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The Worst Left Fielders in Red Sox History

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 to joining the Red Sox, Crawford had batted .299, and averaged 50 stolen bases per season, for the division rival Devil Rays. Crawford made four all-star teams in that span, and was coming off a season in which he won the Gold Glove Award. The Red Sox rewarded Crawford with a seven-year deal, worth 142 million dollars.

The Red Sox entered 2011 as huge favorites, having added Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. However, Crawford was not the weapon he was expected to be near the top of the lineup. He rewarded the Red Sox faith in him with the worst season of his career, up to that point. Crawford would bat .255 that season, a meager 23 walks, and finished with an ugly .289 on-base percentage. He stole just 18 bases in 24 tries, the fewest steals during a full season for his career. In the outfield, he managed just 1 assist. Playing in front of the Monster usually aids in a left fielder’s assists, as they can play shallow and get the ball back in to the infield quickly following ricochets off the wall.

In 2012, Crawford missed a good chunk of the season. He fared better, batting .282 over 117 at-bats, but still wasn’t the weapon he was supposed to be. Crawford was also miserable in Boston, later admitting to hating the city. Luckily, the Red Sox were able to get out from the remainder of his contract, and they shipped him to Los Angeles in August of that season.

Carl Crawford reacts to striking out during the second inning at Fenway Park Sept. 4, 2011. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Hanley Ramirez

This is a selection for the one season in which Hanley played left field. The Red Sox’ misguided attempt to put Hanley Ramirez in left field, so they could disastrously sign Pablo Sandoval, was an embarrassment before it started. Hanley made four errors in 92 games, and it seemed so much worse. Whenever a ball was hit to left, it seemed to be an adventure for Ramirez. In less than 100 games, he managed to put up a -2.5 dWAR.

Ramirez was also a disappointment at the plate in that season. Some of it could possibly be attributed to trying to learn a new position, but he only batted .249. He hit 19 home runs, and only doubled 12 times. Hanley’s .717 OPS was lower than many others on the team, including over 100 points lower than outfield fill-in, Alejandro De Aza. Hanley bounced back in a big way the following season, after moving to first base, but his time in left field was a mess.

Davis/Globe Staff

Heinie Manush

This final spot gets even harder, as the Red Sox just haven’t had many bad left fielders. Manush was actually a Hall of Fame player, but for what he did prior to his time in Boston. Manush batted .330 for his career, and averaged 205 base hits, per 162 games played. He won a batting title in Detroit, and led the league in hits for both the St. Louis Browns, and the Washington Senators. From when he broke in during the 1923 season, up through 1934, he hit .337 with an .878 OPS.

Manush came to the Red Sox in 1936, coming off a down season. He was 34 years old, and would turn 35 during the season. However, as recently as 1934 Manush had batted .349, with a .915 OPS. That season he had 64 extra base hits, leading to a slugging percentage of .523. The Red Sox traded for him from the Senators hoping for a bounce back season. It turned out he was just in the decline stage of his career. His defense wasn’t great, he committed more errors than he had assists. At the plate, he did bat .291, but failed to homer, and only totaled 20 extra base hits for the year. His .700 OPS that season, was the lowest of his career.

Typically, this one season from Manush that wasn’t good, but wasn’t terrible, wouldn’t land him on one of these lists. Since the Red Sox have had such great left fielders over a long period of time though, the pickings are slim.

Leslie Jones/ Boston Public Library

Dishonorable Mentions:

Billy Hatcher (His one season in left field was poor; played better in center)

Ivan Calderon

Featured picture courtesy of 12up.com

http://www.12up.com/posts/4317717-7-biggest-free-agent-busts-in-mlb-history

State of the Boston Bruins Heading into the Bye Week

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The Boston Bruins have played excellent hockey heading into the bye week. Even with the hiccup in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, the Bruins have not lost a game in regulation since mid December. In their last 23 games the Bruins are 17-3-3 and have moved all the way into second place in the Atlantic Division. Now with five days off ahead of them and three games in hand on the third place Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins are firmly cemented into a playoff spot.

