Unknown Heroes Pt. 48: Eduardo Rodriguez

I suppose I can write about this now.  I kind of held out hope that Rodriguez would come back to Boston after opting out of his deal with the Tigers this offseason.  He ended up signing with the Diamondbacks though.  There's always a chance he could come back in a trade or sign back after his four-year contract ends, but that seems unlikely at this point.

Back around the trading deadline in 2014, the Red Sox were in an unusual position.  Despite winning the World Series the previous year, the team was in last place and had a lot of contracts due to come off the books in the offseason.  In other words, they had the chance to completely retool by shedding salary in exchange for prospects.  The team took something of an odd strategy for most of the deals though, choosing to focus on acquiring players who were already in the Majors but had some control left.  That's what led to deals sending out Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes and John Lackey for Yoenis Cespedes, Joe Kelly and Allen Craig.  Three deals did yield prospects though.  Jake Peavy was sent to the Giants for Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar, Felix Doubront was traded to the Cubs for Marco Hernandez, and Andrew Miller was sent to the Orioles for Eduardo Rodriguez.  Of course it is that last one that I am talking about here.

Miller was having an incredible season in 2014.  The lefty reliever turned into a real weapon and was one of the most sought-after players on the trade market.  He had a 2.34 ERA and 69 strikeouts in just 42.1 innings when he was traded to the O's for Rodriguez.  Rodriguez was a top prospect for Baltimore, not their best pitching prospect, but within their top ten overall, so this was a pretty good get for the Red Sox.  He was easily the best prospect they acquired during the time frame and he was far enough along that he did not need much seasoning before making his Major League debut, which came the next year.

Rodriguez made his Major League debut on May 28, 2015 and pitched 7.2 innings of scoreless ball, striking out seven and walking two, getting the win against the Rangers.  Rodriguez would finish the year with a record of 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA, 98 strikeouts and 37 walks in 121.2 innings.  Surprisingly, he received no consideration for the Rookie of the Year vote.  I am not saying he should have won, or even placed highly, but a vote would have been warranted.  

The next two seasons were very uneven for Rodriguez.  He was 9-14 over the next two years with a 4.42 ERA.  He started showing signs in 2017 of promise though as he struck out 150 batters in just 137.1 innings.  He did not even pitch in the 2016 postseason and faced just two batters in 2017.  2018 was something of a breakout as he went 13-5 with a 3.82 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 129.2 innings.  His big issue was throwing too many pitches.  He walked 3.1 batters per nine innings and got into a lot of full counts.  Nevertheless, he was improving.  

He struggled greatly in the postseason and was primarily a reliever until Game 4 of the World Series.  That was after the 18-inning game that the Dodgers won.  Most of the starters were gassed, so Rodriguez took the mound and pitched well, for awhile.  Since most of the bullpen was exhausted too, Rodriguez had to go a little deeper into the game and made it into the sixth inning without allowing a run.  Unfortunately, things unraveled and he gave up an RBI groundout to Cody Bellinger followed by a three-run home to Yasiel Puig.  Rodriguez slammed his glove into the ground in frustration and was taken out of the game.  Boston rallied to win the game and Rodriguez deserves some credit for his performance and for saving some of the bullpen arms.

2019 was Rodriguez's best season, and the only one so far in which he has received any kind of awards consideration.  He finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.  He had a record of 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA (128 ERA+), helping to keep Boston's pitching afloat in the wake of injuries to Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi.  He threw a career-high 203.1 innings, striking out 213 (also a career high).  He led the league in walks with 75, but also in games started (34).  He was highly durable that season and was rewarded for it.  

Unfortunately, Rodriguez was not able to build on his impressive season.  He sat out the 2020 season, the COVID season, due to some concerning respiratory reactions to the virus.  He did make it back in 2021, but took awhile to get going.  He ended up turning in a decent season, once one looks beyond the surface numbers.  His 4.74 ERA (99 ERA+) looks more like the result of bad luck and/or defense as his FIP was a much more impressive 3.32.  He did have a 13-8 record and cut down his walk rate to below three.  He also struck out 185 batters in 157.2 innings.  

Once again Rodriguez struggled in the postseason.  He appeared in two games against the Rays in the ALDS and went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA and pitched just 6.2 innings total.  He struck out seven and walked two.  He was much better against Houston in the ALCS, drawing the start in the Game 3 blowout and going six strong innings, allowing three runs, all on a Kyle Tucker home run, but striking out seven and walking none.  He got the win.  It would end up being his final appearance in a Red Sox uniform, he signed with Detroit in the offseason.

