Like with the 1967 team, the Boston Sports Collectors Club also released a set commemorating the 1975 AL Champions. This is a team that I wish I had been alive to see. From the changed uniforms (the team was wearing red hats now and my very first Red Sox cap was one from this team) to the fact that so many of my favorite Red Sox legends were on that team (Yaz, Lynn, Tiant, Rice, Fisk, Evans, and more), I feel like I would have loved this team. I love them now, and I never actually got to see them.
It is disappointing that they were not able to win the World Series, but they came so close. And of course they did win the fantastic Game 6, one of the greatest games in World Series history on a walkoff, majestic home run from Carlton Fisk.
And so, here we go:
1. Carl Yastrzemski 1B. I love this set for the photo selection. There are so many great shots in this one. This Yaz is a classic. Yaz was getting up there in years and was no longer the threat he was in 1967, but he had a nice season, playing mostly at first this time. He hit .269/.371/.405 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs, a far cry from his 1967 season, but he was still productive enough.
2. Fred Lynn CF. Lynn had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, becoming the first player to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season in 1975. He hit an incredible .331/.401/.566 with 21 home runs, 105 RBIs and ten stolen bases. He led the league in runs, doubles and slugging and also won a Gold Glove.
3. Luis Tiant SP. This is my favorite photo from the set. Just a fantastic action shot. Tiant had an 18-14 record with a 4.02 ERA, striking out 142 while walking just 72 in 260 innings. He was an absolute workhorse. He continued to impress into the postseason and delivered a gutsy performance in Game 4, throwing over 160 pitches in a complete game victory.
4. Jim Rice LF. Had Rice not suffered a season-ending injury late in the regular season, Boston might have won the World Series. Like Lynn, Rice was also a rookie in 1975 and put up almost as impressive of a season. The future Hall of Famer hit .309/.350/.491 with 22 home runs and 102 RBIs, while also stealing ten bases.
5. Carlton Fisk C. Fisk suffered an injury in 1975 and was limited to just 79 games, but was phenomenal when he was on the field. His season will be best remembered for his dramatic walkoff home run in Game 6 of the World Series, but he hit .331/.395/.529 with ten home runs and 52 RBIs in half of a season.
6. Bill Lee SP. The southpaw Lee was a character off the field and came to be nicknamed "Spaceman" for his oddball antics. But he was a fiery competitor and a great pitcher when he was on his game. He had a very good year in 1975, going 17-9 with a 3.95 ERA in 260 innings. Lee was more of a crafty, finesse-type pitcher and only logged 78 strikeouts but only walked 69.
7. Rico Petrocelli 3B. Petrocelli was headed toward the end of the line by the time 1975 rolled around. He would play his final season in 1976. In 1975 he hit .239/.310/.333 with seven home runs and 59 RBIs. He had a decent run in the postseason though and still played decent defense at the hot corner.
8. Dwight Evans RF. Evans was still finding his hitting stroke in 1975, but he was a terrific defensive right-fielder and had a cannon for an arm. Evans hit .274/.353/.456 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs. He made an outstanding defensive play in the World Series, making an over-the-shoulder grab and doubling off the runner from first base.
9. Ted Williams CO. Well, I guess you gotta get The Splendid Splinter in there somehow. A few years after his stint as manager of the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, Williams returned to Boston as a sometime coach. He was not even part of the primary coaching staff really. But, who is going to complain about another Williams card?
11. Cecil Cooper DH. Cooper was another dynamic young player in 1975. Of course he would not really hit his stride until an unfortunate trade sent him to Milwaukee after the 1976 season. In his second full season, Cooper hit .311/.355/.544 with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs.
12. Dick Drago RP. Boston's primary closer in 1975 was Drago, who appeared in 40 games, finishing 34 of them, though he did start two games. He pitched 72.2 innings, striking out 43 and walking 31. He notched 15 saves and a 2-2 record.
13. Jim Willoughby RP. Willoughby was a minor acquisition prior to the season, but paid big dividends as he finished second to Drago in saves with eight and had a 5-2 record with a 3.74 ERA. He struck out 29 while walking 16 in 48.1 innings over 24 games.
14. Rick Burleson SS. The Rooster was one of the better defensive shortstops the Red Sox have ever had and was still developing as a hitter in his second season in the Majors. He hit just .252/.305/.329 with six home runs and 62 RBIs, but he had a good run in the postseason. And of course his defense was his most valuable skill.
15. Juan Beniquez OF. Beniquez was a valuable bench player and spent a significant time in left field. He did not have much power, hitting only two home runs and driving in 17 runs, but he had a slash line of .291/.358/.402.
16. Reggie Cleveland SP. Cleveland was a serviceable back-of-the-rotation starter who had a fairly good year in 1975. With a record of 13-9 and a 4.43 ERA in 170.2 innings, he was a valuable member of the staff. He struck out 78 versus 52 walks.
17. Deron Johnson 1B-DH. Johnson had been a productive power hitter in the 1960's in the National League, primarily with the Reds and Braves. He was in his second stint with the Red Sox after being acquired in a late September trade with the White Sox. He played in just three games with Boston, but hit a home run in 12 plate appearances and had a nice slash line of .600/.667/.900.
