Reflections on Boston's New Dynasty

Another MLB season is now on the books, and the Boston Red Sox have ended up on top of the heap. It's another sweep for the Beantown team - the second one in the past four years. In a decade that has seen a different team win the Series from 2000-2006, we're now seeing the first really Championship dynasty emerging since the Yankees of the late 90s. Coming from someone who's currently living in an Indians household, it was disappointing to see them eliminated so early. But, I'm also a baseball fan. So, here's my review of the 2007 MLB post-season:

1) Not another sweep! As I wrote about a year ago, I'm getting really sick of the blown outs we've been seeing in the World Series recently. This is the fourth Series sweep in a row. There hasn't been a World Series that has gone to seven games since 2002. Granted, the ALCS was pretty exciting even though it was practically a fore-gone conclusion after Cleveland lost Game 5. What I'm longing for is a World Series that has the drawn out excitement of a seven-game thriller.

2) Beginning with Game 5 of the ALCS, it was the most dominant offensive performance of a team that I've ever seen. The Boston pitching was certainly note-worthy, but I have never witnessed a lineup that was locked in like the Boston hitters. Any given inning had the potential to explode. They had multiple big innings fueled by a .350 team average during the Series! Every time the Red Sox came up, you expected something to happen.

3) Boston has emerged as the new New York Yankees. Back in 2004, they were the lovable idiots who were just trying to make in the world. It was hard not to root for a team that had seen so much misery and pain. Now all of that is over. They have emerged as the next great dynasty, and all of a sudden they are not so lovable anymore. Red Sox Nation is now an obnoxious mix of the old-time die hards who feel justified in their glory and innumerable bandwagon jumpers leaching off the the teams' newly found hubris. I recognize that criticism comes easier on the other side of the fence - if Cincinnati were emerging as the new dynasty, I would thrilled - but I don't care.

Regardless, I do give all credit to the Boston Red Sox. They were the best team in baseball this year, and they proved it. Now we can start the hot-stoving. Who thinks the Reds will go all the way next year??