FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Nomar Garciaparra
Garciaparra only managed to play in 21 games in 2001. He missed significant time early in the season with a wrist injury from being hit by a pitch in 2000. He eventually made it back but then was hurt again and was out for the rest of the season. He was decent when healthy, hitting .289/.352/.470 with four home runs and eight RBIs.
Pedro Martinez
Martinez only pitched in 18 games, going 7-3 with a 2.39 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 116.2 innings. He also missed significant time with injuries but was very impressive in the short time he was active.
Jason Varitek
Varitek was in the midst of a breakout season when he broke his elbow making an outstanding catch in foul grounds. To that point he was hitting .293/.371/.489 with seven home runs 25 RBIs. The injury stunted his development for a couple of years.
Trot Nixon
2001 was a breakout season for Trot Nixon. The right-fielder batted .280/.376/.505 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. He lead the team with 100 runs scored and was second with 79 walks.
Tim Wakefield
The knuckleballer was a valuable member of the team once again, doing anything that was asked of him. He went 9-12 with a 3.90 ERA in 45 games. He started 17 and picked up three saves.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Brian Daubach
Daubach put in another productive season in 2001. He hit .263/.350/.509 with 22 home runs and 71 RBIs.
Dante Bichette
2001 was Bichette's final season in the Major Leagues. It was not a bad season either. The former slugger hit .286/.325/.460 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs.
Derek Lowe
Lowe struggled in 2001. He eventually lost his closer's role after blowing several games. He was eventually moved into the rotation where he began to flourish again. His record was 5-10 with a 3.53 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 91.2 innings. He picked up 24 saves before leaving becoming a starter.
FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS
Manny Ramirez
After signing a massive contract, Ramirez proved to be everything he was expected to be, winning the Silver Slugger award and was Boston's only All Star. He finished the season with a batting line of .306/.405/.609 with 41 home runs and 125 RBIs.
Hideo Nomo
Nomo was signed as a free agent prior to the season and became one of the better pitchers on the team. His first start was a no-hitter, the first for the Red Sox since 1965. He lead the league with 220 strikeouts and 96 walks. He went 13-10 with a 4.50 ERA in his only season with the Red Sox.
FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISITIONS
Ugueth Urbina
Urbina was acquired in a trade with the Montreal Expos at the July trading deadline for Tomo Ohka and Rich Rundles. He pitched in 19 games down the stretch with a 2.25 ERA and saved nine games, striking out 32 in 20 innings.
Doug Mirabelli
After Varitek's injury it was clear that Scott Hatteberg was not going to cut it at catcher. Boston traded Justin Duchscherer to the Rangers for Mirabelli who had a great season. He hit .270/.360/.518 with nine home runs and was impressive defensively.
FAVORITE ROOKIE
Shea Hillenbrand
Hillenbrand made his Major League debut in 2001 at third base despite playing catcher, among other positions, in the minors. Hillenbrand was not terribly good at drawing walks, picking up only 13 on the season, but he did hit .263/.291/.391 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Carl Everett
After a great 2000 season, Everett struggled quite a bit in 2001. He was also a problem in the clubhouse. Everett's numbers were down to just .257/.323/.438 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs. He also only stole nine bases. He was traded for Darren Oliver after the season.
John Valentin
Valentin was still recovering from his injuries the previous season. He came back to play shortstop after Garciaparra's injury. But Valentin only made it into 20 games and did not produce well when he played. His career with the Red Sox was over.
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