Finished a Vintage Team Set

Several years ago I targeted the 1959 Topps team set as one I could possibly complete.  It did not feature any real high-priced cards.  There were some stars, but no huge ones (Ted Williams was notably absent) and no big rookie cards (Yastrzemski came the next year).

This Gary Geiger card completed the set.  As could be guessed from the photo, Geiger was new to Boston in 1959.  Hence, no cap.  He was traded by Cleveland prior to the season along with Vic Wertz for fan favorite Jimmy Piersall.  Geiger had trouble staying on the field.  He put up decent numbers during his time in Boston, but was injured a lot.  He also had a little bit of pop in his bat, hitting more than 15 home runs three times.  He also stole more than 15 bases twice.  Geiger had a lot of talent, but injuries made it difficult to harness that talent.  

So this means 1959 Topps is my oldest complete team set, surpassing the 1978 Topps team set.  I really have some work to do with vintage.

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #976

 

Jason Varitek card #976 is the 2021 Topps Archives 1989 Big Foil Blue parallel.  That is a mouthful.  These cards have a blue border, sort of.  Quite frankly, in a certain light the normal cards look like they have a blue border.  Still, it's another card and another step closer to 1,000.

A Rant

I don't really know what happened here.  The Red Sox front office, either through CEO Chaim Bloom or ownership itself, just never really seemed to step up.  Xander Bogaerts is now gone.  Arguably the face of the franchise and certainly the longest tenured player is headed to San Diego.  The contract is massive.  $280 million for eleven years.  I do not blame the Red Sox for not matching that.  Xander is going to be 30 next season and has seen his power numbers dip, and he has never been great defensively.  Certainly he will have to move positions at some point.  But, the fact remains that it never should have gotten this far.  

Boston had the chance to extend him last year.  He wanted an extension.  But they never seemed to take it seriously.  Just like with Jon Lester, they seemed to assume he would just take whatever they offered him.  They could have locked him up for another five years and it would not have hurt them that much.  In the end, it seems their offer was for six with the possibility of adding a year.  But for some crazy reason, the Padres offered eleven.  I have no idea what the Padres are thinking.  They now have three infielders on $300 million contracts, including two shortstops.  And they will have to make a decision regarding Juan Soto.  They are spending money like it is endless.  That's not my concern.  

What is my concern is what Boston does next.  Rafael Devers is now the face of the franchise, if he wasn't before.  But he will be a free agent after 2023.  Is the Boston front office going to step up and lock him up?  If he is allowed to leave, who's left?  They do not have another homegrown star right now.  Matt Barnes has the longest tenure on the team, having been there since 2014, but his hold on a roster spot is tenuous after a major collapse in 2021.  Chris Sale is next, but he has had a hard time staying on the field since 2019 and his surliness is not exactly endearing to the media.  They do have some guys coming up, including Triston Casas and eventually Marcelo Mayer, who is the heir apparent at shortstop.  But those guys are rookies and prospects.  If Devers leaves, this team really has no identity.  Does the front office even care?  It certainly does not seem like it.

We will probably never know how hard the team tried to keep Xander around.  But it sure doesn't look like they tried that hard.  They were blown out of the water by the offer from the Padres.  Sure, that contract is going to look horrible in about five years, but it never should have gotten this far.  If they had taken it seriously last Spring, they may never have been in this position.  Now, they need to step up and treat their one remaining homegrown player right.  Probably even treat him better than right.  Devers should be able to name his price and the front office should say absolutely, yes.  

Boston fans are getting tired of seeing homegrown stars walk out the door.  I know I am.  I have been a fan since 1991.  I have seen Wade Boggs, Ellis Burks, Roger Clemens, Mike Greenwell, Mo Vaughn, Nomar Garciaparra, Trot Nixon, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jon Lester, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Christian Vazquez and now Xander Bogaerts all leave.  It has not always been the same ownership, but the results have been the same.  The team has not stepped up to keep the homegrown stars happy.  Players around the league see that and it makes them less likely to come to Boston.  

