One Year Wonder Pt. 30: Travis Lakins

Our next recent One-Year Wonder is reliever Travis Lakins.  Lakins was drafted by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2015 Draft out of Big 10 power house Ohio State.  Lakins moved steadily through the minors, accumulating impressive pitching numbers.  His best season was in 2018 when he had a 2.32 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched over 36 games.  

Lakins made his Major League debut in a doubleheader against the Tigers.  He pitched 2.2 innings, giving up a run and striking out two while walking none.  Lakins came up a couple of times throughout  the season.  He started three games as an opener, which Boston experimented with heavily in 2019 and 2020.  Lakins made it into 16 games in 2019, throwing 23.1 innings.  He had a record of 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA.  He struck out 18, while walking 10.  He looked like a potential bullpen piece going forward.

Lakins was traded to the Cubs in January of 2020 for Jhonny Pereda, mostly in order to open up a roster spot.  He never pitched for the Cubs as he was placed on waivers ten days later.  The Orioles snatched him up and were able to keep him on their roster.  He had a very good season in 2020, pitching to a 2.81 ERA in 22 games.  Boston definitely could have used him that year as their bullpen was in shambles.  Unfortunately, he has not been able to replicate that success in the next two seasons.  He pitched in just six games in 2022 and has yet to catch on with a new team.

His one season in Boston was decent, but it was definitely not enough to unseat All-Time One-Year Wonder Right-Handed Reliever Takashi Saito.

2022 Donruss Optic Jumbo Pack

The week the new Topps Series One came out, my local retail stores did not get it in.  I had already bought into a group break anyway, so I was not sure I really wanted to buy any, but I wanted to get something.  So, I picked up a jumbo pack of Donruss Optic.  16 total cards, so not great odds of pulling any Red Sox.  Nevertheless, I got one.

1.  Jarren Duran.  Like I said yesterday, I cannot escape Duran.  This is a nice The Rookies insert, so better than just a base card, though with just 16 cards, I would have been perfectly happy with a base card as long as I pulled something.  I recently looked into the top five current Red Sox players in my collection and Duran is currently in fifth place, behind Rafael Devers, Chris Sale, Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec.  That's how many Duran cards there have been flooding the marketplace.

The Red Sox in Order

I made a recent trade with Tom over at Angels in Order.  All of the cards he sent were off of my wantlist.  Here are the cards he sent my way:

1.  Doug Mirabelli.  I am still not convinced this isn't Jason Varitek in the picture.  It just does not look like Mirabelli.  I note that he is wearing Mirabelli's chest protector, but that doesn't mean everything.  I am just not sure.  Mirabelli was a favorite of mine too, just not on the same level, obviously.  Mirabelli provided Boston an excellent backup catcher for several seasons.  He hit .281 with nine home runs in 2004 when Varitek hit .296 with 18 home runs.  That is excellent production from the catching platoon.

2.  Mike Lowell.  During Lowell's five-year stint with the Red Sox, he hit .290/.346/.468 with 80 home runs and 374 RBIs.  He was an All Star in 2007 and won the World Series MVP.  That year he finished fifth in the A.L. MVP vote.  Lowell was something of an afterthought when Boston acquired him along with Josh Beckett, but he was a great player during his time in Boston.

3.  Kevin Youkilis.  For a two-year span, Youkilis was one of the best hitters in the game.  From 2008 to 2009, he hit .309/.401/.559 with 56 home runs, 79 doubles, 190 runs scored, 318 hits and 209 RBIs.  He was an All Star both seasons (three total), and finished third and sixth in the MVP voting.  He also won the Hank Aaron Award in 2008.  

4.  Pedro Martinez.  This is a World Series Heroes insert from 2005 Upper Deck.  Martinez was of course coming off of the 2004 World Series victory over the Cardinals.  Martinez pitched Game 3 of the World Series and pitched seven innings of three-hit, scoreless ball.  He struck out six and walked two.  It was not his most dominant performance, but it was exceptional.  He won the game of course.  He would pitch two more World Series games, both with the Phillies against the Yankees, but he was nowhere near as good as his first World Series game with the Red Sox.

5.  Roger Clemens.  There were four Clemens cards in this trade.  I am missing a lot of Clemens cards from the mid 1990's when I was not as excited about him.  That's why I put my full wantlist together, to get some of those cards.  Clemens is tied with Cy Young for career victories with the Red Sox at 192.  

6.  Roger Clemens.

7.  Roger Clemens.

8.  Roger Clemens.

9.  Kevin Youkilis.

10.  Andy Yount.  Yount was Boston's first round pick in the 1995 draft, 15th overall.  Unfortunately, he suffered a bizarre injury and never made it close to the Majors.  Roy Halladay was selected two picks later.

11.  David Ortiz.  I have no idea what more there is to say about David Ortiz.  I am working on a post (or series) in which I look at every player I have more than 100 cards of.  Ortiz is the third-biggest player in my collection, behind only Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek.

