The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers were bitter rivals in the ‘70s. The rivalry, at times, was just as intense as the rivalry between Boston and Montreal. On the night of December 23, 1979, closing in on the end of the decade, the Rangers hosted the Bruins at Madison Square Garden. They were having a good game, leading the Bruins 3-1 in the third. The Bruins came back, however, scoring three unanswered goals from Terry O’Reilly, Bobby Lalonde, and Stan Jonathan. They won the game 4-3. The comeback and how fast it happened caused a lot of anger. As a result, the fans became especially vocal and threw things onto the ice.
A Physical Game
The teams were physical throughout the night with a few fights and big hits. At the final buzzer Bruins left winger Al Secord tripped Rangers center Ulf Nilsson with his stick and chaos ensued. Nilsson had been badgered all night and this was the tipping point. John Davidson, the Rangers goalie, took issue with Secord and skated across the ice and hit him into the boards, starting a brawl.
Terry O’Reilly climbs into the stands at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 23, 1979.
The Fans Join In
In addition to the fighting, a fan in the New York stands reached over the glass and hit Bruins left winger Stan “Bulldog” Jonathan in the face with a rolled up program, drawing blood. Tempers were flaring and, because of that, more fans reached over the glass and began punching the Bruins. Jonathan raised his stick instinctively and someone in the crowd took it from him. After that, right winger Terry “Taz” O’Reilly climbed over the glass, into the stands, and started fighting the fans. The fans jumped on O’Reilly and one even took off their belt and swung it as a weapon. Eighteen members of the Bruins climbed into the stands to help, and a brawl with the fans was on.
The “Shoe Incident”
Defenseman Mike Milbury was already off the ice and in the locker room, celebrating the win. He noticed the locker room was close to empty. When goalie Gerry Cheevers entered, Milbury asked where everyone was. Cheevers told him about the skirmish, so Milbury went to check it out. He got back to the ice just in time to see O’Reilly go into the stands and get swarmed by fans throwing punches. Milbury skated over and joined the fight to back up his teammate.
John Kaptain, a businessman from New Jersey, ended up shoved into a seat. Mike Milbury took off Kaptain’s shoe and hit him with it, thereby creating the infamous “shoe incident”. Milbury later said, “I wanted to protect (O’Reilly); the team. It was the thing to do… The worst thing I did was throw the shoe on the ice, which I thought was the perfect medicine. And he got a slap on the thigh with his cheap penny loafer.”
Front Page of the New York Daily News, Dec. 24th, 1979.
Aftermath
As a result of the fiasco, the fallout came swiftly. John Kaptain was arrested for disorderly conduct. Terry O’Reilly was suspended eight games and Mike Milbury and Peter McNab were each suspended six for their roles in the brawl. All eighteen players that went into the stands were fined $500. The decision to install higher glass panels at every NHL arena was made almost immediately, therefore similar events were prevented in the future. The Big Bad Bruins lived up to their name countless times throughout the ‘70s. Fighting the New York Rangers and their fans was arguably the quintessential moment of it.
Red Sox superstar Mookie Betts is coming off an MVP Award for the 2018 season. There have been 11 seasons before Betts’ MVP season in which a Boston Red Sox won the award. Only one of those seasons saw a guy win his second MVP Award.
1912
Tris Speaker won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1912. The award then was not the modern MVP award. From 1911-1914 it was named the Chalmers Award, for the automobile company. However, just like now, baseball writers were the ones who determined the winner. The modern award was started in 1931.
As for Tris Speaker, he batted .383 and led the league in doubles, home runs and on-base percentage in 1912. It was easily his finest season with the Red Sox. However, he did not suffer that big of a drop-off in 1913. Speaker still batted .363 with a .974 OPS. He stole 46 bases and tripled 22 times.
1938
Jimmie Foxx was the recipient of the Red Sox first “modern” MVP Award. Foxx had won two MVP Awards while playing with the Philadelphia Athletics. 1938 was his third season in Boston after being traded.
