Slightly More Than One-Year Wonder Pt. 8: Victor Martinez

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

I felt like talking about Victor Martinez today.  He was on the 2024 Hall of Fame ballot.  He did not do well, receiving just six votes and dropping off the ballot going forward.  I knew this would be the case, but he still had a terrific career and deserves to be remembered.

It actually took me awhile to really appreciate Martinez's stint with Boston.  As everyone who reads this blog knows, I am a huge Jason Varitek fan.  Martinez was acquired because Varitek was slipping at the plate.  Martinez pushed Varitek into a backup catcher role eventually.  When Martinez was first acquired, the Red Sox actually split his time between first base and catcher.  But in 2010, his only full season with the Red Sox, Martinez was the primary catcher.  So, it took awhile, but now I do fully appreciate what they had.

Martinez started his career in Cleveland, taking over the starting job in 2004.  He hit more than 20 home runs three times and drove in 100 runs twice going into the 2009 season.  He was an All Star in 2004 and 2007.  The Indians in 2009 were headed for a 97 loss season and were shedding salary as of the trading deadline.  Martinez had already made his third All Star team.  The Red Sox were on their way to another Wild Card berth, but needed an offensive jolt.  The two teams came together.  The Red Sox sent pitchers Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Shaw to bring Martinez over.

Martinez played in 56 games down the stretch and definitely provided that offensive spark Boston so needed.  He hit .336/.405/.507 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs, pushing his final numbers on the season above 20 home runs and 100 RBIs.  He ended up receiving some down-ballot MVP votes as a result of this.  Martinez appeared in the postseason for the second time in his career that year, but struggled to a .182/.250/.182 line with just two RBIs in the team's ALDS loss to the Angels.  

2010 saw Martinez hit 20 home runs and make the All Star team once more.  As mentioned, Martinez spent the entire season at catcher, playing only a handful of games at first base and designated hitter.  He hit .302/.351/.493 with 20 home runs, 32 doubles and 79 RBIs.  He also struck out just 52 times on the season compared to 40 walks.  It was one of the better offensive seasons by a Red Sox catcher in quite awhile.  Not since Carlton Fisk in 1977 did a Red Sox catcher hit more than .300 with 20 or more home runs.  

The issue about whether to bring Martinez back had to do with his deteriorating defense.  He was not historically a strong defensive catcher, but he really took a step backwards in 2010.  He allowed 99 stolen bases (second most in the league), catching just 21% of attempted thefts.  The league average was 26%.  He appeared destined to be a designated hitter and the Red Sox already had David Ortiz for that position.

Martinez signed a free agent contract with the Tigers after the season and did indeed become a designated hitter, never playing catcher regularly again.  The Red Sox acquired Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a trade with the Rangers at the deadline and he became the team's regular catcher.  Martinez's final slash line in Boston was .313/.368/.497 with 28 home runs and 120 RBIs.  

Slightly More than One-Year Wonder Pt. 7: Dick McAuliffe

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

Dick McAuliffe spent almost his entire playing career for the Detroit Tigers, other than 107 games spread across two seasons at the very end of his career when he moved on to Boston.  McAuliffe is one of the better second-basemen in Tigers' history.  He would be the best if not for Lou Whitaker and Charlie Gehringer.  McAuliffe was an All Star three consecutive times (1965-1967) and finished seventh in the AL MVP vote in 1968 whem the Tigers won the World Series.  He had some impressive power for a second-baseman during the time period, hitting more than 20 home runs three times.  

McAuliffe was still a productive player his final season in Detroit, hitting 12 home runs with a .274/.366/.437.  He was traded in a less-than-good trade for the Red Sox with young outfielder Ben Oglivie heading to Detroit.  Boston needed a second-baseman to provide some offense to go along with the slick-fielding Doug Griffin.  Unfortunately, McAuliffe's time as a productive player was at an end.  He played in 100 games in 1974, splitting time between second and third base.  He hit just five home runs and had a slash line of .210/.310/.320.  Boston brought him back in 1975, but he played in just seven games.  Meanwhile, Oglivie took a few years to get going, but eventually led the league in home runs with 41 in 1980 while with the Brewers.  Not a great trade for Boston.

