Boston’s Best Sports Moments Of 2012

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If%20there%26%238217%3Bs%20one%20criticism%20of%20Bill%20Belichick%20that%20persists%20in%20New%20England%20it%20is%20the%20coach%26%238217%3Bs%20habit%20of%20trading%20down%20in%20the%20draft%20for%20%26%238220%3Bvalue.%26%238221%3B%20He%20bucked%20that%20trend%20in%20a%20big%20way%20in%202012%20though%2C%20moving%20up%20to%20draft%20Chandler%20Jones%20and%20Don%E2%80%99t%26%238217%3Ba%20Hightower%20in%20the%20first%20round.%20The%20move%20already%20paid%20off%20in%20their%20rookie%20years%2C%20with%20both%20players%20proving%20they%20were%20NFL-ready%20upon%20entering%20the%20league.%20%28Photo%20by%20Frederick%20Breedon%2FGetty%20Images%29

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When%20a%20team%20isn%E2%80%99t%20doing%20so%20great%2C%20fans%20often%20turn%20to%20a%20star%20in%20the%20making.%20In%202012%20that%20was%20Will%20Middlebrooks%2C%20who%20took%20over%20third%20base%20a%20year%20ahead%20of%20schedule.%20Middlebrooks%20stepped%20in%20for%20an%20injured%20Kevin%20Youkilis%20and%20earned%20his%20stay%20in%20the%20Majors%20with%20an%20impressive%20month%20of%20May%2C%20batting%20.316%20with%20six%20homers%20and%2021%20RBIs.%20He%20put%20together%20a%20solid%20rookie%20campaign%20with%2015%20home%20runs%20and%2054%20RBIs%20while%20batting%20.288%20over%2075%20games%20until%20a%20broken%20wrist%20ended%20his%20season%20in%20early%20August.%20%28Photo%20by%20Darren%20McCollester%2FGetty%20Images%29

Rob%20Gronkowski%20is%20perhaps%20the%20most%20dangerous%20tight%20end%20in%20the%20NFL%2C%20and%20Aaron%20Hernandez%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20dynamic%20weapons%20in%20the%20league.%20Both%20players%20entered%202012%20on%20the%20final%20year%20of%20their%20rookie%20contracts%2C%20but%20the%20Patriots%20signed%20both%20of%20them%20to%20six-year%20deals%2C%20ensuring%20they%26%238217%3Bll%20both%20be%20around%20for%20a%20while.%20%28Photo%20by%20Rich%20Schultz%2FGetty%20Images%29

Kevin%20Garnett%E2%80%99s%20move%20to%20the%20center%20position%20sparked%20the%20Celtics%20to%20a%20vastly%20improved%20defense%20and%20a%2024-11%20record%20down%20the%20stretch%20in%202012.%20That%20trend%20continued%20in%20the%20playoffs%20when%20he%20averaged%2019.2%20points%20and%2010.3%20rebounds%20as%20the%20C%E2%80%99s%20came%20one%20game%20away%20from%20heading%20to%20the%20NBA%20Finals.%20When%20the%20season%20was%20over%20it%20wasn%E2%80%99t%20clear%20if%20Garnett%20would%20return%20or%20retire%2C%20but%20KG%20re-uped%20with%20Boston%20with%20a%20three-year%20deal.%20%28Photo%20by%20Drew%20Hallowell%2FGetty%20Images%29

The%20%E2%80%9Ccheerful%E2%80%9D%20Cody%20Ross%20was%20one%20of%20the%20lone%20bright%20spots%20of%20the%20Red%20Sox%20in%202012%2C%20clubbing%2022%20home%20runs%20and%20driving%20in%2080%20runs.%20His%20biggest%20swing%20came%20in%20July%2C%20with%20the%20Red%20Sox%20trailing%20the%20Chicago%20White%20Sox%201-0%20in%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20ninth.%20With%20one%20out%2C%20Ross%20clubbed%20a%20three-run%2C%20walk%20off%20homer%20to%20give%20Boston%20their%20fourth%20win%20in%20five%20games%20and%20improve%20to%2048-45%20on%20the%20season.%20Unfortunately%2C%20after%20that%20swing%20the%20Red%20Sox%20dropped%20six%20of%20their%20next%20seven%20and%2013%20of%2020.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jared%20Wickerham%2FGetty%20Images%29

With%20a%204-1%20win%20over%20Ferris%20State%2C%20the%20BC%20Eagles%20won%20their%20fifth%20NCAA%20hockey%20title%20and%20third%20in%20the%20last%20five%20seasons.%20The%20Eagles%20closed%20out%20their%20season%20with%2019%20straight%20wins.%20%28Photo%20by%20J.%20Meric%2FGetty%20Images%29

