Tag Archives: Derek Lowe

Best Deadline Deals in Red Sox History

1. Heathcliff Slocumb for Jason Varitek & Derek Lowe

This is a no-brainer at the top spot. This trade was always baffling, but continually got worse with each passing season as Varitek and Lowe paved their way in the big leagues.

The Mariners were desperate for relief help, as this wasn’t the only move they made for a relief pitcher. One is left to wonder why they thought Heathcliff Slocumb would help shore up a struggling bullpen though. Slocumb had a solid season in 1996, posting a 3.02 ERA and 31 saves, but his saves were often nerve-wracking, as he posted a 1.48 WHIP. In 1997 it all came apart. At the time of the trade he had blown five saves, posted a 5.79 ERA with an unsightly 1.97 WHIP. That means he essentially put on two baserunners each inning! Over the next season and a half in Seattle, Slocumb went 2-9 with a 4.97 ERA and 13 saves.

Meanwhile, Jason Varitek became the first catcher ever to catch four no-hitters. He was the eventual captain of the Red Sox, and is the second best catcher in franchise history. He was a three time all-star, a Silver Slugger winner and a Gold Glove winner.

Derek Lowe made two All-Star Games with the Red Sox. He led the American League with 42 saves in 2000, then two years later went 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He also won the clinching game of the ALDS, ALCS and the World Series in 2004. Without this trade, the Red Sox do not win the World Series in 2004, and who knows where the franchise would be.

As most Red Sox fans probably were at the time, I was just happy to be rid of Heathcliff Slocumb. Getting two important pieces back in return? Trade deadline gold.

2. The Nomar Deal

At the trade deadline in 2004 the Red Sox were in the playoff race, but needed to change things up to really make a run. Franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra was unhappy in Boston by this time, missing games with injury and not playing to his usual standards. The infield defense was sloppy and Theo Epstein decided the defense had to get better.

It wasn’t surprising when the Red Sox traded Nomar, a lot of people knew it was time, but it was bittersweet. The Red Sox sent Nomar and Matt Murton to the Cubs in a four team trade. Coming back to Boston were shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz. Both were good fielders to help shore up the infield defense.

Although Mientkiewicz couldn’t hit a lick, Orlando Cabrera proved to be a a sparkplug. He batted .294 with six home runs the rest of the season, while playing a steadier shortstop than Nomar . The team went 40-20 over the rest of the regular season. Cabrera then batted .379 in the seven game ALCS with the Yankees. I’ve never understood why the Red Sox let him leave after the season; he seemed to fit right in with the team personality-wise, clearly could handle Boston and the big stage, played a good defense and could hit.

The Red Sox went 40-20 after making the trade for Orlando Cabrera in 2004.

3. Rey Quinones for Dave Henderson & Spike Owen

This is one of those August deals I referred to in the beginning. The Red Sox wound up sending three other players to the Mariners later on as players to be named later, but none did a whole lot. Mike Brown and Mike Trujillo at least pitched some for them at the big league level. Quinones, who had been hitting just .237 for the Red Sox in his rookie season, did even worse over the rest of the season. He actually had a solid season in 1987 before his offense tailed off and he was out of baseball following the 1989 season. His batting register on baseball-reference.com is fascinating, popping up in Independent baseball in 1999 after having nothing listed since 1989.

Dave Henderson actually didn’t do much in the regular season for the Red Sox. He hit .196 with 1 home run over 51 at-bats. However, he hit one of the biggest home runs in franchise history in the 1986 ALCS to avoid a series defeat to the Angels. In the World Series, he would bat .400 with two more home runs. Imagine his status in Boston had they not choked.

As for Spike Owen, he stayed with the team for each of the next two seasons as well, and was their starting shortstop for 1987 and half of 1988. He also had a big postseason in 1986, batting .429 in the ALCS and .300 in the World Series.

Dave Henderson came up huge for the Red Sox in the 1986 postseason.

4. Santiago Espinal for Steve Pearce

I’m going back to just last season for this one. The Red Sox got the eventual World Series MVP for a prospect not on the radar for prospect lists. You never know how someone will develop, but at the moment this one looks like a steal. This trade happened about a month before the deadline, but it counts.

Pearce posted a .901 OPS for the Red Sox following the trade. He went all Jimmie Foxx on the Yankees in early August, hitting three home runs one day and another the next day. In the World Series he batted .333 with three home runs. In game four, he hit a home run off closer Kenley Jansen to tie the game at four in the 8th inning of an eventual 9-6 victory. For the clinching game five, he hit a two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw to open the scoring in the 1st inning, then homered again in the 8th inning, which was the dagger. For his efforts, he won World Series MVP.