In 1938, Foxx led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, runs batted in and walks. His 175 RBI that season is still a franchise record. His 50 home runs remained a franchise record for nearly seven decades, and his 398 total bases was a franchise record for 40 years.
In 1939 he was almost as good, just in less playing time. He upped his batting average to .360 and still led the league in on-base and slugging percentage. His 35 home runs led the league despite him only garnering 467 at-bats. Foxx finished second in the MVP vote that season.
1946
By the time Ted Williams won his first MVP Award in his first year back from war, he had already been robbed of two MVP’s. His lack of MVP’s, all things considered, has largely been attributed to him not getting along with the media members who voted for the awards.
In 1941, he batted .406, yet finished second to Joe DiMaggio for the award. DiMaggio batted .408 during his famous 56 game hit streak, just .002 better than Williams did for the entire season.
In 1942, Williams won the Triple Crown and led the league in just about every conceivable batting statistic. Somehow, he lost out to another Yankee on the Award. Joe Gordon won the award despite trailing in every statistic. His OPS was 237 points lower and he hit half as many home runs. Hmmm.
Williams finally got his due after returning from war. He led the league in on-base and slugging percentage and batted .342 with 38 home runs. As an encore, he led the league in even more categories, again winning the Triple Crown. Yet again, Williams somehow managed to finish second in the MVP vote while winning the Triple Crown. Joe DiMaggio was handed the award despite only hitting .315 with 20 home runs and 97 RBI.
Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox receives his 1946 American League MVP Award from Joe Cashman of the BBWAA. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images)
1949
After a third-place finish in 1948, Williams won his second MVP Award in 49. He led the league in on-base and slugging percentage, home runs, doubles and runs batted in.
In 1950 he was having another great season before breaking his elbow at the All-Star Game after crashing into the outfield wall. Williams only played 89 games that year yet managed to hit 28 home runs and drive home 97 runs. He would have been his typical MVP deserving self had he not broken his elbow.
1958
A Red Sox not named Ted Williams managed to win the MVP before Williams’ playing days were over. Jackie Jensen won the Award in 1958, his fifth season with the Red Sox. Jensen hit 35 home runs and led the league with 122 RBI.
As a follow-up, Jensen again led the league in RBI in 1959 while hitting 28 home runs. He surpassed 100 runs batted in for the fifth time in six seasons with the team, finishing at 97 in the other season. Jensen also had his second 20-20 season with the Red Sox in 1959, stealing 20 bags while being caught just five times.
1967
We all know of Carl Yastrzemski’s 1967 season. He won the Triple Crown and led the Red Sox to the American League pennant that season. It was a career year for Yaz, but how did he finish the following season?
Well, his statistics dropped off quite a lot, but so did a lot of the league in the offensively-challenged 1968 season. In fact, Yaz won the batting title that season with a .301 average. He also led the league in on-base percentage and OPS. The biggest drop-off was his power, falling from 44 home runs in 1967 to 23 in 1968. With it, his RBI and slugging percentage tumbled.
1975
In 1975, Fred Lynn became the first rookie to win the MVP Award. To this day, he is joined only by Ichiro Suzuki, who at 27 was hardly a real rookie. Lynn led the league in doubles, on-base percentage and OPS that rookie season.
In 1976, although Lynn played well, his offense took a noticeable dip. Lynn batted an excellent .314, but with 10 home runs his total was less than half of his rookie season. Lynn also hit 15 less doubles and walked less. So, it was a solid season, but a far cry from his MVP campaign.
Lynn actually was the best player in the league in 1979, arguably his best season. Don Baylor won MVP after leading the league in RBI and making the playoffs. However, the Red Sox actually won three more games than the Angels, yet missed the playoffs. Lynn led the league in batting, on-base percentage and slugging that season while hitting 39 home runs. Somehow, he finished fourth in the voting.
1978
In the midst of a monster three-year stretch, Jim Rice put up his best season in 1978. He won the MVP Award that season and broke Jimmie Foxx’ 40-year-old franchise record for total bases in a season. Rice led the league in hits, home runs, RBI, triples, total bases, slugging and OPS.