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Offensive Emergence

Coming into the season the Bruins’ roster posed several questions. One of the big concerns focused on the depth, considering most of the unknown young players. After a slow couple of months plagued by injuries, the roster has developed into one of the most formidable in the NHL. Offensively, the Bruins have rapidly evolved into one of the most dangerous teams in the league. Not because of overall talent. They have plenty of that. But rather their performance as a team. Currently the Bruins are averaging 3.28 goals per game. This ranks sixth in the NHL and third in the Eastern Conference.

Led by the dynamic trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastranak, the Bruins have one of the best top lines in the entire NHL. However, the depth of the Bruins allows Bruce Cassidy to keep his forwards fresh by rotating through four productive lines. Outside of Brad Marchand, who averages 20:01 TOI per game, no other forward on the Bruins plays more than 20 minutes a game. This has been the key to the Bruins’ recent emergence in the standings. They are getting contributions from places that many people, including opponents, would not expect. Lately, the fourth line has developed more of a scoring touch while Riley Nash has provided an offensive jolt. Even Ryan Spooner is starting to play to his potential offensively.

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Impressive Defense

The story does not end with the offense. The Bruins rank third in the NHL in goals allowed per game, giving up a mere 2.55. This also ranks second in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the Lighting. Like the Bruins offense, the defensive production has not been from a singular player. It’s a group contribution. Only one defenseman in the Bruins starting six has a minus rating. That defender is Torey Krug, who is only a minus one and whose playing has improved. The other five: Charlie McAvoy +14, Zdeno Chara +20, Brandon Carlo +8, Kevin Miller +10, and Matt Grzelcyk +13, combine for an impressive +65 rating.

On top of that, the B’s have found themselves a very versatile set of blue liners. Chara and Miller provide some veteran experience and toughness to the back end. McAvoy, Krug, and Grzelcyk provide an offensive threat that true contenders need. Lastly, Carlo adds some needed defensive responsibility to the young group of defensemen. While not perfect, the Bruins defense core has made a complete 180. They’ve moved from one of the worst in the NHL only a few years ago to one of the most reliable. Don Sweeney deserves a lot of credit for that one.

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Tuukka Rask

As Tuukka Rask put it so eloquently last night against the Penguins, in a playoff-like game he played like “horses–t”. This hiccup in Pittsburgh snapped a personal six-game winning streak for the Finland native in which he had posted an otherworldly .963 save percentage. Tuukka did make some eye-opening saves to get the Bruins into the extra period. But he got beat on shots that he admits should have stopped.

Even with the poor performance last night Tuukka Rask has been the best goaltender in the NHL for the past month. In Rask’s last 13 starts the Bruins have earned at least one point, going 11-0-2. This extends the longest streak of Tuukka’s career. In December, the Bruins earned 22 points in 14 games. This pushed them into contention for a top spot in the East led by Rask. During December, Rask has nine wins and two shutouts, along with a .955 save percentage and a video game like 1.22 goals allowed average.

Benched for longtime backup Anton Khudobin earlier in the season, Rask is the reason for the Bruins recent emergence to contenders. Every player needs a kick sometimes to get motivated. Bruce Cassidy knew just how to get the message through to Rask. If he can play at the same level as in December, then Boston has a chance against Tampa in a seven-game series. There is still plenty of hockey to be played in the long season. Up to this point everyone has been wrong about Boston. No one could have predicted that they would be this good. Lets see how far the rejuvenated Bruins can go.

The Worst Shortstops in Red Sox History

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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 Lugo for the 2007 season. In parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay, Lugo had batted .287 with 40 home runs and 88 stolen bases. His fielding left something to be desired, but he had speed and was more than capable at the plate. The Red Sox gave him a four year deal worth 36 million.

Needless to say, Lugo didn’t work out. The Red Sox won the World Series his first season despite him. Lugo batted .237 that year with a .294/.349/.643 slash line. Lugo also made 19 errors in the field. Sadly, his defense got worse. In 2008 Lugo had a .945 fielding percentage, and in 27 starts before being traded in 2009 he managed to make seven errors, leading to a .928 fielding percentage.