Steve Pearce homers in the 8th inning of game 5 of the World Series.

5. Henri Stanley for Dave Roberts

We all know why this one is on the list, and it all comes down to just one play. The Red Sox picked up Dave Roberts on July 31, 2004 for Henri Stanley (who?). The idea with Roberts was to add some speed. He batted .256 with 2 home runs and five stolen bases over the rest of the regular season. In the playoffs, he was on the team to pinch-run. That was it. The rest, as they say, is history.

Honorable Mention: Mike Stanley

Mike Stanley gets an honorable mention for two trades. Stanley posted excellent offensive numbers in 1996 and 1997 for the Red Sox, but the team was well out of the race in 1997 so they moved him in August. In sending him to the Yankees, the Red Sox received Tony Armas Jr. in return.

Why is this trade so notable? Well, that offseason, the Red Sox were battling the Indians to trade for Pedro Martinez from the Expos. The Red Sox won out, sending the Expos two pitching prospects in Carl Pavano and, you guessed it, Tony Armas Jr. This Mike Stanley trade is very underrated in history, as it brought the Red Sox an important trade chip back to get possibly the best pitcher of all-time.

The very next season, in 1998, with the Red Sox back in the race again, they brought Stanley back at the deadline, sending Peter Munro and Jay Yennaco to the Blue Jays for him. Munro made the Majors, but didn’t do much to speak of. Yennaco never made to the show. Mike Stanley batted .288 with an .888 OPS the rest of the 1998 season. In 1999, he was their starting first baseman more often than not, posting a .393 on-base percentage while hitting 19 home runs. Stanley was also an excellent guy in the clubhouse, becoming a bench coach quickly after his retirement.

Mike Stanley was a great trade for the Red Sox both in dealing him (1997) and acquiring him again (1998).

Feature picture from sportsonearth.com

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 31-35

Number 31 – Jon Lester

Lester played the role of Red Sox ace for several seasons. Before he got there, he had to overcome cancer at the age of 23. After his return from cancer, Lester played a role in winning the World Series in 2007, pitching 5.2 shutout innings in the final game of the series. The next year, he was ready to be the Ace on a team no one expected him to be. In May, he no-hit the Royals at Fenway Park. Lester finished 16-6 with a 3.21 ERA that season.

In 2009, Lester took a giant step forward in the strike out department, striking out 10 batters per nine innings. In 2010, he struck out 225 batters for the second straight season and led the American League in k/9. He made his first all-star team that season and won 19 games. The end result was a top five finish for the Cy Young Award.

After his second straight all-star appearance in 2011, Lester’s pitching dropped off significantly in 2012. He rebounded in 2013, then took his game to a new level for the postseason. After winning two games with a 2.33 ERA over the first two series, Lester dominated the Cardinals in the World Series. Lester won both games he pitched and allowed just one run between them. That ran his World Series career to one run over 21 innings pitched.

2014 would be Lester’s last in a Red Sox uniform, as the team traded him at the deadline. Lester was having his best season, posting a 2.52 ERA over 21 starts before the trade. He made his third all-star team that season. Lester was 110-63 with a 3.64 ERA with the Sox. He pitched even better in the playoffs, winning six games with a 2.11 ERA.

Honorable Mention: Ferguson Jenkins

Number 32 – Derek Lowe

Lowe’s Red Sox career had its share of ups and downs, but overall he was a good pitcher. Lowe also was one of many Red Sox to play the role of hero in 2004. Acquired from the Mariners along with Jason Varitek for blown save machine Heathcliff Slocumb, Lowe was brought aboard in one of the more lopsided trades in baseball history.

Lowe started his career as a swingman and didn’t have immediate success with the team. He was stellar in 1999 though, even working his way to the closers role as he saved 15 games. Lowe had a 2.63 ERA with a WHIP below 1.00 that season. In 2000, serving as closer for the entire season, Lowe had a 2.56 ERA and led the league with 42 saves while making his first all-star team. Lowe’s closing ability took a turn for the worse the following season though, as he lost the role of closer. With his ERA over 4.00, the team experimented with him starting, giving him three starts to finish the season. Lowe allowed just two runs over the three starts.

As a full-time starter in 2002, Lowe came out of the gates hot, allowing just one hit over seven shutout in his first start. By the end of April, Lowe was no-hitting the Devil Rays at Fenway Park. He finished the season 21-6 with a 2.58 ERA and came in third for the Cy Young. No one could have imagined this success, and although it was a career season, Lowe had plenty more good pitching to come.