Hi follow-up season wasn’t much worse. Rice hit a career high .325 in 1979 and launched 39 home runs. He again led the league in total bases and eclipsed 200 hits for the third season in a row.
Over the three year stretch he batted .320 with a .972 OPS. His average season had 207 base hits, 41 home runs, 12 triples and 128 RBI.
1986
Roger Clemens won the MVP in addition to the Cy Young Award in 1986. He is still the only pitcher in Red Sox history to do so, thanks to Pedro Martinez being robbed of the MVP in 1999. Clemens had a breakout season, leading the league in wins, ERA and WHIP. He struck out a record 20 batters in April of that season, a feat he would match ten years later.
Clemens did not disappoint in 1987. He again led the league in wins and won the Cy Young Award. He was 20-9 that year with a 2.97 ERA and 256 strike outs. His strike outs placed him second to Mark Langston and he finished third in ERA.
1995
Mo Vaughn wasn’t really the best player in the American League in 1995, but he had an excellent season and it led to the MVP Award. The Red Sox won the division title in large part to Mo’s bat. Mo batted .300 that year with 39 home runs and a league leading 126 runs batted in.
Mo was even better in his quest to win back-to-back MVP’s in 1996. Unfortunately, the team didn’t quite measure up. Vaughn had a career high 207 base hits, 44 home runs and 143 runs batted in that season. His batting line was an exquisite .326/.420/.583/1.003. This led to a fifth-place finish in the MVP voting despite the Red Sox third-place finish in the American League East.
2008
Following up his Rookie of the Year Award in 2007, Dustin Pedroia added every other award to his cabinet in 2008, taking home the MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. He led the league with 213 base hits and 54 doubles while playing great defense. His .326 average was tops on the team and he was a near perfect 20-21 on stolen bases.
In 2009 he fell off some, but he pretty much had to. Pedroia still batted .296 with 48 doubles. He stole 20 bases for the second straight season and played his usual stellar defense. His play led to a second straight all-star berth.
2018
Mookie Betts had a phenomenal 2018 season, leading the league in hitting (.346) and slugging (.640). He had a 30-30 season and bashed 48 doubles to boot. On top of it all, he won a Gold Glove for his continued excellence in right field.
So how will Mookie Betts follow up his MVP season? As you can see, most former Red Sox MVP’s only suffered small drop-offs the following season. All of them were still very good the following year. Betts was so good last year he almost has to drop off a little, but not much of one should be expected, and nothing in this history changes that viewpoint.
The Red Sox completed their ultimate goal last night, dispatching the Dodgers in five games. It was a fitting end to a season that saw them set a franchise record for wins. So where do these Red Sox rank among some of the greatest teams in Major League history?
Total Wins
The Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season, setting a franchise record. The 1912 Red Sox, who also won the World Series, won 105 games in a 154 game season. The Red Sox 108 wins places them in a tie for ninth most all-time. Due to the shorter seasons pre-1961, they rank a bit further down in terms of winning percentage. The case can be made though that this team had a tougher road.
There was no free agency in those days, so teams did not need to fear losing their players. Also, there was no postseason. If a team had the best record in their league, they made the World Series. There was no going through teams like the Yankees and the Astros again in the
Graphic from the Baseball Nexus
postseason after beating them out in the regular season.
Since free agency began, only the 2001 Mariners and the 1998 Yankees won more games than the Red Sox did this year. The same holds true for total amount of wins, when combining regular season and postseason wins. The 1998 Yankees won 125 and the Seattle Mariners won 120, and the Mariners did not even make the World Series that season, let alone win it. No other team in baseball history, pre-free agency or post-free agency, won more than 119 games; So this Red Sox team is in some rarefied air.
Postseason Road
It is safe to say that no team in history has faced the tall task the Red Sox just went through in the postseason. After winning 108 regular season games, the Red Sox reward was facing a 100 win Yankees team. The 100 wins from the Yankees was more than any National League team won. The Red Sox steamrolled through their rivals in four games however.
