2022 Topps Series 2 Ebay Break

I did another one of these Ebay breaks for Topps Series 2 in order to get the complete team set and maybe some of the inserts and parallels myself.  Pretty good results.

1.  Carl Yastrzemski.  From the Silver Pack came this awesome Yaz card.  I am a sucker for cards featuring players from the red hat era of Red Sox history.  The 1975-1979 teams were mostly successful and the first hat my parents got me was the red one from that time period.

2.  Kevin Plawecki.  Here is a gold foil parallel of backup catcher Kevin Plawecki.  Topps Total has been gone again for a couple of years, primarily because Topps couldn't figure out that what made that set interesting in the first place was that it was inexpensive and a huge set.  They got the huge set part right, but limited it to online only with ten-card packs costing $10.00.  With it gone, I am concerned about finding cards of backup catchers, utility players, AAAA players and middle relievers again.  Flagship includes some, but not many.

3.  Team card.  Here we have Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez emerging from the dugout.  It will be interesting to see how the team meshes this year as Bogaerts and Vazquez were glue guys in the clubhouse.  Devers is the only one of the trio still in Boston.

4.  Jack Lopez.  Holy crap, I did not expect to see cards of Jack Lopez.  Lopez was never even on the Red Sox 40 man roster.  He was only able to be called up because Boston got hit hard by COVID at one point and were allowed to bring in a bunch of reinforcements that did not require roster moves.  Lopez was a 28-year-old journeyman in the minor leagues making his Major League debut in 2021.  He played in seven games and got just two hits, both doubles, in 16 plate appearances.  I am thrilled to see him in this set.

5.  Kutter Crawford.  Crawford has some potential.  A couple of the pitching prospects took big steps backward in 2021, but Crawford looks like he could be a serviceable arm out of the bullpen.  In 2022, he had a 5.47 ERA, but struck out 77 in 77.1 innings.

6.  Connor Seabold.  Seabold is one of those pitching prospects that took a step backward in 2022.  He has not been the same since an elbow injury and struggled greatly in 2022.  Seabold was recently DFA'd to make room for Corey Kluber so he may be gone.

7.  Rafael Devers.  Devers has a flair for dramatic home runs, as shown on this card.  One of his most memorable was a two-run shot in the ninth against Washington in the final game of the season in 2021 that helped Boston clinch a playoff spot.

8.  Kevin Plawecki.  Plawecki had been a serviceable backup catcher in 2020 and 2021, even being one of the better contact hitters for Boston in 2021.  Unfortunately, he seemingly forgot how to hit in 2022 and was released.  

9.  Chris Sale.  Probably the biggest question mark going into 2023 is what to expect from Chris Sale.  He has been pretty good when he's been on the mound in 2021 and 2022, but that has not been nearly often enough.  Boston needs to get something out of him going forward or that extension he signed going into 2019 will be a very expensive bust.

10.  Christian Arroyo.  I would like to see Arroyo get a chance at some regular playing time in 2023, but he has to be healthy first.  The former first round pick and top prospect has been good when he's been able to stay on the field.  He hit .286 with six home runs last season in 87 games.  That would be decent production from a regular second-baseman.

11.  Alex Verdugo.  I've talked a lot about what I would like to see from Verdugo.  Stop selling out for power and worry about making contact, the power will come naturally.  He's never going to be a 30 home run hitter, but 20 is just fine if he's hitting over .300.

12.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Eovaldi goes down as one of the greatest trade deadline pickups in Red Sox history.  That sounds like a pretty good post to write someday.  Of course Boston had to re-sign him after the 2018 season, but he was a very successful acquisition.

13.  Garrett Richards.  I am even more surprised by Richards here than Jack Lopez.  Richards did not return to Boston in 2022.  He signed with Texas prior to the 2022 season after an uneven year with the Red Sox.  Richards was occasionally brilliant but maddeningly inconsistent in 2021 and finished 7-8 with a 4.87 ERA.  One of these days I need to talk about his placement among the One-Year Wonder pitchers.

14.  Jackie Bradley Jr.  I'm completely baffled by why this appears to be air-brushed.  I know he played for Milwaukee in 2021, but he spent the previous EIGHT YEARS with Boston.  There should be tons of pictures of him with the Red Sox lying around that could have been used.  The re-acquisition of JBJ did not work out well and he was released to sign with the Blue Jays before the end of the season, but they did get two prospects out of the deal.  One of those prospects, David Hamilton COULD get called up this season.  His speed would certainly play in the Majors, he stole 70 bases last year.

15.  Tanner Houck.  Houck seems to be the forgotten man on the pitching staff going into 2023.  He has generally been very good since coming to Boston.  He has a career 3.02 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched.  He struggles with control at times, and Boston seems to be unsure of what his role should be, but he's absolutely proven he deserves to be in the mix.

16.  Here's another combo card, this one featuring Rafael Devers with Enrique Hernandez.  I don't mind these cards, but I feel like another player card would be better than having a team card and a combo card.

17.  Wade Boggs.  Here is one of those 1987 All Star inserts.  Boggs actually was an All Star in 1987.  1987 was arguably Boggs's best season.  He hit .363/.461/.588 and led the league in average, OBP, OPS (1.049) and OPS+ (174).  He had his best power season, reaching career highs in home runs (24) and RBIs (89), while accumulating 200 hits, 108 runs scored, 40 doubles and six triples.  Boggs was a hitting machine in those years.  He probably had an argument to be MVP.  

18.  Chris Sale.  Here is a gold foil parallel of Sale.

19.  Tanner Houck.  And a silver foil parallel of Houck.

All in all, that was a decent break.  No big hits, but I wasn't expecting any.  Decent player selection by Topps.  Plawecki, Richards, Arroyo, Crawford, Seabold and especially Jack Lopez are underrepresented on cardboard.

Spotlight 70 Red Sox

Back in July I posted about a Joe Rudi card from Topps Spotlight 70 that was a watercolor rendering of his 1982 Topps card.  After getting that card, I decided to grab a few more:

1.  Rich Gedman.  I have to say, the player selection in this set is wild.  Gedman is certainly an interesting player to appear in a set in the 2020's.  He was a two-time All Star with the Red Sox, but his career declined early.

2.  Luis Tiant.  Tiant's 1975 Topps card is definitely a good one.  I have mentioned over and over again that Tiant needs to be in the Hall of Fame.  

3.  Fergie Jenkins.  This is from his 1976 Topps Traded card.  Jenkins is not exactly well-remembered for his time with the Red Sox.  He had two very average seasons with Boston in 1976 and 1977.  His record in the two years combined was 22-21.

4.  Tom Seaver.  Here is Seaver's 1986 Topps Traded card.  I still remember buying the original at a card show.  I had not been a fan of baseball for a real long time, but I was vaguely familiar with who Tom Seaver was and was shocked that he had been with my favorite team.

5.  Juan Marichal.  And completing the trifecta of Hall of Fame pitchers known for being with other teams yet having Traded cards (that's a mouthful) is this 1974 Topps Traded Juan Marichal.  Marichal had the shortest stint of the three, appearing in just eleven games.

There are still a few of these out there for the Red Sox that I need to get, but they are a little more conventional selections: Jim Rice, Mo Vaughn, Dustin Pedroia and Tim Wakefield.  

Topps Now: May 22, 2022

May 22, 2022 saw Franchy Cordero have his single-biggest moment of his Red Sox career.  The embattled outfielder was the primary piece Boston received from the Royals in the Andrew Benintendi deal so a lot was expected of him.  Unfortunately he never produced enough to justify that deal.  But, for one day, he did.

