Author: Scott Frizzell

The Worst Red Sox Ever

The Worst Red Sox Ever

Posted by | Jan 31, 2018 | ,

https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/worst-starting-pitchers-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/worst-relief-pitchers-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/worst-catchers-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/worst-first-basemen-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-second-basemen-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-third-basemen-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-shortstops-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-left-fielders-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-center-fielders-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-right-fielders-red-sox-history   https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2018/01/worst-designated-hitters-red-sox-history  ...

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The Greatest Red Sox

The Greatest Red Sox

Posted by | Jan 31, 2018 | ,

https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/10/best-starting-pitchers-red-sox-history-right-handed https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/best-starting-pitchers-red-sox-history-left-handed https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/best-relief-pitchers-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/best-catchers-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/red-sox-greatest-first-basemen-ever https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/red-sox-greatest-second-basemen https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/red-sox-greatest-third-basemen-time https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/11/greatest-shortstops-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/greatest-left-fielders-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/greatest-center-fielders-red-sox-history https://bostonsportsextra.com/boston-red-sox/2017/12/greatest-right-fielders-red-sox-history...

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Red Sox Best Free Agent Signings

Red Sox Best Free Agent Signings

Posted by | Jan 29, 2018 | ,

Free agency this winter has been colder than the temperatures outside. Those baseball fans among us are starving for action and something to talk about. Hopefully the team is drawing near, as Spring Training is just around the corner. But, with free agency currently lulling us all to sleep, I decided to take a look at some of the best free agent signings the Red Sox have ever made. David Ortiz Big Papi is in a class all by himself. The Red Sox picked up Ortiz cheap after the Twins mistakenly dumped him. I remember thinking it was odd...

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Red Sox Who Could Crack Baseball America’s Top 100 in 2019

Red Sox Who Could Crack Baseball America’s Top 100 in 2019

Posted by | Jan 26, 2018 | ,

When Baseball America released its top 100 list on Monday, the Red Sox only had two farmhands make the list. In recent years, the farm system has produced more than just two players on the list, and usually several much higher on the list. Jason Groome was the highest ranked Red Sox prospect at number 83. This was the lowest a Red Sox top prospect has shown up on this list since Dernell Stenson in 2001. This isn’t to say all hope is lost down on the farm. The other day I wrote about the two players who made the list,...

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Two Red Sox in Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Two Red Sox in Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Posted by | Jan 22, 2018 | ,

Baseball America released its annual top 100 prospects list Monday. If you go searching for Red Sox, it might take you awhile. The Red Sox have two of their prospects included on the list, and both are in the bottom twenty. What happened to the Red Sox system you might ask? Well, they traded away a lot of their young assets, but most of the deals have worked out. Some of them were dealt to Chicago for staff ace Chris Sale, others were sent to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz. Others are just no longer eligible, as Andrew...

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The Worst Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

The Worst Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 21, 2018 | ,

The designated hitter has been around for 45 seasons so far. David Ortiz was the Red Sox main DH for 14 seasons, nearly one-third of that time. There are only three other players who were the Red Sox main DH for more than just two seasons, Reggie Jefferson, Carl Yastrzemski and Cecil Cooper. So, for the final position of this series of articles, I dig to the bottom of the barrel to find the worst Red Sox designated hitters of all-time. Jeremy Giambi Prior to the 2003 season, the Red Sox signed Yankee star Jason Giambi’s younger, less famous...

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The Worst Right Fielders in Red Sox History

The Worst Right Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 18, 2018 | ,

Nearing the end of my series of articles about the worst players in franchise history, I take on right field. Fenway’s spacious right field has been home to some of the most beloved players in team history; Dwight Evans, Tony Conigliaro, and Trot Nixon. But the team hasn’t always received stellar play from the position, sometimes giving up quality assets to bring someone aboard who proceeds to flop. Some just may have never been good to begin with. So who among them let us fans down the most? Rusney Castillo Castillo takes up the top spot for what little...

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The Worst Center Fielders in Red Sox History

The Worst Center Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 14, 2018 | ,

Just as they have in left field, the Red Sox have a pretty good history of center fielders. Now, they don’t have a stretch of seven consecutive decades of stellar play, but it’s a good run nonetheless. So who are some of the less than stellar center fielders the Red Sox have employed? Mike Cameron Mike Cameron had a solid career prior to joining the Red Sox. He was never one hit to for a good average, batting .249 for his career, but he had some power and was a great defensive center fielder. He also was a good base...

