Champions Again Dvd the Story of the 2007 Boston Red Sox

Reddish Sox fans don't need to exist told how much fun it is to come across a core come up up through the minors, take their lumps in the majors (or not) and eventually develop into something that's at least close to the stars we all dreamed upon. It's happening with the current iteration of this team. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley take the wait of a potential core that could pb this franchise for the next decade. And that'south non even counting Eduardo Rodriguez — who looks gear up to make that leap — and Blake Swihart — who hasn't had a take chances to show he's fully developed but has every bit much potential every bit he's ever had.

I'g non sure I've e'er seen a period in which the Red Sox accept seen so many immature players come into their own at the same time. If at that place was always another period like that, it was about a decade ago, and information technology all came together in the championship 2007 season. Some guys, similar Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon and Jon Lester, had already contributed for a year or two, but were really still but getting started. Today, though, I want to focus on 5 rookies from that flavour that made a big affect on the title.

Dustin Pedroia

If nosotros're going to talk virtually rookies from 2007, why not start with the man who won Rookie of the Year? It was actually a bit of a longshot that he'd win the award, which seems crazy looking back. Boston had the favorite to win the award on their roster — we'll get to that in a minute — but it wasn't Pedroia. He had been a tiptop-100 prospect just once, and it was the twelvemonth prior when he was ranked number 77 in the game by Baseball America.

In fact, if yous retrieve correctly, nearly Cerise Sox fans wanted him ousted from the starting role before long after the season began. You can't really blame them, as Pedroia was horrendous for the calendar month of Apr. Afterward the game on May i, the hereafter MVP was striking just .172/.294/.224. Rather than give in to the demands and play the veteran Alex Cora more than often, Terry Francona stuck with his young infielder. It was 1 of the all-time decisions the manager fabricated in an illustrious Red Sox career. Pedroia would end upwardly hitting .335/.392/.470 through the residue of the season and end upward taking dwelling house the Rookie of the Year. After struggling in the ALDS, he'd put up a .958 OPS in the ALCS and an .850 mark in the Earth Series. The terminal serial included the home run he hitting off Jeff Francis, which led to one of the best anecdotes in recent Red Sox memory.

Pedroia would obviously go on to become a Ruby Sox legend, winning the MVP in the following flavor and withal contributing to this solar day. Information technology all started in 2007, though, and none of information technology would take happened had Francona listened to the fan base of operations after 1 month of the season.

Jacoby Ellsbury

I won't get to deep into this 1, considering I've already done a whole feature on this rookie. I merely want to very chop-chop say that he was incredibly exciting, and while he didn't play the whole season like Pedroia, he had a massive impact on the final result of the season.

Clay Buchholz

Here, we get to one of the most divisive players in recent Cherry Sox history, but ten years ago information technology was a unlike story. He was the number 51 prospect heading into the season, and while the 22-twelvemonth-former was no guarantee would see the major-league roster in that 2007 season, almost were excited for Buchholz' eventual debut.

Said debut would come in the center of Baronial, and the young righty was...fine. Facing off against the Angels, Buchholz would allow iv runs (3 of them earned) in 6 innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Information technology wasn't incredibly memorable, but it was a solid performance for a debut against a fearsome lineup that was a fixture in the postseason at that point. The next start, of course, was the 1 nosotros'll all think of when we think of his first year. In his second career start, two weeks subsequently his first, Buchholz no-striking the Orioles in front of the Fenway Faithful.

Buchholz wouldn't end upwardly pitching in the postseason that year, but he still had an touch as a solid starter down the stretch. He'd brand up for the lack of postseason success past helping the team win a World Series in 2013. His disability to stay healthy and general inconsistency on the hill marred his Red Sox career, but when he was at his best there are few who have been better for Boston.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Remember when I mentioned that the Ruby Sox had the favorite to win Rookie of the Year in 2007? Matsuzaka was that guy. You surely don't need to be reminded of the hype around the Japanese superstar who had captivated the world in the commencement ever World Baseball Classic in 2006. Boston backed up the Brinks truck for the righty, expecting him and his "gyroball" to become a fixture atop their rotation for years to come.

That didn't exactly work out, although looking back we may have been a scrap too hard on Dice-K in his first couple years. Sure, he was nowhere near the superstar nosotros were expecting, but he was at least solid in 2007. He struck out about a batter per inning in 32 starts that year and pitched to an above-average 108 ERA+ that season. Although his mediocre Globe Series didn't assist matters, he made solid starts in Game 7 of the ALCS and Game 3 of the World Series.

Matsuzaka's career would cease upwards being a certain thwarting that will be remembered past frustrating pace, a never-ending supply of full counts and a distinct lack of gyro balls. He contributed in 2007, though, and that's enough for at least some positive memories.

Hideki Okajima

The story goes that the master reason the Cherry-red Sox signed Okajima prior to the 2007 season was to give Matsuzaka another Japanese player to hang out with on the pitching staff. As it turns out, Okajima would exist the amend pitcher over their respective Cerise Sox careers. The righty lefty came out of nowhere to emerge as the team's primary set up-up choice backside Papelbon. He tossed 69 innings in 66 appearances, striking out 63 while walking just 17 and pitching to a 2.22 ERA.

He was amid the well-nigh enjoyable relievers to watch in all of baseball game. He had the funky delivery that involved him jerking his head down to look at the ground as he released the brawl, substantially no-looking information technology on every pitch.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The dominance would just last a few years, as he sort of fell off after the 2009 flavor. Still, he was electric in the bullpen for three years, and was ane of the virtually underrated Cerise Sox players on the last twenty years.

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Source: https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/5/8/15572334/2007-red-sox-dustin-pedroia-ellsbury-buchholz-matsuzaka-okajima

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