Lugo’s hitting did improve after that first season on the other hand, but it was hard not to. In 82 games he batted .268 in 2008. However, an extra base hit was rare, leading to an anemic .330 slugging percentage. Before he was traded to the Cardinals for Chris Duncan (remember him?) in 2009, Lugo was hitting .284 with an improved .719 OPS. His defense was not even close to up to the task at shortstop though and the Red Sox had to make a change. In his three seasons in Boston, Lugo batted .251 with 10 home runs and a .664 OPS while playing weak defense. My wife, who doesn’t pay attention to baseball, referred to him as “hock a loogie.”

Jackie Gutierrez

Jackie Gutierrez has the lowest WAR of anyone I came across, totaling an astounding -3.5 in only two seasons. After making a brief appearance in 1983, Gutierrez was the Sox main shortstop in 1984. Although he batted a respectable .263 that season, Gutierrez walked a total of 15 times in 151 games! This led to a measly .284 on-base percentage. Gutierrez also only had 17 extra base hits, helping him to a .316 slugging percentage. So despite a passable batting average, Gutierrez was pretty worthless at the plate. He also made 31 errors in the field that season, giving him a total WAR of -2.1.

Somehow, Gutierrez retained his job in 1985. He only wound up starting for a partial season though, accumulating 275 at-bats. His averaged plummeted to .218 and he hit a mere nine extra base hits. His OPS fell all the way to .523. On top of that, he managed to make 23 errors in only 99 games, 83 starts. The Red Sox somehow got the Orioles to trade for him that offseason and they moved him to second base.

Shortstop Jackie Gutierrez of the Red Sox awaits a throw on May 15, 1984 against the Cleveland Indians. (Photo by Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Rabbit Warstler

Warstler is a guy going back to the dark ages of the early 1930’s. He couldn’t hit his way out a wet paper bag. In four seasons with the Red Sox he batted .215 with 2 home runs and 74 runs batted in. Warstler had a feeble .285 on-base percentage and .276 slugging percentage. In those four seasons he only had 49 extra base hits.

It’s not as though Warstler added a lot defensively, he made 41 errors in 1932. He actually got moved to second base for a few years after leaving the Red Sox. His WAR was in the negatives in all four seasons with the Red Sox, bottoming out at -1.3 in 1932.

A portrait of Harold B. (Rabbit) Warstler of the Red Sox in 1933. (Photo by Sporting News and Rogers Photo Archive via Getty Images)

Dishonorable Mentions:

Edgar Renteria AKA: Rent-A-Wreck, AKA: Edgar Rent-error-ia

Mike Lansing, Craig Grebeck, Glenn Hoffman, Dud Lee, Johnny Mitchell

Featured picture credit goes to Bostondirtdogs.boston.com

David Price Opt Out is For the Best

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David Price’s career in Boston can be described as shaky at best. There are Price lovers and Price haters, most fans can agree that Price has not been all that. Fighting with fans, Hall of Famers, and the media, Price cannot handle the pressures of playing in Boston. David Price’s 7 year/ $217 million contract came a year after Jon Lester was offered a 4 year/ $70 million contract. Lester is a good pitcher who can perform in the playoffs. However he was 30, and according to John Henry the Red Sox refuse to sign pitchers over 30.

Before Boston

Price is sensitive, and cannot handle big games. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox still still gave him one of the biggest contracts ever given to a pitcher. Before Price was verbally assaulting Hall of Famers, he was attacking Red Sox fans on Twitter. Price is about as tough as a plastic bag in a tree. He also went after David Ortiz for the unholy act of admiring the two home runs he hit in the playoffs. David Ortiz again proved himself the bigger man by burying the hatchet. It seemed that Price would never sign here, and if he did it would be a huge mistake. Like Carl Crawford, Price went blind at all those zeroes.

2016

Price was “Ace” going into the 2016 season. He was “saving all his postseason wins for the Red Sox”. At the end of the season his ERA was 3.99, which is not good at all. Price is making the same amount of money that Clayton Kershaw is, and that’s how he turned out? Kershaw had a 1.69 ERA in 2016. Many would argue and say it is unfair to compare Price and Kershaw, but why is that? Price is making that much money and supposedly one of the league’s top pitchers. Why can he not perform like the league’s top talent?