12.  David Eckstein.  I have covered Eckstein several times on this blog.  He never actually played with Boston, even though he was drafted by them.  He looked like a possible Major Leaguer, but Boston needed a third-baseman right away and re-acquired Lou Merloni.  In order to make room on the roster, they DFA'd Eckstein and he was claimed on waivers by the Angels.  They probably should have just kept Eckstein.

13.  Jarren Duran.  The newest card in the package is this Duran card.  I can't escape Duran.

14.  Josh Beckett.  I remember Beckett as maddeningly inconsistent from year to year in Boston.  He was second in the Cy Young race in 2007 and ninth in 2011.  He was an All Star three times.  He had a record of 89-58 with a 4.17 ERA with 1,108 strikeouts and 338 walks in 1,240 innings pitched.  He was the ALCS MVP in 2007.  If he is not yet in the team Hall of Fame, he should be.

Thanks Tom!

2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Pt. 1: Carl Yastrzemski

NAME: Carl Yastrzemski

POSITION: LF, primarily.  Also played first base, designated hitter and the other outfield positions

WHY IS HE HERE?:  He's a Hall of Famer and holder of a number of team hitting records, including hits (3,419).  He had the longest tenure in Red Sox history (1961-1983), spending his entire career in Boston.  He had one of the greatest individual seasons in team history in 1967 when he won the Triple Crown and was the A.L. MVP.  He was an 18-time All Star and won seven Gold Gloves.  In short, he was one of the greatest players in team history, certainly the longest lasting.

WOULD I PUT HIM IN IN 2001?:  Uh, yeah.

ANY BETTER CHOICES IN 2001?:  The only better choice is already in the set.

WOULD I PUT HIM IN NOW?:  Absolutely.  Yaz's spot has not been taken.

ANY BETTER CHOICES NOW?:  Again, the only better choice than Yaz is coming up.

2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th Introduction

I am going to do something different with my next series.  This is an introduction post to the series.

In 2001, Fleer released a 100th Anniversary set dedicated to the Red Sox.  It was not a large set, made up of just 100 base cards.  There were a couple of insert sets, as well as a game-used bat set, a game-worn jersey set and an autograph set.  I, of course, loved this set.  I think it should have been bigger though.  

This series is going to look at one card for each post in the series.  I do not think I will go so far as to do the autograph and relic sets, particularly since I do not have all of them, but I will decide that later.  I will discuss the player on each card, whether that player was a good choice at the time, and whether that player would still be a good choice if this set came out today.  Finally, who might have been a better choice at both time periods.

I considered doing this as a separate blog, the way Night Owl is currently doing the 1993 Upper Deck set, but I figured it would work just as well in this format.  It just may take a very long time to get through it.  So, buckle up.

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 18: Marty McManus

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right. 

I was a little surprised when I looked into Marty McManus's stats.  He was a pretty good player for quite a long time.  I had been aware of him for awhile, since I pulled a card of him out of a Conlon box early on.  McManus spent most of the 1932 season as player/manager for the Red Sox.

McManus came up with the Browns in 1920 and spent the next seven years in St. Louis.  He played primarily second base and became a very good contact hitter.  He batted over .300 three times with the Browns and led the league in doubles in 1925.  After the 1926 season, he was traded to the Tigers and had a few more strong seasons, including leading the league in stolen bases in 1930 while hitting .320 and driving in 89 runs.  

Late in the 1931 season, McManus was traded to the Red Sox for catcher Muddy Ruel.  In 17 games the rest of that season, he hit .290/.371/.403 with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs and a stolen base.  He split that time between second base and third base.

Which brings us to 1932.  McManus spent time primarily between second and third, with more time at second.  He did play the other infield positions as well.  After the first 55 games in which Boston went 11-44, manager Shano Collins was dismissed and McManus became player/manager.  Under him, the team had a record of 32-67.  He took a bit of a back seat in playing time, but still played in 93 games, hitting .235/.317/.374 with five home runs and 24 RBIs.  

He seemed to figure out how to balance the two roles in 1933.  The team was still not great, but improved.  The Red Sox had a record of 63-86.  His numbers improved as well, as he hit .284/.369/.413 with 30 doubles, three home runs, 36 RBIs and three stolen bases.  It would be McManus's last year with the Red Sox, but not in Boston, though there was a short stint in time that he was in the Dodgers organization.  McManus finished his Major League career with the Braves in 1934.  

For his career, McManus hit .289/.357/.430 with 1,926 hits, 401 doubles, 120 home runs, 992 RBIs and 126 stolen bases.  Much better numbers than I expected.  McManus was near the end of his career when he went to the Red Sox, but he still put up a line of .264/.348/.396 with 53 doubles, nine home runs and 69 RBIs in 216 games over two-plus seasons.

Red Sox With No Cards: 2019

I have not done one of these for awhile.  I think it is time to look back at 2019.  The Red Sox had a disappointing year in 2019, suffering a major hangover after the amazing 2018 season.  They finished in third place at 84-78.  The team suffered a lot of injuries to key players, which meant there was quite a bit of fluctuations in the roster.  Players like Gorkys Hernandez, Ryan Weber and Bobby Poyner were among the short-time players who did appear on cardboard.  Then there are the players that follow.

