Last Week's Maildays Pt. 1

I am going to have to split up the maildays from last week into about three posts.  And these may not all come this week.  There was a huge package of cards I received from Adam of Thoughts and Sox.  That is going to take awhile.  So, here is the first batch, all Rafaela cards.

Up first is a pile of parallels.  There are a couple of highlights.  The second card in the top row is a Topps Now blue parallel, my first of Rafaela.  I am still disappointed that I was not able to get a parallel when I bought a lot of ten cards of Rafaela's walkoff that propelled Boston into the postseason.  The second card in the second row is one of the Sapphire parallels from 2022, the green one.  

Here is another of the Leaf Exotic parallels.  I am morbidly curious about the idea of adding one of each of the animal parallels.  I already had the crocodile, deer and giraffe.  This is the parrot.  There are quite a few more of these to get, but if they are reasonably priced, I might grab them.

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 37: Al Van Camp

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right. 

Van Camp is another obscure Red Sox player from the 1932 season.  He spent some time early on playing for minor league teams around Des Moines, IA and Omaha, NE.  The Omaha team was called the Crickets and included a number of players who played in the Majors, none of whom made much of an impact.  Van Camp made his Major League debut with the Indians in 1928, playing in just five games.  

After a few more years in the minors, he made it back to the Majors with the Red Sox in 1931.  That was the year he spent the most time in the Majors, playing in 101 games and hitting .275/.319/.346 splitting time primarily between first base and left field.  

In 1932, he played in just 34 games, 25 at first base and the rest as a pinch hitter or pinch runner.  He hit .223/.252/.301 with 23 hits, four doubles, two triples and six RBIs.  1932 was his last stint in the Majors.  The next season, he was sent to the Louisville team for Merv Shea who spent some time with the Major League team in 1933.

2026 Hall of Fame Ballot Time

It's Hall of Fame ballot season!  I make stupid predictions every year.  Sometimes I am even right.  A lot of these players have been discussed for several years.  So as not to give conflicting predictions in most cases, I am probably going to just cut and paste and make some obvious voting updates from last year's post.

 BOBBY ABREU

TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2x All Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee?

Abreu continues to surprise me with his support. I am not necessarily opposed to his election, but he is a player that I definitely never considered a Hall of Famer when he was playing. But, it is not as if his election is imminent. He is now in his seventh year on the ballot and received just 19.5% of the vote last year.  He has a long way to go if he is to ever get in.

CARLOS BELTRAN

TEAMS: Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, Rangers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (1999), 9x All Star, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Yes, this year.

Beltran is the litmus test for how the Astros players of 2017 will be treated. He is now in his fourth year on the ballot and, after receiving 70.3% last year, I think his election is imminent this time around. 

RYAN BRAUN

TEAMS: Brewers

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (2007), MVP (2011), 6x All Star, 5x Silver Slugger

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Brewers

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Most likely not.

Boy, those accomplishments look pretty good.  And, he hit .296/.358/.532 with 352 career home runs and 1,154 career RBIs.  Unfortunately, there's that other thing.  Braun was suspended for the majority of the 2013 season for testing positive for PEDs.  He was not all that forthcoming about it either.  The voters have generally taken a very hard-line stance against players who get suspended for PEDs, not electing Rafael Palmeiro, Manny Ramirez or Alex Rodriguez, all players who have even more favorable career numbers to Braun.  I do not expect any different outcome here.  He will be lucky to stay on the ballot.  

MARK BUEHRLE

TEAMS: White Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 4x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: White Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Unlikely

Buerhle is now in his sixth year on the ballot and seems to be gaining a few votes, but he only received 11.4% last year. He was a very good, steady pitcher for a long time, but that does not really scream Hall of Fame to me, and voters mostly seem to see it the same way. I don't think it is out of the realm of possibility for him to get in, but it seems unlikely.

SHIN-SOO CHOO

TEAMS: Mariners, Indians, Reds, Rangers

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Indians

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Choo was better than I remembered.  For his career he hit .275/.377/.447 with 218 home runs, 1,671 hits, 782 RBIs and 157 stolen bases.  He hit over .300 three times and over 20 home runs seven times.  He received MVP consideration twice.  But, that is just not going to get it done.  Hall of Pretty Good, sure.  Hall of Fame, no.

EDWIN ENCARNACION

TEAMS: Reds, Blue Jays, Indians, Mariners, Yankees, White Sox

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Blue Jays

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Somehow, Encarnacion hit 424 career home runs.  That seems really crazy.  I get that he had some huge seasons in Toronto in particular.  He hit more than 40 home runs twice and drove in more than 100 runs six times.  He had a career slash line of .260/.350/.496 and drove in 1,261 runs.  But for a player whose best position was designated hitter, he needed more than 424 career home runs and a much better slash line.  His numbers do not come close to players like Edgar Martinez or David Ortiz, and there is not much of a lower line for a player who was primarily a DH.

