NewsIn solid '09, Sox fall shy of ultimate goal
Boston makes playoffs, but suffers first-round elimination
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By Ian Browne / MLB.com
10/13/09 12:32 PM EST
BOSTON -- They said all year that their goal was to get to the postseason and see what happened. But once the Red Sox got there, the ultimate goal that was left unsaid -- winning the World Series for the third time in six years -- wasn't reached, leaving an empty feeling throughout the clubhouse.While that might seem like an unfair standard, it is one that the Red Sox have set for themselves in recent years. Consider that this is only the third time in the last seven years that Boston is not playing in the American League Championship Series.
After a 95-win regular season -- tied with the Dodgers for the third highest in baseball -- the Red Sox were abruptly dispatched out of the Division Series in a three-game sweep by the Angels.
"It feels like it ended prematurely," said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. "On one hand, we were outplayed in this series, so I'm not sitting here saying the way we played, we deserved to keep going, because we didn't. We were relatively healthy and talented enough to make a bit of a run here; we have a feeling of being unfulfilled because it didn't happen. We have nobody but ourselves to blame and we have to live with that and move on."
How do the players evaluate a largely successful season that ended so quickly in October?
"I don't think that right now you've really had time to look back on it," said Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. "I think as far as the season goes, we did some good things as a team. Obviously, I accomplished some things personally, too. But I definitely think we have a better team than what we ended up getting. It's frustrating in that way. I definitely don't look at this season as a failure for our team or as an individual deal. I think we could have done some things different. We just have to move forward."
But before that, players are likely to look back -- both individually and collectively.
The Red Sox again thrived at home (56-25) while playing inconsistently on the road (39-42). The offense was highly productive for most of the summer, but also had some ice-cold streaks, none more glaring than the first two games against the Angels in the ALDS.
The rotation had two horses at the top in Beckett and Jon Lester, but the last three spots had some roving back and forth through injuries and under-performance.
The strength all year was the bullpen, but that came apart in the elimination game against the Angels, when Jonathan Papelbon uncharacteristically couldn't hold a two-run lead in the ninth with two outs, two strikes and nobody on base.
"Pap is our man," said Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz. "He made good pitches. That's how the game goes. We've finished people off in three games before, too. That tells you as quickly as you can beat someone, the same thing can happen to you."
Not that it makes it any easier for the Red Sox to stomach.
Record: 95-67, second place in AL East, lost in three games to Angels in ALDS. Defining moment: Things were, well, looking a little shaky in the hours leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline. The offense had slumped since the All-Star break and it was sort of unknown which direction the rest of the season would go. That's when Epstein made another one of his dramatic deadline deals, acquiring All-Star catcher Victor Martinez from the Cleveland Indians. The Red Sox had to deal a valued swingman in Justin Masterson and a highly touted lefty prospect in Nick Hagadone, but Martinez immediately proved it was worth it.Not only did Martinez provide instant spark to the lineup and give manager Terry Francona a permanent No. 3 hitter, but his defensive versatility allowed other players to keep fresh. When Martinez played first, the Red Sox got a chance to rest Mike Lowell's surgically repaired right hip. Martinez also made an impressive impact in the clubhouse for a player who was new to the team. By the end of the season, several veterans viewed him as a leader.
What went right: In Spring Training, the buzz was over how dominant the bullpen looked. Seldom in those cases does the advance hype get lived up to. But in this case, it did. From Papelbon on down, the bullpen was a strength all year. Lefty Hideki Okajima turned in another solid season. Right-hander Ramon Ramirez -- acquired last winter for Coco Crisp -- did his part. Rookie Daniel Bard threw triple-digit heat and became one of Francona's most trusted relievers by the postseason. Lefty Billy Wagner came on board for the stretch run in a trade with the Mets and hardly looked like he was just a year removed from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his left elbow.Lester and Beckett each had one slump, but were, for the most part, stalwarts at the top of the rotation. The offense had some big performances as well, with Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Bay all turning in All-Star seasons. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury became more consistent. J.D. Drew had the most productive of his three seasons in Boston.
What went wrong: For whatever reason, the Red Sox struggled to win on the road. Mostly, it was because they didn't hit consistently away from Fenway. Brad Penny and John Smoltz both came into the season with high hopes, but were designated for assignment before August was finished. Daisuke Matsuzaka, aside from a strong finish, had a lost year, plagued by two trips to the disabled list, the last of which took nearly three months. Ortiz had the worst slump of his career the first two months of the season, making it somewhat remarkable he finished with 28 homers and 99 RBIs. Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield was the feel-good story of the first half, making it to the All-Star team for the first time. But his back went out on him after the break, limiting the veteran to four starts the rest of the way. Biggest surprise: The dramatic emergences of Clay Buchholz and Bard. By the end of the season, Buchholz had earned his No. 3 spot in the rotation, and was in position to get the win in Game 3 of the ALDS, leaving with a 5-1 lead. Bard showcased overpowering stuff and poise beyond his years. Both players will be counted on heavily in 2010 and beyond.Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