Slightly More than One-Year Wonder Pt. 6: Dave Henderson

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

When I first started watching baseball, the Oakland Athletics were THE team.  They had been to the World Series each of the previous three seasons, winning in 1989 and had great hitters up and down their lineup, terrific starting pitching, and one of the greatest closers of all-time in the middle of his terrific run of success.  They had a truly outstanding outfield consisting of Jose Canseco in right, Rickey Henderson in left, and Dave Henderson in center.  All three would play for the Red Sox at some point, but at that point in time, Dave Henderson was the only one who had played for Boston in his career.  It was intriguing to me that this great team had players who were once Red Sox (of course Dennis Eckersley and Carney Lansford had also spent time in Boston).  

"Hendu" came up through the Seattle Mariners system and had a few good seasons but was largely viewed as not yet reaching his potential when he was sent to the Red Sox.  Boston was in the middle of a terrific season in 1986, on their way to the AL pennant, but had a couple of holes in their lineup: shortstop and center field.  At short, they were relying on the shell of Glenn Hoffman and the disappointing Rey Quinones.  In center, Tony Armas was well-past his prime.  Boston shored up both positions in a single deal by acquiring Spike Owen and Henderson for Quinones and three players to be named later.  

While neither player hit all that well the rest of the season, they were both instrumental in the postseason.  Henderson hit just .196/.226/.314 with just one home run and three RBIs.  He also stole a base.  He did not hit much in the ALCS against the Angels, but did hit one huge home run.  In the top of the ninth inning in Game 5, Boston was facing elimination 5-2.  Don Baylor homered to pull within one.  After the second out was recorded, Rich Gedman was hit by a pitch and Henderson was up with the season on the line.  He hit one of the biggest home runs in team history, putting Boston ahead.  The Angels would tie it back up, but Henderson came through yet again in the 11th driving in the winning run with a sac fly.  Henderson continued his hot hitting in the World Series by hitting .400/.448/.760 with two home runs and five RBIs.  It certainly was not his fault Boston lost the World Series.

Henderson went into the 1987 season as the team's starting center fielder.  He did not hit particularly well then either.  He played in 75 games with a line of .234/.313/.418 but did hit eight home runs and 25 RBIs.  Boston had two terrific prospects at center field in the minors in Brady Anderson and Ellis Burks.  Burks was ready to go and quickly took over.  Boston attempted to move Henderson, but did not find a taker until September when he was traded to the Giants for Randy Kutcher.  Henderson did very little for the Giants and joined the A's after the season.

Finally, Henderson was able to reach his potential with a terrific 1988 season.  He went on to be a major part of the Athletics semi-dynasty.  It is unfortunate that he never really played well for the Red Sox, but he will always be remembered for his heroics in the 1986 postseason, particularly Game 5 of the ALCS. 

Slightly More than One-Year Wonder Pt. 5: Jason Bay

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox had a problem in 2008.  That problem's name was Manny Ramirez.  He was still hitting, just as he always did, but his numbers were down and he was unhappy.  And he was causing major distractions in the clubhouse.  The team had attempted to trade Ramirez before but at the trading deadline, they finally did it.  In a three-team deal, the Red Sox sent Ramirez to the Dodgers and Brandon Moss and Craig Hansen to the Pirates.  The Dodgers sent Andy LaRoche and Bryan Morris to the Pirates.  Finally, the Red Sox received two-time All Star Jason Bay from the Pirates.

Bay was more than an adequate replacement for Ramirez.  He played 49 games down the stretch and helped the team to make it to the postseason.  It went by somewhat unnoticed since Ramirez went on a massive tear to close out the season, but Bay hit .293/.370/.527 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs.  What was even better was that Bay was terrific in the clubhouse.  Bay then hit three home runs in the postseason.

The next season, there was no contest as to who was the better player.  Ramirez was suspended during the season for use of PEDs and Jason Bay was an All Star.  Bay led the team in home runs and RBIs, hitting .267/.384/.537 with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs.  He even stole 13 bases.  He finished seventh in the MVP race and won the Silver Slugger. 