GIO GONZALEZ

TEAMS: Athletics, Nationals, Brewers, White Sox

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 2x All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Nationals

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: He is the most likely to not receive a vote.

I have not gotten all the way through this but I am guessing that Gonzalez is probably the least-qualified player on this ballot.  The "it's an honor to be nominated" candidate.  That is not to suggest that Gonzalez was a bad player, far from it.  But his 131-101 record and 3.70 career ERA are not exactly eye-popping.  He had some good years and in 2012 he was third in the Cy Young vote after going 21-8 with a 2.89 ERA and 207 strikeouts.  He just was not good enough for anywhere near long enough to make a serious run at the Hall of Fame.  

ALEX GORDON

TEAMS: Royals

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 8x Gold Glove

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Royals

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Interesting side note: Alex Gordon went to my high school.  And my college.  He is from my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska.  He is three years younger than I am and was a freshman when I was a senior.  I dated a girl two years younger than me and she knew him from a few of her classes growing up.  But enough of all of that, is Alex Gordon going to get into the Hall of Fame?  Sadly, no.  He was a great defensive player, but his bat did not live up to the lofty expectations of being a second overall pick in the draft.  His slash line was .257/.338/.410, an OPS+ of 102, which means he was just two percent better than the average player.  He had a few very good seasons, but 190 career home runs, 1,643 hits and 749 RBIs are not Hall of Fame numbers.

COLE HAMELS

TEAMS: Phillies, Rangers, Cubs, Braves

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably has the best chance of any of the first-year players on the ballot.

Hamels has the best chance of election of any of the first-year players on this ballot.  We are at a point where the standards for starting pitchers to make the Hall of Fame are going to be lessening.  Hamels had a record of 163-122 with a career ERA of 3.43 and 2,560 strikeouts in 2,698 innings.  The strikeout and ERA numbers are certainly impressive, but the record would not have gotten him a second look 10-15 years ago.  I do not think he is going to get in this year, but I think Hamels will build a case over time.  His World Series MVP from 2008 certainly helps.

FELIX HERNANDEZ

TEAMS: Mariners
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2010), 6x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mariners
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually maybe.

King Felix did not have a long career, but he was absolutely dominant for about a seven-year period. In this day and age, that might be enough for a starting pitcher to get in. He won't get in this year, but he could easily build up support over the next several years. This is his second year on the ballot and he finished with 20.6% of the vote, so he has been doing better than a lot of the pitchers currently on the ballot. Hernandez only won 169 games in his career, but he mostly pitched for bad Mariners teams and he struck out 2,524 career batters, an average of over 200 per season during his 15-year career. Unfortunately, he flamed out early and was done by the age of 33, but he was a great pitcher when he was healthy.

TORII HUNTER

TEAMS: Twins, Angels, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 9x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Twins
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Hunter barely stayed on the ballot last year, receiving 5.1% of the vote.  It takes 5% to stay on the ballot, meaning if he loses just a few votes this year, he will drop off the ballot. I am not sure of the reason behind the drop in support, but it does appear to be a reality. He was not a real strong candidate to begin with, with a lot of other center fielders needing election before a good case can be made for him.

ANDRUW JONES

TEAMS: Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 5x All Star, 10x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Reasonable chance at election this year.

Time is running out for Jones. He is in his ninth year on the ballot, but he did receive 66.2% of the vote last year. With a very weak class this year, he has a very good shot at election.  If not, he will have one more chance.  He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive center fielders of all time and also has 434 career homers.  Unfortunately, he was basically done as a good player at the age of 30 and just sort of hung around after that.

MATT KEMP

TEAMS: Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Reds, Rockies

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Dodgers

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

There are a lot of guys on this ballot that were superstars for a few years and then just sort of faded away.  Kemp was one of the best players in the National League for a few years and probably should have won the MVP in 2011 when he hit .324/.399/.586 with 39 home runs, 126 RBIs, 115 runs scored and 40 stolen bases.  He led the league in homers, RBIs and runs.  But he was a good, but not great player, for much of the rest of his career and his career numbers were a line of .284/.337/.484 with 287 homers, 1,031 RBIs and 184 stolen bases.  Solid numbers, but not superstar numbers.

