Season in Review: 1991

1991 was the first season I watched baseball.  I was 10.  I do not remember watching too many games that season.  More than anything, I just collected cards.  The Red Sox finished in second place in the A.L. East that season.  Joe Morgan managed the team in his final season as the team's manager.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS:
Wade Boggs: 
Boggs was my first favorite player.  He was far and away the team's best hitter, even though he did not have a lot of power.  In 1991, he hit .332/..421/.460 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs and 42 doubles.  Boggs finished second in the batting race that year and made the All Star team.

Ellis Burks:
Burks was the best pure athlete on the team in 1991.  Coming off a season in which he won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger, Burks slumped quite a bit in 1991.  He hit only .251/.314/.422 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, and six stolen bases.  Far cries from his previous seasons.  The talent was still there, he just did not play well.

Roger Clemens:
Clemens was without a doubt the best and most popular player on the team by this point in his career.  Clemens won his third Cy Young award in 1991 by going 18-10 with a 2.62 ERA and 241 strikeouts.  He lead the league in ERA, strikeouts, games started, shutouts, and innings pitched.  He also made the All Star team in 1991.

Mike Greenwell:
Greenwell was no longer the great hitter he was in 1988 and 1989, but he was still pretty decent.  Greenwell hit .300/.350/.419 with nine home runs and 83 RBIs.  He lead the team with 15 stolen bases.  He finished second on the team in most offensive categories.

Carlos Quintana:
Quintana was playing in just his second full season with the Red Sox in 1991 and had already shown himself to be a decent contact hitter and a surprisingly good defensive first baseman.  He hit .295/.375/.412 with 11 home runs and 71 RBIs.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Tony Pena:
Pena was fascinating to watch behind the plate.  He had one of the most bizarre crouches of any catcher I have seen.  Pena was not much of a hitter, but he was a good defensive catcher and won the Gold Glove in 1991.  Pena lead the league in a number of defensive categories in 1991.

Jeff Reardon:
I have long been a fan of closers and that the case from the start as Reardon was the closer for the Red Sox in 1991.  He had his tenth season in a row of 20+ saves and saved 40+ games for his third team.  Reardon saved 40 games, setting a team record that would last several seasons.  He also made the All Star team.


Jody Reed:
Reed was a scrappy second baseman with doubles power and a good eye at the plate.  He was a pesky contact hitter who hit .283/.349/.382.  He was a reliable defender at second base and also had his third straight season of more than 40 doubles.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION:
Jack Clark:
Clark was acquired as a free agent from the Padres prior to the year.  He was the Red Sox's best power hitter, leading the team with 28 home runs and 87 RBIs from the designated hitter position.  He hit .249/.374/.466 in 1991 and lead the team with 96 walks.

FAVORITE ROOKIE:
Phil Plantier:
Plantier only made it into 53 games for the Red Sox down the stretch but he played so well that his cards were on fire.  He hit .331/.420/.615/1.034 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.  Unfortunately he really did not have a position as the Red Sox had reliable starters at all three outfield positions and designated hitter.