Unknown Heroes Pt. 39: Stan Belinda

Middle relievers are the ultimate unknown heroes.  Especially since card companies after the early 1990's started focusing on premium sets with fewer cards.  There just was not as much hobby love for the guys that came in to hold things down before the closer could shut the door.  That is unfortunate because middle relievers and setup men are very important to the team.

In 1995, Boston signed former Pirates and Royals middle reliever Stan Belinda in April, soon before the season started.  Belinda had saved a number of games for the Pirates but had been just another bullpen arm in Kansas City.  Belinda pitched from a three-quarters arm slot, almost a side-arm thrower, but not quite.  Boston had a number of problems with pitching early on in 1995, but their setup man was definitely not one of those problems as Belinda was a terrific under-the-radar pickup for the division winners.

Stan Belinda made it into 63 games for Boston in 1995.  He finished with an impressive 8-1 record and 10 saves.  His ERA was a very good for the time period 3.10 and he struck out 57 while walking 28 in 69.2 innings.  He also gave the Red Sox 1.9 WAR out of a middle relief spot, which is very impressive.

Unfortunately, that was pretty much it for his effectiveness in Boston.  He returned in 1996, but injuries limited him to 31 games with an ugly 6.59 ERA.  Belinda would go on to pitch a few more years, including some decent moments with Cincinnati, but 1995 was definitely the high point of his career.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1995

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.1995 - STAN BELINDA
The 1995 season saw a lot of changes for the Red Sox. They brought in new players at second base, catcher, right field, and designated hitter, as well as overhauling their rotation and bullpen, and letting young players take over at third base and center field. Stan Belinda was a part of the new look bullpen when he was signed as a free agent in April of 1995.

Prior to joining the Red Sox, Belinda was reasonably successful with the Pirates and the Royals as a reliever, but he arguably had his best year with the Red Sox. Belinda lead Red Sox pitchers with 63 games pitched in the shortened 1995 season. He struck out 57 in 69.2 innings versus 28 walks. Belinda finished the year at 8-1 with 10 saves and a 3.10 ERA solidifying the bullpen for the AL East champs. Together with Mike Maddux and Rheal Cormier, the Red Sox setup men in 1995 were the best group the team had in years.