1991-2016 All-Underrated Team: First Base

I have been watching baseball for 26 years now. In that time, I have been obsessed with under-the-radar players. These are my picks for an All-Underrated Team. I have picked one player for each position and their best season.

The 27 year old rookie in 1999 pretty much came out of nowhere.  His only prior Major League experience was a ten game stint with the Marlins the previous season.  He was released after the season and signed by the Red Sox as a free agent and quickly proved to be an offensive weapon for Boston, filling in at first base for the departed Mo Vaughn and actually produced a higher slugging percentage than Vaughn.

Daubach hit .294/.360/.562 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He also produced 33 doubles and finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote.  Daubach was a streaky hitter and went on a tear down the stretch, putting himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation after a slow start to the season.  He was the Player of the Week in mid-August.

Daubach played in the postseason in 1999 and hit a home run in each of the two rounds that Boston played.  He drove in six runs and hit three doubles as well.

For coming out of nowhere as a 27 year old rookie, Daubach takes the first base position on this team.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Carlos Quintana 1991

Season in Review: 1999

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar had a huge year in 1999.  He won his first batting title after hitting .357/.418/.603 for a 1.022 OPS and was voted the starting shortstop in the All Star game.  He also hit 27 home runs, drove in 104, and stole 14 bases.  He was a terrific all-around player and finished seventh in the MVP vote.

Pedro Martinez
As good as Nomar was, Pedro was better.  Martinez finished second in the MVP vote and probably deserved to win.  He did win the Cy Young unanimously as he had one of the best pitching seasons of all time, winning the pitching Triple Crown with a 23-4 record, 2.07 ERA, and 313 strikeouts in 213.1 innings.  Amazing.

Troy O'Leary
O'Leary was the big power hitter for the Red Sox in 1999.  He lead the team with 28 home runs and finished second to Nomar with 103 RBIs.  His line was .280/.343/.495.  He also had 36 doubles and four triples.

Jason Varitek
Tek became the starting catcher in 1999 and had a big season.  The switch-hitting catcher hit .269/.330/.482 with 20 home runs and 76 RBIs.  He also hit 39 doubles.  Not bad for a catcher.

Tim Wakefield
1999 was one of Wakefield's most versatile seasons.  He started 17 games and finished 28.  He actually was one of two pitchers on the Red Sox staff to save 15 games and spent a chunk of the season as a knuckleballing closer.  He finished at 6-11 with 15 saves and a 5.08 ERA.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Mike Stanley
Stanley did not slow down at all at 36 years old.  He hit .281/.393/.466 while splitting time between first base and designated hitter.  He also crushed 19 home runs and drove in 72.  Stanley also provided veteran leadership.

Rich Garces
El Guapo had a terrific season in 1999 and showed that he belonged in the Major Leagues for good.  In 30 games as a middle reliever Garces had an ERA of 1.55 and struck out 33 while walking 18 in 40.2 innings.  His record was an impressive 5-1 and he picked up two saves.

Bret Saberhagen
Saberhagen followed up his Comeback Player of the Year 1998 season by spending a chunk of 1999 on the disabled list.  When he was healthy though, he was good.  He finished the year at 10-6 with a 2.95 ERA with 81 strikeouts and an incredible 11 walks in 119 innings pitched.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION
Jose Offerman
After Mo Vaughn departed as a free agent, there was some question of what Boston would do to make up for the loss of his offensive production.  Boston signed Offerman in a move that was widely mocked.  However, Offerman had a decent All Star season hitting .294/.391/.435 with eight home runs, 69 RBIs, 11 triples, 37 doubles, and 18 stolen bases.  He struggled late or his numbers may have been better.

FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISITION
Butch Huskey
With a name like that, you expect a power hitter.  And Huskey was a power hitter.  The designated hitter was acquired to add some extra offense and he did well enough, hitting .266/.305/.484 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs in 45 games down the stretch after being acquired from Seattle.

Rod Beck
Boston had some bullpen problems so they engineered a trade for former closer Beck late in the season.  Beck pitched in just 12 games for the Red Sox but had a 1.93 ERA and three saves.

FAVORITE ROOKIES
Brian Daubach
Daubach was a scrap-heap pickup, but he finished the year fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote.  Daubach hit .294/.360/.562 with 21 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He showed a strong ability to deliver clutch hits but was pretty streaky.  The 27 year old rookie helped the team move on from Vaughn.

Trot Nixon
Nixon was one of Boston's top prospects and finally got the chance to play every day.  The results were decent but not eye-popping.  He hit .270/.357/.472 with 15 home runs.  Decent, but not exceptional numbers.  But the best was yet to come.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Mark Portugal
Pitching was a big problem for Boston in 1999.  Mark Portugal was signed to help the rotation but he was pretty brutal.  He finished the year 7-12 with a 5.51 ERA.

