Underrated Player of the Year: 2004

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.

Boston had been having a lot of trouble finding a long term solution at second base.  Bellhorn did not really fix that problem as he had one good year in 2004 then struggled a lot before being released in 2005.  

Bellhorn hit .264/.373/.444 for the World Champions.  It was his ability to get on base that made the team pick him up and he definitely came through.  Bellhorn drew 88 walks that year, a surprising number and a career high by quite a bit.  He also hit 17 home runs and drove in 82 runs while playing good defense at second.  He did strike out 177 times, a team record, but he was by and large a very productive player.

Finally, he showed up in a big way in the postseason, hitting two crucial home runs against the Yankees in the ALCS and hitting .300/.563/.700 in the World Series with the go-ahead home run in Game 1 against the Cardinals.

Unfortunately, he was not nearly as productive in 2005 and was given his release.

Spring Training Has Begun

I can't wait for this season.  Last season ended miserably, but the team picked up a bunch of new players who should provide steady, if not great production.

Lyle Overbay was recently inked to a minor league deal, but I don't think he will make the team.  Here is my prediction for the 25 man roster to start the season:

PITCHER:
Alfredo Aceves
Daniel Bard
Craig Breslow
Clay Buchholz
Ryan Dempster
Felix Doubront
Joel Hanrahan
John Lackey
Jon Lester
Andrew Miller
Junichi Tazawa
Koji Uehara

CATCHER:
David Ross
Jarrod Saltalamacchia

INFIELD:
Pedro Ciriaco
Stephen Drew
Brock Holt
Will Middlebrooks
Mike Napoli
David Ortiz
Dustin Pedroia

OUTFIELD:
Jacoby Ellsbury
Jonny Gomes
Daniel Nava
Shane Victorino

I am predicting trades of Franklin Morales and Andrew Bailey by the end of Spring Training.

The New Acquisitions

For the first post back, let's take a look at the new members of the Red Sox:

C - DAVID ROSS
Ross was signed for two years and $6.2 million.  This is probably the best signing of the offseason for the team.  Ross provides veteran leadership behind the plate in a platoon role.  The big question will be whether he platoons with Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway.

1B/C/DH - MIKE NAPOLI
Napoli was signed for one year and $5 million.  He has a bat seemingly tailor-made for Fenway Park and should knock more than a few balls out of the park.  It will be interesting to see if there are any lingering ill will effects from having to renegotiate his original three year $39 million contract.

IF - BROCK HOLT
Holt was acquired in a trade with the Pirates along with Joel Hanrahan.  Holt has had limited Major League experience but has shown a decent eye at the plate.  He could stick in a bench role.

SS - STEPHEN DREW
Drew signed as a free agent for one year and $9.5 million.  This one does not make much sense to me.  Drew blocks Jose Iglesias at shortstop and is being paid too much when his numbers have been on the decline for a couple of years.  Yes he has had injury concerns, but this still does not make a lot of sense.

RF - SHANE VICTORINO
Victorino was signed as a free agent for three years and $39 million.  He is coming off his worst season as a regular which saw the popular outfielder traded from the Phillies to the Dodgers.  He did steal 39 bases, but his other numbers across the board were down.  It will be difficult for Victorino to live up to his contract.

LF/DH - JONNY GOMES
Gomes was signed as a free agent for two years and $10 million.  Gomes has been a journeyman bat, usually off the bench.  He was once a major antagonist in fights with the Rays so it was a little surprising that he signed with the Red Sox.  This is a little bit of a reach in terms of money, but Gomes should provide some power.  He is very capable of hitting 20 home runs.

SP - RYAN DEMPSTER
Dempster signed for two years and $26.5 million as a free agent.  Boston attempted to acquire Dempster a couple of times throughout the 2012 season.  He was traded from the Cubs to the Rangers at the trading deadline.  Dempster's numbers promptly declined coming to the American League.  Boston is hoping he will learn from those mistakes.  He will not be expected to be a top of the rotation starter which takes some pressure off.

RP - KOJI UEHARA
Uehara signed for one year and $4.25 million.  He is a control pitcher from the bullpen, further strengthening what has already become a powerful weapon for the team.

RP - JOEL HANRAHAN
Hanrahan was acquired in a trade with the Pirates along with Brock Holt.  Hanrahan is expected to take over as the team's closer.  He had decent numbers with the Pirates when the team was contending last year, but those took a slide with the team's fortunes.  He should be fun to watch.

The big concern that I have is that a lot of the signings block players that were seemingly ready for the Major Leagues in 2013.  Ross and Napoli block Ryan Lavarnway.  Drew blocks Jose Iglesias.  Gomes and Victorino block Ryan Kalish.  Lavarnway, Iglesias, and Kalish are not expected to be superstars, but they deserve a shot to see if they could stick at the Major League level.

I Have Not Written in Awhile So...

Well last year ended terribly and I just got so frustrated with the team that I gave up on writing.  I still followed the team through to the end, but I just could not stand spending time writing.  I will give it a shot to get back into it.

Red Sox - Dodgers Mega Deal

First the details:

Dodgers get:
Josh Beckett
Carl Crawford
Adrian Gonzalez
Nick Punto
12 million dollars

Red Sox get:
James Loney
Allen Webster
Rubby De La Rosa
Ivan De Jesus
Jerry Sands

Now this is mostly a sign that the Red Sox are blowing up the team and starting over.  Beckett, Crawford, and Gonzalez were their three highest-paid players and potentially all had bad contracts moving forward.  The players the Red Sox received are not stars, though Webster and De La Rosa both have potential.  This was a way for Boston to clear a ton of salary.  The Red Sox will only pay $12 million of the contracts on the four players they are moving, thus saving nearly $260 million through 2017.

This is bittersweet for me.  On the one hand, I am happy they are doing something to move forward.  On the other, I have never seen the Red Sox pull this kind of thing before.  A complete rebuilding without clear replacements for the players lost.  Loney will take over at first, but his numbers are not impressive and he will be a free agent after the season.  Boston does not have a clear first base prospect in the minors after trading Anthony Rizzo for Gonzalez and Lars Anderson earlier this season.  Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia could spend some time there and Mike Napoli will be on the market this offseason.

R.I.P. Johnny Pesky

Mr. Red Sox has passed away recently at the age of 92.  He was a great player for the team in the 1940's and 1950's and he kept coming to Spring Training even up to this year.  Pesky will be missed.

Kelly Shoppach Traded

Backup catcher Kelly Shoppach, who has quietly turned in a nice season for the Red Sox was traded to the New York Mets for Pedro Beato.  Shoppach was rumored to be behind some clubhouse dissension.  He was also ultimately expendable because he was a backup catcher and Ryan Lavarnway has done all he could in the minor leagues.  It is time to give Lavarnway a chance at full-time work in Boston.  Beato is a bullpen arm who was sent to the minor leagues for the time being.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt. 16: Carl Mays

The Hall of Fame has inducted many players who were borderline choices, and many players who deserve induction have been on the outside looking in. I want to look at some players to determine if they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

Carl Mays comes up in discussions when the Veteran's Committee votes on Deadball Era players. Mays pitched from 1915 through 1929, with his first several seasons with the Red Sox. Mays also pitched for the Yankees, Reds, and Giants.

Mays was a very good pitcher, winning 20 games five times. He finished with a record of 208 -126 with a 2.92 career ERA. Certainly good numbers, but perhaps not quite Hall-worthy.

What really hurts Carl Mays's candidacy however is that one of his pitches killed Ben Chapman. Mays's pitch hit Chapman in the head and he remains the only player to die from an injury sustained in a baseball game. Mays was apparently not remorseful enough about it for this black mark to ever be erased.

THE VERDICT: He is a borderline choice to begin with and the Chapman situation does not help.

Wheeling and Dealing

Boston was not terribly active at last week's trading deadline, but given their record that was probably for the best.  They did make a couple of small moves leading up to the deadline and then made one more move today.

JOSE DE LA TORRE
Boston traded Brent Lillibridge to the Indians for De La Torre.  Lillibridge was acquired in the Youkilis trade but was designated for assignment after not playing well for a few games.  De La Torre is a middle reliever in AAA who has put up some decent numbers this year, but at 26, does not have an especially bright future.  He will probably serve as organizational depth and get a call-up occasionally.

