World Series : more thoughts

A few further World Series thoughts:

Did anyone else notice how fast the baseball wound up in Jason Varitek's back pocket once the game was over?! I couldn't help but wonder if he had dollar signs in his eyes like Doug Mientkiewicz did after the 2004 championship. Well, showing the class which he is known for, 'Tek has already handed the ball over to the team.

I was thinking today that yesterday I certainly wasn't thinking like a pre-2004 Sox fan. There wasn't any panic when Okejima gave up the two run shot. I wasn't concerned that it was all starting again. Who ever would have thought that I'd be able to be calm (not relaxed, but certainly not frantic) in such a situation. Gone are the days of Buckey Dent, Mookie Wilson, Aaron Boone. Now are the days of Dave Roberts, Jonathan Papelbon, and the World Champion Boston Red Sox. (I just looks so nice!)

During the game, the announcers posed the question of which team was better, the 2004 Sox or the 2007 Sox. (Which the reporter on the feild was stupid enough to ask of 'Tek after the win. It was a crazy dumb question that did nothing but waste our time listening to the answer we knew was coming, "they are so different, you can't compare.") See, but I can. So I thought I'd compare the two teams to come to a conclusion which was better:

Pos...2004.........2007........Edge
1B......Millar..........Youk........2007
2B......Bellhorn......Pedroya...2007
3B......Meuller.......Lowell......Push
SS......Cabrera.......Lugo........2004
C.......'Tek.............'Tek..........Push
CF......Damon........Crisp........2004
RF......Nixon.........Drew........2004
LF......Manny........Manny......Push
DH.....Ortiz...........Ortiz........Push
SP......Pedro..........Beckett.....Push
SP......Schill..........Schill........Push
SP......Arroyo........Dice-K......Push
SP......Wake..........Wake........Push
SP......Lowe..........Lester........2007
CP......Foulke........Papelbon...2007
BP*....See list........See list.......2007
BH^...See list........See list.......Push
TD#...See list........See list.......2004

*BullPen
2004.......2007
Timlin.......Timlin
Embree......Tavarez
Lesckanic...Lopez
Myers.........Delcarmen
..................Okajima
..................Gagne

^Bench
2004.........2007
Reese..........Elsbury
Roberts.......Hinske
Youk...........Kielty
Mirabelli.....Mirabelli
Kapler
Mientkiewicz

#Trades
2004............2007
Gone.............Gone
Nomar..........Minor leaguers
In..................In
Roberts.........Gagne
Mientkiewicz
Cabrera

So there you have it. It looks like the 2007 team just barely edged out the 2004 victors. Of course, this is merely academic as both pulled off amazing feats and will hold a special place in our sports lore for years to come!

Bring on 2008!

Just a minor side note, Scott Boras (A-rod's agent) claims that it was not his intention to over shadow the World Series, that word got leaked to a reporter who announced it. That's why everyone who reported it said that Scott Boras sent an email to the AP, it was an accident...(I can't stand that guy!)