Next up was the 103 win and defending champion Houston Astros. Despite the Red Sox having the top record, many thought the Astros would be too strong for them. They were, after all, the defending champions and had improved their pitching staff this season. The Astros 103 wins were two more than they accomplished last season and placed behind only this seasons Red Sox and last season’s Dodgers for the most wins of the decade.
After dropping the first game, the Red Sox had no more issues with the Astros, taking four straight to dispatch of the defending world champions. The final three of those wins came in Houston and included beating future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander in the deciding game.
In the World Series, they faced the Dodgers, who were playing for the championship for the second consecutive season. The Red Sox didn’t have much trouble with them either, winning in just five games. It took the Dodgers 18 innings to win one game from the Red Sox. In that 18 inning affair, the Red Sox top four spots in the batting order combined to go 0-28, and it still took 18 innings and an egregious miscue in the field from second baseman Ian Kinsler for the Dodgers to win a game.
Ian Kinsler looks in disbelief after his error led to the Dodgers tying the game.
Star Power
As all great teams do, the Red Sox weren’t short of star power. Mookie Betts looks like he will probably win the MVP Award, after going 30-30 while leading the league in hitting. His closest contender for the award might be teammate J.D. Martinez, who hit .330 with 43 home runs and 130 runs batted in. On the mound, Chris Sale was the favorite for Cy Young until a couple disabled list stints in the second half.
And yet, despite the star power, the Red Sox did not win because of that. This truly was a team effort, showing just how great of a team it is. Mookie Betts batted just .217 with a .699 OPS in the World Series and hit only one home run the entire postseason. J.D. Martinez was a more human .278 hitter with an .881 OPS in the World Series. Chris Sale did not win a game in the series.
Instead, everyone pitched in, with journeyman Steve Pearce taking home the World Series MVP honors. The much-maligned David Price got his redemption. After struggling in his first couple postseason outings, running his playoff record to 0-9, Price bested Justin Verlanded in the deciding game of the ALCS, then won games two and five in the World Series. Nathan Eovaldi was practically not human, pitching six innings of relief in game three while routinely pushing triple digits with his fastball. He then volunteered to pitch again later that same day.
Boston Red Sox’s Steve Pearce celebrates after his home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning in Game 4 of the World Series. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Conclusion
So where do these Red Sox rank amongst the greatest teams ever assembled? It is hard to pinpoint an exact place, especially factoring in the different styles of play and the way the game has changed over the years. However, it is clear this team is near the top. The 1927 and 1998 Yankees usually get talked about, as do the 1929 Athletics. The Big Red Machine of the 1970’s is up there as well, but this team can win with them all, and winning is truly all that matters.
Welcome back to the Celtics season tipoff countdown!
Each day, we’ll give a review of news surrounding the Celtics. We’ll also look back in history to see what happened on today’s date in team history (August 22nd). To round out the day’s post, we’ll give you stats and fun facts related to the number of days remaining before the first game (55 today). Let’s get to it!
Recent Team News
The Celtics officially signed guard P.J. Dozier to a two-way contract. Dozier, a guard from the University of South Carolina, spent last season with the Thunder on a two-way deal. He played in 43 games in the G-League, averaging 13 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest. He appeared in two games for the Thunder, totaling just three minutes of action. Per the terms of a two-way contract, Dozier can spend no longer than 45 days with the Celtics. This means he will be spending a lot of time with the team’s G-League affiliate Maine Red Claws.
Via NBC Sports
On This Date
August 22, 2017: Fireworks. The Celtics make the biggest deal of the summer. The team trades Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first rounder to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving. A 2020 second round pick later completed the transaction. The blockbuster swap saw fan favorite IT shipped out of Boston on a bum hip just months after the death of his sister. The return was Kyrie, who took over the team and was an MVP candidate before going down with an injury. Many pundits saw this trade as a victory for the Cavs initially. It’s safe to say that the Celtics won this one.
August 22, 2008: Boston signed forward Darius Miles to a deal. He would never play for the team due to an injury.
August 22, 2005: The team signed point guard Tyus Edney. He appeared in 52 games that season for the Celtics, averaging 5.3 points per contest.
