2007 Boston Red Sox

World Series Champions

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1 Off-season
2 Regular season
- 2.1 Season standings
- 2.2 Game log
3 Post-season
4 Current roster
5 Player stats
- 5.1 Batting
  - 5.1.1 Other batters
- 5.2 Starting pitchers
  - 5.2.1 Other pitchers
    - 5.2.1.1 Relief pitchers
6 Notes
7 References

world series winner

This team won the World Series.

The Boston Red Sox' 2007 season began with the Red Sox trying to rebound after a disappointing 2006 season, where they finished third in the American League East behind the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

[edit] Off-season

On November 14, 2006, Major League Baseball announced that the Red Sox had competed for the rights to negotiate a contract with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Boston won with a bid of $51.1 million and had 30 days to complete a deal. On December 13, 2006, the day before the deadline, Matsuzaka signed a six-year contract worth $52 million.

It was announced that closer Jonathan Papelbon would become a starter in 2007, partially to protect his arm from the injury that sidelined him for the final month of his rookie season^[1]. With Papelbon planned to be a starter and Keith Foulke declining arbitration and leaving the team, the Red Sox began building up their bullpen in search of a new closer. Left-handed pitchers Hideki Okajima and J.C. Romero and right-handed pitcher Joel Piñeiro were signed as free agents. Brendan Donnelly was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade for pitcher Phil Seibel.

However, there was no clear candidate for the closer role. Papelbon wanted to re-fill that spot, and team officials believed he had rehabilitated himself so well in the offseason that his health of this shoulder was no longer a concern, and allowed him to return to the bullpen^[2].

The Red Sox lost free agent Alex Gonzalez to the Cincinnati Reds, leading the Red Sox to sign Julio Lugo, and Mark Loretta to the Houston Astros, allowing Dustin Pedroia to become the team's starting second baseman. Trot Nixon, also a free agent, signed with the Cleveland Indians, creating the need for a right fielder. The Red Sox pursued J.D. Drew, who had recently opted out of the remainder of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers to become a free agent. However, the Red Sox medical staff had concerns about Drew's previously injured shoulder. On January 25, 2007, the Red Sox and Drew agreed to a 5-year deal worth $70 million.

Outfielder Gabe Kapler, age 31, announced his retirement to fulfill his life long dream of becoming a coach. The Red Sox named him manager of their single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive.

At the end of spring training of 2007, the Red Sox traded for Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cory Keylor by trading minor league veteran catcher Alberto Castillo.

[edit] Regular season

The Sox jumped out of the gate quickly, building a 10-game lead in the division by mid-May. The team hit the skids in June, though, going 13-14, and after playing just .550 baseball in July and August, Boston's once-insurmountable lead over the Yankees had dwindled to 1.5 games on September 20. The Sox responded by winning 6 of their final 9 games to hold off the surging Yankees by 2 games at season's end. With their 96 wins, Boston tied Cleveland for the league's best record (and captured home-field advantage in the playoffs by virtue of a tiebreaker); this home-field advantage would prove valuable against the Indians in the ALCS.

Stars of the regular season once again included David Ortiz (whose .332/.445/.621 line ranked him among the best hitters in the game) and Manny Ramirez (who hit .296/.388/.493 even in a down year), but also Mike Lowell -- a throw-in in the Josh Beckett trade -- who hit .324/.378/.501 and paced the team in RBI. Thanks to their efforts, as well as those of eventual Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia and 1B Kevin Youkilis, and the re-emergence of catcher Jason Varitek, the Red Sox finished third in the league in runs per game, a year after dropping to sixth.

For his part, Beckett emerged as Boston's top pitcher after an off year in 2006, leading the league in wins with 20 and finishing 6th in the AL with a 3.27 ERA. Much-hyped offseason acquisition Daisuke Matsuzaka had an up-and-down rookie year, strugging to acclimate himself to MLB in April and May, but coming through with a tremendous June and a solid July before collapsing late. Many suggested that Dice-K burned out late in the season, contributing to his 7.62 ERA in September.

But for the most part, Boston's pitching staff was very good, leading the AL in ERA by 0.13 runs per game. One big reason was their relief pitching: their bullpen ERA of 3.10 was tops in the league, and their relievers allowed the 2nd-lowest slugging percentage of any AL team. A pleasant surprise for the Sox bullpen was the emergence of Japanese lefty Hideki Okajima, who upstaged his countryman Matsuzaka by posting a 2.22 ERA (0.83 in the first half) and building many a bridge between Boston's starters and their dominating closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Speaking of which... After pre-season rumors that he might move to the rotation, star closer/fan favorite Papelbon ended up staying in the bullpen and was once again one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, notching 37 saves and a 1.85 ERA. By the end of the season, Papelbon also became emblematic of the younger players that the 2007 Sox had brought in since the 2004 championship team, as he celebrated several Boston victories by Irish step dancing in the middle of the Fenway Park field. On the eve of the playoffs, these Red Sox seemed loose and relaxed, and no longer concerned about "curses" or the like. Still, they would have to prove that 2004 was no fluke in the postseason, where their first opponents would be the Los Angeles Angels, winners of the AL West with 94 victories...

[edit] Season standings

AL East	W	L	Pct.	GB	Elim. #
Boston Red Sox	96	66	.593	—	—
New York Yankees	94	68	.580	2	E
Toronto Blue Jays	83	79	.512	13	E
Baltimore Orioles	69	93	.426	27	E
Tampa Bay Devil Rays	66	96	.407	30	E

E = Eliminated from winning the division

[edit] Game log

Template:2007 Boston Red Sox season game log

[edit] Post-season

[edit] Division Series

Main article: 2007 American League Division Series

[edit] League Championship Series

Main article: 2007 American League Championship Series

[edit] 2007 World Series

Main article: 2007 World Series

[edit] Current roster

Template:Boston Red Sox roster

[edit] Player stats

[edit] Batting

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

[edit] Other batters

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

[edit] Starting pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

[edit] Other pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA

[edit] Relief pitchers

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO

[edit] Notes

On April 22, 2007, in a game against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox hit four consecutive home runs for the first time in franchise history (and the fifth time in major league history)^[3], when Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek all hit home runs off of Yankees pitcher Chase Wright. Drew also hit the second of four consecutive home runs the last time this happened, when the Los Angeles Dodgers did it against the San Diego Padres on September 18, 2006. That series was also the first series since the 1990 season that the Red Sox swept the Yankees in a three-game series at Fenway.^[4]

Six members of the Red Sox were chosen to play in the season's all-star game. David Ortiz was elected to start at first base by the fans, third basemen Mike Lowell and outfielder Manny Ramirez were chosen by their fellow players as reserves. Pitchers Josh Beckett and Jonathan Papelbon made the initial team, and reliever Hideki Okajima was voted in by the fans as the winner of the 32^nd man internet vote. It was the first time the Red Sox had more than two pitchers make the all-star team ^[5]. Josh Beckett was credited with the win for the American League.

On September 1, 2007, against the Baltimore Orioles, rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz threw a no hitter on his second major league start. He was the first rookie in Red Sox history to throw a no hitter, as well as the 17th pitcher in Red Sox history to throw one. He got nine strikeouts, and gave up three walks and hit one batter.