One-Year Wonder Pt. 14: Bill Hall

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

BILL HALL
Bill Hall was acquired in a trade with the Mariners in January of 2010 for Casey Kotchman.  The Mariners picked up most of Hall's salary, and that turned into one of the best deals the Red Sox made that year.  

Hall was extremely versatile, playing every position but right field, first base, catcher, and designated hitter.  His batting average was not terribly high, and neither was his on-base percentage, but his versatility, power, and speed were all important to the team.  Hall hit .247/.316/.456 with 18 home runs and 46 RBIs.  He also stole nine bases.  He was an important piece, all the more so due to the extreme number of injuries Boston suffered in 2010.  He was able to cover for injuries to Dustin Pedroia, Mike Cameron, and Jacoby Ellsbury.

I was disappointed after the year that Boston did not bring him back.  But he played well enough to get a starting role and the Astros picked him up.

02/28/2013 Red Sox 16 Pirates 6

The Red Sox walked 15 times today.  Hopefully that is more of a sign of the patience of the Red Sox hitters than the wildness of the Pirates' pitchers.  We will see.

Player of the Game: Jackie Bradley Jr (3 for 5, 3 runs, stolen base).   Bradley may force the Red Sox to find a spot for him right away.

02/27/2013: Orioles 5 Red Sox 3

Junichi Tazawa has had a rough spring so far.  Hopefully he'll get back on track.  I would love to see him stick in the Major Leagues all year, especially after his incredible season last year.

Player of the Game: Pedro Ciriaco (2 for 4, 3B, RBI)

02/26/2013: Cardinals 15 Red Sox 4

Rough game today.  It's only Spring Training though, so not a big deal.

Player of the Game:  Ryan Dempster (2 IP, 0 hits, 2 strikeouts)

Busts Pt. 20: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Sometimes, offseason acquisitions work out. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes, they are spectacular failures.

DAISUKE MATSUZAKA
We can talk about this now.  Matsuzaka was the subject of the highest posting fee in baseball history to that point.  The Red Sox paid $51,111,111.11 just to talk to Matsuzaka about playing for them.  They outbid the Rangers, Mets, and Yankees among other teams.  Matsuzaka was supposed to be an ace for whoever got him.  They then signed him for a $52 million, six-year contract.  It was the highest contract anyone ever got coming from Japan.

2007 proved to be a reasonably decent rookie year.  Matsuzaka pitched to a 15-12 record with a 4.40 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 204.1 innings.  Not bad, but not quite what was expected.  He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote and won Game 3 of the World Series.  He even helped himself with a two-run single.  All in all it was a fairly successful season.

His 2008 season was even better.  He won 18 games against just three losses and a 2.90 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 167.2 innings.  He finished fourth in the Cy Young race.  He did show a tendency to nibble at the corners at the plate and throw a lot of pitches.  But nonetheless, his numbers looked great on paper.  He looked like he could be the great pitcher the Red Sox thought they were getting.

In 2009 however, the injuries and tendency to throw a lot of pitches started to accumulate.  The next four seasons saw his numbers dramatically decline.  He pitched in only 56 games over the next four years with a 17-22 record and a 5.53 ERA with 254 strikeouts.

At the end, the injuries and the number of pitches did him in.  When he was aggressive, he was good, when he nibbled he had a tendency to get hit hard.  The money just was not worth it at the end.  

02/25/2013: Red Sox 4, Blue Jays 2; Rays 6, Red Sox 3

Today the Red Sox played two split-squad games, one against the new-look Blue Jays and R.A. Dickey, and the other against the Rays.  Boston countered Dickey with their own knuckleballer, Steve Wright.

Player of the Game (Blue Jays): Jackie Bradley Jr. (3 for 3, double, RBI, run)

Player of the Game (Rays): Dustin Pedroia (1 for 3, home run)

1991 Topps #70 Ellis Burks

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

Ellis Burks was one of my favorite players early on.  He was a rare power/speed threat for the Red Sox at the time.  Burks won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger in 1990.  He hit .296/.349/.486 in 1990.  He lead the team with 21 home runs, 89 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.  His stolen bases were down quite a bit, and he was caught eleven times.  He also made his first All Star team.  He looked like a rising star at only 25 years old.  Unfortunately he would have two injury-riddled, down seasons before Boston let him go.  

