including a bases loaded strikeout of J. D. Drew isn't so bad in retrospect.

He was a stud they had barely seen... oh but still I WANTED that game. It would have made the comeback from the 7-0 Game 5 even sweeter... a chance to go back to back.

I remember talking to someone about my shaky Patriot fandom. I told him "I would trade all three Patriots Super Bowl Titles in exchange for a double by J. D. Drew off of David Price."

I still would

Jason Bay... we hardly knew ye

So it is official... Jason Bay is a Met and his days as a Red Sox left fielder are over.

And even though the signing was announced less than 24 hours ago, it has already been declared a bust by SI.com, Yahoo Sports, The Post, and many bloggers.

Tough crowd.

And while as a Red Sox fan I would rather see him break down on someone else's dime (and pick up a few draft picks from the Mets) I think Bay is worth a nice salute before he leaves.

He played well for the Sox (with a few slumps here and there) over a year and a half.
And to the morons who say that the Red Sox lost the 2008 pennant because they had Bay instead of Ramirez, please do a little homework.

Bay would have been the MVP of the Division Series in 2008 if they gave out that award. (I do.)

He batted .412 in the (and a 1.356 OPS) in the Division Series, including a key home run in Game 1 amd doubling in the 9th inning of Game 4 and scoring the series ending run.

And the Red Sox didn't lose the ALCS to the Rays because of Bay (and his .927 OPS.) They lost because Beckett got crushed in Game 2, Lester got crushed in Game 3, Wakefield got crushed in Game 4 and the Red Sox couldn't hit Garza nor Price in Game 7.

It's always about pitching.

Oh and lest we forget Bay's home run against Mariano Rivera last spring. (Doesn't that seem like a lifetime ago?)

So the Sox aren't being sentimental... they are piling up draft picks and hoping to make the next big smash.

But Bay, while still ringless (and will probably remain that in Flushing) he is still worth a Red Sox fan salute.

Sully Baseball Presents THE BEST AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES GAMES OF THE 2000s

There was a period of time during the 1980s and 1990s where the drama of the NFC title game over shadowed the drama of the Super Bowl.

The same could be said to a degree about the ALCS this decade. While many years the World Series was a bit of an anti climax, the ALCS was reliable for some of the most thrilling and down to the wire games of the decade.

And yes, a lot of attention was put on the Yankee/Red Sox series. Well I am sorry, rest-of-the-country... but the Red Sox and Yankees played in back to back ALCS and they were two of the best ALCS in history! And not just because of an East Coast Bias. They were thrillers and each had a spectacular "I can't believe the rivalry is getting bigger!" conclusion.

This decade featured walk off homers, including two ALCS ending walk off shots. It featured coaches being thrown to the ground, balls being slapped out of gloves by superstars, a team blowing a late 7-0 lead, a remarkable come back started by a stolen base... and of course a bloody sock.

As started in the Best of 2000s Post Season Home Page, I am picking the best game for each game of the series... Best Game 1, Best Game 2... etc.

And when need be, I'll have some honorable mentions.

Best Game 1 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2002 – Twins 2 Angels 1

A year after the Twins were threatened with contraction, they found themselves with home field advantage in the ALCS.

Joe Mays took the mound for the Twins and was brilliant against a hard hitting Anaheim Angels squad.

He pitched 8 strong innings, letting up only a single unearned run. The Twins took the lead on Corey Koskie's 5th inning double and Eddie Guardado made it count with a shut out 9th inning.

The Twins wouldn't win another game in the series, but for one day it looked like Minnesota could give the ultimate middle finger to the powers that wanted to contract the team.

Honorable Mentions for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2001 – Yankees 4 Mariners 2

After squeaking past Oakland, the Yankees faced the 116 win Mariners. Paul O'Neill's homer in the 4th gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead, putting Seattle on the defensive. The Mariners offense could not get going but still brought Edgar Martinez to the plate as the tying run in the bottom of the 9th. Mariano Rivera got him to ground out to end the game.

2008 – Red Sox 2 Rays 0

Daisuke Matsuzaka no hit the Rays for the first 6 innings but James Shields was also tough, holding the Red Sox to 1 run over 7 innings.

Dice-K wiggled out of trouble in the 7th but needed help from the bullpen in the 8th. With 2 on and 1 out, Justin Masterson got Evan Longoria to ground into a double play and end the threat.