The three longest tenured players during my fandom have been David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield.  There is something to be said for the team keeping them around, though they certainly did not make huge long-term deals with any of them.  But all three came from other organizations.  This team is suffering from a massive identity problem and a big part of that comes from how they treat homegrown stars.  The team owes it to its fans to treat their players right.  They can start by extending Devers.  That needs to happen right now.  

Topps Now: October 20, 2021

This was the last Topps Now card from 2021 for the Red Sox.  There was not much to cheer about for Boston on October 20.  They were eliminated from the postseason by the Astros.  But, Rafael Devers hit a home run.  It was his eighth postseason home run.  And Devers had yet to turn 25.  Devers is a special player.  Boston needs to keep him around.

Congratulations Fred McGriff!

On Sunday, the Era Committee met to discuss an eight-player ballot for induction into the Hall of Fame.  Only Fred McGriff was elected.  McGriff was one of my little brother's favorite players when he started watching baseball.  

McGriff played for six teams over 19 seasons.  He came up with the Blue Jays, then played for the Padres, Braves, Devil Rays, Cubs and Dodgers.  He was a five-time All Star and won the Silver Slugger three times.  He led the league in home runs twice and OPS once.  For his career, he hit .284/.377/.509 with 493 home runs and 1,550 RBIs.  The big question is what hat he will wear.  He spent five seasons each with the Blue Jays, Braves and Devil Rays.  He came up with the Blue Jays, but he won a World Series with the Braves and was a bigger star there.  He was the first Devil Rays star and from the Tampa area originally.  I think it very possible he could have no cap on his plaque.

He is a welcome addition to the Hall of Fame, but I would argue he was not the best player on the ballot.  There were three choices that I would argue would have been better picks.  Before I get to them though, who are the also-rans?

Albert Belle played for the Indians, White Sox and Orioles over a 12-year career.  He was a dominant offensive force, but he was forced into early retirement due to injuries (this is going to be a theme).  He hit .295/.369/.580 with 242 home runs.  I do not see him as a realistic Hall of Famer due to the brevity of his career.  Belle was an All Star five times and also won five Silver Sluggers.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Indians

Don Mattingly spent his entire 14-year career with the Yankees, though he has been the manager in recent years for the Dodgers and Marlins.  Mattingly hit .307/.358/.471 with 222 home runs and 1,099 RBIs and was largely considered one of the best players in the mid to late 1980's.  His career went downhill quickly though after 1989 due to nagging injuries.  He was the 1985 AL MVP and was a six-time All Star, three-time Silver Slugger and eight-time Gold Glove winner.  I am not a proponent of Mattingly in the Hall, though he finished second on the ballot.  His numbers for a first-baseman are not that great overall.  But I do think that if he gets in based on how great he was in the 1980's, Nomar Garciaparra also has to get in.  That, I would be okay with.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Yankees

Dale Murphy won back-to-back MVP awards for the Braves in 1982 and 1983.  He also played with the Phillies and Rockies in an 18-year career.  Like Belle and Mattingly though, his numbers took a sharp decline after the 1987 season.  He was a seven-time All Star, four-time Silver Slugger and won the Gold Glove five times.  Murphy hit .265/.346/.469 with 398 home runs and 1,266 RBIs.  He was a 30/30 man in 1983.  Murphy led the league in home runs twice, RBIs twice and OPS once.  Again, I do not see Murphy as a likely Hall of Famer, but in this recent voting history, he could certainly get in.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Braves

Rafael Palmeiro played 20 seasons for the Cubs, Rangers and Orioles.  He spent two stints with both the Rangers and Orioles.  Palmeiro's career was basically over after he became the first high-profile player to be suspended for PED use.  He was a four-time All Star, two-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winner.  Notably, he won one Gold Glove for first base after spending much of the season at DH.  Palmeiro hit .288/.371/.515 with 3,020 career hits, 569 home runs and 1,835 RBIs.  He certainly has the numbers to make it to the Hall, but there is that PED suspension to deal with.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Rangers

Now, for the three players who I think were better than McGriff, but did not get elected.

