Tag Archives: Jimmie Foxx

How Red Sox MVP’s Have Fared the Following Season

Leave a reply

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.

Featured picture from Masslive.com

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 1-5

Leave a reply

One of my projects for the MLB offseason this year will be a series of articles covering the greatest Red Sox to wear each uniform number. My plan is to cover five uniform numbers at a time starting here with one through five. Right off the bat, we dig into a couple retired numbers. Before I begin, I would like to mention that Brandon Phillips became the first player in franchise history to wear the number zero this September. He didn’t play much, but he did pimp out this game-winning home run against the Braves.

Number 1 – Bobby Doerr

The greatest second baseman in franchise history, Bobby Doerr made the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 and has his number one retired by the Red Sox. Doerr played on some great teams in the forties with pals Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio. He had a smooth glove at second base and was one of the finest offensive players at the keystone position the game had seen.

Doerr batted .318 in 1939, his third season in the big leagues. By the next season, he had surpassed 20 home runs and 100 runs batted in for the first time. He would make four straight All-Star Games from 1941-44 before joining the fight overseas in World War II and missing the 1945 season. After returning, Doerr made three straight All-Star Games and five times in six seasons to close out his career. He drove in more than 100 runs in four of the five seasons following World War II, finishing with 95 the season he fell short.

Unfortunately, Doerr was forced into early retirement due to a bad back. He had actually become more consistent at the plate later in his career, posting an OPS between .886 and .891 each year between 1948 and 1950. He still finished with a very solid .826 OPS in his final season. From his first full season in 1938 through his last in 1951, Bobby Doerr averaged a season of .289 with 17 home runs and 95 RBI.

Honorable Mentions: George Kell, Bernie Carbo, Billy Conigliaro, Joe Foy

BOBBY DOERR from the Boston Red Sox. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images)

Number 2 – Jacoby Ellsbury

Ellsbury’s career has spiraled, but that’s a good thing since he’s eating up the Yankees payroll to do nothing. With the Red Sox, he was a good player when healthy and helped the Red Sox win two World Series. Ellsbury came up that year and was so successful down the stretch that he was put on the postseason roster. He then batted .438 in the World Series. Ellsbury was solid again in the 2013 postseason, winning a second World Series with the Red Sox.

Ellsbury spent parts of seven seasons with the Red Sox, but only had four relatively full seasons. He led the league in stolen bases in three of his four healthy seasons. He batted .300 twice and stole 50 bases three times. In 2011, Ellsbury had a career season, finishing second in the MVP vote, winning a Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger. While the rest of the team collapsed down the stretch, Ellsbury was white hot and would have won the MVP if the team hadn’t fallen apart and missed the playoffs.

Honorable Mentions: Rick Ferrell, Xander Bogaerts, Jerry Remy, Mike Andrews

Number 3 – Jimmie Foxx

Foxx is one of the most powerful right-handed bats of all-time. The greatest first baseman in Red Sox history, Foxx won one of his three MVP Awards with the Red Sox and finished second in another season. He homered 35 or more times in each of his first five seasons with the team, averaging 40 home runs and 134 runs batted in per season. There is a reason Foxx was referred to as “The Beast.”

In 1938, his third season in Boston, Foxx won the MVP Award. That season he hit 50 home runs and drove in a league high 175 runs. His slash line that season was .349/.462/.704/1.166, leading the league in each category. The next season he batted .360 and led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and home runs. Cumulatively, Foxx batted .320 with the Red Sox and is second in franchise history in on-base percentage and slugging percentage behind only Ted Williams.

Honorable Mentions: Pete Runnels, Jody Reed, Jeff Frye, Walt Dropo

Number 4 – Joe Cronin

Another retired number, as the Sox retired the number four in honor of Cronin. Cronin spent seven seasons as a full-time player before he started focusing more on managing the club and being limited to mostly pinch-hitting. Despite this role, Cronin batted over .300 with an OPS over .900 each of his first two seasons doing so.

Cronin made five all-star teams with the Red Sox and had two top ten MVP finishes. From 1937-41 he batted over .300 four times, posting a .307/.404/.504/.909 line during that time period. He averaged 19 home runs and 103 runs batted in during that time. He was the Red Sox manager from 1935-47. After, Cronin went on to become general manager, president and treasurer of the team before moving on to the role of American League president.