Boston and Seattle were tied at four in the tenth inning when Cordero came to the plate with the bases loaded.  He swatted a mammoth home run to right field.  It was his only hit of the day, but it was a big one.  For a little while afterwards, it looked like Cordero might be able to be a decent Major Leaguer, but that too did not last.  He ended up hitting just .219/.300/.397 with eight home runs.  After the season, Boston designated him for assignment and he caught on with the Orioles.   

R.I.P. Lee Tinsley

Today, it was announced that former Red Sox outfielder Lee Tinsley passed away.  He was just 53 years old, way too young.  I always liked Tinsley during his career with the Red Sox.

Tinsley came up with the Mariners 1993 and was traded to Boston prior to the 1994 season.  He played in 78 games that season and hit .222/.315/.292.  Speed was always his best tool and he did steal 13 bases, second on the team.  Tinsley was the primary center-fielder in 1995 and had a decent year.  He hit .284/.359/.402 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.  He lost playing time as the year went on, but it was his best season.  He was traded to the Phillies in the Heathcliff Slocumb deal prior to the 1996 season but struggled with his new team and was traded back to Boston.  He played in 92 games for the Red Sox in his second stint and hit .245/.298/.333 and stole six bases.  The next season he was traded back to the Mariners and struggled again.  His career in Boston included a line of .260/.332/.359 with 12 home runs, 69 RBIs and 37 stolen bases.  Tinsley had been a coach for several years and a few organizations.

2022 Gypsy Queen and Donruss Breaks

Not much to show off with these hanger packs I picked up.  Just a couple of base cards.

1.  J.D. Martinez is one of the players that has a City Connect image variation card.  I have not been able to find that one yet.  This is just the base version, though it does have Martinez wearing the alternate red jersey.  

2.  I previously had the name variation of Alex Verdugo, but it was also the purple parallel.  This is just the normal card.  I wonder if Verdugo caught this ball?  It looks like it is just past the webbing of his glove.  

So that's it for today.  Not the most exciting of breaks, but I will go with it.

Gypsy Queen City Connect Variations Pt. 1

I have mentioned before that I actually really like Boston's City Connect uniforms.  The bright yellow and blue grew on me quickly because I did not think I would like them when they were first announced.  I am obviously not saying I think they should go with these full-time, but the occasional game with them is fine with me.

Gypsy Queen in 2022 made one of their image variations the City Connect uniforms.  Several Red Sox players had variations in the set and I decided to go after them.  I have not gotten too far in this endeavor however.

Here is the first one:

Enrique Hernandez was the first one I scored.  He seemed to be the least expensive and I snatched this one up right away.  This was even better since Hernandez had such a great postseason for the Red Sox in 2021 that he has been a low-key favorite player for me to pick up.  

Topps Now: May 18, 2022

On May 18, 2022, the Red Sox defeated the eventual World Champion Astros 5-1.  That was pretty rare for the Red Sox.  In that game, Nick Pivetta pitched a complete game, giving up just two hits and a run, while walking none and striking out eight batters.  Pivetta looked like he was emerging to be a solid member of the pitching staff.  He would struggle in the second half, but he was pretty much keeping the team afloat by himself at this point in the season.

Topps Now: May 19 and 20, 2022

I put these together for a good reason.  They came during a particularly hot streak by newly-acquired Trevor Story.  Story struggled early in the season, but seemed to be putting it together in early May.  Which brings us to the hot streak.

On May 19, Story hit three homers in a game against the Mariners.  Boston won the game 12-6.  Story had four hits and a walk in that game and drove in seven of the runs by himself.  He also stole a base, providing a terrific performance all around.  Tanner Houck pitched four shutout innings in relief of starter Rich Hill, who last just two innings, and got the win while striking out six and giving up one hit.

One of the benefits to getting the Road to Opening Day sets like the one I showed off yesterday is that certain game performances lead to bonus cards that you get automatically.  A three-homer game is one of those performances, so I immediately got this card as well.

May 20, 2022 saw Story drive in four more runs against the Mariners, giving him eleven in a two-game span.  Boston won this game 7-3 with Austin Davis getting the win in relief of Michael Wacha, who had a rare, short stint.  Story hit a grand slam in this one in the third inning, again providing all the run support the team really needed.  It was his only hit in this game.  Jackie Bradley Jr. also homered.

2022 Topps Now Road to Opening Day

As I recall, prices skyrocketed this year.  I think you had to pay quite a bit more to get the autograph version this year for the Topps Now Road to Opening Day set.  Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts were the signers this year.  Knowing my luck, I would have gotten Duran.  I declined that this year and just went for the set as I do almost every year (I apparently missed 2019).  

1.  Rafael Devers.  There was a question on Twitter today about whether Devers should be named Captain.  Personally, I think it is way too early for that.  Boston doesn't give out the Captain label for just anyone.  There hasn't been one since Jason Varitek, and before that it was Jim Rice.  Devers has not shown that leadership ability yet, and he is still just 26 years old.  He is just not there yet, if he ever will be.  

2.  Jarren Duran.  This is the parallel I got in the set.  It is the blue version numbered to 49.

3.  Xander Bogaerts.  Going back to that Captain discussion, Bogaerts would have qualified had he remained in Boston.  

4.  Jarren Duran.  I do love the green uniform for St. Patrick's Day.  

5.  Trevor Story.  Story almost was not in this set.  He signed with Boston so late there almost was not time to get him in.  I do not recall who would have been in the set instead.  Michael Wacha maybe?

6.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez goes down as one of the all-time best free agent signings in Red Sox history.  I would probably put him at number three, behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.  Sounds like an interesting post idea.

7.  Bobby Dalbec.  Dalbec's place on the roster is tenuous at best.  Triston Casas is expected to be the first-baseman and Justin Turner was signed to be the DH.  Dalbec struggled most of the season last year and looks like he is on his way out.  But he doesn't have much value in trade either.

8.  Alex Verdugo.  I would love to see Verdugo embrace more of a leadership role and become a stronger contact hitter in 2023.  If he doesn't, I suspect his time in Boston is coming to an end.  That would be disappointing.

9.  Christian Vazquez.  I considered turning Vazquez into my new mini-player collection, similar to Jason Varitek, but then he was traded to Houston and did not return to Boston as a free agent.  The catching platoon as currently set is kind of underwhelming, so I was a proponent of bringing him back.  That did not work out.

10.  Enrique Hernandez.  Hernandez's versatility is his biggest asset and it will once again come in handy in 2023.  He could easily play center field, second base or shortstop, depending on the team's needs.  And with the acquisition of Masataka Yoshida for the leadoff spot, he will be able to bat lower in the lineup, lengthening the lineup.

11.  Chris Sale.  Hopefully Sale will be fully healthy in 2023.  It has been a long time since that happened.

12.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Eovaldi will be missed.  His spot in the rotation will likely be filled by Corey Kluber, who is no longer the ace he was when he won two Cy Young Awards, but is still an effective starter.

13.  Tanner Houck.  Where does Houck fit in?  At one point he looked like the closer of the future.  But Boston signed Kenley Jansen.  So, does Houck start?  Will he be traded?  I really have no idea.

14.  James Paxton.  Paxton almost became the new Collin McHugh, a pitcher Boston signed who ended up never playing for them.  He looked like he was on his way back, then got injured and had to shut down last season.  But then he exercised his player option and will be in Boston in 2023.  When healthy, he is very good, it would be helpful if he is ready to go this year.