HOWIE KENDRICK

TEAMS: Angels, Dodgers, Phillies, Nationals

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Angels

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Kendrick's biggest claim to fame is going off in the 2019 postseason to the point that he was the NLCS MVP.  Before that, he was a solid, if unspectacular second-baseman.  He was certainly a good hitter, as his .294/.337/.430 career slash line will attest, but he did not walk much and had very little power (only four years with ten or more homers and a career high of 18).  He did not have a ton of speed either, meaning his only real tool was the ability to hit for contact.  Nice player, not a Hall of Famer. 

NICK MARKAKIS

TEAMS: Orioles, Braves

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: All Star, 3x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Orioles

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

For a few years there was some talk about the possibility of Markakis sneaking his way to 3,000 hits and forcing the door to the Hall of Fame open for him.  He was named an All Star for the first time in 2018 at the age of 34 and had 185 hits that season, putting him at 2,237 for his career.  Certainly at the time it looked like he could stick around for another four seasons and make it to 3,000, but his decline happened fast and he was out of baseball after the 2020 season with just 2,388 hits.  Without making the magic number, he just is not getting in.

DANIEL MURPHY

TEAMS: Mets, Nationals, Cubs, Rockies

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 2x Silver Slugger

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Maybe Nationals?

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Yet another player on the ballot with some big years, but not nearly enough of them to build a Hall of Fame case.  Murphy was the runner-up in the MVP race in 2016 when he hit .347/.390/.595 with a league-leading 47 doubles, 25 home runs and 104 RBIs, as a second-baseman.  He had more time with the Mets, but his best seasons were in Washington.  His line of .296/.341/.455 is impressive, but his hit total of 1,572 and 138 home runs does not get him there.  Definitely some great years though.

DUSTIN /PEDROIA

TEAMS: Red Sox

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Rookie of the Year (2007), MVP (2008), 4x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox

WILL HE BE ELECTED?:  Possibly

Pedroia had a better showing than I was expecting last year.  In his first year on the ballot, he was named on 11.9% of the ballots.  That's better than some players who were eventually elected.  There is a trend in the Eras Committees for high peak players to get in, and Pedroia would qualify.  It's hard to ignore a player who won both the MVP and Rookie of the Year.  Pedroia's numbers are hurt by his injuries in the last few years of his career, but still eclipse Kendrick and Murphy, who both debut this year.  He could be a player who builds a case over time.  I think a decent-sized jump this year with a weak class could propel him.  

HUNTER PENCE

TEAMS: Astros, Phillies, Giants, Rangers

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Giants slightly over Astros

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

Pence is yet another solid, occasionally great player on this ballot.  But, he never led the league in any significant offensive category, was only an All Star four times and never won any other awards.  His slash line was a good-not-great .279/.334/.461 with 244 career home runs and 942 career RBIs.  He had 1,791 hits in his career.  So, once again, very good player, but not a Hall of Famer.

ANDY PETTITTE

TEAMS: Yankees, Astros
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee

Pettitte is now in his eighth year on the ballot and received 27.9% of the vote last year. He more than doubled in percentage of votes but he still has a long way to go and a very short time to make it up. It is certainly possible that the election of CC Sabathia could help boost Pettitte's chances in the near future, but he has a lot of ground to make up. I think his best chance would be to build up his vote total and get in on an Eras Committee ballot.

RICK PORCELLO

TEAMS: Tigers, Red Sox, Mets

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Cy Young (2016)

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox

WILL HE BE ELECTED?: No.

I take back what I said about Gio Gonzalez being the least-qualified player on the ballot.  Even though Porcello won the Cy Young Award in 2016, he has the lowest bWAR (18.8) by a decent margin and was never an All Star.  Other than his Cy Young season, he never had another year where he was in the running and he was mostly an average pitcher every other year.  His career stats include a record of 150-125 with an ERA of 4.40 (ERA+ 99) and he had 1,561 strikeouts.  I really liked Porcello during his time in Boston, but had he not won the Cy Young Award, I don't even think he would be on this ballot.

MANNY RAMIREZ

TEAMS: Indians, Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox, Rays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 12x All Star, 9x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe by an Eras Committee

Ramirez is in his final year on the ballot.  He received 34.3% of the vote last year, which represented the highest he has received.  That is nowhere near enough to get him into the Hall of Fame though.  It will be interesting to see in a couple of weeks when the Eras Committee makes their decision to see what they do with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.  That will give a better idea of his chances there, though he sticks out because he was suspended for PEDs twice.  Ramirez is one of the best hitters in history, but those suspensions loom large.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ

TEAMS: Mariners, Rangers, Yankees
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x MVP (2003, 2005, 2007), 14x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 10x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Not soon.

Rodriguez seems to be doing better generally than Manny Ramirez on the balloting, it certainly helps that he has a bit more hardware and played a more demanding position, but those PED allegations have kept him out. That being said, Rodriguez has more time. He is on the ballot for fifth time this year and received 37.1% of the vote last year. He will likely stagnate just like Ramirez.

