Tag Archives: Fenway

Red Sox – Royals Series Recap

Monday- The Royals fall to the Sox in Game 1

In their 21st win of the season, the Red Sox won 10-6 over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Xander Bogaerts hit his second grand slam of the season, and sixth for the team. Mitch Moreland hit a solo home run, going three for four with a homer, a double, three runs, and two RBIs. Andrew Benintendi hit a sacrifice fly into center field to drive in Jackie Bradley Jr. in the bottom of the fourth. Eduardo Rodriguez didn’t have a fantastic start as he pitched five hits, five runs, three walks, and striking out only six in the Royals lineup. Hector Velazquez hit the pitcher’s mound after Rodriguez and only allowed one hit. Mookie Betts was still not present in the lineup, but Cora said that he should be playing tomorrow.

“He’s been pretty amazing for us all year, obviously with the injury, not knowing what to expect coming back, but he’s picked right up where he left off… it was a nice night”. Said Moreland on Bogaerts performance

“I didn’t hit a grand slam in my career, so it’s not because of me”, said Alex Cora on the 6 grand slams hit since he became manager

Tuesday- Sox Fall on Sale day

The Red Sox fell to the Royals 7-6 on Tuesday night. Eduardo Nuñez homered in the 12th inning to tie the game. Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy pitched three scoreless innings to allow the Royals to gain control. A wild pitch in the seventh allowed Benintendi to run home and lead for a portion of the game. Tuesday night’s game was only Benintendi’s second time batting lead off in his career, as Mookie was still on the bench. Sale added another loss after pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, two walks, and only six strikeouts. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning and allowed the Sox to keep the 3-2 lead. Ultimately, the Royals won the 13th inning game. Tomorrow Drew Pomeranz will pitch for the second time this season at Fenway against Kansas City’s Danny Duffy.

Wednesday- Sox take the Series against Royals

With it being nearly 90 degrees in the city, it felt like a typical summer baseball game. Mookie Betts again proved why he’s the lead-off man for the Sox. Betts surpassed Ted Williams to hit the most three home run games in franchise history. The Gatorade shower made an appearance, and Mookie definitely deserved the spotlight. The Sox beat out Kansas 5-4 to take the series. J.D. Martinez also hit a two run homer to tie the game in the third. Drew Pomeranz picked up his first win of the season. He is showing improved velocity and an improved curveball since his time on the disabled list. Joe Kelly also returned from his six game suspension from the bench clearing brawl against the Yankees. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning to show that his time off did no harm.

“It was pretty cool, I’m just trying to shut them down long enough to let Mookie get at-bats. When he gets hot like that, we’re all cheering for more at-bats for him. They keep throwing him pitches, but he keeps sitting on everything they throw him. It’s pretty awesome to watch.”-Drew Pomeranz on Mookies performance

Sources

Red Sox Twitter

MLB.com

J.D. Martinez Is Proving His Worth

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The city of Boston is all too familiar with big name players failing to meet expectations. Just look at guys like Daisuke, Pablo Sandoval, or Carl Crawford to name a few. The pressure of playing in Boston isn’t for everyone, but J.D. Martinez is looking good.

AN OFFENSIVE DYNAMO

Manager Alex Cora has slotted Martinez in the clean-up spot all season, and it seems to be paying off. His 32 hits through 97 at-bats accumulates to a .330 average, which is good for fourth on the team. Martinez is also leading the Sox with 22 RBI’s. This puts him on pace for 143 by the end of the season. He won’t keep this rate up, but it’s exactly what you want to see out of your cleanup hitter.

He’s been driving in runs, but power is his biggest asset. Martinez is second on the team with five home runs, but it’s only April. He’s a righty at the plate and he’ll send plenty of balls over the Green monster as the season progresses. He’s coming off a career high 45 home run season, and should be able to take full advantage of Fenway Park. This is an area where the Red Sox desperately need help, finishing 27th in the league last season.

Martinez also puts up consistent batting averages. He’s hit over .300 in each of the last two seasons and three times in his seven-year career. Eduardo Nunez was the team’s only .300 hitter in 2017, so Martinez will add some depth on that front as well.

MARTINEZ IS FILLING THE VOID

There will be high expectations during his first year in Boston, but so far J.D. is living up to the hype. He’s a solid all-around hitter and will fill plenty of gaps in the Red Sox lineup. It looks like this might be a golden acquisition for the Sox.