Barry Bonds is the single-season (73) and all-time (762) home runs leader.  He played 22 seasons with the Pirates and Giants.  He has won seven MVP awards and a 14-time All Star.  He also won 12 Silver Slugger Awards and eight Gold Glove Awards.  He was once one of the best all-around players in the game, then turned into the top hitter in the game.  Bonds of course, was implicated in steroid use in a high-profile court case involving the BALCO lab.  That has largely kept him from being elected to the Hall of Fame and it hurt him on the Eras ballot as well.  Bonds should be in, he is one of the greatest players of all time and he was never actually suspended for PED use.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Giants

Roger Clemens is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, and a seven-time Cy Young Award winner and should have won more.  He pitched 24 seasons in the Majors with the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros.  He was an 11-time All Star and won the 1986 AL MVP award.  He had a career record of 354-184 with 4,672 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.12.  He led the league in wins four times, ERA seven times and strikeouts five times.  Like Bonds, Clemens was implicated as using steroids, primarily by Jose Canseco in his tell-all book and in the Mitchell Report.  Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame, like Bonds.  He was also never actually suspended.  

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Red Sox

Curt Schilling pitched 20 seasons for the Orioles, Astros, Phillies, Diamondbacks and Red Sox.  He was a member of three World Championship teams, including the first Red Sox championship in 86 years.  He never won a Cy Young Award, but finished second three times.  He was an All Star six times.  He led the league in wins twice and strikeouts twice.  He had a career record of 216-146 with an ERA of 3.46 and 3,116 strikeouts.  Schilling finished third on the ballot.  He does not have any steroid allegations against him, but his outspoken personality has led to some questionable comments on social media and elsewhere.  He is his own worst enemy.  That being said, his numbers are certainly Hall-worthy.

IF ELECTED, CAP WOULD BE: Phillies?  Blank is certainly possible.

My other issue with this ballot is the players not on it.  The last time this group was voted on, Lou Whitaker and Dwight Evans did well and looked like they could get in.  They should be in.  Neither was even on the ballot this time.  Bonds, Clemens, Schilling and McGriff just fell off of the BBWAA ballot.  Maybe they should have been kept off a bit longer to look closer at Evans and Whitaker.  Furthermore, Belle does not seem like a likely Hall of Famer and Palmeiro has the positive test to contend with.  All in all, I am happy for McGriff, but particularly disappointed Evans was not on the ballot and Clemens and Schilling did not get elected.  Hey, I am a Red Sox fan.

2021 Stadium Club Chrome Ebay Break

I wish I had a scanner that still works.  I feel bad because a lot of these cards deserve to be seen a little bit better than this picture.  Anyway, I tried out another Ebay break for Stadium Club Chrome.

1.  Tanner Houck.  This is my favorite photo and a big reason I wish I had a better scanner.  Love the full shot at Fenway Park.  Houck was the team's first round pick in 2017.  He should have a more settled role next season, quite possibly out of the bullpen.

2.  Garrett Whitlock.  Whitlock was Boston's best rookie in 2021 and an absolute steal in the Rule 5 Draft.  From the Yankees no less.  Whitlock will likely be a started in 2023.  

3.  Hirokazu Sawamura.  Sawamura was a reliable righty from Japan in 2021.  He had some decent moments in 2022, but was eventually released in a purge of relievers who were ineffective.  Somehow, Ryan Brasier still had a job.

4.  Ted Williams.  I always enjoy it when The Splendid Splinter makes an appearance.  Easily the franchise's top player of all time.

5.  Manny Ramirez.  I love this shot too.  Manny is still waiting on his call to the Hall, but it may be a long time given his PED ties.

6.  Xander Bogaerts.  I still love these uniforms.  Bogaerts is Boston's biggest free agent this offseason and will hopefully be brought back.

7.  Rafael Devers.  Probably Boston's biggest star of the moment, the Red Sox need to lock him up too.

8.  David Ortiz.  Ortiz is Boston's most recent Hall of Famer and is one of just a couple of players who have played for four Red Sox World Championship teams. 

9.  Alex Verdugo.  Verdugo came on strong in the second half of 2022.  Hopefully he can build on that in 2023 and finally break out.

10.  Bobby Dalbec.  My only insert from the break is this Dalbec card.  It was recently revealed Dalbec is on the trade block.  I have been saying that for awhile.

