Tag Archives: Jon Lester

The Greatest Red Sox Legends by Uniform Number: 61-68

Leave a reply

As the numbers extend higher, the pickings continue to thin. Fewer and fewer players have worn the numbers as they climb into the sixties and beyond. The numbers have also generally been worn for shorter amounts of time, assigned to rookies just making the Majors. If the rookie succeeds, they usually change their number the following season. If they don’t make it, well, they aren’t wearing the number long. Therefore, I am going to do more than just five players at a time and close out this series of articles with just two more articles. Unfortunately, no Red Sox player has ever worn the number 69, so here are the greatest to wear the numbers 61-68.

Number 61 – Bronson Arroyo

Bronson Arroyo is one of the few players who stuck with his high number, wearing 61 for his entire career. The Red Sox grabbed Arroyo off waivers before the 2003 season, and what a find it was.

Arroyo pitched in Pawtucket for almost the entire first season and threw a perfect game down there, just the fourth in International League history. He pitched 17.1 innings for the Red Sox out of the bullpen, allowing just four earned runs. This earned him a spot on the postseason roster, where he performed well.

Arroyo earned himself a rotation spot in 2004, making 29 starts. He finished the year 10-9 with a solid 4.03 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He made a good start in the ALDS, allowing two runs on three hits over six innings. In the ALCS, he was involved in the famous Alex Rodriguez “slap” play at first base.

In 2005, Arroyo made 32 starts and pitched over 200 innings, starting a streak of nine straight seasons with 199 innings or more thrown. He went 14-10 with a 4.51 ERA in the regular season.

The Red Sox mistakenly traded Arroyo in the offseason for Wily Mo Pena, but he left his mark on Boston.

Honorable Mentions: Brian Johnson, Felix Doubront, Clay Buchholz (2007-09)

Alex Rodriguez illegally slaps the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove as he went to tag him out running to first base in game 6 of the ALCS.

Number 62 – Jon Lester

This is the second number Lester has been chosen for, as he was the winner for his typical number 31. Jon Lester wore the number 62 during his rookie season of 2006. Once he was an established Major Leaguer following the season, he changed to the lower number.

A highly touted prospect, Lester was rated as the 22nd best prospect in all of baseball entering 2006. The former second round pick was coming off an excellent season in AA Portland. He began the year in Pawtucket and posted a 2.70 ERA over 11 starts before being called up to Boston.

Lester would go 7-2 for the big club that season, although with a mediocre ERA. However, he pitched very well for the first half of his time with the Red Sox before possibly hitting a wall. Young pitchers don’t generally throw many innings, so the amount of innings and the impact of the innings being pitched may have caught up to him. Through his first eight starts he was 6-2 with a 2.38 ERA. In that eighth start he allowed just one hit over eight shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals.

Although he faded later in the year, Lester was still 7-2 and helped add another reliable starter for over a month.

Honorable Mention: Rich Hill (2015)

Number 63 – Junichi Tazawa

Tazawa was given an honorable mention at the number 36 for his work from 2013-2016. However, before that he was wearing the number 63 from 2009-2012. He is here for his work in 2012 alone.

Junichi Tazawa at one time was a pretty decent prospect for the Red Sox as a starting pitcher. He made his debut in 2009 and got the loss against the Yankees in his first game. He did not fare much better after that either, making four starts and two relief appearances total.

In 2010, he blew out his arm in April and missed the whole season. When he came back in 2011 it was as a reliever. He only made three appearances for the Red Sox that season. With the slim pickings at the number, Tazawa earns the top spot on the strength of 2012 alone.

Tazawa pitched 37 games in 2012, allowing just seven runs over 44 innings. He struck out 45 batters while posting a 1.43 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He was arguably the best reliever on that mess of a team.

Honorable Mentions: Justin Masterson, Robby Scott

Number 64 – Will Middlebrooks

Will Middlebrooks arrived in 2012 as the Red Sox best hitting prospect. He was ranked number 51 by Baseball America at the start of the year and only improved his standing as the year wore on. After raking at Pawtucket for a month, Middlebrooks was called up and made his Major League debut on May 2nd.

