It’s a good thing my cubicle at work is quite isolated, it’s been 4 hours since and I still can’t stop tearing up. All these years of the Sox being good enough to break your heart. Looking at key moments:
The lineup
C - Varitek: 2-run triple, WS Game 3
1B - Millar: key walks against Rivera, ALCS Game 4; and Gordon, ALCS Game 5.
2B - Bellhorn: candidate for World Series MVP, 3 HRs in a row, including a game-winner, after he looked moribund
3B - Mueller: the tying hit, ALCS Game 4
SS - Cabrera: always seemed to be on in front of homers. Plus a nice hit in ALCS Game 4.
LF - Manny: World Series MVP (I would’ve gone Foulke or Bellhorn, but not altogether a bad choice), and that 1-homer, 1 outfield-assist inning in Game 3 was great.
CF - Damon: That grand slam.
RF - Trot: Looked to be the only person in the lineup without a key hit, then gets the 2-run double today.
DH - Ortiz: ALCS MVP. The Big Man On Campus. Do we really need to state the obvious? Here you go: ALCS Games 4 and 5.
The rotation
Pedro: The Maestro. Game 3 was his once he was on.
Schilling: pure blood and guts.
Lowe: The Clincher. ALCS Game 7. WS Game 4. Every time. Every time. The picture on the top right of my sidebar is of Lowe being mobbed after his no-hitter, and I’m proud to have it there.
Wakefield: a standup kind of guy, a true team player. And his ALCS Game 5 3-inning relief stint was perfection.
The bullpen
Keith Foulke: hardcore, unfazeable, inflappable, pure. His arm has months to rest.
Embree, Timlin: Timlin and Embree in the 7th and 8th are so reassuring to see, great bridges to Keith. Nice to add to Timlin’s collection of rings.
Leskanic: sacked up in ALCS Game 4.
Myers: pitched 42 in the miserable ALCS Game 3 to mop up, and getting Matsui out in Game 5 was huge.
The bench
Dave Roberts: Are there any sweeter words than “D Roberts ran for K Millar”?
Doug Mientkiewicz, Pokey Reese: Some Gold Gloves are undeserved. Not theirs.
Gabe Kapler, Kevin Youkilis: Standup guys, they knew their roles on the team, and they have the rings for their efforts.
This is the right team to have won. Deep everywhere. They can pitch, they can hit, and, 4-error games aside, they can field. In other years it may have been attributed to one star, but everyone had a defining moment in this postseason. It was always poor management and poor rosters that held the Sox back, not any curse. Now it’s all gone. Good night, you princes of New England.