Knuckleballer Relic

Showing off another relic I purchased.  I do not have a lot of Tim Wakefield relics, primarily because I do not think there were a lot.  Wakefield was one of the more memorable Red Sox players during my lifetime.  Knuckleballers are so rare.  Since his retirement, we have had R.A. Dickey, Steven Wright and very briefly a couple of other players.  I think Mickey Jannis is the last one I recall.  We need a new full-time knuckleballer.

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #'s 974 and 975

 A couple of Variteks are up next:

1.  2021 Topps Archives 1989 Big Foil.  Topps resurrected this design for reasons I cannot quite comprehend, though they are the standard size.  It was good to see a few Variteks pop up.

2.  2021 Topps Japan MLB in Japan.  This was a pretty cool card to pop up last year.  Varitek played in Japan as part of the Red Sox team that opened the 2008 season in Japan against the Athletics.  

I am now 25 cards away from the goal.

Former First Rounder Relics

Today's post is a couple of relics of former first round draft picks of the Red Sox.  Neither player is still with the team.  One of them was markedly better than the other.

1.  Deven Marrero.  I remember watching the draft on TV the year Marrero was Boston's first pick and being wholly unimpressed with the pick.  Marrero was a good-fielding, but light-hitting shortstop.  Nevertheless, Marrero made it to the Majors in 2015.  He spent parts of three seasons with the Red Sox and lived up to his reputation.  In those years, he hit just .208/.259/.309 with five home runs, 30 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 109 games.  He was good defensively though.

2.  Andrew Benintendi.  The seventh overall pick in the 2015 Draft looked like he was going to be a star.  He rocketed through the minors and made it to Boston by second half of the 2016 season.  He finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote in 2017 after hitting .271/.352/.424 with 20 home runs, 90 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.  He started off the 2018 great but cooled off considerably in the second half.  He was never the same again in Boston.  He ended up playing through the 2020 season in Boston before being traded to the Royals.  His stats with Boston ended up being a line of .273/.353/.435 with 51 home runs, 53 stolen bases and 260 RBIs.  Certainly decent, but not quite what was expected of him.  He is a free agent this offseason after being traded to the Yankees at the trading deadline.  It will be interesting to see where he ends up next.

Boston Sapphire Sox

I bought a couple of the Sapphire cards from last year, which is not something I do frequently.

1.  Christian Vazquez.  I had to grab Vazquez as he was one of my favorite players, up until he was traded to the Astros at the trading deadline.  That deal really upset me.  Vazquez had been one of my favorites for the last several years and it took me by surprise that they would trade him away.  I am hoping for a reunion, but not expecting one.

2.  Marwin Gonzalez.  I know he was terrible in Boston, but there were not a lot of cards of him.  I like to get cards of players that are kind of rare.  This card is also one that did not have a regular version in Chrome.  So that was another reason to get it.

Project 70: Xander Bogaerts by Lauren Taylor

I discussed this a little bit before.  My favorite artist from the Project 70 set was easily Lauren Taylor.  Her artwork is incredible.  Luckily, she also did a couple of Red Sox cards.  I showed off the All Star card of Rafael Devers with Nolan Arenado earlier this year.  She did one of Xander Bogaerts as well.  It was a very easy decision to grab this one.  It's a terrific-looking card.

Topps must have agreed with how great Lauren Taylor's artwork is.  She ended up doing a small set this year.  I picked up the Red Sox cards and will show them off when I receive them.

Christmas Breaks

Last Christmastime, I picked up a couple loose rack packs of Panini Mozaic and blasters of Archives and the holiday Topps brand.  Here are the breaks:

1.  Chris Sale.  This is the Topps Big Foil card of Sale.  Unfortunately, the last couple years have been injury-plagued for the ace southpaw.  That has certainly not helped much.  Hopefully he will be back at full strength next season, or at least stay on the mound for the most par.

2.  Ted Williams.  I always enjoy when The Splendid Splinter makes an appearance, and it helps that this is not a picture that I have seen a million times before.

3.  Kyle Schwarber.  Man, I wish Boston would have re-signed him after the season.  He led the National League in home runs this year for the Phillies.  It would have been nice to have that kind of power in Boston this year.  He made an impact in his short stint in Boston.