August 22, 1969: The Rockets traded Hank Finkel to Boston for cash considerations. The center played six seasons in Beantown, averaging 4.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Stats (2017-18)
Aron Baynes averaged 5.5 shots per game, netting the big man 6.0 points per contest.
Fun Facts
The Celtics won 55 games this season to finish second in the Eastern Conference.
Greg Monroe wore number 55 last season for the Celtics, becoming the 11th player in franchise history to don that number.
Via Hardwood Houdini
That concludes today’s Countdown to Celtics Tipoff. Make sure to check back here tomorrow as the clock continues to tick towards the 2018-19 season!
Who were the best Celtics point guards of all time?
With such a long and storied past, it’s difficult to sift through all of the players on the roster at some point. However, a few point guards stand out from the crowd. These floor generals dominated in their time and contributed greatly to the franchise’s success. Without further ado, let’s look at the top five point guards in team history.
5. Nate “Tiny” Archibald
Tiny Archibald was never the biggest player on the court. In fact, he was almost always the smallest. But what he lacked in size, he made up for in his play. Acquired in 1978 through a trade, Archibald made an impact with the team as soon as he arrived. In his five seasons with the team, he averaged 12.5 points and 7.1 assists per game. He made the All-NBA second team in 1981, and was an All-Star in 1980-82. He’s third all-time in Celtics history for assists per game. There’s no questioning Tiny’s skill, as a Hall of Famer, and the league selected him as one of the 50 greatest NBA players ever back in 1996.
4. Dennis Johnson
DJ. One of the best defensive point guards of all time, the Celtics traded for Johnson in 1983. In his career in Boston, DJ played 541 games, starting in all but 19 of them. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.4 assists in Green. Among all Celtics, Johnson ranks sixth in assists per game, and eighth in both total assists and total steals. He was a lockdown defender, making four All-Defensive teams with Boston. Johnson is perhaps best remembered for his lockdown defense against Magic Johnson in the 1984 Finals, which was crucial to their championship victory. He also won a ring in 1986. The Celtics retired his number 3, and he’s made it in the Hall of Fame. Johnson is a staple in Celtics history.
3. Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo was a wizard with the ball in his hands. Rondo spent nine years in Boston after the Celtics acquired him in a draft night trade. In his time, he averaged 11 points, 8.5 assists and nearly two steals per game. His ballhandling and court vision was unmatched in his prime. He also helped the 2008 team win the franchise’s 17th ring.
Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images
Rondo’s name litters the Celtics record books. He’s third all-time in steals, fourth in assists, and first in assists per game. He led the NBA in assists per game in back-to-back years (2012-13), and led the NBA in steals and steals per game in 2010. Rondo made four All-Defensive teams for 2009-12, and was an All-NBA third-teamer in 2012. To top it off, he was a four-time All-Star from 2010-13. Rondo is a stud. Watch this video for proof.
2. JoJo White
Number 10 played ten awe-inspiring seasons with Boston. The Hall of Famer was with the team from 1969-1978 and helped the team to two championships in his time. A gifted scorer, White averaged 18.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds. He was a model of reliability, playing 488 straight games for the team, a record.
Via NBA
White has countless records and accolades. He made seven straight All-Star teams. He had consistently high assists, with spectacular defense as well. As far as Celtics records go, it’s an endless list. He’s ninth in minutes played. Ninth in field goals. Seventh in assists. Tenth in points. Ninth in points per game. Sixth in minutes per game…you get the point. He doesn’t top every category, but he’s near the top in almost everything. Jojo’s number 10 hangs from the TD Garden rafters. He’s the best point guard to ever don a Celtics jersey, except for…
1. Bob Cousy
Was there ever any doubt? Mr. Basketball himself has to top this list as one of the most iconic players to ever don a green jersey. He revolutionized ball-handling and passing in the NBA. In his 13 seasons in Beantown from 1950-1963, “Cooz” averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 assists per game. He helped the team to six championship titles.