15.  Matt Barnes.  Barnes should settle in as a late-inning bullpen arm.  It seems to be his best role and he came back in a big way at the end of 2022.  There will not be as much pressure on him, and he tends to perform better that way.

16.  Garrett Whitlock.  Whitlock is in a similar position as Houck, but his status on the roster is much more certain.  He will not be traded.  And he will be given an opportunity to show he can be a starter.  He had ups and downs as a starter last season.

My Only Superfractor

Bonus post today.  I have had this for several years but don't think I have ever shown it off on its own.  This is the only Chrome Superfractor in my collection:

Of course it's Jason Varitek.  I doubt anyone is surprised by that.  Like I said, this is just a bonus post because I have never shown it off by itself.

2022 Gypsy Queen Break

Up next was an attempt at a Gypsy Queen blaster.  I saw that there were image variations for the City Connect uniforms.  I was hoping for one of those, but I didn't get one.

Here is what I did get:

1.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Eovaldi is one of the players that had a City Connect variation.  I got the base card at least.  Eovaldi signed with the Rangers as a free agent this week.  His time in Boston is over.  When healthy, he was a great pitcher, that just was not often enough.  In five season, Eovaldi was 26-18 with a 4.05 ERA in 461.2 innings pitched.  He struck out 468 batters.  He had a reputation for being a big-game pitcher.  His best season was 2021 when he finished fourth in the Cy Young vote.

2.  Rafael Devers.  This is a GQ Gems insert.  This is notable for its unusual size.  I am likely going to be focusing on getting a bunch of Devers cards soon.

Random Auto

I have explained my feelings on relics and autograph cards before.  I do not go after them nearly as much as I used to, unless it is a player that I really want or the price is right.  I do not tend to seek them out as much anymore, but I do still get them.

That brings me to this:

When I saw that there was a Danny Santana autograph card with Boston, I had to get it because he has so few cards with Boston.  This is the pink parallel of the autograph.  Santana played in 38 games with the Red Sox, hitting .181/.252/.345 with five home runs, 14 RBIs and four stolen bases.  Santana's versatility was important as he was able to fill in at first base, left field and center field.  He just was not that good.  But at least I have an autographed card of him.

Diamond Kings and Donruss Breaks

I think I bought these two blasters sometime around my birthday last year.  Luckily the breaks worked out pretty well.

Up first is the Diamond Kings blaster.  And this one was awesome for me.

1.  Joe Cronin.  Diamond Kings likes to reuse certain old-time players over and over again.  Joe Cronin is one of those players.  Cronin is a Hall of Fame shortstop/player-manager for Boston.  He wears a Red Sox cap on his plaque.  Cronin has a problematic legacy though given his widely-reported reluctance bring black players to the Red Sox.

2.  Rafael Devers.  As I am writing this, the news that Devers has agreed in principle to an 11-year deal with Boston is fairly fresh.  I am thrilled.  Some readers may recall my rant about the team not treating its homegrown stars well.  They have broken that cycle, at least for now with Devers.  This is the Artist's Proof parallel.

3.  Rafael Devers.  And here is the base card.

Here though, is why this was a really good break for me:

4.  Alex Verdugo.  I do not pull a lot of Red Sox relics.  This is the first relic I have pulled since a Rick Porcello relic out of Allen & Ginter back in 2019.  Sure it's just a boring gray swatch, but there is just something so exciting about pulling something like this in a pack.

Up next is Donruss:

5.  Rafael Devers.  This is the Unleashed insert, my third Devers of the day, and a good day to be showing off Devers cards.

6.  Connor Seabold.  This was my first card of Seabold, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal in 2020.  Seabold and Nick Pivetta were acquired in exchange for Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree.  Pivetta alone makes that trade a steal.  Seabold has been terrible in the Majors but pitched well in the minors.   In five games, he was 0-4 with an 11.29 ERA, but struck out 19 batters in 18.1 innings.

7.  Kyle Schwarber.  Schwarber makes a surprise appearance with the Red Sox here, given that some other players were updated with their new teams.  

8.  Alex Verdugo.  Here is one of the variation cards with Verdugo's nickname on the front.  It is also tough to tell, but it is a purple foil parallel.

9.  Jarren Duran.  This is another purple foil parallel.

So, out of the two breaks I pulled three parallels, an insert and a relic.  Not bad at all.  Probably my favorite breaks of the year.

Big League and Bowman Breaks

Up next are a couple of breaks in one day.  I never was quite able to get much in the Big League breaks, so I tried again.  Bowman was much more successful, but I tried it again anyway.

Up first is the Big League break:

1.  Chris Sale.  Sale SHOULD be healthy coming in to 2023.  He looked good in his short stint in 2022 and had some good moments in 2023.  I do not know if he will ever again be the ace he was, but if he can stay healthy, he should still be valuable.

2.  Rafael Devers.  It was announced today that Devers came to terms on his contract for 2023, avoiding arbitration.  It's a small step, but hopefully it will lead to an extension.

Up next is Bowman:

3.  Nick Yorke.  Yorke was a surprise first-round pick by Boston in 2020.  It was a widely criticized move and some analysts said they did not even have Yorke in the top 100 prospects in the draft.  Boston saw something in him though and he has shown the potential to have an advanced hitting tool and a great eye at the plate.  He had a rough season in 2022 after a terrific 2021 season, but rebounded in the Arizona Fall League.  Yorke is currently a top five prospect in the system. 

2022 Topps Factory Set

I try to pick up the factory team set each year.  I have missed a few years though.  Here is the one from 2022 which uncharacteristically features a number of players that did not play for Boston in 2022.  That is likely due to the lockout which froze player movement for a couple months.

1.  Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts was Boston's best player in 2022, not their best hitter, but their best player.  Bogaerts hit .307/.377/.456 with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs.  He was an All Star and a finalist for the Gold Glove.  He did win the Silver Slugger, his fifth.  Unfortunately, he will be with San Diego in 2023.

2.  Christian Vazquez.  Vazquez was the most devastating loss to me since Mookie.  He had been having a solid season, hitting .282/.327/.432 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs, when he was traded to the Astros at the trading deadline.  Boston got a solid return on the deal, which was helpful.  Vazquez will be playing for the Twins in 2023.

3.  Jose Iglesias.  After being acquired from the Angels for the stretch run in 2021 and playing well, Iglesias signed a free agent contract with the Rockies for 2022.  He is one of the players that left the team before the 2022 season.

4.  Alex Verdugo.  Verdugo struggled for much of the first half of the season, but came on strong in the second half.  He hit .280/.328/.405 with eleven home runs, 74 RBIs and 39 doubles.  He will be with Boston in 2023, barring an unforeseen trade.

5.  Nathan Eovaldi.  After a career year in 2021, Eovaldi had trouble staying healthy in 2022.  He ended up pitching just 109.1 innings, but had a 6-3 record and a 3.87 ERA.  He struck out 103 batters while walking just 20.  Eovaldi will pitch for the Rangers in 2023.

6.  Christian Arroyo.  Arroyo was groomed as a super-utility man in 2022, but also had trouble staying on the field.  He ended up playing in 87 games, hitting .286/.322/.414 with six home runs and 36 RBIs.  He also stole five bases.  Arroyo is still with Boston.

7.  Bobby Dalbec.  Dalbec took a step backward in 2022 after a nice rookie season in 2021.  Dalbec hit .215/.283/.369 with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs.  Dalbec is still with the team, but he has been passed by Triston Casas at first base.

8.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez was an All Star, his fourth time in Boston.  Unfortunately a power outage led to a line of just .274/.341/.448 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs.  Martinez re-joined Mookie Betts with the Dodgers for the 2023 season.