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ

TEAMS: Angels, Mets, Brewers, Orioles, Tigers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 4x All Star
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Angels
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Maybe?

Now that Billy Wagner has been elected, I could see a case building for Rodriguez over the next few years. He has a long way to go as he was at just 10.2% of the vote last year, but he is only in his fourth year this year. Rodriguez has more career saves and more innings pitched than Wagner, and also has the all-time single season saves record. But he was not as dominant as Wagner.

JIMMY ROLLINS

TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers, White Sox
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: MVP (2007), 3x All Star, 4x Gold Glove, Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.

Rollins is on his fifth year on the ballot and received 18% of the vote last year. He increased quite a bit last year and could start to build a better case, but it is not looking terribly likely. The real test will be this year when there is a fairly weak first-year class, led by his 2008 Phillies teammate Cole Hamels.

CHASE UTLEY

TEAMS: Phillies, Dodgers
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 6x All Star, 4x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Eventually.

Utley made a big gain in his second year on the ballot, jumping up to 39.8% of the vote. It will be interesting to see what happens with his candidacy over the next several years. I think he will get in, but it may be awhile. He is the lynchpin of the analytics versus traditional stats argument currently on the ballot.

OMAR VIZQUEL

TEAMS: Mariners, Indians, Giants, Rangers, White Sox, Blue Jays
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 3x All Star, 11x Gold Glove
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Indians
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Probably not.

Yep, we are still doing this. Vizquel is now in his ninth year on the ballot with one of the weirdest voting history I have ever seen. Last year, he received 17.9%, up slightly from the 17.7% that he bottomed out at the year before. He topped out at 52.6% in just his third year on the ballot and looked like an easy bet to make it. I could see him get in via an Eras Committee, but I really do not think he deserves to be.

DAVID WRIGHT

TEAMS: Mets
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: 7x All Star, 2x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger
IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Mets
WILL HE BE ELECTED?: Tough to say.

Wright gained a little support in his second year, making it to 8.1% of the vote. He could be a player that builds support over time and may get in. He has a similar case to Dustin Pedroia in that he was a one-team player who had a very high peak, but a career shortened by injury so the career numbers are not quite there. But Pedroia played a more demanding position, had more hits and won a couple of major awards. So Wright is maybe a little bit of a weaker candidate than Pedroia.

PREDICTIONS:

Let's see, what do I think is going to happen here?

1.  Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones finally get elected.

2.  Dustin Pedroia, Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte and Felix Hernandez all get large gains as a result of being stronger cases on a very weak ballot.

3.  Of the first-timers, only Cole Hamels makes it to a second year on the ballot.

4.  Manny Ramirez makes a modest gain, but drops off the ballot due to being on for ten years.  

5.  Alex Rodriguez makes a modest gain.

6.  Torii Hunter and Omar Vizquel both manage to get headed in a positive direction.

The Ceddanne Additions for the Week

Not a huge week for maildays.  I suspect next week will be bigger.  There were a handful of cards, all of them Ceddanne Rafaela cards.  

Most of the cards are from the recent Topps Holiday set.  I was successful in getting the base card in a pack, but no parallels, so I grabbed a bunch of them.  The first one is apparently from the Topps Advent Calendar.  The card I am most excited about is the A&G autograph card.  And then the card in the middle is the Orange Rainbow Foil, numbered to 25.  

Another Holiday Mega Box Break

I grabbed another Mega Box of Topps Holiday because it was the only thing available.  I am hoping to happen across Update one of these days.  Anyway, on to the break:

1.  Triston Casas.  Boston has seemingly been looking into Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber this offseason.  I can't help but think this likely means that Casas's time is coming to an end in Boston.  He showed a lot of promise in 2023 when he hit .263/.3367/.490 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs.  Unfortunately he missed large chunks of each of the last two seasons and hit just 16 home runs combined.

2.  Marcelo Mayer.  The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mayer did reasonably well in his first Major League stint.  In 44 games he hit .228/.272/.402 with four home runs as a 22-year-old rookie.  There is definitely room to grow, but defensively, he is ready now.

3.  Kristian Campbell.  I hold out hope Campbell will still turn into the player he looked like he would as a minor leaguer in 2024.  He hit .223/.319/.345 with six homers and 21 RBIs.  The problem is where does he play?  Boston already has a glut of outfielders and is shopping for a first-baseman.  Mayer has to play somewhere and Story stayed in Boston.  