JUAN CENTENO

Centeno has never been able to break through into the Major Leagues for long.  Since being drafted in the 2007 draft out of high school, Centeno has spent the bulk of every season in the minor leagues.  He made appearances in the Major Leagues each year from 2013 through 2019 with the Mets, Brewers, Twins, Astros, Rangers and Red Sox.  The only time he played in more than 25 games though was 2016 with the Twins.  He had a decent year as a backup catcher, hitting .261 with three home runs.  The Red Sox signed him as a minor league free agent after the 2018 season.  He spent the majority of the 2019 season in the minors, except for seven games.  He had 18 plate appearances and hit .133/.278/.133 with just two singles and two walks.  He drove in two runs and stole a base, odd for a catcher.  Centeno was re-signed by Boston for the 2020 season, but did not play due to the COVID situation.  He has played in the Tigers and Diamondbacks systems the last two seasons, but has not played in the Majors since his Red Sox stint.  Centeno does have minor league cards for the Red Sox organization.

JHOULYS CHACIN

The biggest name player in this post is Chacin, who has had a lengthy, and sometimes very successful career.  Chacin came up with the Rockies and spent his first six seasons there before starting on a trek across Major League Baseball with stops in Arizona, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Milwaukee, Boston, and then back to Atlanta and Colorado.  His best season was in 2013 when he had a 14-10 record with a 3.47 ERA in 197.1 innings pitched for the Rockies.  It was a legitimately good season for a pitcher in the mountains.  He also won 15 games for the Brewers in 2018.  2019 saw him start the season with the Brewers, but he struggled with a record of 3-10 and a 5.79 ERA.  The Brewers released in late August and the Red Sox took a flyer to try to stabilize their rotation.  Chacin appeared in six games, making five starts.  His numbers did not improve and he turned in a record of 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA.  He did strike out 21 batters in 14.2 innings, but also walked seven.  Chacin pitched for the Braves in 2020, then returned to Colorado as a reliever.  He was still active as of late 2022.

TREVOR KELLEY

A side-arming right-handed reliever, Kelley was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 36th round of the 2015 draft.  Kelley moved steadily through the minor league system of the Red Sox by posting low ERAs and decent strikeout numbers.  He only once had an ERA above 3.00 in the minors before 2019, and that was his first professional season.  Kelley had been 5-5 with a 1.79 ERA in the minors in 2019, saving 12 games and striking out 63 batters in 65.1 innings.  The Red Sox brought him up and he appeared in ten games, pitching 8.1 innings.  His ERA though was 8.64 and he had a record of 0-3.  He struck out six and walked five.  Kelley was placed on waivers after the season to make room for other signings and the Phillies took a chance on him.  Since 2019, Kelley has appeared in 22 Major League games with the Phillies and Brewers.  He was with the Brewers in 2022, but had a 6.08 ERA.  Kelley recently signed a deal with the Rays for the 2023 season.  If anyone can turn him around, it's the Rays.

CHRIS OWINGS

Owings was once a reliable utility man with the Diamondbacks, filling in at both middle infield positions and in the outfield.  He also won a batting title in the minors.  He played in more than 100 games three times and even led the league in triples in 2016.  That year, his best in the Majors, he hit .277/.315/.416 with five home runs, 49 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.  Owings signed with the Royals before the 2019 season, but was released in June after hitting .133 in 40 games.  The Red Sox brought him in and he split time between the Majors and minors.  In Pawtucket, he hit .325 with 11 home runs in 44 games, which gave him a chance at the Majors.  He spent 26 games with the Red Sox and hit .156/.255/.267 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and a stolen base.  He played second, short, third, designated hitter and outfield.  He has bounced around several organizations since leaving Boston, appearing in the Majors with the Rockies and, last year with the Orioles.  Owings has minor league cards showing him with Pawtucket.

ERASMO RAMIREZ

Nicaraguan-born righty Ramirez has had some varying success in the Majors.  He originally came up with the Mariners in 2012 and spent a few seasons trying to crack the rotation for good.  He was then traded to the Rays and won 11 games with a 3.75 ERA and looked like he had finally met his promise.  Unfortunately he struggled the next season.  The Rays eventually traded him back to the Mariners.  Boston signed him prior to the 2019 season and he spent the entire season, except for one game, in the minors.  He was 6-8 with a 4.74 ERA in Pawtucket.  His only game in Boston occurred early in the season.  He pitched three innings, finishing a game against the Yankees.  He pitched three innings, giving up four runs, striking out one and walking one.  He has bounced around since 2019 and had a very impressive season in Washington in 2022 as a reliever.  He had a 2.92 ERA in 60 games for the Nationals.  Ramirez also appears in minor league sets with Pawtucket.