I wonder sometimes about why Rodriguez left Boston.  Manager Alex Cora was often openly challenging to Rodriguez, in a similar way as he was with Alex Verdugo, calling him out publicly to improve.  At the time, I got the impression that this was because he cared about him a lot and knew that saying something publicly went be a stronger motivator for change.  But I wonder how much that went into Rodriguez leaving the team.  There was also an incident in the last postseason game in which Rodriguez was seen pointing at his wrist, mocking Carlos Correa's maneuver in the first game after he homered.  Cora could be seen yelling at Rodriguez as he was walking off the field after his night was complete.  That was the last time Rodriguez played for Boston and I cannot help but wonder if he was angry with Cora for that.  I guess we may never know.

Rodriguez was often a frustrating pitcher.  He tended to throw too many pitches and had difficulty reaching his potential, but he was entertaining and a pretty good pitcher as well.  He was never and All Star and only once received any votes for any award, but Rodriguez went 64-39 with a 4.16 ERA (110 ERA+, 3.83 FIP) in 159 games for Boston.  In 856.2 innings, he struck out 892 batters, while walking 294.  Those are decent numbers for a starting pitcher in this day and age.  I wish Boston would have kept him.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 47: Tzu-Wei Lin

Readers who have been following me for more a few years may remember my obsession with Tzu-Wei Lin.  I super-collected him for a little while, starting shortly after his debut in 2017 and leading up to him leaving as a minor league free agent.  I have been working on putting my Red Sox collection up on TCDB, starting with what I figured was an easy way in and starting with Tzu-Wei Lin.  Not surprisingly, when checking my ranking among other people on the site, I come out way ahead.  I may do a post with what all I have figured out on that site some day.  

But anyway, today I am showing off a new acquisition for my Lin collection:

Apologies for the bad picture.  This is the 2013 Bowman Chrome Prospects Pink Refractor.  I recently found this on Ebay and decided I would grab it.  I still need the black, gold, orange, red, super and yellow refractors from this set.  That is quite a ways to go still.

Lin spent parts of four seasons with the Red Sox, never quite reaching the level of success he had in the minors.  He had a promising start to his Major League career, hitting .268/.369/.339 in 25 games in 2017, playing mostly shortstop and third base.  He had a bit of a longer look in 2018, but his hitting stats declined, though he did hit for a bit more power.  Lin managed to hit his only Major League home run and traveled with the team during the postseason run.  He was just an injury away from appearing in the postseason.  

Unfortunately, things went downhill after that.  His numbers in the minors declined and he got fewer opportunities in 2019.  He played in just 13 games in the Majors that year, hitting just .200.  Boston also started bringing in players like Marco Hernandez, who were also lefty-batting utility players.  Nevertheless, he held on and was given a big opportunity when Brock Holt left after the 2019 season.  Lin stayed in the Majors the entire COVID-shortened season, appearing in 26 games and becoming a true super-utility player.  He played every position that season except first base and third base.  He even caught and pitched.  Unfortunately, his hitting tanked and he put up just a .154/.182/.173 line.  The writing was on the wall.

Lin was not offered a contract after the season and he signed with the Twins as a minor league free agent.  His final line in Boston was .223/.298/.316 with nine doubles, three triples, a home run, 27 runs scored, 12 RBIs and two stolen bases.  He ended up appearing in just one game with the Twins, playing in left field for two innings without a plate appearance.  To date, that was his last appearance in the Majors.  He spent the 2022 season in the Mets system, but hit just .136 and was released in August.  I do not know if he will get another chance.  

Lin did appear in the World Baseball Classic for Chinese Taipei and homered in a game against Italy.  

Unknown Heroes Pt. 46: Jose Iglesias

I have not done one of these in something like six years.  I am sure I could come up with a few more if I thought about it (looking at you Tzu-Wei Lin).  Getting the below card was a good reason to resurrect this series.

This is one of the Silk Collection cards that were fairly big for a few years.  This came from Iglesias's first stint with the team.  He made another one last year.

Iglesias was signed to a big bonus as an international free agent in September of 2009.  The Cuban-born infielder was spectacular defensively, but had a questionable bat.  His first season in the minors saw him hit for a decent average, but no power.  He made it up to the Majors for the first time in late 2011, but only played in ten games, mostly as a defensive replacement, though he did have two hits in just six at-bats.  He had a little more of a look in the Majors in 2012 when the team struggled to a last-place finish, but he hit just .118 in 25 games.  

