By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer

Theo Epstein became the general manager of the Red Sox in November 2002. Since then, he’s orchestrated two World Series champions, four other playoff teams and developed a plethora of unknown players into All-Stars.

Epstein’s track record has been pretty incredible for a guy who was hired as a 28 year-old, the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball.

His tenure as Red Sox GM has arguably been the best run in team history.

So, in lieu of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, we here at Yawkey Talkies have decided to put our own spin on the midsummer classic.

It’s the “Theo All-Stars,” featuring the best players ever to put on a Red Sox uniform during Epstein’s career in Boston.

This is not just the best Red Sox players during that time. The players on this team are judged by their career stats, whether they played 20 years or 20 games with the Sox.

And I might as well say it now: Possible steroid use is not a factor.

Let the snub-talk begin!

Catcher – Victor Martinez

Martinez has been spectacular for the Red Sox since coming over in a trade last July, but he made his bones playing for Cleveland for about seven years. The four-time All-Star has a .298 career batting average, .836 OPS and even won an AL Silver Slugger award in 2004. In 2007 – the year that the Sox came back to beat the Indians in Game 7 of the ALCS – Martinez finished seventh in AL MVP voting, when he hit .301 with 25 homers and 114 RBIs.
Backup: Jason Varitek

First Base – John Olerud

In 2005, John Olerud decided to cap off his phenomenal career by playing 87 games for the defending World Series champion Red Sox. The two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner had a .295 career batting average, .863 OPS and 2,239 hits. Olerud won the AL batting title in 1993 when he hit .363 for the Blue Jays, leading the Jays to their second consecutive World Series win. In 1998, as a helmet-wearing first baseman for the New York Mets, Olerud hit .354. He was also the first baseman on the 116-win Seattle Mariners team in 2001.
Backup: Kevin Youkilis

Second Base – Dustin Pedroia

The only member of this starting roster to be drafted by Theo Epstein (2004), Pedroia has been a solid rock up the middle and in the top of the order for the Red Sox since he made his debut in August 2006. After winning the World Series and AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, Pedroia followed that up by winning his first AL MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger Award in 2008. The three-time All-Star has a .305 career batting average, and led the AL in runs in both 2008 and 2009.
Backup: Mark Loretta

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez

Two at-bats, two strikeouts… Ramirez’s career numbers with the Red Sox. Epstein traded the highly-touted shortstop prospect, along with pitcher Anibal Sanchez to the Marlins before the 2006 season for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Since arriving in South Florida, Ramirez has been nothing short of All-World for the Fish. The 2006 NL Rookie of the Year was named to his third consecutive All-Star team in 2010. The two-time (soon to be three-time) Silver Slugger winner led the NL in batting in 2009 by hitting at a .342 clip. Ramirez has 867 career hits in only 703 games, and his OPS is a staggering .911. He could go down as the best shortstop of all-time, when it’s all said and done.
Backup: Nomar Garciaparra

Third Base – Mike Lowell

Lowell quickly became a Fenway favorite after coming over to the Sox in 2006. The four-time All-Star (he made three NL teams for Florida) has 1584 career hits and 220 home runs. In 2007, Lowell led a stacked Red Sox team with 120 RBIs, and won World Series MVP honors. Lowell was also a key piece to the Marlins 2003 World Series puzzle.
Backup: Adrian Beltre

Left Field – Manny Ramirez

As good as Jason Bay was for Boston when he relieved Manny’s duties in left field, Ramirez is the easy choice for this one. The future Hall of Famer led the Sox to two World Series titles, absolutely dominating the American League throughout his entire career in Boston, and Cleveland before that. The 12-time All-Star led the AL with 43 homers and a .613 slugging percentage in 2004. Ramirez has finished top-10 in the MVP voting nine times, winning nine Silver Slugger Awards along the way. He has a career average of .313, and an OPS of 1.000. Manny is not only one of the greatest Red Sox players of all-time; he may be the greatest right-handed hitter in baseball history.
Backup: Jason Bay

Center Field – Johnny Damon

Are Red Sox fans ever going to be ready to wave the white flag at this guy? Yeah, he followed the money all the way to the Bronx, but it’s tough to forget what Damon did in a Sox uniform. He made two All-Star teams, led the AL in triples in 2002, and hit .304 with 20 homers and 94 RBIs out of the leadoff spot in 2004. Damon, with 2,503 career hits, is well on his way to 3,000. He was also a key piece in the Yankees championship team in 2009.
Backup: Jacoby Ellsbury

Right Field – J.D. Drew

Hey may not be the flashiest player, but Drew has quietly put up insane numbers in his 13-year big league career. The 2008 All-Star has a .893 career OPS, with 1,332 hits and 226 home runs. Drew has seven career home runs in the postseason, including a grand slam off Fausto Carmona in the first inning of Game 6 of the 2007 ALCS. In 2004 with the Atlanta Braves, Drew finished sixth in NL MVP voting when he hit .305 with 31 homers and 93 RBIs. Drew comes to work every day, does his job and leaves satisfied, because he knows he fills out the stat sheet. Not too many other players over the last 13 years can say the same.
Backup: Trot Nixon

Designated Hitter – David Ortiz

The only player on this team to be on the Red Sox during Epstein’s entire tenure, acquiring Ortiz was one of Theo’s first moves as GM. It’s paid off big time. The six-time All-Star led the AL in RBIs in 2005 and 2006, winning Silver Slugger Awards every year from 2004-’07. Ortiz combined with Manny Ramirez to be the most fearsome lineup combo in baseball, comparable maybe only to Babe Ruth and Lou Gherig. Ortiz has a .922 career OPS and 334 home runs.
Backup: Ellis Burks

Right-handed Staring Pitcher – Pedro Martinez

The Red Sox have many names to choose from in this category – Curt Schilling, John Smoltz and Josh Beckett, to name a few – but Pedro stands above them all. The greatest pitcher in Red Sox history, Martinez won two Cy Young Awards for the Sox in 1999 and 2000, and one for the Expos in 1997. The eight-time All-Star had such an amazing season in 1999, when he went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA that he finished second in AL MVP voting. The next year, Martinez was perhaps even more dominant, going 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA.
Backup: John Smoltz

Left-handed Starting Pitcher – David Wells

That’s right; Boomer is on the team. Wells pitched for the Red Sox in 2005, going 15-7 with a 4.45 ERA. The three-time All-Star has a career record of 239-157 with 2,201 strikeouts in 21 big league seasons. Wells led the AL with 20 wins in 2000 for the Blue Jays, and went 18-4 with a league leading 1.05 WHIP for the Yankees in 1998. That same year, Wells threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins.
Backup: Jon Lester

Relief Pitcher – Billy Wagner

Another member of the team to have a short stint in Boston, Wagner earned himself a closer’s role with the Braves this year by posting a 1.98 ERA in 15 games for the Red Sox in 2009. Wagner is fifth all-time with 405 saves, and third amongst active pitchers. He’s also made the All-Star team six times, and has finished top-10 in Cy Young voting twice (fourth in 1999 for Houston and sixth in 2006 for the Mets).
Backup: Eric Gagne

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