JOSH A. SMITH

Smith was drafted by the Reds in 2010 draft in 21st round.  He spent several seasons in the minors, making his Major League debut in 2015.  He pitched in nine games that season, starting seven, with an 0-4 record and a 6.89 ERA.  The next season he appeared in a career-high 32 games, throwing 59.2 innings.  He only made two starts and struck out 48 while walking 26.  The A's snagged him off of waivers the next season and kept him in their bullpen for 26 games.  Smith signed with the Red Sox early in the 2018 season, but spent the entire year in the minors.  He spent most of 2019 in the minors as well, other than an 18-game stint in Boston.  Smith started two games and pitched in relief in the others.  He threw 31 innings, striking out 29 and walking eight, but had a record of 0-3 and a 5.81 ERA.  He did notch his first career save.  Smith was allowed to leave as a minor league free agent and pitched for the Marlins in 2020.  He has not appeared in the Majors since, and did not pitch in 2022.

Once again, none of these guys played much for Boston.  Chris Owings played in the most games, followed by Josh Smith.  None of the players even provided a positive WAR.  Three of these players (Owings, Jhoulys Chacin and Erasmo Ramirez) have had lengthy Major League careers though.  I suppose if I had to pick one player I would have liked to have seen on a card, it would be Jhoulys Chacin, just because he has had the most successful Major League career.  At times, he looked like a potential ace.  

Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 41: Billy Herman

BILLY HERMAN 

Years in Boston: 1964-1966 (128-182)

Best Year in Boston: 1966 (64-82)

It is safe to say, based on the numbers posted above, that Billy Herman is not in the Hall of Fame due to his managerial stint with the Red Sox.  Despite the card posted, Herman was only a manager with the Red Sox.  Herman's playing career lasted from 1931 to 1947.  He batted .304/.367/.407 with 2,345 hits as primarily a second-baseman.  He was an All Star ten times.  He played with the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Pirates.  He got his first taste of managing during his stint with the Pirates.

Herman was a coach with the Red Sox starting in 1960.  He was still the coach in 1964 under manager Johnny Pesky when Pesky was fired toward the end of the year.  Herman took the helm and the Red Sox won the last two games of the season.  1965 would be his only full season as manager and the team finished 62-100.  That team featured a number of young stars such as Carl Yastrzemski, Tony Conigliaro, Rico Petrocelli and Jim Lonborg.  Most of them had yet to realize their full potential though, and the team struggled.  The team improved under Herman in 1966, but it was still not good and Herman was fired late in the season.

Herman was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975 by the Veteran's Committee.  He wears a Cubs hat on his plaque.  It is pretty obvious why he does not wear a Red Sox hat.

Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 24: Joe Rudi

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?  

It is fairly common knowledge, and I have certainly mentioned it before, but it bears repeating, Boston acquired Joe Rudi before 1981.  Back in 1976, the Red Sox purchased the contracts of both Rudi and Rollie Fingers from the Oakland A's.  The deals were finalized and the players came to Boston.  There are pictures of them in Red Sox uniforms.  But three days later, both purchases were voided by commissioner Bowie Kuhn as "not in the best interests of baseball".  It's a shame, because Boston could have used them.

By the time Joe Rudi was acquired once again by the Red Sox in 1981, he was basically washed up.  Rudi was part of the return Boston received from the Angels in exchange for Fred Lynn and Steve Renko.  Frank Tanana and Jim Dorsey were the others.  Rudi had been declining the previous couple of seasons, but he still hit 16 home runs in 1980.

In 1981 though, Rudi was a disaster.  Limited to designated hitter and pinch-hitting duties, he played in just 49 games.  He hit .180/.239/.352 with six home runs, three doubles and 24 RBIs.  His OPS+ was 65.  At just 34 years of age, he was basically done.  After the season he was granted free agency and returned to Oakland for his final Major League season.

One Year Wonder Pt. 29: Andrew Cashner

I chose to do an Andrew Cashner post as part of the One Year Wonder series since he was not close to taking down Hideo Nomo as the All Time One Year Wonder Right Handed Starter or Takashi Saito as the All Time One Year Wonder Right Handed Reliever.  I will get to all of that.

Andrew Cashner had been a quality starting pitcher for a lot of bad teams during his career.  He previously played for the Cubs, Padres, Marlins, Rangers and Orioles before joining the Red Sox.  He came up with the Cubs and was traded to the Padres in the deal that brought former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo to the North Side.  Cashner was a dependable starter for the Padres, but I am guessing they would like a do-over on that trade.  After a few seasons, he was traded to the Marlins in a deadline deal that did not go well for the Marlins.

Cashner had a decent season with the Rangers the next year, which he parlayed into a multi-year deal with the Orioles.  He was 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA when the Orioles traded him to the Red Sox in a mid-July deal when Boston needed pitching help to contend.  Boston sent two minor leaguers to the O's who have yet to make any significant noise.  Again, Cashner struggled greatly.  He ended up struggling so much that he was removed from the rotation altogether.  He ended up pitching better in the bullpen.

In 25 games with the Red Sox, Cashner made six starts and pitched 53.2 innings.  He had a record of 2-5 and notched 42 strikeouts and 29 walks.  His ERA was an unsightly 6.20.  One thing that Cashner did do in Boston that he had never done before was to pick up his first Major League save.  After the season, Cashner filed for free agency, but was unable to sign a contract prior to the COVID season of 2020.  He has not pitched in the Majors since.