9.  Jackie Bradley Jr.  The only new acquisition for Boston in this set, JBJ is really a player returning to his first team.  He did not hit well, with a line of .210/.257/.321 with three home runs and 29 RBIs.  He was released late in the season and caught on with the Blue Jays, for whom he actually performed worse.  He is still a free agent as of this moment.  After two straight horrible seasons, it would be surprising if he signed a Major League deal.

10.  Kyle Schwarber.  Schwarber is another player who left Boston before the 2022 season.  He was a great trade deadline pickup in 2021, but was allowed to leave as a free agent to the Phillies.  He led the NL in home runs in 2022.

11.  Garrett Whitlock.  Whitlock pitched 31 games, starting nine and finishing ten.  He had a record of 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched.  Whitlock struck out 82 and walked just 15.  He saved six games.  Whitlock is still with Boston and is the team's best Rule V pick of all time.

12.  Chris Sale.  Sale pitched just two games in 2022 due to a number of injuries.  He had a 0-1 record with a 3.18 ERA and struck out five in 5.2 innings pitched with one walk.  Sale is still with the Red Sox but has not had a successful full season since 2018.

13.  Enrique Hernandez.  Hernandez struggled in 2022 after a good season in 2021.  He played in just 93 games, hitting .222/.291/.338 with six home runs and 45 RBIs.  Boston extended him for the 2023 season.

14.  Travis Shaw.  Another in-season acquisition during the 2021 season, Shaw returned to Boston in 2022, but his stint was short-lived.  He played in just seven games with 19 at-bats, but did not record a hit or a walk and struck out seven times.  He was released in May and has yet to catch on to another team.

15.  Jarren Duran.  Duran spent most of the season in the minors, but he played in 58 games with Boston.  He hit .221/.283/.363 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.  He stole seven bases and recorded 14 doubles and three triples.  Duran is still in the organization.

16.  Rafael Devers.  Boston's third All Star in 2022 was the team's best hitter.  Devers hit .295/.358/.521 with 27 home runs, 42 doubles and 88 RBIs.  A mid-season slump due to nagging injuries kept him from even stronger numbers.  Devers is still with Boston, but entering his final season before he qualifies for free agency.  Hopefully Boston will keep him around.

17.  Tanner Houck.  Like Whitlock, Houck did not have a set role.  He pitched in 32 games with four starts and 14 finishes.  He had a record of 5-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 60 innings pitched.  He saved eight games, tied for the team lead, and struck out 56 while walking 22.  Houck is still with the Red Sox.

Like I said, there are some odd decisions here.  The biggest ones being Iglesias and Schwarber.  Shaw is pretty odd too.  I would have liked to have seen Michael Wacha or Rich Hill make appearances.  This was produced too early to catch Trevor Story.  

2022 Bowman Break

I tried my luck with Bowman.  Let's see how that one worked out:

1.  Jeter Downs.  Downs was the major prospect Boston got in the Mookie Betts deal and he finally made his Major League debut in 2022.  He played in 14 games and hit just .154/.171/.256 with a home run and four RBIs.  In the minors he hit .197/.316/.412.  He is still reasonably young at 24 coming in to the 2023 season, but the last two seasons in the minors have not been good.  Boston ended up DFAing him and the Nationals took a chance.  

2.  Niko Kavadas.  Kavadas was drafted by Boston in the 11th round in 2021.  He hit two home runs in 15 games in 2021 and then 26 in 120 in 2022.  He made it up to Double-A last year.  He seems to have a lot of power and a decent hit tool.  If he is going to make it to Boston though, it will probably be as a designated hitter.  

3.  Ceddanne Rafaela.  My only Chrome First-Year card is Rafaela.  He made huge strides in 2022, skyrocketing up the Red Sox prospect chart.  Defensively, he is elite, able to play in the infield and outfield.  He has a decent hit tool, hitting .330 in High-A and .278 in Double-A.  He stole 28 bases and hit 21 home runs.  Rafaela is now a Top-5 prospect in the system.  

4.  Jarren Duran.  Duran took a huge step backward in 2022.  Now, it looks increasingly likely that he does not have a future in Boston.  Things could change if he has a big Spring Training, but there is a lot of work to be done.

5.  J.D. Martinez.  What is there to say about Martinez that I have not already said?  He will be missed.  Justin Turner will be the DH in 2023, possibly keeping the position warm for Kavadas.

6.  Bobby Dalbec.  Echo the statements that I made about Duran for Dalbec.  He is even less likely to have much chance going forward, unless Triston Casas struggles.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I did a recount on my Varitek cards and found there were a few cards that needed to be eliminated.  Team cards that I meant to take out before but missed.  So, I am down to 977.  23 to go to 1,000.

Happy New Year and Some Big League Cards

First off, Happy New Year's to my readers.  2022 was a busy year.  I did five jury trials, which is four more than I have ever done in a previous year.  Got a not guilty verdict in one, and got charges reduced in two more, so reasonably successful.

Since it was so busy, I have fallen way behind in showing cards, which is why I am still showing stuff from early in the year right now.

Here is the Big League blaster break:

As you can see, not super-exciting.  That pretty much sums up most of my breaks over 2022.

1.  Alex Verdugo.  At least I got one of the Orange parallels.  Verdugo is still with the team, but there have been some trade rumblings.  None of them look terribly likely though.  I think he sticks around and finally breaks out.  I think the team wants to see more from him and see him take on a leadership-type role.

2.  Tanner Houck.  Houck is another player who there have been trade rumblings about.  Again, I do not see it happening, but his role is questionable.  He seemed like he would settle in as closer last season, and then some injuries occurred and he never really had a role after that.  There is still time to get him figured out.

Topps Series One Zippy Zapping

I was Zapped a couple of times this last year.  I need to repay the favor at some point soon.  This was the first time and it resulted in a couple of base singles I needed:

1.  Eduardo Rodriguez.  I was extremely disappointed when E-Rod left Boston.  I have been a pretty big fan of his since his debut.  He emerged as a very good pitcher in 2019 and he had a sneaky good season in 2021.  With Boston he was 64-39 with a 4.16 ERA and 892 strikeouts in 947.2 innings pitched.  His best season in 2019 saw him win 19 games, strike out 213 batters in just 203.1 innings pitched and finish sixth in the Cy Young vote.

2.  Connor Wong.  I have talked several times about Wong recently.  Hopefully he can break out in 2023.

Thanks Kenny!  I promise to get something out soon.

Topps Now: March 23, 2022

After the lockout finally ended last year, a bunch of players still needed to sign somewhere.  One of those was Trevor Story, the Rockies former shortstop.  Boston had been rumored to be going after someone to play second base all offseason, with most reports having them looking at Javier Baez.  But Baez signed with Detroit.  I personally wanted them to sign Marcus Semien.  

On March 23, Story signed a six-year deal with the Red Sox for $140 million.  His first season in Boston did not start off real well as he had some personal matters and minor injuries.  He suffered a wrist injury later in the season that hampered his performance and eventually ended his season in early September.

When he was on the field though, he was a revelation defensively at second base.  He didn't hit a ton, due to his injury, but finished with an OPS of .737 with 16 home runs and a team-leading 13 stolen bases.  That in just 94 games.  If he is healthy in 2023, he will help make up for the loss of Bogaerts.  He may be moving back to shortstop though.

2022 Topps Heritage Team Set

I decided to give in and just buy the team set here.  I have not had great luck with buying packs of Heritage over the last few years.  I bought the base team set first, then bought the short-prints later.  All of them will be shown here.

