Well-stocked at short

As you may have heard, the Red Sox won the first World Series championship for the franchise since 1918. Making that championship even sweeter, they pulled off an unprecedented comeback against the team they and their fans love to hate, the Yankees.

More than they may like to admit, the Red Sox were similar to the franchise team president Larry Lucchino dubbed the Evil Empire. New York had by far the highest payroll in the game at $190 million, but Boston came in second at $130 million. Both clubs had to rely on their wallets and not their farm systems to build winners. The Red Sox signed and fully developed only one player who was on their postseason roster for all three series: right fielder Trot Nixon, a 1993 first-round pick.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Already an Insider? Sign in below:

• Username
• Password
• Sign In with Facebook

• ESPN The Magazine subscribers

  Activate your Insider account »

• Need more information?

  View Insider Benefits »

... or become an today

• 1 Year Membership - $3.33 a month

  Includes a 1 YEAR subscription to ESPN The Magazine - Over 62% off the monthly price!

• 2 Year Membership - $2.50 a month

  Includes a 2 YEAR subscription to ESPN The Magazine - Over 72% off the monthly price!

• Monthly Membership - $8.95 a month
• 

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email
• Subscribe

Jim Callis

Fantasy

• Follow
• Archive

• Executive Editor, Baseball America
• Editor, Baseball America Prospect Handbook
• Covered baseball since 1987