Former Red Sox Playing in the World Series

The Red Sox are not playing in this year's World Series.  They made it to the postseason but were swept out of the first round by the Indians, who are in the World Series.  I am disappointed, but not unaccustomed to this, after all they have only been to the World Series four times in my entire lifetime.  But just because the Red Sox are not in, does not mean that there is no one to watch.  Each team has four players on their World Series roster that have been members of the Red Sox organization.  That is no surprise.  The Cubs' president is former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, who was instrumental in building Red Sox teams that won two World Series, and the Indians' manager is Terry Francona, who was the Red Sox manager for those same World Series championship teams.

So these are the players, and others who have been with the Red Sox that are in the World Series this year:

CHICAGO CUBS

Theo Epstein

As mentioned, Epstein was the principal architect of the Red Sox teams that won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.  He brought a heavily-analytical approach to building the team that borrowed initially heavily from the methods used by Billy Beane of the Oakland A's.  Epstein was brought on as GM for the Red Sox in 2002 and stayed with the organization through the 2011 season when he went over to the Cubs. 

John Lackey

Lackey looked like a very expensive free agent bust for the Red Sox after struggling through two sub-par seasons in 2010 and 2011 then missing the entire 2012 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.  But he came back in a big way to be a major part of the Red Sox team that won the World Series in 2013, including winning the final game of the World Series.  Lackey was traded to the Cardinals for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig at the 2014 trading deadline and then signed with the Cubs as a free agent.

Jon Lester

Lester was the best pitcher the Red Sox developed since Roger Clemens.  He was a second round draft pick in 2002 and made his Major League debut in 2006.  He won the final game of the World Series in 2007 after a successful fight with cancer and then threw a no-hitter in 2008.  Lester then developed into Boston's ace for several seasons, and led the rotation to another World Championship in 2013.  Lester was a three-time All Star with the Red Sox and finished in the top five in the Cy Young vote in 2010.  He developed a reputation for being a big-game pitcher with Boston.  Like Lackey, Lester was traded at the 2014 trading deadline, to Oakland for Yoenis Cespedes.  He signed with the Cubs as a free agent during the offseason.

Anthony Rizzo

Rizzo never played a Major League game with the Red Sox, but he was drafted by them in the sixth round of the 2007 draft out of high school.  Rizzo moved quickly through the minors with the Red Sox and was considered a big-time power threat.  He made it to Double A ball in 2010 but was traded in the offseason as part of the package sent to San Diego in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez.  Rizzo was the only player that has performed well from that trade, but San Diego sent him to the Cubs before he really arrived.

  

David Ross

Ross spent two stints with the Red Sox, originally coming over late in the 2008 season and playing just eight games with them.  He returned as a free agent on a two-year deal prior to the 2013 season.  Despite a 20 homer season in 2007 with the Reds, by this time, Ross was a backup catcher known more for his glove than his bat.  Ross had several key moments for the Red Sox during the 2013 season and some clutch hits in the World Series that year.  He ended up playing the majority of the World Series at catcher due to Jarrod Saltalamacchia's defensive deficiencies. 

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Coco Crisp

Crisp was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the Indians in 2006 after losing Johnny Damon as a free agent to the Yankees.  He suffered an injury early in the season and struggled after coming back.  He was decent in 2007 and 2008, but did not develop into the all-around talent Boston thought they were getting when he was acquired.  He was a terrific defensive outfielder with a lot of speed though.  After the 2008 season, he was traded to the Royals for reliever Ramon Ramirez.  Crisp then played for Oakland for several seasons before being traded to the Indians late in the 2016 season.

Terry Francona

Francona replaced Grady Little as the Red Sox manager for the 2004 season and immediately led the Red Sox to the World Championship.  Francona also led the Red Sox to a title in 2007 and to the postseason in 2005, 2008, and 2009.  He goes down as one of the most successful Red Sox managers in history.  He also tied for the second longest stint as Red Sox manager, although in number of games managed, he would be in sole possession of second place.  Unfortunately, he was fired amid some troubles after the 2011 season.  He found a job with the Indians fairly quickly.

Michael Martinez

Almost forgotten in a flurry of moves in 2016 in which the Red Sox picked up Aaron Hill, Brad Ziegler, and Drew Pomeranz, Michael Martinez was picked up from the Indians for cash.  He played just four games with one hit for Boston and had some questionable defensive plays.  He was placed on waivers in August and the Indians picked him back up.  He almost certainly will never appear on cardboard with the Red Sox.

Andrew Miller

Miller was a former first-round draft pick by the Tigers who was once the primary return in the trade for Miguel Cabrera.  He was traded to Boston for relief pitcher Dustin Richardson before the 2011 season.  Miller struggled as a starter for the Red Sox in 2011 but began to attain success as a relief pitcher in 2012.  He was having a terrific season in 2013 before suffering an injury and missing the postseason.  Too bad, based on how he has been pitching in this year's postseason.  Miller terrific out of the pen for Boston in 2014 before he was traded to Baltimore for Eduardo Rodriguez.  He signed with the Yankees as a free agent after the season and was traded to Cleveland at the trading deadline this season.  Miller unfortunately has no Major League cards with the Red Sox.