Season in Review: 1994

1994 was the year of the strike.  There was no postseason and no World Series.  As a young fan this was devastating.  I was only 13 years old at the time.  I did not really understand what was going on and I kept hoping they would come back and finish the season.  But they did not.  Boston was fairly underwhelming that year, going 54-61 under Butch Hobson.  It was Hobson's last season as manager.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS:
Mo Vaughn
Vaughn was on the verge of an even better year than his 1993 season.  At the time of the strike he was hitting .310/.408/.576 with 26 home runs and 82 RBIs.  He could have easily broken his career marks with a full season.  He was becoming an offensive force for the Red Sox by this point.  And the best was yet to come.

John Valentin
By this point, Valentin was one of the most underrated players in baseball.  Valentin was hitting .316/.400/.505 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs.  His biggest moment of the 1994 season was turning an unassisted triple play.

Roger Clemens
He did not have a great record, but for the most part Clemens was back to his usual form.  He only finished 9-7 but Boston was not terribly good that year.  He did finish second in the league with a 2.85 ERA and 168 strikeouts.  So for the most part it was back to being a dominant pitcher for Clemens.

Scott Cooper
Cooper had his second straight All Star selection in 1994 and his numbers for the most part were better.  He was hitting .282/.333/.453 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs.  He also hit for the cycle against the Royals.  I remember listening to that game on the radio, I lived close enough to Kansas City to hear the games on the radio.

Andre Dawson
Dawson was definitely on his last legs as a Major Leaguer by this point, but I still enjoyed watching him because I knew he would be in the Hall of Fame some day.  His batting line was a less than impressive .240/.271/.466, but he did hit 16 home runs.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Aaron Sele
Following up his successful rookie season, Sele emerged as a decent number two starter for Boston.  His record was only 8-7 but he did pitch to a 3.83 ERA and 105 strikeouts.

Tom Brunansky
Bruno was re-acquired in a trade with the Brewers early in the season for Dave Valle after right-fielder Billy Hatcher was traded to the Phillies.  Bruno helped to add some offense, something that was lacking for the team that season.  He finished the season hitting .237/.319/.475 with ten home runs.  He was done as a Major Leaguer after 1994.

Mike Greenwell
Greenwell was hurt often in 1994, playing only 95 games.  His numbers were down to .269/.348/.453 but he did hit 11 home runs.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION
Otis Nixon
I had been watching the Red Sox for only four years as of 1994, and the most stolen bases in one season I had seen was Scott Fletcher's 16 in 1993.  So I was excited to see Otis Nixon acquired by the Red Sox.  Finally they had someone who could steal a lot of bases.  Nixon hit .274/.360/.317 in 1994.  His OBP and average were actually better than his career numbers, so it was a successful season for him.  He stole 42 bases and would have easily broken the team record if not for the strike.

FAVORITE ROOKIE
Rich Rowland
Acquired in a trade prior to the season for catcher John Flaherty.  Rowland had played in September in each of the prior four seasons and finally got a chance to play in 1994.  He became the backup to Damon Berryhill but showed some impressive power, hitting nine home runs with a .483 slugging percentage in 46 games.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Dave Valle
Valle was acquired as part of a complete catcher overall in 1994.  Gone were Tony Pena, Bob Melvin, and John Flaherty.  Valle, Berryhill, and Rowland were all new to the organization.  Valle was expected to be the starter, but only hit .158/.256/.250 and was shipped to the Brewers for Brunansky.

Greg Harris
One year after a great season out of the bullpen, Harris's ERA ballooned to 8.28.  The amount of work the season prior must have taken a toll on the 38 year old.

02/24/2013 Red Sox 5, Cardinals 3

Player of the Game: Jon Lester (2 IP, 1 strikeout).  It took Lester only 24 pitches to make it through two innings.  Hopefully he will return in a big way this year.

02/23/2013: Rays 4, Red Sox 3

It was the first official Spring game.  Boston lost, but it's only Spring Training. 

