R.I.P. Tim Wakefield

This one has hit me pretty hard.  Wakefield spent 17 seasons with the Red Sox, from the time I was 14 years old to 30.  That is a significant chunk of my lifetime that I was following and rooting for him.  He was a part of the very first postseason team I watched (I started watching baseball in 1991).  He gave up the home run that ended the 2003 season, which I never blamed him for.  He was so instrumental in the team's run that season and had been critical pushing the team as far as it got.  He was of course a part of the 2004 World Championship team, starting the first game of the World Series.  He was still around for the 2007 season, even though he did not pitch in the Series.  Wakefield always did absolutely everything asked of him.  He was a consummate professional and terrific teammate.  He was primarily a starting pitcher, but spent significant chunks of time as a reliever and was even a closer for a period, notching 15 saves in 1999.  He made just one All Star team, but won 200 career games, 186 with Boston (which is third in team history).  He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 2010.  Wakefield was a great pitcher, and it seems, an even better human being.  My heart goes out to his family and friends.  He will be missed.

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.

Season in Review: 1998

Boston returned to the playoffs in 1998 after winning the Wild Card at 92-70.  Unfortunately they were knocked out in the ALDS by the Cleveland Indians i four games.  The big change was the acquisition of 1997 NL Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Nomar Garciaparra
Coming off a fantastic rookie season, Nomar was even better in 1998.  He moved down into more of a run production spot in the order and responded with another great season.  He finished second in the AL MVP race and probably should have won it.  He hit .323/.362/.584 with 35 home runs and 122 RBIs.  His stolen bases dipped to 12 and hits to 195, but otherwise he had better numbers than his rookie season.

Mo Vaughn
The Hit Dog had his last great season of his career in 1998.  It was also his final season in Boston, which was fairly heartbreaking.  Vaughn crushed 40 home runs and drove in 115.  He also finished second in the AL batting race to Bernie Williams, ending with a season line of .337/.402/.591.  He also had a strong performance in the ALDS.

Tom Gordon
Flash's first full season as closer was a resounding success.  He accumulated a team season record of 46 saves and set a Major League record in consecutive save opportunities converted.  He also made the All Star team and won the Rolaids Relief Award winner in a no-brainer.  He also had a 7-4 record, 2.72 ERA, and 78 strikeouts.

Tim Wakefield
The knuckleballer had a very good season in 1998, finishing second on the team with 17 wins which would be a career high.  His overall numbers were 17-8, 4.02 ERA, and 146 strikeouts in 216 innings.  He was once again a workhorse for the Red Sox.

John Valentin
Valentin had a tough season in 1998, but he did finish with some decent numbers.  Unfortunately it would be his last good season with Boston as injuries would start to take their toll.  Valentin hit .247/.340/.442 with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He was also very good defensively in 1998 at third base.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Bret Saberhagen
Saberhagen won the Comeback Player of the Year in 1998 as he finished with a very successful season.  He had a record of 15-8 with a 3.96 ERA and 100 strikeouts versus just 29 walks in 175 innings.

Troy O'Leary
The only outfielder with a decent season, O'Leary developed into a fairly potent middle of the order bat with his first 20 home run season.  O'Leary hit .270/.314/.468 with 23 home runs and 83 RBIs.  It was his first season in left field.

Reggie Jefferson
Dealing with injuries most of the season lead to Jefferson playing in only 62 games in 1998.  He hit well in those games, as he typically did.  Jefferson finished with a line of .306/.374/.520 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs.

FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS
Pedro Martinez
There is no doubt that Pedro Martinez was the best pickup of the year for the Red Sox in 1998.  The right-hander solidified the rotation and gave Boston the ace it had been lacking since Roger Clemens.  Martinez finished second in the Cy Young race after finishing second to Clemens in the three main pitching categories. He went 19-7 with a 2.89 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 233.2 innings.

Dennis Eckersley
It was Eck's final season of his Hall of Fame career.  He was brought in to serve as a mentor for Gordon in his conversion from starter to closer, which was something Eckersley himself did.  Eck went 4-1 with a 4.76 ERA and one save.  He was dominating, but he got the job done.