Price started 35 games that season and threw 230 innings. He also ended with a record of 17-9. All that is impressive, but Price can’t have an ERA that high. Price was rocked in the playoffs, giving up 5 runs in 3.1 innings pitched. After the season, Price was critical of reporters for having the audacity to point out that he has never won a playoff game as a starter.

2017

Price started the season with an elbow injury in spring training. This caused the former Cy Young Award winner to miss significant time this past season. Even though Price was not on the mound all season, he was certainly in the news. During a rehab start in Pawtucket, Price’s play was not good, and the boo’s fell down on him. Price missed his scheduled interview with the media and quickly drove away. His record: 6-3 with a much lower 3.38 ERA in 74.2 innings pitched. Price, to the delight of his cowardly teammates, went after Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley on a team flight. This season was one headache after another. Price was outstanding coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs, but the Red Sox need starters to show up in the postseason.

Going Forward

The best-case scenario going forward is that Price either dominates or is at least decent this season. The Red Sox need production from their starters, and Price needs another big contract. Price will be 32 this season and his performance will continue to go down. His elbow is still in question. The Red Sox get what they can from Price, let him opt out, and move on. They would save themselves $119 and a whole lot of headaches.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

Media Credit: www.bosoxinjection.com

The Worst Third Basemen in Red Sox History

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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 said to my Grammy, “some idiot team will give him a big contract and he will eat his way out of baseball.” Little did I know that team would be the Red Sox.

Sandoval wasn’t even that good. After his first three seasons he was a .307 career hitter. However, the league had adjusted to him. Sandoval swung at practically any pitch, so why throw him one over the plate? Therefore, he rarely walked, which, coupled with limited power for a corner infielder made him somewhat mediocre. Over his final three seasons he batted .280 in San Francisco. Solid, but with a somewhat average .335/.424/.759 slash line. His 14 home runs per year left something to be desired. He had also batted under .280 in three of the previous four seasons. He was a third baseman who hit under .280, rarely walked and had limited power. That doesn’t even start to talk about his body, which anyone could tell wasn’t suited to last long in the Majors let alone at third base.

I think I went on a multi-hour rant in a chat group with my brothers and a couple of friends when it became clear the Sox would sign “Panda.” I figured he would last two years tops at third base before having to move to DH. His bat might be alright for third base, but a .750 OPS at designated hitter? There was also the fact his weight would probably make him less effective as he pushed past the age of 30.

Pablo Sandoval’s First Season in Boston

Sandoval was a disaster from the start. The “Kung Fu Panda” marketing ownership wanted predictably didn’t work, because the whole city hated him. Playing in 126 games, Sandoval only hit 10 home runs and drove in 47 runners. On top of driving in only 47, Panda only scored 43 times himself. Despite playing in the fourth most games on the team, he combined for fewer runs scored and driven in than David Ortiz drove in and Mookie Betts scored himself.

Beyond his run production, Sandoval batted only .245. His .292 on-base percentage placed him just outside the bottom 10 in the league. Coupled with his limited power, Sandoval’s .658 OPS placed him fourth worst in the American League. It wasn’t easy for him to be much more useless, but he might have managed that in the field. Panda had very limited range as one could imagine. When he did get to the ball, it was still an adventure. According to Fangraphs, out of 20 eligible third basemen, Sandoval was the least valuable defensively that season. He scored a -15.1 rating from them. His fielding percentage of .949 placed him 18th among the 20.

In other words, Sandoval’s first season in Boston was about what I expected from him by year three or four of his contract, and I thought he was one of the worst signings ever. He already wasn’t good enough to man the hot corner, and his bat wasn’t good enough for third base, let alone first or DH. The feature picture for this article actually shows Pablo Sandoval swinging and missing at a pitch that hit him. He got hit by a pitch, but struck out and had to leave the game injured.

This belly wasn’t meant to play the hot corner. (Sportsgrid)

Pablo Sandoval’s Final Two Seasons

Sandoval only made seven plate appearances in 2016. In those seven plate appearances he failed to get a hit, walking once and striking out four times. He also managed to break his belt swinging at a pitch, in just seven appearances at the plate!