CRAIG BRESLOW
The biggest deadline deal for the Red Sox was sending Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Craig Breslow.  Breslow is a left-handed reliever who previously had a stint with the Red Sox back in 2006.  Breslow allows the Red Sox to move Franklin Morales into the rotation permanently.

STEVEN WRIGHT
Lars Anderson was sent to the Indians to get 27 year-old AA knuckleballer Steven Wright.  Wright has put up decent numbers this year but is old for the league.  He will also likely serve as organizational depth.

DANNY VALENCIA
Today, the Red Sox traded Rookie Leaguer Jeremias Pineda for third baseman Danny Valencia.  I think this likely means the end of Nick Punto in Boston.  Valencia has a lot of power, but not much else.  Pineda is 21 and still in the Rookie League, so he likely does not have a lot of potential despite decent numbers.

Season in Review: 1992

I have no idea what happened between 1991 and 1992.  The offense struggled quite a bit, and that was probably most of it.  Maybe it was the new manager as Butch Hobson took over for the popular Joe Morgan.  Boston finished in last place in 1992.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS:
Wade Boggs:
Boggs had the worst season of his career in 1992, finishing with a career low .259/.353/.358 slash line.  He was still voted onto the All Star team, but his numbers across the board were down.  It may have been the stress of having his contract up after the season.  He left Boston after the season to join the hated Yankees.

Tom Brunansky:
Brunansky had his best season as a member of the Red Sox in 1992, even though it was still a far cry from his earlier work with the Twins and Cardinals.  He did have the only above-average season by a starting Red Sox position player as he hit .266/.354/.445 and lead the Red Sox in home runs (15), doubles (31), and RBIs (74).

Ellis Burks:
Burks was plagued by injuries in 1992, but generally played well when he was in the lineup.  Burks hit .255/.327/.417 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs and five stolen bases in just 66 games.  When he was out of the lineup, Boston had to scramble to find a replacement.

Roger Clemens:
Clemens is one of the few players that really had a good year in 1992.  Clemens finished third in the Cy Young race that year and 14th in the MVP race.  He also was named an All Star.  He finished the season at 18-11 with a league-leading 2.41 ERA and 208 strikeouts.  He also lead the league in shutouts and WHIP.

Mo Vaughn:
Vaughn started to reach his potential in 1992 after a difficult rookie season in 1991.  He was not quite the hitter he was expected to be yet, but he did finish second on the team in home runs (13) and RBIs (57).  He put together a slash line of .234/.326/.400, not great numbers, but he was starting to show some improvement.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Billy Hatcher:
Hatcher was acquired by the Red Sox from the Reds in July for Tom Bolton.  He immediately brought an infusion of speed to the Red Sox and even pulled off a steal of home in 1992.  He hit .238/.282/.311 in 75 games for the Red Sox.

Jeff Reardon:
Reardon broke the career saves record in 1992, one of the first big individual accomplishments I remember as a fan of the Red Sox.  Reardon did not have a great season in 1992, but he did save 27 games.  He was traded to the Braves at the August trading deadline.

Jody Reed:
Reed was another hitter who declined in 1992, but he still lead the team in a number of categories, such as hits (136), runs (64), and stolen bases (7), while continuing to play steady defense.  Reed hit .247/.321/.316 in 1992, with only 27 doubles after three straight seasons of more than 40.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION:
Frank Viola:
Viola came to the Red Sox as a free agent in 1992 from the Mets.  He was a 20 game winner in 1990 but his numbers dipped a bit in 1991.  Left-handers have not historically done well in Fenway, but Viola managed to go 13-12 with a 3.44 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 238 innings to make an effective number two starter to Roger Clemens.

FAVORITE ROOKIE:
Scott Cooper:
Cooper had been a highly-touted infielder for awhile and he made it to the big leagues full-time in 1993.  He split his time between first base and third base and hit .276/.346/.383 with five home runs and 33 RBIs.  He also showed a very strong throwing arm.  He would make a lot of errors but that had more to do with Vaughn's erratic defense than Cooper's.

1991 Topps #21 Joe Morgan

In this series, I look at my first team set: 1991 Topps.  This was the set I started my baseball card collection with.

One of the first things that really stuck out to me about Topps, as opposed to the other brands released in 1991, was the fact that Topps created cards of managers.  Joe Morgan, not to be confused with the Reds great player, was a reasonably successful manager, helping the Red Sox to division titles in 1988 and 1990.  Both years they were eliminated easily by the Oakland Athletics.  1990 was a down year for the offense, but Morgan rode a surprisingly effective pitching staff to the division title.  He got career years from Tom Bolton and Dana Kiecker, as well as good seasons from Roger Clemens, Mike Boddicker, and Greg Harris.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2003

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. 

Wow did Bill Mueller come out of nowhere to have a great year in 2003. Mueller had always been a solid, if unspectacular player, over the years. He had played with the Giants and Cubs before going to the Red Sox as a free agent in 2003.

His play in 2003 though was completely unexpected. Mueller surpassed expectations and caused Shea Hillenbrand to be expendable. He was a talented defensive third-baseman and set career highs in virtually every offensive category. Along the way, he won the Silver Slugger, the batting title, and hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in one game.

Mueller hit .326/.398/.540 with 19 home runs, 85 RBIs, and 85 runs scored. He finished twelfth in the MVP vote.

Week in Review: July 15-July 21

The week started off reasonably well with a win in the final game of the Rays series, and taking three out of four from the White Sox.  Then the Blue Jays came to town and the Red Sox seem to have massive problems with them.  The Jays won the first two games of the series to close out the week.

Jon Lester's terrible season continues as he looked horrible against the White Sox.  Josh Beckett and Aaron Cook also had trouble with the Blue Jays.

The week started promisingly enough with Carl Crawford being activated from the disabled list finally and Dustin Pedroia came back later in the week.  Brent Lillibridge and Mauro Gomez were jettisoned to make room for them.  Crawford contributed three stolen bases in the loss to the White Sox.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Cody Ross hit three three-run home runs over the course of the week and could be named Player of the Week for the AL.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2002

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.

Casey Fossum emerged as a full-time pitcher for the Red Sox in 2002. He was never really a top prospect, he just kind of arrived. Fossum was very versatile in his time with the Red Sox and this was the year that he showed this versatilty the most. Fossum pitched in 43 games in 2002, starting twelve, finishing thirteen, and coming in somewhere in the middle in the other nineteen.

Fossum generally pitched pretty well too. He went 5-4 with a 3.46 ERA and 101 strikeouts in just over 106 innings. Decent numbers for someone without a clear role. He did walk a lot of batters and gave up a lot of hits, but he mostly limited the damage.

Fossum would later be the key piece the Diamondbacks got in the Curt Schilling trade, but he never pitched as well as he did in 2002.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 24: Trot Nixon

Trot Nixon was not a completely unknown player. He was the seventh overall pick in the 1993 draft and of course he was a big player on the 2004 World Champion Red Sox. But Nixon did not develop into the player he was expected to be when he was drafted and he was never an All Star. Nixon never received a single MVP vote. He played well, but he mostly played under the radar.

Nixon had a couple of brief stints with the Red Sox in 1996 and 1998 before making the big leagues for good in 1999. He immediately showed the kind of player he would become with a high on-base percentage, some power, and strong defense. Nixon emerged as a very good player in 2001 when he hit .280/.376/.505 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. He was one of the most consistent offensive players on the team that year.

He had a similar power year in 2002, but his batting average and on-base percentage dropped. Then in 2003, he had his best season, hitting .306/.396/.578 with 28 home runs and 87 RBIs. He finished in the top ten that year in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Yet he was not an All Star or received an MVP vote, even though the Red Sox were in contention that year.

Injuries started to take their toll in 2004, though he was healthy by the time the World Series came around and he hit .357/.400/.507 in the Series. He was back to being a regular in 2005, but his numbers were not as impressive and they declined even more in 2006. The Red Sox let him go to Cleveland after the season signing the similar J.D. Drew instead. Nixon was done as a regular though and did not play much with the Indians. He ended his career with 11 games with the Mets in 2008.

