Red Sox History: Ranking every squad of the 21st century

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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 11: Members of the Boston Red Sox line up after receiving their World Series rings before playing the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on April 11, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

No. 11: 2005 Red Sox (95-67)

The 2005 Red Sox were a mess. On offense, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, and Mark Bellhorn all regressed from 2004, and free-agent acquisition Edgar Renteria was a disappointment at the plate and in the field.

Still, Manny Ramirez (.292/.388/.594, 45 home runs and 144 RBI), David Ortiz (.300/.397/.604, 47 home runs, 148 RBI) and Johnny Damon (.316 average) had MVP level seasons, and the Red Sox still had the best offense in the league.

The pitching staff wasn’t nearly as fortunate. The story of the season was Curt Schilling, who after returning from his ankle surgery, was forced to the closer role and was so bad that he was moved back to the rotation. The final product was a 5.69 ERA for a pitcher who was one of the best pitchers in baseball the year prior.

The starting rotation sorely needed an ace, as no starting pitcher has an ERA under 4.00. The bullpen was similarly disastrous, as Keith Foulke was nowhere near the pitcher he was in 2004 and got battered to the tune of a 5.91 ERA.

All told, it was a miracle that they won as many games as they did before being swept by a far superior Chicago White Sox team in the ALDS.

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