Why Mookie Betts Is Poised for a Huge 2018

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Mookie Betts is arguably the best hitter in baseball right now. He is seeing the ball so well and smoking it. He massacred the Yankees’ pitching staff, raking in a grand slam in a 14-1 win. Mookie is also off the heels of a four home run series against the Angels. The man is insane.

Betts currently leads the MLB in AVG (.366). Obviously this won’t be sustainable for an entire season, but it’s a damn good start. Consequently, it could be a sign of even better things to come for Betts. Mookie is doing damage early, and if he can continue, the Red Sox are going to be very dangerous this season.

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2017

2017 was a very disappointing season for Betts. He had a steady offensive decline coming off of an insane MVP caliber year in 2016. Many fans put the blame on the absence of David Ortiz, which put the pressure on Betts to carry the offense.

He was also flip-flopped in the batting order a few times by former manager John Farrell, which could have affected his thought process throughout the season. It’s more difficult to hit if you aren’t sure whether you’d be hitting leadoff, or batting cleanup.

Having a rough 2017 was obviously something that Mookie did not want to do, but the silver-lining is that it was a wake-up call. He needed to get better and make adjustments.

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THE ALEX CORA EFFECT

Earlier, I mentioned how Farrell had swapped Mookie around throughout the 2017 season. That’s something that Alex Cora is not all about. From the time he was hired as the Sox manager, he has made Betts’ position in the batting order clear.

Betts knowing every day that he will be batting leadoff is a very overlooked thing. This allows him to go up to the plate with the same thought process each game and just try to do his part. Although he has the ability to hit home runs, it is important for him to get on base early and use his speed to score.

Alex Cora is known for his communication with younger players, as he was the bench coach for the Astros. The presence of Cora will pay dividends for Betts, as we have already seen from Xander Bogaerts this season.

FINE TUNING

None other than David Ortiz. Of course it was the “Large Father”, as Betts likes to call him, to point out mechanical issues he noticed with Betts in 2017.

Betts said in Spring Training they sat down, and Ortiz pointed out that his stride was off, causing his stance to be too open. It’s hard to say that was the sole reason for the tough time that Betts had last year.

The start that Mookie Betts is having in 2018 is no fluke. This kid is the real deal. He is a true five-tool player, and there is no ceiling for him. He’s just getting started, and I don’t think there’s anything the rest of the league can do about it.

The Pursuit of Renewing the Rivalry

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On a cold Wednesday night in April, the Red Sox faced off against the Yankees in what seemed to have the hallmarks of an epic clash. Both teams have a long history of mutual hate and a few years of idle feelings. However, things boiled over in Fenway Park, and thus the pursuit of a rekindled rivalry was not hard to find. Rob Manfred wants to push the evolution of baseball further? Not if these two teams have anything to say about it.

The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has been quite “cold war-ish” for the last few years. The last incident that I can remember off the top of my head that included these two teams in a heated way was when Ryan Dempster plunked Alex Rodriguez in 2013, after MLB announced their 2014 season long suspension for Rodriguez. Dempster had a reason, I suppose, to hit Alex. But the latter is the one who got the last laugh when he belted a home run later in that game and lead his team to a 9-6 win. After that, the two teams seemed to go their separate ways, but always keeping each other in the back of their minds.

Wednesday night in Fenway proved to be something in the works for a while now. And frankly, nobody is surprised. The Yankees seemed to be seeking revenge after losing the night before to a massive score of 14-1. What really started the fire, however, was a less than textbook slide by Tyler Austin, a 6’2″ first baseman from Georgia.

The Rivalry Renewed

There is speculation between many people as to the intentions of Austin, but it really does not matter his intention. The fact is that he slid into second base with his cleats up, not aiming for the base, and endangered Brock Holt, who was on the receiving end of the first part of a potential double play. Holt shared his displeasure and Austin, (for whatever reason) took exception. An Umpire got between them and all of a sudden everybody lost their minds. Bullpens clear, dugouts clear, people on Twitter are going nuts over something that two ball players were taking care of themselves.

Things Heat Up

On to the top of the seventh inning and Tyler Austin is up to bat. Guess what? Austin gets hit by a fastball square in the back by Joe Kelly for obvious reasons. This was a necessary move by someone on the Sox. Kelly decided that he would be the one to carry on the unwritten rules of the game. To make it short: if you do something wrong to a player on the opposing team, you will be hit by a pitch at your next at bat. That’s just how things go in baseball. The fact that Austin decided that Kelly was out of bounds by doing so is just asinine.

