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.
Showing posts with label leyritz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leyritz. Show all posts
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Thursday, December 23, 2010
One-Year Wonder Pt. 12: Jim Leyritz
Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.
JIM LEYRITZ
I liked Jim Leyritz and was excited when he was acquired. Leyritz was acquired in a trade with the Rangers along with Damon Buford for Aaron Sele, Mark Brandenburg, and Bill Haselman.
Leyritz was initially going to platoon at catcher with Scott Hatteberg and DH with Reggie Jefferson. The emergence of Jason Varitek and the good year by Reggie Jefferson limited his playing time though and he complained his way into a trade to San Diego.
It was unfortunate though, because Leyritz was having a great year. He hit .287/.385/.519/.904 in 52 games with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. Leyritz also played at first base.
Leyritz was traded in June for Carlos Reyes, Dario Veras, and Mandy Romero. Reyes was a decent bullpen arm, but neither of the other two did anything of consequence.
JIM LEYRITZI liked Jim Leyritz and was excited when he was acquired. Leyritz was acquired in a trade with the Rangers along with Damon Buford for Aaron Sele, Mark Brandenburg, and Bill Haselman.
Leyritz was initially going to platoon at catcher with Scott Hatteberg and DH with Reggie Jefferson. The emergence of Jason Varitek and the good year by Reggie Jefferson limited his playing time though and he complained his way into a trade to San Diego.
It was unfortunate though, because Leyritz was having a great year. He hit .287/.385/.519/.904 in 52 games with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. Leyritz also played at first base.
Leyritz was traded in June for Carlos Reyes, Dario Veras, and Mandy Romero. Reyes was a decent bullpen arm, but neither of the other two did anything of consequence.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Feature: Best (And Worst) Red Sox Trades Since 1991
Most of my articles, you will notice, are limited to the time since 1991. That's not to say that I do not know as much about periods before then, I have researched thoroughly. But research only gets you so far. I have seen the players since 1991 and that helps me make more informed decisions.
With that little explanation, I want to look at five trades that I consider to be the best Red Sox trades since 1991. And then I will look at five that I consider to be the worst.
THE BEST
1995
Red Sox get: DH Jose Canseco
In two seasons with Boston, Canseco hit 52 home runs and had a slash line of .298/.389/.571/.960. Sure, he was on steroids, but so were a lot of other players. If it had not been for injuries, his home run total would have looked even better. WAR=5.1
Rangers get: CF Otis Nixon and 3B Luis Ortiz
Nixon played reasonably well for Texas, stealing 50 bases and hitting .295, but his only real weapon was speed. WAR=0.5
Ortiz played part-time for Texas in 1995 but even less in 1996 and was out of baseball after that. WAR=-1.1
TOTAL WAR=-0.6
1996
Red Sox get: RP Heathcliff Slocumb, P Larry Wimberly, OF Rick Holyfield
Slocumb is the only player to be in the Major Leagues out of these three. He put together a very good 1996 season for the Red Sox, going 5-5 with a 3.02 ERA, 88 strikeouts in 83.2 innings, and saved 31 games. He was pretty disastrous in 1997 but still managed 17 saves before he was traded, but that is part of why this trade was so great too. See below. WAR=3.2
Winberly and Holyfield never made it to the Majors.