Ramon Martinez
Pedro's older brother was once a terrific starter for the Dodgers.  Those years were long over by the time he showed up in Boston.  Ramon was injured most of the season and only made it into four games at the end of the season.  He pitched well though, going 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA.

Tom Gordon
Coming off his remarkable 1998 season, Gordon struggled in 1999.  He saved 11 games but had an awful 5.60 ERA and was 0-2.

PLAYOFF HEROES
Pedro Martinez
After pitching just four innings in Game 1 of the ALDS, Martinez had to leave the game with an injury and Boston's playoff hopes diminished.  However, he returned in Game 5 with the Red Sox tied with the Indians at two games apiece and pitched six hitless innings, striking out eight to help the team win the ALDS.  He followed that up by outdueling Roger Clemens in the ALCS, striking out 12 in seven innings.

Troy O'Leary
My clearest memories of the 1999 postseason are of Martinez and O'Leary in Game 5 of the ALDS.  O'Leary came to the plate twice after the Indians intentionally walked Nomar.  One time, the bases were loaded, the other time, there were two runners on base.  Both times O'Leary homered.  He had seven RBIs in that decisive game.  He also hit well in the ALCS.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1999

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.1999 - BRIAN DAUBACH
Brian Daubach came out of nowhere. He played in just ten games at the Major League level prior to 1999 when he played for the Marlins the prior year and did very little in 17 plate appearances. So it was a move with no fanfare when Boston signed him as a free agent in December of 1998. Who knew that the 27 year old rookie would be the team's principal first baseman and a contender for the A.L. Rookie of the Year by the end of 1999?

Daubach went on a tear late in the season and ended up leading A.L. rookies in on base percentage and slugging percentage while hitting 21 home runs and driving in 73. Daubach was not too bad in the field either and would actually improve over the course of his career.

Daubach never really got the attention he deserved due to his status as a former scab player, but 1999 was the beginning of a four-year stretch where he hit 20 plus home runs and drove in more than 70 runs each year as Boston's first baseman.

Boxscore: May 20, 2001 Red Sox 10 Royals 3

This one ranks as my personal favorite Red Sox game I attended. A couple of friends and I decided after our sophomore years of college were over to do a road trip down to Kansas City to see the Royals take on the Red Sox on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. My friends were huge Royals fan so there was some good-natured banter going on during the drive down there.

Well, the Red Sox absolutely beat the Royals into submission that day. The final score was 10-3, and the Red Sox hit five home runs.

Jason Varitek was the star of the day, hitting three home runs himself and driving in seven of the Red Sox runs. He also had a run-scoring single to go 4-4 with three runs scored. He came into the game with only two home runs on the year. Varitek looked to be a breakout star that year, but he broke his elbow making a sliding catch before the All Star game and was out the rest of the year. This though, was one of his best games.

The game also featured home runs from Carl Everett and Manny Ramirez, in addition to doubles by Ramirez, Dante Bichette, and Brian Daubach. Trot Nixon drove in the other Red Sox run. Shea Hillenbrand also had two hits in the game and scored three times. Jose Offerman also had a hit and Mike Lansing, Darren Lewis, and Scott Hatteberg all appeared in the game. Offerman had a terrible day on defense committing two errors, and Bichette also had one in the outfield.

Frank Castillo started the game and had a great performance, pitching six innings and giving up one unearned run. He struck out three. Rich Garces and former Royal Hipolito Pichardo also appeared in the game, each surrendering a run.

Feature: Replacement Players

Without a doubt, one of the darkest times in baseball history was the 1994 players' strike. I was only 13 years old at the time, and I was devastated. A lot of fans never came back. Many did, but it took some time. If I was a more cynical child at the time, who knows what I would have done.

In 1995, owners brought on several replacement players, career minor leaguers, washed-up veterans, players who were young but not thought of enough to consider a major league future. After the strike was over, most of these players went back to their respective jobs or were never heard from again. Then, there were several who defied the odds and made the Major Leagues. Their success was made difficult by the stigma of being scabs and strike-breakers. To this date, these players are not entitled to the benefits of being on the Major League Baseball Players' Association. Therefore, they do not share in the marketing opportunities other players do, are not entitled to royalties, and are not entitled to the pensions that other players are. I think it's about time to change this unfair categorization, but to date, nothing has been done.