Darren Lewis
Lewis was brought in to infuse some speed into Boston's lineup and defense into the outfield.  He succeeded on both fronts stealing 29 bases and playing well in the outfield.  He also had a decent year at the plate, hitting .268/.352/.362 with eight home runs and 63 RBIs out of the leadoff spot.

Damon Buford
Acquired in a trade with Texas, Buford performed very well as a backup outfielder.  He hit .282/.349/.523 with ten home runs, 42 RBIs, and five stolen bases.  It was his best season in the Major Leagues.

FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISITION
Mike Stanley
Stanley made his second stint with the team after being traded in 1997 to the Yankees.  This time he was acquired in a deadline deal with the Blue Jays for Peter Munro and Jay Yennaco, neither of whom did anything for the Jays.  Stanley helped after the injuries to Jefferson hitting .288/.388/.500 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs in 47 games.

FAVORITE ROOKIE
Jason Varitek
It was the second consecutive year that Boston had an impressive rookie catcher.  Varitek essentially took the starting role from Scott Hatteberg by the end of the season after hitting .253/.309/.407 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.


BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Donnie Sadler
Sadler was supposed to be the next great middle infielder Boston developed after Garciaparra.  He was billed as being a good contact hitter with blazing speed.  Sadler started on Opening Day but proved he was not ready yet after hitting just .226/.276/.395.

Jim Leyritz
I really liked the acquisition of Leyritz, even though it cost Aaron Sele who had a great year for Texas in 1998.  Leyritz even hit well for his time in Boston with a line of .287/.385/.519 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs.  But Leyritz was not happy with his role.  He was brought in to platoon at first base, catcher, and designated hitter.  But Varitek developed into a good player, squeezing Leyritz out of one position.  He complained and was eventually traded to San Diego.

Mark Lemke
This was more of a personal disappointment for me as I always liked Lemke when he played for the Braves. He was brought in as depth if Sadler disappointed.  He did, and Lemke took over until he went down with a concussion.  His career was over.

PLAYOFF HERO
Nomar Garciaparra
Garciaparra hit .333/.333/1.000 in the ALDS with three home runs and 11 RBIs.

PLAYOFF GOAT
Tom Gordon
Gordon had some difficulties with nerves in the postseason and it showed.  He blew a save and took the loss in the final game of the series.

Season in Review: 1996

Kevin Kennedy's second and final season as the Red Sox was a letdown after their AL East Championship season of 1995.  There was again a lot of roster turnover and Boston consulted with an individual more known for rotisserie (fantasy) baseball which lead to some slightly unusual personnel decisions.  The team got off to a dreadful 6-19 start which they never really recovered from, despite the fact that they were one of the top teams during the summer.  This was a year when they traded off a lot of players.  Unfortunately, most of the players they acquired did very little.  They finished the season at 85-77, in third place

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Mo Vaughn
After his MVP season of 1995, Vaughn was under some pressure to repeat his performance.  If anything, he was better.  Vaughn was the sole All Star for the Red Sox in 1996 as he hit .326/.420/.583.  He lead the league in plate appearances and finished in the top ten in just about every major offensive category.  He hit 44 home runs with 143 RBIs.  It was a monster season for the Hit Dog.

John Valentin
Unlike Vaughn, Valentin was not able to continue his success from the previous season.  He was still decent though, if a little bit more average in 1996.  Valentin ended the season at .296/.374/.436 with 13 home runs and 59 RBIs.  He also stole nine bases while being caught ten times.  His numbers across the board were down.  With the impending emergence of Nomar Garciaparra, Valentin's name started getting bandied about in trade rumors.

Roger Clemens
Despite a losing record, The Rocket was back in fine form.  He finished the season with a 10-13 record, but lead the league with 257 strikeouts and had a 3.63 ERA.  Clemens also replicated his record 20 strikeout game late in the season, this time against the Tigers.  Unfortunately this was the final season for Clemens in Boston.