Pablo Sandoval breaks his belt while swinging and missing at a pitch. (Via Bleacherreport)

Boy, is that embarrassing. Starting one game at third base that season, Sandoval managed to make an error. He was disabled for the rest of the season. Out of sight, out of mind, but unfortunately eating up a large chunk of the payroll. Sandoval made 17.6 million dollars that season.

Heading into 2017 there were reports of Sandoval working out a lot and having slimmed down. It didn’t do him any good. Sandoval batted .212 over 99 at-bats for the Red Sox. He struck out three times as much as he walked, a common occurrence for his days in Boston. He struck out 101 times versus just 34 walks for his entire Boston career. Sandoval made 25 starts at third base for the Sox and made five errors, coming to a .914 fielding percentage.

In parts of three seasons for Boston, Sandoval batted .237 with 14 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He had an OPS of .646 and an OPS+, which adjusts for ballpark and league factors, of just 71; the league average is 100. His total WAR during this time was -2.1, and that seems to be kind to him. For all of that, the Red Sox are still paying Sandoval millions. When all is said and done the Red Sox will have paid Panda nearly $95M to be one of the worst players in baseball for parts of three seasons.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Yes, that is it for the top three spots. Pablo Sandoval was so extraordinarily bad that he occupies all three spots in my list of the worst Red Sox third basemen of all time. As for other poor third basemen who warrant a mention…

Will Middlebrooks, Rip Russell, Red Morgan, Aaron Hill

Feature pic courtesy of cbssports.com

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/look-pablo-sandoval-swings-at-and-misses-pitch-that-hits-his-arm/

Bruins’ Fourth Line Has the Potential to Play a Huge Factor

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Have the 2018 Boston Bruins found themselves as productive a fourth line as the Merlot line was back in 2011? Nothing is guaranteed yet, but up to this point the recent emergence of the fourth line for the Bruins has been a key factor in their success. In the past nine games the Bruins have secured a point in all of them, going 7-0-2. The most encouraging sign is that it’s not because of a singular player or line like it has been in the past. But a definite positive sign almost halfway into the season has been the overall excellence of the Sean Kuraly, Tim Schaller and Noel Acciari.

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Defensive Dependability/Toughness

As you would want from most fourth lines Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari have gone above and beyond to earn the trust of Bruce Cassidy. As a line the trio has combined to go -2. Considering they are tasked with keeping other teams offensive lines in check this is pretty impressive. At this point in the season Cassidy has no hesitation to send out his fourth line and for good reason. Right now they are playing fabulous, selfless hockey. Whether it is in the defensive zone rotating along the boards or through coverage as if they are anticipating each others moves, it’s quite extraordinary. Along with each of the three being solid penalty killers and none of them shying away from good body contact.

The toughness element of this line cannot be understated. For stretches this season the Bruins have been pushed around by more physically dominant teams. But now with the Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari line adding not just a physical presence to the lineup but also holding opposing players responsible. Just as Schaller did when Acciari took a nasty hit up high against the Senators. Schaller showed no hesitation in dropping the gloves to protect his partner. But do not be confused, this is a line that knows how to check cleanly and effectively. Defensively reliability and guts of the Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari line certainly mirrors that of the Merlot line in its prime.

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Offensive Production/Versatility

Since the disband of the Merlot line, the Bruins have struggled to find a reliable versatile fourth line. Mainly because the veterans they brought in did not provide enough offensively and the young kids enough defensive reliability. But Kuraly/Schaller/Acciari is not just a bunch of defensive specialists. They can get after it on the offensive end as well. So far the trio has combined to put up 13 goals and 12 assist for 25 points. While also adding a surprising amount of speed to the Bruins’ lineup.

That is what makes this line so fascinating to watch. One minute they can be doing the dirty work in the defensive end. Then the next they are going end to end at full speed creating great scoring chances. It’s very impressive to watch and was on full display against the Islanders. Kuraly helped set up Schaller’s goal and Acciari netted one as well. They lead the Bruins to an impressive 5-1 victory.