The Red Sox have had several players over the years that were replacement players, some who were very successful, others who were only around briefly. Let's take a look at them:

RON MAHAY: Mahay was the first player I was aware of that was a replacement player. He may have also been one of the first former replacement players to make the Major Leagues. I cannot imagine what taunts he may have been subject to. Anyway, Mahay started out as a speedy outfielder, but then decided to try his hand at pitching. He was an outfielder in 1995 with Boston but was sent back to the minors and came back as a left-handed reliever in 1997 where he was moderately successful for two years in Boston, with an overall ERA of 3.00 in 51 total innings of work, one save, and four wins. Mahay then bounced around, a lot. He eventually pitched for eight teams over the course of a 14 year career. He was definitely one of the longer lasting replacement players in the Majors.

LOU MERLONI: Merloni was a fan favorite in Boston, mostly due to the fact that he was from nearby Framingham. Merloni first came up in 1998, as I previously mentioned since I witnessed his major league debut. He was never really much of a hitter, but his versatility kept him on the team. He was able to play every infield position as well as the outfield. He was closest to being a regular at third base in 2000 when John Valentin was hurt and Wilton Veras was ineffective. Merloni was placed on waivers and picked up by San Diego and then re-acquired by Boston in a trade in 2003. After the season, he played a couple more years with Cleveland and Los Angeles, never quite playing regularly.

BRIAN DAUBACH: Daubach was the first really good replacement player I remember. Daubach had very good power and a decent eye at the plate, able to take a walk. He mostly had mid-range batting averages, but he made up for it with his slugging and on-base percentages. In 1999, he finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year vote mostly due to his incredible hot streak in August. Daubach topped 20 home runs and 70 RBIs in four straight seasons beginning in 1999. He did strike out a lot, but that tends to come with big power. The big burly first baseman was also reasonably good in the field. He also played with the White Sox, Marlins, and Mets for one year each, but spent most of his career with the Red Sox.

BENNY AGBAYANI: I do not have as much to say about Agbayani. He was only with the Red Sox for 13 games at the end of the 2002 season. He was a fan favorite while playing for the Mets and is still revered due to his Hawaiian heritage. Agbayani produced a decent batting average and a high on-base percentage, but he had no power, only hitting one extra base hit. He was out of the Majors the next year.

KEVIN MILLAR: Kevin Millar was one of the most fun players to watch on the 2004 Red Sox team. Always joking around and having a good time, Millar brought a lot of personality. He was also a pretty good player, particularly in 2003 and 2004. Millar was selected off waivers from the Florida Marlins prior to the 2003 season when he was in the process of being sold to the Chunichi Dragons. GM Theo Epstein coveted his ability to get on base and disobeyed unwritten rules in picking him up. Millar responded by cracking 25 home runs with 96 RBIs in his first season. His power dropped the next year, but his batting average and on-base percentage both increased in 2004. He was also a catalyst in the ALCS comeback against the Yankees by drawing a crucial walk against Mariano Rivera and was replaced at first by Dave Roberts. Millar slumped in 2005 and was not brought back as a free agent. He played for Baltimore and Toronto before giving it up in 2010.

BRENDAN DONNELLY: Donnelly was acquired from the Angels prior to the 2007 season for minor leaguer Phil Seibel. I thought that it was a pretty decent trade, and Donnelly was pretty good in the beginning of the season prior to being lost to injury. He had a 3.05 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP before going down. Good, but not great numbers. As it was, he did not contribute much to the World Championship. He was allowed to leave as a free agent after the season and has bounced around a little since then. His name was revealed on the Mitchell Report as having purchased performance enhancing drugs.

Boxscore: August 9, 1999 Red Sox vs. Royals

August 9, 1999.

This was the third Red Sox game I attended and, like the previous two, this was also in Kansas City. The Royals seemed to have Boston's number at times, and they won this game as well, 5-2. The Red Sox apparently could not do anything against former Sox prospect Jeff Suppan. It did not really help that they had Mark Portugal on the mound who was suffering through a terrible season. Portugal did pitch six decent innings this time out though, giving up all five runs, four were earned and struck out one and walked one. Jermaine Dye hit two home runs off of Portugal in the game.

Well, le's start with the good things that happened in this game, and there were not very many. Trot Nixon and Troy O'Leary each hit home runs, of course no one was on base when they did. Brian Daubach and Reggie Jefferson both hit triples. And that was all the hits Boston had. Pretty weird when a team only has four hits, two of which were triples, and two were home runs. Jose Offerman, Darren Lewis, and Nomar Garciaparra each reached base on walks. Lewis threw out a runner at second. Bryce Florie only gave up two hits in two innings of relief and struck out one.

Other than that, Jason Varitek and Donnie Sadler were the other players to play in the game, neither of whom did much. Most of the Royals offense was supplied by Dye, but Johnny Damon had three hits and drove in a run, and Mike Sweeney drove in the other run. Just another failed Red Sox/Royals game.