Cashner probably qualified more as a reliever than a starter for the purposes of determining if he could unseat the All Time One Year Wonder.  It really doesn't matter because his numbers were not close to qualifying at either position.

Season in Review: 2022

After the surprising success of the 2021 season, there was reason for optimism in 2022.  Chris Sale was supposed to be healthy and the team was bringing back a lot of players from the 2021 season, but with a few new players meant to improve the defense.  Unfortunately, the team got off to a slow start with their offense.  They started rolling in May, then a series of key injuries decimated the team.  They ended up finishing in last place, with a record of 78-84.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS

XANDER BOGAERTS

Bogaerts was Boston's WAR leader in 2022.  Despite reduced power numbers, he still hit .307/.377/.456.  He led the team in average, on-base percentage, runs (84) and hits (171).  He hit 38 doubles, 15 home runs and drove in 73 runs while stealing eight bases.  Bogaerts was named to the All Star team and won his fifth Silver Slugger Award.  He finished ninth in the MVP voting and was a finalist for the Gold Glove.  Unfortunately, it was his last season in Boston.

RAFAEL DEVERS

Devers was once again Boston's biggest power threat.  The third-baseman led the team in home runs (27), RBIs (88), slugging percentage (.521) and OPS (.879).  He also tied Bogaerts for the lead in runs scored (84).  Devers improved his defense at third and hit .295/.358/.521.  He was second on the team in doubles (42) and third in hits (164).  His numbers would have been even better had he been healthy all season.  He was still an All Star and finished 14th in the MVP voting.

ALEX VERDUGO

Verdugo struggled with some injuries early on and tried to do too much at the start of the season.  When he changed his approach, his numbers improved dramatically and he had a huge second half of the season.  He ended up hitting .280/.328/.405 with eleven home runs and was second on the team with 74 RBIs.  He was also second on the team with 166 hits.  He contributed 39 doubles and 75 runs scored.  Verdugo is a breakout candidate going into 2023.

NATHAN EOVALDI

Boston's top starting pitcher from 2021 had some injury issues in 2022 that limited him to 20 starts.  That has long been an issue for Eovaldi.  Despite this, and some truly horrific home run numbers, Eovaldi still had a 6-3 record with a 3.87 ERA.  In 109.1 innings pitched, he struck out 103 batters, while walking just 20.  Eovaldi tied for the league lead in shutouts (one) and led the team in complete games (two).  It was also his final season in Boston.

CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ

He played in just 84 games because the Red Sox traded him at the deadline, but he was still one of my favorite players.  Vazquez was having a pretty decent year when he was traded.  The catcher had become a pretty reliable contact hitter who did not strike out a lot.  He was hitting .282/.327/.432 with eight home runs, 20 doubles and 42 RBIs.  He was traded to the Astros at the deadline for a couple of prospects.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

GARRETT WHITLOCK

Whitlock was another player who struggled with some injuries in 2022.  The team also could not really figure out what his best role should be, trying him out as a starter and then moving him back to the bullpen.  Despite all of that, he had a record of 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in 78.1 innings pitched.  He started nine games, but also notched six saves.  He struck out 82 batters and walked just 15.  Whitlock is one of the most talented pitchers on the team, they just need to figure out how best to use him.

TANNER HOUCK

Everything I said about Whitlock's role above, also applies to Houck.  Houck was given a bit more of an extended look at closer and tied for the team lead with eight saves.  He also started four games.  Houck pitched 60 innings over 32 games and had a 5-4 record with a 3.15 ERA.  He struck out 56 batters and walked 22.  Like Whitlock, his role is also unclear, though he appears to work better as a multi-inning reliever.  He will not be the closer though as Boston signed one for the 2023 season.

NICK PIVETTA

Pivetta looked like the ace of the team for awhile.  Early on in the season, he was essentially carrying the team on his back.  He led the league in games started (33), and there is a lot to say about a pitcher able to stay healthy and make every game.  He struggled at times and that led to a record of 10-12 with a 4.56 ERA, but he led the staff in innings pitched (179.2) and strikeouts (175).  He will be counted on to be a dependable starter again in 2023.

FAVORITE ACQUISITIONS

TREVOR STORY

Certainly the biggest name acquisition, if not the best acquisition, Story had an injury-plagued year.  He was limited to just 94 games due to a series of nagging injuries.  He struggled early on too, due to illness.  When he was on though, Story left little doubt why he was acquired.  Switching to second base, Story was an elite defensive player and a dynamic offensive player.  He hit .238/.303/.434 with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and led the team with 13 stolen bases.

MICHAEL WACHA

Boston's best pick-up for the 2022 season though was Wacha.  Wacha solidified the rotation when he was healthy.  He made 23 starts and led the team's starters in a number of pitching categories, including wins and winning percentage (11-2), ERA (3.32), WHIP (1.115) and tied Eovaldi for the league lead in shutouts (one).  Wacha threw 127.1 innings and struck out 104 batters while walking just 31.  He made an impression in 2022, but will not be back in 2023 as he has signed on with the Padres.

