The Red Sox finally bowed their bloodied heads last night, after going farther than anyone had a right to expect them to. Sure, there will be the pink-hat crowd who started following the team in 2003 who find anything short of a World Series win to be cause for Terry Francona's banishment, but I take a more reasoned view. This team was much like their 2005 counterparts; a transitional, banged-up crew that still refused to go quietly. And there's much to look forward to. The pitching staff is still young and strong, and if Beckett heals in the off-season, you've got a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka and Masterson, which I'd put up against anyone else's. There are questions on the offensive side: will Lowell be healthy? Will Drew? Will Ortiz? Is Lowrie for real at second? Does Ellsbury take the next step? Can Youkilis maintain his dominance? Is Bay the long-term left-fielder? Who catches?
The 2008 Red Sox overachieved. The only shame now is that we have a couple more weeks of the Cassel show before Celtics season starts.
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