Nixon is the original Boston Dirt Dog and he will always be remembered fondly.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt. 15: Smoky Joe Wood

The Hall of Fame has inducted many players who were borderline choices, and many players who deserve induction have been on the outside looking in. I want to look at some players to determine if they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

"Can I throw harder than Joe Wood? Listen, my friend, there's no man alive can throw harder than Smoky Joe Wood!" - Walter Johnson.

I came across a website recently where a lot of fans were espousing their beliefs that Smoky Joe Wood should be in the Hall of Fame. I have personally never really considered that because his pitching career only lasted seven full seasons and then he attempted a comeback as an outfielder that was ultimately unsuccessful.

Wood was certainly a great pitcher in his time. He finished his career with a record of 117-57, a .672 winning percentage. He also had a career ERA of 2.03, a shockingly low number. Wood was actually a high-strikeout pitcher for a couple of years when that was fairly rare. He struck out 231 in 1911 and 258 in 1912. His other years were more pedestrian. Wood is fifth in career ERA and tenth in career winning percentage.

Wood was certainly a famous player, pitching for the World Champion Red Sox in 1912 and putting together one of the greatest pitching seasons ever that year by going 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA. He went 3-1 in the World Series that year.

Unfortunately, Wood suffered an arm injury that curtailed his pitching career. He was basically done as a pitcher in 1915, though he did pitch well that season. Many of the aforementioned commenters felt that Wood should be in because Sandy Koufax is in. There may be something to that as Koufax had only six great seasons as a pitcher, but Koufax's career as a pitcher last twelve seasons, compared to Wood's eight. I just do not think that is close enough to get Wood in, especially since he was only great for six.

THE VERDICT: I just can not justify putting Wood in with only an eight-year pitching career, no matter how great those years are. His hitting stats were not good and do not rise to the level of getting him in either.

Is Jimmy Collins in the HOF as a Red Sox?

After doing Herb Pennock yesterday, I was looking at plaques and came across Jimmy Collins.  Collins spent seven years with the then-Boston Americans and is likely in the HOF mostly on the basis of those years.  He was one of the best position players in the early years of the American League.

This is his plaque:

There is no cap on his plaque.  The only thing we have to look at is the collar and the tie.  Luckily we also have this online exhibit from Dressed to the Nines.

Clicking on that link will lead you to what the Boston uniforms looked like in the early 1900's and the tie matches that on this uniform.  I think it is clear Collins is wearing a Boston Americans uniform on his HOF plaque.

Season in Review: 1991

1991 was the first season I watched baseball.  I was 10.  I do not remember watching too many games that season.  More than anything, I just collected cards.  The Red Sox finished in second place in the A.L. East that season.  Joe Morgan managed the team in his final season as the team's manager.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS:
Wade Boggs: 
Boggs was my first favorite player.  He was far and away the team's best hitter, even though he did not have a lot of power.  In 1991, he hit .332/..421/.460 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs and 42 doubles.  Boggs finished second in the batting race that year and made the All Star team.

Ellis Burks:
Burks was the best pure athlete on the team in 1991.  Coming off a season in which he won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger, Burks slumped quite a bit in 1991.  He hit only .251/.314/.422 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, and six stolen bases.  Far cries from his previous seasons.  The talent was still there, he just did not play well.

Roger Clemens:
Clemens was without a doubt the best and most popular player on the team by this point in his career.  Clemens won his third Cy Young award in 1991 by going 18-10 with a 2.62 ERA and 241 strikeouts.  He lead the league in ERA, strikeouts, games started, shutouts, and innings pitched.  He also made the All Star team in 1991.

Mike Greenwell:
Greenwell was no longer the great hitter he was in 1988 and 1989, but he was still pretty decent.  Greenwell hit .300/.350/.419 with nine home runs and 83 RBIs.  He lead the team with 15 stolen bases.  He finished second on the team in most offensive categories.

Carlos Quintana:
Quintana was playing in just his second full season with the Red Sox in 1991 and had already shown himself to be a decent contact hitter and a surprisingly good defensive first baseman.  He hit .295/.375/.412 with 11 home runs and 71 RBIs.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Tony Pena:
Pena was fascinating to watch behind the plate.  He had one of the most bizarre crouches of any catcher I have seen.  Pena was not much of a hitter, but he was a good defensive catcher and won the Gold Glove in 1991.  Pena lead the league in a number of defensive categories in 1991.

Jeff Reardon:
I have long been a fan of closers and that the case from the start as Reardon was the closer for the Red Sox in 1991.  He had his tenth season in a row of 20+ saves and saved 40+ games for his third team.  Reardon saved 40 games, setting a team record that would last several seasons.  He also made the All Star team.


Jody Reed:
Reed was a scrappy second baseman with doubles power and a good eye at the plate.  He was a pesky contact hitter who hit .283/.349/.382.  He was a reliable defender at second base and also had his third straight season of more than 40 doubles.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION:
Jack Clark:
Clark was acquired as a free agent from the Padres prior to the year.  He was the Red Sox's best power hitter, leading the team with 28 home runs and 87 RBIs from the designated hitter position.  He hit .249/.374/.466 in 1991 and lead the team with 96 walks.

FAVORITE ROOKIE:
Phil Plantier:
Plantier only made it into 53 games for the Red Sox down the stretch but he played so well that his cards were on fire.  He hit .331/.420/.615/1.034 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.  Unfortunately he really did not have a position as the Red Sox had reliable starters at all three outfield positions and designated hitter.

Is Herb Pennock in the HOF as a Red Sox?

The cap a player wears on his Hall of Fame plaque is important.  It is meant to signify the team the player made his most indelible mark with.  The Hall of Fame takes this very seriously.  But sometimes there are some unusual choices.  Dave Winfield decided to go in as a San Diego Padre instead of the New York Yankees while Nolan Ryan chose the Texas Rangers and Reggie Jackson chose the New York Yankees.  There are some players whose logos cannot be seen at all, such as Catfish Hunter.

This brings us to Herb Pennock.  Pennock pitched 11 seasons with the Yankees, going 162-90 with a 3.54 ERA.  He pitched in nine seasons with the Red Sox over two stints going 62-59 with a 3.67 ERA.  He was on two World Champion teams with the Red Sox and was a decent pitcher, but not a star.

However, let's look at his Hall of Fame plaque:

It is often stated that the reason Pennock is in the Hall of Fame is due to his work with the Yankees, but this plaque seems to show him with the Red Sox.  It is not completely obvious, but it looks like the bottom of a "B" can be seen just above the bill of his cap.  It certainly does not look like an "NY" and the only other team he played for was the Philadelphia A's.  

Then there is this picture, which looks a lot like it might have been the picture, or at least from the same set of pictures as the one used to create the plaque.  

Notice the piping on the uniform shirt and the hat and the facial features.  This looks like it proves that the cap Pennock is wearing on his Hall of Fame plaque is a Red Sox cap.

Underrated Season: Scott Fletcher 1993

A lot of people are saying "what the hell?" right now.  It's true though when you look at WAR numbers, Scott Fletcher had a surprisingly good season in 1993.  His WAR was 4.6 that season.  About half of that is due to his defensive value which was probably his biggest asset at that point in his career.  He was the second most valuable position player on the team in 1993 when looking at WAR.  Only John Valentin was more valuable.  Fletcher was in the top five that year in fielding percentage, total zone runs, and range factor.

Beyond his defense, Fletcher was a decent offensive second-baseman.  He hit .285/.341/.402 with five home runs, 45 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.  Decent numbers, especially for a middle infielder at the time.  He also scored 81 runs, was caught stealing only three times and struck out only 35 times, compared to 37 walks.

Fletcher was not a big-name player.  He was a complementary part, but he was a particularly valuable one for the Red Sox in 1993.

1991 Topps #14 Dennis Lamp

In this series, I look at my first team set: 1991 Topps.  This was the set I started my baseball card collection with.

This was one of my very first cards.  I got this card in my first pack along with Tom Bolton.  Lamp was a journeyman middle reliever who was one of workhorses of the team.  He pitched in 47 games in 1990, covering 105.1 innings with a 4.68 ERA, going 3-5.  Lamp was 37 that year and he only pitched two more seasons.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2001

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.