Jose Canseco
Canseco was on his way to one of his best seasons until missing a month and a half with an injury.  He ended up only playing in 96 games, but finished with a batting line of .289/.400/.589 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs.  Had he played the full season, he would have likely ended up with 40 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Tim Wakefield
The knuckleballer was nowhere near as impressive in 1996 as he had been the previous season.  He still won 14 games, but lost 13 and finished with an ERA of 5.14.  But he was a workhorse, pitching 211.2 innings and striking out 140.  Such is the plight of the knuckleball pitcher.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tim Naehring
The longtime prospect continued to improve.  He looked like a good bet to become a star after hitting .288/.363/.444 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs.  He did only get 16 doubles, which is kind of an odd thing for someone with that many home runs.

Mike Greenwell
It was Gator's final season in Boston.  1996 ended up being his final season in the Major Leagues despite an attempt with the Reds.  He ended up only appearing in 77 games, but had a high point when he had a nine RBI game, accounting for all of Boston's runs, a record.  His season line was .295/.336/.441 with seven home runs.

Reggie Jefferson
Jefferson had bounced from team to team for years before finally breaking through in 1996.  He was able to play in over 100 games for the first time due to injuries to Canseco and Greenwell.  He responded with a terrific season, hitting .347/.388/.593 with 19 home runs and 74 RBIs.

FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS
Mike Stanley
One of the rare players to come to the Red Sox directly from the Yankees and actually do well.  Stanley was 33 years old but a terrific hitter.  He was not quite the same behind the plate though and 1996 would be his last season as a full-time catcher.  He ended up hitting .270/.383/.506 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs.  He also walked more than he struck out, unusual for a catcher.  It was the best offensive season by a Red Sox catcher since Carlton Fisk.

Tom Gordon
The diminutive right-hander was brought to Boston to be a number two starter, but he did not end up having a terribly good year.  His record was 12-9 which was a little deceptive because his ERA ended up being 5.59.  He did strike out 171 hitters in 215.1 innings though.

Heathcliff Slocumb
Since Rick Aguilera left as a free agent, Boston swung a trade with the Phillies to acquire closer Slocumb.  He got off to a horrific start but calmed down to become one of the most reliable closers in the league.  He ended up with 31 saves for the Red Sox and 88 strikeouts in 83.1 innings.

FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISITIONS
Darren Bragg
As I mentioned earlier, Boston traded off a number of players in 1996, including Mike Stanton, Jamie Moyer, Kevin Mitchell, and Jeff Manto.  Bragg was acquired in the Moyer trade and ended up having the longest tenure in Boston of any of the new players.  He hit .252/.357/.365 with Boston and became the team's starting center fielder.  He was always a hard-nosed player which endeared him to the fans.

FAVORITE ROOKIE
Mark Brandenburg
This is the closest I could find to a decent rookie in 1996.  The side-arming Brandenburg was acquired in the Stanton trade and ended up with a 4-2 record, 3.81 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.  Not bad.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Kevin Mitchell
After playing in Japan in 1995, Mitchell returned to the Major Leagues with the Red Sox and was one of the more unusual acquisitions by the team.  He was expected to add some extra pop to the lineup but ended up playing only 27 games.  He hit reasonably well with a line of .304/.385/.413 but only hit two home runs and drove in 13.  He was later dealt to the Reds for two players who never made the Red Sox big league team.

Wil Cordero
Cordero was yet another player acquired because of his offensive ability, despite the fact that he was something less than a wizard in the field.  He was more a disappointment due to getting hurt early on and only playing in 59 games.  He did hit .288/.330/.404 with three home runs and 37 RBIs.  Boston ended up getting Jeff Frye to make up for losing Cordero for most of the season.

Alex Cole
This one is more personal.  I am not sure anyone really expected much out of Alex Cole, but I always liked him.  He was fast and he wore goggles.  It was endearing.  He ended up only playing in 24 games with the Red Sox with a terrible .222/.296/.319 line.  He did steal five bases, but he was caught three times.  Not impressive at all.  He was only brought in, along with Milt Cuyler, in case Dwayne Hosey was a fluke, which he was, but neither Cole nor Cuyler were any good either, so Boston did the sensible thing and brought Lee Tinsley back and then acquired Bragg.  It worked out, sort of.

