Except that Epstein delivered on this promise.

During the 2005 season, a hard-throwing kid named Jonathan Papelbon burst upon the scene. Now he's the established Red Sox closer. Lefty Jon Lester, who arrived the next season, pitched the clinching game in the 2007 World Series, threw a no-hitter this season en route to winning 16 games and will be Boston's Game 1 starter against the Angels.

Last year, when Coco Crisp was slumping in the playoffs, the Red Sox said, “You're hurt,” and gave his job in center field to rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. He hit .438 in the World Series.

Justin Masterson, who is 23, has found a place in the bullpen. Jed Lowrie, 24, is filling in for Lugo at shortstop. Clay Buchholz, now 24, landed back in the minors this year but threw a no-hitter last year. And Michael Bowden, still a month shy of his 22nd birthday, was brought up this season for a spot start. And won it.

And then there is Dustin Pedroia. When the Red Sox called him up late in 2006, he didn't hit.

“Be patient,” the minor-league people kept telling Francona via emails, text messages and late-night cell-phone conversations.

In spring training, 2007, Pedroia still wasn't hitting.

“Be patient!” went the chorus.

The Sox gave the kid second base, and, through April he was hitting .182.

“Be patient!”

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Pedroia hit .415 for May, and .317 for the season. In in his first World Series at-bat, he hit a home run. He was American League Rookie of the Year.

This year, he broke all kinds of offensive records on the Red Sox, closing with a .326 average, 17 home runs, 54 doubles and 83 RBI. He has a good chance to be American League MVP.

He is, in essence, the Red Sox's answer to Derek Jeter: A homegrown product who is going to lead this team for years to come.

It's weird. The Red Sox overpaid for Lugo and Drew, and, before that, for Edgar Renteria and Matt Clement. But give them a clipboard, a stopwatch and a JUGS gun and send them to America's college diamonds, and they will pick out the boys who can play, and the boys who can't.

Just like the Yankees did, the first time they saw Jeter.

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