Spring Training in 2013 saw Iglesias put on a show.  He was so impressive that he made the Opening Day lineup.  He was sent back down to the minors after a week, but came back in late May.  Iglesias was a sensation, splitting time between shortstop and third base and hitting for a shockingly high batting average.  Iglesias's strengths were his exceptional defense and his ability to make contact.  He also had some impressive speed that allowed him to beat out plays at first base.  Iglesias was hitting above .400 as late as July 6 before his average finally started coming down.  He struggled after that for a few weeks.  On July 30, Iglesias was hitting .330/.376/.409 with one home run, ten doubles, two triples, 19 RBIs and three stolen bases.  That was the end of his first stint with Boston.

As good as Iglesias had been, Boston had a better player waiting in the wings at shortstop.  Xander Bogaerts represented the team's future.  Boston had a glut of shortstop prospects in fact.  That made Iglesias expendable.  What the team needed was more starting pitching to contend for the postseason.  And there was a pretty good one on the table in Chicago, but Boston did not have quite enough to make the move.  Enter the Detroit Tigers, who needed an infielder.  A three-team deal developed in which Boston sent Iglesias to the Tigers and some prospects (one of whom was Frankie Montas currently a top starter with the A's) to the White Sox.  The Tigers sent power-hitting outfielder Avisail Garcia to the White Sox, and Boston had their pitcher: Jake Peavy.

Iglesias continued to play well defensively for his new team, but his average continued to fall.  At the end of the year, his line was a still decent .303/.349/.386 with three home runs and 29 RBIs.  He ended up finishing second in the A.L. Rookie of the Year vote to Rays outfielder Wil Myers.  Iglesias continued along the same lines for several more seasons, even making the All Star team in 2015.  He played for the Tigers, Reds, Orioles and Angels.  Then, he returned to Boston.

The Angels in 2021 were not going anywhere.  Despite reasonable numbers, the team decided to cut Iglesias.  Boston, needing some help due to injuries brought him back.  And Iglesias went on a tear.  Playing mostly second base, Iglesias played in 23 games down the stretch and hit .356/.406/.508 with one home run and seven RBIs.  He was also a strong clubhouse presence, taking over the role of chief laundry-cart pusher during home run celebrations.  Due to not joining the team until September, he was not eligible for the postseason roster.  He stayed with the team though to continue pushing the laundry cart.  

After the season, Iglesias signed a deal with the Rockies.  He is still just 32, so it is entirely possible he could make a third stint with the Red Sox.  If he does not though, his career line with Boston is a very impressive .293/.346/.382 with three home runs and 28 RBIs.  And of course, he played some terrific defense.  

Unknown Heroes Pt. 45: David Ross

I received the below card recently.  This the black parallel numbered to 63 and I really like this photo.  Ross is showing off his World Series ring he won with the Red Sox in 2013.  Of course Ross recently played a big role in winning a World Championship with the Cubs.  I was planning on doing a post on Ross and getting this card gives me a reason to go ahead and do it.

David Ross was well-known for being a great teammate and the kind of player who could be counted on to do the little things to win ball games.  Ross had an incredible moment at the end of this season when he hit a home run late in Game 7 of the World Series for the Cubs, helping the team to eventually win their first World Series Championship since 1908.  A lot of Cubs fans have adoped Ross as "Grandpa Rossy".  I still personally remember him as a great backup catcher with the Red Sox.  Ross has two World Series rings (or will soon), and the first of those came from his 2013 season with Boston.

Originally coming up with the Dodgers, Ross possessed a lot of power.  He hit 10 home runs in 40 games in his first full season.  Later on, he hit 21 and 17 home runs for the Reds in 2006 to 2007.  Oddly, he was released by the Reds just one year later in August.  Boston picked him up for the first time that same month.  But Ross only played in eight games and only had one hit in nine plate appearances.  He was one of four catchers that season for Boston behind starter Jason Varitek and backup Kevin Cash.  Boston also had a promising young catcher in George Kottaras, so Ross was the odd man out after the season.  He caught on with the Braves and had four good seasons as a backup.

Boston re-signed Ross for a second term to a two-year deal to become the backup to starter Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Ross was one of my favorite signings that year, and there were many.  He was an experienced catcher with strong defensive abilities and leadership skills.  Ross did not play a lot in his first season in Boston, he made it into just 36 games, and he did not do a lot on offense when he played.  He hit .216/.298/.382 with four home runs, 10 RBIs, and five doubles, though he had a 4 for 4 game against Houston in which he hit two home runs.  Nevertheless, he was a 0.7 WAR player due to his strong defensive abilities.  He made just one error and caught 41% of attempted base stealers.