Doug Mirabelli did not start out the season with the Red Sox. The catching platoon was supposed to be handled by Jason Varitek and Scott Hatteberg. And that would have been the case had Varitek not gone down with an injury after threatening to break out in a major way. Hatteberg simply was not a good enough defensive catcher to shoulder the full-time role, he had major problems with stolen bases. Hatteberg would not even be a catcher after 2001.

So Boston had to do something. They traded Justin Duchscherer to the Texas Rangers for Mirabelli. Duchscherer was a promising pitching prospect so it was a difficult move, but they needed a catcher.

Mirabelli played in 54 games with the Red Sox that season and finished in the top ten in assists and runners caught stealing for the year. He was also a pleasant surprise offensively as he batted .270/.360/.518 with nine home runs. Mirabelli would be a very capable backup catcher for the rest of his career with the Red Sox.

A Developing Ace?

Felix Doubront has been one of the Red Sox best pitchers so far this year.  He leads the team in wins, ERA, and strikeouts while being second in WHIP.  He has been throwing a lot of pitches and looks like he will be held to an innings limit this year, but the potential is there for him to develop into a much better pitcher.  He has shown four above-average pitches which has contributed to his success.  I said last year that I thought he could make the leap to the starting rotation this year.  It looks like I was correct.

One-Game Wonder: Jack Chesbro

Jack Chesbro is a Hall of Famer.  He is somewhat of a questionable choice, most of his merits have been tied into his 1904 season when he won 41 games, pitched an incredible 454.2 innings and had a microscopic 1.82 ERA.  Outside of that season, he is a somewhat less-than-deserving choice.

But that's not why we're here.  Chesbro pitched for the Red Sox for only one game in 1909.  One.  Game.

It was the end of his career and he was picked up off of waivers from the Yankees.  He pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and four runs, three earned, taking the loss.  He struck out three and walked four.  And that was the end of his career.

Update to Previous Post

Last year, I made a post about relatives to play for the Red Sox here.  Last year there was a new addition to that list with the acquisition of Mike Aviles.  Mike Aviles's uncle Ramon Aviles played for the Red Sox as well:

Ramon Aviles 1977: one game, one at-bat.
Mike Aviles: 2011-present: Aviles has been a serviceable shortstop and has been putting together a nice season.  He has hit .298/.416/.714 with 12 home runs as a member of the Red Sox.

Red Sox Year by Year Hall of Famers

I was curious as to which Hall of Famers played for the Red Sox each year.  Here is the breakdown:

1901: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1902: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1903: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1904: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1905: Jesse Burkett, Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1906: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1907: Jimmy Collins, Tris Speaker, Cy Young
1908: Tris Speaker, Cy Young
1909: Jack Chesbro, Tris Speaker
1910: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1911: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1912: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1913: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1914: Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker
1915: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker
1916: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1917: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1918: Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth
1919: Harry Hooper, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1920: Harry Hooper, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock
1921: Herb Pennock
1922: Herb Pennock
1923: NONE
1924: Red Ruffing
1925: Red Ruffing
1926: Red Ruffing
1927: Red Ruffing
1928: Red Ruffing
1929: Red Ruffing
1930: Red Ruffing
1931: NONE
1932: NONE
1933: Rick Ferrell
1934: Rick Ferrell, Lefty Grove, Herb Pennock
1935: Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Lefty Grove
1936: Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Heinie Manush
1937: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Rick Ferrell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove
1938: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove
1939: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1940: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1941: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1942: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams
1943: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Al Simmons
1944: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr
1945: Joe Cronin
1946: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1947: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1948: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1949: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1950: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1951: Lou Boudreau, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1952: Lou Boudreau, George Kell, Ted Williams
1953: George Kell, Ted Williams
1954: Ted Williams
1955: Ted Williams
1956: Ted Williams
1957: Ted Williams
1958: Ted Williams
1959: Ted Williams
1960: Ted Williams
1961: Carl Yastrzemski
1962: Carl Yastrzemski
1963: Dick Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
1964: Dick Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
1965: Carl Yastrzemski
1966: Carl Yastrzemski
1967: Carl Yastrzemski
1968: Carl Yastrzemski
1969: Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1970: Carl Yastrzemski
1971: Luis Aparicio, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1972: Luis Aparicio, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1973: Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1974: Carlton Fisk, Juan Marichal, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1975: Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1976: Carlton Fisk, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1977: Carlton Fisk, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1978: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1979: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1980: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1981: Dennis Eckersley, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1982: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1983: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1984: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice
1985: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1986: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Tom Seaver
1987: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1988: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1989: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1990: Wade Boggs
1991: Wade Boggs
1992: Wade Boggs
1993: Andre Dawson
1994: Andre Dawson
1995: NONE
1996: NONE
1997: NONE
1998: Dennis Eckersley
1999: NONE
2000: NONE
2001: NONE
2002: Rickey Henderson
2003: NONE
2004: NONE
2005: NONE
2006: NONE

Some notes:

1.  I only went through 2006 because players who retired after 2006 are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame.

2.  Red Ruffing only pitched in eight games in 1924 and never really hit his stride as a good pitcher until after he was traded to the Yankees.

3.  Joe Cronin only played in three games in 1945, his last season as a player.

4.  Jack Chesbro, Heinie Manush, Al Simmons, Juan Marichal, Tom Seaver, and Rickey Henderson were all well past their prime before joining the Red Sox.  None of them were regular players or played all that much.  Henderson was still useful as a backup outfielder however.

5.  Waite Hoyt was just getting his career started when he was with the Red Sox.

6.  Dick Williams is in the Hall of Fame as a manager, not as a player.

7.  The years with no current Hall of Famers are 1923, 1931, 1932, 1995-1997, 1999-2001, and 2003-2006.  There are no potential Hall of Famers in 1923, 1931, or 1932 to be elected by the Veterans Committee.  Roger Clemens still has a shot at being elected covering 1995 and 1996.  Pedro Martinez will likely be elected covering 1998-2004.  Curt Schilling looks like a decent shot for 2004-2007.  That leaves 1997.  I would still argue that Nomar Garciaparra stands a chance given his dominance at a prime position from 1997-2003.  From 2008 forward, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz look like outside shots.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2000

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.

You might have been wondering when I would get to Rich Garces. He could have been in 1998 or 1999 as well, but I am trying to only list a player once. 2000 was not his best year numbers-wise, but it was the first year as a full-time player. He pitched in 64 games which was a career high. He also won eight games, striking out 69 in 74.2 innings with 24 walks and a 3.25 ERA. His WHIP was an impressive 1.165. He was worth 1.9 WAR which is a pretty good number for a middle reliever.

Beyond the numbers, El Guapo had become a fan favorite mostly for his portly physique. He did not look like an athlete at all. But he was reasonably successful. Unfortunately his success was not long-lasting. He had similar numbers in 2001 but collapsed completely in 2002 and was out of the major leagues. Such is the fungibility of middle relievers.

My Thoughts on the Kevin Youkilis Trade

I am late to this.  I was very disappointed that Boston decided to trade Youkilis on one hand, but on the other, it was clearly time to move on.  Youkilis had not been playing well this season and there were really no indications that he would start anytime soon.  With his salary, he could not simply ride the bench.  But yet Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, and Will Middlebrooks all deserved to play, meaning there was nowhere to play Youkilis.

Youkilis was one of my favorite players and had been since his debut.  So it is weird seeing him in another uniform.  It is even worse seeing him do so well for the White Sox while Middlebrooks has been going through some growing pains in Boston.

The worst part about all of this is that Boston did not really get anything worthwhile from the White Sox in the trade.  Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart came over and Boston contributed money in the deal.  Lillibridge had a 13 home run season last year in part time work but was struggling this year.  His best asset is his versatility as he can play in the infield and outfield.  He played in ten games with the Red Sox before being designated for assignment.  He hit .125/.125/.125 with two singles in 16 plate appearances.  Thus far he has not been picked up by another team, so hopefully there is a chance at salvaging him.  Stewart was once considered one of the best pitching prospects in the majors.  He has been traded a couple of times in the last few years.  In five games since the trade, he is 1-1 with a 3.81 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 28.1 innings   with six walks and 31 hits allowed.  Not great numbers, but reasonably promising.  It is clear Stewart is the "prize" such as it is in this trade.