Player of the Day: Jose Iglesias 1 for 2, home run, error.  Iglesias is fighting for the Red Sox shortstop position.  He spent most of the offseason working out with Dustin Pedroia.  He definitely started out strong though with a home run in his first game.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2005

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.

Another year, another second baseman.  Mark Bellhorn, the subject of the 2004 post, started the year but his numbers were way down and he was eventually released.  Alex Cora had been acquired but he was definitely more of a utility player than a regular.  Eventually, Boston made a trade with the Royals for Tony Graffanino, giving up Chip Ambres and Juan Cedeno.  

Graffanino played in 51 games for the Red Sox and put together a strong batting line of .319/.355/.457 with four home runs and 20 RBIs.  He also stole four bases.  Graffanino solidified second base and turned in a quality performance at the same time helping the Red Sox to the playoffs.

Of course, Graffanino made a crucial error in the ALDS that lead to the White Sox sweeping the Red Sox.  But that should not diminish the impact he made during the regular season.

Graffanino was allowed to leave as a free agent after the season and returned to the Royals.  He would not be as good a hitter again.    

Spring Games Have Begun

Boston played two games today against college teams.  They won both, but that is not terribly excited.  What is exciting is that they are starting to play games again.  I am excited for this year.  I really am.  I don't remember being this anxious in a long time.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 25: Scott Cooper

I have been a little hard on Scott Cooper on this blog in the past, calling him an undeserving All Star, among other things.  But the fact of the matter is that when I was young, I really did like Cooper.  Most of the reasoning for that is the fact that he was the team's lone All Star at a time when I thought that really meant something.  I knew Mo Vaughn deserved it more, but Cooper was the only one they sent two years in a row.

Of course Cooper was also indirectly responsible for the loss of not one, but two, great players.  In 1990, Boston traded third baseman Jeff Bagwell to the Astros because he was expendable since he was behind Wade Boggs and Cooper on the third base depth chart.  Then Boston figured they could afford to let Boggs walk as a free agent after the 1992 season because Cooper was developing into a decent major leaguer.

Cooper made his ML debut in 1990 but only made it into two games.  He had another brief shot in 1991 and hit .457/.486/.686 in 14 games.  He was nearly a full-time player in 1992 but bounced around the infield quite a bit.  He actually played more games at first base than third base due to the struggles of Vaughn in his first full season and the presence of Boggs in his last with the Red Sox.  He also chipped in at second and short briefly.

1993 saw him take over third base full-time and he hit .279/.355/.397 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs.  Cooper was also a very strong defensive player.  He was credited with a lot of errors but that had more to do with Vaughn's defensive issues than Cooper's.  Cooper had a very strong throwing arm at third that was actually his best asset.  He then hit .282/.333/.483 in 1994 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs in the strike-shortened season.  His biggest moment was hitting for the cycle in a ridiculous 22-11 drubbing of the Royals.

After the 1994 season, Cooper was traded to the Cardinals with Cory Bailey for Mark Whiten and Rheal Cormier.  He would never come close to his numbers with the Red Sox.

Moves I Did Not Care For

I have been called a homer in the past.  Mostly on baseball forums.  I do not think I am a homer, but no one really does.  I am a fan.  I try not to be overly critical of my team to other people.  That does not mean that I love everything they do.  The Red Sox have made some ridiculous moves in the past.  Obviously the big ones are the Ruth sale and the Bagwell trade.  Both of those occurred before I was a fan.  The Bagwell trade occurred just one year prior.

In this post I want to show that I do sometimes disagree with Boston's moves.  These are moves I disliked at the time, not with hindsight.  Some moves may have worked out.  Other moves that I did like may not have worked.  These are moves I disliked when they happened.

1992
RED SOX TRADE JEFF REARDON TO BRAVES
I was a big fan of Jeff Reardon.  I have always liked closers and Reardon was the first one I watched.  It helped that he had just broken the career saves record.  Obviously he was expendable.  He was set to be a free agent and he was older.  Boston was in last place and had no real need for a good closer, but they definitely did not have an adequate replacement.  It also did not help that the players the Red Sox got, Sean Ross and Nate Minchey, never really did anything for the Red Sox.

