The Red Sox, after participating in the postseason for three consecutive years for the first time in club history, couldn't keep that momentum going in 2006. But the calendar year was as eventful as ever.

Some of the most drama-filled news seemed to be off the field. The year started with Theo Epstein's return as general manager following a resignation of just under three months. It ended with Epstein jetting out to Southern California to strike a deadline deal with Japanese pitching star Daisuke Matsuzaka.

In between, there were ups and downs from newcomers like Josh Beckett and Coco Crisp. There were injuries, injuries and more injuries. There was spectacular defense, particularly in the infield.

Ace Curt Schilling returned to form after a horrific 2005. Jonathan Papelbon emerged into one of baseball's best closers. David Ortiz belted 54 home runs, breaking Jimmie Foxx's club record set in 1938.

All in all, it was a whirlwind year for the Red Sox.

January
The year began with typical Manny Ramirez drama. Did the star slugger want to be traded or not? Nobody could seem to get their story straight. Epstein made his first public appearance since his shocking resignation, and kept hope alive that he would return. A familiar story unfolded, with Boston strongman Jim Rice falling short in his quest to make the Hall of Fame for the 12th year in a row. Epstein ended his personal saga by returning as GM and outlining a new organizational philosophy. It didn't take Epstein long to make the first deal of his second coming, bringing Crisp aboard from the Indians.

February
It took a while, but the Red Sox finally found a shortstop for 2006, signing defensive star Alex Gonzalez to a one-year deal. The piles of snow on the ground suddenly didn't seem so bad when the Red Sox equipment truck left Fenway Park and headed to Fort Myers, Fla. Shortly thereafter, pitchers and catchers reported to camp, led by a rejuvenated Schilling. On a down note, legendary broadcaster Curt Gowdy died at the age of 86. The Red Sox signed off on star slugger Ramirez not arriving to camp until March 1. In a compromise, Ramirez told the team he would not participate in the World Baseball Classic.

March
Ramirez, in an unusually no-nonsense way, held court with the media upon arriving at Spring Training. It would be the only time he spoke all season long. There was mass exodus from Fort Myers, as nine Red Sox players reported to the World Baseball Classic. In a somewhat bizarre story, one of those nine was back in Fort Myers just days later. In a move that shocked no one, lefty David Wells did an about-face and rescinded his trade request. Ramirez might have been the last player to return to camp, but he was one of the first to get hot. The Red Sox took a day trip to Vero Beach, where they reunited with Grady Little, Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Lowe and Bill Mueller. Manager Terry Francona received security, as the club announced an extension through 2008. Stability was back in place, as the World Baseball Classic participants, led by captain Jason Varitek, returned to camp. Epstein stunned everyone by, on the club's only off-day of the exhibition season, dealing Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for Wily Mo Pena. The Red Sox got their first look at Johnny Damon in pinstripes. In an incident that seemed a little intense for Spring Training, Josh Beckett had some words for Ryan Howard. A day later, Julian Tavarez got into it with the Devil Rays.

April
Opening Day was perfect, if not necessarily indicative of the way the entire season would go. Beckett's first appearance in a Boston uniform was overshadowed by Francona boldly picking Jonathan Papelbon over Keith Foulke with the game on the line in the ninth. Crisp's first season in Boston began to unravel when he fractured his left index finger. But the Sox washed away that bad news by announcing a new contract for their beloved Big Papi. Third baseman Mike Lowell celebrated his arrival by putting a few dents in the Monster. It isn't every day that a player signs a contract extension while on the disabled list, but that's exactly what Crisp did. Mark Loretta discovered what it felt like to hit a game-ending home run at Fenway Park. After starting the season with 10 consecutive scoreless innings, Papelbon arrived in the clubhouse with a "Wild Thing" look. What wound up being Josh Bard's last start in a Boston uniform was nothing less than a nightmare.

May
Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli returned to the Red Sox in a script right out of Hollywood. And, oh, by the way, Damon made his return to Fenway on the same night. Another one of the lovable "Idiots" returned to Fenway, and it was all cheers for Kevin Millar. In one of the most exciting games of the season, Loretta led the Sox in the rubber match at Yankee Stadium. Beckett went back to his National League roots in Philadelphia, getting it done with his arm and bat. In a cruel twist of fate, the surgically repaired knee of Wells got struck by a batted ball, knocking the lefty out for another two months. Schilling had one of those memorable Fenway nights, earning career victory No. 200.