So, Youkilis is gone now and it is disappointing.  He has brought Red Sox fans a lot of fond memories.

Boxscore: May 7, 2012: Red Sox 11 Royals 5

For my birthday this year, my wife bought tickets to the Red Sox visiting the Royals on May 7.  This was the first game in six years that I been to, luckily it was another big offensive game for the Red Sox.

Felix Doubront took the mound for Boston on this night.  It was one of his big games after a Red Sox loss.  Doubront pitched 6.1 innings scattering seven hits.  He did give up five runs, only three of which were earned as Will Middlebrooks made an error in the game.  He struck out two and walked three.  This was not one of his better games, but it was enough.  Vicente Padilla pitched the rest of the game for a save.  His eephus pitch was used a few times that night.

The offensive hero of the night was Middlebrooks who connected for a three run home run in the first to right field and then a two run home run in the eighth to left.  He also doubled, going 3 for 5 on the night.  Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run home run and David Ortiz hit a solo shot as well.  Ortiz's was deep to center field.

Every Red Sox starter had at least one hit.  Pedroia and Cody Ross doubled, everyone else contributed at least a single.  Mike Aviles, Darnell McDonald, and Kelly Shoppach each had one hit.  Adrian Gonzalez and Marlon Byrd had two, with Gonzalez driving in a run.  Aviles and Pedroia each stole a base.  Nick Punto made it into the game at the end as a defensive replacement.

There was not a lot to say about the Royals offense.  Mike Moustakas doubled, but all of their other hits were singles.

Current State of the Red Sox

This has been a very frustrating year.  The injury bug has really taken a toll with about half the team spending time on the disabled list at some point.  Carl Crawford and Andrew Bailey still have yet to play in even one game this year.  Many players have been struggling as well.  Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester have performed below expectations this year.  I was also disappointed that the Red Sox only had one All Star, David Ortiz.  So yeah, this year has been frustrating.  I am planning to post a little more often in the near future with some information on current team issues as well as a look at past players.

2012 Acquisitions

Since I did an absolutely terrible job of keeping caught up on this, I figured I would just do one big post covering all of the Red Sox acquisitions in order.

CHORYE SPOONE
Minor League Deal
Spoone has never had any Major League experience. He would appear to simply be organizational depth, I would be shocked if he ever made it to the Majors this year. His numbers at any point have not been very impressive.

JUSTIN THOMAS
Minor League Deal
Thomas last appeared in the Majors in 2010 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is also likely to serve as organizational depth in the minors, but has at least a chance of coming up to fill in with the bullpen at the Major League level if there are injuries.

WILL INMAN
Minor League Deal
Inman was once a well-regarded prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system. The former third round draft pick was once on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects. Inman is still just 25, so he could still make an impact, but he is running out of time. He has yet to make it to a Major League game. He was most recently in the Padres system.

TONY PENA, JR.
Minor League Deal $.625M
Pena is the son of former Red Sox catcher Tony Pena and was in the Red Sox system last year. He is converting to a pitcher after several years of being a weak-hitting middle infielder for the Royals. The experiment has been going reasonably well. I would predict he could make it to Boston sometime this year.

ANDREW MILLER
Free Agent
Once a first-round draft pick for the Tigers, Miller has struggled quite a bit in the Majors. Last year, he appeared in the Majors with the Red Sox and occasionally showed flashes of the brilliance that lead to his high draft position, but was more often than not incredibly wild. Miller has a chance to stick with Boston in the bullpen as a LOOGY, but he is running out of options and time.

JESSE CARLSON
Minor League Deal $.65M
Carlson last appeared briefly with the Blue Jays in 2010, but was once one of the crucial parts of their bullpen. Carlson was injured all of 2011. He could be a contributor at a bargain-basement price.

KELLY SHOPPACH
Free Agent $1.35M
Shoppach returns to the organization that drafted him in the second round in 2001. He appeared briefly with the Red Sox in 2005 before being traded to the Indians in the Coco Crisp deal. He has since become a valuable defensive catcher with some pop on occasion. He will be the backup catcher to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, taking over for the recently retired Jason Varitek.

NICK PUNTO
Free Agent $3.0M 2 years
Punto has been a valuable member of the Twins and Cardinals in the past seasons. A slick-fielding middle infielder with a surprisingly good batting eye, Punto will take over as the utility infielder for the Red Sox this season and could see significant time in a platoon with Mike Aviles at shortstop.

MARK MELANCON
Trade with Houston Astros
The one-time Yankees prospect did an admirable job becoming the Astros closer last season, racking up 20 saves. His position in Boston will not be quite the same. He will likely become the team's principal setup man with Daniel Bard moving to the rotation. Melancon has decent stuff but is not overpowering.

RYAN SWEENEY
Trade with Oakland Athletics
Acquired in the same trade as Andrew Bailey, Sweeney is more of a throw-in than a major part of the trade. However, he could see a lot of time as the left-handed part of a platoon in right field. Sweeney has yet to display much power, but has doubles power and is a terrific defensive outfielder.

ANDREW BAILEY
Trade with Oakland Athletics
Bailey will take over as the Red Sox's closer this season after several seasons with the A's. He is the biggest pickup of the offseason for Boston. Bailey is a three-time All Star for the A's and should stabilize the end of the game this year after Papelbon left for Philadelphia.

RICH HILL
Free Agent $.725M
Hill made big strides last year before going down with an injury. He had Tommy John surgery last year so it will be awhile before he is ready to contribute again. He could be a good low-cost pickup for the bullpen once he is healthy again.

NATE SPEARS
Minor League Deal
Spears finally made his Major League debut last year with the Red Sox after several seasons in the minors. He is still likely to be organizational depth this year as a utility infielder.

PEDRO CIRIACO
Minor League Deal
Ciriaco is still just 25, so he could still make a name for himself. He has been fairly impressive so far in Spring Training. He makes good contact and is good defensively and on the basepaths.

DOUG MATHIS
Minor League Deal
Mathis last appeared for Texas in 2010. He is likely to be organizational bullpen depth this year with the potential to show up in Boston if there are injuries.

BRANDON DUCKWORTH
Minor League Deal
Duckworth has been bouncing around for nearly 15 years at this point. He has not made a Major League appearance since 2008 when he was with the Royals. Duckworth was in the Red Sox system last season and performed reasonably well for Pawtucket.

CARLOS SILVA
Minor League Deal $1M
Silva is one of the many low-cost possibilities to fill out the back end of Boston's rotation and is probably one of the least likely to work out. Silva was once a decent pitcher for the Twins, but has struggled in the three years since, finally being released by the Cubs last season. That's a bad sign.

AARON COOK
Minor League Deal $1.5M
Cook is one of the few pitchers who has generally pitched well for the Rockies. Cook was an All Star in 2008 and started a game against the Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. He had injury problems last year that limited him, but those appear to be in the past. He could be a good low-cost back-of-the-rotation starter for Boston this year.

JUSTIN GERMANO
Minor League Deal
Germano is another example of organizational bullpen depth. He has good command, but little else.

BRAD EMAUS
Trade with Colorado Rockies
Emaus was picked up in a minor trade with the Rockies. He has 37 at bats of Major League experience to his name thus far and has not performed well. Emaus could be brought to Boston in a utility infielder role, but will likely start the season in the minors.

VICENTE PADILLA
Minor League Deal $1.5M
Padilla is the last of the minor league free agents the Red Sox have signed to compete for a rotation spot. He was a former All Star for the Phillies and had some success with the Rangers. Padilla could be slotted into the bullpen for Boston.

CLAYTON MORTENSON
Trade with Colorado Rockies
Acquired in the trade for Marco Scutaro, Mortenson has some good pitches but does not strike out nearly enough hitters. He would be a better option in the bullpen than as a starter.

CODY ROSS
Free Agent $3M
Ross is likely to be the right-handed part of the rightfield platoon with Ryan Sweeney. He will likely start the season as the starting leftfielder while Carl Crawford is on the D.L. Ross has some big power and could be a very good bat off of the bench. If Sweeney does not hit, Ross is decent enough to be plugged in every day.

MAX ST. PIERRE
Minor League Deal
St. Pierre has been in the Tigers system since 1997, only making the big league team for six games in 2010. He is likely to be the backup catcher in Pawtucket and does not have much of a chance of making it to Boston.