FAVORITE MID-SEASON ACQUISITION

TOMMY PHAM

Pham did not have the best numbers of the mid-season acquisitions Boston brought in at the deadline, but Reese McGuire does not have any cards yet.  Pham was pretty decent though.  In 53 games, he hit .234/.298/.374 with six home runs, 12 doubles and 24 RBIs.  He seemed to play hard and had some big hits down the stretch.  

FAVORITE ROOKIE

BRAYAN BELLO

Boston tried out a number of rookie pitchers, but only Bello showed enough to believe he could be a legitimate starting pitcher in the Majors.  Bello struggled early on, as he was clearly rushed to the Majors, but as the year went on, he settled into the role.  In 13 games (eleven starts), Bello had a record of 2-8 with a 4.71 ERA.  He threw 57.1 innings striking out 55 and walking 27.  

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

J.D. MARTINEZ

Martinez suffered a significant power outage in 2022.  The designated hitter was still named to the All Star team and still hit 43 doubles to lead the team, but he managed to hit just 16 home runs and drive in 62 runs in 139 games.  There were long stretches of time between home runs.  Martinez hit .274/.341/.448 with 76 runs scored and 146 hits.  It was not a typical season for the slugger.

CHRIS SALE

Sale continued to struggle with injuries.  He missed the first couple months of the season, then finally made his season debut with a strong start in July.  Unfortunately, in his next start he suffered a broken finger after being hit in the hand with a line drive.  Then, while rehabbing, he suffered another setback that shut him down for the season.  He was 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA, five strikeouts and a walk in 5.2 innings pitched.

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 17: Jud McLaughlin

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right.

Well after we had a long-time legitimate Major Leaguer in the last post, it is only fair to return to a much more obscure player this time around.  Justin "Jud" McLaughlin's Major League career spanned three seasons, but only 16 games.  All of those games were in relief.  

McLaughlin signed with the Red Sox right out of high school and made his big league debut in 1931 at the age of 19.  He appeared in nine games that season, pitching 12 innings while giving up 16 earned runs.  His ERA was 12.00.  He struck out three and walked eight.  

In 1932, McLaughlin appeared in just one game.  He pitched three innings, giving up five runs and four walks without striking anyone out.  He made his first plate appearance and struck out.  He spent the rest of the season in the minors.

1933 saw him appear in six more games, throwing 8.2 innings.  He had an ERA of 6.23, a marked improvement.  He walked five and struck out one.  He spent most of the season in the minors.  He was in the minors in 1934 as well, but never made another Major League appearance.

McLaughlin spent his career with the Red Sox, but had a record of 0-0 in 16 relief appearances.  In 23.2 innings pitched, he had an ERA of 10.27.  He struck out just four batters while walking 17.  

The Jason Varitek Quest for 1,000: #981 and 982

We have a two-fer today.

Up first is Jason Varitek card #981, which also happens to be card #402 for Dustin Pedroia and card #610 for Manny Ramirez.

This is the 2022 Topps Triple Threads Autograph Relic Trio Amethyst.  It is serial-numbered to 27 and contains autographs and jersey pieces for the three players I mentioned.  Ramirez, Varitek and Pedroia played together from late 2006 to mid 2008 and were starting position players on the 2007 World Championship team.

1.  Manny Ramirez.  This is my second Ramirez autograph card, I believe.  Ramirez hit .250 in the 2007 World Series.  He had a double and two RBIs.

2.  Jason Varitek.  I have no idea how many Varitek autograph cards I have.  A lot.  Varitek hit .333 in the World Series with two runs, a double and five RBI.  

3.  Dustin Pedroia.  This is my third Pedroia autograph.  He homered in his first at-bat in the World Series, which was also the Red Sox first at-bat.  He hit .278 with two runs, a double, a home run and four RBIs.

And here is card #982:

I mentioned I could get a lot of parallels from this set to add more Varitek cards.  This is the prism refractor that came four to a mega box.  This is my fourth parallel of Varitek from the set.

Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 23: Jim Rice

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not? 

I have covered Jim Rice at length in several other posts, so I do not really feel the need to go over his entire career again in this post.  I think it is enough to say that he was an incredible player, a terrific power hitter, and of course, a Hall of Famer.  

Rice was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1971 draft, 15th overall.  He made it to the Majors in 1974 and had his official rookie season in 1975.  That year he teamed up with Fred Lynn to form a fantastic rookie tandem for the Red Sox to help make it to the World Series.  Rice finished second to Lynn in the Rookie of the Year vote and third in the MVP voting.  Unfortunately he missed the postseason due to an injury.  

After an adjustment in 1976, Rice became the feared slugger he was reputed to be starting in 1977.  That year, he led the league in home runs and total bases for the first time.  He won the A.L. MVP in 1978 when he led the league in a number of offensive categories, including home runs, hits, RBIs and slugging percentage.  His numbers declined a bit the next two seasons.