Season in Review: 1995

1995 was another abbreviated season as the strike continued to early in the year.  Replacement players reported to Spring Training, some of whom would eventually make it back to the Majors later.  There was no free agency between the seasons so all of the new players were acquired in trades.  Boston was very active on that front as there was a massive overhaul of the team.  It was successful as they won the AL East with an 86-58 record under Kevin Kennedy for the first time.

Boston played the juggernaut Indians in the ALDS and were swept in three games.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Mo Vaughn
The 1995 AL MVP won the award mostly due to the fact that he was not a complete asshole like Albert Belle who actually had vastly superior numbers.  Vaughn was probably elected the MVP due to his intangibles more than his numbers, though he certainly had good numbers.  Vaughn hit .300/.388/.575 with 39 home runs and tied for the league lead for RBIs with 126.  He also shockingly stole 11 bases in 1995.

John Valentin
As good as Vaughn was, Valentin was probably better, certainly because he played a tougher position.  Valentin hit .298/.399/.533 with 27 home runs and 102 RBIs.  He also stole 20 bases becoming the first Red Sox 20/20 man since Ellis Burks.  He was also very good defensively.  He lead the Majors in WAR in 1995, which was not really a thing at that time.  It was a terrific season that has mostly gone unnoticed.  He did win the Silver Slugger and finished ninth in the MVP race.  Had it happened around this time, he may have won it.

Roger Clemens
Clemens did not have a great year in 1995.  He was injured the first part of the year and he did finish the year with a 10-5 record.  He also struck out 132 batters in 140 innings pitched, but his ERA was a decidedly unimpressive 4.18.  It was a good thing that Boston had other pitchers to pick up the slack.

Tim Naehring
After years of being so close to cracking the starting lineup, Naehring finally got a chance to prove himself in 1995.  He became the full-time third-baseman after the trade of Scott Cooper to the Cardinals and instantly responded.  Naehring hit .307/.415/.448 with ten home runs and 57 RBIs, all the while playing good defense.  Naehring looked to be a rising star in 1995.

Mike Greenwell
Greenwell managed to put together a fairly successful season as well.  He hit .297/.349/.402 with 15 home runs and 76 RBIs.  It was a fairly typical year for the Gator.

HONORABLE MENTION
Lee Tinsley
Tinsley became the starting center fielder after Otis Nixon was traded away, though he had a couple of threats to his job in the acquisition of Willie McGee and the rise of Dwayne Hosey.  His numbers were not bad, but Boston never seemed to totally trust him.  He ended the season with a .284/.359/.402 line and seven home runs, not bad numbers for a leadoff hitter.  He also stole 18 bases.

FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS
Jose Canseco
My young mind was blown when Boston traded for Jose Canseco, one of the biggest stars I was aware of when I started watching baseball.  And he was not that far removed from those days.  Canseco struggled through some injuries but put up some big numbers when he was healthy.  He ended the year with a .306/.378/.556 line with 24 home runs and 81 RBIs.

Tim Wakefield
Wakefield had been a success for the Pirates in 1992 but struggled the next couple of years.  He was a low-risk, high-reward reclamation project.  It definitely paid off in 1995 as Wakefield finished third in the Cy Young race and 13th in the MVP race.  He struggled a bit down the stretch, otherwise he would have won the Cy Young.  He finished the season 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA and 119 strikeouts, a great season for the knuckleballer.

Erik Hanson
Hanson started out the season as the most reliable Red Sox starter and quietly put together a very good season.  He was named to the All Star team for the first time, though he never pitched in the game.  He finished the year 15-5 with a 4.24 ERA and 139 strikeouts.

Troy O'Leary
Another low-risk, high-reward signing, O'Leary was waived by the Brewers and picked up when Mark Whiten was struggling.  O'Leary ended up hitting .308/.355/.491 with ten home runs and 49 RBIs.  They were not great numbers, but for his first real crack at a Major League job, they were nothing to sneeze at.

