An October Surprise.

I, for one, never imagined it possible. Not after they fell behind 3-0 to the Yanks in the ALCS. They ran the table after that, winning eight of their last eight games. If they were unnervingly inept regarding the fundamentals of the game, they were also all heart and mental toughness.

The stars were Ramirez and Ortiz, but the soul of the team was Varitek. A pro's pro and a great champion. He was no surprise.