1.  Rafael Devers.  Devers was Boston's big power hitter in 2022, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 88 runs.  His numbers could have been higher, but he missed about 20 games and had a bit of a slump due to some nagging injuries.  He hit .295/.358/.521.  Boston better re-sign him.

2.  Nick Pivetta.  I had a feeling Pivetta would start to make some appearances in 2022.  He had a solid 2021 season and made an impact in the postseason.  Pivetta was one of the more consistent starters for Boston in the first half of 2022, but struggled down the stretch.  

3.  Rich Hill.  FINALLY!  Hill was named in four Red Sox With No Cards posts.  He was previously with Boston from 2010-2012 and then again in 2015.  This is his very first card with the Red Sox though.  Sure, it's air-brushed, but still.  I'm just happy to finally add him to the collection.

4.  Alex Verdugo.  Verdugo seemed to find himself in the second half in 2022.  Hopefully he can build on that and finally break out in 2023.  I think he will.

5.  Connor Wong.  Wong is currently ticketed to be the backup catcher in 2023.  He seems to be a pretty good defensive catcher.  Hopefully his bat catches up.

6.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez struggled greatly at times in 2022.  He ended up with a decent batting line, but he hit just 16 home runs.  Still, he was an All Star.

7.  Enrique Hernandez.  Yet another nice action shot for Hernandez, who seems to have a gift for that.  Hernandez struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2022.  Hopefully he is ready to go in 2023.

8.  Jarren Duran.  Duran's defensive struggles became impossible to ignore in 2022 and his development has been stunted.  We will see if he can get going again in the upcoming season.  If he can, his speed will be a welcome addition to the team.  He was third on the team in stolen bases, despite playing just 58 games.

9.  Bobby Dalbec.  Dalbec has hit 45 home runs in his career thus far.  Not bad considering he has played just over two full seasons.

10.  Xander Bogaerts.  Bogaerts's power numbers took a dip in 2022, but he still led the team in WAR.  He improved defensively and had a great batting line.

11.  Matt Barnes.  Barnes is now the longest-tenured member of the team.  Barnes has been with Boston since 2014.  He was drafted in the first round in 2011.  Barnes was an All Star in 2021 when he had a terrific first half as the team's closer.  He has saved 47 games for Boston so far.  He will not be the closer in 2023, but should continue to be a big part of the bullpen.

12.  Enrique Hernandez.  This is a highlight card.  Hernandez had a HUGE postseason for Boston in 2021 hitting five home runs and logging 20 hits.

13.  Nathan Eovaldi.  Yet another member of the 2018 World Championship team that is now gone.  Eovaldi signed a deal with the Rangers this week.  He will always be remembered for pitching six innings in relief in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series and his Wild Card Game mastery over the Yankees in 2021.

14.  Christian Vazquez.  I love the action shot here.  I am still disappointed Boston traded him away and then did not bring him back.  He seemed to love being in Boston.  Players like that should be kept around.

These are the short prints:

15.  Cy Young.  Cy Young's 511 wins will probably never be broken.  He won 192 with Boston, which is tied with Roger Clemens for the all-time team record.

16.  Christian Arroyo.  Arroyo seems to have a lot of talent, but cannot seem to stay on the field.  Since coming to Boston, he has hit .273/.320/.427 with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs.  He can play a number of positions as well.

17.  Travis Shaw.  Shaw made his second stint with Boston in 2021.  His biggest contribution was a walk-off grand slam against the Rangers in his first game back with Boston.

2022 Topps Opening Day Blaster

This blaster was pretty good to me.  Boston played the Yankees on Opening Day and lost 6-5 in extra innings.  It was a harbinger of things to come.

1.  Wally the Green Monster.  Honestly, I do not really care for mascot cards.  By the time Boston introduced Wally the Green Monster, I was well into my teens and so the whole idea was kind of lame to me.  Teen angst, I know.  But yeah, mascots do not really do it for me.  I do not seek them out, but will keep them if I get them.

2.  David Ortiz.  This is the Bomb Squad insert.  Ortiz was of course, elected to the Hall of Fame for the 2022 class as the sole electee by the BBWAA.  It was his first year on the ballot.  It is therefore not surprising to see Ortiz cards in 2022.

3.  Xander Bogaerts.  One of the players in this post who actually played on Opening Day, Bogaerts had a good game, going 3-5 with two runs and an RBI batting third.  He hit his first double of the season.

4.  Connor Wong.  Wong is one of the players received in the Mookie Betts trade, the third part of the three players.  Unfortunately, now that Jeter Downs has been released, it is up to Wong to try to show some value.  As of right now, he is part of the catching platoon going into the season with Reese McGuire.  Wong played well defensively last season and had some decent moments offensively, but ended up hitting just .188/.273/.313.  That trade is not looking good right now, especially with the financial flexibility supposedly being the whole purpose of it not being used to keep Xander Bogaerts around.

5.  Chris Sale.  Sale was on the Injured List on Opening Day.  We will see if he is back this upcoming Opening Day.

6.  Rafael Devers.  Devers had just one hit in four at-bats on Opening Day, but it was the team's first home run of 2022.  He drove in two runs.

7.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez had one hit in five at-bats on Opening Day.  His hit was a double and he drove in a run.

8.  Alex Verdugo.  Designated Yankee Killer Verdugo had two hits among his five at-bats on Opening Day.  He also drove in a run.  If he can stop trying to sell out for power and just be a contact hitter, he will become the player the team expected when he was the primary piece in the Mookie trade.

My Second 2022 Topps Break

My second 2022 Topps Series One Break resulted in three new base cards.  

1.  Jarren Duran.  Taking over for Bobby Dalbec in 2021 as the rookie that is going to be overexposed in the new year is Jarren Duran (2023 will be Triston Casas).  Duran is kind of the forgotten man coming into 2023.  He has some obvious skills, such as his game-changing speed, but has not yet harnessed it and his deficiencies (plate discipline and defense) are so glaring that it is hard to keep putting him out there.  I would love to see him succeed, but, like Dalbec, it is becoming increasingly likely that that will not happen in Boston.

2.  Hunter Renfroe.  Renfroe took over as my All-Time One-Year Wonder Right-Fielder for his terrific 2021 season.  Renfroe blasted 31 home runs and drove in 96 runs, while displaying a rocket for an arm.  And then, Boston dealt him to the Brewers for the return of Jackie Bradley Jr. (ill-fated as it was) as well as prospects David Hamilton and Alex Binelas.  I have said it before, I kind of love the City Connect jerseys.

3.  J.D. Martinez.  Martinez's bat will probably be missed in 2023.  It looks like Justin Turner, former Dodgers star and GoT wildling stand-in, will be Boston's DH in 2023.  We will see how that works out.  Martinez goes down as one of the top major free agent signings of all time.

My 2021 Topps Now Postseason Autograph

I posted that I bought this set clear back in July.  The postseason Topps Now Red Sox had three autograph signers and any of the three would have been nice.  Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez were the three signers and I did not have autographs from any of them.  Devers was the preference though, since he is the big Boston star.  Luckily, that worked out:

This is the blue version, numbered to 49.  It is my first Devers autograph.  I am not sure why it took so long to get one, but here we are.  Hopefully he will be in Boston for a long time, but things are not looking overly promising.

2022 Topps Series One Blaster Break

This is how far behind I still am.  This set came out in February and I bought this blaster soon after the release.  It is going to take awhile to catch up, but I am working on it.

Anyway, here was the break from my first blaster of 2022.

