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.
Showing posts with label offerman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label offerman. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2013
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Questionable All Stars Pt. 2: Jose Offerman
The All Star selection process is such a subjective procedure that sometimes deserving players get left off. Then there are times when players who do not deserve to be All Stars are named to the team.
JOSE OFFERMAN
The Red Sox made a controversial decision prior to the 1999 season. They were not able to bring Mo Vaughn back and then-GM Dan Duquette decided to replace him with light-hitting Jose Offerman. Offerman was coming off a season for the Royals in which he hit .315/.403/.438, lead the league in triples, and stole 45 bases. It was certainly a good year for Offerman, although he was a defensive liability at second base.
Duquette signed Offerman to an insane four-year contract worth around seven million a year. He was lambasted in the press for the contract. Offerman started off the 1999 season scorching hot though, hitting .330/.405/.497 at the end of May. He slumped in June and July though and was at .273/.352/.402 at the All Star break. Based almost completely on his first two months of play, Offerman was named to the All Star team as a reserve second-baseman.
Offerman would go on to a season line of .294/.391/.435, certainly decent numbers. He was a good leadoff hitter, drawing 96 walks against 79 strikeouts. He also hit eight home runs and stole 18 bases. He was caught stealing 12 times and his defensive numbers were once again terrible though. Offerman was a good player in 1999, but it is hard to make the argument that he deserved to be an All Star. The fact that he played second base for a well-regarded team certainly helped him. It is also important to remember that Offerman was an All Star before, in 1995 with the Dodgers.
Offerman remained with Boston into the 2002 season, but he was never nearly as good at the plate as he was in 1999. His defensive numbers did improve, but that was mostly due to playing increasingly at first base. However, his bat was incredibly anemic for a first-baseman, so he became increasingly useless. He also mysteriously stopped stealing bases, stealing zero in 2000, five in 2001, and eight in 2002 before he was finally sent out of town.
JOSE OFFERMANThe Red Sox made a controversial decision prior to the 1999 season. They were not able to bring Mo Vaughn back and then-GM Dan Duquette decided to replace him with light-hitting Jose Offerman. Offerman was coming off a season for the Royals in which he hit .315/.403/.438, lead the league in triples, and stole 45 bases. It was certainly a good year for Offerman, although he was a defensive liability at second base.
Duquette signed Offerman to an insane four-year contract worth around seven million a year. He was lambasted in the press for the contract. Offerman started off the 1999 season scorching hot though, hitting .330/.405/.497 at the end of May. He slumped in June and July though and was at .273/.352/.402 at the All Star break. Based almost completely on his first two months of play, Offerman was named to the All Star team as a reserve second-baseman.
Offerman would go on to a season line of .294/.391/.435, certainly decent numbers. He was a good leadoff hitter, drawing 96 walks against 79 strikeouts. He also hit eight home runs and stole 18 bases. He was caught stealing 12 times and his defensive numbers were once again terrible though. Offerman was a good player in 1999, but it is hard to make the argument that he deserved to be an All Star. The fact that he played second base for a well-regarded team certainly helped him. It is also important to remember that Offerman was an All Star before, in 1995 with the Dodgers.
Offerman remained with Boston into the 2002 season, but he was never nearly as good at the plate as he was in 1999. His defensive numbers did improve, but that was mostly due to playing increasingly at first base. However, his bat was incredibly anemic for a first-baseman, so he became increasingly useless. He also mysteriously stopped stealing bases, stealing zero in 2000, five in 2001, and eight in 2002 before he was finally sent out of town.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Boxscore: May 20, 2001 Red Sox 10 Royals 3
This one ranks as my personal favorite Red Sox game I attended. A couple of friends and I decided after our sophomore years of college were over to do a road trip down to Kansas City to see the Royals take on the Red Sox on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. My friends were huge Royals fan so there was some good-natured banter going on during the drive down there.
Well, the Red Sox absolutely beat the Royals into submission that day. The final score was 10-3, and the Red Sox hit five home runs.
Jason Varitek was the star of the day, hitting three home runs himself and driving in seven of the Red Sox runs. He also had a run-scoring single to go 4-4 with three runs scored. He came into the game with only two home runs on the year. Varitek looked to be a breakout star that year, but he broke his elbow making a sliding catch before the All Star game and was out the rest of the year. This though, was one of his best games.