It was in the postseason that Ross was really valuable.  Saltalamacchia was a limited defensive catcher and Boston used Ross quite a bit.  He had a double in each of the two American League rounds leading to the World Series.  Ross ended up playing in the last four games of the six-game World Series against the Cardinals, mostly due to Saltalamacchia's deficiencies.  Ross had a huge moment in Game 5.  With the score tied 1-1 in the top of the 7th, Ross broke the tie with a ground-rule double that scored Xander Bogaerts with what turned out to be the winning run.  This was a mere preview of what he would eventually do with the Cubs.  Ross caught the final strike of the World Series and the image of Koji Uehara jumping into his arms is an enduring image from the World Series.

In 2014, Ross entered the season as the backup catcher, this time to A.J. Pierzynski, and then later to Christian Vazquez.  Ross played a little bit more, making it into 50 games.  His numbers declined to .184/.260/.368, but he hit seven home runs and drove in 15 with seven doubles.  Ross's defensive numbers also declined as he caught just 22% of attempted base stealers.  After the season Ross was allowed to leave as a free agent and he ended up following former teammate Jon Lester to the Cubs, where he continued as his personal catcher.

I have been finding backup catchers fascinating lately and Boston has had some good ones between Bob Montgomery, John Marzano, Doug Mirabelli, and David Ross.  It is clear that Ross's popularity has skyrocketed since he became a Cub, but he was a very popular player during his time in Boston as well.  Ross has a book coming out in May of 2017 and I will at least look at it.  If he is really covering his entire career, I will likely read it.  

Unknown Heroes: Totally Random Rookie Edition

Every once in awhile, a player gets called up from the minors that I immediately take a liking to, with no real rhyme or reason.  Sometimes that player is not even really all that good.  Yet I like them anyway, and I try hard to find cards of them, when they are available.  I won't be talking about any star players here.  Some of these guys were top prospects, but most were just depth options.  I may do more of these posts at some point, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are just five players that I really enjoyed watching despite their careers never really taking off.

DEVERN HANSACK

I have covered Hansack before.  The Nicaraguan pitcher had a long and winding path to the Major Leagues that saw him actually leave baseball for a few years.  He was seen by a Red Sox scout and moved quickly, finally making his Major League debut at 28 in 2006.  In his second game, he was in the midst of a no-hitter on the final day of the season, before rain ended the game early.  He made short stints in the next two seasons as well.  Hansack finished his Major League career 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA, striking out 18 and walking seven in 24.1 innings.  It wasn't much, but it was more than a lot of other players.  Hansack was an interesting story at the least.

RYAN LAVARNWAY

Ryan Lavarnway was smart.  He attended Yale University and was working towards a degree in Philosophy (one of my minors) when he was drafted by the Red Sox.  Lavarnway was actually one of Boston's top prospects at one point.  The catcher was much better at the plate than behind it and hit more than 20 home runs in a season three times in the minors.  Lavarnway was called up to the Majors in 2011 and had a somewhat successful stint, hitting two home runs in the second to last game of the season.  He had a longer shot in 2012, but did not hit well.  He came back again in 2013 and was a little better, but he was starting to run out of time to make an impact.  He started bouncing around after 2014 and did not play in the Majors in 2016.  His final numbers in Boston over 97 games were .201/.249/.315 with five home runs and 34 RBIs.

ANASTACIO MARTINEZ

My first Red Sox refractor that I pulled from a pack was Anastacio Martinez.  At one point, the Red Sox were trying to corner the market on pitchers named Martinez in the Majors and Minors.  Anastacio Martinez, another Dominican pitcher, signed as an international free agent in 1998 and had some electric stuff in the minors.  Martinez was traded to the Pirates in 2003, but was sent back less than two weeks later when Brandon Lyon's injury was discovered.  He pitched three games in the Pirates system.  Martinez finally made his Major League debut in 2004.  Now a reliever, Martinez was 2-1 with an 8.44 ERA.  He bounced around for several seasons after that, but left the Red Sox system after the 2005 season.

JERMAINE VAN BUREN 

Van Buren is the only player on this list that actually made his Major League debut with a team other than the Red Sox.  He played in six games for the Cubs in 2005.  The Red Sox purchased his contract from the Cubs in December of 2005.  He had been utilized primarily as a closer in the minors and saved 25 games for the Iowa Cubs in 2005 and had 16 saves for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2006.  Van Buren pitched in ten games for the Boston Red Sox in 2006 and was 1-0, but with an 11.77 ERA.  He was not terribly impressive at the Major League level.  After the season, he was sold to the Washington Nationals.  He never made it back to the Majors.