1993
WADE BOGGS SIGNS WITH YANKEES AS FREE AGENT
Boggs was my favorite player.  He had a bad year and Scott Cooper was ready to take over, but Cooper was never going to be an adequate replacement.  He just was not projected to be a star.  Boggs was a Hall of Famer.

PHIL PLANTIER TO PADRES FOR JOSE MELENDEZ
Just one year prior, Plantier was untouchable.  But then his numbers dropped in 1992 and suddenly Boston could not get rid of him fast enough.  For them to trade a previously untouchable player for a middle reliever was particularly frustrating.  He was still just 24 years old.  Right field was a black hole for the Red Sox in 1993, and Plantier hit 34 home runs with 108 RBIs for the Padres.  Melendez pitched in 19 games over the two years he spent with Boston.  Plantier never did as well again, but he would have been a big help in 1993.

1995
SCOTT COOPER TO CARDINALS FOR MARK WHITEN AND RHEAL CORMIER
This one actually worked out but not for the reasons that it should have.  Cormier had the best year of the three players involved.  But I liked Cooper.  I was still a young fan at the time so I did not like it when Boston gave up players I liked.  Cooper was not a great player, or even really a very good one, but I liked him.  I did try to think positively about it though.  Whiten was supposed to be a decent player and they also got Cormier.

FRANK RODRIGUEZ TO TWINS FOR RICK AGUILERA
It reminded me of the Bagwell trade.  Rodriguez was Boston's top prospect.  For a few years I had heard about what a great pitcher he was going to be.  Then he was traded when Boston found it could not contend without a good closer.  Suddenly their top prospect was gone.  This one was okay as Rodriguez was never a very good pitcher.  But I had no idea at the time.

MARK WHITEN TO PHILLIES FOR DAVE HOLLINS
Whiten was terrible for Boston and he was personally miserable.  But it just felt like they were giving up on him.  It seems like they do that every few years or so.  Whiten of course went on to play well for the Phillies. Hollins played five games for the Red Sox.

1996
JAMIE MOYER TO THE MARINERS FOR DARREN BRAGG
Darren Bragg really?  That's all they could get for Jamie Moyer?  Moyer was not quite the well-reputed pitcher at that time that he was years later.  But he was 7-1 and he was left-handed.  Bragg was an acceptable player, but even then it did not seem like enough for Boston's best pitcher to that point.

1997
ROGER CLEMENS SIGNS WITH BLUE JAYS AS FREE AGENT
BOSTON SIGNS STEVE AVERY, BRET SABERHAGEN, AND ROBINSON CHECO
The Red Sox let Clemens go.  Clemens had not pitched great in a few years, but he did lead the league in strikeouts in 1996, a sign that the old Clemens was on his way back.  Of course now we know that he had some help.  But Boston did not really have a pitcher ready to take his place.  They signed two reclamation projects and an unknown quantity.  Saberhagen was recovering from a major injury and would barely pitch that year but would be decent in 1998 and 1999.  Avery was terrible in his two years with Boston.  Checo never developed.

1998
JIM LEYRITZ TO PADRES FOR MANDY ROMERO, DARIO VERAS, AND CARLOS REYES
Leyritz was unhappy with his lack of playing time.  He was originally brought in to spend time at catcher, first base, and designated hitter, but the development of Jason Varitek meant that he was not needed at catcher.  He was very productive to that point so it was a bit of a loss.  Eventually he was replaced by Mike Stanley who served the same capacity.

ORLANDO MERCED RELEASED
I always liked Merced with the Pirates and Blue Jays.  I was excited when he was acquired along with Greg Swindell, but Boston never had much use for him and he was released after 12 hitless plate appearances.  They would do the same thing with Gary Gaetti and Jose Cruz Jr. later on.

1999
MO VAUGHN SIGNS WITH ANGELS AS FREE AGENT
BOSTON SIGNS JOSE OFFERMAN
I would have no problem with Offerman as a complementary piece.  He had a nice year in 1999.  But as a replacement for Vaughn?  No.  You cannot replace a power-hitting first baseman with a light-hitting second baseman.  It just does not work.  Vaughn was another favorite that Boston let leave as a free agent.