June
The Red Sox expressed typical optimism after making two first-round picks in the First Year Player Draft. As a sidenote, they also drafted another Papelbon. Heralded prospect Jon Lester sat through hours of rain before finally making his Major League debut. Big Papi picked a familiar way to end a game. Lester rang up his first career win in Atlanta. Ortiz just kept getting it done with the game on the line. Just ask the Phillies, who fell victim to his last at-bat magic in back-to-back games. Pedro Martinez, one of the most legendary figures in Red Sox history, was greeted warmly upon his return to Fenway. The Sox didn't treat Pedro so well on the mound. Crisp made one of the best defensive plays of the season to propel his team to a 12-game winning streak. The Sox ended the month by setting a record for defense.

July
Four Red Sox players were named to the All-Star team, led by first-timer Papelbon. No pitcher made the Red Sox look as bad in 2006 as Scott Kazmir on a July night at Tropicana Field. In lieu of speaking, Ramirez wrote a short letter explaining his absence from the All-Star Game. The Red Sox finished the first half in ominous fashion. In one eventful day, Beckett led the Sox to a 1-0 victory and signed a new contract. The Sox had themselves quite a launch party at Safeco Field. Any guesses on who ended a Saturday game against the Angels with a big hit? Or who belted a walk-off, three-run homer three nights later?

August
The news that Varitek had to have knee surgery was nothing short of devastating. The Red Sox would never be the same. In early August, the only thing that kept the stumbling Sox going was the big bat of Ortiz. One of the inspirational performances of the season was turned in by Lowell on a Friday night at Fenway. When the Yankees came to town for a mid-August showdown, the Red Sox suffered a disaster from start to finish. The Red Sox had a tough time of it out West. Particularly when they went to Oakland and had to send Ortiz home with heart palpitations. The Red Sox ended the month as sellers, and Epstein expresses motivation to never let that happen again.

September
Perspective reaches a new level for a stumbling team when Lester is diagnosed with cancer. However, Big Papi gets some good news, as his health condition turned out to be nothing more than a scare. Nobody was immune to the overwhelming injury bug, not Schilling and not Papelbon. In one of the last joyous moments of the season, Carlos Pena sent everyone home happy. Ortiz belted No. 50 against his former team, the Twins. The next night, he broke the club record with two more majestic shots. The final weekend of the season was mostly about the probable ending of Trot Nixon's time in a Boston uniform.

October
In a soggy season finale, Devern Hansack no-hit the Orioles for five innings. Epstein and Francona discuss what went wrong. The coaching staff got reshuffled when hitting coach Ron Jackson and pitching coach Dave Wallace were both let go. John Farrell became the new pitching coach. Dave Magadan was named the new hitting coach. Francona was supposed to manage the Major League All-Stars in Japan, but he had to back out with a foot infection. The Sox announced that Mike Timlin and Tim Wakefield would be back in 2007.

November
Nostalgia was in the air when the Red Sox inducted seven members into the club's Hall of Fame. World Series hero Keith Foulke likely ended his career with the Red Sox by declining to exercise his player option. The Red Sox stunned the baseball world with a $51.1 million bid to win negotiating rights to Japanese star Matsuzaka. The courtship started with a dinner at the home of club chairman Tom Werner. It seemed like the Sox had one eye on trading Ramirez and the other on signing Matsuzaka.

December
In one busy day at the Winter Meetings, the Sox reached contract agreements with J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo. The best news at the Meetings was the fact that Lester appeared to be cancer-free. It appeared that another winter of trade rumors regarding Ramirez wound up with no trade. The Matsuzaka negotiations officially got dramatic when Epstein and club president/CEO Larry Lucchino flew to California on owner John W. Henry's private jet. Epstein declared that the goal was to head back to Boston with Matsuzaka on board, and he got his wish. The Red Sox unveiled Matsuzaka at one of the most unique press conferences in club history.