  

Mike Napoli

Napoli signed as a free agent with the Red Sox in 2013 after several seasons as a power-hitting catcher.  Napoli transitioned smoothly to first base while with the Red Sox and had two very good seasons at the plate.  He hit two home runs in the ALCS and drove in four runs in the World Series.  He hit 53 home runs in two-plus seasons with the Red Sox before being traded back to the Rangers during the 2015 season.  Napoli signed with the Indians prior to the 2016 season.

Players Who Won World Championships with the Red Sox and Yankees

There have only been a handful of players who have been a part of World Championships with both the Red Sox and the Yankees.  Obviously, the major reason behind this is the fact that Boston went so long without a World Championship.  That, and to a lesser extent, the fact that it took quite awhile before the Yankees won their first World Championship.  Boston was a bit of a dynasty in the 1910's, winning four World Championships between 1912 and 1918.  They also won in 1903.  But after 1918, they would not win another one until 2004.  The Yankees meanwhile won their first World Championship in 1923 and went on to win significantly more than any other team.

The list of players to win World Championships with both teams is small, and dominated by players from the late 1910's/early 1920's.  I am only counting players that actually played in the World Series with both teams, so Herb Pennock, Waite Hoyt, and Ramiro Mendoza, for example, will not be counted.

BULLET JOE BUSH
Owner of an awesome nickname, Bullet Joe Bush was also a pretty decent pitcher who started out with the Philadelphia Athletics where he won a World Series in 1913.  He was acquired by Boston in the same deal that brought Wally Schang and turned in a 15-15 season with a 2.11 ERA and then took a loss in the 1918 World Series.  Bush then pitched two games for the Yankees in the 1923 World Series.

JOHNNY DAMON
Next to David Ortiz, Damon is probably the most iconic player from the 2004 World Champion Red Sox.  Damon was one of the original "Idiots", the pet name for the lovable World Champs.  Damon infamously left the Red Sox as a free agent after the 2005 season to join the Yankees where he had to cut his long hair and shave his beard.  He had some big moments with the Yankees on their 2009 World Championship run.

ERIC HINSKE
The most obscure player on this list, Hinske is mostly known for winning the 2002 AL Rookie of the Year award with the Blue Jays.  This post started as a way to show off this card which I just received.  Hinske became a role player after a few years and picked up one at-bat for each team in the World Series.  He was with the Red Sox in 2007 and the Yankees in 2009.  He also played in the World Series for the Rays in 2008, making three World Series appearances in three consecutive years, with three different teams.

SAD SAM JONES
Another pitcher with a great nickname, Jones was a very good pitcher with the late 1910's/early 1920's Red Sox and even won 23 games in 1921 for Boston.  He was 16-5 with a 2.25 ERA for the 1918 World Champs and took a loss from the Cubs in the World Series.  He played in three World Series with the Yankees, and was on the 1923 championship team.

BABE RUTH
The Sultan of Swat needs no introduction.  He was on the Red Sox team in 1915, but because that team had such an amazing staff, neither him nor Smoky Joe Wood was even needed in the World Series, though he did appear in a pinch-hitting role.  He did pitch in the 1916 and 1918 World Series with the Red Sox and even set a record with 29 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in the World Series.  Ruth was a four-time World Champion with the Yankees in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932, the last of which was the setting for his famous alleged "Called Shot".

WALLY SCHANG
Schang was a versatile player who spent quite a bit of time behind the plate.  He was something of an underrated player and should be in the Hall of Fame instead of Ray Schalk.  Schang had some good years with both teams and appeared with the Red Sox in the 1918 World Series and the Yankees with the championship team in 1923.  He also won a World Championship with the Philadelphia Athletics.

EVERETT SCOTT
A classic good-fielding, non-hitting middle infielder, Scott started out his career as the starting shortstop for three World Championship Red Sox teams (1915, 1916, 1918).  He was traded to the Yankees after the 1921 season and played on the 1923 World Champion Yankees team.  Scott is mostly well-known for his consecutive games streak which reached 1,307 games which was the record before Lou Gehrig broke it and is still third all-time.

Congratulations San Francisco Giants

The Giants have won their first World Series since moving to San Francisco. Prior to that, the team was located in New York. The New York Giants lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 1912 World Series and would have played them in 1904 had there been a World Series. The Giants last won the World Series against their then-crosstown rivals the Yankees.

Edgar Renteria was named the World Series MVP. Renteria played briefly for Boston in 2005. Expect a post devoted to Edgar Renteria at a later date, but it's kind of a negative post and I would prefer not to criticize at this time.