4.  Triston Casas.  The big hit from the break was a Red Sox card, which is definitely a plus.  This is the Chrome Blue Sparkle and is serial-numbered to 199.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt. 22: Doc Cramer

Some time ago I was reading Bill James's book on Cooperstown, Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?.  In one section, he included a selection of letters and correspondence from people about players they thought should be in the Hall of Fame that had not been inducted.  A lot of the names were players many would expect, but one name stuck out to me, as a Red Sox fan.  That name was Roger "Doc" Cramer.  

Doc Cramer spent 20 years in the Majors from 1929 through 1948.  He spent seven years with the Philadelphia Athletics, seven with the Detroit Tigers, five with the Red Sox and one with the Washington Senators.  During that time he racked up 2,705 hits and a career batting average of .296.  He led the league in hits once with 200 hits in 1940.  He was an All Star five times during his career, four times with the Red Sox and once with the Athletics.  He was a good defensive center fielder (though not a great one) and led the league several times in various categories, mostly due to the fact that for most of his career, he played almost every day.  

So, that all sounds pretty good right?  Well...

The biggest problem with Cramer's candidacy is that his career bWAR was 13.3.  That is shockingly low for a player that played 20 years in the Majors and generally had decent numbers.  He had a slash line of .296/.340/.375, so while his average was good, he was below-average in getting on base and well below average in power.  That is borne out by his 396 career doubles (averaging 29 a year) and 37 career home runs (averaging three a year).  To put this number into perspective, Carl Yastrzemski's 1967 season was a bWAR of 12.5.  In one season, Yaz was worth almost as much as Doc Cramer's entire career.

Cramer's JAWS scores, a good indicator of Hall of Fame candidacy, places him at 235th all-time at center field.  The only Hall of Famer lower than Cramer is Pete Hill, who played in the Negro Leagues.  That is simply not going to get it done.  And no, WAR and JAWS are not everything, but when the numbers are that low, there just is not going to be a reasonable argument.

THE VERDICT

No, Doc Cramer is not getting into the Hall of Fame.  Nor should he.  He was a good player for a long time, but he was nowhere near Hall of Fame-worthy. 

2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Pt. 19: Tony Conigliaro

NAME:  Tony Conigliaro

POSITION:  Right field

WHY IS HE HERE?  Conigliaro was a phenom, but is also unfortunately one of the biggest tragedies in Red Sox history after his career ended prematurely following a beaning that hit him in the eye.  He was one of the youngest players of all time to make it to 100 home runs and led the league in home runs in just his second season.  He was easily one of the biggest stars on the team in the 1960's. 

WOULD I PUT HIM IN IN 2001?:  Yes.

ANY BETTER CHOICES IN 2001?:  Any of the better choices is already here.  

WOULD I PUT HIM IN NOW?:  Yes.

ANY BETTER CHOICES NOW?:  Conigliaro's story is bigger than his numbers.  Obviously, players like Mookie Betts and possibly even Trot Nixon should be included in the set, but not at the expense of Conigliaro.

Red Sox Awards History: MVP Pt. 4 (The Unofficial Years)

I probably should have posted this prior to yesterday's post, but I was already deep into the post when I came across the information that the 1929-1930 MVP Awards were "unofficial".  Apparently there was a vote cast, but it was not a true award.  So, I moved the little bit of information over to a new post.  There were no Red Sox winners either year anyway since they were pretty much terrible at this point in time.  The "winners" in the American League were Lew Fonseca of the Indians and future Red Sox Joe Cronin of the Senators.

MILT GASTON

1929

T-30th, 2 points

12-19, 3.73 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 81 walks in 243.2 innings pitched

It's tough to be a pitcher on a team that goes 58-96-1, but Gaston was Boston's best player in 1929 by a pretty wide margin.  His numbers are not much to look at, especially his record, but his ERA+ was 114, so he was doing something right.  Gaston led the team in bWAR with a 4.6 mark, so he was a legitimately good player, just on a bad team.

1930

T-17th, 5 points

13-20, 3.92 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 98 walks in 273 innings.

A mostly similar season in 1930 except a bump in innings pitched which led to slightly higher counting stats.  His ERA was higher, but his ERA+ was 117, so he was still clearly better than the average pitcher that season.  He again led the team in bWAR, this time with a 5.3 mark.

DANNY MACFAYDEN

1930

12th, 12 points

11-14, 4.21 ERA, 76 strikeouts and 93 walks in 269.1 innings pitched

The Red Sox actually had some legitimately good pitchers in the end of the 1920's, best among them being Red Ruffing.  MacFayden had a reasonable record on a team that went 52-102 and his 4.21 ERA was an ERA+ of 109, meaning he was a better-than-average pitcher.  