As an example dating back to about 39 years ago when Wayne Gross hit a home run off of reliever Ed Farmer. Gross took his time rounding the bases. Consequently, Farmer was furious and never had the chance for redemption. Four years later he got him back, when they were on the same team. During a batting practice session, Farmer beaned Gross with a fastball in the back with the first pitch.

“What was that for!” Gross screamed.

“That was for four years ago!” Farmer screamed back.

“OK,” Gross said. “We’re even!”

Gross took his lump and life continued. Austin was in the wrong twice on Wednesday night for sliding incorrectly (regardless of intention or not), and charging the mound after what everybody knew what was coming. Except for himself, apparently.

Alas, we have finally reached the point to where baseball can be baseball and boys can be boys again. The Red Sox and Yankees have bad blood towards each other, and the world seems to be normal again. But be forewarned fans of both teams: this is going to be a very long season. The hope for some baseball to break out in between these fights should be high. The sports world has been waiting for this rivalry to renew, and they are about to get their money’s worth.

Why the Red Sox Will Need Bullpen Help

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State of the Bullpen After Day One

What happened yesterday, March 29th, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg Florida was a blatant disgrace. All of Red Sox Nation had been waiting for Opening Day since the final out was recorded in last year’s playoffs. The day had finally come, with new manager Alex Cora at the helm. And the bullpen let us down.

The Red Sox jumped out to an early lead, and had a 4-0 advantage going into the bottom of the 8th inning. The combination of Joe Kelly and Carson Smith got hammered, allowing six runs in the frame. The Rays went on to win the game, 6-4. It was a gut-wrenching defeat, especially on Opening Day.

There were a lot of people on social media already throwing in the towel, which is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. There are still 161 games in the season, and one loss isn’t indicative of how the entire season will unfold.

One glaring issue that I do not see going away is the bullpen. I am not writing these guys off already, but it was the team’s biggest weakness going into the season, and showed itself yesterday. Here are two reasons why I think the bullpen will need some help by the trade deadline:

Injury History

This sounds so cliché, but it is a reality in this Red Sox bullpen. Dave Dombrowski said on WEEI today that Carson Smith could be back in a month (shoulder injury). Joe Kelly has had injury history in previous seasons, and Carson Smith also just got back last season from arm surgery.

Those names listed above are arguably the three best relievers the Red Sox have besides Kimbrel. When the backbone of your bullpen has a chance to collapse at any moment during the season, it is a problem. I am not trying to say that this will for sure happen, but if it does, we could be relying on Matt Barnes to set up for Kimbrel. Ouch.

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Lack of Versatility

This issue is even bigger than the injury history, which is the lack of versatility in the bullpen. What that means is that the Red Sox currently only have one lefty, who is a rookie named Bobby Poyner. Alex Cora said in the post-game interview that he did not want to use Poyner in such a big spot. Now THAT is a problem. We only have one lefty in the pen and our manager doesn’t even trust him to record one out against a lefty.

The Red Sox will not be able to make a playoff run with only one lefty in the bullpen, it will just not work. Especially if that lefty is a rookie. Not knocking on Bobby Poyner, I think he has a ton of potential here, but he is no Andrew Miller.

So What Do the Red Sox Do?

The Red Sox are in a sticky situation considering they do not want to go over the $237 million threshold. I think at the trade deadline Dave Dombrowski will try to use a young and controllable player to get a lefty for the pen. Look out for a potential Sam Travis or Blake Swihart trade.

Boston’s Biggest 2018 Lineup X Factor: JBJ

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We all know what Jackie Bradley Jr. is capable of doing in the outfield with his sick defensive prowess. However, on Opening Day at Tropicana Field he will without a doubt be the most streaky hitter in the lineup. The inconsistency for JBJ throughout his career has always been there, especially showing in 2017. How much would it mean to the 2018 Red Sox offense if he could put up consistent numbers? A lot. Here are a few aspects of how much of a consistent JBJ could bring to the club:

BOTTOM OF THE LINEUP

Whenever someone talks about a deep lineup, they are referring to the fact that everyone has the potential to consistently do damage. Based on what new manager Alex Cora has revealed about the lineup so far, JBJ will more than likely be hitting at the bottom of the lineup, 7-9. If JBJ could channel his power and be a consistent hitter at the bottom of the lineup, it would make this offense a much bigger threat 1-9. The bottom of the order could have a perfect combination of speed, consistency, and power, (assuming the bottom is JBJ-Vasquez-Nunez).