BOSTON SIGNS MARK PORTUGAL AND PAT RAPP
This never seemed like it would work.  And it didn't.  Both pitchers were bad in 1999 and played a big role in Boston having to settle for a Wild Card.  They could have been better.

2000
FRYE, ROSE, AND WASDIN TO ROCKIES FOR ARROJO, LANSING, AND CROUSHORE
Brian Rose was supposed to be a top prospect but that is not the issue that I had.  I did not understand getting Mike Lansing.  I guess they really wanted Rolando Arrojo and taking on Lansing's terrible contract meant that they did not have to give up any major parts.  But Boston was already overloaded on bad contracts with Valentin, O'Leary, Lewis, and Offerman.  If they had not gotten Lansing's contract, maybe they would have been able to bring in Mike Mussina to go along with Manny Ramirez in 2001.

2001/2002
TOMO OHKA AND RICH RUNDLES TO EXPOS FOR UGUETH URBINA
SUN WOO KIM AND SEUNG JUN SONG TO EXPOS FOR CLIFF FLOYD
Boston tried to find a hidden well of talent in Asia in the late 1990's.  Ohka, Kim, and Song were the most talented players they found.  Ohka and Kim showed flashes of that talent on occasion and Song was Boston's top prospect at the time.  None of them made big impacts in the majors and Urbina and Floyd were both successful in their short stints in Boston, but after years of hearing about the Asian scouting, it was proving to be all for naught.

2002
HIDEO NOMO SIGNS WITH DODGERS
Nomo had a good year in 2002.  He lead the AL in strikeouts and pitched a no hitter.  Plus he was fun to watch.  He seemed like the perfect pitcher to re-sign and make a good number two starter.  With him in the rotation along with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, Boston could have made it to the World Series in 2003.

2003
FREDDY SANCHEZ TO PIRATES FOR JEFF SUPPAN
There were more parts to this.  The full trade was Sanchez and Mike Gonzalez for Jeff Suppan, Anastacio Martinez, and Brandon Lyon.  The reason for the trade was to make up for an earlier trade in which Boston got Gonzalez and Scott Sauerbeck for Lyon and Martinez.  Lyon was hurt apparently.  Suppan was terrible in his first stint with Boston and was not much better the second time around.  Sanchez could have solved Boston's long-standing problems at second base.

THE CLOSER BY COMMITTEE
I get the idea.  It is better to use your best relievers when the game is on the line and anyone can finish the game.  But baseball players are human and prefer to have defined roles.  So maybe it could work in some situations, but only if you have the 1990 Reds bullpen.  Mike Timlin, Alan Embree, Chad Fox, Ramiro Mendoza, and Brandon Lyon are not an adequate group to pull off the closer by committee.  None of them had much closing experience.  The results were awful right away and lead to the trade of Shea Hillenbrand for Byung Hyun Kim.

2004
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA TO CUBS
It worked out in the end, but Garciaparra was again a favorite player.  He was the franchise player.  And Boston got Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz in the trade.  It never seemed like enough.

2005
PEDRO MARTINEZ SIGNS WITH METS
DEREK LOWE SIGNS WITH DODGERS
BOSTON SIGNS DAVID WELLS, MATT CLEMENT, AND WADE MILLER
Two of the World Champion team's top three pitchers left town and they signed Wells, Clement, and Miller to replace them.  Miller was a reclamation project, Wells was old and had never been successful at Fenway Park, and Clement had never pitched in the AL.  Wells was okay and Clement was good for the first half of the first year, but none of the pitchers had long term success.

2006
HANLEY RAMIREZ TO MARLINS FOR JOSH BECKETT AND MIKE LOWELL
This one worked out for both teams as Ramirez was a great player for a few years.  Beckett and Lowell helped Boston to the 2007 World Championship.  But once again, a top prospect that I had been waiting for  over the previous several years was gone.  I liked that Boston got Beckett and Lowell, but hated that Ramirez had to go.

JOHNNY DAMON SIGNS WITH YANKEES
I hate it when a beloved player goes to play for the Yankees.  Boston traded for Coco Crisp to replace him, which of course never really worked out as well as it should have.