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The Worst Left Fielders in Red Sox History

The Worst Left Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 10, 2018 | ,

The history of Red Sox left fielders has been a long and storied one. The team’s five greatest left fielders practically all played in succession, with Williams, Yaz, Rice, Greenwell and Manny, spanning nearly the entire length of seven decades. That might be the most remarkable run of players at one position, in the history of the game. With all those years taken up by good players, it doesn’t leave much for poor play. Carl Crawford Let’s start with the easy one. Crawford was one of the biggest free agent busts the game has ever seen. Over the eight years prior...

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The Worst Shortstops in Red Sox History

The Worst Shortstops in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 7, 2018 | ,

Following up a position monopolized by one guy, I return to a more normal position at shortstop. Even though the Red Sox have had quite a few good shortstops in their history, there are also a lot of bad ones to choose from. After reading the worst three of the bunch, make sure to check the mentions at the bottom, as there are plenty of worthy candidates. Julio Lugo After mistakenly letting Orlando Cabrera leave after winning the World Series in 2004, the Red Sox were unsettled at the shortstop position for several years. They thought they could solidify it by signing Julio...

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The Worst Third Basemen in Red Sox History

The Worst Third Basemen in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 4, 2018 | ,

The “hot corner” is next up on the list in my series of the three worst players at each position in Red Sox history. There is one man who stands above all the rest at third base. In fact, he really does take up a lot more room when standing than the rest. Pablo Sandoval – The Signing I remember my Grammy switching over to a Giants game one day when I was visiting her. The year would have been 2014, because the announcers mentioned that Pablo Sandoval would be a free agent that coming offseason. I laughed and...

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The Worst Second Basemen in Red Sox History

The Worst Second Basemen in Red Sox History

Posted by | Jan 1, 2018 | ,

Moving ahead to the keystone position, these guys are a far cry from Bobby Doerr and Dustin Pedroia. Here are the worst Red Sox second basemen of all-time. Damian Jackson Jackson spent one season in Boston, playing all over the field as a utility and replacement player. He batted .261 for the season, not too bad, but his OPS was a measly .617. Admittedly, my distaste for Damian Jackson was just as much Grady Little’s fault as it was Damian Jackson’s. Little used to bring Jackson into games late, despite the fact Jackson often screwed up. Little would pinch-run Jackson,...

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The Worst First Basemen in Red Sox History

The Worst First Basemen in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 30, 2017 | ,

When you think of Red Sox at certain positions, who comes to mind? Do you think of the greatest there, or the worst? Maybe they both come to mind for you. The worst of the worst leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans and often get remembered for years to come. A couple of guys on this list of the worst first basemen in team history have gotten a lot of publicity for the wrong reasons. Allen Craig Allen Craig was a good hitter once upon a time. Between 2011 and 2013 Craig batted .312 for the...

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The Worst Catchers in Red Sox History

The Worst Catchers in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 28, 2017 | ,

The worst catchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox tend to be guys who played a long time ago, or did not spend much time with the team. These guys are not incredibly well-known, like the best catchers are. See how many of the following names you know or remember playing. Since poor position players are harder to come up with than good ones, I am doing the worst three players at each position. Marc Sullivan Marc Sullivan was a 2nd round pick of the Red Sox out of the University of Florida in 1979. Despite not demonstrating the...

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Fred McGriff Should Make the Hall of Fame

Fred McGriff Should Make the Hall of Fame

Posted by | Dec 23, 2017 |

Fred McGriff is a victim. He is a victim of an overcrowded ballot, causing writers to leave players off their ballot they find worthy of a vote. He is the victim of the era he played in; his numbers overshadowed by players who were juicing, making McGriff’s numbers look more run-of-the-mill than they should have. It is time to start giving the “Crime Dog” the respect he deserves. 500 Home Runs Remember when 500 home runs used to gain someone automatic induction into the Hall of Fame. The steroid era hit and that all changed as baseballs started flying...

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The Worst Relief Pitchers in Red Sox History

The Worst Relief Pitchers in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 23, 2017 | ,

As one can imagine, there have been many poor relief pitchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox. With over a century’s worth of pitchers in team history, and at a position with many guys on the team, the list is cluttered. Narrowing it down to just five guy’s leaves a lot of “worthy” players on the dishonorable mention list. Jerry Stephenson Stephenson was a swingman for the Red Sox during the 1960’s. He both started and relieved during his time, but was a disaster in both roles. Stephenson was 8-19 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.68 WHIP...

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The Worst Starting Pitchers in Red Sox History

The Worst Starting Pitchers in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 20, 2017 | ,

Starting a new historical series of articles, I will cover the worst Red Sox to ever play at each position. This is the follow-up to my series of the five greatest Red Sox at each position. This one is even trickier, trying to find the worst player over the span of more than a century. I won’t bother with players who barely made an appearance. These articles will use some combination of guys who failed miserably in living up to a contract or hype, and those who just failed miserably. Red Ruffing Ruffing tops my list for what he...