The selflessness on the offensive end has been they key for this line. The right play is the simple play to them. They take what the defense is giving them. No more no less, and it has worked quite well. While none of them are offensive juggernauts by any stretch. Each of the three has the ability to score a timely goal or make a winning play. If the fourth line can keep up this level of production than opponents are not gonna be excited to play the Bruins.

David Ortiz: A First Ballot Hall of Famer

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The three-time World Series champion had a historic career. He should be a no doubt first ballot Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, David Ortiz is coming back to the club in 2018.

For David Ortiz, the Dominican Republic and Boston has been home since 2003. In four years, he might be enshrined into a third one: the Hall of Fame. The long time DH for the Boston Red Sox retired after one of the best final seasons in MLB history. Not only has Boston retired his number 34 forever. The city and it’s fans have also pushed his case for the Hall of Fame.

In 151 games played in 2016, the slugger hit .315 with 38 home runs and 127 RBIs at age 40. The 10 time All Star’s season ended after being swept by the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. He took the field one final for his teary goodbye, to illustrate the connections to his fans.

His career accomplishments go beyond last season. He was a three-time World Series Champion (2004, 2007, 2013) and World Series MVP in 2013. Ortiz hit 541 career home runs with 2,472 hits, and had a career .286 batting average and 1,768 RBIs. His RBI total is the most among any designated hitter in the history of baseball. That is more than Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez, and Don Baylor.

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to let him help with player development effective this season. Having the father-like role will help boost the confidence in the players. He will be the mentor he always was as a player, without the risk of injury. (I write as a joke…)

Off the Field

His contributions on the field are not the only grounds for his induction. His altruism and kindness have shown that he was a great ambassador for the sport. Whether it be visiting the Boston Children’s Hospital on off days and before games, his endless work with The Jimmy Fund, and working with Make A Wish to help grant wishes for thousands of children and teens.

In the midst of the 2003 season, Ortiz failed a player survey about PEDs, while never actually failing a test. Players like Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Ryan Braun, and many others confessed to using PEDs. Ortiz has never tested positive.

No matter who gets to vote when he’s up for the first time in 2022, he will be one of the most popular names on the ballot. With his legacy being spread around Boston, it would be fitting if the most decorated designated hitter in the history of the sport is recognized in Cooperstown. If the greats are enshrined, certainly you would want to best DH in there.

Photo Cred: www.necn.com

James Harrison: The Savior of The Pats’ Defense

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There are lots of cliches that could be used in this article, but “if you can’t beat them, then join them” could top the list. It’s just a small part of the story which brought James Harrison to the Patriots. The clown show that runs the Steelers thought that Harrison was done. Pittsburgh thought his best days were long gone, but as we saw Sunday, wrong again Steelers. Let me tell you why I feel that Harrison could become the savior of the beaten up Pats’ defense.

Via The Big Lead

Some Players Just Want To Win

The fact that James Harrison was cut by the Steelers seemed like a strange development to me. Harrison terrified me when the Patriots played the Steelers. The Steelers told the media that Harrison would not contribute much and they didn’t plan to play him. Unless they live under a rock, they would see that Harrison is a workout monster. His workouts include a game of volleyball using medicine balls. Just picture that for a minute. The Steelers also declared Harrison as too old and did not fit their schemes anymore. As you can see in the photo above, age does not matter if you are great. Harrison evidently has a sense of humor as well. The picture above on his Instagram was followed with “finally a teammate older then me.”

Harrison wants to win and wants to play where he can contribute. Watching Harrison on Sunday, he wants to win and hasn’t lost too many steps at all. In limited playing time Sunday against the Jets, Harrison recorded five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Does that sound like a player that has lost anything or does not want to play anymore? Imagine when Harrison learns the defense and his teammates better. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Harrison — The Piece The Pats D Has Lacked

Every team in the NFL has injuries. Not exactly a newsflash there. The Patriots have certainly had their fair share, if not more then a few other teams. Already missing some key defensive players like Hightower made the Pats’ D vulnerable. James Harrison will give us a solid and sustained pass rush which has been an issue for the Pats. Other then Trey Flowers and blitzing occasionally, the Pats have not posed a threat to the opposition’s QB. Sunday could mark the turning point for this dilemma the D has faced all season. James Harrison, inserted after minimal practice, looks like the scary monster of the past. He looks like the defensive savior we have needed this season.