4.  Wade Boggs.  This was the best card from the breaks.  An insert that was also a foil parallel of The Chicken Man.  Boggs, as I have said many times, was my first favorite player.  The first couple years of my collection, he was the player I picked up the most.

5.  Xander Bogaerts.  I am hoping that Boston will lock Bogaerts up.  This has been a frustrating offseason thus far, waiting for positive news on that front.

6.  Bobby Dalbec.  I really wanted Dalbec to succeed this year, but he took a big step backwards from last season.  There were times he looked utterly lost at the plate, and he struggled in the field as well.  I am not sure we will see him in Boston in 2023.

7.  Rafael Devers.  Devers is another player I want to see locked up for the long term this offseason.  Unlike Bogaerts, he is not a free agent, but he will be after 2023.

8.  Alex Verdugo.  Verdugo is my pick for the player most likely to have a breakout in 2023.  He has a lot of talent, but just has not quite harnessed it yet.  

9.  J.D. Martinez.  After Jose Abreu signed with Houston, I would not be surprised to see Martinez re-sign with Boston for a lesser dollar amount.  He has been one of the most successful free agent signings in team history.  In his five seasons in Boston, he hit .292/.363/.526 with 130 home runs and 423 RBIs.  He was an All Star four times and won two Silver Sluggers (both in the same season).

Topps Now: October 10, 2021

I know these things are really out of order.  This is the order I received them.  Anyway, October 10 was Game 3 of the ALDS against the Rays in Fenway Park.  Boston won 6-4, bringing them one win away from winning the ALDS.

1.  Enrique Hernandez.  Hernandez continued his hot hitting in Game 3, tying a postseason record with seven straight hits.

2.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Eovaldi threw five innings, giving up two runs, walking a batter and striking out eight.  He did not figure in the decision.

3.  Nick Pivetta.  This was my first Pivetta card in my collection, so I had to have it.  Pivetta pitched four scoreless innings in relief, scattering three hits and a walk, while striking out seven batters.  Pivetta was a joy to watch in this game as his excitement was infectious.

4.  Christian Vazquez.  Vazquez slammed a walk-off home run in the 13th inning.  It was an incredible moment for the catcher.

COMC Order: Underrated Players of the Year

Last year I decided to go through and buy one new card of each player that I have named the Underrated Player of the Year, like yesterday's post.  I was not able to find a card I did not already have of two of those players.  I will get to that later.  I thought it would be kind of fun.

1.  Joe Hesketh (1991).  Hesketh was a jack-of-all-trades type pitcher in 1991.  He pitched in 39 games, starting 17 of them and had a record of 12-4.  He led the league in winning percentage.  He pitched to a 3.29 ERA in 153.1 innings pitched.   He struck out 104 batters while walking 53.

2.  Brandon Workman (2019).  Workman moved into the closer's role in 2019 rather surprisingly.  He pitched in 73 games, notching 16 saves.  But, his other numbers were truly impressive.  In 71.2 innings pitched, he had a record of 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA.  He struck out 104 batters while walking 45.  

3.  Stan Belinda (1995).  The longtime Pirates' reliever was the Red Sox primary setup man in 1995.  He had a 3.10 ERA, and a record of 8-1 in 63 games pitched.  Over 69.2 innings, he struck out 57 and walked 28.  He also picked up ten saves over the season, helping to bridge the gap until Boston acquired Rick Aguilera.

4.  Jeff Frye (1997).  Utility player Frye played in a career-high 127 games, playing every position position except pitcher and catcher.  Most of those games were at second base.  Frye hit .312/.352/.433.  Not gifted with a lot of power, he hit three home runs and two triples, but he did have 36 doubles.  Frye scored 56 runs, drove in 51 and stole a career-high 19 bases.

5.  Wily Mo Pena (2006).  Pena had huge power, but generally not much else.  In his first year in Boston though, he hit a career-high .301/.349/.489.  He hit 11 home runs in just 84 games played.  I saw him play in Kansas City that year and he hit a home run that almost left the stadium.  

6.  Reggie Jefferson (1996).  In Jefferson's second season in Boston, he played in 122 games with 418 plate appearances.  He split time between designated hitter and left field, with some first base thrown in.  His bat was always promising and he broke out with a line of .347/.388/.593 with a career-high 19 home runs and 74 RBIs, also contributing 30 doubles, four triples and 67 runs scored.