TOTAL WAR=3.2
Phillies get: RP Ken Ryan, OF Lee Tinsley, OF Glenn Murray
Ken Ryan was supposed to be a closer-in-waiting. He did have a pretty good 1996 for the Phillies, going 3-5, 2.43 ERA and struck out 70 in 89 innings. But he never came close to those numbers again. WAR=0.8
Lee Tinsley played 31 ugly games for the Phillies and returned to Boston. WAR=-1.1
Glenn Murray played 38 ugly games for the Phillies and never returned to the Majors. WAR=-0.6
TOTAL WAR=-1.3
1997
Red Sox get: P Derek Lowe and C Jason Varitek
In eight seasons with Boston, Derek Lowe went 70-55, 3.72 ERA with 673 strikeouts. He once saved 40 games (2000) and won 20 games (2002). He was a two-time All Star (2000, 2002) and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting in 2002. He won the clinching games for all three postseason series in 2004. He also pitched a no-hitter against the Devil Rays in 2002. WAR=18.4
Jason Varitek has played in 14 seasons for the Red Sox with a slash line of .258/.343/.436/.778. He has hit 182 home runs and played the most games as a Red Sox catcher ever. He is the captain of the team. He is a three-time All Star (2003, 2005, 2008) and won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2005. He has caught four no-hitters (Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester). WAR=23.1
TOTAL WAR=41.5
Mariners get: RP Heathcliff Slocumb
See. Slocumb in two years with Seattle was awful. He went 2-9, 4.97 ERA and 13 saves. WAR=0.4
1998
Red Sox get: P Pedro Martinez
Do I really have to talk about what Pedro did? Okay, 117-37, 2.52 ERA, 1,683 strikeouts in 1,383.2 innings. Two-time Cy Young winner (1999, 2000), four-time All Star. Looks to be headed to the Hall of Fame, with a Red Sox cap on his plaque. WAR=47.6
Expos get: P Carl Pavano and P Tony Armas Jr.
Pavano went 24-35 in five seasons for the Expos. He had a 4.83 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 452.2 innings. WAR=2.0
Armas Jr. pitched for eight seasons with the Expos and Nationals, as he was with the team when they relocated. He went 48-60, 4.45 ERA, and 680 strikeouts in 925.2 innings. WAR=7.7
TOTAL WAR=9.7
2004
Red Sox get: P Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling went 53-29, with a 3.95 ERA and 574 strikeouts in 675 innings. He won 21 games in 2004 and lead the league in wins and winning percentage. He was an All Star that year and finished second in the Cy Young race. He basically ruined his career with his heroics in the 2004 postseason, but had a couple of solid seasons afterwards. WAR=14.5
Diamondbacks get: P Casey Fossum, P Jorge De La Rosa, P Brandon Lyon, and OF Michael Goss
Casey Fossum spent one year in Arizona going 4-15 with a 6.65 ERA. WAR=-1.3
Jorge De La Rosa was traded a few days later as part of a large package to Milwaukee for Richie Sexson. WAR=0.0
Brandon Lyon spent four years in Arizona and went 11-15, 4.03 ERA and 42 saves. WAR=1.7
Michael Goss never made the Major Leagues. WAR=0.0
TOTAL WAR=0.4
THE WORST
1996
Red Sox get: OF Darren Bragg
Bragg spent three years in Boston with a slash line of .264/.346/.395/.741 with 20 home runs and 21 stolen bases. WAR=5.4
Mariners get: P Jamie Moyer
Moyer spent 11 years with Seattle and went 145-87 with a 3.97 ERA. He won 20 games twice for the Mariners. WAR=32.4
1998
Red Sox get: C/DH Jim Leyritz and OF Damon Buford
Leyritz was a very good player for Boston but did not like being a part-timer and forced a trade to San Diego where Boston got three spare parts (Mandy Romero, Dario Veras, Carlos Reyes). Leyritz went .287/.385/.519/.904 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. WAR=0.7
Buford spent two years as a backup outfielder going .259/.317/.453/.770 with 16 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases and played great outfield defense. WAR=1.8
TOTAL WAR=2.5
Rangers get: P Aaron Sele, C Bill Haselman, RP Mark Brandenburg
Sele spent two years in Texas going 37-20. WAR=5.7
Haselman was a backup catcher with power. WAR=0.6
Brandenburg did not make the Major Leagues with Texas. WAR=0.0
TOTAL WAR=6.3
2000
Red Sox get: RP Hector Carrasco
Carrasco was terrible with Boston. He went 1-1 with a 9.45 ERA with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings and was a free agent after the season when he returned to Minnesota. WAR=-0.4
Twins get: OF Lew Ford
Ford played five seasons for the Twins with a slash line of .272/.349/.402/.751 with 32 home runs and 47 stolen bases. WAR=3.2
2003
Red Sox get: P Jeff Suppan, RP Brandon Lyon, RP Anastacio Martinez
Suppan was supposed to help stabilize the rotation for the stretch run. He went 3-4 with a 5.57 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 63 innings. WAR=0.2
I will not consider the WAR values of Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez as they were reacquired from Pittsburgh due to some complaints about Lyon's shoulder. Both were with the Red Sox earlier in the season.