Middlebrooks hit all season for the Red Sox, bashing 15 home runs over 267 at-bats. He batted .288 and posted a slugging percentage of .509 at the big league level that rookie season. This would be the only season he wore the number 64, and it was easily the best season of his career. However, he did win a World Series ring with the club the following season.

Number 65 – Steven Wright

Wright might be the unlikeliest winner of two different numbers, having gotten the nod at number 35. There was little competition at that number, and there is zero competition at this one. The only other player I noticed who contributed anything pitched 3.1 shutout innings in 1998.

Steven Wright wore the number 65 for the 2014 season. That year he threw 21 innings, mostly in relief, and had his first Major League success. Even with the knuckleball, Wright struck out 22 batters against just four walks. He posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.19 WHIP that season for the Red Sox. He has worn the number 35 ever since.

Honorable Mention: Carlos Valdez

Sep 7, 2014 Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Steven Wright (65) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Number 66 – Bobby Poyner

As you can see, there isn’t a lot to choose from at some of these numbers. Not to take away from Poyner, he did a good job for the Red Sox this past season, but he has only thrown 22.1 innings. Only five players have ever donned the uniform 66 for the Red Sox.

A left-handed reliever, Poyner had a fantastic spring and surprisingly pitched his way onto the ballclub. He pitched effectively over 20 appearances, going 1-0 with a 3.22 ERA. His WHIP was an excellent 1.12 and he struck out 24 batters against only three walks. The low walks are an excellent total for a lefty reliever, as they generally walk a fair amount of guys.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Nava (2012 only), Drake Britton

Number 67 – Brandon Workman

Workman is one of four Red Sox to ever wear the number, and the only one to play in more than 11 games. He has had his positives for the club though, this past postseason aside.

Workman first appeared with the big club in 2013. He struck out 47 batters over 41.2 innings that season, making three starts and 17 relief appearances. He had a 6-3 record despite a 4.97 ERA. Workman did make three straight good starts to close out July. A few rough outings skewed his overall solid body of work. Workman then pitched 8.2 innings without an earned run over seven postseason appearances. His work out of the bullpen certainly helped the Red Sox as they won their third World Series in nine years.

The next season, Workman had a 3.27 ERA at the end of June before the wheels came off. He finished 1-10 with a 5.17 ERA. Workman wound up hurting his arm and it was a long road back to the Majors.

He found his way back in 2017 and had a 3.18 ERA over 33 relief appearances. This past season he wore the number 67 for a bit and the number 44, going 6-1 with a 3.27 ERA in the regular season. This gives him a 3.22 ERA over 81 innings since making it back to the big leagues.

Number 68 – Matt Barnes

Barnes wore the number 68 for his first four seasons before switching numbers for the 2018 season. Of course, 2018 is his best season to date, but he did enough prior to this season. He is the only player worth mentioning at the number.

Barnes debuted late in 2014, then struggled as a rookie in 2015. He had an up and down 2016, but showed some promise as he struck out over a batter per inning. He finished 4-3 with a 4.05 ERA.

In 2017 he took another step forward, leading into this past season. Barnes was 7-3 with a 3.88 ERA in 2017, posting a career best 1.22 WHIP. He struck out 10.7 batters per nine innings, surpassed only by this past seasons 14 strike outs per nine.

Jul 6, 2016 Matt Barnes (68) throws a pitch against the Rangers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

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

Leave a reply

The greatest Red Sox to wear the set of numbers between 31-35 are all recent players.  In fact, the one who played for the Red Sox the longest ago was a key member of the 2004 curse breaking team.  These five players won 10 World Series rings with the Red Sox.  There is a retired number, a captain and a current Sox player.