TOM OLIVER

1930

13th, 9 points

.293/.339/.351, 0 home runs, 46 RBIs, 86 runs, 189 hits, 34 doubles

In Oliver's rookie season he led the league in games played and at-bats.  He was a very good defensive center fielder as well.  He had no power and didn't walk a lot, but his batting average was reasonable and he came close to 200 hits, primarily due to how often he played.  

JACK ROTHROCK

1929

T-13th, 8 points

.300/.361/.408, 6 home runs, 59 RBIs, 70 runs, 142 hits, 19 doubles, 7 triples, 24 stolen bases

This is how bad the Red Sox were in 1929: Rothrock was their best position player with a 100 OPS+.  That is exactly average.  He had a decent batting average and could run a little, but he had very little power.  Typically a utility player, Rothrock spent almost the entire 1929 season playing center field.    

RUSS SCARRITT

1929

T-20th, 5 points

.294/.337/.411, 1 home run, 71 RBIs, 69 runs, 159 hits, 26 doubles, 17 triples, 13 stolen bases

Scarritt was a rookie in 1929 playing left field primarily.  He had a nice season as a rookie, finishing tenth in games played and second in the league in triples.  He was also in the top five in most defensive categories, including first in double plays, so he was a good defensive left fielder.  

PHIL TODT

1929

T-22nd, 4 points

.262/.305/.393, 4 home runs, 64 RBIs, 49 runs, 140 hits, 38 doubles, 10 triples

I have no idea why that card lists Todt as an outfielder.  He played in 908 games in his career, 904 at first base and just four in the outfield.  1929 was not one of Todt's better seasons, but he still received some MVP consideration somehow.  He did not appear among the league leaders in any category.  He did lead the team in doubles, so that's something I guess.

EARL WEBB

1930

21st, 1 point

.323/.385/.523, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, 61 runs, 145 hits, 30 doubles

Webb was a very good hitter but his defensive inadequacies cost him a lengthy Major League career.  He did play at a time of high offense, but he ranked among the league leaders in home runs (tenth) and put up an OPS+ of 133, which is pretty damn good.

Red Sox Awards History: MVP Pt. 3 (The 1930's)

I was reminded earlier that the major awards will be announced this week.  And I remembered that I started something I never finished.  I only got through the 1920's on my MVP award voting discussions.  So, here we are in the 1930's.  The official MVP as it currently exists started in 1931.

THE WINNER 

JIMMIE FOXX

1938

1st, 305 points

.349/.462/.704, 50 home runs, 175 RBIs, 139 runs, 197 hits

Foxx had a monster season in 1938, leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBIs and walks (119).  He hit 50 home runs, a team record that stood until 2005, though he finished second in home runs to Hank Greenberg.  He also led the league in WAR (7.4) and total bases (398).  The Red Sox finished second in the league and Foxx was the primary reason why.  It was the single biggest offensive season by a Red Sox player since Babe Ruth.  

RECEIVING VOTES

DALE ALEXANDER

1932

11th, 10 points

.367/.454/.513, 8 home runs, 60 RBIs, 144 hits

The Red Sox were terrible in 1932, as evidenced by the long series of posts I have been working on.  But Alexander was the biggest bright spot on the team.  He split the season between the Tigers and Red Sox due to a mid-June trade, but he ended up winning the batting title.  That is the primary reason for his placement in the voting.  He was third in the league in on-base percentage and seventh in slugging.  

DOC CRAMER

1938

T-30th, 1 point

.301/.354/.380, 0 home runs, 71 RBIs, 116 runs, 198 hits, 36 doubles, 8 triples

Cramer had next to no power, but was excellent at getting on base.  The center fielder struck out just 19 times, while drawing 51 walks.  He led the league in at-bats (658) and was an All Star in 1938.  He ranked among the league leaders in runs scored (ninth), hits (second) and doubles (sixth).  He was also among the league leaders in several defensive categories for center fielders.  

JOE CRONIN

1937

7th, 19 points

.307/.402/.486, 18 home runs, 110 RBIs, 102 runs, 175 hits, 40 doubles

The Red Sox shortstop/manager was a previous MVP winner in 1930.  He had a big season in 1937, but was only among the league leaders in RBIs (tenth) and some defensive categories.  Even though he was not among the league leaders in many categories, very few shortstops hit like he did, and he got extra credit for also being the manager.  The team had a winning record, even though they finished fifth in the league.  Cronin was an All Star.

1938

7th, 92 points

.325/.428/.536, 17 home runs, 94 RBIs, 98 runs, 172 hits, 51 doubles

Cronin had an even better season in 1938, and this time did rank among the league leaders in several hitting categories, as well as leading the team to a second-place finish in the league.  He was an All Star again and led the league in doubles while finishing in the top ten in average (tenth), on-base percentage (fifth), slugging (tenth) and extra base hits (fourth).  This was Cronin's best season in Boston.  

