The Astros and Red Sox get set to battle this weekend

The Red Sox welcome the Houston Astros to Fenway Park on June 13-15th for the first time ever, where the matchup will be more than just another interleague matchup.

The Sox will see both former manager Jimy Williams and former prospect, turned probable Hall of Famer, Jeff Bagwell, returning to Boston for the first time since their departures.

Their return, coupled with the first meeting ever between these two teams, makes for a very interesting series. Both teams are leading their respective divisions and pack plenty of offensive firepower.

The Astros with their trio of the killer B's,(Craig Biggio, Bagwell and Lance Berkman) will come into Fenway looking to continue to pound the opposition.

Bagwell is especially looking forward to returning to the stadium he adored as a child.

"After all those times (going) as a fan, this will be my first time to go to Fenway Park, it's going to be special, very special," Bagwell told MLB.com.

Bagwell used to idolize the Red Sox growing up, and on June 13th will have the opportunity to play in the stadium he once dreamed of playing in.

Bagwell was traded from the Red Sox to Houston on August 31, 1990 for relief pitcher Larry Andersen. It is crystal clear 13 years later that Houston was the winner in that trade.

In his storied career, Bagwell, 35, has amassed almost 400 home runs and over 2000 hits. Bagwell has been labeled a probably Hall of Famer, and a player the Red Sox wish they still had around.

Williams, the Astros current manager, is very glad to have Bagwell on his side, but Boston isn't missing Williams much anymore.

Williams, the 41st manager in Boston history, managed the team from 1997 to 2001. Although he was the American League Manager of the year in 1999, Williams was fired 118 games through the 2001 season due to clubhouse tension. While the Sox were 65-53 at the time of his firing, Boston decided a change needed to be made. Williams then moved on to manage the Astros.

Boston is quite happy with their current manager Grady Little. Since Williams' departure, the Sox have been a much friendlier and harmonious team.

The match up between the two teams should be a very exciting one. The Astros have won ten of their last thirteen games, and on Wednesday threw a six pitcher combined no-hitter. Besides their powerful lineup, the Astros possess an extremely potent bullpen. Their two setup men, Brad Lidge and Octavio Dotel are two of the league's best in getting the game to their lights-out closer Billy Wagner.

The actual games themselves will be overshadowed at least initially, by the returns of Bagwell and Williams to Fenway. Those returns lead many to believe that this series may be the best all of the interleague matchups.