Sox Offenders

When you look back at a season like 2004, shit-eating grin stuck on your face; there are certain guys that immediately come to mind. Schill and the bloody sock. Ortiz and the walk-off homers. Tek and the glove facial. Manny flipping his bat and admiring a moon-shot. Wakefield, of course, and Millar and Foulke and Damon and Roberts. But if things go as planned this year, the names will be different and the faces will be a lot younger looking. The torch is being passed as we speak to the Red Sox teams of the future. And the future is now.

Dustin Pedroia: Remember back in May when the Nation was calling for Alex Cora? That’s one of the many reasons you or I aren’t managing the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia has risen to the top of those being considered for Rookie of the Year. He’s been doing it with his bat: a .324 batting average, and his glove: just five errors and a collection of great plays that will last longer than Jericho. Sure, he stands about five-foot-nothing and looks like the annoying little brother when he stands next to…anyone else on the team. But he plays big, and we like that.

Jon Lester: The story of Jon Lester, the man, is riveting enough. Someday, when he’s done with the game, there will be a movie about him and his courageous battle with cancer. And I’ll be balling like I do at the end of Field of Dreams every time I watch it. But Jon Lester the pitcher ain’t such a bad story either. He’s 3-0 since joining the team in July, and primed to help them make the playoff run. He still gets himself in trouble with the high pitch counts and the walks. But he’s like Houdini when it comes to getting out of them. And he’s a lefty, and he’s only 23.

Jacoby Ellsbury: Write this down: the Ellsbury jersey will be the biggest seller next year. And every kid in first grade six years from now will be named “Jacoby.” This kid has all the tools to be a fan favorite and a long-time staple roaming the Fenway outfield. He hit his first big league bomb the other night, made a highlight-reel catch in center, and fixed the Green Monster scoreboard. No lie, look it up, junior. The kid can hit, but man can he flash the leather too. And speed? Yeah, he’s got plenty of that.

Jon Papelbon: The elder statesman of the brat pack at age 26, and a full year of the bigs under his belt, Papelbon continues to get it done. He’s already got his second 30-save season and has an amazing 72 K’s in 48+ innings. Batters are starting to look like cardboard cut-outs when they face Paps. His stuff is filthy and he has the best game face in the majors. I’m waiting to hear the report that he struck out the on-deck batter one of these nights.

Clay Buchholz: The story of the year. Buchholz gets the call to fill in when Wake has back spasms. So what does he do? Just becomes the first Sox rookie to toss a no-no. Three days after turning – you guessed it, 23 – Buchholz made his first big league start, beating the Angels and going six strong. Two weeks later, fate steps in and gets him a second start, and man, did he make the most of it. He mixed his change-up, his 93 MPH fastball and his nasty hook like a veteran. When he sat in solitude in the dugout waiting for the ninth, he looked poised. He strode to mound in the midst of the most electric non-playoff crowd at Fenway I’ve ever heard, and began the final three outs toward history. He got Roberts swinging, and Patterson flied out harmlessly to Coco. Markakis was the last man standing between Clay and the record books. On a 1-2 pitch, he froze Markakis with the curve, and Fenway erupted. And on the only real play that could have broken it up in the seventh, it was Pedroia making the diving stop, whirling and throwing out Tejada at first. Beautiful.

Whatever happens next month, you’ll be seeing a lot of these five guys over the next several years. Last week, angry mobs were forming to lynch Theo after the Yankee sweep for not trading one of these guys for Dye. That could turn out to be the best deal not made.

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