FAVORITE MIDSEASON ACQUISITION
Rick Aguilera
1995 was the first year I was really aware of the trading deadline.  I realized that Jeff Reardon was traded away and Rob Deer was acquired at the deadlines, but this was the year I really learned about it.  Boston was contending but Ken Ryan was failing as a closer, so they sent top prospect Frank Rodriguez to the Twins for Aguilera who ended up compiling 20 saves for the Red Sox and really helped them make the playoffs.  Of course he returned to the Twins after the season.

FAVORITE ROOKIE
Vaughn Eshelman
Eshelman had a very good start to his career, winning his first three Major League games, not bad for a Rule V pick.  He ended the season with a 6-3 record and a 4.85 ERA.  Not bad, but certainly not great numbers for the rookie southpaw.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Mark Whiten
I had high hopes for Mark Whiten.  Two years before, he hit 25 home runs for the Cardinals.  He was picked up in the trade for Scott Cooper.  Both Cooper and Whiten disappointed for their new teams.  Whiten was hurt a lot and ended up hitting only .185/.239/.241 with just one home run in 32 games.  He was eventually traded for Dave Hollins who played just five games for Boston.

Aaron Sele
Sele pitched on Opening Day and was expected to bust loose for the Red Sox after two decent seasons to start his career.  Unfortunately he was shut down with a season-ending injury early on and only ended up pitching in six games for the Red Sox in 1995.

PLAYOFF HERO
Luis Alicea
Alicea had a decent year all the way around in 1995 but he really shined in the ALDS.  He had six hits in only ten at-bats and also had two walks, ending up with a line of .600/.667/1.000.  He also had a home run, a double, and an RBI.  Boston had a miserable ALDS, but it was not Alicea's fault.

PLAYOFF GOAT
Mo Vaughn
Vaughn was quite frankly, terrible in the 1995 ALDS.  He did not have a single hit and struck out seven times in 14 at-bats.  Miserable numbers that did not help the team at all.

Congratulations to Tim Wakefield on Earning Win #200!

He finally did it on his seventh or eighth try. He needs only six more wins to match Roger Clemens and Cy Young for all-time wins with the Red Sox. He might get one or two more this year and have to come back next year for one more season to make it.

Tim Wakefield to be Honored with Roberto Clemente Award

It's about time. It seems like he is nominated every year. Wakefield is one of the nicest guys in the game and does a lot of charity work.

My Second Red Sox Game

This was my second Red Sox game. On May 10, 1998, my parents, my friend and I went to Kansas City once again to see the Red Sox take on the Royals. This one went much better as the Red Sox won 3-1.

Tim Wakefield started the game and was great. He had a no-hitter going for a few innings and ended up pitching almost the entire game. Tom Gordon got the save for getting one out at the end. Wakefield struck out five and gave up only two hits.

This game is notable as Jason Varitek hit his first ever major league home run in the game, a two run shot in the fifth inning. Also, this was the major league debut of Boston fan favorite Lou Merloni, who came in to fill in for the injured Nomar Garciaparra. Mike Benjamin drove in the other run on a sacrifice. Damon Buford hit a triple in the game and scored a run. Mo Vaughn and Darren Lewis each had a single in the game.

On the downside, the only Royals run scored in the ninth and helped chase Wakefield. John Valentin had an error and Lewis was caught stealing. Valentin, Merloni, Troy O'Leary, and Jim Leyritz all went without a hit.

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers, Pitchers to Beat the Yankees Twice in a Postseason

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers for going to their first World Series in franchise history.

Colby Lewis beat the Yankees for the second time in a postseason series, a feat matched by only six other pitchers, which seems like a lot until you consider just how many postseason series the Yankees have played.

One of those pitchers, by the way, was Tim Wakefield in the 2003 ALCS. In Game 1, he pitched six strong innings, giving up two earned runs on two hits, two walks, and two strikeouts to earn the win. In Game 4, he was even better. He pitched seven innings of five hit ball, struck out eight, and walked four. Of course, he was also the pitcher who gave up the ALCS-ending home run to Aaron Boone, possibly my all-time worst moment as a fan. I destroyed a lot of Yankees cards that night.