BRONSON ARROYO TO REDS FOR WILY MO PENA
Arroyo had just signed a team-friendly contract and had a decent year in 2005.  But there was a supposed pitching surplus and Boston needed some more power.  So Arroyo was shipped away for Pena, who was a terrible defensive player which meant that he did not make it into the lineup much.  He did have power, but that was it.

JOSH BARD AND CLA MEREDITH TO PADRES FOR DOUG MIRABELLI
I liked Doug Mirabelli and was disappointed when they traded him away for Mark Loretta, but that turned out to be a decent trade.  Unfortunately Boston could not find someone to catch Tim Wakefield's knuckleball and they had to make a desperate trade to get Mirabelli back.  That meant that Meredith, a promising reliever, had to be sacrificed.

2009
JUSTIN MASTERSON TO INDIANS FOR VICTOR MARTINEZ
I liked that they picked up Martinez, but giving up on Masterson seemed premature.  I liked Masterson and thought that he had a decent future with the Red Sox.  Martinez was necessary as catcher was proving to be a black hole, but it was disappointing to lose Masterson.

2011
ADRIAN BELTRE SIGNS WITH RANGERS
I still think they should have re-signed Beltre, who had a great year in 2010, and kept Youkilis at first.  I liked the Adrian Gonzalez trade, but I wanted Beltre to stay.

ERIK BEDARD TRADE
I never had a lot of hope for Bedard to pitch well for Boston and they gave up a lot of minor leaguers to get him.  Tim Federoicz, Stephen Fife, Juan Rodriguez, and Chih Hsien Chiang were all let go in the trade and Boston just did not get much out of it.

2012
THE DODGERS TRADE
This was bittersweet for me.  I wanted Carl Crawford to be the player he was with the Rays when he completely flustered Boston catchers.  I wanted Adrian Gonzalez to be the 40 home run threat he was with the Padres.  Boston did not get either of those things.  James Loney was just going to be a stopgap and Jerry Sands and Ivan DeJesus were never expected to do all that much.

2013
JOEL HANRAHAN TRADE
I am concerned about this one.  Boston traded Jed Lowrie and Josh Reddick last year in trades for potential closers.  Both players had good years and the closers, Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey, were both disappointing.  Now they are trading for another closer and gave up Melancon, Sands, Stolmy Pimentel, and DeJesus to get him.  Will Sands be the next Reddick?  It's possible.

BOSTON SIGNS STEPHEN DREW
I like watching Jose Iglesias.  Drew stands in his way.

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt 17: Wes Ferrell

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.

Wes Ferrell, like Carl Mays, is a player whose name comes up every year when the Veterans' Committee when they vote on the Old Timers ballot.  Ferrell's brother Rick is in the Hall of Fame as a catcher for the Red Sox.  The brothers actually played together with the Red Sox and Senators.

Ferrell was a workhorse who lead the American League in games started twice, and complete games and innings pitched three years in a row.  Ferrell won 20 games in six seasons and won 170 games in the 1930's, fourth behind Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, and Red Ruffing.  Ferrell though typically pitched for mediocre teams, spending his most productive years with the Browns, Red Sox, and Senators.

The major argument against Ferrell is his ERA.  His career ERA was 4.04, which is similar to the argument against Jack Morris, whose career ERA was 3.90.  Ferrell's ERA+ though is 116 so relatively speaking, it was not that bad of a number.  Still most voters these days seem to have some difficulty with context, in particular those on the Veterans' Committee.

THE VERDICT
Ferrell is probably a pretty borderline candidate, but his numbers seem to warrant more consideration.

Season in Review: 1993

1993 was quite a bit different than 1992.   There was a lot of player turnover and a lot of my favorite players (Boggs, Burks, and Reardon in particular) were gone.  Unfortunately a season that was once very promising took a bad turn and Boston finished 80-82.  Most of the problem was due to inconsistent pitching as Roger Clemens had a bad year.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS
Mo Vaughn
Vaughn really came into his own as a force to be reckoned with in 1993.  It was his first full season with the Red Sox and he became one of the most productive first basemen in the league.  He hit .297/.390/.525 with 29 home runs and 101 runs batted in.  He also started to show some impressive leadership qualities.  One of my favorite moments was him clotheslining a charging George Bell after being hit by an Aaron Sele pitch.