The opponents of the Patriots now have consider potential pass rushes from both sides. Flowers on one side and Harrison on the other is not an easy puzzle for any team to solve. I think James Harrison may have just saved the Patriots in the one true area of vulnerability. Our pass rush issues did not seem like much of a problem on Sunday. Granted, we played the the Jets, but I do not think it would have mattered a great deal who it would have been.

Could Harrison Be ‘The Guy’?

It is a lot to ask for one player, but in his own way he joins the roster in the nick of time. Isn’t it the Patriot Way to take players with something to prove and give them a platform to do it? Harrison joins the likes of Randy Moss, Rodney Harrison and others players that have found a new home in Foxboro. It is hard to believe after watching Sunday that Harrison will do anything but get better.

I would like to formally thank the Pittsburgh Steelers for allowing us to have James Harrison. Once the Steelers find their way to winter vacations before the Super Bowl, they will realize that this was a stupid move on their part. James, we are so glad to have you and look forward to you looking Goodell in the eyes in February. I am sure that Goodell will just love handing you the Lombardi trophy and we will love seeing you hoist it as our savior.

The Worst Second Basemen in Red Sox History

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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, and he would get picked off or caught stealing. He would bring Jackson in for defense, only to have him commit errors. The man did not learn.

Jackson was caught stealing eight times in his one season with the Red Sox, a number that placed him in the worst ten for the league. Little again used Jackson as a pinch-runner in the playoffs. In game one of the ALCS against the Yankees, Jackson pinch ran for Todd Walker in the eighth inning and subsequently got picked off first base.

As for the fielding, Jackson had a mediocre .960 fielding percentage at second base for the Red Sox. He made nine errors amongst all the positions he played that season, making five of them at shortstop with an .881 fielding percentage. He was not a good fielder, yet Little liked to bring him in for defense. In fact, Jackson twice finished in the top five in the National League for errors made before he ever played in Boston. In the 2003 ALDS, Jackson crashed into Johnny Damon going after a pop-up, giving Damon a concussion and causing him to be carted off the field. This play happened two plays after Jackson entered the game as a defensive replacement.

Johnny Damon & Damian Jackson (AP photo)

Ski Melillo

Melillo played for the Red Sox during the 1930’s. Traded for during the 1935 season, Melillo spent the next two seasons as the Red Sox main second baseman. He wasn’t dreadful that first season, batting .260. However, Melillo had nearly no power, posting a .310 slugging percentage. The following season, with his average dropping off to .226, Melillo posted a lousy .287/.287/.575 triple slash line.

In parts of three seasons with Boston, Melillo posted a sub .300 slugging percentage. He batted .245 with a single homer, posting a .608 OPS. If one thinks you can apply a number value to anyone, let alone someone from 80 years ago, Melillo posted a -2.3 WAR. This number was a dreadful -1.9 in 1936. He was definitely not worthy of a starting job.

Moose Solters (left) was traded by the Red Sox to the Browns for Ski Melillo (right) in 1935

Jose Offerman

Offerman was given a four-year 26 million dollar contract by the Boston Red Sox before the 1999 season. His on-base skills were supposed to help replace Mo Vaughn. Offerman had batted .315 with a .403 on-base percentage the previous season. Offerman also led the league in triples with 13 while stealing 45 bases.

Offerman’s good play continued into his first season with the Red Sox. In 1999 he batted .294 and led the league with 11 triples. He had a .391 on-base percentage while making the All-Star Game. If there was a disappointment to his season it was getting caught stealing 12 times in 30 tries. Unfortunately, that was the best season he had stealing bases for the Red Sox.

The next season Offerman’s play fell off. Jose would bat .255 in his second season with the Sox, getting on base at a .354 clip. However, even with the walks boosting his on-base percentage, Offerman didn’t put it to much use. He attempted eight steals that season and was caught all eight times. In 2001 his average rebounded a bit to .267, but he actually got on base less. He also tripled just three times and stole just five bases. Finally, in 2002 he was sent to Seattle after batting just .232 with a .650 OPS.