7.  Tom Brunansky (1992).  Bruno never really contributed the power numbers he was expected to in Boston, but he was easily the team's best hitter in 1992.  He hit .266/.354/.445 and led the team in OPS (.799), home runs (15) and RBIs (74).  It was not a great year for Red Sox hitters, but Brunansky was not the problem.

8.  Ken Ryan (1994).  Ryan looked like the Red Sox closer of the future after taking over for the ineffective Jeff Russell.  In 42 games, he had a 2-3 record with a 2.44 ERA and 13 saves.  He struck out 32 and walked 17 in 48 innings pitched.    

9.  Ryan Brasier (2018).  In the World Championship season of 2018, Brasier became one of the most reliable relievers on the team.  In his rookie season, he pitched in 30 games, 33.2 innings, and had a record of 2-0 with a 1.60 ERA.  He struck out 29 and walked just seven.  He had a WHIP of 0.772.

10.  Brock Holt (2014).  Holt's rookie year saw him finish eighth in the Rookie of the Year vote.  He played all over the field, except for pitcher and catcher and hit .281/.331/.381.  He hit four home runs, driving in 29 runs and stealing 12 bases.  He also had 23 doubles, five triples and 68 runs scored.  

11.  Casey Fossum (2002).  Fossum's second season in the Majors saw him pitch in a variety of roles.  He had a 5-4 record in 43 games, starting 12 and even picked up his first career save.  He had an ERA of 3.46 in 106.2 innings pitched, striking out 101 and walking 30.  

12.  Brian Daubach (1999).  Daubach finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote as a 27-year-old.  In 110 games, he hit .294/.360/.562.  He had 112 hits, 61 runs scored, 33 doubles, three triples and drove in 73 runs.  He also launched 21 home runs, while playing mostly first base and designated hitter.

13.  Joe Kelly (2017).  After several seasons of middling success as a starter, Kelly settled in as the Red Sox primary setup man.  He pitched in 58 innings over 54 games and had a 2.79 ERA and a record of 4-1.  Kelly struck out 52 batters while walking 27.  

14.  Daniel Nava (2013).  Nava mostly platooned in left field and right field, with some games at first base in 2013.  He had his finest offensive season, playing in 134 games and hitting .303/.385/.445.  He hit 29 doubles, 12 home runs and drove in 66 runs.  He scored 77 and had a career-high 139 hits.

15.  Alfredo Aceves (2011).  The Yankee cast-off threw 114 innings over 55 games pitched in 2011.  He started four but also picked up two saves.  He had a record of 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA, striking out 80 while walking 42.

16.  Tony Graffanino (2005).  Graffanino was Boston's primary trade deadline acquisition, picked up from the Royals.  He solidified second base for the team.  In 51 games, he hit .319/.355/.457 with four home runs, 12 doubles and 20 RBIs.  He also stole four bases and scored 39 runs.

17.  Enrique Hernandez (2021).  I just covered him yesterday.  Hernandez started out as a utility player but eventually became a great defensive center fielder.  He also hit .250/.337/.449 with 20 home runs, 35 doubles, three triples, 60 RBIs and 84 runs scored.

18.  Doug Mirabelli (2001).  After Jason Varitek's season-ending injury and Scott Hatteberg's inability to throw out runners, Boston acquired Mirabelli from the Rangers.  He played in 54 games, hitting .270/.360/.518 with nine home runs and 26 home runs and was adept at throwing out base runners.

19.  Justin Masterson (2008).  Masterson's rookie year saw him make it into 36 games, starting nine, and pitching 88.1 innings.  He had a 6-5 record with a 3.16 ERA.  Masterson struck out 68 while walking 40.  

20.  Rich Garces (2000).  El Guapo was a fan favorite in Boston.  2000 was the year he pitched the most, making in into 64 games and throwing 74.2 innings.  He had a record of 8-1 with a 3.25 ERA as the primary setup man.  Garces struck out 69 and walked 23.

