Sox win

First off, congrats to Form, Josh, Jon Lemire and any other Sox fan who may stumble across this site today. It was a tremendous two-week run and I hope you all got some serious partying accomplished.

Now let's talk context. As I said last week, I don't see a Sox title as a world-changing event. There was some worry last night that the Sox winning the Series on the same night as a lunar eclipse might have been a message of some sort. I look forward to seeing articles about the Curse of David Cone and listening to Sox fans chant "2000" at the Yanks next fall.

This championship is clearly the first win for the Sabrmetric crowd, and will likely speed public acceptance of these ideas. Bill James, who served as a consultant for this team, may actually get a championship ring. After the Sox polished off his Yankees last week, Rich took issue with sportswriters both casting the Sox as a team of destiny and saying the Nomar trade made this possible, since Boston wouldn't have won with Mia Hamm's husband on the roster. Rich rightly points out that the sacrifice of Nomar's bat for Orlando Cabrera's glove doesn't actually make sense. But a look at this Sox team suggests that something else might be at work. This team may have been built with stats in mind, but more subjective factors took over at some point. This is crystallized by the Nomar trade.

My professional opinion is that "team chemistry," despite being an unacceptably vague term, is an important factor in the success of teams. Nomar's offense couldn't change the fact that he hated the franchise, alienated his teammates and (though this is just a rumor) claimed injury when should have been available to play.

Garciaparra became expendable after a series in New York in which the Boston defense cost it two games and then Nomar sat on the bench during the third game as Derek Jeter risked life, limb, and looks to go into the stand after a foul ball. Despite being a better offensive player than Jeter, Nomar failed the comparison test. And for a team that, before last night, lived in the constant shadow of the Yankees, to have one star shortstop so clearly out-intangible (I know, I know) the other was untenable. This, of course, was no reason to trade anyone. But Boston did anyway.

We probably read too much into the trade. Clearly the Sox's great finish had plenty to do with the fact that a team with the collective offensive skill of Boston is supposed to win 90+ games. But the timing of the run is part of the point.

Then go back to last year. The Sox waived Manny Ramirez and then tried to send him to Texas for A-Rod. Giving up a player like Manny is a no-no whether you're a stat freak or not, but Boston seemed ready to do it. Ramirez posted his usual great numbers this year, but by all accounts a he was a great clubhouse guy too (which he never was before.)

And I think that matters. While it was skill on the field that brought Boston back from 0-3 against the Yankees, I argue that it was the atmosphere in the locker room that allowed the team to believe it could come back. Belief that you can win is necessary, though never sufficient, in team sports. What the Sox championship proves is that baseball, with statistical laws that even I believe in, is still as much art as science.

Rich, and Jeff'y for that matter, may accuse me of sentimentality, but I would like to point out that I beat both of them at fantasy baseball this year.