Lowe won 17 games in 2003, although his pitching fell off quite a lot. In 2004, his ERA was all the way up to 5.42 and he found himself excluded from the ALDS rotation. However, Lowe was on the mound to earn the win in the deciding game of the series over the Angels. Down 0-3 to the Yankees in the ALCS, Lowe pitched well enough to give the Red Sox a chance as they staved off elimination. He took the mound in game seven and was again the winning pitcher in a deciding game. In game four of the World Series, Lowe finished off the trifecta, pitching seven shutout innings as the Red Sox swept the Cardinals. Lowe was the winning pitcher in the series-clinching win of all three postseason series to finish out his Red Sox career.

Honorable Mention: Craig Breslow

Number 33 – Jason Varitek

“The Captain” is number 33 of course. Varitek meant a ton to the team, leading up to the curse breaking, breaking the curse, and then the ones following up on that. His leadership in the clubhouse as well as on the field was invaluable. He called a great game and is one of only two catchers ever to have caught four no-hitters.

Varitek split time with Scott Hatteberg at the catcher position in 1998. The Red Sox felt comfortable enough handing the starting gig to Varitek in 1999, and he rewarded them with a 20 home run season. The starting job was his for the next decade. He looked like he was on his way to a career year in 2001 before he broke his elbow diving for a foul pop on the on-deck circle.

Varitek’s real breakout came in 2003. He made his first all-star team that season and mashed 25 home runs, a number that would remain his career high. He hit four home runs in the postseason with an OPS over 1.000. The next season he batted .296 with a career best .872 OPS. He would hit .321 with two home runs in the seven game ALCS against the Yankees. Oh, and who could forget his encounter with Alex Rodriguez from that summer?

Varitek hit .281 with 22 home runs and an .856 OPS in 2005. During that three year stretch from 2003-05, Varitek’s average season was .283 with 22 home runs and an .863 OPS. He was one of the very best offensive catchers in the game while also being invaluable behind the plate. His offensive production did fall off after that, but he did have a solid 2007. Varitek hit .255 with 17 home runs and a .787 OPS that year. He then won his second World Series in the fall.

In addition to the rings and the no-hitters, Varitek made three All-Star Games, won a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award. He probably should have won more Gold Gloves than he did. He is tenth in franchise history in games played. Furthermore his 193 home runs are the most by a catcher for the Red Sox. Varitek will forever be one of the most beloved and well-respected Red Sox.

Honorable Mentions: Jose Canseco, Dave “Boo” Ferriss

Number 34 – David Ortiz

No words can really say what David Ortiz meant to the franchise. He might be the most popular player in franchise history. He had countless big hits, countless walk-offs, and without his heroics in 2004 the curse wouldn’t have ended. Again in 2013, with his rallying speech following the marathon bombings, as well as his grand slam in game two of the ALCS, the 2013 World Series doesn’t happen without Ortiz.

It took the Red Sox a couple months to finally give Ortiz the playing time he deserved in 2003. Once they gave it to him, he raked, hitting .293 with 29 homers and a 1.010 OPS from June 1st on. With his clutch hitting he managed to enter the MVP race. It was the first of five consecutive seasons in which Ortiz would place in the top five for the MVP. He led the league in RBI in both 2005 and 2006 and set a Red Sox franchise record when he hit 54 home runs in 2006. From 2004-07 he averaged a season of .304 with 44 home runs, 135 RBI and a 1.024 OPS.

After a couple down seasons during which he still managed to hit 51 home runs, Ortiz rebounded in 2010 and enjoyed another productive run through the end of his career. In 2011 he batted over .300 for the first time since 2007. He would accomplish this again in 2012, 2013 and 2016. Ortiz saved the best for last, batting .315 with 38 home runs and a league-leading 48 doubles and 127 RBI at the age of 40 in 2016. He also led the league in slugging (.620) and OPS (1.021). Ortiz had his number 34 retired by the Sox the very next season.

Honorable Mentions: Rich Garces, Scott Cooper

Number 35 – Steven Wright

Although he may not be on the level as the four preceding him in this list, Wright would take number 35 on the strength of his 2016 season alone. He also has won two World Series rings with the Red Sox, giving this group 10 total among them.

The knuckleballer didn’t make the majors until he was 28 years old. With his four appearances during that 2013 season he got himself a ring. He showed some ability over the next two seasons, winning five games with a 3.75 ERA.

