Wilbur commentary: Henry’s Heroes

There seems to be an elementary way to settle the worthy debate over where the 2018 Boston Red Sox fit in terms of franchise hierarchy.

With a combined 119 wins between the regular season and playoffs — more than any other Red Sox team in history — the ’18 World Series champions deserve the billing to be "Best Red Sox Team Ever." That’s despite the argument that says the club feasted on weak competition during the regular season en route to a 67-21 mark against teams below .500. It’s a stipulation that gets tossed out when you consider that the Sox went 11-3 during its postseason run, including the demolition of a pair of fellow 100-win teams in the Yankees and Astros.

Ah, but how could any team ever be considered better than the 2004 club? That team defied its dire situation in order to create an entirely new narrative for the franchise, ending the aggravation and torture that came with an 86-year championship drought. There could be something said for the other two titles (2007, 2013) of the new millennium, but each pales in comparison to the lofty annals set by the leaders.