FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Youk was one of many players who lost a significant chunk of time due to injury. He was a snub from the All Star Game despite putting together a terrific season. It was his last season as a regular first-baseman and Youk hit .307/.411/.564 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs. He played in just 102 games.
David Ortiz
Ortiz was one of the few big-name players who did not miss a significant chunk of time with an injury. Ortiz came back from a couple of bad seasons with a terrific comeback year, hitting .270/.370/.529 with 32 home runs and 102 RBIs to lead the team. He also returned to the All Star Game in 2010.
Jason Varitek
Varitek took his demotion to backup catcher really well. With Victor Martinez in fold, Varitek became the best backup catcher in the game. Varitek proved his true value as a leader by stepping aside for the much better offensive catcher. He did manage to hit seven home runs in part-time work.
In his only full season with the Red Sox, Martinez proved to be an offensive force. Martinez was named an All Star and hit .302/.351/.493 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs. Unfortunately he was not a good defensive catcher and would not stay behind the plate for long. And that was why he did not return to Boston after the season.
Jon Lester
Lester had his best season in 2010. He had a record of 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 208 innings. He was named to the All Star Game for the first time and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award race.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Buchholz broke out in 2010 after a couple of mediocre seasons. He was one of two pitchers to be named to the All Star Game as he finished with a record of 17-7 and was second in the league with a 2.33 ERA. He finished sixth in the AL Cy Young Award race.
Dustin Pedroia
Unfortunately Pedroia was one of the players a major chunk of the season with an injury. Pedroia played in just 75 games in 2010. When healthy, Pedroia had a terrific season. He hit .288/.367/.493 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. He also stole 9 bases. Pedroia's injury left Boston scrambling for a player at second base.
Jed Lowrie
Lowrie was an important utility player in 2010 and received quite a bit of playing time due to Pedroia's injury. Lowrie missed some time himself early in the season due to mono. He was a great hitter when he was on the field though, hitting .287/.381/.526 with nine home runs and 24 RBIs, providing a nice spark.
FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS
Beltre had a terrific season in his only year in Boston. He was signed to a low cost, high reward deal and it definitely paid off for Boston as Beltre belted his way to an All Star appearance and won the Silver Slugger at third base. He should have won the Gold Glove as well. Beltre finished with a line of .321/.365/.553 with 28 home runs and 102 RBIs.
Bill Hall
Hall was acquired in a trade with the Mariners before the season for Casey Kotchman. Hall played almost every position in his only season with the Red Sox. He spent a lot of time at second and in the outfield. Hall provided a lot of power and some speed. He had a line of .247/.316/.456 with 18 home runs and 46 RBIs while stealing nine bases.
FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISTION
McDonald was actually acquired earlier in the season when a number of outfielders went down with injuries. McDonald provided a spark to the offense and was a decent defensive outfielder. He finished the season with a line of .270/.336/.429 with nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.
FAVORITE ROOKIES
Kalish played in 53 games for the Red Sox, but he managed to lead the team in stolen bases with 10 and played some great defense. Kalish did not provide much offensive value otherwise, though he did contribute four home runs.
Daniel Nava
Nava had one of the great first at-bats in history. On the very first pitch he saw at the Major League level, he nailed a grand slam. Unfortunately that was the highlight of his season and despite playing 60 games in 2010, he would not make it back to the Majors until 2012.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Lackey signed a big free agent contract with the Red Sox prior to the season and was expected to help make the Boston rotation one of the best in the league. Unfortunately it did not work out that way as he finished with a 4.40 ERA despite winning 14 games and leading the team in innings pitched.
Jacoby Ellsbury
Ellsbury was probably the most significant injury as he played in just 18 games. He stole seven bases but had no power. His injury left Boston scrambling for outfielders.
Mike Cameron
Cameron was brought on to be Boston's centerfielder with Ellsbury moving to left. The idea was to give Boston a terrific defensive outfield. But Cameron only played in 48 games and did not really hit when he was healthy.
Great write-up! I enjoyed reading this, definitely brought back some memories. Hard to believe it's already been 5 years since...
ReplyDeleteThey should have kept a Victor. I always liked Bill Hall also
ReplyDeletePersonally I wish they had held onto Beltre. I was kind of lukewarm on V-Mart because Varitek was my favorite player.
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