2016 brought Steven Wright’s career season, and it could have been even better had John Farrell not inexplicably pinch-run him. Wright, the team’s ace to that point in the season, hurt his shoulder while pinch-running and had to go on the disabled list. Wright had thrown a complete game shutout in his previous start to improve to 13-5 with a 3.01 ERA. After a disabled list trip, he didn’t fare well in two starts and was shut down for the season.

Unfortunately, Wright has not been healthy much since then. This season he pitched very well, but was on and off the disabled list all season long and didn’t pitch in the postseason. When healthy, Wright was 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA over four starts and 16 relief appearances. So far in his career he is 24-15 with a 3.77 ERA and one All-Star Game.

Honorable Mentions: Billy Klaus, Burke Badenhop

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Steven Wright (35) pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Red Sox Old-Timers Game

The Managers

Two Red Sox legends will manage the clubs for the old-timers game; Luis Tiant and Dwight Evans. Both of these guys would likely make a 25 man roster of the greatest Red Sox ever.

“El Tiante” I believe is a top five right-handed pitcher in Red Sox history, winning 20 games three times while also pitching great in the 1975 World Series. He is still a fan favorite to this day, as is “Dewey.” Evans is the greatest right fielder in Red Sox history. He played parts of 19 seasons with the club, winning eight Gold Gloves and placing in the top five for the MVP vote twice. His 379 home runs place fifth in team history. Evans is also fourth all-time in base hits and third in walks. He has a strong argument for his number to be retired by the club.

Dewey and Tiant walk onto the field.

The Old-Timers Pitching Staff

Pedro Martinez is the headliner of the staff. The greatest pitcher in team history and the greatest pitcher I have seen. Pedro’s peak was arguably the most dominant stretch of pitching the game has ever seen. Going to games at Fenway where Pedro pitched was like nothing else experienced. If there is one guy I miss watching pitch more than anyone else, it is Pedro, and no one else even comes close.

Derek Lowe holds an incredibly important spot in Red Sox history. Lowe won the clinching game of all three postseason series in 2004 when the Red Sox won the World Series. He allowed just four runs over 19.1 innings that postseason and won game seven against the Yankees pitching on just two days rest. Derek Lowe also threw a no-hitter in 2002, the first thrown by a Red Sox pitcher at Fenway Park in 37 years.

Oil Can Boyd sure is a character. Known more for his personality than his pitching, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd had a couple of fine seasons in Boston. He won 31 games between 1985 and 1986 with a 3.74 ERA.

Bill Lee is of course another character. Nicknamed “Spaceman”, Lee is also known more for his personality. Lee was a good pitcher though, winning 119 games and making an All-Star team. From 1973-75, Lee won 17 games each season for the Red Sox. In 2010 he became the oldest to ever play in and win a professional baseball game, picking up the win in a game for the Brockton Rox.

Rich Garces is everyone’s lovable, overweight pitcher. Affectionately referred to as “El Guapo” during his time in Boston, Garces pitched parts of seven seasons with the Red Sox. He was stellar between 1998 and 2001, going 20-4 with a 3.15 ERA out of the bullpen over those four seasons.

Jim Corsi pitched on some of the same teams as El Guapo. In 1997 and 1998 Corsi was 8-5 with a 2.98 ERA for the Sox. He declined in 1999, but the Red Sox got two excellent seasons from him. He later spent some time on NESN doing studio work.

Alan Embree was on the curse breaking team of 2004, and spent part of four seasons with the Red Sox. Despite mediocre results, Embree was excellent in postseason play for the Sox. In 2003 he didn’t allow a run in eight appearances. He was good again in 2004, and didn’t allow a run in three World Series games. In total, Embree was 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA during the postseason while with the Red Sox.

Lenny Dinardo currently works for NESN as a studio analyst. During his career he spent three seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Dinardo held his own in limited action his first two seasons before being rocked in 2006. In all, he was 1-3 with a 5.53 ERA for the team.

Mike Myers was a lefty specialist for the Red Sox in 2004 and 2005. He was plenty effective in that role for them, going 3-1 in 2005 with a 3.13 ERA.

Chris Howard was a lefty reliever for the Sox in 1994. He didn’t get much of a chance in the big leagues despite pitching relatively well. That season for the Sox, Howard was 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA over 37 appearances. He only pitched seven other games in the Majors, three in 1993 and four in 1995. He never allowed a run in either season.

Keith MacWhorter is a local guy, born in Worcester in 1955. He then attended Bryant College in Rhode Island. MacWhorter made the Majors for one season, 1980. Unfortunately he never won a game, going 0-3 with a 5.53 ERA. Hey, he got to play for his hometown team, not many can say that.