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TABLESETTER

Jackie also has the potential to be an amazing table setter for the top of the lineup. This was exactly the case in 2016, his best hitting year of his career. He hit for the highest average of his career (.267). He also scored the most runs of his career (94). I truly believe that this is no coincidence, it is common logic. The more times you get on base at the bottom of the lineup, the more opportunities the big boys have to drive you in.

SPEED-STEALING BASES

One attribute of JBJ that does not get talked about enough is his speed. Obviously he shows it off when he is tracking and chasing down fly balls in CF. However, we do not talk about his potential on the basepaths either. The most stolen bases that he has had in his career is nine, which is pathetic for someone with as much speed as him. If Alex Cora and Jackie are both willing to be aggressive on the base paths in 2018, it would make him even more of an asset to the offense.

CHEMISTRY

Obviously this cannot be measure in a stat, but Jackie Bradley is one, if not the most likeable player on the team. When he is doing well and making plays, it seems as though it lifts up the rest of the team, which can be very important in the dog days of summer. I think that if Jackie can be playing well throughout the whole season, it will pay dividends for the atmosphere in the clubhouse and the dugout.

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When it is all said and done, I think Jackie Bradley Jr is the biggest x factor when it comes to the 2018 Red Sox. I can’t wait to see some more ski jumping after a win!

The David Price-Boston Story

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David Price is definitely an interesting character when talking about his career. He has been dominant for so long, but his relationship with the media and the postseason have always been sour.

A lot of people question whether or not he should be considered a top-tier pitcher because of these problems. He has always put naysayers to rest they had the most to say in Detroit, Toronto, and Tampa. However, Boston is just a different animal between the media and the passion of the fans.

A New Start in Boston

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After the 2015 season, new Red Sox GM Dave Dombrowski, who was familiar with Price in Detroit, signed the prized lefty to a massive 7 year, $217 million contract. This was the biggest contract for a pitcher in MLB History. Red Sox fans could not wait to see Price in their uniform after he single-handedly dominated them out of the bullpen in the 2008 ALCS.

2016 was a very good and underrated year for Price in Boston. From Opening Day, Price was consistent and at times dominated for the Red Sox. He finished with a 17-9 record, with a 3.99 ERA. Not great numbers for a pitcher of his caliber. However, he ate up a lot of innings and was arguably the most important pitcher of the staff.

Price was not so good in the playoffs. He got knocked around all around the park against the Cleveland Indians in Game 2 of the 2016 ALDS, and his postseason problems continued to haunt him.

2017 Woes

If people thought it couldn’t get any worse for Price after the end of 2016, they were very, very wrong. Before spring training it was announced that Price had issues in the elbow tendon of this throwing arm. There were so many rumors going around on whether or not he would pitch in 2017, or even 2018 for that matter.

After meeting with Dr. James Andrews, it was determined that Price would not need the dreaded Tommy John surgery. This was a huge bullet Price and the Red Sox were dodging, but nobody really knew what he could contribute to the club in 2017.

David Price made his return to the Red Sox pitching staff, just not as a member of the starting rotation. He made his debut out of the pen against the White Sox on May 29th. He had a solid return, getting in 5 IP with 3 ER. Better than the no inning and no runs that were expected when the elbow news broke surface.

Price eventually made his return to the rotation, and actually had a few very solid games. One notable game was against the Yankees, where JBJ made one of the best catches in Fenway Park history, robbing Aaron Judge of a homerun. He went 8 IP, only giving up one run to split a crucial doubleheader. I remember watching this game on vacation and thinking to myself “He’s back.”

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2017 Postseason Campaign

The 2017 playoff push was one of the most stressful times that I’ve experienced as a Red Sox fan. I remember waking up every morning checking my phone to see if the Yankees had won their game or not and constantly checking the standings. Even when the Red Sox were ahead by three or four games, it felt like we were back five.

On Saturday, September 30th, the Red Sox were on their way to a second straight division title. Late in the game, seventh inning, things starting to get a little shaky.

David Price comes trotting into the game, the Fenway faithful behind him. Before you know it, he’s facing George Springer with two outs, and K’s him up on one of the nastiest pitches I’ve seen in a long time: unhittable fastball from Price. Consequently Fenway roared as Price let out a monstrous yell.

I remember watching the moment with my friends and thinking, “Holy shit, this David Price bullpen thing is for real.” David Price was slowly starting to win me back, and starting to win back the fans.