It%20was%20addition%20by%20subtraction%20when%20the%20Red%20Sox%20sent%20Adrian%20Gonzalez%2C%20Carl%20Crawford%2C%20Josh%20Beckett%20and%20their%20massive%20contracts%20%28along%20with%20Nick%20Punto%29%20to%20the%20Los%20Angeles%20Dodgers%20in%20August.%20The%20deal%20let%20Boston%20shave%20%24250%20million%20in%20salary%20through%202018%2C%20and%20got%20rid%20of%20a%20couple%20of%20the%20headaches%20that%20played%20into%20the%202011%20collapse%20and%202012%20season-long%20debacle.%20%28Photo%20by%20Stephen%20Dunn%2FGetty%20Images%29

The%20116th%20Boston%20Marathon%20will%20be%20remembered%20for%20it%26%238217%3Bs%20exciting%20finishes%20and%20temperatures%20in%20the%2080%26%238242%3Bs.%20Kenya%26%238217%3Bs%20Wesley%20Korir%20fought%20off%20fellow%20countryman%20Levy%20Matebo%20to%20claim%20his%20first%20Boston%20win%2C%20and%20women%26%238217%3Bs%20winner%20Sharon%20Cherop%20of%20Kenya%20won%20by%20just%20two%20seconds.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jim%20Rogash%2FGetty%20Images%29%3Cbr%20%2F%3EBOSTON%2C%20MA%20%26%238211%3B%20APRIL%2016%3A%20Wesley%20Korir%20of%20Kenya%2C%20men%26%238217%3Bs%20winner%2C%20%20and%20Sharon%20Cherop%20of%20Kenya%2C%20female%20winner%2C%20of%20the%20116th%20Boston%20Marathon%2C%20

The%20Red%20Sox%20went%20just%205-13%20against%20the%20Yankees%20in%202012%2C%20but%20Pedro%20Ciriaco%20became%20a%20bit%20of%20a%20cult%20hero%20thanks%20to%20his%20efforts%20against%20New%20York.%20It%20all%20started%20the%20day%20after%20he%20was%20first%20called%20up%20on%20July%207%2C%20when%20he%20went%204-for-5%20in%20Boston%E2%80%99s%209-5%20win%20%E2%80%93%20earning%20them%20a%20split%20of%20a%20double-header.%20Ciriaco%20gave%20Boston%20the%20lead%20with%20a%203-run%20double%20in%20the%20sixth%2C%20and%20continued%20to%20put%20up%20good%20numbers%20against%20the%20Yankees%20for%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20season.%20Ciriaco%20hit%20.415%20with%207%20RBIs%20in%2014%20games%20against%20New%20York%20with%20two%204-hit%20games.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jared%20Wickerham%2FGetty%20Images%29

Prior%20to%20injuring%20his%20Achilles%20in%20July%20and%20missing%20most%20of%20the%20last%20two-plus%20months%20of%20the%20season%2C%20David%20Ortiz%20was%20putting%20together%20a%20heck%20of%20a%20year%20for%20a%2036-year-old%20DH.%20Ortiz%20hit%20.318%20with%2023%20homers%20and%2060%20RBIs%20in%2090%20games%20in%202012%2C%20posting%20a%20.415%20OBP%20%E2%80%93%20his%20highest%20since%202007.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jim%20Rogash%2FGetty%20Images%29

Following%20a%20Celtics%20loss%20to%20the%20Houston%20Rockets%20on%20December%2014%2C%20Kevin%20Garnett%20shared%20a%20heartwarming%20moment%20with%20his%20former%20coach%20Kevin%20McHale.%20It%20was%20only%20McHale%E2%80%99s%20sixth%20game%20back%20on%20the%20Houston%20bench%20following%20the%20death%20of%20his%2023-year-old%20daughter%20Sasha%2C%20who%20passed%20away%20in%20November%20due%20to%20lupus-related%20complications.%20The%20two%20embraced%20after%20the%20game%2C%20with%20McHale%20breaking%20down%20into%20tears.%20Garnett%20isn%E2%80%99t%20always%20the%20most%20pleasant%20person%20on%20the%20court%2C%20but%20he%20showed%20his%20lighter%20side%20in%20that%20moment%20with%20McHale.%20%28Photo%20from%20NBA%20Facebook%20Page%29

Jason%20Varitek%20and%20Tim%20Wakefield%20both%20retired%20following%202011%2C%20and%20were%20given%20grand%20send-offs%20at%20Fenway%20Park%20during%202012.%20In%20addition%20to%20throwing%20out%20the%20first%20pitch%20before%20the%20home%20opener%2C%20both%20had%20nights%20for%20fans%20to%20thank%20them%20one%20final%20time%20%E2%80%93%20and%20take%20their%20mind%20off%20what%20was%20happening%20on%20the%20field.%20%28Photo%20by%20Jared%20Wickerham%2FGetty%20Images%29