1939

16th, 15 points

.308/.407/.492, 19 home runs, 107 RBIs, 97 runs, 160 hits

Another great season for the shortstop/manager saw the team finish in second place again and had him in the All Star game for the sixth time.  He was among the league leaders in on-base percentage (tenth), doubles (33, sixth), RBIs (seventh) and walks (87, eighth).  

RICK FERRELL

1933

T-12th, 9 points

.290/.381/.373, 4 home runs, 77 RBIs, 58 runs, 143 hits

Ferrell started the 1933 season with the St. Louis Browns, but after 22 games, he was traded to the Red Sox for someone named Merv Shea and cash, which was probably the biggest reason for the trade.  This was actually not one of Ferrell's strongest seasons, though it is the only year he was in Boston that he received MVP votes.  He led the league in runners caught stealing and appeared in the first ever All Star game.  

WES FERRELL

1934

8th, 16 points

14-5, 3.63 ERA, 67 strikeouts and 49 walks in 181 innings pitched

Rick's brother Wes was a star in his own right, and probably should be in the Hall of Fame.  He did not have a huge season in 1934, which is why it is kind of strange that he received MVP votes.  He was eighth in the league in ERA and fourth in winning percentage (.737).  He led the league in walks per nine innings (2.436).  He was a great hitter for a pitcher and hit .282/.341/.487 with four homers and 17 RBIs.

1935

2nd, 62 points

25-14, 3.52 ERA, 110 strikeouts in 322.1 innings pitched

Ferrell had one of the greatest two-way seasons in history in 1935.  He led the league in wins, starts (38), complete games (31) and innings pitched.  He was seventh in the league in ERA.  As a hitter, he had a line of .347/.427/.533 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs.  Somehow, he was not an All Star.  He led the league in WAR (10.6) as a result of his impressive season on both sides of the ball.

JIMMIE FOXX

1936

11th, 16 points

.338/.440/.631, 41 home runs, 143 RBIs, 130 runs, 198 hits, 13 stolen bases

Foxx had other big seasons for the Red Sox in the 1930's.  His first year in Boston saw him have the most home runs by a Red Sox player ever.  He would only build on that.  Foxx was an All Star and led the league in walks (119) while also finishing third in on-base percentage, third in slugging, tenth in hits, third in home runs and third in RBIs.

1939

2nd, 170 points

.360/.464/.694, 35 home runs, 105 RBIs, 130 runs, 168 hits

An All Star for the fourth season in a row with the Red Sox, Foxx had 15 fewer home runs than he did in 1938, but managed to lead the league in the category, as well as in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.  He was also second in batting average, third in runs, eighth in RBIs and second in total bases (324).  It was not as impressive as his 1938 season, but it was still a huge season.

LEFTY GROVE

1935

14th, 8 points

20-12, 2.70 ERA, 121 strikeouts and 65 walks in 273 innings pitched

When Tom Yawkey acquired the Red Sox, he set about acquiring a number of players who would eventually become Hall of Famers.  The greatest of these was possibly Grove.  His first year in Boston was not great, but his second season saw him named to the All Star Game and leading the league in ERA and WAR (9.4).  He was fourth in the league in wins.

1936

15th, 5 points

17-12, 2.81 ERA, 130 strikeouts and 65 walks in 253.1 innings pitched

Grove's third season with the Red Sox saw him once again named to the All Star Game and leading the league in ERA, WAR (11.2), WHIP (1.192) and shutouts (six).   He was ninth in wins.  

1938

21st, 7 points

14-4, 3.08 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 52 walks in 163.2 innings pitched

After a year off from receiving MVP votes, Grove came back strong in 1938.  He led the league in ERA once again, as well as winning percentage (.778) and strikeout/walk ratio (1.90).  He was an All Star for the fourth time while with the Red Sox.

1939

15th, 17 points

15-4, 2.54 ERA, 81 strikeouts and 58 walks in 191 innings pitched

Grove's final great season was 1939.  He was an All Star for the fifth time with the Red Sox and won the ERA title for fourth time in Boston.  His .789 winning percentage was second in the league.

ROY JOHNSON

1934

T-12th, 8 points

.320/.379/.467, 7 home runs, 119 RBIs, 85 runs, 182 hits, 43 doubles, 10 triples, 11 stolen bases

One of the more underrated hitters of the 1930's, Johnson had a career batting average of .296 and had one of his best seasons in 1934.  It was the only year he received MVP votes as he finished among the league leaders in doubles (sixth), triples (third), RBIs (sixth) and stolen bases (ninth).  