1.  Enrique Hernandez.  Hernandez is quickly becoming the king of great action shots in Topps products.  Every single card picture tends to be an impressive shot.  Hernandez signed an extension during the 2022 season and will be back in 2023, barring an unforeseen trade.

2.  Jose Iglesias.  The only non-base card from my break was this Royal Blue parallel.  Iglesias was acquired late in the season in 2021 to play the middle infield and went on a tear.  He hit .356 during his second stint with the Red Sox.  

3.  Christian Vazquez.  I am disappointed that Boston traded Vazquez and did not bring him back after the season.  He was one of my favorite players on the team.  It's been a rough few years for my fandom.  

4.  Bobby Dalbec.  Here, Dalbec is cursed with the Future Stars label.  Dalbec took a big step backwards in 2022 in almost all facets of the game.  Triston Casas looks like he may be supplanting him as the first-baseman in 2023.  Dalbec is still on the team.

5.  Xander Bogaerts.  And here is another favorite player who is now gone from the team.    

Hall of Fame Worthy? Pt. 19: Johnny Damon

 

I have not done one of these in a long time.  It looks like I talked about Vern Stephens back in 2013.  I have been thinking a lot about some under-the-radar players that could be re-evaluated in light of the Eras Committees softening standards for the Hall.  In the last few years, we have seen Fred McGriff, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Buck O'Neill, Tony Oliva, Ted Simmons, Lee Smith and Harold Baines get in.  Many of those players took years and years to get in.  Baines in particular was a shocking inclusion.  

So, what Red Sox players could get in in the future?  I think guys like Curt Schilling, Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant should be obvious selections soon.  We just need to get them back on the ballot.  But who else?  Maybe Nomar Garciaparra?  Don't laugh.  If Don Mattingly gets in some day, and he finished second on the last ballot, I think Nomar is in line.  Who else?

Well, since I got this card, let's look at Johnny Damon.  Damon had an 18-year career and finished with close to 3,000 hits.  He was certainly a famous player, particularly during the 2004 and 2005 seasons when he was basically the public face of the Boston Red Sox, even writing a book during that time period.  Oddly, Damon does not look as fondly upon his time with the Red Sox as he does with the Yankees.  

He had good numbers, particularly when considering how long he played.  Damon finished with a line of .284/.352/.433, good numbers for a center fielder.  He was not blessed with a lot of power, but he finished with 235 home runs.  He was a leadoff hitter, so his RBI number is a little low (1,139).  He stole 408 bases and had 2,769 hits, 522 doubles and 109 triples.  Despite a poor throwing arm, he was regarded as a good defensive outfielder, though he never won a Gold Glove.  

He did accumulate 56.3 WAR, 18th all-time among center-fielders.  Damon had a higher WAR than 14 Hall of Fame center fielders.  Several of those were Negro League players who obviously had lower scores given the number of games played, insufficient record keeping and limited years to play, but there are some noteworthy names in there as well: Kirby Puckett, Lloyd Waner, Hack Wilson, Earle Combes and Earl Averill.

So there are certainly some promising things to consider, but what about barriers?  Well, let's start with his OPS+, which is a not overly-exciting 104.  That is due to the fact that he did not have a ton of power, despite hitting 20 or more home runs three times, and he was not elite at getting on base.  His career OBP was .352 which is slightly above-average, but you want a leadoff hitter getting on base a lot more.  He only led the league in categories three times in his career, stolen bases and runs in 2000 with the Royals, and triples in 2002 with the Red Sox.  He was also never really considered among the great players in the game.  He was only an All Star twice, 2002 and 2005 with the Red Sox, and only received MVP votes four times.  The highest he finished was 13th in 2005.  

THE VERDICT

Is Johnny Damon Hall of Fame-worthy?  I would have to say no.  At least in light of the standards as they currently are.  He was better than Harold Baines, but I don't think the standards are that low yet, despite his election.  There are better candidates among center-fielders that need to be considered first, including Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran, Kenny Lofton and Jim Edmonds.  That's quite a few before you can get down to looking at Damon.  So no, I don't think Damon is getting in anytime soon, if ever.

If he were to get in, what cap would he wear?  I mentioned he doesn't look as fondly on his time with the Red Sox as he does with the Yankees, and I think he has mentioned his preference would be a Royals cap.  I think it would be Royals.  He spent more time there and had one of his best seasons there.  I think publicly he is more remembered for his time with Boston though.  This card is a big indicator of that.  

Schwarber Mini

 

Not much to say about this one, just another player who got away.  Schwarber has been gone for over a year now.  He goes down as one of the better trade deadline moves the Red Sox ever made.  But boy, it did not start out that way.  The move was widely questioned because he was injured at the time.  Boston needed a first-baseman and Schwarber really did not have experience there.  Not to mention the fact that he has often been rather abysmal in the field.  But, it worked out.

In 41 games, Schwarber hit .291/.435/.522 with seven home runs, ten doubles and 18 RBIs.  His hitting helped lead Boston into the postseason.  He hit three more home runs and drove in six more runs in the postseason.  Schwarber seemed to embrace the atmosphere in Boston and would have made a great longtime Red Sox player.  But, the team did not seem to do much to keep him around and he moved on to the Phillies.  Schwarber led the N.L. in home runs in 2022 with 46.  It would have been nice to have him around.

2021 Topps Gallery Break (Goodbye J.D. and X)

This was a pretty relevant post to put up.  Both players in this break have recently left Boston as free agents.

J.D. Martinez recently signed a two-year deal to join friend and former teammate Mookie Betts with the Dodgers.  Martinez will go down as one of the best free agents Boston has ever signed.  He signed a five-year deal with Boston prior to the 2018 season and immediately paid dividends by helping the team to the World Championship.  He spent five seasons in Boston, making the All Star team four times and winning two Silver Slugger Awards, both in the same season.  He was fourth in the MVP vote in 2018.  Martinez hit .292/.363/.526 with 130 home runs and 423 RBIs for Boston.

Xander Bogaerts will go down as the second or third best shortstop of all time in Boston.  He spent ten seasons with the Red Sox and was an All Star four times and won five Silver Slugger Awards.  He finished fifth in the MVP race in 2019.  Bogaerts hit .292/.356/.458 in his ten seasons and contributed 1,410 hits, 308 doubles, 156 home runs and 683 RBIs.  Bogaerts recently signed a deal with the Padres.  He looks like a decent chance at putting together a Hall of Fame career if he can keep his numbers up the next few seasons.

1978 SSPC Team Set (Minus George Scott)

I have been searching for this set for a long time.  I admit I was not really sure of how to find it, how this set was originally released.  Apparently they were inserts in a magazine that you had to remove and separate.  I decided to buy the magazine.  I had gotten the George Scott in a previous order, so it will not be shown here.

JIM RICE: (1974-1989, LF/DH).  Rice is a Hall of Famer, elected in 2009 by the BBWAA.  He is an eight-time All Star, two-time Silver Slugger and was the AL MVP in 1978 when he led the league in hits, triples, home runs and RBIs and had 406 total bases.  He finished in the top five of the MVP race five other times.  He led the league in home runs three times and RBIs twice.  He hit .298/.352/.502 with 383 home runs and 1,451 RBIs.  He spent his entire career with the Red Sox.

ALLEN RIPLEY: (1978-1979, P).  Ripley spent his first two Major League seasons with the Red Sox after being signed as an undrafted free agent.  He was 5-6 with a 5.36 ERA in 137.2 innings pitched.  He struck out 60 and walked 37.  Prior to the 1980 season, he was sold to the Giants.  He later played for the Cubs.

