One-Card Wonder Pt. 40: Rudy Seanez

Middle relievers just do not get enough cards these days.  Seanez had a long 17-year career and he has fewer than 80 cards, and yes, that includes all of the parallels of him.  He spent parts of two seasons with the Red Sox and only appears on this card (and all of the parallels).

Seanez made his Major League debut with the Indians in 1989 at just 20 years old.  He would eventually pitch for nine Major League teams and had his best seasons with the Braves in the late 1990's.  He was primarily a setup man.  He never started a game in the Majors and never saved more than three games in any season in his career.

The Red Sox signed Seanez as a free agent in May of 2003, but spent most of the season in the minors.  He appeared in just nine games with Boston, but was 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA.  He struck out nine, but walked six in 8.2 innings.  After the season, he bounced around a bit more, but returned to the Red Sox in 2006.

Seanez was a big part of the Red Sox bullpen in 2006, appearing in 41 games until he was released in August.  He was 2-1 with a 4.82 ERA and finished 16 games, though he did not pick up any saves.  His strikeout rate was still impressive, striking out 48 in 46.2 innings, but he walked 26.  He was released and ended up in San Diego.

I remember Seanez pretty well because he pitched in both games I saw in 2006, including the only game I have seen at Fenway so far.  He picked up a hold in that game, pitching 1.2 innings with a strikeout, though he gave up three hits.  The second game was not as impressive, he gave up a home run in a loss to the Royals in 1.2 innings.  He gave up two hits and a walk.  

Boxscore: August 8, 2006: Royals 6 vs. Red Sox 4

This is, to this date, the last Red Sox game I have attended. My friend from work and I went down to Kansas City to see the Red Sox take on the Royals. This was during a particularly cold streak for Boston and they could not win a single game against the Royals that series. Injuries had decimated the team and the pitching was particularly hurt.

Jon Lester started the game, but he was a rookie and was very wild. He pitched five innings, giving up four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. Of course, the bullpen was pretty bad and Craig Hansen and Rudy Seanez each gave up a run. Julian Tavarez also pitched in the game.

The big bright spot for the game was Wily Mo Pena who hit a ball so hard that the outfielders did not even move. The ball landed on top of the concession stand and was one of the furthest hit home runs in Kaufman Stadium history. David Ortiz also hit a home run in the game, his 41st. Manny Ramirez, Alex Gonzalez, and recent pickup Javy Lopez each had two hits in the game. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis also each had a hit. Ramirez, Lopez, Youkilis, and Gonzalez each had a double. Coco Crisp stole a base, and Mark Loretta and Alex Cora each had two hitless at-bats.

The Royals simply played better than the Red Sox that game.

Boxscore: May 26, 2006 Red Sox 8 vs. Devil Rays 4

This is the only game so far that I have attended at Fenway Park.

My parents took me to Boston as a gift for graduating from law school. We spent a long weekend there doing a bunch of tourist stuff. The main reason for going though was to see this game. We were lucky to see a game at all as it was raining pretty hard immediately before the game.

David Wells started the game and pitched pretty well for 4.1 innings until being taken out after a line drive caught him in the knee. He gave up five hits and one earned run on a home run to Carl Crawford. Julian Tavarez came in to pitch 2.1 innings to pick up the win. He gave up two more runs. Keith Foulke pitched .1 innings and gave up another run. Rudy Seanez then came in to pitch 1.2 innings and handed it off to Jonathan Papelbon, the rookie closer who saved the game, getting the last out. The Red Sox bullpen got the job done, but it was pretty ugly. That was not a good year for the bullpen other than Papelbon.

The offensive star was Mike Lowell who had three hits, including a home run and a double. He drove in two runs. David Ortiz also added a double and single, driving in four. The other two runs were driven in by Mark Loretta and Trot Nixon. Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, and Wily Mo Pena each had a single and a run. Alex Gonzalez had three hits and a run. Manny Ramirez also had a single and Willie Harris appeared as a defensive replacement for Pena.

All in all, this was a great game and is still the only time I have been to Fenway Park.