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The Decade In Review: The Red Sox All-Decade Team, 2000-09
By Administrator | December 31, 2009

All-Decade 1B Kevin Youkilis became a member of SOX1FANation at Camden Yards in Baltimore, back in 2006.
As the new decade begins, let’s take a look back at the Red Sox “All-Decade Team” from 2000-09… in all cases, the choice was really very obvious.
Catcher: Jason Varitek
10 Seasons: .257 BA (1045 hits in 4060 AB); 148 HR; 596 RBI; 513 R
Best Season - 2003: .273, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 63 R (.351 OBP, .863 OPS)
First Base: Kevin Youkilis
6 Seasons: .292 BA (705 hits in 2413 AB); 93 HR; 408 RBI; 424 R
Best Season – 2008: .312, 29 HR, 115 HR, 91 R (.390 OBP, .958 OPS)
Runner-up: Kevin Millar (3 yrs, .282, 52 HR, 220 RBI, 214 R)
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia
4 Seasons: .307 BA (580 hits in 1888 AB); 42 HR; 212 RBI; 324 R
Best Season – 2008 (MVP): .326, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 118 R (.376 OBP, .869 OPS)
Runner-up: Mark Bellhorn (2 yrs, .247, 24 HR, 110 RBI, 134 RBI)
Third Base: Mike Lowell
4 Seasons: .295 BA (598 hits in 2026 AB); 75 HR; 348 RBI; 270 R
Best Season – 2007: .324, 21 HR, 120 RBI, 79 R (.378 OBP, .879 OPS)
Runner-up: Bill Mueller (3 yrs, .303, 41 HR, 204 RBI, 229 R)
Shortstop: Nomar Garciaparra
5 Seasons: .323 BA (666 hits in 2061 AB); 82 HR; 350 RBI; 362 R
Best Season – 2000: .372, 21 HR, 96 RBI, 104 R (.434 OBP, 1.033 OPS)
Left Field: Manny Ramirez
8 Seasons: .312 (1232 hits in 3953 AB); 274 HR; 868 RBI; 743 R
Best Season – 2002: .349, 33 HR, 107 RBI, 84 R (.450 OBP, 1.097 OPS)
Center Field: Johnny Damon
4 Seasons: .295 (730 hits in 2476 AB); 56 HR; 299 RBI; 461 R
Best Season – 2004: .304, 20 HR; 94 RBI; 123 R (.380 OBP, .857 OPS)
Runner-up: Jacoby Ellsbury (3 yrs, .297, 20 HR, 125 RBI, 212 R, 129 SB)
Right Field: Trot Nixon
7 Seasons: .278 (800 hits in 2873 AB); 118 HR; 471 RBI; 475 R
Best Season – 2003: .306, 28 HR, 87 RBI, 81 R (.396 OBP, .975 OPS)
Runner-up: J D Drew (3 yrs, .276, 54 HR, 196 RBI, 247 R)
Designated Hitter: David Ortiz
7 seasons: .288 (1065 hits in 3695 AB); 259 HR; 830 RBI; 674 R
Best Season – 2006: .287, 54 HR, 137 RBI, 115 R (.413 OBP, 1.049 OPS)
Starting Pitcher: Pedro Martinez
5 Seasons: 75-25, 2.54 ERA… 936 2/3 IP, 1119 K, 0.962 WHIP
Best Season – 2000: 18-6, 1.74 ERA… 217 IP, 284 K, 0.737 WHIP
Starting Pitcher: Jon Lester
4 Seasons: 42-16, 3.66 ERA… 558 IP, 487 K, 1.333 WHIP
Best Season – 2009: 15-8, 3.41 ERA… 203 1/3 IP, 225 K, 1.230 WHIP
Starting Pitcher: Josh Beckett
4 Seasons: 65-34, 4.05 ERA… 792 IP, 723 K, 1.205 WHIP
Best Season – 2007: 20-7, 3.27 ERA… 200 2/3 IP, 194 K, 1.141 WHIP
Starting Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
10 Seasons: 110-95, 4.33 ERA… 1747 IP, 1209 K, 1.305 WHIP
Best Season – 2002: 11-5, 2.81 ERA… 163 1/3 IP, 134 K, 1.053 WHIP
Closer: Jonathan Papelbon
5 Seasons: 14-11, 1.84, 151 Saves… 298 IP, 346 K, 0.980 WHIP
Best Season – 2007: 1-3, 1.85, 37 Saves… 58 1/3 IP, 84 K, 0.771 WHIP
Runner-up: Keith Foulke (3 yrs, 13-9, 47 S, 3.73 ERA, 1.166 WHIP)
Topics: Sox History, Sox Players |









January 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 am
I don’t think that I can argue about any of these choices…though I wouldn’t have done a “runner up” for 2nd base though. How about middle releif…Mike Timlin, maybe?
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Always love reading your take on the Red Sox Sox Fan, but on your all Decade Team you slipped a bit. I don’t care what anyone else says, Curt Schilling should have been one of the four starters no matter who had to be dropped from the rotation. He went 21-6 in ‘04 and 3-1 in the Playoffs to give us our first WS Title in 86 years. Curt showed courage and guts beyond the call of duty, and I might also add that in 2007 his record might have been a modest 9-8 but he was lights out in the post-season. He helped the Red Sox win two Titles. For that alone he belongs in the pantheon of Red Sox greats for this past decade.