ERIC WEDGE

Like Lavarnway, Eric Wedge was once a top prospect as a catcher.  He did not have as much power, but he was a more well-rounded catcher.  He made his Major League debut in 1991 and singled in his only at-bat.  The next season, he played in 27 games and hit five home runs and drove in 11 runs.  But Boston had a number of catchers, both at the Major and Minor League level.  Wedge was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was selected by the Rockies.  He did not play much for Colorado in their inaugural season and was back in Boston for two games in 1994.  Wedge has since gone on to have some success as a Major League manager. 

Unknown Heroes Pt. 43: Felix Doubront

Boston has historically had a very difficult time developing pitchers, in particular left-handed pitchers.  Since the time that I started watching the team, Boston's minor league system has only produced three southpaws that spent a significant amount of time in the Major Leagues.  Jon Lester of course has been a very impressive pitcher and Casey Fossum had his moments.  The third of these was Felix Doubront who, for a couple of years, was a big part of the pitching staff.

Doubront was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2005.  He was just 17 at the time, so he spent some considerable time in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut with the Red Sox in 2010.  He won his Major League debut on June 18, 2010, starting the game and going five innings against the Dodgers.  Ultimately, Doubront did not spend a lot of time in the Majors in either 2010 or 2011 and he bounced between Boston and Pawtucket several times during both seasons.  

It was 2012 when Doubront emerged for good in Boston.  Due to injuries and inconsistency in most of the rest of the starting rotation, he was able to stick around.  He tied for second on the team in games started but was third in innings pitched, mostly due to high pitch counts taking him out of the game early.  He tended to walk a lot of hitters, but also struck out a lot of hitters.  In fact, Doubront led the team, racking up 167 strikeouts in 161 innings.  He also tied for the team lead in wins, going 11-10 with a 4.86 ERA.  Doubront started and won the only game I attended in 2012, on May 7 in Kansas City, though it was not one of his better games that season.

Doubront was expected to build on his success in 2013, and to a degree, he did.  He was better overall in 2013 but his strikeout numbers decreased and he started two fewer games, though he did appear in relief twice.  He was able to cut down on home runs hit against him, but still walked too many batters.  He finished the season at 11-6 with a 4.32 ERA in 162.1 innings.  He struck out 139, but walked 71 for the second year in a row.

The Red Sox won the World Championship in 2013 and, while Doubront was not a starter, he did appear in four games in the postseason.  He did not make an appearance in the ALDS against the Rays but then showed up in two games in the ALCS against Detroit.  In Game 2, he pitched 1.1 innings keeping the Tigers from scoring and ultimately setting up a win for the team.  He was on the mound when David Ortiz tied the game with a grand slam off Joaquin Benoit.  Uehara replaced him and recorded the win.  Doubront also finished the Game 4 loss with a scoreless inning of relief.

In the World Series in 2013, Doubront pitched 4.2 innings in two games.  He pitched two innings of scoreless relief in Game 3, though Boston ended up losing that game on the interference call on Will Middlebrooks in the ninth inning.  He came back the next day to pitch 2.2 innings, giving up just one ultimately meaningless run while striking out three.  He was credited with the win in relief.  He finished the postseason with a 1-0 record, 1.93 ERA, and four strikeouts.

Unfortunately, conditioning was a problem for Doubront throughout his career.  He struggled greatly in 2014.  He was 2-4 with a 6.07 ERA in 17 games with the Red Sox when he was traded to the Cubs for a player to be named later, who turned out to be Marco Hernandez.  He struck out 43 and walked 26.  He pitched in just four games for the Cubs and then pitched for the Blue Jays and Athletics in 2015.  He did not appear in the Majors in 2016 but remained the Athletics system.  He was outrighted in October and is now a free agent.  Who knows, maybe Boston could seek out a reunion.  They need a left-hander in the bullpen and he could be a low-risk, high-reward signing.  He certainly performed well out of the bullpen in the 2013 postseason.

Doubront's career has taken a downward turn after a highly successful 2013 postseason.  He never really played enough with his other three teams to appear on a card with any of them.  All of his Major League cards are with the Red Sox.  He was once one of my favorite players and was the subject of a sort of mini player collection.  He never really rose to stardom but I really enjoyed watching him.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 42: Daniel Nava

- Just 4'8" and 70 lbs. in his freshman year of high school and grew to just 5'5" and 150 lbs. by his senior year of high school.

- A walk-on for his college baseball team but did not make the team and became the team's equipment manager.

- Signed with an independent team after going undrafted from college.

- His contract was purchased by a Major League team for $1.00.

- Hit the very first Major League pitch he saw for a grand slam home run.

- A major contributor for a World Championship team.

Seriously, this sounds like the kind of stuff you would see in a feel-good movie about a young man overcoming a bunch of obstacles to become a Major League baseball player.  A true underdog story.  But yet, all of these things actually happened to Daniel Nava, one of the more interesting baseball stories in a very long time.