Via NBA
Cousy was an All-Star in every season he played with the Celtics. He led the league eight straight years in assists, and won the 1957 MVP award. He also made 12 straight All-NBA teams. In terms of Celtics history, he’s sixth all time in points and first all-time in assists. He’s sixth in games played, and sixth in minutes played. Cousy’s seventh in field goals and third in free throws. The list goes on and on. He’s a Hall of Famer, and the team retired his number 14. One could argue that basketball is the way it is today in part due to Cousy’s play. There’s no question that Cousy is the greatest Celtics point guard of all time.
Got any you disagree with? Tell me on twitter: @jackbuffett_
Tuesday, July 23, 2002, the Devil Rays and Red Sox were set to play two at Fenway Park. The day happened to be fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra’s 29th birthday. Nomar and Manny Ramirez were both coming off two home run games in a loss the previous day. The Red Sox still stood at 57-39 on the season, 27 games ahead of the Devil Rays.
Red Sox Slip Out of the Gate
Tim Wakefield was on the mound for the Red Sox, making his first start in three weeks. Wakefield had mostly pitched out of the pen so far on the season to good success, coming in at 3-3 with a 2.99 ERA. He was opposed on the mound by Worcester, Massachusetts native Tanyon Sturtze. Sturtze was an unenviable 1-9 on the year despite an okay 4.39 ERA. Wakefield started out the game right, striking out Randy Winn swinging. However, he hit the second batter of the game, quickly demonstrating the fickle nature of his knuckleball. The next batter was Steve Cox, who was putting together a solid season. Cox took a 1-0 pitch out to right field for his 12th home run of the season, and just like that the Sox were behind 2-0.
Wakefield encountered some more troubles in the second; a single and a walk were followed by a passed ball and the Devil Rays had men on the corners with no one out. A fly ball brought home the runner from third and Tampa Bay’s lead grew to 3-0. Two batters later Randy Winn doubled home another run and it just didn’t seem to be Wakefield’s day. He got the next batter to lineout but trailed 4-0 after two.
Red Sox Offense Explodes
The Red Sox trailed 4-0 entering the home half of the third inning, but were sending the top of the order to the plate. With the count full, Johnny Damon homered off Sturtze to right to put the Sox on the board. Lou Merloni followed with a single to put a man aboard. Sturtze fell behind Nomar Garciaparra 3-0. Nomar may have surprised him when he jumped on a 3-0 pitch and homered to left. Two pitches later Manny Ramirez homered to the opposite field and the game was tied. The Red Sox had homered three times in four at-bats to kick off the third inning and it was 4-4.
A walk and an error put two more men aboard with one out for Trot Nixon. Nixon doubled to left to score one and the Red Sox suddenly had the lead. Wakefield’s catcher Doug Mirabelli followed with a double of his own to plate two more runs. The Red Sox had batted around and were still threatening. Johnny Damon, batting for the second time in the inning, lined a base hit to right-center to score Mirabelli and chase Sturtze from the ballgame.
Long man Brandon Backe replaced Sturtze, but he wouldn’t have any more success. After getting a pop out, he faced Nomar with a man aboard. Nomar jumped on the first pitch, as he so often did, and homered to left for his second two-run homer of the inning. The birthday boy had put the Sox ahead 10-4 in the third.
Nomar Hits a Birthday Slam
Wakefield settled in after the 10 run uprising, enjoying a 1-2-3 fourth inning with two strike outs. But the Sox weren’t so content with their six run lead. After back to back popups, the flood gates reopened. Trot Nixon followed a Jose Offerman single with a run scoring double. Doug Mirabelli then drove in Trot for the second straight inning with a base hit. A Johnny Damon double was followed by a walk to Lou Merloni. The bases were loaded and up strode the birthday boy. Nomar, with two home runs the previous inning, was up with the bases loaded, they had to pitch to him. On a 2-2 count Nomar deposited yet another baseball over the Green Monster for his third home run in two innings, a Major League record. The Red Sox now led 16-4 following the grand slam.