JOHN MAINE
Minor League Deal
Maine was once a highly-regarded prospect for the Orioles. He won 15 games for the Mets in 2007 but shoulder injuries derailed his once-promising career. He has not pitched in the Majors since 2010.

DANIEL MCGRATH
International Free Agent
McGrath was 17 when he signed as an international free agent from Australia. He is a tall, left-hander who has been clocked in the 90s. He will begin his U.S. career in 2013.

MAURO GOMEZ
Minor League Deal
Gomez is a prototypical power hitter, lots of home runs and lots of strikeouts. He is also 27 years old, so his chances of sticking in the Major Leagues are fading. He has yet to make the Majors yet, so obviously there are some concerns with his abilities.

ROSS OHLENDORF
Minor League Deal $.9M
Ohlendorf is another former Yankees prospect that was traded away. He had some success with the Pirates, winning 11 games in 2009. He missed much of 2011 with injuries. He might be on the way back.

CHRIS CARPENTER
Trade with Chicago Cubs
Carpenter is not the former Cy Young winner with the Cardinals. He was the centerpiece that the Red Sox received for allowing Theo Epstein to leave for the Cubs. Carpenter can touch 100 mph on the radar gun, but does not have much command and does not really have any other pitches. Therefore, he is most likely to be a bullpen arm, but he could be a decent one. He had some decent success in the Major Leagues last year and could be ready to contribute full time by the end of the season.

BILLY BUCKNER
Minor League Deal
Not the son of former Red Sox Bill Buckner. Buckner will be organizational depth out of the bullpen. Not much else to say.

GARRETT MOCK
Minor League Deal
Another pitcher in his late 20's brought in to act as organizational depth. See Buckner.

SCOTT ATCHISON
Minor League Deal
Atchison has been with the Red Sox since 2010 bouncing between Pawtucket and Boston. His role will likely be the same in 2012. He has had some moments of success with Boston and it is possible he could become a mainstay in the bullpen. He is in his mid 30's so he will not get any better than he is now.

JOSH KROEGER
Minor League Deal
Kroeger made it to the Major Leagues with Arizona in 2004, but has not been back since. He makes contact, but has below-average power and speed. He is also organizational depth.

JASON REPKO
Minor League Deal
Repko has bounced between the Majors and minors for several years now. He is a decent defensive outfielder who can hit lefties well, but has not performed well enough to stick around long.

AARON KURCZ
Trade with Chicago Cubs
This was just announced. Kurcz is the player to be named later in the Epstein deal. He has not made it past High A ball yet but has shown some promise with big strikeout numbers. A decent relief prospect.

2012 Hall of Fame Ballot

Luis Tiant was passed over again in the Veterans' Committee ballot and based on the names, I think it is pretty safe to say that no former Red Sox player will be entering Cooperstown again this year.

This is the ballot, results will be announced in a few days:

JEFF BAGWELL
JEROMY BURNITZ
VINNY CASTILLA
JUAN GONZALEZ
BRIAN JORDAN
BARRY LARKIN
JAVY LOPEZ
EDGAR MARTINEZ
DON MATTINGLY
FRED MCGRIFF
MARK MCGWIRE
JACK MORRIS
BILL MUELLER
TERRY MULHOLLAND
DALE MURPHY
PHIL NEVIN
RAFAEL PALMEIRO
BRAD RADKE
TIM RAINES
TIM SALMON
RUBEN SIERRA
LEE SMITH
ALAN TRAMMELL
LARRY WALKER
BERNIE WILLIAMS
TONY WOMACK
ERIC YOUNG

Overall, I am not terribly impressed with a lot of those names. There are a couple of candidates on there that I think deserve serious consideration, but I will discuss them later.

On to the former Red Sox:

JEFF BAGWELL
Bagwell came up through the Red Sox minor league system and never actually played a game with Boston, but I thought he merited at least a little bit of discussion because he was a part of one of the more lopsided trades in recent memory. Boston traded Bagwell, a future ROY and MVP to the Astros in 1990 for reliever Larry Andersen, who admittedly pitched well, but in only 16 games before bolting as a free agent. This is Bagwell's second year on the ballot and he was unfairly looked over due to some kind of steroid conspiracy despite never being caught or otherwise implicated. Bagwell is one of the players who I think will make it in this year.

JAVY LOPEZ
Lopez is on his first year on the ballot. I can see him getting 5% to stay on the ballot, but not ever getting elected. Lopez was a power-hitting catcher for the Braves for several years, regularly hitting more than 20 home runs. One year, he mashed 43. His Red Sox career consisted of 18 forgettable games and his career was over at only 35, so he will definitely not get much consideration, but for a few years, he was one of the top power-hitting catchers in the game.

BILL MUELLER
Mueller is also on his first year on the ballot. He was a decent hitter, and a good defender at third base, but he really has no shot at sticking on the ballot past this year. Mueller came to the Red Sox in 2003 and won the batting title that year and hit two grand slams from either side of the plate in one game. He was a gritty player that was fun to watch. Unfortunately, he just did not rise to the level of a star player. Good, but only really great in 2003 when he hit .326 with 19 home runs and 85 RBIs while winning the Silver Slugger for Boston.

LEE SMITH
Smith has the most realistic chance of the three players that actually played real games for the Red Sox (Bagwell will likely get in, but as explained, does not really count). Smith is on his 10th year on the ballot and was the one-time saves record holder. Unfortunately, with Mariano Rivera way ahead of Smith now on the all-time list, it looks less and less likely that Smith will ever get in. His vote percentage dropped a little last year and he has never gotten more than 48% of the vote in any of his ten years. In fact it has stayed relatively close in the mid 40% area. I just do not see him getting in at this point, which is sad.

Two players appeared in Spring Training with the Red Sox from this list as well. Juan Gonzalez attempted to resurrect his career with the Red Sox in 2006, but never caught on. He hit 434 home runs in his career, but was basically washed up at 32 and had a poor work ethic. Tony Womack actually had a card as a Red Sox in 2004, but other than three years where he lead the league in stolen bases early in his career, he never did anything remotely interesting. My only real memory of him was the Yankees using him as an outfielder sometimes in 2005 with hilarious results.

PREDICTIONS:
Jeff Bagwell and Barry Larkin will be inducted this year. Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, and Larry Walker will all make strides and possibly be eventually inducted.

Bernie Williams will be the only new name that will make it past the 5% mark.

Tony Womack, Phil Nevin, Eric Young, Terry Mulholland, and Brad Radke will not receive a single vote for the Hall of Fame.

Andrew Bailey Trade, News and Notes

Well, let's start with the big one. Boston acquired closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the A's the other day for Josh Reddick, Miles Head, and Raul Alcantara.

Bailey is the centerpiece and immediately becomes the best option for the closer position, joining the recently acquired Mark Melancon and holdovers Bobby Jenks, Franklin Morales, and Matt Albers in a much stronger-looking bullpen. Bailey has been a two time All Star and Rookie of the Year. Last year he was 0-4 with a 3.26 ERA and 24 saves. Sweeney is a possibility for a platoon in right field. He is very good defensively, but not a very potent bat, particularly against left-handers.

Boston gave up Reddick, who could be a solid major leaguer in time, but has no real eye at the plate, Head who has power but little else, and Alcantara who is a ways away.

NEWS AND NOTES
-Boston has signed minor league relievers Doug Mathis and Jesse Carlson and re-signed Rich Hill. Mathis last appeared in the Majors in 2010 with Texas. He had decent numbers in 2009 but has not been overly impressive. Carlson also last appeared in 2010 with Toronto and was a big part of the Blue Jays pen in 2009. Hill appeared to be a decent lefty specialist before going down with an injury for Boston last year.

-Erik Bedard signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. No real loss there.

-Brett Carroll signed as a minor league free agent with the Nationals. I had no idea he was even in the Red Sox system.

-Hideki Okajima joined the Yankees on a minor league contract. Okajima has been nowhere near the pitcher he was in the last few years, so this is basically meaningless.

Red Sox Acquire Mark Melancon, Sign Nick Punto, News and Notes

Link.