Nava came up with the Red Sox as explained above and made his Major League debut in 2010, hitting a grand slam off of the Phillies' Joe Blanton.  It was his only home run that year but he played in 60 games and hit .242/.351/.360.  He was actually placed on waivers, but was not claimed, before returning to the Majors in 2012.  That year he was brought back as the Red Sox outfield was in shambles due to injuries and ineffectiveness.  Nava hit .243/.352/.390 with six home runs.

In 2013, he broke through, playing in 134 games and hitting .303/.385/.445 with 12 home runs, including a dramatic game-winning home run in the team's first home game after the Boston Marathon bombing.  He also performed surprisingly well defensively.

He had a less productive season in 2014, hitting .270/.346/.361 with four home runs and 37 RBIs and then continued to decline in 2015 before being placed on waivers.  The Rays picked him up and he has bounced around ever since.  But, his short Red Sox career and his fascinating story make him an Unknown Hero.  If Jim Morris can have a movie made about his career, Daniel Nava can too.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 41: Tony Fossas

I have previously mentioned on this blog that I have an odd fascination with left-handed pitchers.  There is just something kind of interesting about seeing a card of a southpaw pitching.  I also like cards of middle relievers.  Along with utility players and backup catchers, middle relievers are criminally underrepresented in card sets.  The LOOGY (Left-Handed One Out GuY) is the ultimate in underrepresented players.  

The LOOGY was a phenomenon that exploded in the late 1980's/early 1990's after being an experiment for years before that.  The idea was for a team to keep a left-handed reliever as a specialist to get left-handed batters out in the later innings.  Tony Fossas was one of the first players that I remember that made a career out of being a left-handed specialist, and of course since he was so successful against lefties and he started around the time that I was just getting into baseball, he was a player that I really liked.  It seemed like Boston had a very effective weapon to employ in the later innings.

Fossas was a 31-year-old rookie for the Milwaukee Brewers when he was finally able to crack the Major Leagues for good in 1989.  He was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in 1991 and was immediately inserted into the bullpen as more of an all-purpose reliever.  It was not until later that he became a specialist.  He was reasonably successful in 1991, going 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA, though he walked nearly as many as he struck out.  He did have a rather pronounced platoon split though with right-handers hitting .266/.372/.347 and lefties hitting .190/.277/.298.

It was 1992 that Fossas found his true baseball purpose.  That year Boston greatly limited his exposure to right-handed batters, which was good because they hit .345 against him in 67 plate appearances.  He walked 11 right-handers and only struck out three.  But lefties only hit .214 against him and struck out 16 times, versus just three walks.  Fossas was even better against lefties in 1993, but struggled quite a bit against right-handers, which ballooned his ERA to 5.18 on the season as opposed to the 2.43 that he had in 1992.  

1994 was Fossas's final season with the Red Sox, and that season was more of the same.  He was incredibly effective against left-handers but extremely hittable against right-handers.  For his Red Sox career, Fossas went 7-5 with a 3.98 ERA and struck out 118 versus 72 walks in 160.2 innings over 239 games.  And therein lies the most interesting aspect of the LOOGY.  He pitched against just one batter so many times that he had 80 more games than innings pitched.  Fossas went on to pitch another five years for five teams.  As a very effective LOOGY, he was always in demand.  There have not been many LOOGYs better than Fossas over the years.  

Unknown Heroes Pt. 40: Jonny Gomes

Jonny Gomes is one of those players that has a ton of intangible qualities that are hard to measure.  He is a terrific clubhouse presence and keeps things loose.  His teams generally perform better after he is brought in.

Gomes had been with Tampa Bay for quite some time, and been a player that Boston had some trouble with, particularly during brawls.  In 2013, he was brought to Boston on a short, two-year free agent deal.  Immediately he brought a lot of levity to the team.  He was one of the principal players to start the whole beard-growing trend that took over the team.  Gomes hit .247/.344/.426 with 13 home runs and 52 RBIs in 2013.  He was in a semi-platoon with Daniel Nava for most of the season.  He generally had more power, but Nava was better at getting on base and much better defensively.  Gomes though, had a flair for the dramatic.  He walked off with a home run on a couple of occasions, usually doing something humorous, like drop-kicking his helmet, upon reaching home plate.

In the World Series, Gomes contributed a very important three-run home run in Game 4 that eventually won the game for Boston, tying the World Series and putting Boston back in control after losing Games 2 and 3 and struggling most of Game 4.

