When the Red Sox take the field at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers on April 5 for Opening Day the team will look very familiar to the Red Sox team from last year. Seven of the nine starting position players will be the same and three out of the five starting pitchers will also be the same. But there are still many questions with this year’s Red Sox team.

Will the players and the fans buy into new manager Bobby Valentine and his way of managing?  After eight seasons of Terry Francona’s “players manager” style, Bobby Valentine brings in a new philosophy of discipline and authority to try and prevent the collapse that the Red Sox fell victim to last year in September.

With teams in the American League getting better how will the Red Sox regain elite status? With the LA Angles making blockbuster signings for Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson, the Tigers signing Prince Fielder and the Yankees and Rangers improving their pitching the Red Sox have fell from their place of elite teams in the A.L. and have to prove all over again that they are one team that deserves attention.

Did the Redsox learn from last year’s September collapse? Last September the Red Sox experienced the greatest collapse in baseball history blowing a 9 ½ game lead over the last month of the season. Now are the Red Sox the same team that had half the players quit and give up last September or are they a different more focused team. In the Red Sox case they need to be a changed team if they want to have a shot at the playoffs and even the World Series.

How will a new era fair for the Red Sox? With Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield retiring, Theo Epstein now with the Cubs and Terry Francona being fired, how will the Red Sox move toward winning the World Series. With new leadership and new order the Red Sox will say goodbye to the greatest era in team history and begin a new era that hopefully will bring more good memories and World Series titles.

The answers to these questions will certianly define the Red Sox season and how they finish in the standings at the end of the year.