As a close second, Jackie Jensen deserves a few words. Jensen hit 20+ home runs in each of his first six seasons with the Red Sox, averaging a season of .285 with 26 home runs and 111 RBI. He was the 1958 MVP and won a Gold Glove the following season.

Honorable Mentions: Jackie Jensen, Butch Hobson, Tommy Harper, Carney Lansford

Number 5 – Nomar Garciaparra

During his time in Boston, Nomar was one of the most popular players the franchise had ever seen. Around Fenway Park, around the city, you could hear people yell “Nomaaahhh!” Arguably the greatest shortstop in franchise history, the uniform number five is synonymous with Nomar for an entire generation of fans.

Nomar came up with much fanfare and won the Rookie of the Year in 1997. He hit 30 home runs and led the league in hits that season. In year two, Nomar finished runner-up for the MVP Award. The following two seasons he was batting champion, hitting .357 and .372. Nomar was getting better and better, before an Al Reyes pitch hit him on the wrist, requiring surgery the following season. Nomar was still an excellent player when he came back, but wasn’t quite the same. His averages fell to .310 and .301 his next two full seasons. However, he did hit 52 home runs and drove in 225 runs over those two seasons. He also led the league with an astounding 56 doubles in 2002.

Things didn’t end on the best terms in Boston for Nomar, but he should be remembered for what he did with the team and for how much the fans loved him. He batted .323 with a .923 OPS during his time in Boston. Nomar hit 50 doubles twice and eclipsed 40 two other seasons. In his six full seasons with the Sox, Nomar hit over 20 home runs in all six. He is truly a Red Sox legend.

Honorable Mentions: George Scott, Vern Stephens, Jim Tabor

 

Featured picture from NBC News

 

J.D. Martinez Joins Exclusive Company

Leave a reply

On Friday night, J.D. Martinez singled through the hole between short and third to drive in two runs. In doing so, J.D. Martinez surpassed the 100 RBI mark on the season. With a month and a half still to play, J.D. Martinez already has 37 home runs and 104 runs batted in on the season. In surpassing both the 30 home run plateau and 100 RBI mark in his first season as a Red Sox, Martinez has accomplished what only nine before him had ever done.

Jimmie Foxx

Jimmie Foxx was already the most powerful right-handed bat the baseball world had ever seen by the time he arrived in Boston. Foxx had led the league in home runs in three of his final four seasons in Philadelphia. Sold by the Athletics to the Red Sox during the Great Depression, Foxx was one of several stars brought in my new club owner Tom Yawkey.

1936 was Foxx’ first season in Boston and he clubbed 41 home runs and drove in 143 runners. This was the first time somebody eclipsed 30/100 in his first season with the team. Foxx would accomplish the feat during each of his first five seasons with Boston, averaging 40 home runs and 134 RBI during that stretch. Foxx also won the MVP Award in 1938.

Ted Williams

Williams was a 20-year-old rookie when he joined the Red Sox in 1939 and reached the marks. Told in spring, ”Wait until you see this guy Jimmie Foxx hit,” Williams famously replied “Wait until Foxx sees me hit”. Williams became the first rookie in franchise history to surpass 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in. He hit 31 home runs that year and drove in a league best 145 runners. Williams also hit 44 doubles and 11 triples in that rookie season.

Ted Williams is greeted by Jimmie Foxx as he crosses home plate.

Walt Dropo

Dropo was the third Red Sox to accomplish those numbers in his first season with the team, and  second rookie. Dropo wasn’t supposed to be a star, he was already 27 years old when the Sox called him up early in 1950. The 27-year-old rookie went on to hit 34 home runs, drive in a league best 144 runs and lead the league with 326 total bases. Dropo easily won Rookie of the Year and made his one and only All-Star Game.

After a bad season in 1951, Dropo bounced back to hit 29 home runs in 1952. However, after that season he never again reached 20 homers. He spent the second half of his career as a part-time player.

Dick Stuart

Dr. Strangeglove, as he was called, had a big bat and no glove. Another nickname of his was “stonefingers”. His porous defense didn’t help his career, as he played only parts of 10 seasons. Stuart could hit though. He came to the Red Sox in 1963, having made an All-Star Game in Pittsburgh in 1961 after batting .301 with 35 home runs and 117 runs batted in.

