Not so long ago, remember, people looked at the Red Sox like they looked at the Chicago Cubs. Now people look at the Red Sox like they look at the New York Yankees. “There’s always luck involved, but this shows we’ve started to build a great organization,” GM Theo Epstein said following Boston’s 2007 World Series victory, the team’s second title in four seasons. “It’s nice that we have two (championships) now and that no one can say it was an accident.’’ On the contrary. The Red Sox now look like a force for years to come.

Rotation 
For all of the hype that Daisuke Matsuzaka was receiving at this time a year ago, let there be no doubt concerning the man around whom the Red Sox rotation is built: Josh Beckett. Last year, after becoming baseball’s only 20-game winner since 2005 during the regular season, Beckett went a perfect 4–0 with a 1.17 ERA in the playoffs. Right now, there isn’t a better big-game pitcher in baseball. Still, the Red Sox are expecting improvement from Matsuzaka (15–12, 4.40 ERA, 201 Ks) and have retained Tim Wakefield, all while infusing their rotation with youth. Among the budding contributors: Jon Lester, who won the World Series clincher, and Clay Buchholz, who pitched a no-hitter in his second career start. Curt Schilling will available at some point this season as insurance for the youngsters.

Statistician
388	Consecutive home games the Red Sox have sold out, a streak that began during the 2003 season.
0	In six tries, postseason series lost by teams that had Josh Beckett on its roster.
1.35	Over the last two years, ERA of closer Jonathan Papelbon.
11-2	Career postseason record of Curt Schilling, who went 3–0 for the Sox last year.
1,210	Since they became teammates, combined RBIs totaled by Red Sox Nos. 3 and 4 hitters David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez over the last five seasons.

Bullpen 
Don’t look now, but just as Mariano Rivera served as the last line of defense for the Yankees’ dynasty of the late 1990s, so now does Jonathan Papelbon anchor the Boston bullpen. Last year, Papelbon finished with 37 saves, a 1.85 ERA and a ridiculous 12.96 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. In his postseason career, Papelbon now has pitched 14.2 innings while allowing only seven hits and no runs. Beyond the closer, Boston appears to have a deep setup crew built around surprising lefthander Hideki Okajima and veteran righthander Mike Timlin. Combined with Papelbon, those three pitchers had a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings last postseason. The continued development of Manny Delcarmen gives manager Terry Francona yet another option, and more young arms are on the way.

Middle Infield 
Thanks largely to the performance of Dustin Pedroia last season, the Boston infield was the strength of the everyday lineup. Pedroia overcame a very slow start to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award, finishing with a .317 average while making only six errors. In the AL Championship Series and World Series, he batted a combined .319. The real question here is Julio Lugo, who overcame an abysmal first half to bat .280 after the All-Star break. Lugo is the first Red Sox shortstop to start consecutive seasons at the position since Nomar Garciaparra in 2003-04, but he was hardly impressive in 2007. In the past, the Red Sox have shown that they will act quickly when dissatisfied — see “Renteria, Edgar” — though Lugo is signed through 2010.

Corners 
If first baseman Kevin Youkilis and third baseman Mike Lowell were question marks entering last season, they’re all but proven commodities now. Lowell is coming off a career-best 120-RBI season that ended with his being named World Series MVP, leading to a three-year, $37.5 million contract that will keep him in the No. 5 spot in the lineup, behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Youkilis, meanwhile, faded again in the second half of last season, but he was an absolute monster in the postseason, when he batted .388 and slugged .755. He also won the Gold Glove at first base (zero errors) and was a fitting counterpart to Lowell, giving Boston perhaps the best corner defense in the American League.

Outfield 
In October, of course, the rest of the baseball world got to see what Red Sox followers have been anticipating for some time: the beginning of the Jacoby Ellsbury Era. The dynamic, slashing rookie batted .360 in 25 postseason at-bats, including .438 in the World Series. This year, he will be the team’s Opening Day center fielder and leadoff hitter, giving the Red Sox an entirely new dimension. Last season, due largely to a substandard year by Manny Ramirez (.296, 20 HRs, 88 RBIs) and the under-performance of J.D. Drew (is that redundant?), the Red Sox actually had one of the least productive outfields in baseball. Both Ramirez and Drew were terrific in the playoffs, however, and the addition of Ellsbury leaves the 2008 Sox outfield at least rich in talent.