21.  Mark Bellhorn (2004).  Bellhorn led the league in strikeouts with 177, setting a then team record, but he had a successful season.  He hit .264/.373/.444 with 17 home runs as the team's second-baseman.  He walked 88 times, scored 93 runs and drove in 82 while also knocking 37 doubles and three triples.  Curt Schilling appears on the card as well, and Schilling has another shot at Cooperstown in a few days.

22.  Kevin Plawecki (2020).  Backup catcher Plawecki had a terrific season at the plate in the pandemic-shortened season.  He hit .341/.393/.463 with one home run and 17 RBIs, also notching five doubles, a triple, a stolen base and eight runs in 24 games.

23.  Don Schwall.  Okay, this one doesn't fit in with the rest of the cards, but it is an oddball of a player who is not well-represented in my collection.  Schwall won the 1961 Rookie of the Year after finishing with a 15-7 record, 3.22 ERA and 91 strikeouts.  He was never as effective again.

24.  Sandy Leon (2016).  Leon came out of nowhere to solidify the catcher position.  In 78 games, he hit .310/.369/.476 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs.  He scored 36 runs and hit 17 doubles with two triples.  He was also effective behind the plate, catching 41% of attempted base stealers.

25.  Greg Harris (1993).  Harris set a then-team record by pitching in 80 games in 1993.  Primarily a setup man, Harris did pick up eight saves and had a record of 6-7 with a 3.77 ERA.  He pitched 112.1 innings, striking out 103 and walking 60.

26.  Travis Shaw (2015).  Shaw was never really a top prospect, but he emerged in 2015 as the team's first-baseman down the stretch.  His rookie season saw him play in 65 games, but hit 13 home runs with a line of .270/.327/.487.  He drove in 36 runs while scoring 31.  

27.  Bill Mueller (2003).  Mueller won the Silver Slugger in 2003 and won the batting title.  He still managed to be underrated.  In his best season, the third-baseman hit .326/.398/.540 with 19 home runs, 45 doubles, five triples, 85 runs scored and 85 RBIs.

28.  Manny Delcarmen (2007).  Boston native Delcarmen was one of the World Champion team's top relievers.  He pitched in 44 games with 44 innings pitched and notched a save.  He had a 0-0 record and struck out 41 batters while walking 17.  He had a 1.023 WHIP.

29.  Ramon Ramirez (2009).  Acquired in a trade for Coco Crisp prior to the season, Ramirez was one of the team's top relievers in 2009 with a record of 7-4.  He had an ERA of 2.84 in 69.2 innings pitched over 70 games pitched.  He struck out 52 and walked 32.  It was kind of cool finding a silk card of such an obscure player.

30.  Franklin Morales (2012).  Morales filled a variety of roles, starting nine games and saving one among his 37 games pitched.  He threw 76.1 innings with a 3-4 record and 3.77 ERA.  He struck out 76 and walked 30.

Notably missing from these cards are two players: Jim Corsi (1998) and Darnell McDonald (2010).  Both players have very few Red Sox cards.  

Underrated Player of the Year: 2021

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

This is an excuse to show off the Living Set card of Enrique Hernandez that released after his terrific performance in the 2021 postseason.  

Hernandez originally came up with the Astros before being traded to the Marlins, and then later, the Dodgers.  He developed a reputation with the Dodgers for being a great defensive player at a number of positions and playing well in the post-season.  Boston signed him to a two-year deal to capitalize on his defensive versatility.

He started the season slow, and played a variety of positions early on.  As the season wore on though, he settled into the leadoff slot in the batting order and became the primary center fielder.  Hernandez was one of the best defensive center fielders in the game and would end up winning the Fielding Bible award for utility players.  He was a year too early to win the new Gold Glove for utility players.  

His hitting number were also impressive.  In 134 games, Hernandez hit .250/.337/.449.  He contributed 35 doubles, three triples and 20 home runs.  Hernandez notched 127 hits, scored 84 runs and drove in 60 runs.

It was the postseason where Hernandez really shined.  He tied a team record with five home runs in a single postseason among his 20 hits.  He drove in nine runs, including the ALDS clinching run.  He had four doubles, a triple and scored eight runs.  Overall, it was an extremely impressive first season for Hernandez.  