In his first season in Boston, Stuart crushed 42 home runs and drove in 118 runs, which led the American League. The 42 home runs were the most hit by any Red Sox player since Ted Williams hit 43 in 1949. Stuart hit 33 home runs and drove in 114 runs the next year before being shipped out of Boston after just two seasons.

Tony Armas

In 1983, Tony Armas became the first Red Sox since Dick Stuart two decades prior to accomplish a 30/100 season in his first year with the team. Armas didn’t actually play well, but still managed to hit 36 home runs and drive in 107 runs. He batted just .218 and posted a .707 OPS despite all the home runs.

Armas was much better in year two for the Sox, batting .268, which was higher than his on-base percentage was the year before. Armas also led the league in home runs and runs batted in with 43 and 123.

Nick Esasky

Just five years after Armas achieved these marks, Nick Esasky did in his lone season with the team. The Red Sox acquired Nick Esasky along with left-handed pitcher Rob Murphy from the Reds in December of 1988. In 1989, Esasky hit 30 home runs and drove in 108 runs for the Red Sox. The Red Sox let Esasky walk in the offseason, leaving him with one (very good) season in a Red Sox uniform. Esasky barely played again, suffering from severe vertigo after signing with the Atlanta Braves.

Nick Esasky of the Red Sox bats during a game against the Rangers on May 1, 1989 at Fenway Park. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Carl Everett

The Red Sox acquired Carl Everett from the Houston Astros for Adam Everett and Greg Miller. Adam Everett was an all glove shortstop and Greg Miller never made the Majors. Meanwhile, Carl Everett beasted in Boston during the 2000 season. He made the all-star team, batted .300 and hit 34 home runs with 108 RBI. He also got a 10 game suspension that year for head butting an umpire and said dinosaurs weren’t real, but his play in 2000 was no joke.

Manny Ramirez

When the Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez, he was handed largest contract in baseball history at the time. He didn’t disappoint either. That first season with the Sox, Manny blasted 41 home runs and drove in 125 runs. Nomar missed most of the season with a wrist injury and Carl Everett slumped badly from the previous season though. Without the lineup protection, Manny’s numbers fell as the year wore on, batting .258 from May 27th on after batting .400 to that point. His first season was still impressive nonetheless.

Manny would make eight All-Star Games, have four top six MVP finishes, win a batting title and a home run crown while in Boston. He also added World Series MVP to his résumé in 2004. In his first six seasons with the club, Manny averaged 39 home runs and 119 RBI per season while posting a .316/.416/.610/1.026 line.

Manny Ramirez follows through during the Red Sox 7-6 victory over the Angels at Fenway Park.

David Ortiz

After being released by the Twins in the offseason despite hitting 20 home runs the previous season, the Red Sox signed David Ortiz for just 1.25 million. It then took Grady Little forever to realize Ortiz was a lot better than Jeremy Giambi. Once finally given a spot in the lineup, David Ortiz raked. From July 1st on, David Ortiz hit 27 home runs and posted a 1.022 OPS. Ortiz homered twice in back-to-back games at Yankee Stadium on July 4th and 5th, games the Red Sox won 10-3 and 10-2.

Everyone knows what happened from there. Ortiz is arguably the most clutch player to ever put on a baseball uniform and arguably the greatest designated hitter. The city of Boston will be descending down upon the small town of Cooperstown, New York in a few years.

J.D. Martinez

These are the names Martinez has joined with his first season performance in Boston. With over 40 games left in the season, Martinez is leading the league with 37 home runs and 104 RBI while batting .332/.400/.666/1.066 as of this writing. He has a legitimate shot at the triple crown.

Honorable Mentions

There are a few guys who came very close to achieving a 30/100 season their first year in Boston. Others accomplished the feat in their first full season in Boston, but had spent a partial season with the team prior.

Vern Stephens hit 29 home runs and drove in 137 runs in 1948, his first year with the Red Sox. He then hit 39 and 30 home runs the next two seasons while leading the league in RBI both years.