Catching 
Yes, Jason Varitek has slipped some from a 2005 season in which he won both the AL Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove awards. Just the same, only three catchers in baseball finished last season with a higher OPS than Varitek — Jorge Posada, Victor Martinez and Russell Martin. Unless the Red Sox sign Varitek to a contract extension, the greater question here concerns what the team will do in the long term. Still, with regard to 2008, the Red Sox have one of the best all-around catchers in baseball and a player blessed with intangibles — he is the team captain, remember — especially when it comes to handling a pitching staff.

DH/Bench 
The Red Sox have the best DH in the AL. Despite playing on a bad knee, David Ortiz hit .352 with 21 home runs, 65 RBIs and a major league-leading .695 slugging percentage after the All-Star break. He subsequently batted .370 in the playoffs, leaving his average at .381 in postseason play starting in October 2004. As for the bench, Epstein had some work to do as spring training approached. Deposed starter Coco Crisp gives the club a solid fourth outfielder, Kevin Cash and Dusty Brown will both spend time backing up Varitek, and Alex Cora is a terrific utility man. Sean Casey provides an experienced bat off the bench.

Statline Highest Percentage of Strikes Thrown Since 2000 Minimum 1,000 IP
1.	Curt Schilling	69.3
2t.	Paul Byrd	68.4
2t.	David Wells	68.4
4.	Brad Radke	68.2
5.	Roy Oswalt	67.8

Management 
At this stage, it’s hard to think of an ownership and management team that has more going for it than the Red Sox. Epstein has the progressive approach of a team like the Oakland A’s and more money than anyone but the Yankees. As a result, for perhaps the first time in their history, the Red Sox are focused on the future more than the past. As for Francona, he now possesses a career postseason record of 22–9 that leaves him with the highest postseason winning percentage in history among those with at least 20 games. The bottom line is that the Red Sox are in good, capable hands — on the field and off.

Final Analysis 
For 86 years, the Red Sox went without a title. Now, since the start of the 2000 season, Boston is the only franchise with two. Unlike the 2004 Sox, who had a number of key free agents, the 2007 team introduced a number of new, young players who help ensure that the Red Sox will be in the thick of championship contention for years to come.

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Difference Maker

The hype surrounding Jacoby Ellsbury was significant to begin with, but what Boston may be expecting now is an American version of Ichiro Suzuki, at least with regards to his offense. In 116 at-bats during the 2007 regular season, Ellsbury batted .353 with a .903 OPS in 33 games. Ellsbury subsequently batted .438 in the World Series, when he overtook Coco Crisp to become Boston’s starter. With Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia at the top of the lineup, the Red Sox expect to add an entirely new dimension to their offense in 2008.

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Beyond the Box Score

Don’t look now, but... If the Red Sox have any major long-term concerns, here is one: catcher Jason Varitek will be 36 in April and is entering the final year of a four-year contract. Without a replacement on the horizon, the Red Sox are planning to explore a contract extension with Varitek this spring.

And another thing Like Varitek, manager Terry Francona similarly is entering the final year of his contract. Regarded as nothing short of a disaster with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000, Francona now is looked upon as one of the best in the game.

Turning (over) two Since the start of the 2004 season, the Red Sox have been turning over shortstops and second basemen on an annual basis. Barring a dramatic development, the 2007 season will mark the first since 1989-90 (Jody Reed, Marty Barrett) that Boston’s Opening Day lineup will feature the same double-play combination (Julio Lugo and Dustin Pedroia) in consecutive years.

Not so fast While much will be made of the fact that Manny Ramirez is entering the final year of an eight-year, $160 million contract, do not be fooled. The Red Sox hold $20 million options on Ramirez for each of the 2009 and 2010 seasons, a salary that looks quite reasonable given the deals that baseball’s top free agents have secured over the last two offseasons.

Which one doesn’t belong? When Lugo reports to spring training again this year, he’ll have a great deal to prove. Lugo made 19 errors in 2007, only two fewer than fellow starting infielders Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Mike Lowell made at their respective positions combined.

Just keep going east One year after spending slightly more than $103 million to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox opened the 2008 season in Japan against the Oakland A’s. The Sox subsequently returned to the States to play three exhibition games against the Los Angeles Dodgers before concluding their season-opening series against the A’s with two games in Oakland.

Homing in Since general manager Theo Epstein took over the Boston baseball operation between the 2002-03 seasons, the Red Sox have posted the second-best home record in baseball at 261–144, a winning percentage of .644. Only the New York Yankees rank ahead of them with a home record of 262–144.

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