#100

The list that will be forthcoming in this blog, the 100 Best Red Sox of All Time, is strictly opinion. However incomplete this list may be, 100 seems to be a good, round number to start with. Inevitably some players will be left out. Others may be on the list that you will disagree with. That's the fun.

So, I am going to start with a very controversial choice...

#100 Dave Roberts
Picked up at the trade deadline in 2004, Roberts played in only 45 regular season games for the Sox. He hit .256, stole 5 bases, and was caught twice. So what puts such an insignificant cameo appearance onto this list?

Game Four of the 2004 ALCS...Mariano Rivera was on the mound with a 4-3 lead. The Yanks were three outs away from a 4-0 sweep of the Sox. Then Kevin Millar worked a walk from Rivera. Terry Francona sent Roberts in to pinch-run for Millar. On one of the most dramatic plays in ALCS history, Roberts slid safely into second when the entire stadium knew he was going to steal.

Stewart O'Nan in Faithful: "...Roberts flat out stole it off Rivera and Posada, both of whom knew he was going but could do nothing to stop him from getting into scoring position. Without this steal, our season's over, and Roberts made it look easy. Theo's very last trade before the deadline- Roberts straight up for PawSock outfielder Henri Stanley-may have been his best of the year."

Not only do we not win it, but we don't even get a shot at the dramatics that David Ortiz provided in the bottom of the 12th. Roberts post-season line for Boston was 3 games, 2 runs, 1 stolen base...And a place in Sox history.

Forever and ever, Amen.