DANNY MACFAYDEN

1931

T-20th, 2 points

16-12, 4.02 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 79 walks in 230.2 innings pitched

MacFayden was one of the better pitchers for the Red Sox during the extremely dark time period between the sale of Babe Ruth and Tom Yawkey taking the reins.  MacFayden led the league in home runs per nine innings (0.2) and was among the league leaders in wins (seventh), shutouts (third) and complete games (ninth).

MARTY MCMANUS

1932

T-27th, 2 points

.235/.317/.374,  5 home runs, 24 RBIs, 39 runs, 71 hits, 19 doubles

Sometimes, the players who receive votes just makes no sense.  McManus was mostly a utility player, splitting his time between second and third base, while also playing a couple games at shortstop and one at first.  He was the team's player/manager, but the 1932 Red Sox were one of the worst teams of all time.  He only played 93 games.  So no, I really do not know what to say about how he got here.

ERIC MCNAIR

1936

T-19th, 1 point

.285/.329/.391, 4 home runs, 74 RBIs, 68 runs, 141 hits, 36 doubles

McNair was mostly known for his defense as a mostly utility infielder, but he had a nice season at the plate in his first year in Boston after being acquired alongside Doc Cramer.  He appeared in 84 games at short, 35 at second and 11 at third.  He was not among the league leaders in any offensive categories, but he was a valuable contributor.

TOM OLIVER

1931

T-20th, 2 points

.276/.307/.353, 0 home runs, 70 RBIs, 52 runs, 162 hits

A defensive specialist in center field, Oliver led the league in assists (17), putouts (433), double plays (four) and fielding percentage (.993).  It's a good thing he was so good defensively, because he was not much of a hitter, clocking a 78 OPS+ in 1931.  He did have 35 doubles and five triples, though he never once homered in his Major League career, which lasted just four seasons.

HAL RHYNE

1931

14th, 10 points

.273/.341/.343, 0 home runs, 51 RBIs, 75 runs, 154 hits, 34 doubles

Oddly for Rhyne, 1931 was spent entirely at shortstop.  He was typically a utility infielder.  He rewarded the team by leading the league at fielding percentage (.963), assists (502) and range factor (5.42).  He also was not a complete zero at the plate in 1931, putting up an OPS+ of 85, which was the highest of his career.

MOOSE SOLTERS

1935

T-9th, 16 points

.319/.356/.498, 18 home runs, 112 RBIs, 94 runs, 201 hits, 45 doubles, 11 stolen bases

That statline is kind of misleading because Solters spent most of the season with the St. Louis Browns.  Solters only played 24 games with the Red Sox at the beginning of the season, hitting .241/.268/.342 with no homers and eight RBIs.  He was traded to the Browns for Oscar "Ski" Melillo. 

JOE VOSMIK

1938

T-21st, 7 points

.324/.384/.446, 9 home runs, 86 RBIs, 121 runs, 201 hits, 37 doubles

Vosmik was acquired in a trade with the Browns (who acquired him from Cleveland in a deal involving Moose Solters) for a package including Bobo Newsom and Buster Mills.  He led the league in hits and was fifth in the league in doubles.  Vosmik was also known as a good defensive left fielder and was the reason that Ted Williams started his Major League career in right field.

EARL WEBB

1931

6th, 22 points

.333/.404/.528, 14 home runs, 103 RBIs, 96 runs, 196 hits, 67 doubles

We are closing in on 100 years since Webb's 1931 season and still, his record of 67 doubles still stands.  He had a terrific season at the plate overall and finished among the league leaders in hits (fifth), total bases (sixth), homers (tenth), average (seventh), OBP (tenth) and slugging (eighth).  It's his doubles record that manages to stand the test of time though.

BILLY WERBER

1934

T-12th, 8 points

.321/.397/.472, 11 home runs, 67 RBIs, 129 runs, 200 hits, 41 doubles, 10 triples, 40 stolen bases

This is one of my favorite under-the-radar seasons to talk about.  Werber was never an All Star, but he had some fantastic seasons, and this was the best one.  The third-baseman led the league in stolen bases and was second in the league in runs scored.  A 200 hit/40 stolen base season is a rarity in Red Sox history, this is one of just two times it has ever happened, Tris Speaker being the other player to accomplish it.

TED WILLIAMS

1939

4th, 126 points

.327/.436/.609, 31 home runs, 145 RBIs, 131 runs, 185 hits, 44 doubles, 11 triples, 107 walks

What makes those numbers completely insane is the fact that those were done by a 20-year-old rookie.  It may be the greatest rookie season in Red Sox history and is only overshadowed by others because the Rookie of the Year award did not exist yet.  Williams led the league in RBIs and total bases (344).  Even more shocking is that the best was yet to come from The Splendid Splinter.