Boston Red Sox

Recently, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay signed a new contract with the New York Mets for four years and $66 million.

Why the Mets wanted to overpay for an average hitter, I don't know.

Jason Bay was instantly beloved by the Fenway Faithful after being acquired on Trade Deadline 2008, which saw the Public Enemy No. 1 in Boston, Manny Ramirez, leave for Los Angeles.

Article first found at Boston Sox Journalism .

The original article is found at Boston Sox Journalism , the newest site dedicated to Red Sox journalism at it's finest.

The Baseball America Prospect rankings were released last week, a list coveted by fans and media, but otherwise superfluous for the organizations themselves, who have their own rankings and plans for their players.

The Red Sox minor league system has some gems, but the conclusions that BA came to should be slightly disturbing. The list of the top ten prospects, as I say, seems strong, with names that we have heard regularly, such as Casey Kelly, the shortstop-turned-pitcher, and Jose Iglesias, the first round pick and shortstop of the future.

The Rawlings glove that resides in the back seat of my car all summer long has been replaced by the winter gloves, my Nike cleats still caked with dried mud and infield turf have been abandoned in favor of a pair of Cabela Snow Runners, and the Louisville Slugger has been packed away in favor of a snow brush.

As snow piles up outside the window of our Massachusetts home and hockey is being played at, of all places, Fenway Park, the thought of spring training couldn't be further from reality.

As with the rest of the articles in this series, I started out intending to list the Top 10 games of the last decade; but then realized I would have to leave too many great games off the list if I limited it to just 10 games. So, as a result, I hereby present you with my Top 20 Sox games of the last 10 years.

This is Part II of the list, it contains Games 1-10:

Games No. 10, No. 9, No. 8, and No. 7 (Tie): No Problems in the 21st Century
Apr. 4, 2001; Apr. 27, 2002; Sept. 1, 2007; and May 19, 2008

So the Bay era is over in Boston. Probably a lot sooner than many Red Sox fans, myself included, had hoped.

Jason Bay, while no Manny Ramirez with the bat, provided the Red Sox with a very solid power stroke in a very walk-happy lineup (second in the AL with 659), hitting 36 home runs, and providing a very nice line of .267/.384/.537.

It will be interesting to see how Bay's style plays at Citi Field, as it is a very young ballpark, and while Fenway Park is noted as a hitter's park, it also can depress HR totals. Particularly for a right handed hitter.

As with the rest of the articles in this series, I started out intending to list the Top Ten games of the last decade; but then realized I would have to leave too many great games off the list if I limited it to just ten games.

So, as a result, I hereby present you with my Top 20 Sox games of the last 10 years.

Part I of the list contains Games 11-20:

Game #20. Big Innings Abound - June 27, 2003 and May 7, 2009

These were the BIG-inning games from the decade…both occurred at Fenway Park.

As the old decade ends and a new one begins, let’s take a look back at the Red Sox “All-Decade Team” from 2000-09…in all cases, the choice was really pretty obvious.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
10 Seasons: .257 BA (1045 hits in 4060 AB); 148 HR; 596 RBI; 513 R
Best Season —2003: .273, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 63 R (.351 OBP, .863 OPS)