The first decade of the twenty-first century was when the Boston Red Sox finally broke through and ended nearly nine decades of heartbreak. After so many near misses and a crushing defeat at the end of 2003, the Sox finally exorcised all of the ghosts of the past in 2004 and ended generations of frustration (even if they didn’t make it easy along the way).
While the Red Sox have seen countless great players come and go over the years, the ones from the years 2001-2010 hold a special place in fans’ hearts. These were the players that finally ended the long World Series drought, brought eternal joy to Red Sox fans, and ushered in the current era of nearly perennial contention.