Pirates get: 2B Freddy Sanchez, RP Mike Gonzalez
Sanchez spent six years in Pittsburgh with a slash line of .301/.338/.424/.761. He won the batting title in 2006 and lead the NL in doubles. He was a three time All Star. WAR=11.6
Gonzalez was reacquired by Pittsburgh for the same reason as Lyon and Martinez above. This trade was just a mess.
2007
Red Sox get: RP Eric Gagne
Gagne was 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA but had 22 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. WAR=-0.4
Rangers get: OF David Murphy, P Kason Gabbard, OF Engel Beltre
Murphy has been with the Rangers for four seasons so far and put up a slash line of .283/.342/.459/.802 with 46 home runs, 210 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. WAR=5.3
Gabbard was 4-4 with a 5.14 ERA. WAR=0.0
Beltre is a top prospect in the Rangers system. WAR=0.0 (so far)
With that little explanation, I want to look at five trades that I consider to be the best Red Sox trades since 1991. And then I will look at five that I consider to be the worst.
THE BEST
1995
Red Sox get: DH Jose Canseco
In two seasons with Boston, Canseco hit 52 home runs and had a slash line of .298/.389/.571/.960. Sure, he was on steroids, but so were a lot of other players. If it had not been for injuries, his home run total would have looked even better. WAR=5.1
Rangers get: CF Otis Nixon and 3B Luis Ortiz
Nixon played reasonably well for Texas, stealing 50 bases and hitting .295, but his only real weapon was speed. WAR=0.5
Ortiz played part-time for Texas in 1995 but even less in 1996 and was out of baseball after that. WAR=-1.1
TOTAL WAR=-0.6
1996
Red Sox get: RP Heathcliff Slocumb, P Larry Wimberly, OF Rick Holyfield
Slocumb is the only player to be in the Major Leagues out of these three. He put together a very good 1996 season for the Red Sox, going 5-5 with a 3.02 ERA, 88 strikeouts in 83.2 innings, and saved 31 games. He was pretty disastrous in 1997 but still managed 17 saves before he was traded, but that is part of why this trade was so great too. See below. WAR=3.2
Winberly and Holyfield never made it to the Majors.
TOTAL WAR=3.2
Phillies get: RP Ken Ryan, OF Lee Tinsley, OF Glenn Murray
Ken Ryan was supposed to be a closer-in-waiting. He did have a pretty good 1996 for the Phillies, going 3-5, 2.43 ERA and struck out 70 in 89 innings. But he never came close to those numbers again. WAR=0.8
Lee Tinsley played 31 ugly games for the Phillies and returned to Boston. WAR=-1.1
Glenn Murray played 38 ugly games for the Phillies and never returned to the Majors. WAR=-0.6
TOTAL WAR=-1.3
1997
Red Sox get: P Derek Lowe and C Jason Varitek
In eight seasons with Boston, Derek Lowe went 70-55, 3.72 ERA with 673 strikeouts. He once saved 40 games (2000) and won 20 games (2002). He was a two-time All Star (2000, 2002) and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting in 2002. He won the clinching games for all three postseason series in 2004. He also pitched a no-hitter against the Devil Rays in 2002. WAR=18.4
Jason Varitek has played in 14 seasons for the Red Sox with a slash line of .258/.343/.436/.778. He has hit 182 home runs and played the most games as a Red Sox catcher ever. He is the captain of the team. He is a three-time All Star (2003, 2005, 2008) and won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2005. He has caught four no-hitters (Hideo Nomo, Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester). WAR=23.1
TOTAL WAR=41.5
Mariners get: RP Heathcliff Slocumb
See. Slocumb in two years with Seattle was awful. He went 2-9, 4.97 ERA and 13 saves. WAR=0.4
1998
Red Sox get: P Pedro Martinez
Do I really have to talk about what Pedro did? Okay, 117-37, 2.52 ERA, 1,683 strikeouts in 1,383.2 innings. Two-time Cy Young winner (1999, 2000), four-time All Star. Looks to be headed to the Hall of Fame, with a Red Sox cap on his plaque. WAR=47.6
Expos get: P Carl Pavano and P Tony Armas Jr.