Best Game 2 American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2005 – White Sox 2 Angels 1

The White Sox did NOT want to go down 2-0 back to Anaheim and they would do anything to get a win in Chicago... even something sneaky.

The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th thanks to a great 9 inning performance by Mark Buehrle and Angels reliever Kelvim Escobar. With 2 outs and nobody on, Escobar got White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski to strike out to end the inning.

Angels catcher Josh Paul casually went back to the dugout but Pierzynski saw he wasn't called out and sprinted to first base. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings claimed the ball hit the dirt before going into Paul's glove, making it a live ball and Pierzynski reached first. Replays showed it actually went into the glove.

Either way, another out would have made the point moot. But pinch runner Pablo Ozuna stole second and scored on Joe Crede's walk off double.

The Angels were fuming but the White Sox got the win... and they wouldn't lose again the entire post season.

Honorable Mentions for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2007 - Indians 13 Red Sox 6 (11 innings)

The Red Sox stampeded through the Division Series and Game 1 of the ALCS. In Game 2, the Indians took an early lead off of Curt Schilling but Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell hit back to back homers to briefly give the Red Sox the lead.

The Indians tied it up... and suddenly the scoring stopped.

In the bottom of the 9th, Kevin Youkilis fouled off a bunch of pitches before hitting a low line drive snared by Grady Sizemore, saving the game. In the 11th, Francona handed the ball to Eric Gagne who got rocked... before the 11th was over the Indians scored 7 runs, including a go ahead single by Trot Nixon and a homer by Franklin Gutierrez.

The Indians had new life and looked like they had life in the ALCS.

2008 – Rays 9 Red Sox 8 (11 innings)

The crisp pitchers duel of Game 1 gave way to a sluggish slug fest in Game 2. Jason Bay and Evan Longoria traded 2 run first inning homers. Pedroia would homer twice. Youkilis would add another one. Cliff Floyd and B. J. Upton homered for the Rays.

But Beckett couldn't hold onto a 6-5 lead and Tampa couldn't hold the lead with 2 outs in the 8th.

The Red Sox left runners in scoring position in the 9th and 11th and Tampa won the game on a sacrifice fly in the 11th by Upton. How could the series have been different had the Red Sox taken a 2-0 series lead?

2009 – Yankees 4 Angels 3 (13 innings)

The Angels needed to win Game 2 in order to realistically have a shot at going to the World Series... and somehow the Angels blew every conceivable chance to win it, even when the Yankees handed the game over on a silver platter.

Joe Saunders and Kevin Jepsen held the mighty Yankees to 2 runs over 9 innings... but A. J. Burnett of all people shut the Angels down as well. The Angels loaded the bases in the 5th and tied the game on a wild pitch... but left the bases loaded in the 7th and left runners in scoring position in the 8th.

In the pouring rain in the 11th, the Angels took the lead and sent closer Brian Fuentes to close out the 11th. He faced A-Rod and then a bunch of bench players... all he had to do was make sure A-Rod didn't homer in the downpour.

OF COURSE HE DID and the game was tied.

The Angels left runners in scoring position in the 12th and the Yankees left the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame. Vlad Guerrero once again left runners in scoring position in the 13th while the Yankees took advantage of sloppy defense to win it in the 13th.

Best Game 3 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2003 – Yankees 4 Red Sox 3

Let's get the Don Zimmer/Pedro Martinez fight out of the way first.

Yeah there was a big fight. And yeah I thought Manny Ramirez was out of line yelling at Clemens because the pitch was nowhere near his head.

But anyone who saw it saw Don Zimmer, one of the great idiots in baseball history, running at Pedro Martinez... clearly not to chat.

Pedro tossed the old fool aside... maybe with a little too much relish.

But how it was covered in New York leapt far beyond absurd. Pedro did NOT attack Don Zimmer. One person talked on the radio about how "Zimmer was trying to make peace and Pedro attacked him."

That is as truthful as saying "Los Angeles is in Rhode Island."

What you might forget about that insane game was that it was actually a good GAME! Pedro and Roger... Sox taking an early lead... Jeter and Ramirez homering...

But the fact of the matter is the high pitches to Posada that started the insanity woke up the Yankees and gave them life as Pedro Martinez lost a playoff game for the first time.

Honorable Mention for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2009 – Angels 5 Yankees 4 (11 innings)

The Yankees looked like they were ready to sweep away the Angels when they took a 3-0 lead in the 5th. But the Angels got off the matt, highlighted when Game 2 goat Vlad Guerrero launched a game tying homer off of Andy Pettitte. The Angels took the lead but Jorge Posada tied it with a homer in the 8th.