Scott Cooper
No he was not a great player, or even a particularly good player, but the third-baseman had a strong arm and was the team's lone All Star.  Although he did not really deserve it.  Cooper hit .279/.355/.397 with nine home runs and 63 RBIs.

Danny Darwin
Darwin was Boston's top starting pitcher in 1993, leading the team in wins (15), innings pitched (229.1), and WHIP (1.068).  He also struck out 130 batters and had a 3.26 ERA.  He came close to pitching a perfect game, allowing only a Dan Pasqua triple that would have been caught if Billy Hatcher were just a couple inches taller.

John Valentin
Valentin, like Vaughn, started to come into his own in 1993 as a player.  He hit .278/.346/.447 with 11 home runs and 66 RBIs.  He also proved to be a very good defensive shortstop.  This was Valentin's first full season with the Red Sox as well, though he did not start on Opening Day.

Mike Greenwell
Greenwell came back from a rough 1992 season to lead the team in batting average in 1993.  Greenwell hit .315/.379/.480 with 13 home runs and 72 RBIs, both second only to Vaughn.  This was another solid season for the outfielder who built a career on solid, but not terrific seasons.  Greenwell also lead the team with 170 hits that year.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Greg Harris
Harris was one of the most productive middle relievers in 1993 pitching in 80 games which was a team record and lead the league.  He pitched to a 6-7 record with a 3.77 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 112.1 innings pitched.  He also wound up with 8 saves.

Frank Viola
One of two supposed aces coming into the season, Viola actually had a decent season for the Red Sox in 1993, but was injured for a chunk of the season.  He ended up with a record of 11-8 with a 3.14 ERA (which lead the team among pitchers who qualified) and 91 strikeouts.  His overpowering days were over but he proved to be a somewhat crafty southpaw.

Scott Fletcher
Fletcher was a terrific defensive second baseman who actually had a pretty decent season with the bat.  He hit .285/.341/.402 with five home runs and 45 RBIs and lead the team with 16 stolen bases.  Not bad numbers for a middle infielder at that time, particularly a second baseman.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION
Andre Dawson
Boston replaced the departed future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs with another future Hall of Famer.  Of course Dawson was well-past his prime by the time he came to Boston and his knees forced him into playing all but 20 of his games as the team's designated hitter.  He hit .273/.313/.425 with 13 home runs and 67 RBIs.

FAVORITE ROOKIE
Aaron Sele
Sele was the team's first selection in 1991 and made an immediate impact.  He finished the season with a 7-2 record and a 2.74 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 111.2 innings.  He finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year vote behind Tim Salmon and Jason Bere.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
Roger Clemens
After a terrific 1992 season, a lot was expected of Roger Clemens in 1993.  Unfortunately this was probably his worst season in his career.  Clemens finished with a losing record for the first time, going only 11-14 with a 4.46 ERA and only 160 strikeouts in 191.2 innings, all his worst numbers since 1985, before he became the dominant pitcher he was.

Ivan Calderon
One of many new, talented players picked up by the Red Sox prior to the 1993 season, acquired in a trade with the Expos for Mike Gardiner and Terry Powers.  Calderon was acquired to man right field in case Carlos Quintana and Bob Zupcic were not up to the task.  However, Calderon was hurt and ineffective, playing only 73 games before being replaced by Rob Deer and hitting just .221/.291/.291 with one home run and 19 RBIs.

1991 Topps #37 Tom Bolton

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

Along with Dennis Lamp, this was my first Red Sox card.  I got the two cards in my very first pack of baseball cards.  Bolton was the number four starter for the Red Sox in 1990 and had a decent, if unspectacular year.  He went 10-5 with a 3.38 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 119.2 innings with 47 walks.  He started 16 out of his 21 games.  The left-handed Bolton was always a player that Boston had high hopes for but he was never really able to put it all together.  He came closest in 1990.

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.