Topps Now: October 18, 2021

The last win of the 2021 season for the Red Sox came in Game 3 of the ALCS when Boston beat the Astros 9-2.  At the time, they took a 2-1 lead in the Series.  But it was all downhill from there.

1.  Kyle Schwarber.  Schwarber hit a grand slam in the third inning off of Jose Urquidy.  That was pretty much all the Red Sox needed.

2.  Kyle Schwarber/Rafael Devers/J.D. Martinez.  Boston became the first team in postseason history to have three grand slams in one series.  Each of the players depicted connected for a bases-loaded bomb.

3.  Christian Arroyo/J.D. Martinez.  Arroyo and Martinez each homered in the game.  Arroyo drove in three runs in the game.  Martinez had two hits, including a homer and a double and drove in two runs.

4.  Enrique Hernandez.  Hernadez had two more hits in the game, giving him 17 in a six-game span.

5.  Hunter Renfroe.  Renfroe made a sliding catch to put the game away for the Red Sox

Topps Now: October 5, 2021

October 5, 2021 was the Wild Card Game in which the Red Sox hosted the Yankees at Fenway Park.  The game was somewhat one-sided.  Boston won 6-2, scoring two runs in the first inning and never looking back.

1.  Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts homered in the first inning, driving in Rafael Devers to take an early 2-0 lead.  

2.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Eovaldi, the former Yankee, got the start and lived up to his reputation as a big-game pitcher.  He threw 5.1 innings, giving up just one run while striking out eight batters and walking none.

3.  Kyle Schwarber.  Schwarber homered in the third inning.  His solo shot was eventually the game winner.

4.  Kevin Plawecki.  In a terrific defensive play, Enrique Hernandez fielded a Giancarlo Stanton liner off the wall, threw a perfect strike to relay man Xander Bogaerts, who nailed Aaron Judge trying to score.  It was the play of the game.

5.  Alex Verdugo.  Verdugo has developed a reputation as a Yankee killer.  He had two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs.

Topps X Sports Illustrated Cover

Okay, I had to grab this one.  I have not paid much attention to the other online sets from Topps.  Of course, I grab the Topps Now cards and the Turn Back the Clock cards.  I occasionally grab some of the other ones (Living Set went through a time where a lot of Red Sox cards were issued) and I have grabbed a Sports Illustrated card in the past.  But by and large, there have been very interesting cards. 

This one, I had to get.  Carlton Fisk is one of my favorite Red Sox of all time, even though I never saw him play with Boston.  I did get to see him while with the White Sox the last few years of his career. 

2021 Topps Update Blaster Break

Even though I already had the 2021 Topps Update team set, I decided to take a shot at a blaster to see if I could get some inserts or parallels.  Surprisingly, the gamble worked out okay:

Was it worth the cost of the blaster?  Probably not, but I added a nice insert of David Ortiz.  A die-cut insert at that.  Ortiz, of course, is the newest Red Sox player to be elected to the Hall of Fame.  Hopefully it won't be too long before the next one.  

2021 Topps Archives Blaster (or Two)

I do not remember if this was one or two blasters.  Archives is one of the sets that I look forward to every year, primarily due to the Fan Favorites autograph set.  2021's set only featured Nomar Garciaparra, who was a rarer pull.  I have yet to get that one, and do not see paying out three figures for it.  Anyway, here are the pulls:

1.  Carl Yastrzemski.  I love any chance to see the late 1970's uniforms, particularly the red hats.  My first Red Sox hat was one of these.  

2.  Tanner Houck.  Houck is a pitcher who has yet to find a set role in Boston.  At times this last season, he was a starter and at other times a closer.  Coming in to 2023, he will likely be in the bullpen.  Houck has an absolutely filthy slider.

3.  Rafael Devers.  Reports are encouraging that Boston will lock up Devers for a long-term contract.

4.  David Ortiz.  Ortiz was elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot this year.  A well-deserved honor for one of the most important players in Red Sox history.

5.  Alex Verdugo.  In the second half of 2022, Verdugo finally started to show some of the talent that made him a target in the Mookie Betts deal.  Hopefully he can build on it for 2023 and break through.

6.  Bobby Dalbec.  Dalbec may be trade bait this offseason.