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On to Pittsburgh

On to Pittsburgh

Posted by | Dec 13, 2017 | ,

Wow, that game was awful. Another loss down in Miami and an ugly showing by the Patriots to fall one game behind the Steelers heading into next week’s match-up. Despite what the scoreboard said, this might have been the ugliest game the Patriots have played all season. Kenyan Drake ran wild and Jay Cutler was routinely hitting open receivers. Then you have the 0-11 on 3rd downs. 0-11! This was the Patriots’ first game since a 24-10 loss to the Phoenix Cardinals in Week 5 of 1991 where they failed to convert on third down. That team was quarterbacked...

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The Greatest Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

The Greatest Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 9, 2017 | ,

Designated hitter is the final position to cover for Red Sox all-time greats. This is a spot that has had a lot of turnover since it came into existence, aside from a certain lovable Papi. The DH did not come into existence until 1973. Many guys have only played for two to three years as the primary DH on the Sox as Big Papi took up about one-fourth of that time. Keeping with the theme of these articles, here are the five greatest in Red Sox history. David Ortiz We can thank the Twins for one of the greatest...

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The Greatest Right Fielders in Red Sox History

The Greatest Right Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 7, 2017 | ,

As I draw near the end of my series of articles on the greatest Red Sox at each position, I come to the right fielders. This group of five right fielders are the final defensive position left to cover. Following this article I will still have the designated hitters to go and a wrap up. There were not many competitors for the top five, yet the group is quite solid. Dwight Evans Dwight Evans is both the greatest offensive and greatest defensive right fielder in Red Sox history. Personally, I am a strong advocate of “Dewey” getting his number...

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The Greatest Center Fielders in Red Sox History

The Greatest Center Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 3, 2017 | ,

Center field is a position with a lot of competition. Picking the greatest Sox center fielder ever was easy. Selecting the next four, not so much. Two through four were obviously going to make the top five, but determining an order was difficult. Again, at number five there were a few guys vying for the one spot, so pay attention to the honorable mentions at the end. Tris Speaker Tris Speaker is not only the greatest center fielder in Red Sox history, he is one of the very best of all-time. Although he put up better numbers after being...

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The Greatest Left Fielders in Red Sox History

The Greatest Left Fielders in Red Sox History

Posted by | Dec 1, 2017 | ,

With the pitchers and infielders all covered, it’s time to head to the outfield. Who are the greatest players to ever roam left field in front of the Green Monster? Ted Williams The greatest hitter who ever lived. I could go on and on writing about his statistics, they are mind-boggling. The last player to ever hit .400, Williams batted .356 over his first four seasons. He then went to war and missed the next three seasons. Where many guys return from war and have a hard time readjusting, Williams came back and won the MVP Award in his...

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Barry Bonds Needs to Be in the Hall of Fame

Barry Bonds Needs to Be in the Hall of Fame

Posted by | Nov 29, 2017 |

Barry Bonds belongs in the Hall of Fame. Whether you believe he is the legitimate home run king, or you hate how he helped make a mockery of the game, or you think he is a jackass, he remains one of the greatest outfielders to ever play the game. He was one of the best all-around players in the game without steroids and was already a slam dunk for the Hall. Pre-Steroids Barry Bonds’ career began in 1986. By 1990 he had broken out and won the MVP Award. He then proceeded to win two more MVPs and finish...

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The Greatest Shortstops in Red Sox History

The Greatest Shortstops in Red Sox History

Posted by | Nov 26, 2017 | ,

The Red Sox have had a rich history at the shortstop position. On this list are five Red Sox Hall of Famers and some worthy candidates in the honorable mention category. Placement of the players after the top couple was difficult, but one thing is for sure; I had no trouble finding five qualified candidates at this position. Nomar Garciaparra Nomah was the greatest shortstop to ever play at Fenway Pahk! Going to a Sox game in the late nineties and early 2000s one could hear “Nomaaahhhh” yelled all over the ballpark. The 12th overall pick in 1994, Nomar...

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Should Roger Clemens Make the Hall of Fame?

Should Roger Clemens Make the Hall of Fame?

Posted by | Nov 25, 2017 | , ,

Scott’s Argument Supporting Clemens Clemens clearly used after leaving the Red Sox so his stats and awards are greatly inflated by the help of foreign substances. Over his final four seasons with the Red Sox he had a 3.77 ERA and 8.7 k/9. In the next two seasons he had a 2.33 ERA and 10.2 k/9. He was 34 years old in 1997 and struck out a career high in batters. I mean, come on. There is no argument about what he did. The argument comes over what to do with him and the others. Honestly, there is no...

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