The Red Sox added a piece to their bullpen by acquiring Mark Melancon from the Houston Astros for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland. Melancon was the closer for the latter part of the season for the Astros and will likely be given the same opportunity in 2012. Melancon came up through the Yankees system and was traded to Houston in the Lance Berkman trade. Last year, he was 8-4 with a 2.78 ERA and 20 saves. To get him, they gave up Lowrie who always showed potential but could never stay healthy and Weiland, who could become the pitcher Melancon is now.

The Red Sox also signed utility infielder Nick Punto as a free agent. Punto is a good glove man with a good eye at the plate. He will take over Lowrie's role.

RULE 5 RESULTS
Boston lost Cesar Cabral to the Royals, who turned around and traded him to the Yankees. They selected Marwin Gonzalez and promptly traded him for former Mexican Leaguer Marco Duarte. Basically a non-story. Boston also picked up minor league catcher Gerardo Olivares from the Rays.

Red Sox Sign Kelly Shoppach

Link.

This likely means the end of Jason Varitek's career with the Red Sox, which is a shame but not surprising. Shoppach was actually Boston's top draft pick in the 2001 draft, being taken in the second round. He made his Major League debut with Boston in 2005 but was traded to Cleveland after the season as part of the Coco Crisp deal.

Since then, Shoppach has played with the Indians and Rays and was initially a decent hitter with questionable defensive skills. Last year, that reputation was reversed as he lead the league in caught-stealing percentage, but was pretty atrocious with the bat.

Shoppach will be the backup catcher next season to the improving Jarrod Saltalamacchia. With Ryan Lavarnway just about ready to step up to the Major Leagues full time next season, there is seemingly no room for Varitek to return.

News and Notes

I have been away for a little while, so let's get caught up on Red Sox news.

BOBBY VALENTINE NAMED MANAGER
This is the biggest news so far. I am kind of indifferent to managers most of the time, so I am not sure what to think.

DAVID ORTIZ ACCEPTS ARBITRATION
Ortiz will be back next year and the Red Sox will continue to negotiate on a two-year deal.

JACOBY ELLSBURY FINISHES SECOND IN A.L. M.V.P.
This was disappointing, but I saw it coming. I did not really think he had that great of a chance at the award with the way the season finished. A lot of people are upset that Justin Verlander won it due to his being a pitcher. I do not have a problem with pitchers winning the M.V.P., hell I think Pedro Martinez deserved it in 1999. So, it was a disappointment, but not surprising. Hopefully Boston will lock him up long-term now.

HALL OF FAME VETERAN'S COMMITTEE VOTE RESULTS
Ron Santo finally gets in after his unfortunate death. Luis Tiant only got three votes. I think he is a borderline case and would love to see him in, but it may never happen. He has a lot of ground to make up and several players in front of him, not to mention that his era only gets voted on once every few years.

MINOR SIGNINGS
The Red Sox have signed a number of players to minor league or split free agent contracts and have lost a few as well. The Red Sox have signed left-handed relievers Jesse Carlson and Justin Thomas, and right-handed relievers Will Inman and Khorye Spoone. They re-signed Tony Pena and Andrew Miller and Tommy Hottovy and Drew Sutton have signed elsewhere.

That's it. The offseason has been fairly stagnant for the Red Sox so far. The Marlins and Angels have both made big splashes, but Boston and the Yankees have been oddly silent.

Veteran's Committee Ballot Announced

This actually happened a few days ago, so I am a little late to posting about it. There are ten names on this year's ballot, as laid out below:

Buzzie Bavasi
Ken Boyer
Charlie Finley
Gil Hodges
Jim Kaat
Minnie Minoso
Tony Oliva
Allie Reynolds
Ron Santo
Luis Tiant

Finley was an owner for the Athletics and Bavasi was a GM. Obviously the player I am most interested in is Tiant. I looked at his Hall of Fame potential some time ago and came out somewhat borderline. I hope he gets in, but I would not be shocked if he does not. Santo seems to me to be the most likely to get in, partially due to the dearth of third basemen in the Hall.

See Ya Jonathan Papelbon

Link.

This actually does make me a little sad. Apparently Paps is on his way to Philadelphia for four years and $50 million. Daniel Bard is first in line to become Boston's closer, although the Red Sox will look at Ryan Madson and Heath Bell. I think it came down to Boston was simply not willing to give Papelbon that much money. I can't really blame them. Boston now has an easy decision to make by offering arbitration to Papelbon so they can likely get Philadelphia's first round draft pick next year as well as a supplemental pick. Not bad.

2011 Silver Sluggers

American League
C - Alex Avila, Tigers
1B - Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
2B - Robinson Cano, Yankees
SS - Asdrubal Cabrera, Indians
3B - Adrian Beltre, Rangers
OF - Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
OF - Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
OF - Curtis Granderson, Yankees
DH - David Ortiz, Red Sox

National League
C - Brian McCann, Braves
1B - Prince Fielder, Brewers
2B - Brandon Phillips, Reds
SS - Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
3B - Aramis Ramirez, Cubs
OF - Justin Upton, Diamondbacks
OF - Matt Kemp, Dodgers
OF - Ryan Braun, Brewers
P - Daniel Hudson, Diamondbacks

This one was a surprise. I predicted one Red Sox Silver Slugger, that being Ortiz. I thought Miguel Cabrera would beat out Adrian Gonzalez and that they would try to separate the outfield positions like they did with the Gold Gloves and therefore Granderson winning in center field. Not because he was clearly a better hitter, all around Ellsbury was better, but that the voters would not be able to ignore Granderson's home runs and RBIs.

2011 Rawling's Gold Glove Awards

American League:
C - Matt Wieters, Orioles
1B - Adrian Gonzalez, Red Sox
2B - Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox
SS - Erick Aybar, Angels
3B - Adrian Beltre, Rangers
RF - Nick Markakis, Orioles
CF - Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox
LF - Alex Gordon, Royals
P - Mark Buerhle, White Sox

National League
C - Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B - Joey Votto, Reds
2B - Brandon Phillips, Reds
SS - Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
3B - Placido Polanco, Phillies
RF - Andre Ethier, Dodgers
CF - Matt Kemp, Dodgers
LF - Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks
P - Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers

So, as I predicted, three Red Sox won a Gold Glove, and all three arguably deserved it. Pedroia also won the Fielding Bible award for his position this year. So, it was a good year for this award for the Red Sox. It is the first time three Red Sox won the award in the same year since 1979 when Dwight Evans, Fred Lynn, and Rick Burleson all won it.

Some Quick Notes

I have been pretty bad about posting lately, and I meant to keep up with the news in the offseason. Anyway...

-Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals on their World Series win and to David Freese for being named MVP.

-Ben Cherington was officially named the Red Sox general manager. Now it is time to retool.

-Marco Scutaro's option was picked up so he will be back next year.

-The team declined the options on Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison.

Bill Buckner

A few days ago was the 25th Anniversary of the infamous Game 6 of the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and Mets. Of course that was the game in which Bill Buckner let Mookie Wilson's groundball roll through his legs, scoring the winning run from second base. Ultimately the Red Sox lost the World Series despite being just one strike away in Game 6, a pain the Texas Rangers just learned this week.

Anyway, this is obviously a very famous play in World Series history and has become the major event Buckner is known for, which is a shame. Buckner actually was a decent player, even in his time with the Red Sox. He had his best years with the Dodgers and Cubs, but he was a decent player with the Red Sox.

Buckner played two stints for the Red Sox, first from 1984 through the first half of 1987, and then returning for 22 games in early 1990. Buckner was acquired from the Cubs in a deal for Dennis Eckersley and Mike Brumley. Eckersley actually did not develop his Hall of Fame career until later and Brumley never did much in the Major Leagues at all.

Buckner's first year in Boston was not terribly good as he hit only .278/.321/.410 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs. But his 1985 was his best season with the Red Sox as he batted .299/.324/.447 with 16 home runs and 110 RBIs. He lead the team in stolen bases with 18, a far cry from his much more plodding play in 1986 due to his surgically repaired ankles. 1986 was another good year as he hit .267/.311/.421 but contributed 18 home runs and 102 RBIs. In 1987, his numbers dropped a great amount, possibly due to the pressure from the fans, but he was also 36 years old.

