Red Sox Win! Part II

He had his injuries this year, but never count Manny Ramirez out. Ramirez continued to be a presence on the field for the Sox, and he is once again a finalist for the Aaron Award (he has already won the honor three times). Manny had a slow start but battled back, had an oblique injury, and battled back again. Teammate Coco Crisp said of Manny, "He's incredible. He's one of the greatest, pretty much of all time. And he's still in the game and still fairly young. You come to expcet those things of him" ........ like winning League Player of the Week honors this year, his overall 15th time, more than any other active player.

The Kid (a.k.a Dustin Pedroia) has certainly made fans in Boston his rookie year. He makes exciting, dazzling plays at second base and is no slouch offensively either. He has blossomed these past two months proving that he can play with the big boys. My favorite Pedroia moment this year came late in the season on September 1st when he made a diving play to keep Clay Bucholz's no hitter a "no hitter". Bucholz said, "When I jumped up and missed the ball, I was thinking, well it's over. And then Pedroia comes out of nowhere." This kid should definitely be a contended for a Gold Glove this year.

And not to be forgotten,

There's Curt Schilling, a leader who may not have had the best season, but is a prominent member of the Sox. Jason Varitek (Tek), the team captain, a natural born leader and arguably the most underrated catcher in the game. Tim Wakefield (Wake), the Red Sox veteran, is a man who has played his entire major league career with the Sox. The reliable knuckleballer continues to impress. Kevin Youkilis (Youk) is one of those players who excels offensively and defensively and thrives off the fact that he possesses a true love for playing the game. Daisuke Matsuzaka was the newbie this year, not just to baseball, but to America; the effort he put forth on more than one level did not let Sox fans down. J.D. Drew, according to most is, "heating up at the right time," the right fielder may at times get frustrated but he never gives up. Jonathan Papelbon is the go to guy when it comes to closing a game for the Sox, he is the first pitcher in Sox history to have 2 seasons with 30 or more saves.