Team of the Decade: Cursed no more, Red Sox trump Yanks

The Yankees won the most games, the most division titles and the most American League pennants. They employed the hitter with the most home runs, and the pitcher with the most wins.

And it still says here that the Red Sox were baseball's Team of the Decade.

You can argue that the decade doesn't end until after next season. You can e-mail me every stat on the Baseball Prospectus website, and even some that aren't. You can say that this is the one category where wins really do matter.

The Red Sox did not have the most wins, but they had the decade's most memorable championship. (Getty Images)

Fine. If you want to count the decade as being 2001-2010, check back with me next December. If you want to decide team of the decade strictly on wins, then you don't really need me, you just need the Complete Baseball Encyclopedia.

It would tell you that you're right. The Yankees won 965 games from 2000-2009, and the Red Sox won 920. At the other end of the table, if you care, were the Royals (948 losses) and the Pirates (936).

Funny, because it says here that the Pirates, with no winning seasons, were the worst team of the decade, over the Royals, who will always have 2003 (83-79).

But we didn't come here to argue about the Pirates and Royals.

This is about the Yankees and Red Sox, or if you prefer, the Red Sox and the Yankees, the only two possible choices for Team of the Decade.

And it still says here that the Red Sox were the Team of the Decade, for one simple reason:

Their two championships meant more. Or, at the very least, their first championship meant more.

Think back 10 years, if you can. Think back to what you thought of the Yankees when the 1999 season ended, and to what you thought of the Red Sox.

The Yankees: Big spenders who win all the time.

The Red Sox: The cursed team that never wins.

You tell me which team got the most out of the last decade. You tell me which city will remember the last 10 years more fondly.

As the 00's end, the Red Sox are still chasing the Yankees, in the American League East and in the payroll standings. But this was the decade where the two old rivals finally could be seen on a more even footing, a decade that included both 2003 and Aaron Boone (sorry, Boston) and 2004 and Dave Roberts (sorry, New York).

Ten years ago, the Yankees had won three of the last four World Series (and would win another in 2000). The Red Sox hadn't played in a World Series in 13 years.

This was the decade where so much changed in Boston. This was the decade where so much remained the same in the Bronx.

So yes, it's true, the Yankees won more games. It's true that the Yankees played in four of the 10 World Series. It's true that Alex Rodriguez's 435 home runs led the decade, as did Andy Pettitte's 148 wins.

It's true that the Yankees led all of baseball in division titles won (eight) and playoff appearances (nine).

It's also true that they spent a lot more money than anyone else -- $1,669,072,669.24, by my count, although I could be missing a few pennies wasted on Kei Igawa.

The Red Sox can't match the Yankees on money spent -- their total was a mere $1,165,954,423 or something like that -- or on revenue generated. Their home run leader for the decade was Manny Ramirez (274), who isn't even welcome at Fenway Park anymore.

By plenty of measures, they're still behind the Yankees, whether they like it or not.

But the measure that counts most is World Series won, and on that measure the 00's produced a dead heat between the Sox and the Yankees.

They each won it twice, and it says here that the two Red Sox wins meant more than the two Yankees wins did.

And that's why it also says here that the Red Sox, and not the Yankees, were the Team of the Decade.