Can Red Sox Recover From a Disappointing 2008?
No Dynasty, No Manny, and Perhaps No Future for Boston Baseball
Oct 21, 2008 James Lincoln Ray
Let's face it: 2008 was a disappointing season for the Boston Red Sox.
They couldn't win the American League East, even though the New York Yankees were decimated by injuries. They ended up losing the division race and the American League Championship Series to the Tampa Bay Rays, a team whose payroll was just $43 million (which is less than one-third the size of Boston's $135 million figure).
They traded Manny Ramirez, a man who is arguably the best right-handed hitter in baseball history. In return, they got Jason Bay, a man who is clearly not the best right-handed hitter in baseball history.
Their designated hitter, David Ortiz, once the most feared slugger on earth, saw a precipitous drop in his home run and RBI numbers for the second straight year. Maybe it's all those nagging injuries. Maybe he's lost some bat speed. Either way, Big Papi was not, and will not be, better off without Manny Ramirez hitting behind him.
The ace of their once-vaunted pitching staff, Josh Beckett, struggled all year, raising serious questions about his legitimacy as a number one starter.
Their $75 million free agent, J.D. Drew, keeps getting hurt. When he's not injured, he's often seen striking out with the bases loaded in a big spot.
Okay, perhaps all of the above is a little harsh and and more than a bit slanted, but think about it. The Red Sox were the defending world champions. They had a once-in-a-century opportunity to win their third World Series in five seasons, an accomplishment that would have led many Boston fans and writers to demand Dynasty Status for their beloved team. And they would have had a decent argument.
But the Sox just couldn't get it done. They failed.
Sure, there were some bright spots this year. There was the easy path to the playoffs. There was the creampuff performance from the Angels in the ALDS. Their was that gift collapse by Tampa in Game 5 of the ALCS that ultimately made the American League Championship Series seem a lot closer than it actually was. There were also good player performances. Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia were both excellent, as was Dice-K. Jon Lester was fantastic.
But when you are the Red Sox -- with the whole "Nation" thing and the monstrous payroll -- anything short of a World Series title must be viewed as a failure.
It's unfortunate, but that is the way a team like the Red Sox must be judged.
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