Now us overcoming that deficit from the Yankees, us not being very smart, us just playing baseball, I mean, that's the bottom line. We try to eliminate the thinking, and we've tried to let our natural abilities take over. If we use our brains, we're only hurting the team. -- Johnny Damon

Their personality is their personality. As a group, they are borderline nuts, but when they get out in the field I think they try to play the game right. -- Terry Francona

	Bronson Arroyo When the season started, Arroyo was slated to work out of the bullpen, but he quickly took over a spot in the rotation and never looked back.
	Mark Bellhorn Originally signed to be a backup infielder, injuries to other players gave him a chance to be an important every-day player. He's known for his high numbers of strikeouts and walks, but hit homers in three straight postseason games to secure victories for the Sox.
	Orlando Cabrera Acquired from the Expos at the trading deadline, Cabrera's steady defense (he made no errors in the postseason) and timely hitting (he had a walk-off homer in the 12th inning on September 22) were instrumental in the Sox' late-season surge.
	Johnny Damon His hairstyle sparked trends in the clubhouse and around Red Sox Nation, but it was his play at the top of the lineup and in center field that sparked many a Red Sox rally. His grand slam and two-run homer in ALCS Game 7 helped lead the Sox past the Yankees.
	Alan Embree Embree was among the league leaders in appearances during the regular season, and was responsible for recording several key outs in the ALCS and World Series.
	Keith Foulke The Red Sox finally found the dependable closer they had lacked in the past, when they signed Foulke over the winter. He was lights-out in October, allowing only one earned run in the entire postseason, while often pitching more than one inning at a time.
	Gabe Kapler Kapler filled in capably in right field while Trot Nixon spent time on the disabled list. His hard-nosed style of play made him a fan favorite.
	Curtis Leskanic Leskanic was acquired mid-season, but perhaps no outing of his was bigger than his 1-1/3 inning stint in Game 4 of the ALCS. He held the Yankees scoreless when even one run allowed could have spelled the end of the season, hanging in long enough to pick up the win.
	Derek Lowe After an up-and-down regular season, Lowe was dominant in the postseason. He earned the win in relief as the Red Sox beat Anaheim in the ALDS, beat the Yankees (on two days rest) in Game 7 of the ALCS, and won the deciding game of the World Series, becoming the first pitcher in history to win three clinching games in one year.
	Pedro Martinez Martinez avoided the disabled list for the first time in several years. He spun many gems over the course of the season, including a 1-0 win against San Diego, a 2-0 win over New York, and seven shutout innings over St. Louis in World Series Game 3.
	Ramiro Mendoza Mendoza pitched two scoreless innings on July 24th, earning the win in the pivotal "brawl game" against the Yankees. He was effective in middle relief during the Sox' hot streak in August, and earned a spot on the ALCS roster.
	Doug Mientkiewicz Acquired at the trading deadline, Mientkiewicz proved to be a defensive whiz at first base, closing out many a Red Sox win.
	Kevin Millar Millar played right field and first base, and made many contributions at the plate, including a three-homer game against New York. His key walks in Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS helped start game-tying rallies.
	Doug Mirabelli Mirabelli had perhaps the toughest defensive job, as knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's personal catcher. At the plate, he made the most of his opportunities, slugging 9 home runs in only 160 at-bats.
	Bill Mueller Mueller proved to be a Yankee-killer when he took Mariano Rivera deep for a walk-off home run to win the "brawl game" on July 24. In the postseason he was at it again, hitting the game-tying single off Rivera in ALCS Game 4.
	Mike Myers Myers joined the team in August, and worked out of the bullpen as a left-handed specialist. He struck out the only batter he faced in ALCS Game 5.
	Trot Nixon Nixon spent most of the season on the D.L. with back and quad problems, but returned with a bang. He homered in his first game of the season in June. His three doubles in World Series Game 4 helped seal the Sox' victory.
	David Ortiz "Big Papi" had a monstrous regular season, and then in the postseason he got even better. He homered in the tenth inning of Game 3 of the Division Series to clinch that series. In the ALCS, his Game 4 walk-off home run in the 12th and his game-winning single in the 14th the next night made him an easy choice for series MVP. He hit a three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series to set the tone for the whole series.
	Manny Ramirez Ramirez joined David Ortiz as only the second pair of A.L. teammates to finish the regular season with at least a .300 average, 40 home runs, and 130 RBI. He hit in every postseason game, including homers in Division Series Game 1 and World Series Game 3, earning the World Series MVP.
	Pokey Reese Originally expected to play second base, Reese filled in at shortstop while Nomar Garciaparra was injured. On May 8, he hit an inside-the-park home run, followed by a shot over the Green Monster, for the first two-homer game of his career. His sparkling defensive plays instantly endeared him to the fans.
	Dave Roberts Roberts was acquired at the trading deadline, and brought speed and outfield defense to the team. He had perhaps the most memorable stolen base in Red Sox history. In the ninth inning of Game 4 of the ALCS, he swiped second and scored the game-tying run on Bill Mueller's hit off Mariano Rivera.
	Curt Schilling When Schilling signed with the Red Sox, he said his goal was to beat the Yankees and win the World Series. 21 regular-season wins and two bloody socks later, he did just that.
	Mike Timlin Timlin had a strong September, including a stretch of eight straight outings without allowing a run. He held the Yankees scoreless for 1-2/3 innings in ALCS Game 5, while the Red Sox rallied to win.
	Jason Varitek Varitek was a team leader on and off the field. While expertly handling the pitching staff all year, he led by example at the plate, galvanizing the team in the July 24 brawl, and then catching fire offensively in August. He hit a game-tying homer in Division Series Game 2, a game-tying sac fly in ALCS Game 5, and a two-run triple in World Series Game 2.
	Tim Wakefield Wakefield again displayed his versatility, volunteering to pitch out of the bullpen at times during the regular season and post-season to help the rest of the pitching staff. He pitched three scoreless innings against the Yankees in ALCS Game 5, picking up the win in the 14-inning thriller.
	Kevin Youkilis Youkilis homered in his major league debut in May. He filled in capably at third base while Bill Mueller was on the D.L., and was named to the Division Series and World Series rosters.