The game went into extras again... where once again Guerrero left the bases loaded. But this time the Angels were able to push a run across in extra innings when Jeff Mathis singled home Howie Kendrick and gave the Halos some hope.

Best Game 4 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2006 – Tigers 6 A’s 3

Don't worry. I haven't forgotten the Dave Roberts game... just giving some love to the good folks in Detroit.

Just 3 years removed from a 119 loss season, the Tigers were on the verge of a pennant.

But the A's, fighting for their life, came out swinging. Milton Bradley and Eric Chavez hit RBI doubles in the first and Jay Payton added a solo shot to make it 3-0 Oakland. But the Tigers fought back, tying the game on a Magglio Ordonez homer in the 6th.

The A's blew a bases loaded chance in the 8th. In the 9th, with 2 outs and nobody on, the Tigers rallied. Finally Huston Street grooved one to Ordonez, whose second homer of the game, a 3 run shot, won the pennant for the Tigers.

Honorable Mentions for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2001 – Yankees 3 Mariners 1

Mariners starter Paul Abbott had a no hitter going through 5 innings. The problem was he also let up 8 walks and wasn't exactly sharp.

Either way, it is harsh to lift a guy while throwing a post season no hitter!

Roger Clemens and Ramiro Mendoza combined for 2 hits over 8 innings. In fact going into the bottom of the 8th, the Mariners had a 1-0 lead and there were only 3 hits in the entire game.

Bret Boone's homer gave Seattle the lead, but Bernie Williams' homer tied the game in the bottom of the 8th.

In the bottom of the 9th Alfonso Soriano hit a walk off homer off of Kaz Sazaki, giving the Yankees a 3-1 win and a 3-1 series lead.

A lot of people made a big deal about the fact his homer took place at 9:11 PM in the wake of the September 11th attacks. I think it was a coincidence.

2004 – Red Sox 6 Yankees 4

I know I will catch flack from Red Sox fans for not putting this game at the top.

Yes, I know it was the turning point of the rivalry. Yes I know it was the moment where the Red Sox stared into the abyss and found their character. I know it was the moment where the single most transcendent moment happened in Red Sox history and Dave Roberts stole that base and started a chain reaction that resulted in the Red Sox slaying their demons.

I know. I remember the game well.

I remember Papi's homer too.

I remember it all.

And guess what? The 2004 ALCS is going to get a lot of love on this page. And besides, when the game was over, I thought "Oh man... this is just prolonging the agony." It wasn't until the Game 5 victory that I began to think "wait a second! We can win this thing!"

Best Game 5 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2004 – Red Sox 5 Yankees 4

Less than 24 hours after The Dave Roberts Game ended, the Red Sox and Yankees had to play another game.

As I said in Reverse the Curse of the Bambino, I was actually a little pissed when the euphoria ended at the end of Game 4. The Red Sox were still in a terrible hole, down 3 games to 1, and while it was fun to see the Sox squeeze out a win... the series was still over.

Game 5 just seemed cruel, especially when the Red Sox took an early 2-0 lead only to see it slip away on a 2 out 3 run double by Jeter on Pedro's 100th pitch.

Then Game 5 became surreal. Down 4-2 with Tom Gordon on the mound, David Ortiz homered to make it a 1 run game... and Kevin Millar walked again and Dave Roberts came in to run again.

And I sat back thinking "Oh man... so cruel. They'll bring in Rivera now."

But an unnerved Tom Gordon remained in the game long enough to let Trot Nixon execute a perfect hit and run putting the tying run on third with nobody out. Rivera came in but let up a game tying sacrifice fly.

Then Game 5 became insane...

Tony Clark hit a 2 out ground rule double that just skipped over the fence, taking a potential pennant winning run off of the board for the Yankees.

The Red Sox had 2 on and nobody out in the 11th and couldn't score.

David Ortiz tried to steal in the 12th. He was called out even though replays should he might have been safe.

The Red Sox had to bring in Tim Wakefield and use Jason Varitek as his catcher. The Lobster couldn't catch Wakefield's knuckler yet kept calling for it. In the bizarre 13th inning, Wakefield had two base runners and threw three passed balls... and yet didn't let up a run. Why Torre never set the runners in motion never made sense to me.

In the 14th, the Red Sox rallied against a surprising Esteban Loaiza with David Ortiz driving home the winning run with 2 outs, 2 strikes and a brown stain creating at bat.