By the time the 1981 season came around, Rice was deep into his prime offensive seasons.  He was in the middle of the period in which he was the most feared slugger in the game.  He had a bit of a down year, but still managed to hit .284/.333/.441 with 17 home runs and 62 RBIs.  He led the league in at-bats with 451 and accumulated 128 hits, 51 runs scored and 18 doubles.  He was second on the team in home runs and RBIs to Dwight Evans.  Rice spent most of the season as the left-fielder.

Rice continued to put up big numbers through the 1986 season, leading the league in home runs and RBIs in 1983 once more.  After the 1986 season, he declined dramatically, eventually retiring after the 1989 season.  Rice spent his entire Major League career with the Red Sox and later became a hitting coach and then a broadcaster with the team.  He is a deserving Hall of Famer.

More Devers Plus a Bowman Chrome Break

Well, I have a bunch of Devers cards to show off once again.  Up first is a lot of 15 that I bought off of Ebay.  I had five of them previously, so there are just ten new ones.

A couple of the highlights here are the purple and red holofoil Diamond King cards from 2021 Donruss.  I also finally got the 2022 Donruss Diamond King card.  There are also a couple of Topps cards using old designs, and a couple of Panini cards.  I actually really like the picture from the 2022 Donruss card.  There are not any mind-blowing cards in this lot, but the lot does fill in a lot of holes.

Up next is my break of a 2022 Bowman Chrome Mega Box.  These things are unreasonably expensive for what they are.  There were just 30 cards in it and no autograph or relic.  That is not enough to make up for the price.

Devers is the only Red Sox card I pulled in the box, so I felt comfortable combining the break with the Devers lot.  And the next card:

This is the Home Field Advantage insert from 2022 Topps and this card looks much better in person.  These cards are very popular and somewhat pricey.  They were a surprise insert set that was not included on the checklist that released online.  I had to snag this one.

So that's 12 new Devers cards, bringing my current total up to 225.  75 to go.

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 16: Danny MacFayden

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right.

What's this?  A legitimate Major League pitcher who had a long career?  MacFayden was never really a great pitcher, but he was certainly a good one and he pitched from 1926 through 1943.  

MacFayden started his career with the Red Sox during the ridiculously awful decade that was the 1920's.  He pitched just three games in 1926 at the age of 21, but did not do much.  He then had a few years of losing records and ERAs typically above 4.00.  He had his first really good season in 1929.  Despite a record of 10-18, which can be attributed more to how bad the team was than MacFayden, he had an ERA of 3.62 and led the league with four shutouts.  

The next season, he was back to an ERA north of 4.00.  Then, in 1931 he had his first winning record.  MacFayden went 16-12 with a 4.02 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched.  He then started the 1932 season opener as the best pitcher on the team.  Unfortunately, MacFayden struggled greatly in 1932.  In 12 games, he was just 1-10 with an ugly 5.10 ERA.  In 77.2 innings pitched, he struck out 29 and walked 33.  MacFayden was then traded in June for Ivy Andrews (who was covered earlier) and Henry Johnson.  

MacFayden struggled with the Yankees for a couple of seasons, but then went on to some successful seasons with the Boston Braves later in his career.  With the Red Sox, MacFayden's record was an 52-78, but he had an ERA of 4.23 in 1,167 innings pitched.  He struck out 344 and walked 430.  

Trio of Bambinos

This was another one of those barely serious Ebay bids.  I saw a lot of Babe Ruth Panini cards, including a few Yankees cards, and threw a low bid on it.  And I won.  Here we have the holo-purple, serial-numbered red, and the base card (which is itself a variation of the regular base card, which is a Yankees card).  

I have a reasonable number of Babe Ruth cards in my Red Sox collection.  These three cards puts me at 68 Babe Ruth cards.  Honestly, it is still kind of a special thrill to find Babe Ruth Red Sox cards.  He is just so widely tied to his time with the Yankees, and even though the fact that he is infamous for having been sold to the Yankees by the Red Sox, I feel like his time with Boston is largely underrated.

I have talked at length about his accomplishments in Boston.  He was one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in the game at the time.  He set a scoreless World Series innings record that lasted until Whitey Ford broke it (29.2 innings).  He became more of a position player in 1919 and broke the home run record (which he immediately obliterated in his first year with the Yankees).  Ruth was a two-way star long before Shohei Ohtani and there was no one else quite like him.  Until Ohtani.

As a hitter in Boston, Ruth hit .308/.413/.568 with 49 home runs and 224 RBIs.  Bear in mind, this was the Deadball Era, which ended the year Ruth went to the Yankees.  He twice led the league in home runs (one of those as primarily a pitcher), once in runs and once in RBIs.  In 1929, his only full season as a regular position player (left fielder and still occasionally pitching), he hit .322/.456/.657 with 29 home runs, 103 runs and 113 RBIs.

As a pitcher, Ruth went 89-46 with a 2.19 ERA, striking out 483 batters and walking 425 in 1,190.1 innings pitched.  His best season was 1916 when he went 23-12 with a 1.75 ERA that led the league.  He tossed nine shutouts, which also led the league.  He struck out 170 while walking 118 in 323.1 innings pitched.

