2004 Boston Red Sox

Perhaps the most legendary team of the new Century: the miracle, 30 for 30 subject Boston Red Sox of 2004. These Red Sox broke the Curse of the Bambino after overcoming a 3-0 deficit to their arch rival, the New York Yankees. Heroes abound on this bunch of idiots, including David Ortiz's clutch power hitting, Curt Schilling and his bloody sock, and Kevin Millar and his big mouth. Honestly, I love this team's lineup and have to acknowledge how great the Ortiz/Manny combo in the middle of the order was for them.

Enjoy this famous team, I know I enjoyed putting them together.

Lineup: One word: DEPTH. Seven of the nine hitters are an On-Base 9 or better, and they all have a HR by (at least) 19. Johnny Damon provides consistency, pop, and speed at the top of the order. Honestly, he's a lot better than I remember him being. The same is true with #2 hitter Mark Bellhorn, who I remember being an amazing contact hitter in MVP Baseball 2003, but did not realize was such a stud second basemen and a real upgrade over 2003's Todd Walker.

Then comes the incredible 3-4 punch of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. SO much power, but also consistency that should set up the lower parts of the order nicely while still racking up the RBIs. OB 10 Jason Varitek and OB 9 Trot Nixon and Kevin Millar are too good of hitters to allow pitchers to walk Manny and Ortiz. Mueller is undoubtedly the best #8 hitter we've seen thus far, while Orlando Cabrera may not be a great hitter, but at least provides good defense and speed in the nine slot.

Fun fact, this is the exact same lineup the Red Sox used in Game 7 against the New York Yankees. Without further ado, the cards:

Rotation: Honestly, this was the most surprising element of this World Series team for me. Obviously, the Control 5, on at 18 Pedro Martinez was a staple of my childhood. Unbeknowst to me, Pedro fell off a little bit between 2000 and 2004, getting a "mere" 3 on at 18 card. The real ace is Curt Schilling, a stud 6 on at 16. Both members of this 1-2 punch will need every bit of their 7 IP arms and more, as the bottom of the rotation (and bullpen) is weak. Bronson Arroyo will be extremely hit or miss with a Control 2, but he's got a good chart. Derek Lowe, who I always remembered for his incredible 2002, was terrible in 2004 (5.42 ERA), but a hot roller could make him work... maybe.

Bullpen: Now THIS I remembered! The bullpen is clearly 2004 Boston's greatest weakness, although Keith Foulke gives them one reliable hose to turn to in case of opposing bats catching fire. Despite not really being a reliever, I had to put Tim Wakefield in the bullpen. He was such a huge part of this team and often came out of the 'pen in the postseason during his career. While he provides much needed IP, he's also an awful card... And then there's the last two guys: Timlin and Embree. Nearly identical cards, except for the IP difference, they can do just enough to hold a lead. Needless to say, the Red Sox will probably rely on their best starters and lean on their powerful line up.