The decade may have started in 1951, but for me, it was 1953 when I started to follow the team. I limit my team to players I have seen play so Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Walt Dropo, and a few others have to be omitted.
The entire decade represented a decline from the tumultuous 1946-50 years when the Red Sox won one pennant, lost out on a potential subway series with a one-game playoff loss to the Indians, and a few close but no cigar losses to the (who else) New York Yankees.