Offerman was not a horrible player, but he failed to live up to his contract and expectations in having only one good season. He would bat .268 with a .743 OPS during his four seasons. As for his stealing ability, it disappeared in Boston. Despite stealing 45 bases in 1998, Offerman only stole 31 bags over four years with the Red Sox and was caught 27 times.

Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch applied a phantom tag on Jose Offerman, who was called out.
(Boston Globe/ ELISE AMENDOLA/AP)

Dishonorable Mentions:

Dalton Jones, Mark Lemke, Doug Griffin, Chuck Schilling

The Worst First Basemen in Red Sox History

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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 St. Louis Cardinals. There was slight reason for concern; Craig’s power had dipped in 2013, falling off from 22 home runs to 13. His slugging percentage, which had been over .500 for consecutive seasons, fell to .457. He also was dealing with foot problems and was heading for offseason surgery.

After Craig’s foot surgery he was not the same. In 2014 he batted .237 for the Cardinals and was struggling to drive the ball. He was still hobbled by his surgery, anyone who watched him could see he didn’t run well or move well in the field. The Red Sox must have failed to scout him. At the trade deadline the Red Sox traded one of their best pitchers, John Lackey, for Craig and Joe Kelly. As I said at the time in arguments with my brothers, Allen Craig was a subtraction from the deal, he made it worse rather than add anything positive. He had a big contract and could barely run.

In addition to the rest of the 2014 season, the Red Sox have paid Allen Craig 25.5 million dollars over the past three seasons. In that time he has driven in exactly five runs for the Red Sox. Over 173 at-bats, Craig has hit .139 with two home runs, five runs batted in and a .432 OPS! It’s almost impressive just how bad he has been. He was sent to the minors and hasn’t even been on the 40 man roster the past two seasons. In 2016 Craig batted .173 with a homer over 75 at-bats in Pawtucket. Last season he managed to bat .253 with a single homer over 158 at-bats in AAA. Craig is the worst of the worst.

Tony Clark

There was plenty of reason for optimism when the Red Sox signed Tony Clark for the 2002 season. The Red Sox needed a slugger at first base and Clark appeared to be just that. Since his rookie season of 1996 Clark had hit 153 home runs for the Tigers. This averaged out to 26 home runs per season or 34 home runs per 162 games played. This came with a .278 batting average and .357/.506/.863 triple slash. Those are some pretty impressive numbers. On top of that, Tony Clark had hit the ball very well at Fenway Park. For his career at Fenway Tony Clark had batted .382 with 6 home runs over 110 at-bats. The pairing seemed to be a good one.

Clark’s Red Sox campaign started off as expected. On opening day against the Blue Jays Clark had three hits and a home run, drawing a walk and driving in three. That was pretty much the extent of Clark’s success with the Red Sox. For the season, Clark batted just .207 with three home runs. His OPS was by far a career low, including the rest of his career, at a measly .556. Anyway you measure it, his season in Boston was the worst of his career and an unmitigated disaster.

First baseman Tony Clark of the Boston Red Sox swings at the pitch during the game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on April 13, 2002. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 7-6. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Danny Cater

Cater is on here more for what was given up to acquire him than he is for his performance. His performance wasn’t good, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the two above him on the list. Cater had bounced around the field, playing both corners of the infield as well as some outfield. He was a solid hitter, but nothing special. Before the Red Sox traded for him he was a .279 career hitter with an OPS of just .695. Who knows what possessed Richard O’Connell to trade Sparky Lyle for him. Lyle was a 27 year old reliever with a 2.85 career ERA and 69 saves. Cater was a 32 year old mediocre hitter.

Lyle pitched the next seven seasons for the Yankees, saving 141 games and winning a Cy Young Award. Cater spent three mediocre seasons with the Red Sox. His first season was by far his most playing time with the Red Sox, accumulating 317 at-bats. He only batted .237 and hit 8 home runs. The following season he actually hit a career high .313, although he only homered once. In his final season he managed to hit five homers in 126 at-bats while batting .246. In three season’s total, Cater batted .262 with 14 home runs and a .685 OPS.