After the season, Bay was a free agent and the Red Sox had a decision to make.  On the one hand, there was no dispute that Bay was a terrific offensive threat, but he was limited defensively.  The Red Sox already had David Ortiz as a DH, so it was unlikely that he would fit in there.  The team was also more interested in improving their defense, hence the signings of solid defensive players like Marco Scutaro, Adrian Beltre, and Mike Cameron.  The Red Sox ultimately moved on from Bay, choosing instead to sign John Lackey and allow Bay to join the Mets.  

Bay finished his stint with the Red Sox hitting .274/.380/.534 with 45 home runs and 156 RBIs.  He was a huge bust in New York though, hitting just .234/.318/.369 with 26 home runs and 124 RBIs over three seasons.  

Slightly More than One-Year Wonder Pt. 4: Don Baylor

I had not originally planned on making one of these posts today, but unfortunately, Don Baylor passed away today.  So I felt it was an appropriate time for a tribute.

Don Baylor spent about a year and a half with the Red Sox, but he was a big part of the 1986 team.  He was brought over in a rare challenge trade between the Red Sox and Yankees involving each team's designated hitter.  Both teams got a decent deal, but for different reasons.  Baylor was more of a pure power hitter while Easler was more of a contact hitter.  Baylor was the AL MVP for the Angels in 1979 when he hit .296/.371/.530 with 36 home runs and a league-leading 139 RBIs.

In 1986, Baylor helped lead the Red Sox to the AL pennant with a very good year, hitting .238/.344/.439 with 94 RBIs and a team-leading 31 home runs.  Baylor was a veteran presence in the lineup and a calming influence in the clubhouse for a mostly young team.  He won the Silver Slugger Award and even picked up some MVP votes.  Baylor was also a well-known postseason performer and hit .346 in the ALCS before slumping in the World Series.

Baylor started out the 1987 season as the team's starting DH, and was on the verge of a similar season to his 1986 campaign as he was hitting .239/.355/.404 with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs when he was traded to the Twins on September 1 for the stretch drive.  Boston received a minor leaguer named Enrique Rios in the deal, who never made it to the Majors.

After playing one more season with the Athletics, Baylor's playing career came to an end.  He was able to become a Major League manager for several years, first with the expansion Colorado Rockies, and later with the Cubs.  Baylor was a well-regarded personality and popular with teammates and players.

Slightly More Than One-Year Wonder Pt. 3: Ugueth Urbina

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

He is mostly known for some off-field exploits now (including being convicted of attempted murder), but for a time, Ugueth Urbina was one of the best closers in the game.  Urbina came up with the Montreal Expos in 1996 and was originally a starter, but his fastball and somewhat erratic control made him a better option for the bullpen.  He was converted to a closer in 1997, and stuck.  His strikeout rates soared as his ERA lowered and he racked up the saves.  He was an All Star in 1998 and led the league in saves in 1999.  

By 2001, Urbina was struggling a little bit and the Expos were not going anywhere.  He was deemed expendable, and Boston's closer Derek Lowe was also struggling.  Boston sent Tomo Ohka and a minor leaguer to Montreal to acquire Urbina at the July trading deadline.  Urbina immediately paid dividends even though the team was tanking.  The new closer went 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA and an incredible 32 strikeouts versus just three walks in 20 innings.  He picked up nine saves.

Going into the 2002 season, Urbina was in place to be the Red Sox closer.  He ended up having his second All Star season as he saved 40 games.  He was just 1-6, but with a 3.00 ERA and 71 strikeouts versus 20 walks in 60 innings.  Urbina was just the fourth Red Sox closer to save 40 or more games in a season, joining Jeff Reardon, Tom Gordon, and Lowe.  His 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings was a little bit of a decline, but he was effective.

After the season, Boston declined to re-sign him, instead deciding to go with a closer-by-committee, an experiment that failed miserably.  Urbina signed on with the Rangers and was traded to the Marlins later in the season, just in time for their World Series Championship run.  He later played for the Tigers and Phillies, before his career ended due to that pesky attempted murder thing.