18. Doug Griffin 2B. Paired with Burleson, the Red Sox had a strong defensive middle infield. Griffin was not much of a hitter though and was eventually replaced in the lineup. He hit just .240/.288/.272 with one home run and 29 RBIs.
20. Jim Burton RP. Rookie southpaw Burton turned in a nice season in 1975, but took the loss in Game 7 of the World Series and he never really had much of a shot after that. He was fairly impressive in 1975 though, pitching 53 innings in 29 games with a 1-2 record and a 2.89 ERA. He picked up a save and 39 strikeouts while walking 19.
21. Diego Segui RP. Another great picture here of the journeyman reliever. Segui pitched in 71 innings over 33 games, picking up six saves and a 2-5 record. His ERA was a less-than-impressive 4.82 and he had 45 strikeouts and 43 walks. Segui was getting close to the end of the road for his career.
22. Tim Blackwell C. The third-string catcher Blackwell made it into 59 games himself, but he was no better than Montgomery. The 22-year-old rookie hit just .197/.303/.250 with no home runs and six RBIs.
23. Denny Doyle 2B. After it became clear that Griffin was not cutting it at the plate, the Red Sox acquired Doyle in a trade with the Angels in June. He took over at second and was much better with the bat, hitting .310/.339/.429 with four home runs and 36 RBIs in 89 games. He made a couple of costly errors in the World Series though. Ideally, Boston would have had Griffin's defense and Doyle's offense at second.
24. Roger Moret P. Moret was the most versatile pitcher on the staff, starting 16 games and finishing five. He threw four complete games and picked up a save. His record was a sparkling 14-3 and he had a 3.60 ERA over 145 innings. The southpaw struck out 80 and walked 76.
25. Bernie Carbo OF. Carbo hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter, setting the stage for Fisk's walkoff. He proved to be a valuable bat off the bench and hit .257/.409/.483 over 107 games, knocking 15 home runs and driving in 50 runs. He walked more than he struck out, and it is something of a surprise that Carbo never really broke through as a regular player.
26. Dick Pole SP. The unfortunately-named Pole was a rookie in 1975, making it into 18 games and 89.2 innings. He had a 4-6 record with a 4.42 ERA, striking out 42 and walking 32.
27. This card features four players, none of whom played any significant amount of time.
Tony Conigliaro DH. At just 30 years of age, Conigliaro attempted a final comeback, making the team out of Spring Training but retired for good early on due to continued issues with his vision stemming from the beaning in 1975. He played in 21 games, hitting .123/.221/.246 with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Kim Andrew 2B. Andrew played in just two games and a had a hit in two at-bats. It was his only appearance in the Majors.
Butch Hobson 3B. Hobson would eventually take over the third base job from Petrocelli, but he was just making his Major League debut in 1975. He played in two games and a had a hit in four at-bats.
Andy Merchant C. Another player who made his Major League debut in 1975, Merchant had a hit in four at-bats, scoring twice in one game.
Bobby Heise 3B. Heise was a journeyman infielder who never really played full-time. He played in 63 games with Boston, hitting .214/.246/.238 with no home runs and 21 RBIs.
Tim McCarver C. McCarver had been a two-time All Star with the Cardinals in the 1960's, but was more of a role player at this point in his career. He was acquired late in the season in 1974 and played a little early in the 1975 season before being released. In 12 games, he hit .381/.409/.571. I am sure there is a story for his release.
Dick McAuliffe 3B. McAuliffe had been a very good second-baseman for the Tigers in the 1960's and early 1970's. He was in his final season, playing in just seven games early in the season. He only had two hits in 15 at-bats.
Steve Dillard 2B. Yet another player in his debut, Dillard played in just one game, collecting two hits in five at-bats and scoring twice.
29. Coaches Card. This card features manager Darrell Johnson, who is particularly noteworthy to me since he is a Nebraska native, along with Stan Williams, Don Bryant, former Red Sox favorite Johnny Pesky, and Don Zimmer. Pesky and Zimmer are the noteworthy names here.
30. Team Card.
The 1967 set was missing three players. This set is missing four players. The biggest surprise is Rick Miller, who played in 77 games and was a fairly important extra outfielder. I did a double take when I realized Miller was not here. He didn't hit much, but he was a very good defensive outfielder and played several years in Boston. Rick Kreuger was a lefty reliever who made it into just two games, pitching four innings. Steve Barr was another lefty who started two games and made it into one more. He had a 2.57 ERA, but walked seven versus two strikeouts in seven innings. The missing player that annoys me the most though is Buddy Hunter. Hunter does not have a Major League card, despite playing in parts of three seasons. He played in just one game with one hitless at-bat. So why does his absence bother me? Because he is a native of Nebraska and an alumni of my own alma mater, the University of Nebraska. There are not too many Huskers who played for the Red Sox (three), and only one has any Red Sox cards. Hunter is also thus far the only Husker to be drafted by Boston.
The red-hat era was the greatest Red Sox era. Cool stuff.
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