Gomes's numbers declined a bit in 2014, and so did his playing time.  He was eventually traded at the trading deadline along with Jon Lester to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes.  Oakland made it to the postseason.  After the season, Gomes signed with the Braves and was traded to Kansas City late in the year.  So Gomes got his second World Championship.

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.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 38: Steve Lyons

 

There are three reasons that Steve Lyons gets Unknown Hero status here.

1.  His nickname was "Psycho".  Lyons was known for his hard-nosed style of play and willingness to get his uniform dirty.  In cities like Chicago and Boston, where he spent most of his career, that style of play is incredibly popular.  Lyons was also known for his occasional mental lapses, such as the time he accidentally pulled his pants down.  At first base.  On a nationally-televised game.  Admittedly that occurred during his time with the White Sox, but it still counts.

2.  His versatility.  Lyons was the first super-sub I was aware of.  I have always liked these types of players.  Jeff Frye and Brock Holt have been a couple of others that I have liked.  In his career, Lyons appeared at every position.  Yes, even pitcher and catcher.  He pitched an inning for the Red Sox in 1991, giving up two hits, but no runs, and even picking up a strikeout.  He appeared at every position in 1991 for the Red Sox except catcher.  But he did catch an inning in 1993.  He initially came up as an outfielder and third-basemen but proved to be very versatile early on.  It was this versatility that kept him in the Majors as long as he did.

3.  He had four stints with the Red Sox.  Lyons came up in 1985 with the Red Sox and played in 133 games after being drafted in the first round by Boston (19th overall) in 1981.  Then in late June, 1986, he was traded to the White Sox for future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.   Not many players can say they were traded straight-up for a Hall of Famer.  He played the next few seasons with the White Sox before being released in April 1991.  He signed with the Red Sox, a decision which he explained by saying "I find that every five years, a man has to change his Sox."  He left for the Atlanta Braves in 1992, but was released and picked up by the Expos.  He played in 27 games with those two teams before being released again and picked up by the Red Sox, for whom he finished the year.  Then in 1993, he again left to join the Cubs.  He did not appear in a Major League game for them however, before being released and re-joining the Red Sox once more.  I can think of several players who had two stints with Boston.  If I thought hard about it, maybe even a player with three stints.  But Lyons is the only player I can think of who had four stints with Boston.

You may have noticed I did not discuss Lyons's stats.  He was not much of a hitter.  His value came almost entirely from his versatility.  But there is a reason they are "Unknown Heroes".

Unknown Heroes Pt. 37: Mike Timlin

Mike Timlin was already 37 years old by the time he first pitched for the Red Sox.  He had already pitched for 12 years in the Major Leagues for a number of teams and had postseason experience with the Blue Jays and Mariners.  He was a veteran presence brought in to solidify the Red Sox bullpen in 2003, the season Boston went with the closer-by-committee experiment.

In 2003, Timlin was 6-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 72 games.  He finished 13 with two saves while striking out 65 in 83.2 innings.  He was terrific in the postseason, pitching in eight games, giving up just one hit and no runs.  He was not quite as good in 2004, but still finished the season at 5-4 with a 4.13 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.  He struggled a little in the postseason but did not figure into any decisions.

2005 was Timlin's greatest season with the Red Sox.  He spent some time as the closer due to the injury to Keith Foulke.  Timlin lead the league in games (81) and had a record of 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA and saved 13 games.  In 2006, Timlin was 6-6 with a 4.36 ERA and saved nine games.  He improved a bit in 2007 and was once again the top setup man for the team, going 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA, though the team was using him less and less.

2008 was Timlin's final season in the Major Leagues, at the age of 42.  He struggled quite a bit, going 4-4 with a 5.66 ERA.  His last appearance was forgettable as he took the loss in Game 2 of the ALCS.

Timlin was a very important part of the Red Sox bullpen for six seasons.  His Red Sox career ended with a 30-22 record with a 3.76 ERA and 27 saves.  

Unknown Heroes Pt. 36: Pokey Reese

You have to love a player nicknamed "Pokey".  There are just not that many great nicknames in the Major Leagues anymore, but Pokey was one of the good ones.  It is particularly interesting because Pokey Reese had great speed.  Calvin was his real name but most cards of him after he made the Majors refer to him as Pokey.

Reese was actually acquired by the Red Sox twice.  In winter of 2001 he was traded from the Cincinnati Reds, where he spent his entire career to that point and was notably refused to be moved to Seattle in the Ken Griffey, Jr. trade, to the Colorado Rockies.  He never played a game for the Rockies and was traded to the Red Sox for Scott Hatteberg.  Both Reese and Hatteberg were non-tendered and both became free agents.  Reese eventually signed with Pittsburgh while Hatteberg went to the A's.  So he never played a game for the Red Sox in 2002.  After spending two years in Pittsburgh, Reese signed as a free agent with Boston for the 2004 season.