After that game, Red Sox fans dared think "Hmm... I wonder if the Sox could win this."

There was no time to think. The next game was less than 24 hours away.

Honorable Mentions for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2008 – Red Sox 8 Rays 7

Only the emotion of the 2004 series kept this from the top spot. One of the most mind boggling comebacks in post season history. The Rays took a 7-0 lead with 2 outs in the 7th at Fenway and were poised to blow the Red Sox out for the third straight game for the pennant.

The Red Sox cut the score to 7-4 and the next inning J. D. Drew brought the Red Sox to within 1 with a homer. Then Coco Crisp fouled off 4,391 pitches and singled home the tying run with 2 outs in the 8th.

After a double play killed a 9th inning Rays rally, the Sox took advantage of an error and a J. D. Drew double to win a game that just didn't seem to be really happening.

2009 – Angels 7 Yankees 6

I will go on record in saying that Game 5 of the 2009 ALCS was one of the strangest playoff games I have ever seen. The Yankees were held scoreless in all but one inning. The Angels were held scoreless in all but 2 innings.

Most of the game was a tense pitching duel. But those three innings were so wild that it gave the game a sense that it was a crazy slugfest.

The Angels pounded A. J. Burnett and were up 4-0 before he recorded an out. Then the Angels bats went dead.

Then with 2 outs in the 7th and the bases loaded, Mike Scioscia took out John Lackey, who didn't seem happy about it. Turns out Lackey was right. The Yankees scored 6 runs with 2 outs and looked like they were lined up to win the pennant. But Girardi let A. J. Burnett start the bottom of the 7th and then the Yankee bullpen collapsed. Vlad Guerrero tied the game with a single and Kendry Morales gave the Angels the lead.

Brian Fuentes had 2 outs and nobody on... and managed to let the Yankees load the bases. But Nick Swisher popped up to end the game and force a Game 6.

Best Game 6 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2004 – Red Sox 4 Yankees 2

First of all, let me say this right off the bat:

I was there.

It's not often you get to be in the stands during one of the classic playoff games of all time. But I was there, thanks to Jon Griggs getting me a ticket.

The game was an unnerving experience, waiting for that moment when the other shoe was going to drop and the Yankees would win in front of the home crowd.

First I thought the Yankees were going to bunt like crazy off of Schilling. I couldn't see the bleeding sock... but we all knew he had a crazy surgery just days before the game and nobody was sure if his foot was going to pop off of his ankle, let alone have him throw a shutout into the 7th.

And then came the A-Rod slap. From where I was sitting, it wasn't clear what happened. I just assumed Bronson Arroyo did something stupid and threw the ball away.

But when Yankee Stadium was going nuts, screaming 19-18 and Boston Sucks, I noticed the umpires huddling. Now heaven forbid they use replay to check the play... but they did get the call right. A-Rod slapped that ball away and was out... despite his protestations.

What people forget about that game was that the Yankees brought the pennant winning run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th. With 2 outs and 2 on, Tony Clark faced Keith Foulke... who could have been the post season MVP for the 2004 Red Sox.

All the while I was thinking "This is it... this is where the 2004 Red Sox end... Tony F---ing Clark."

But Foulke struck him out and one of the iconic games of the decade went to the Red Sox.

There was no time to rejoice... they would play again in less than 24 hours.

Honorable Mentions for Game 6 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2000 - Yankees 9 Mariners 7

Facing elimination, the Mariners jumped out to an early lead thanks to first inning RBIs by then Mariner A-Rod and Edgar Martinez.

Their 4-0 lead quickly became 4-3. Then in the 7th, David Justice launched a 3 run homer that game the Yankees the lead.

The Mariners would rally with an A-Rod homer in the 8th and had the tying run at the plate in the form of Yankee killer Edgar Martinez in the 9th. But Edgar grounded out to give the Yankees the pennant.

2003 - Red Sox 9 Yankees 6

The tremendous 2003 ALCS looked like it was running out of gas with the Yankees pulling away. The Red Sox blew an early 4-1 lead and the Yankees took the lead partially on a Nomar Garciaparra error.

But Nomar made up for it by tripling in the 7th and scoring on Hideki Matsui's error, making it a 1 run game. In the same inning David Ortiz tied the game with a single and Johnny Damon's walk with the bases loaded gave the Red Sox the lead.