Number 31 – Jon Lester

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention: Ferguson Jenkins

Number 32 – Derek Lowe

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention: Craig Breslow

Number 33 – Jason Varitek

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions: Jose Canseco, Dave “Boo” Ferriss

Number 34 – David Ortiz

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions: Rich Garces, Scott Cooper

Number 35 – Steven Wright

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions: Billy Klaus, Burke Badenhop

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

 

The Boston Red Sox Aren’t Panicking

Leave a reply

The 2017 Boston Red Sox won 93 games last year, but it didn’t feel like that. The pitching was mostly dominant and the offense scored the sixth most runs in baseball, but there was something missing. The loss of David Ortiz drastically affected the offense, as the Sox finished dead last in home runs. In previous off-seasons, this would lead to management throwing an endless sum of money at any and all solutions they could find. However, this off-season, the Red Sox aren’t panicking, and it’s a welcome change of pace.

The Boston Red Sox Aren’t Panicking

Learning From History – Rusney Castillo

The Red Sox have had their fair share of free agency blunders, but let’s begin with what happened in the 2014-2015 offseason. The 2014 Red Sox were not a good team, and there were some glaring holes that needed to be fixed heading into 2015.

One year earlier, the Red Sox were outbid for Cuban first baseman Jose Abreau, who was tearing up the league with the Chicago White Sox. Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, they signed the next big thing out of Cuba, Rusney Castillo, to a seven-year, 72 million dollar contract. The Sox were the highest bidders by a wide margin, and Castillo made the move from Cuba to Boston.

Suffice to say this deal hasn’t worked out. Castillo never showed the ability to hit at the major league level and showed a frightening lack of situational awareness. Castillo is currently playing for the Pawtucket Red Sox and hasn’t seen the majors since early 2016. There’s no clear road back to the majors for him, as his contract is essentially keeping him in the minors. As long as he stays in the minors, his contract won’t affect the luxury tax. He’s shown improvement in AAA, but not enough to justify the luxury tax impact promoting him would cause.

2015’s Quest for an Ace

While international free agency didn’t work for the Sox that year, they also struggled assembling major league talent. Their first misstep came in their attempt to find an ace. After completely ruining the Jon Lester situation by lowballing him in contract offers, the Sox found themselves without an ace on the staff. Secondly, the Red Sox needed more power.

The Red Sox correctly identified both needs, but failed in finding the players to fill them. The Sox traded for Detroit Tigers pitcher Rick Porcello and tried to make him the ace of the team. He signed a four-year, 82.5 million dollar contract extension before the season started, more than the Red Sox initially offered Lester.

Porcello struggled his first year in Boston, but most of that falls on the Red Sox organization itself. Porcello had always been reliant on accuracy and pitching to weak contact. With the big contract signed, Porcello tried to become a true ace and transform into Corey Kluber. It backfired, and Porcello admitted he put too much pressure on himself to change his style.

2015’s Quest For Offense

Image result for sandoval fat

The Red Sox signed Sandoval to be a star. It….didn’t work out

Image credit: Total Pro Sports

The Red Sox also entered the 2014-2015 offseason needing more power. Ortiz was still great, but outside of him the team couldn’t buy a run. They needed to find power hitters in free agency. Once more, the Sox overpaid and missed big. Boston brought in two of the biggest sluggers on the market and drastically overpaid for both. Hanley Ramirez came over on a four-year, 88 million dollar deal and Pablo Sandoval joined the team on a five-year, 95 million dollar contract.

While Ramirez has had his high points for the Sox (mostly in 2016), both players were terrible in 2015 and neither are living up to their contracts. Sandoval in particular was horrendous, as the Red Sox had to eat the whole contract just to get the third baseman off the team.

In the case of all four contracts, the Red Sox overreacted to a flaw on the team. They tried to make Castillo into Abreau, Porcello into an ace he had never proven to be, and they paid Ramirez and Sandoval as if both were in their prime. While Ramirez and Porcello have helped the Sox recently, neither one is living up to their contract.

