Theo Epstein

Call it a transition year. Call it an unlucky year. Call it whatever you want, but the 2010 Boston Red Sox simply failed to meet the expectations of management, fans, and baseball pundits across the country.

There are a handful of factors worthy of blame here, including general manager Theo Epstein's reluctance to part with prospects to shore up the bullpen or acquire a top-flight pitcher like Cliff Lee. But pointing fingers is no way to win a World Series.

Mike Lowell will be honored tonight by the Boston Red Sox with "Thanks, Mike Night", as we say goodbye to the consummate professional after 13 remarkable seasons. Lowell has announced that he will retire at the end of this season.

It's been a tumultuous year for the once slick-fielding third baseman. Lowell has been on the verge of being granted his outright release multiple times throughout the season, and has had to endure being relegated to the bench for the first time in his career.

Not since David Wright's May slump have there been any serious rumblings about the Mets trading their star third baseman, but the question has recently been posed: Would Wright match up well with the Boston Red Sox, and would a trade be possible this winter?

The Los Angeles Dodgers phoned the Boston Red Sox today to tell them they finally pulled a prank equal to the one done to them three years ago when they got Manny Ramirezed. The Dodgers famously fell for a classic Manny Ramirez, one of the most popular juvenile pranks, when they took Manny off waivers from Boston in 2007.

Moneyball is a baseball film starring Brad Pitt and Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, and it's set to open sometime in 2011.

Hoffman will perform as former big league manager Art Howe, and Pitt -- one of the most famous people in the universe -- will be playing Billy Beane, the "mastermind" general manager of the Oakland A's.

Throughout the 2010 season, the Boston Red Sox have been on the cusp of making  the playoffs. With Dustin Pedroia hitting the disabled list for the second time this season, it appears that it's finally time to throw in the towel. This team could still make the playoffs and Dustin Pedroia could be back by the end of September, but realistically, this is likely the end of the road.

It's just been a horrible year full of growing pains for the Red Sox. They lack an identity and they're not the team that we thought they were.

The Boston Red Sox will have quite a few issues to address this off season.  While their offense has been a nice surprise this year, they still need to improve if they want to compete with the Yankees and Rays in the East. 

The strength of this team was supposed to be their pitching staff however, it has been very inconsistent.  This rotation was expected to be the best in baseball, but in reality, it has been average.  Not to mention the bullpen has been a complete disaster.

He was over the hill. He couldn't hit without Manny behind him. He's older than he lets on. He was on steroids. The injuries got to him. Even some Fenway Faithful began calling him "Big Pop-up." Then, all of a sudden, David Ortiz started to hit again. The past two years have been the toughest in his tenure in Boston, which may be coming to an end. 

On what was a seemingly routine August night in Baltimore in 2008, Red Sox DH David Ortiz dug in to the box. He fouled off an outside fastball, then grabbed his right hand in agony.

Sometimes one reads an article that is so far from what one believes, it makes one scream and hastily hammer out an angry comment.

ESPN’s Bill Simmons wrote such an article today, about how the Boston Red Sox have been boring this year. Many things, he says, have contributed to this.

Milwaukee Brewer Trevor Hoffman isn't available at this year's trade deadline, but that didn't stop Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein from asking after the closer he first met while working for the San Diego Padres, according to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Not remotely effective this season, Hoffman owns a 6.82 ERA over 33 innings and joins a nearly all-inclusive group of relievers that the Red Sox are pursuing in the final days leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline this Saturday.