Trot Nixon's homer gave the Red Sox some wiggle room and the Yankees couldn't rally off of relievers Alan Embree, Mike Timlin and Scott Williamson... a fact forgotten by manager Grady Little 24 hours later.

2009 – Yankees 5 Angels 2

The Angels were on the brink, trailing the series 3-2 and were down 3-1 in the 8th. But the Angels cut the lead to one on a Vlad Guerrero RBI single. The Angels just needed to play mistake free ball in the bottom of the 8th to give the team a shot in the 9th.

That didn't happen. The usually steady Angels made two errors in the bottom of the 8th and the Yankees pulled ahead and clinched the pennant with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Best Game 7 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2003 – Yankees 6 Red Sox 5

Arguably the single greatest game of the decade.

The Red Sox seemed poised to finally slay their demons in the Bronx.

The Yankees were ready to maintain supremacy.

It was Pedro vs. Clemens just a few days after the Zimmer brawl.

The build up to the game was so intense that there was no way it could match up to the hype. Somehow it surpassed it.

If you are reading this blog, then you don't need a recap for Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

So here are some facts and thoughts about the last game of the curse:

- Aaron Boone didn't start the game. Enrique Wilson had a solid record against Pedro Martinez and started at third in his place. Boone didn't enter the game until he was a pinch runner in the dreaded 8th.

- The biggest hero of the game might have been Mike Mussina who came into the game in the 4th, Yankees down 4-0 with 2 on and nobody outs... Sox in danger of blowing the game open. He threw 3 scoreless innings and kept the Yankees in the game.

- Every single Red Sox fan knew that Pedro Martinez always fell apart after 100 pitches. When he struck out Alfonso Soriano with 2 on to end the 7th, I yelled what every other Red Sox fan yelled. "GREAT! TAKE HIM OUT!"

- When Pedro came out to start the 8th, I thought "OK, but take him out after he lets up a base runner."

- Alan Embree's ERA in the ALCS was 0.00... so was Mike Timlin's... and Scott Williamson had 3 saves. It's safe to say they could have cobbled together 5 outs. In fact Embree and Timlin DID get 5 outs... when it was too late.

- Anyone who said that Grady Little made the right decision with the lame excuse "Pedro was the best pitcher so he should have been there in the 8th" is insane. I would always say in return "So did Grady make the wrong decision taking Pedro out when the game was tied?"

- Little took David Ortiz out of the lineup in the 9th when he lifted him for a pinch runner. If the game went deep into extras, Gabe Kapler would have been protecting Manny Ramirez.

- If the Red Sox won this game and won the 2003 World Series, chances are the Yankees would pick up Curt Schilling in the off season and the Red Sox would have acquired Alex Rodriguez.

- That night almost hurt as much as 1986... the only thing that made it hurt less was that it was erased the very next year.

Honorable Mentions for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series for the 2000s

2004 – Red Sox 10 Yankees 3

The closest 10-3 game in history. Even when the Red Sox were up 8-1, I couldn't relax. I kept thinking "Oh Christ... how will the Yankees come back?"

And it sure seemed like we were going to get our answer when Pedro Martinez came into the game in the 7th. The game went from 8-1 to 8-3... then Pedro reached back and struck out Olerud and got Cairo out... and Bellhorn homered in the top of the 8th.

Then I remember a very strange feeling take over my body... confidence.

And in one game the rivalry was changed forever. The Yankees can win in the future and they did this year... but the Red Sox finally had a highlight against the Yankees go THEIR way.

In some ways the World Series was an anticlimactic after thought. As Red Sox fans, what do you think about when 2004 is mentioned? Is it the Cardinals? Or beating the Yankees?

2007 – Red Sox 11 Indians 2

There is no way to look at the final score to know how tense this game was. The Indians were trying not to let a 3-1 ALCS lead completely slip away. The Red Sox were trying to complete yet another comeback and get back to the World Series.

And in the 7th inning, it looked like the Series was going to turn in the Indians favor. With the Red Sox up 3-2, Kenny Lofton reached when Julio Lugo let an easy fly ball drop. With the speedy Lofton on second, Franklin Gutierrez singled to left. Manny Ramirez loafed in and tossed it to second... and Kenny Lofton was standing on third base. Third base coach Joel Skinner held him from scoring the tying run. Historians for generations will study that tape and not have any clue why he was held at third. A double play in the next play ended the rally.