The ALDS

Game 2 against the 2017 ALDS against the Astros was one to forget, just like Game 1. Ugly. But that is not the point. The highlight of the game was Price coming in out of the pen, and just absolutely mowing down the Houston hitters. Price threw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball against a Houston lineup that murdered Drew Pomeranz and Chris Sale in that series. Price was once again excellent, and it was becoming apparent that the old David Price was coming back.

Game 3 of the ALDS was in my opinion Price’s defining moment of his Red Sox tenure. October 8th, 2017 at Fenway Park was one of the craziest days of my life, thanks in big part to DP24. In a do or die game, I was lucky enough to be sitting in the front row out on the bleachers, where tensions were running high. There was a feeling in the atmosphere that something big was going to happen, and that someone was going to step up to save 2017 Red Sox baseball.

The Astros jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, and the ballpark was silent. Everyone was pissed. But Boston battled back, and was able to take a 4-3 lead into the fourth inning when Price came in.

Pure dominance to say the least. Price threw four scoreless innings and allowed the Boston bats to explode. Price was so amped on the mound it felt like Houston had absolutely no chance to score any runs.

Even though Houston ended up winning the series, the ALDS was a big time coming out party for Price. He once again showed why he is one of the game’s big time pitchers.

What Does 2018 Have in Store?

2018 is the most crucial year for David Price in a Red Sox uniform. Now healthy, he needs to prove for a full season that he is a Cy Young caliber pitcher and he is worth the contract that he is under.

I cannot wait to see the next chapter that DP writes in his Red Sox story.

The Worst Right Fielders in Red Sox History

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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 he has accomplished versus what was paid to get him. Castillo was a star in Cuba who became highly sought after once eligible for Major League teams. The Red Sox shelled out a 72.5 million dollar contract spanning seven seasons to sign him, the largest contract ever given to an international free agent. After defecting from Cuba, Castillo was out of baseball for over a year so some rust was to be expected.

Castillo impressed initially, batting .333 with a couple of homers over 36 at-bats for the Red Sox towards the end of the 2014 season. After such a long layoff, this gave many high hopes for his future. Castillo also stole three bases without being caught that September. Unfortunately, the production didn’t last, and the high hopes fizzled out with it.

After being ranked as the 21st best prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2015 season, Castillo batted just .253 with a meager .288 on-base percentage for the Red Sox. His five home runs showed less power than what was expected and he finished with a .359 slugging percentage, lower than Pablo Sandoval’s that season. He was also caught stealing more times than he successfully stole on the bases. As for the field, Castillo finished 4th worst in the American League with his five errors. Of his five errors, four of them came in right field in only 39 starts. His play looked amazingly unrefined.

Castillo was outrighted off the 40 man roster in 2016 and hasn’t been back on it since. Four years into his seven year contract the Red Sox have gotten seven home runs, seven stolen bases and five errors out of their 72.5 million dollar man. Castillo’s contract will only count against the luxury tax if he is added to the 40-man roster, so while there is still a little hope for salvaging some value, he would have to make a big impression to be given another chance. He made strides last season, batting .314 with 15 homers across 87 games in Pawtucket. Will he get another chance to prove himself?

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Mark Whiten

Nicknamed “Hard Hittin’ Whiten”, it is not hard to figure out what Whiten did well. He had his breakout year with the Cardinals in 1993, hitting 25 home runs while driving in 99 runs. That year he also tied Major League records by hitting 4 home runs and driving in 12 runners in one game! The next year, shortened by a strike, Whiten posted a career high .849 OPS. He also had a cannon for an arm out in right field, throwing out 47 base runners over the previous four seasons.

The Red Sox acquired Whiten from the Cardinals in advance of the 1995 season. With how he’d hit the ball in recent seasons, he would fit nicely into a revamped lineup. Well, that was the thought anyways. Whiten lasted with the team until July 24th when they finally shipped him off to Philadelphia. In that time, “Hard Hittin’ Whiten” had managed to hit one home run and three doubles. His batting average was below the Mendoza Line at .185. His rate stats fell off a cliff, posting a .239/.241/.480 triple slash. Instead of Whiten filling the need in right field, Troy O’leary, picked off the scrap heap from Milwaukee answered the call.

As for Whiten, his bat rebounded pretty quickly after leaving Boston, posting an .846 OPS the rest of the way with the Phillies. In 1996, he was mostly good again, hitting 22 home runs with an .848 OPS. So, he was good his two years prior to joining the Red Sox, and just as good, if not better after leaving Boston. In between, he couldn’t hit his own weight. The only thing he did keep in Boston was his strong arm, throwing out four base runners from right field in 31 games.