Reese was expected to be a backup to second-baseman Mark Bellhorn and shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, but due to injuries, found himself the starting shortstop on Opening Day.  Reese actually played more games at shortstop than anyone else on the team in 2004.  He played in 96 games but did not contribute much with the bat.  He hit just .221/.271/.303 with three home runs, including an inside-the-parker, and 29 RBIs with six stolen bases.

Reese was not much at the plate but he was a very gifted defensive player, and that was where most of his value came from.  Reese committed just seven errors all season and displayed exceptional range and a strong arm.  Even after Orlando Cabrera solidified the position, Reese was still brought in to play second or short late in games as a defensive replacement.

My enduring image of Reese was him making the final play in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees.  Ruben Sierra hit a groundball off of Alan Embree that was scooped up by Reese, who threw him out at first.  And the Red Sox celebrated.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 35: Arquimedez Pozo

This is probably the most obscure Unknown Hero yet.  I have always liked players with unusual names, and so here we have Arquimedez (Quimy) Pozo.  Pozo was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for Jeff Manto in 1996.  Manto was eventually re-claimed off of waivers by the Red Sox, so essentially Boston got Pozo for 21 games worth of Manto.

Pozo made an immediate impact in Boston.  In his first game with the Red Sox, he singled and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.  In his second game he tripled and singled, driving in three runs and scoring once in a 9-5 win over the Twins.  His third game was his best yet as he hit a grand slam home run and drove in five runs.  He hit a double in his fourth game and singled in his fifth before he slowed down.  Unfortunately that was pretty much it for his productivity for his Major League career.

Pozo split his time between second base and third base for the Red Sox in 1996.  He was a little better at third than second.

For the 1996 season, Pozo ended with a line of .172/.210/.310 with one home run and 11 RBIs.  In 1997, Pozo spent most of the season at Pawtucket and had a great season.  He hit .284/.358/.512 with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs as the team's third-baseman.  He received another call-up to the Majors, but played just four games and hit .267/.250/.333 with one double and three RBIs.  That was the last time he appeared in the Majors.

Pozo again had a decent season for Pawtucket in 1998.  He hit .305/.352/.494 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs.  He ended up in Japan the next season.

Due to Pozo's very brief career in the Majors, he only had one card issued, plus all of the parallels and variations of that one card, 1997 Score.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 34: Lou Merloni

I am not a Boston native.  I have never lived anywhere near Boston in fact.  I was born and lived all my life in Nebraska.  Nevertheless I still strongly enjoy the Red Sox players who grew up nearby.  Players from the New England era are massively popular with Red Sox fans, and for good reason.  And even though I am not a local product, I too enjoy the players from the area.

Lou Merloni is one such player who enjoyed a massive fan following despite the fact that he was little more than a utility infielder.  Dubbed "Framingham Lou" due to his hometown being nearby Framingham, MA, Merloni was always greeted with a chant of "LOOOOUUUUU" whenever he came to the plate.

I was actually in attendance at Merloni's Major League debut.  He was called up to replace the injured John Valentin in 1998 and played against the Royals in Kansas City for his debut in which he played second base.  Merloni was 27 when he finally made it to the Majors.  He had previously been a replacement player in 1995 during the strike, which greatly affected the number of baseball cards that were issued of him.  Merloni was decent in 1998, hitting .281/.343/.375 with one home run and 15 RBIs in 39 games.  Merloni traveled frequently between Boston and Pawtucket, something he would get used to over the years.

Merloni continued to bounce back and forth between the Majors and Minors for the next three years.  Merloni was actually sold to the Yokohama Bay Stars in 1999 before returning to the Red Sox system.  He did spend a chunk of the 2000 season in Boston when the team struggled to find third-basemen.  Merloni hit .320/.341/.438 with 18 RBIs in 40 games that season, mostly as a third-baseman.  It was his re-acquisition from Yokohama that lead to David Eckstein being placed on waivers.

In 2001 Merloni spent a fair amount of time at shortstop due to the Nomar Garciaparra injury.  He hit three home runs that year which was a career high to that point.  2002 was his best season thus far as he hit four home runs and played terrific defense.  2003 saw Merloni go to San Diego before making his return to Boston, where he played in just 15 games.

Following the 2003 season, Merloni bounced around a little.  He is currently a radio host for the Red Sox.

I was always disappointed that Merloni never really had many cards.  He had just three mainstream base cards issued and some oddball and minor league cards, but that is pretty much it for Merloni Red Sox cards, and he never had any mainstream cards for other teams.