Thinking of Thanking

Before I rush out and join the throngs of shoppers on this day after Thanksgiving, I thought I would pause and consider some of the good things about the recent past, present, and near future about these Red Sox that deserve some gratitude:

1) Bill Mueller for giving us his last really good years and helping us to the 2004 World Series. I trust he will be as productive and as professional in his retirement as he was on the field.
2) The signing of David Ortiz to a long-term contract at the start of the 2006 season.
3) Mark Loretta's walk-off homer on Patriot's Day.
4) David Ortiz' walk-off single in late July, to end my first game at Fenway.
5) The experience of my first game at Fenway, and my father along with me.
6) The emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, the hope of tomorrow.
7) The grizzled persistence and leadership of Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield.
8) David Ortiz breaking Jimmy Foxx's Red Sox home run record.
9) The Yankees not winning the World Series (again).
10) The late-season emergence of Julian Tavarez as a reborn starter.
11) The excitement of the Daisuke Matsuzaka sweepstakes.
12) The prospect of having (on paper, at least) the most exciting and talented rotation in baseball for 2007.
13) The prospect of another two or three months of hot stove talk, especially in an off-season environment as heated as this one.
14) The coming of the Dustin Pedroia era.
15) The return to health, and to the rotation, of Jon Lester.
16) The development of the 2005 and 2006 draft classes- the best in all of baseball.
17) Not having Gary Sheffield end up on the Red Sox.
18) Not paying $50 million for either Juan Pierre or Gary Matthews, Jr.
19) Another year at Fenway.
20) Another shot at another title.

Happy Thanksgiving. Safe shopping. See you Monday.