1919 was his best two-way season.  I discussed his hitting stats above, but that season he pitched in 17 games, starting 15.  He went 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA in 133.1 innings pitched.  Not exceptional numbers for Ruth the pitcher, but decent nonetheless, and terrific when added to his hitting stats.

Your 1981 Red Sox Pt. 22: Jerry Remy

In this series, I will look at each player who played in 1981, the year I was born. Because, why not?

One would be forgiven for assuming that Jerry Remy spent his entire baseball career in the Red Sox organization.  Certainly he is well-known for his ties to the Red Sox, particularly his broadcast career.  Even his playing career seems to be mostly remembered for his time with the Red Sox.  But no, Remy was drafted by the Angels and spent his first three seasons there.

Prior to the 1978 season, the second-baseman was traded to the Red Sox for Don Aase.  He had his only All Star season in 1978 when he hit .278/.321/.350.  He had a career-high 24 doubles and stole 30 bases while hitting two home runs and driving in 44.  He scored 87 runs and hit the only two home runs of his Red Sox career.  The next two seasons were injury-plagued and he played just 143 games between the two seasons, but his hitting stats remained.  In 1980 he batted .313, his highest single-season batting average.

Remy was finally healthy again in 1981, playing in 88 games during the shortened season.  He hit .307/.368/.338 with 31 RBIs and stole nine bases.  He was fully healthy the next two seasons as well.  Remy played through the 1983 season, but once again struggled with injuries.  During his seven years in Boston, Remy hit .286/.334/.334 with 90 doubles, two home runs, 385 runs scored, 211 RBIs and stole 98 bases. 

A Boston Red Sox icon, Remy parlayed his playing career into an enormously successful and memorable broadcast career.  Some day, he deserves to be granted the Ford C. Frick Award.  It is just so unfortunate that it would be a posthumous recognition.

More 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary

I picked up a few more base cards from the gigantic 2021 Topps Chrome Platinum Anniversary set.  I still have a few more to go.

1.  Mark Loretta.  Loretta is one of the more off-the-wall choices in this set.  Particularly shown with the Red Sox.  Loretta spent just one year in Boston after being acquired prior to the 2006 season from the Padres for Doug Mirabelli.  Loretta was an All Star, selected by the fans, in his only season in Boston.  He hit .285/.345/.361 with five home runs, 33 doubles and 59 RBIs. 

2.  Shea Hillenbrand.  Here is another odd one.  Hillenbrand came up with Boston and was an All Star himself in 2002.  He spent parts of three seasons with the Red Sox before being traded to the Diamondbacks for Byung-Hyun Kim.  Hillenbrand hit .284/.317/.432 with 33 home runs and 170 RBIs during his time with Boston.  He also had 80 doubles.

3.  Jonathan Arauz.  Selected in the Rule V Draft prior to the 2020 season, Arauz spent parts of three seasons with the Red Sox.  Arauz was still with the team in 2021.  He played second, third and shortstop, and even pitched a little.  He hit .204/.280/.320 with four home runs and 18 RBIs before being placed on waivers and being selected by the Orioles.

4.  David Ortiz.  What more is there to say about Ortiz?  He is the 15th player to wear a Red Sox cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.  

5.  Wade Boggs.  And Boggs is among those players as well.  

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 15: Johnny Lucas

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right.

Johnny Lucas is another ultra obscure player who does not even have a card made of him.  Though, to be fair, there were not a ton of cards made in that time period.

Apparently, Lucas was discovered by Red Sox scouts playing in McCook in my home state of Nebraska, though he was originally from Illinois.  Lucas was 28 at the time that he made his Major League debut in 1931.  He played in three games that season, playing one in left field and one in center field.  He had two at-bats and was hitless, striking out in one at-bat.  

In 1932, Lucas spent most of the season in the minor leagues, playing in 140 games and hitting .266 with four home runs, 19 doubles and eleven triples.  He played in just one Major League game early in the season, getting one at-bat in a blowout loss to the Yankees.  He was hitless in that at-bat as well.  

And that was pretty much it for Lucas's baseball career.

Topps Now: January 11, 2023

The first Topps Now card of 2023 is technically a 2022-2023 Offseason card.  On January 11, 2023, it was officially announced that star third-baseman Rafael Devers signed an 11-year contract extension with the Red Sox.  The deal contained no opt-out clauses.  It was the largest deal in Red Sox history.  It was an absolutely necessary move as the fans had still been reeling from losing Xander Bogaerts just two years after losing Mookie Betts. 

Devers will be 26 throughout the regular season in 2023.  He will likely still be an impact bat by the time this contract is over, though he may not still be a third-baseman.  In Devers's young career so far, he has hit .283/.342/.512 with 139 home runs, 187 doubles and 455 RBIs.  He has improved defensively and has already hit eight home runs in the postseason.

Devers is absolutely the kind of player a team builds around and Boston will keep him locked up for a long time.