CARL YASTRZEMSKI: (1961-1983, LF/1B/DH).  Like Rice, Yastrzemski was a Hall of Famer who spent his entire career with the Red Sox.  He was elected by the BBWAA in 1989.  He was an All Star 18 times and won seven Gold Glove Awards.  He was the AL MVP in 1967 when he won the Triple Crown, it was his only time leading the league in home runs and RBIs.  He won three batting titles for his career.  For his career, Yaz hit .285/.379/.462 with 3,419 hits, 452 home runs and 1,844 RBIs.  

JERRY REMY: (1978-1984, 2B).  Remy started his career with the Angels and was acquired in a trade prior to the 1978 season for Don Aase.  Remy was an All Star in his first season with Boston and stole 30 bases for the fourth season in a row.  Remy hit .286/.334/.334 with 98 stolen bases and 802 hits.  He retired in 1984 and later built an incredibly successful career as a broadcaster of Red Sox games.

BERNIE CARBO: (1974-1976, 1977-1978, OF).  Carbo spent two stints with the Red Sox, while also spending time with the Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Indians and Pirates.  He finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote for the Reds in 1970.  The Red Sox acquired him from the Cardinals along with Rick Wise for Reggie Smith and Ken Tatum.  He hit a clutch home run in the 1975 World Series for Boston.  He was traded to the Brewers in the middle of the 1976 season for Bobby Darwin and Tom Murphy, then re-acquired by the Red Sox after the season along with George Scott for Cecil Cooper.  Carbo hit .261/.388/.460 with 45 home runs and 157 RBIs for Boston.

FRANK DUFFY: (1978-1979, IF).  Duffy spent his last two seasons in Boston after playing for the Reds, Giants and Indians.  The Red Sox acquired him in a trade with the Indians just prior to the 1978 season for Rick Krueger.  In 70 games for the Red Sox, Duffy hit .252/.298/.299 with five doubles and four RBIs.

FRED KENDALL: (1978, C).  Kendall spent his first nine seasons with the Padres before going to the Indians, then to the Red Sox, then back to San Diego.  Kendall was part of the package acquired by Boston along with Dennis Eckersley in exchange for Rick Wise, Mike Paxton, Ted Cox and Bo Diaz.  In just 20 games, he hit .195/.205/.220 with a double and four RBIs.  He left as a free agent after the season.  He is the father of longtime Pirates catcher Jason Kendall.

DWIGHT EVANS: (1972-1990, RF/1B/DH).  Aside from his last season in the Majors with the Orioles, Evans spent the rest of his 20-year career in Boston.  He made three All Star teams and won the Gold Glove Award eight times and the Silver Slugger twice, all with Boston.  Evans led the league in home runs once, runs once and walks three times.  He finished in the top five of the MVP voting twice.  Evans hit .272/.370/.470 with 385 home runs and 1,384 RBIs while with the Red Sox.  Evans is a player whose career should be revisited by the Eras Committee of the Hall of Fame.  

FRED LYNN: (1974-1980, CF).  Lynn was the first player in Major League history to be named the MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season when he accomplished the feat in 1975 for the Red Sox.  He was an All Star six times with Boston and three more times after leaving as a free agent.  He also won four Gold Glove Awards.  He led the league in runs and doubles in 1975 and won the batting title in 1979.  For Boston, he hit .308/.383/.520 with 124 home runs and 521 RBIs.  Lynn was traded to the Angels with Steve Renko for Frank Tanana, Joe Rudi and Jim Dorsey after the 1980 season.  He later played for the Tigers, Orioles and Padres.  

BOB BAILEY: (1977-1978, DH).  Bailey spent parts of the last two seasons of his 17-year career with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Reds for a minor leaguer.  He spent most of his career with the Pirates, Dodgers and Expos.  In 45 games with the Red Sox, Bailey hit .188/.322/.344 with four home runs and nine RBIs.   

BUTCH HOBSON: (1975-1980, 3B).  Hobson spent six of his eight big-league seasons in Boston as the primary third-baseman.  He hit a career-high 30 home runs and drove in 112 in 1978, receiving some minimal MVP support.  Hobson hit .252/.296/.439 with Boston, slugging 98 home runs and driving in 397 runs.  After the 1980 season, Hobson was traded to the Angels, along with Rick Burleson, for Mark Clear, Carney Lansford and Rick Miller.  Hobson returned to the Red Sox in 1992 as manager.  He was the manager through the 1994 season and had a record of 207-232.

TED WILLIAMS: (1939-1960, LF).  Williams is the all-time franchise player for the Red Sox and holds several team records.  At the time of this card, he was a sometime coach.  Williams was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1966 in his first year of eligibility by the BBWAA.  Williams was the MVP in 1946 and 1949 and won the Triple Crown in 1942 and 1947.  He is the last player to bat over .400, hitting .406 in 1941.  All three of those seasons saw Williams finish second in the MVP voting.  He also finished second in 1957.  Williams won six batting titles and was an All Star 19 times.  He led the league in home runs and RBIs four times.  He is the all-time leader in on-base percentage (.482).  For his career, Williams hit .344/.482/.634 with 521 home runs and 1,839 RBIs.  He spent his entire playing career with the Red Sox.  

LUIS TIANT: (1971-1978, SP).  Tiant rose to stardom with the Indians, but he struggled for a few years before joining the Twins and then the Red Sox.  He won the ERA title in 1972 with the Red Sox and would go on to win 20 or more games three times with the team.  He was an All Star three times in his career, twice with Boston.  He finished in the top five of the Cy Young vote twice, both times with the Red Sox.  For Boston, he had a record of 122-81 with a 3.36 ERA and 1,075 strikeouts.  After leaving the Red Sox, he pitched for the Yankees, Pirates and Angels.  Like Evans, Tiant is a player whose career should be re-evaluated for the Hall of Fame.

RICK BURLESON: (1974-1980, SS).  Barely recognizable in this card without his mustache, Burleson was one of the greatest defensive shortstops in team history.  He won only one Gold Glove Award (1979), but probably could have won more.  Burleson was an All Star three times with the Red Sox, and once with the Angels.  He finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year vote in 1974.  For the Red Sox, he hit .274/.326/.362.  He was not blessed with a lot of power, hitting 38 home runs and 203 doubles.  He drove in 360 runs and stole 67 bases.  After the 1980 season, he was part of the trade that sent Butch Hobson to the Angels for Carney Lansford, Mark Clear and Rick Miller.  He later played for the Orioles.

CARLTON FISK: (1969-1980, C).  The fourth Hall of Famer in this post so far, Fisk spent more time in his career with the White Sox, but wears a Red Sox cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.  He is primarily known for his walk-off home run in the sixth game of the 1975 World Series.  Fisk was the unanimous pick for the AL Rookie of the Year in 1972 and won his only Gold Glove that season.  Fisk was an All Star eleven times, seven with the Red Sox.  For his time with the Red Sox, Fisk hit .284/.356/.481 with 162 home runs, 207 doubles and 568 RBIs.  After the 1980 season, he was allowed to become a free agent after not being tendered a contract by the deadline and he signed with the White Sox, for whom he spent the rest of his career.  Fisk was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

DON ZIMMER: (1976-1980, MGR).  Zimmer was a longtime coach who spent five seasons as the Red Sox manager.  He had a 12-year playing career with the Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Reds and Senators.  He was an All Star in 1961 with the Cubs.  Prior to managing the Red Sox, he managed the Padres.  His biggest success in Boston came when he led the Red Sox to a one-game playoff in 1978.  He had a record of 411-304 with Boston, which was the best record of any of the teams he managed.  Zimmer had a contentious relationship with some of his players, which led to his dismissal as manager.  He later managed the Rangers and Cubs and then was a longtime coach with the Yankees.