Sox Cruise to Victory
Tim Wakefield pitched three shutout following the rough start to go the necessary five for the win. Willie Banks replaced him and cruised through the Tampa Bay lineup. Banks allowed just two baserunners and needed only 39 pitches to finish off the game. He earned the save with his four shutout innings of relief, lowering his ERA to 2.84.
The Sox offense wasn’t quite done. The Red Sox scored two in the sixth, one on a double from Manny Ramirez. In the seventh, Trot Nixon homered off Travis Phelps to make it a 19-4 game. Close to 20, the Red Sox still had work to do. In the eighth, Johnny Damon singled followed by a walk to Lou Merloni to bring up Nomar with two men on. With a chance at a four home run game, Garciaparra flew out. However, Manny Ramirez wanted in on some more action. Manny homered to left for his second of the game, giving the Red Sox a 22-4 lead. When Banks cruised through the ninth, that was the final score.
Wrapping It Up
The Red Sox had several members with huge performances, but Nomar took center stage. With three home runs and eight runs batted in, Nomar had possibly the finest birthday performance ever. He also tied a record by hitting five home runs over a two game span. This, coupled with Manny Ramirez’ four home runs over the same two games made the teammates the first pair of teammates to combine for nine home runs over two games. Nomar had also hit three home runs and driven in 10 runs on May 10, 1999, making him the fourth Red Sox ever to have multiple three homer games. He joined Ted Williams, Jim Rice and Mo Vaughn in accomplishing this. Nomar and Mo were the only two to have done them both at Fenway Park.
On top of Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez’ big nights, Johnny Damon and Trot Nixon both collected four hits and homered. Damon scored four runs while Trot drove in three runs and scored three. The Red Sox had 19 hits and seven walks on their way to the 22-4 victory. Watch video of Nomar’s monster performance here.
On July 8, 1994, the Seattle Mariners came to Fenway Park. Along with them came 18-year-old Alex Rodriguez for his Major League debut. The Mariners had talent but were 12 games under .500. The Red Sox had gotten off to a 20-7 start, but after a miserable June that saw them lose 11 straight at one point their record had fallen to 40-43.
A Slow Start
baseballreference.com
The game had a late start time, getting underway a little past 8:00 pm on a Friday night. The Mariners lineup featured possibly the best player in the game in Ken Griffey Jr. Former batting champion Edgar Martinez was batting cleanup while the 18-year-old phenom batted 9th. In the leadoff spot was little known Brian Turang, the father of 2018 first round pick of the Brewers Brice Turang. The Sox were absent their biggest bat, as Mo Vaughn took a seat. Left-hander Chris Nabholz was taking the mound for just the second time as a member of the Red Sox.
Nabholz allowed three baserunners in the first but no runs came in to score. The Sox got off to a slow start against lefty Dave Fleming. The Mariners hurler had been good the previous two seasons but was off to a miserable start in 1994. The Mariners scored first when Ken Griffey tripled to center in the third. In the fifth, Bill Haselman reached first on an error and would come around to score on a base hit from Felix Fermin to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile, Fleming was cruising, throwing five shutout innings to start the game.
The Triple Play
With the Sox already trailing 2-0, the Mariners put on the first two men in the sixth inning. Things were looking a little dicey for Chris Nabholz as Marc Newfield stepped in. Newfield hit a sinking liner towards short that John Valentin snared just above ground level. Mike Blowers had been running and was already by third base when Valentin caught the ball, so Valentin ran over to second and tagged it for out number two. Keith Mitchell, who had been running from first, seemed to be caught off guard with what was happening as he made no effort to retreat back to his bag. Valentin tagged him on his way by to complete the unassisted triple play.
Not even the announcers were sure of what was happening. In perhaps one of the most confusing and odd plays you will ever witness, only taking a listen for yourself can do it justice.