Slightly More Than One-Year Wonder Pt. 2: Deron Johnson

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons. They do not qualify as one-year wonders. They lasted slightly too long. But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

Okay, I kind of broke my rule here.  Deron Johnson was actually with the Red Sox for parts of three seasons, but he did not come close to even a half season in any of the three seasons in which he appeared for the Red Sox.  In fact, he only played in 29 games with the Red Sox over the course of those three seasons.

Johnson came up with the Yankees in 1960 and was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in 1961.  After a year back in the minors in 1963, Johnson caught on with the Cincinnati Reds and emerged as a legitimate power threat, hitting 21 home runs in 1964.  He followed that up with his best season, coming in fourth in the MVP vote when he hit .287/.340/.515 with 32 home runs and a league-leading 130 RBIs.  Johnson played a couple more years with the Reds then started to bounce around afterwards, playing with the Braves, Phillies, Athletics, and Brewers over the next several seasons.  He continued to show off some power, hitting 20 or more home runs six times.  He hit 245 home runs in his career.  He received MVP votes in three seasons.

In 1974, Johnson started the season with the Athletics, but struggled and was traded to the Brewers.  He did not do much better with Milwaukee and the Red Sox purchased him in September.  He played in 11 games for Boston, hitting .120/.115/.120 (how that is possible, I have yet to figure out).  He was released at the end of the season and signed on with the White Sox for the 1975 season.  He turned in a very good power season for Chicago, then was traded back to Boston in September again to help provide power in the absence of Jim Rice.  He appeared in just three games, but hit .600/.667/.900 with his final home run and three RBIs.  He came back to Boston in 1976, but appeared in just 15 games and hit .132/.233/.211, but he hit his final double and triple.  He was released in June and did not appear in the Majors again.  Johnson appeared at DH and first base while with the Red Sox.

Slightly More Than One-Year Wonder Pt. 1: Elston Howard

These players made it longer than one full season, but less than two seasons.  They do not qualify as one-year wonders.  They lasted slightly too long.  But they still spent a brief part of their careers with the Red Sox.

Elston Howard was a longtime Yankees star, so seeing him in a Red Sox uniform must have been quite strange for Yankees fans.  Howard was notable for being the first black player for the Yankees when he made his Major League debut in the 1955 season, four years before the Red Sox finally had their first black player, but eight years after Jackie Robinson.  

Howard was a good player from the start, but he would eventually become a great player.  The catcher was a 12-time All Star over nine consecutive seasons (there were two All Star games played for several years in the late 1950's/early 1960's).  He was the catcher on four World Championship teams and often played well in the postseason.  He had his finest season in 1963 when he won the AL MVP by hitting .287/.342/.528 with 28 home runs and 85 RBIs.  He was also a two-time Gold Glove winner.  

Unfortunately, Howard's numbers declined significantly over the next few seasons.  He played in 66 games with the Yankees in the 1967 season and hit just .196/.247/.271 with three home runs and 17 RBIs before he was traded in a rare deal between the Yankees and Red Sox for Pete Magrini and Ron Klimkowski.  Howard played 42 games with the Red Sox the rest of the Impossible Dream season.

His decline continued over the course of the stretch run and Howard hit just .147/.211/.198 with one home run and eleven RBIs.  He did play well behind the plate though and made several key plays as Boston fought their way to the World Series.  Howard hit .111 in the World Series, but he did have an important RBI in Game 5 against the Cardinals.

1968 was Howard's final season of his career and was his only full season with the Red Sox, though he played in only 71 games.  He was a little better at the plate and hit .241/.317/.335 with five home runs and 18 RBIs.  He was released at the end of the season and retired.  

The nice thing about Howard with the Red Sox is that his only Topps card is a legitimate Red Sox card.  He is clearly wearing a Red Sox uniform unlike other late 1967 acquisitions like Gary Bell and Jerry Adair.  After years with the Yankees, Howard's final Topps card from his playing career shows him with the Red Sox.