The Infielders

Wade Boggs headlines the lineup of hitters appearing in the game. His .338 batting average as a member of the Red Sox is second only to Ted Williams in franchise history. He is unquestionably the greatest third baseman in team history, and was so good he had his number 26 retired. In the 1980’s, Boggs set a Major League record by collecting 200 hits in seven straight seasons.

Scott Cooper is the man who replaced Wade Boggs at the hot corner. Cooper made back-to-back All-Star Games with the Red Sox in 1993 and 1994. Cooper also hit for the cycle in 1994, becoming the first Red Sox player to accomplish this feat since Mike Greenwell. Speaking of which…

Mike Lowell was a fan favorite for the club and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series. In fact, Lowell was the MVP of that World Series after placing 5th in the regular season MVP vote. He batted .290 with 80 home runs during his time in Boston. He now has a role with the team in a coaching capacity and worked with Rafael Devers on his defense this spring.

Orlando Cabrera was a spark plug to the team in 2004. After the trade to acquire him, the Red Sox went on a run with Cabrera providing some heroics. He batted .294 down the stretch for the team while stabilizing the defense at shortstop. Cabrera then batted .379 during the ALCS versus the Yankees. It is still a mystery to me as to why the Red Sox did not retain him following the season.

Sam Horn exploded onto the scene in 1987, homering in five of his first eight Major League games. He hit 14 home runs in only 158 at-bats that season, posting a .589 slugging percentage. He sputtered out in Boston after that, but he returned to the area to play for the Nashua Pride in 2000 and 2001. Horn then spent time as a studio analyst for NESN. He would always yell “kapow!” whenever someone hit a home run.

Lou Merloni of course remains a large figure in the Boston sports world. Working on TV and radio, Lou is widely heard in the area covering all sports. A local guy, “Framingham Lou” homered in his first Fenway at-bat in 1998. He batted .269 in parts of six seasons with the Red Sox while playing all over the infield. Before Kevin Youkilis, the crowd would yell “Looouuuu” whenever Merloni made a nice play.

Julio Lugo is an interesting choice for this game, as he was one of the bigger busts in recent memory. After signing a big contract to play shortstop, Lugo batted .251 as a member of the Red Sox and made a lot of errors at a vital defensive position.

Steve Lomasney is the only catcher on this squad. Will he remain behind the plate no matter who is up or does he get a turn at-bat? Lomasney, a Massachusetts native, was drafted by the Red Sox out of Peabody High School in the fifth round of the 1995 draft. He got two at-bats in his Major League career, coming in 1999; he struck out in both of them.

The Outfielders

Mike Greenwell will also play in this game. “The Gator” patrolled left field in front of the Monster after Jim Rice, following in a very successful line of left fielders in franchise history. He didn’t back down from it either, becoming one of the five greatest left fielders in team history in my opinion. Greenwell was a career .303 hitter and was one of the brightest young stars in the game in the late 80’s. Injuries slowed him down in the 90’s, but it isn’t easy to bat .300. He finished second in the MVP vote for 1988 to a roided up Jose Canseco.

Troy O’leary was another excellent left fielder for the Red Sox. Signed off the scrap heap in 1995, O’leary batted .300 that season for the Red Sox. He would bat .300 again in 1997, then posted back-to-back 20 home run season in 1998 and 1999. His total of 28 homers in 1999 was a career high, and he hit two more in the ALDS against the Indians, driving in seven runs in the deciding game of the series.

Jonny Gomes was a fun guy, and his personality helped revamp a clubhouse in 2013 that needed a big makeover from the previous couple seasons. He hit 19 home runs in 521 at-bats with the Red Sox and hit a big three-run homer in game four of the World Series. He currently announces from time to time for the club.

Darren Lewis was a great fielding center fielder in his day. Lewis once held the record for most consecutive errorless games. Lewis played four seasons with the Red Sox, from 1998-2001. He hit a career high eight home runs and stole 29 bases that first season with the team. His final season with the team he hit a career high .280.

Steve Lyons is currently seen on NESN in the studio for pregame and postgame work. He spent three different stints with the Red Sox during his playing days, playing all over the field. In fact, Lyons played everywhere at least once as a member of the Red Sox.

Rick Miller will play in this game at the age of 70. Miller broke in with the Red Sox back in 1971. He spent his first seven seasons in Boston, then returned to the club in 1981 and spent the final five seasons of his career here. He played in 1101 games as a Red Sox, batting .265.

Boston Sports Extra

By Boston Fans, For Boston Fans