It’s amazing to think that just 2 years ago the Red Sox almost lost the most significant cog in the 2004 Red Sox machine, Kevin Millar. I can’t help but smile every time he’s on camera, and by all accounts, his teammates don’t stop smiling much when he’s around.

Two years ago, they didn’t seem to have fun. I know we hear this every interview from Francona and the players, but it’s still under-appreciated how much this matters. The team has a resilience that wasn’t there two years ago. It’s the attitude of Big Papi and Pedro and Manny and, most importantly, the ringleader of mayhem, Kevin Millar that characterizes this team. Two years ago, he was going to Japan to play for the Chunichi Dragons. Tomorrow, he and the Boston Red Sox take their first stab at baseball immortality.