The game also featured home runs from Carl Everett and Manny Ramirez, in addition to doubles by Ramirez, Dante Bichette, and Brian Daubach. Trot Nixon drove in the other Red Sox run. Shea Hillenbrand also had two hits in the game and scored three times. Jose Offerman also had a hit and Mike Lansing, Darren Lewis, and Scott Hatteberg all appeared in the game. Offerman had a terrible day on defense committing two errors, and Bichette also had one in the outfield.
Frank Castillo started the game and had a great performance, pitching six innings and giving up one unearned run. He struck out three. Rich Garces and former Royal Hipolito Pichardo also appeared in the game, each surrendering a run.
Well, the Red Sox absolutely beat the Royals into submission that day. The final score was 10-3, and the Red Sox hit five home runs.
Jason Varitek was the star of the day, hitting three home runs himself and driving in seven of the Red Sox runs. He also had a run-scoring single to go 4-4 with three runs scored. He came into the game with only two home runs on the year. Varitek looked to be a breakout star that year, but he broke his elbow making a sliding catch before the All Star game and was out the rest of the year. This though, was one of his best games.
The game also featured home runs from Carl Everett and Manny Ramirez, in addition to doubles by Ramirez, Dante Bichette, and Brian Daubach. Trot Nixon drove in the other Red Sox run. Shea Hillenbrand also had two hits in the game and scored three times. Jose Offerman also had a hit and Mike Lansing, Darren Lewis, and Scott Hatteberg all appeared in the game. Offerman had a terrible day on defense committing two errors, and Bichette also had one in the outfield.
Frank Castillo started the game and had a great performance, pitching six innings and giving up one unearned run. He struck out three. Rich Garces and former Royal Hipolito Pichardo also appeared in the game, each surrendering a run.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Boxscore: August 9, 1999 Red Sox vs. Royals
August 9, 1999.
This was the third Red Sox game I attended and, like the previous two, this was also in Kansas City. The Royals seemed to have Boston's number at times, and they won this game as well, 5-2. The Red Sox apparently could not do anything against former Sox prospect Jeff Suppan. It did not really help that they had Mark Portugal on the mound who was suffering through a terrible season. Portugal did pitch six decent innings this time out though, giving up all five runs, four were earned and struck out one and walked one. Jermaine Dye hit two home runs off of Portugal in the game.
Well, le's start with the good things that happened in this game, and there were not very many. Trot Nixon and Troy O'Leary each hit home runs, of course no one was on base when they did. Brian Daubach and Reggie Jefferson both hit triples. And that was all the hits Boston had. Pretty weird when a team only has four hits, two of which were triples, and two were home runs. Jose Offerman, Darren Lewis, and Nomar Garciaparra each reached base on walks. Lewis threw out a runner at second. Bryce Florie only gave up two hits in two innings of relief and struck out one.
Other than that, Jason Varitek and Donnie Sadler were the other players to play in the game, neither of whom did much. Most of the Royals offense was supplied by Dye, but Johnny Damon had three hits and drove in a run, and Mike Sweeney drove in the other run. Just another failed Red Sox/Royals game.
This was the third Red Sox game I attended and, like the previous two, this was also in Kansas City. The Royals seemed to have Boston's number at times, and they won this game as well, 5-2. The Red Sox apparently could not do anything against former Sox prospect Jeff Suppan. It did not really help that they had Mark Portugal on the mound who was suffering through a terrible season. Portugal did pitch six decent innings this time out though, giving up all five runs, four were earned and struck out one and walked one. Jermaine Dye hit two home runs off of Portugal in the game.
Well, le's start with the good things that happened in this game, and there were not very many. Trot Nixon and Troy O'Leary each hit home runs, of course no one was on base when they did. Brian Daubach and Reggie Jefferson both hit triples. And that was all the hits Boston had. Pretty weird when a team only has four hits, two of which were triples, and two were home runs. Jose Offerman, Darren Lewis, and Nomar Garciaparra each reached base on walks. Lewis threw out a runner at second. Bryce Florie only gave up two hits in two innings of relief and struck out one.
Other than that, Jason Varitek and Donnie Sadler were the other players to play in the game, neither of whom did much. Most of the Royals offense was supplied by Dye, but Johnny Damon had three hits and drove in a run, and Mike Sweeney drove in the other run. Just another failed Red Sox/Royals game.
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