World Series Champions

Today is a day of great celebration and happiness for Red Sox Nation. Our beloved Red Sox are World Series champions after an impressive four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies. This year’s championship might seem anti-climactic given the fact that the Sox led their division for most of the year and had come back from a nail biting series against the Cleveland Indians to win the pennant. Those of us who have been around for a while, however, know differently and cannot take any Red Sox success for granted.

The Red Sox of 2007 were an impressive team that will go down as one of the greatest in club history. Experienced veterans like Tim Wakefield, Curt Schilling and Jason Varitek were joined by exciting rookies Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. The power lineup of David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell was unmatched by any team, and the pitching staff led by Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima were equally impressive. And my personal favorite, Jon Papelbon, exemplified the team that played hard but had fun doing it.

In 2004, the first Red Sox World Series championship in 86 years was celebrated like no other. The 2007 championship will be celebrated differently, but with great joy for a wonderful team that makes all in Red Sox nation proud. I am looking forward to the World Series trophy making a return visit to Winchester in 2007!