Ken “Hawk” Harrelson was acquired in late 1967 to replace the injured Tony Conigliaro. His 80 at-bats that year preclude him from this list. However, 1968 was his only full season with the Red Sox. The year he hit 35 home runs while driving in a league best 109 runs.

Don Baylor was part of the Red Sox team that went to the World Series in 1986. He hit 31 home runs that year but fell six RBI shy of the 100 mark.

Nomar Garciaparra was a September call-up in 1996. In his rookie season of 1997, he fell two RBI shy of becoming the first Red Sox rookie since Walt Dropo in 1950 to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100 runs.

Jason Bay falls in the same boat as Hawk Harrelson. Bay was acquired at the trade deadline in 2008 and posted an .897 OPS over the season’s final two months. 2009 was his only full season with the team, and he hit 36 home runs and drove in 119 runs.

 

Featured picture from overthemonster.com

The History Of The Boston Red Sox: Jersey Number 1-3

Leave a reply

In a new series by Boston Sports Extra, we decided to take a look back at the historic players to dawn our jersey numbers. Let’s witness history!

Number 1

Bobby Doerr: Until recently, Bobby was the oldest living member of the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. He played second base for the Red Sox from 1937-1951. He once lead the American league with consecutive chances without an error (414) in 1948. Throughout his career, he hit a .288 average with 233 career home runs, 2,042 hits, and 1,247 career runs batted in. He currently has his number retired at Fenway Park.

Number 2

Jerry Remy: The “rem-dog” played for his hometown Red Sox from 1978-1984. As a member of the Red Sox he hit a .285 average with 802 hits, two home runs, and 211 runs batted in. While his career stats weren’t as eye popping as they could be, he has been a color commentator for the Boston Red Sox since 1988. He has been in the homes of millions with NESN, and receives so much support with his off and on battle with cancer. Glad to have you back, Jerry!

Xander Bogaerts: The current shortstop since the 2013 playoffs, Xander has had an up and down career. The 25 year old is entering his fifth season. He sports a career .284 average with 53 homers, 292 runs batted in, and 698 hits to go along with 41 career stolen bases. While he is still on the disabled list for the time being, he has shown signs of his best offensive season yet. He should rejoin the team during their west coast trip. They play Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani on Tuesday.

Number 3

Jimmie Foxx: He dawned the uniform number 3 from 1936-1942. He put together twelve 30 home run seasons, and 13 consecutive 100 RBI seasons. As a member of the Red Sox he hit .320 for average, with 222 home runs, 788 runs batted in and 1051 hits. He was one of the most dominant hitters of his generation.

Jody Reed: The second baseman played second base and shortstop for the Red Sox from 1987-1993. In that time, he hit .280 for average, 17 home runs, and 227 RBI.

While some of the players on the list will be Hall of Famers, some will be barely relevant guys. All players matter. Their stats may be incumbent, but they did make an impact during their respected seasons. Join us next time, as we look at numbers 4-6 on our list!

Red Sox Greatest First Basemen Ever

Leave a reply

Continuing on with my series of articles, I make my way to the five greatest first basemen in the history of the franchise. After delving into the statistics, I found that picking the top five was not very difficult. The only arguments to be made, would be the order of the five, and the honorable mentions.

Jimmie Foxx

Foxx was a beast, hence his nickname, “Beast.” One of the most powerful right-handed bats of all-time, Foxx hit his 500th career home run by the age of 32. A decline in eyesight, drinking problems and a broken rib, aided in a quick decline from there. All that matters for this article, however, is his time spent with the Red Sox. Foxx batted .320, with 222 home runs and a 1.034 OPS, during his time with Boston. His 50 home runs in 1938, remained a single-season franchise record, until Big Papi broke it in 2006.

Jimmie Foxx spent six full seasons with the team, making the all-star team all six years. He led the league in batting average, home runs and RBI once each while leading in OPS twice. He won the MVP in 1938, when he hit .349, with 50 homers and 175 RBI. The next season he batted .360, and led the league with 35 home runs, finishing 2nd in the MVP vote.