Dustin Pedroia homered to give the Sox some breathing room in the 7th, but the Indians put the tying run at the plate with nobody out in the 8th. Papelbon came in and got Hafner and Martinez out... then Garko hit a deep flyball that looked like it was going to tie the game or at least make it a 1 run game. But Jacoby Ellsbury tracked it down.

The Red Sox unloaded on the Indians bullpen in the 8th to make it a blow out... but make no mistake, this game could have gone either way.

2008 – Rays 3 Red Sox 1

The Red Sox looked like they were going to complete their third "Down by 3-1 in the ALCS" comeback in 5 seasons. Pedroia homered in the 1st and Jon Lester was on the hill... and the Rays were suddenly the Devil Rays again.

But Matt Garza didn't let up another hit until the 7th and the Rays managed to score 3 runs and take a 3-1 lead into the 8th... setting up one of the most heart stopping innings of the decade.

Alex Cora reached on an error, knocking Garza out of the game. Against the bullpen that blew the 7-0 Game 5 lead, the Red Sox loaded the bases and had playoff hero J. D. Drew come to the plate.

In came David Price, a year removed from Vanderbilt University. Drew chased a 1-2 pitch and the inning ended as a heart breaking goose egg (for me at least). Price worked around a walk in the 9th to be one of the most unlikely bullpen closers in playoff history.

He was so cool under pressure that he was enlisted to introduce Barack Obama at a rally in Florida.

TO RETURN TO BEST OF 2000s POST SEASON HOME...
CLICK HERE.

Hey Red Sox fans... let's not get carried away

Don't get me wrong... yesterday sucked.

It didn't just suck. It SUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKED!

One strike from winning the game, putting Lester on the hill... and a Game 4 win would send the game back to Anaheim (sorry Angels, that's where you play) with the pressure on THEIR shoulders.

And instead we get a monumental collapse.

But some Sox fans are getting carried away.

Bob Ryan said this was the worst Red Sox post season loss since 1986.

Really?

It's not even the worst Red Sox post season loss in the last 12 months!!!

Game 7 of last year's ALCS was MUCH worse!

Come on... the Red Sox had the tying runs on base with nobody out in the 8th... heart of the line up coming up... just a few days removed from the mind boggling Game 5 come back... a trip to the World Series on the line... and they got a goose egg.

I'll think of J. D. Drew striking out against David Price a hell of a lot more than the Angels rallying against Papelbon.

Last year was a chance to make it back to back pennants... have a great shot to repeat as World Champs and maybe have the word dynasty mentioned.

Instead we got a World Series opening in the Trop!

This year? Holding off a Division Series sweep.

Not as much on the line.
And how quickly we forgot the devastation that was 2003!

Lest we forget the Sox had a 5-2 lead in the 8th inning... 1 out and nobody on.

The Yankee dragon was about to be slain by a gritty and lovable bunch.

Plus we all knew that the Yankees for what ever reason couldn't hit Embree, Timlin nor Williamson... and if Pedro let up a hit, Grady would have those three guys to record 5 outs.

And then the most agonizing inning since the 10th of Game 6 in 1986 happened.

We replayed that inning, batter by batter until Posada's little bloop tied the game... and a few innings later when Aaron Boone ended it.

In some ways that was WORSE than Game 6 in 1986.

We had felt we couldn't be burnt again after that... and then let us feel hope as the outs piled up.

And when the ball rolled through Buckner's legs, not only was the game already tied, but there was a Game 7 on the horizon.

When Boone's homer landed... that was it. End of season. End of hope. Many of us wondered if we should just stop rooting for the team.

It was time to buy a copy of Noose Making For Dummies.

A little less devastating than trying to prevent a Division Series sweep.

So folks, it hurt yesterday. But it doesn't carry the weight of "Will we ever see a World Series title in our life times?"

It doesn't have the "will we EVER beat the Yankees" question hanging over it.

Nor does it have the "I wanted to see a Dynasty!" possibility.

It was quite simply "I hope we don't get swept by a better team in the Division Series" situation.

Let's not go nuts folks.

(We wouldn't want Red Sox fans to be irrational!!!)

The Rays still have only one winning season

I warned everyone last November don't be premature proclaiming the Rays as a perpetual contender.

And I never jumped on the bandwagon that there were three 90 win teams in the AL East. 

Yeah last year was a great story (even though I was rooting against them the whole time.) But here we sit on September 17th and the Rays are at break even.

If they go 7-9 the rest of the way, then their defense of their AL Title would be their 11th losing season out of 12.

Even I'm not cold hearted enough to root for that.

(Or am I?)