Wily Mo Pena

Pena was not designed to be a right fielder in Fenway Park. He had little range, and little glove, and the spacious confines of right field did not suit him. Pena was a big man, standing at 6’3″ 260, and had hit 26 home runs in only 336 at-bats in 2004 with the Reds. The biggest problem, the Red Sox traded fan favorite and durable workhorse Bronson Arroyo to acquire him. Arroyo had won 24 games the previous two seasons and had pitched 200 innings in 2005 for the Red Sox. The team would miss his arm, as the rotation experienced injuries and ineffectiveness all season.

Pena had a good first season at the plate, batting .301 with 11 home runs and an .838 OPS in 276 at-bats. He showed the same underlying concerns he had in Cincinnati though, walking just 20 times as opposed to 90 strike outs. He also posted a -0.9 dWAR that season, a number he would duplicate with the Red Sox in 2007.

Wily Mo’s bat fell apart in 2007 as pitchers adjusted to his free swinging ways. A breaking ball in the dirt is all it took to get the big man swinging away. Pena batted .218 that second season with the Red Sox, hitting five home runs across 156 at-bats. The Red Sox cut their losses, sending Pena with cash to the Nationals for a player to be named later (Chris Carter). The power was always real, but his game had too many holes.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Jeremy Hermida, Joe Lahoud, Wes Chamberlain, Shano Collins, Jay Payton

Featured picture from masslive.com

http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/03/rusney_castillo_boston_red_sox_6.html

The Worst Center Fielders in Red Sox History

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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 stealer earlier in his career, but those days were starting to pass him by. At the age of 37, Cameron’s speed was waning and with it his range in center field. Couple these factors with Cameron’s swing and miss bat and the Red Sox decision to give Cameron two years at 7.75 million dollar per year at the age of 37 was a curious one.

That first season in Boston, Cameron’s bat was relatively similar to what he had been before, but his defense dropped off a cliff. He made two errors in just 43 games and missed some balls diving to make a play he may have been able to make in prior years. He also got injured, hurting his groin and missing most of the season. By 2011, Cameron had nothing left. He batted just .149 over 94 at-bats, posting a .212/.266/.477 slash line. The Red Sox sold him to the Marlins in July. During his time in Boston, Cameron batted .212 with 7 home runs and a .637 OPS. As for his defense, the former Gold Glove center fielder posted a -0.9 dWAR while in Boston.

Mike Cameron dives for a ball hit in the first inning on July 8 against Cleveland. (http://elyriact.smugmug.com/895212773_M3tfT-M.jpg)

Jose Tartabull

Tartabull has a spot in Red Sox history, throwing out Ken Berry at the plate to win a crucial game down the stretch in 1967 over the White Sox. However, Tartabull wasn’t really a good player, so thank him for what he did in that 1967 game and not much else. That season he batted .223, drove in just 10 runs and was caught stealing as many times as he successfully stole. Also, despite the famous assist from right field in 1967, Tartabull had one of the weakest outfield arms in the game. His defense was a negative, totaling a -1.4 dWAR during his time with the Red Sox.

At the plate, Tartabull didn’t offer much. Over parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Tartabull failed to homer. He also walked just 35 times, leading to a .295 on-base percentage. Combined with his barely existent power, Tartabull posted a .594 OPS as a member of the Red Sox. At least Tartabull had his moment in the sun.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jose Tartabull slides into home plate around Detroit Tigers catcher Bill Freehan during a game at Fenway Park in Boston May 12, 1967. Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski looks on. (Photo by Dan Goshtigian/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Herm Winningham

Winningham is the only player in baseball history with “winning” in his name. Despite this, he didn’t help a lot, posting a negative wins above replacement for his career. With the Red Sox, he was less helpful than usual, posting a -0.8 over 105 games. Winningham was often brought in during the late innings, but wasn’t particularly good in the field or on the base paths. Along with his so-so defense, Winningham was caught stealing five times in 11 tries.

At the plate, Winningham batted .235 with a home run over 234 at-bats. He walked just 10 times as opposed to 53 strike outs, leading to a .266/.291/.557 triple slash line. Essentially, Winningham didn’t add any value in the field or on the base paths, and he most definitely brought negative value at the plate.

A 1993 Topps card of Herm Winningham with the Red Sox.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Steve Lyons, Willie Harris, Tom Oliver, Mel Almada, Gary Geiger

Featured picture courtesy of overthemonster.com

https://www.overthemonster.com/2011/7/5/2260329/red-sox-trade-mike-cameron-florida-marlins

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