Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 18: Bob Ojeda

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?

I can still remember some of the cards in my first pack of baseball cards.  It's weird the things we remember.  It was 1991 Topps.  Obviously I remember it having Dennis Lamp and Tom Bolton in it, because they were my first Red Sox cards and led to me picking the Red Sox as my favorite team.  But I also remember Walt Weiss, Sergio Valdez, Matt Williams All Star card, Bobby Bonilla, Lee Guetterman, and Bob Ojeda.  This was at the time he was with the Mets.  And so it is that Ojeda is a part of some of my earliest baseball memories, even if it was not while he was with the Red Sox.

The southpaw Ojeda was signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent in 1978 and moved through the system rather quickly.  He made his Major League debut in 1980 with seven games and a 6.92 ERA.  Ojeda was part of an impressive youth movement in the rotation for the Red Sox in the 1980's, along with Bruce Hurst, Oil Can Boyd, John Tudor and later Roger Clemens.  

In 1981, he made it into ten games and was impressive enough that he finished third in the Rookie of the Year vote.  In those ten games (all starts) he was 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA.  He completed two games and threw 66.1 innings, striking out 28 while walking 22.  

Ojeda would take a step back in 1982, but then contributed three decent seasons as a mid-rotation starter.  In 1984 he led the Majors in shutouts.  Then after the 1985 season, the Red Sox were comfortable enough with their pitching that they sent Ojeda to the Mets for a package that included promising pitchers Wes Gardner and Calvin Schiraldi.  It would be a move that back-fired as Ojeda had a terrific 1986 season with the Mets and helped them beat Boston in the World Series, while Schiraldi struggled for Boston in the Series.  If the trade had not happened, who knows what would have resulted (though Schiraldi had a very good regular season for Boston and the team may not have made it without him in the bullpen).

Ojeda was involved in a very tragic boating accident in Spring Training before the 1993 season while with the Indians.  He was the only survivor in a crash that claimed the lives of Steve Olin and Tim Crews.  Ojeda was severely injured but was able to make a comeback.