John Valentin immediately after completing the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history. (YouTube)
Triple Play Awakens the Bats
After completing the unassisted triple play, Valentin was due to lead off in the bottom half of the sixth inning. After battling Fleming to a full count, Valentin homered over the Monster in left on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to put the Sox on the scoreboard. Andre Dawson then worked the count full as well before doubling to left, chasing Dave Fleming from the game. Bill Risley came aboard to face Tom Brunansky. After falling behind in the count 1-2, Brunansky homered to left to give the Red Sox their first lead of the game. This was Brunansky’s sixth homer in 19 games since rejoining the Red Sox via trade. After the next two men were retired, catcher Rich Rowland took a 3-1 pitch out of the yard for the team’s third home run of the inning. The Red Sox now led 4-2.
A Wild Ninth Inning
Chris Nabholz kept the Mariners off the board until the ninth. He had allowed just one run in the third and an unearned run in the fifth before Mike Blowers greeted him in the ninth with a home run to close the gap to one run. In came closer Ken Ryan to try and finish things off, and boy did he get some help.
First up against Ryan was Keith Mitchell, the cousin of former MVP winner Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell hit a bullet to the left side where Scott Cooper made a nice diving stop; the throw was in the dirt and scooped by Tim Naehring for the out. Naehring usually played elsewhere in the infield, but he was able to scoop the low throw, a nice play on both ends of the inning’s first out.
Next came Marc Newfield, who had lined into the triple play in the sixth. Newfield flew one towards the triangle in center; Lee Tinsley running to his left made a great diving grab just in front of the warning track. Tinsley appeared injured, lying on the ground following the play, but he ultimately got up and stayed in the game for the final out.
Reggie Jefferson, who would join the Red Sox the following season, pinch-hit for fellow future Red Sox Bill Haselman. It was a good decision as Jefferson crushed a Ken Ryan offering to deep right-center. The ball was between the two fielders as Lee Tinsley and Wes Chamberlain converged in front of the wall. Both player’s leapt for the ball and Chamberlain got the better position. Leaping as high as he could, Chamberlain snared the ball above the wall to rob Jefferson of a game-tying home run. The game was over; the Red Sox held on to a 4-3 win.
Summing Up
The Red Sox made four nice defensive plays to get three outs in the ninth on consecutive plays. It is not often you will see an inning with such a defensive show, let alone have it be for the final three outs, all capped off by a game-ending catch to rob a potential game-tying home run. It was a fantastic ending to a historic game that featured the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history as well as the debut of Alex Rodriguez at the age of 18. If you have a few minutes, watch the ninth inning below, it is worth it.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots have a few quotes they live by: “The Patriot Way,” “Do Your job” and, of course, “No Days Off”. I attended the Super Bowl LI rally in Boston and when the team gathered outside Government Center, Belichick, the team, and the fans had “NO DAYS OFF” echoing throughout downtown. I always found this funny given we had all taken the day off to be there.
This week Belichick awarded the players with a rare “two days off”,canceling the final two days of voluntary OTAs. Bill also decided to give the team a history lesson on Tuesday in place of workouts, complete with a blast from the past, old-school football environment. Oh yes, we mean even leather helmets and black-and white-tape.
Going Old School
Many players could tell right away the day was different from most. One player told Mike Reiss, “It was a lot of fun. We walked in and you could tell something different was going on than the normal practice day.”
Belichick is always in his element when history is involved. He loves football history and while he is often a man of few words, he will go on for days when it comes to matters of the subject. “The thing I’ve learned about Coach Belichick is that he loves history, he loves military, and any time he can incorporate teaching us about that, he loves it”, another player added.
In addition to the leather helmets and black-and-white videos, the players received lunches inspired by what football players used to eat. The bagged lunch reportedly contained hot dogs and hamburgers rather than the foods players eat now. The team was fresh off a field trip to Fenway Park, which they had taken the day before, making it a week to remember.
The History of Belichick
Belichick developed a love for the history of the football at a very young age. The game has been a facet of his life for many years. It is no surprise he takes his childhood experiences and love of this history and applies it to the way he conducts his team. Belichick’s father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy, and Bill was able to learn a lot from him. Bill has often mentioned that his father was an important mentor to him in his football career and would study the game with him often.
Between heading to Fenway on Monday, and the history lesson on Tuesday, the team certainly had an interesting last week of OTAs. The team practices next at training camp later this summer.
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
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
