Red Sox Awards History: ALCS MVP

It seemed the appropriate time to do this post.  After all, the Red Sox just surprised a lot of people when they took down the defending World Champion Houston Astros in just five games.  It seems we have an award for just about everything these days.  It is only a matter of time before we will have MVP awards for the Division Series.  The National League has been giving out an NLCS MVP since 1977.  The American League has been giving one out since 1980.  I have no idea why the AL started so much later.  Five Red Sox have won the award.

MARTY BARRETT - 1986

The Red Sox won the ALCS over the California Angels in 1986 despite being down 3-1 in Game 5.  Dave Henderson hit a mammoth home run in that game, which is still what most people remember about that ALCS.  Second-baseman Marty Barrett though racked up 11 hits for a .367 average and drove in five runs.  It was part of a record-setting 24 hits in the postseason for Barrett.  Two of his hits were doubles.  

DAVID ORTIZ - 2004

Need I explain?  The 2004 ALCS is infamous for the Red Sox being down 3-0 and trailing the Yankees by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning with Mariano Rivera on the mound.  They tied it up on a walk to Millar, a stolen base by pinch runner Dave Roberts, and a base hit up the middle by Bill Mueller.  David Ortiz came up a few innings later and walked off with a home run.  The next night, he tied the game late with a home run off Tom Gordon, then drove in Johnny Damon with the winning run a few innings later.  For the series, Ortiz hit .387/.457/.742 with three home runs and eleven RBIs.  It was the beginning of the Ortiz Legend.

JOSH BECKETT - 2007

The Red Sox have had a knack for coming back in the ALCS when their backs are against the wall.  They trailed Cleveland 3-1 in the 2007 ALCS, before storming back and taking the series.  Josh Beckett had something to do with that, pitching and winning Games 1 and 5.  He threw 14 innings, allowing just nine hits, three runs and one walk.  He struck out 18 and had a 1.93 ERA.

KOJI UEHARA - 2013

After blowing a save in the Division Series against the Rays, Koji Uehara was locked in the rest of the postseason.  He pitched in five of the six games in the ALCS against the Tigers and had a hand in all four of the Red Sox victories.  He saved three games and won one.  He threw six scoreless innings and gave up just four hits and walking no one.  He struck out nine.

JACKIE BRADLEY JR. - 2018

This one just ended Thursday night.  Jackie Bradley Jr. had just three hits in the ALCS.  Three other players had more.  But JBJ's hits came up when it mattered most.  In Game 2, he came up with the bases loaded and Boston down by two, and doubled to drive in all three baserunners.  In Game 3, he again came up with the bases loaded in the 8th with Boston up by a run, and homered.  In Game 4, he came up with a runner on in the 6th and Boston down by a run, and homered again.  He hit two home runs and a double, to drive in nine runs.

And now, for something different.  These are the players who would have won the ALCS MVP Award if the Red Sox had won the games:

WADE BOGGS - 1988

The Red Sox were swept by the mighty Oakland Athletics in 1988 in a fairly mismatched series.  The A's were led by Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Dave Stewart, and Dennis Eckersley.  The Red Sox did have Wade Boggs though, he picked up five hits and four RBIs in the four game series.  He led the team in both categories, hitting .385/.444/.385.

WADE BOGGS - 1990

It was an almost carbon-copy repeat as the A's again swept the Red Sox.  And again, Boggs was the best player in the Red Sox dugout, this time hitting .438/.438/.688 with seven hits, including a double and a home run.  He drove in one run.  It certainly was not Wade Boggs's fault that Boston could not beat Oakland in those days.

NOMAR GARCIAPARRA - 1999

Boston received a number of impressive performances in the 1999 ALCS which was lost 4-1 to the Yankees at least partially due to excruciatingly bad umpiring and a couple of late rallies.  Jose Offerman, John Valentin, Troy O'Leary, and Pedro Martinez all turned in memorable performances.  I had to really consider this one to come up with Nomar, who hit .400/.455/.800 with two home runs and five RBIs, the latter two categories of which led the team.

TIM WAKEFIELD - 2003

Yes, he gave up the series-winning home run to Aaron Boone which gave the Yankees a 4-3 series win, but Wakefield had been hugely impressive coming in to the at-bat, winning two games after pitching 14 innings, giving up just eight hits and four runs, while striking out 10.  He had an ERA of 2.57.  Trot Nixon, Jason Varitek and Todd Walker all performed well on the hitting side. 

DUSTIN PEDROIA - 2008

Coming off of a season in which he would be named the AL MVP, Pedroia did not slow down in the postseason.  He led the team in home runs (3), stolen bases (2), and runs (9), while hitting .346/.469/.731 and driving in five runs.  It would not be enough though as the Red Sox lost in seven games to the suddenly terrific Tampa Bay Rays.

I was hoping to have some completely shocking player here, but it just did not work out that way. 

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