Pavano went 24-35 in five seasons for the Expos. He had a 4.83 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 452.2 innings. WAR=2.0
Armas Jr. pitched for eight seasons with the Expos and Nationals, as he was with the team when they relocated. He went 48-60, 4.45 ERA, and 680 strikeouts in 925.2 innings. WAR=7.7
TOTAL WAR=9.7
2004
Red Sox get: P Curt Schilling
Curt Schilling went 53-29, with a 3.95 ERA and 574 strikeouts in 675 innings. He won 21 games in 2004 and lead the league in wins and winning percentage. He was an All Star that year and finished second in the Cy Young race. He basically ruined his career with his heroics in the 2004 postseason, but had a couple of solid seasons afterwards. WAR=14.5
Diamondbacks get: P Casey Fossum, P Jorge De La Rosa, P Brandon Lyon, and OF Michael Goss
Casey Fossum spent one year in Arizona going 4-15 with a 6.65 ERA. WAR=-1.3
Jorge De La Rosa was traded a few days later as part of a large package to Milwaukee for Richie Sexson. WAR=0.0
Brandon Lyon spent four years in Arizona and went 11-15, 4.03 ERA and 42 saves. WAR=1.7
Michael Goss never made the Major Leagues. WAR=0.0
TOTAL WAR=0.4
THE WORST
1996
Red Sox get: OF Darren Bragg
Bragg spent three years in Boston with a slash line of .264/.346/.395/.741 with 20 home runs and 21 stolen bases. WAR=5.4
Mariners get: P Jamie Moyer
Moyer spent 11 years with Seattle and went 145-87 with a 3.97 ERA. He won 20 games twice for the Mariners. WAR=32.4
1998
Red Sox get: C/DH Jim Leyritz and OF Damon Buford
Leyritz was a very good player for Boston but did not like being a part-timer and forced a trade to San Diego where Boston got three spare parts (Mandy Romero, Dario Veras, Carlos Reyes). Leyritz went .287/.385/.519/.904 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. WAR=0.7
Buford spent two years as a backup outfielder going .259/.317/.453/.770 with 16 home runs, 80 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases and played great outfield defense. WAR=1.8
TOTAL WAR=2.5
Rangers get: P Aaron Sele, C Bill Haselman, RP Mark Brandenburg
Sele spent two years in Texas going 37-20. WAR=5.7
Haselman was a backup catcher with power. WAR=0.6
Brandenburg did not make the Major Leagues with Texas. WAR=0.0
TOTAL WAR=6.3
2000
Red Sox get: RP Hector Carrasco
Carrasco was terrible with Boston. He went 1-1 with a 9.45 ERA with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings and was a free agent after the season when he returned to Minnesota. WAR=-0.4
Twins get: OF Lew Ford
Ford played five seasons for the Twins with a slash line of .272/.349/.402/.751 with 32 home runs and 47 stolen bases. WAR=3.2
2003
Red Sox get: P Jeff Suppan, RP Brandon Lyon, RP Anastacio Martinez
Suppan was supposed to help stabilize the rotation for the stretch run. He went 3-4 with a 5.57 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 63 innings. WAR=0.2
I will not consider the WAR values of Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez as they were reacquired from Pittsburgh due to some complaints about Lyon's shoulder. Both were with the Red Sox earlier in the season.
Pirates get: 2B Freddy Sanchez, RP Mike Gonzalez
Sanchez spent six years in Pittsburgh with a slash line of .301/.338/.424/.761. He won the batting title in 2006 and lead the NL in doubles. He was a three time All Star. WAR=11.6
Gonzalez was reacquired by Pittsburgh for the same reason as Lyon and Martinez above. This trade was just a mess.
2007
Red Sox get: RP Eric Gagne
Gagne was 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA but had 22 strikeouts in 18.2 innings. WAR=-0.4
Rangers get: OF David Murphy, P Kason Gabbard, OF Engel Beltre
Murphy has been with the Rangers for four seasons so far and put up a slash line of .283/.342/.459/.802 with 46 home runs, 210 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases. WAR=5.3
Gabbard was 4-4 with a 5.14 ERA. WAR=0.0
Beltre is a top prospect in the Rangers system. WAR=0.0 (so far)
Monday, October 25, 2010
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.
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.
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