Buckner returned in 1990 and hit an inside the park home run, but that was about it for highlights. His career was over later in the year.

But the one thing most people remember about Bill Buckner with the Red Sox is that one error. It is a shame.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1999

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.1999 - BRIAN DAUBACH
Brian Daubach came out of nowhere. He played in just ten games at the Major League level prior to 1999 when he played for the Marlins the prior year and did very little in 17 plate appearances. So it was a move with no fanfare when Boston signed him as a free agent in December of 1998. Who knew that the 27 year old rookie would be the team's principal first baseman and a contender for the A.L. Rookie of the Year by the end of 1999?

Daubach went on a tear late in the season and ended up leading A.L. rookies in on base percentage and slugging percentage while hitting 21 home runs and driving in 73. Daubach was not too bad in the field either and would actually improve over the course of his career.

Daubach never really got the attention he deserved due to his status as a former scab player, but 1999 was the beginning of a four-year stretch where he hit 20 plus home runs and drove in more than 70 runs each year as Boston's first baseman.

Ben Cherington Named General Manager

Well so long to Theo Epstein, who will be missed. Ben Cherington takes over the reins as G.M. for the Red Sox. Hopefully his years of apprenticeship under Epstein will pay off and the organization will not miss a beat. Hopefully.

In other news, John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery meaning he will be out for the season. Which makes two Boston starting pitchers in the last year with Matsuzaka being the other one. Hopefully the Red Sox will be able to fill in the rotation behind Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz. Perhaps Wakefield will be back next year.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1998

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. 

1998 - JIM CORSI 

Jim Corsi came to the Red Sox before the 1997 season, in what was actually his second tour of duty with the organization. He was in their minor league system in 1985 through 1986 before being released and catching on with Oakland. Corsi was a decent bullpen option in 1997 but was even better in 1998 and was the unheralded hero of the relief corps, which already featured Tom Gordon and Dennis Eckersley. 

 

Corsi was a 1.3 WAR relief pitcher in 1998, going 3-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 49 strikeouts versus 23 walks in 66 innings over 59 games. Corsi finished nine games for Boston and notched two saves. His WHIP was a decent 1.227. 

Corsi did return in 1999, but at 37, he was ineffective and ultimately released. He found his way into the Baltimore bullpen and for 13 games was relatively decent, but that was it for his Major League career.

David Ortiz Wins Roberto Clemente Award

Another award went to a Red Sox player recently as David Ortiz won the Roberto Clemente Award, an award given to a player who excels off the field. Ortiz is very active in the community and has his own charitable fund which helps children receive medical care in the Dominican Republic and United States. It is the second year in a row a Red Sox player received this award. Tim Wakefield won it last year.

Now, the question becomes, do the Red Sox bring him back next year?

Jacoby Ellsbury Named AL Comeback Player of the Year

Well deserved if you ask me. After playing only 18 games last year, he rose to superstar status while becoming the Red Sox first ever 30-30 man. He may win a few more awards by the time all is said and done this year.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1997

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.1997 - JEFF FRYE
Jeff Frye played the most games of his career in 1997. For the first time in his career, he was looked at as a regular player from the very beginning. Frye was the Red Sox second-baseman entering the season and he held on to the position for a large chunk of the season while also filling in at other positions on occasion.

Frye was also pretty good with the bat that season as he hit .312/.352/.433 and even stole 19 bases. Frye was an extremely integral part of the Red Sox lineup that season as he provided a very good bat with the occasional pop, speed on the basepaths, and versatility in the field.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1996

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.1996 - REGGIE JEFFERSON
In 1996, Reggie Jefferson finally broke through when he was given the opportunity. Jefferson received a lot of at bats at designated hitter and in left field, covering for injuries to Jose Canseco and Mike Greenwell, respectively. Jefferson proved to be one of the most consistent hitters in the Red Sox lineup that season. His season lessened the impact of the trade of Canseco and the retirement of Greenwell after the season.

Jefferson contributed a slash line of .347/.388/.593 with 19 home runs and 74 runs batted in. It was Jefferson's best season of his career. He became the full time designated hitter the next year as his defensive abilities were highly suspect.

Underrated Player of the Year: 1995

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.1995 - STAN BELINDA
The 1995 season saw a lot of changes for the Red Sox. They brought in new players at second base, catcher, right field, and designated hitter, as well as overhauling their rotation and bullpen, and letting young players take over at third base and center field. Stan Belinda was a part of the new look bullpen when he was signed as a free agent in April of 1995.

Prior to joining the Red Sox, Belinda was reasonably successful with the Pirates and the Royals as a reliever, but he arguably had his best year with the Red Sox. Belinda lead Red Sox pitchers with 63 games pitched in the shortened 1995 season. He struck out 57 in 69.2 innings versus 28 walks. Belinda finished the year at 8-1 with 10 saves and a 3.10 ERA solidifying the bullpen for the AL East champs. Together with Mike Maddux and Rheal Cormier, the Red Sox setup men in 1995 were the best group the team had in years.

2011 Season Wrap-Up Pt. 4

For the last post, I will look at the other pitchers.

SCOTT ATCHISON
I expected Atchison to be around a lot more than he was, but he was blessed (cursed?) with remaining options so he could be shuttled between Pawtucket and Boston as often as management wanted. He did make it into 17 games in about six different stints with the Red Sox, with an ERA of 3.26 and 17 strikeouts versus only six walks in 30.1 innings. Not bad. I have no idea if he will be back next year or not.

MICHAEL BOWDEN
Bowden is another player who appears to be running out of time to make a difference on the big league club. He has now played parts of four seasons in Boston, never making it into more than 15 games in a season. He is still relatively young, but I think it is time to have him stick in Boston or trade him. Enough jerking him around back and forth.

FELIX DOUBRONT
Doubront apparently did not show up to Spring Training in shape this year and he struggled some in the minors. By the end of the season though, he was in Boston. Perhaps next year is the year that Doubront makes it to Boston full time. He is a left-hander and I previously mentioned Morales might be able to make it as a starter. Doubront has that ability as well.

RICH HILL
Rich Hill completely overhauled his pitching motion and was getting terrific results. The left-hander pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and three walks, while striking out twelve. Then he got hurt and his season was over. He was making progress, hopefully Boston sticks with him a little longer.

TOMMY HOTTOVY
I had no idea Hottovy was even still in the Red Sox system until I saw that he was called up to Boston this summer. Hottovy has languished since 2003 in the minor leagues. His persistence finally paid off and he was brought up when Hill went down with an injury. However, he was not terribly impressive, with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP, so he likely will not be back.

ANDREW MILLER
The 2006 first round pick of the Tigers has yet to harness his awesome ability, but he did show some flashes this year. Miller had a few good starts for the Red Sox, but far too many where he simply walked too many batters. It is still too early to give up on him completely though, he is still just 26. If he can harness his command, he could make the starting rotation next year. But that is a pretty big "if".

TREVER MILLER
Miller was acquired towards the end of the season as veteran left-handed relief. He pitched just two innings, without giving up a run, hit, or a walk. Not bad, but it's hard to imagine him coming back next year.

HIDEKI OKAJIMA
Okajima lost favor pretty quickly in Boston and it looks like his Red Sox career, if not his Major League career, is over. Okajima notoriously was upset that Boston sent him down to the minors and refused to come back to Boston when they attempted to recall him. He demanded a trade a couple of times. Too bad it had to end this way, as I really liked him coming into the season.

DENNYS REYES
Reyes broke camp with the Red Sox then had four miserable games to start the season. He was sent to the minors and never returned.

JUNICHI TAZAWA
Tazawa made it all the way back from Tommy John surgery and made it to the Red Sox bullpen by the end of the year. He has pretty good stuff and could be ready to make an impact in the rotation or the bullpen next year.

KYLE WEILAND
I am sure I am not alone in suggesting that Weiland was rushed to the Major Leagues this year. He was simply not ready to face big league hitters. That said, he could be ready to be a setup man next year in Boston as he did perform well in that role late in the season, or he could be trade bait.

RANDY WILLIAMS
Another left-hander that pitched in fewer than ten games as Boston was looking for a good southpaw option in the bullpen. Williams did not fare much better than Reyes, Okajima, or Hottovy. He likely will not be back next year.