Year Tm AB H HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ Awards
1936 BOS 585 198 41 143 .338 .440 .631 1.071 155 AS,MVP-11
1937 BOS 569 162 36 127 .285 .392 .538 .929 127 AS
1938 BOS 565 197 50 175 .349 .462 .704 1.166 182 AS,MVP-1
1939 BOS 467 168 35 105 .360 .464 .694 1.158 188 AS,MVP-2
1940 BOS 515 153 36 119 .297 .412 .581 .993 150 AS,MVP-6
1941 BOS 487 146 19 105 .300 .412 .505 .917 139 AS
AB H HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ Awards
BOS BOS 3288 1051 222 788 .320 .429 .605 1.034 156

Mo Vaughn

Big Mo, “The Hit Dog,” isn’t too far behind Foxx when talking about what they did for the Red Sox. Mo was the team leader in the 90’s, both at the plate, and in the clubhouse. A big power prospect, Mo Vaughn struggled for a couple years, before breaking out in 1993. He would go on to win the MVP Award in 1995, and place in the top five in two other MVP votes. His swing and hitting style were tailor-made for Fenway Park and the Green Monster. He never should have left.

Mo batted .304 during his time in Boston, while bashing 230 home runs. He had a stellar slash line of .394/.542/.936. From 1993 to 1998, when he left as a free agent, Mo Vaughn had an average season of .315, with 36 home runs, 110 RBI and a .974 OPS. He batted .300 with 39 home runs during his MVP season of 1995, but was arguably better during each of the next three seasons. 1996 was likely his best, batting .326 with 44 home runs and driving in 143 runners. His impressive hitting, combined with his presence, made Big Mo a fan favorite.

Kevin Youkilis

“The Greek God of Walks” comes in at third for me, in a tight race amongst the next three. Youkilis originally came up as a third baseman, but was shifted to first base by 2006, his first full season. He spent the next five seasons as their primary first baseman, before the team acquired Adrian Gonzalez for 2011. Coincidentally, Youkilis’ move back to third for 2011 coincided with his offensive decline.

From 2006-2010, as the Red Sox first baseman, Kevin Youkilis batted .297, while averaging 21 home runs per season. Youkilis also had a .396 on base percentage, and .507 slugging percentage during this time. Youkilis battled teammate Dustin Pedroia for the 2008 MVP Award, finishing third in the vote. He followed that up with a sixth place finish in 2009.

Youkilis was also a very good fielding first baseman. He set a Major League record for most consecutive errorless games, while manning the position. He didn’t make a single error in 2007, and won the Gold Glove Award. His career fielding percentage at first base was .997.

Kevin Youkilis celebrates as he rounds third base after teammate J.D. Drew hit a grand slam off pitcher Fausto Carmona of the Cleveland Indians in Game Six of the ALCS. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

George Scott

“Boomer” had some power, while flashing some Gold Glove leather at first base. Spending parts of nine seasons with the Red Sox, Scott batted .257, while hitting 154 homers. His offense was a little hit or miss, hitting over .290 twice, but under .250 three times. He even batted .171, with 3 home runs, in 1968. After spending five seasons with Milwaukee, Scott returned to the Red Sox, and hit 33 home runs in 1977. Boomer made two All-Star Games, and won three Gold Gloves with the Red Sox.

George Scott of the Boston Red Sox connects for a two run homer in the bottom of the night inning of All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, July 20, 1977. (AP Photo)

Carl Yastrzemski

Yaz is the little wrinkle thrown in at first base. Better known for his time in left, Yaz would be tops on this list if it were just for what they did in their Red Sox career. However, this is an article just on first base. As a first baseman, Carl Yastrzemski was definitely a top five first baseman in franchise history, but most of his stats came in left field. Yaz could still arguably be up a spot or two higher, but he slots in fifth on my list.

Yastrzemski was the Red Sox main first baseman in 1970, and again from 1973-76. He played 50 or more games at first base in seven different seasons. During his time playing first, Yastrzemski batted .277, and hit 101 of his 452 career home runs. His 752 base hits actually do place fifth all-time at the position, after the players I have above him. He had a nice .373 on base percentage, which helped him to an .813 OPS while playing first base.

Honorable Mentions:

Brian Daubach, Kevin Millar, Mike Stanley, Dick Stuart

Best Right-Handed Pitchers

Best Left-Handed Pitchers

Best Relief Pitchers

Best Catchers