DENNIS ECKERSLEY: (1978-1984, 1998, SP,/RP).  The fifth Hall of Famer in this post, Eckersley is primarily known for his time as the closer for the Athletics.  He won the Cy Young Award and the MVP in 1992 for Oakland.  Eckersley started his career for the Indians before being traded to Boston in the deal discussed previously with Fred Kendall.  Eckersley was a starting pitcher in his first stint with the Red Sox and finished fourth and seventh in the Cy Young vote his first two years in Boston, which included his only 20-win season.  He was an All Star once with Boston, and six times overall.  He had a record of 88-71 with a 3.92 ERA and 771 strikeouts with the Red Sox.  During the 1984 season, he was traded to the Cubs with Mike Brumley for Bill Buckner.  He was later to the A's for whom he built his Hall of Fame case.  Later, he pitched for the Cardinals before returning to Boston for his final season. 

DICK DRAGO: (1974-1975, 1978-1980, RP).  Drago spent two stints with the Red Sox, primarily as a relief pitcher.  After a few seasons as a starting pitcher for the Royals, the Red Sox acquired him in a trade for Marty Pattin.  After the 1975 season, he was traded to the Angels for three minor leaguers who never played for the Red Sox.  The Red Sox re-acquired him as a free agent prior to the 1978 season.  During his time in Boston, Drago had a record of 30-29 with a 3.55 ERA.  He struck out 305 while walking 184 in 547.1 innings.  He saved 41 games, with a high of 15 in 1975.  Drago also pitched for the Orioles and Mariners.

MIKE TORREZ: (1978-1982, SP).  Torrez spent 18 seasons as a starting pitcher with the Cardinals, Expos, Orioles, Athletics, Yankees and Mets, as well as the Red Sox.  Torrez was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox away from the Yankees prior to the 1978 season.  Torrez's time in Boston is primarily known for starting the ill-fated one-game playoff in 1978 against the Yankees and giving up the home run to Bucky Dent.  Torrez had a record of 60-54 with a 4.51 ERA and 480 strikeouts in 1,012.1 innings pitched.  He pitched more innings for Boston than any other team.  He was traded to the Mets prior to the 1983 season for a minor leaguer.

BILL CAMPBELL: (1977-1981, RP).  Campbell was Boston's first major free agent signing.  He was coming off of a season in which he led the league in games pitched and won 17 games as a reliever with the Twins.  In his first season in Boston, he led the league in saves (31) and finished fifth in the Cy Young vote.  He made his only All Star team that season.  Unfortunately, over-use impacted his career negatively over the next couple of seasons.  Campbell's record for the Red Sox was 28-19 and an ERA of 3.57.  He struck out 240 batters while walking 142 in 335 innings pitched.  He saved 51 games.  Campbell later pitched for the Cubs, Phillies, Cardinals, Tigers and Expos.  

REGGIE CLEVELAND: (1974-1978, SP).  After spending his first five seasons with the Cardinals, Cleveland was acquired by the Red Sox along with Terry Hughes and Diego Segui for John Curtis, Mike Garman and Lynn McGlothen.  Cleveland spent four full seasons in the Red Sox starting rotation, notching double-digit wins in each season.  He was sold to the Rangers early in the 1978 season.  Cleveland had a record of 46-41 with Boston and had an ERA of 4.04.  He struck out 342 batters in 752.2 innings pitched.  He also pitched for the Brewers.

BOB STANLEY: (1977-1989, SP/RP).  The Steamer spent his entire 13-season career with the Red Sox.  He was the 7th overall pick in the 1974 draft.  Stanley was a starter most of the time in his early seasons, but gradually moved to more of a closer role.  He was an All Star twice in his career, one of those seasons being when he set the then-single season team record for saves.  When he retired, Stanley held then-team records for games pitched and saves.  Stanley had a record of 115-97 with an ERA of 3.64.  He pitched in 1,707 innings over 637 games.  He struck out 693 batters and walked 471.  He notched 132 saves in his career.     

RAMON AVILES: (1977, 2B).  Winning the award for the most obscure player in this post is Aviles, whose entire Red Sox career consists of two innings played at second base and one sacrifice hit in one plate appearance.  He did not even have an official at-bat.  Aviles was an undrafted free agent in 1969 and made his Major League debut with Boston.  He was sold to the Phillies prior to the 1978 season and played a few seasons as a utility infielder.  Aviles is the uncle of former Red Sox shortstop Mike Aviles who played for Boston from 2011-2012. 

JIM BURTON: (1975, 1977, RP).  Burton's two non-consecutive seasons in Boston comprised his entire Major League career.  Burton was a fairly useful reliever in 1975 for the pennant-winning Red Sox, but he pitched in just one game in 1977.  Burton was the fifth overall pick in the 1971 draft by Boston.  He pitched in 30 games, spanning 55.2 innings and had a record of 1-2 and a 2.75 career ERA.  He picked up a save, 42 strikeouts and 20 walks.  He was traded to the Mets for a minor league infielder prior to the 1978 season, but never made it back to the Majors.

BILL LEE: (1969-1978, SP/RP).  The Spaceman was a fan favorite for the Red Sox due to his eccentric personality.  He was primarily a reliever early in his career, but eventually moved to the starting rotation, winning 17 games three seasons in a row.  Lee was an All Star in the first of these three seasons.  Over his ten seasons in Boston, Lee had a record of 94-68 with an ERA of 3.64 in 1,503.1 innings pitched 321 games.  He struck out 578 batters while walking 448 and saved 13 games.  Lee was traded after the 1978 season to the Expos for utility infielder Stan Papi, a trade that was widely reviled by Red Sox fans.  

JACK BROHAMER: (1978-1980, IF).  Brohamer was primarily a utility infielder for the Red Sox during his three seasons.  He played for the Indians and White Sox before signing with Boston as a free agent.  Brohamer primarily played third for Boston as a backup to Butch Hobson.  In 166 games, Brohamer hit .256/.313/.329 with three home runs, 23 doubles and 42 RBIs.  He was sold back to the Indians during the 1980 season.  

What Could Have Been...

 

Every team has tragic figures.  Players who died too soon or suffered career-ending injuries or maladies while still in the prime of their careers.  Then there are players who never get going because of a health issue early in their career.  Ryan Westmoreland is one of those stories.

Westmoreland was a 5th round draft pick, but he could have easily been drafted higher.  He was one of the top high school players in the region and was considered a true five-tool talent with tremendous potential.  Scouts raved about him.  He played extremely well in his first professional season in 2009, playing in the New York-Penn League.  Just 19, he hit .296/.401/.484 with seven home runs, 35 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in just 60 games.  The sky looked to be the limit.

Unfortunately, that turned out to be the end of Westmoreland's playing career.  He was shut down in March 2010, when a cavernous malformation was discovered on his brain stem.  He had surgery to remove it and missed the entire season.  He attempted to rehabilitate during the 2011 and 2012 seasons to hope to make it back to the field.  Unfortunately, he had a setback in 2012 and had to have a second surgery.  The next year, he elected to retire instead of pursuing more rehabilitation.

We will never know what could have been, but Westmoreland looked to be the real deal.  His health is the most important thing obviously, and by all accounts, his life seems to be going well.  It's just a shame we could not see what could have been.