Quest for an Ace – Part Two

Image result for he's the ace

The Red Sox worked hard to make sure this shirt wouldn’t make another appearance

Image credit: Rob Bradford

Expectations rose for the 2016 Red Sox thanks to a young core that finally looked ready to break out. Everyone wanted to end Ortiz’s final season with a championship. There was still one glaring flaw in the roster: there wasn’t a true ace.

In a desperate attempt to make sure the “He’s the Ace” T-Shirt wouldn’t come back, the Sox signed free agent David Price to a seven-year, 217 million dollar contract. This was a hard break from the Sox typical strategy of not investing in pitchers over 30.

Some people make the Price signing out to be as bad as the Sandoval signing, and that’s unfair. Like Ramirez and Porcello, Price has made an overall positive impact on the team. He performed adequately in 2016 and played through a painful elbow injury in 2017. However, his production has not matched his contract, just like Ramirez and Porcello. The elbow injury isn’t likely to get better as he gets older, and soon the contract will be another burden the Red Sox have to plan around.

The 2017-2018 Offseason

Fast forward to the present, and the Red Sox appeared to have learned their lesson. They need a power bat, and J.D. Martinez fills the role. However, they’re not just blindly throwing money and hoping he will single-handedly win a World Series.

According to reports, the Red Sox currently have offered Martinez a five-year deal worth roughly 110-125 million. Martinez’ camp was expecting an offer closer to seven years and over 200 million. The 30-year old outfielder seems content to wait for a better offer, but the Sox are right to stay put.

Signing Martinez on a five-year deal for roughly 25 million a season would be a big boost to this team. He’s a great power bat and would be a perfect complement to a great pitching staff and an already solid offense. However, he’s not the type of player who deserves the seven-year, 200 million deal he’s looking for.

Martinez is below average defensively, and would spend most of his time as the designated hitter. Health is another concern, as he’s played more than 125 games just once in his career. Power numbers typically decrease with age, and the injury concern would only get worse as time goes on. There’s no doubt that by year six or seven of the proposed contract, Martinez would be nothing more than a 30 million a year burden.

Outbidding Themselves

Not only that, but the Red Sox know they have the best offer. In years past, the Red Sox would intentionally overpay free agents such as Price, Ramirez and Sandoval. This strategy ensured the Sox would get whoever they wanted, but it drastically hindered their ability to build a team.

Current reports state that the Arizona Diamondbacks have the next closest offer with a five-year, 100 million dollar offer. This means that the Red Sox are beating the Diamondbacks by roughly 10 to 25 million dollars over the life of the contract. Instead of bidding against themselves, the Red Sox are wisely staying put with their current offer. Even if they don’t get him, there’s other options on the table.

It’s been a very boring offseason for Boston and around the league. The players want more money than teams are willing to give, and the league is currently in the midst of a giant standstill. However, this is the right strategy for the Red Sox. They’ve made reactionary, impulsive moves before, and all have been disappointing in some form. This free agent strategy ensures that the Sox should still get their guy without burdening the team for years to come.

Best Starting Pitchers In Red Sox History: Left-Handed Edition

Leave a reply

This is the second article in my Red Sox all-time franchise players series. Following up the Right Handers, comes the greatest left-handed pitchers in Red Sox history. Again, this isn’t the five best lefties to ever put on a Red Sox uniform, these are the five who did the most while in a Sox jersey.

 

Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth threw 29 consecutive shutout innings in the World Series.

Everyone knows about Babe Ruth. People also generally know he was a good pitcher before he switched to a full time hitter. But just how good was he?

Babe Ruth was 20 during his first full season, and won 18 games. The next season, at age 21, he led the league with a 1.75 ERA. The following season, he won 24 games. Ruth won 67 games with a 2.07 ERA, by the time he was 22 years old. Don’t forget the World Series either. By age of 23, Babe Ruth had set a record that would stand for 43 years, when he pitched 29 consecutive scoreless innings during World Series play. In 3 games total, Ruth pitched 31 innings, going 3-0, with a 0.87 ERA. He is both one of the best pitchers and hitters in World Series history. He would have undoubtedly made the Hall of Fame as a pitcher as well.

Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove on the mound in Comiskey Park circa 1934.(Photo Reproduction by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)

Lefty Grove is one of the greatest pitchers of all-time. Personally, I have him as the third greatest left-hander to ever take the mound. Much of that came with the Philadelphia Athletics, but Grove was still an excellent pitcher for five seasons in Boston. He picked up his 300th career victory in a Red Sox uniform.

After struggling in his first season while pitching with a sore arm, Lefty Grove returned to stardom for the next five seasons. From 1935-39, he averaged 17 wins per season for the Sox, with a 2.83 ERA. In 4 of those 5 seasons, he led the American League in ERA! Grove also led the league in WHIP twice, and made the All-Star Game in each of those five seasons.

Jon Lester

Lester had a heck of a run in Boston, one most of us wish was still going. There was his return from Lymphoma in 2007, to pitch 5.2 shutout innings in the final game of that year’s World Series. The following season, he threw his no-hitter in May against the Royals at Fenway Park. His first 200 strikeout season in 2009, followed by his first of three All-Star appearances as a member of the Red Sox in 2010. Then his stellar postseason pitching again in 2013, as he won his second World Series.

In total, Lester won 110 games, while posting a 3.64 ERA in a Red Sox jersey. He finished in the top five in two separate Cy Young votes. He’s also 4th in Red Sox history in strikeouts, 1st among lefties. Most importantly however, Lester was 3-0 in World Series contests, allowing just a single run in 21 innings pitched. We could always count on Lester to pitch well in the clutch.

Year Tm Series Opp W L W-L% ERA GS IP ER SO WHIP
2007 BOS ALCS CLE 0 0 4.91 0 3.2 2 5 1.091
2007 BOS WS COL 1 0 1.000 0.00 1 5.2 0 3 1.059
2008 BOS ALDS LAA 1 0 1.000 0.00 2 14.0 0 11 0.929
2008 BOS ALCS TBR 0 2 .000 4.97 2 12.2 7 15 1.263
2009 BOS ALDS LAA 0 1 .000 4.50 1 6.0 3 5 1.333
2013 BOS ALDS TBR 1 0 1.000 2.35 1 7.2 2 7 0.783
2013 BOS ALCS DET 1 1 .500 2.31 2 11.2 3 7 1.457
2013 BOS WS STL 2 0 1.000 0.59 2 15.1 1 15 0.652

Mel Parnell

Mel Parnell testing his arm which was broken in 1954, during Spring training. (Photo by George Silk/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images)

Mel Parnell is the all-time winningest left-hander in Red Sox history, with his 123 career wins. His heyday was from 1948-53, when he averaged 18 wins per season with a 3.22 ERA. In 1949, he led the league with 25 wins, and a 2.77 ERA while placing 4th in the MVP vote. If there were a Cy Young Award back then, he’d have been a shoo-in.

Unfortunately, Parnell had a short career. Following his 21 win season in 1953, he broke his arm and never fully recovered. He only won 12 games over the next 3 seasons, before calling it quits following an operation on his elbow. However, in his final season, Parnell had a little magic left in his left arm. That season, he threw a no-hitter at Fenway Park against the Chicago White Sox.

Dutch Leonard

Baseball player Dutch Leonard winds up a pitch in the uniform of the Boston Red Sox, 1914. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

Dutch Leonard had a short peak with the Red Sox, but he made it count. In 1914, Dutch Leonard posted the lowest ERA, still to this day, in modern baseball history. That season he was 19-5 with a league leading 0.96 ERA and 0.88 WHIP! Regardless of the era, that is an all-time great season.

In six seasons with the Red Sox, Leonard won 90 games while pitching to a 2.13 ERA. He pitched once in both the 1915 and 1916 World Series. In each contest, Leonard allowed 1 earned run in a complete game victory.