Tag Archives: Papi

What Mike Napoli Meant To Boston

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His journey through Boston didn’t need to be a long one.  Mike Napoli had left his mark on the city.  The slugger announced his retirement this past weekend, and for many fans of the 2013 championship team, it called for a chance to reminisce. He only spent a little over two seasons with the team, but he was a very impactful, lovable character.  He’ll mainly be remembered for his bushy beard and clutch heroics throughout the 2013 season.   But most importantly, for helping bring a championship to a city that truly needed it, after their darkest time.

How The Era Of Napoli Came To Be

I recall being on vacation down in Florida in December of 2012.  I heard about a multitude of signings the team was in the process of making.  They needed some veteran presence alongside David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia, so they made three moves.  All three of those moves occurred within three days, and all helped shaped the 2013 season.

Shane Victorino and Koji Uehara both signed.  They were probably the two most important players throughout the 2013 ALCS.  The third signing of the week was Mike Napoli. After some issues passing his physical, he eventually made his way to the Red Sox on a one year deal.  All three of these guys had been solid, but the team faced backlash, as all three were seen as ‘past their prime’.

I lauded the move at the time, how can you not want these likable, locker room presence-type guys? Of course, it paid off.  Napoli transitioned to first base smoothly for Boston, and ended up having some huge hits down the stretch, and into October.

Why He Was So Important

In April of 2013, the country was sent into a state of shock.  Terrorists had carried out an attack this close to home, right at the Boston Marathon.  For as many people this sent into a frenzy and a state of panic, it ended up bringing together a city.  Nobody will ever forget Big Papi’s speech before the first home game following the attacks:

It became a theme of the season.  The Boston Strong jersey hung in the dugout during every game.  The players were often discussing with the media and with each other how much they wanted this for the city and for the fans.  It all just felt like it was meant to be, and Mike Napoli was central to all of this.

When I think of this team, I remember how great the entire ‘beard’ thing was.  I remember Jonny Gomes showing up with a huge beard at Spring Training, and Napoli just loved it.  Eventually the whole team had beards.  The team had named them and marketed it.  That ended up being another huge theme of the season.

The Fun

Napoli and his bearded brothers brought a sense of passion everyday, to get it done for this city. However, they always did it while having fun.  Even when the team struggled, or fell behind against Detroit in the playoffs, this crew was there to pick each other up.  Just like they picked this city up, when the people needed it most.

Putting Nap’s Red Sox Career in Perspective

The clear cut, go-to Napoli Red Sox moment, is his seventh inning home run against Justin Verlander in game 3 of the ALCS.  It broke the tie and ended up being the only run in a 1-0 final. It ended up being a key factor in Boston’s grasp of the momentum in the series.

The stats aren’t flashy over the two and half seasons in Boston, and the way it ended in 2015 is unfortunate. The Sox were going nowhere, and unfortunately Napoli had begun to really fall off.  So they shipped him back to Texas.

He’ll never be forgotten for helping bring this city a title when they needed it.  Nobody will ever forget seeing his big beard laughing it up at first base.  Nobody had more fun than Nap, and nobody partied harder when the Sox won.  Most of all, nobody will ever forget this.  Possibly the greatest photo in the history of Boston Sports, shirtless Napoli patrolling Boston days after winning the World Series:

Thank you for everything Nap, it was a fun ride.

 

Red Sox Best Free Agent Signings

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Free agency this winter has been colder than the temperatures outside. Those baseball fans among us are starving for action and something to talk about. Hopefully the team is drawing near, as Spring Training is just around the corner. But, with free agency currently lulling us all to sleep, I decided to take a look at some of the best free agent signings the Red Sox have ever made.

David Ortiz

Big Papi is in a class all by himself. The Red Sox picked up Ortiz cheap after the Twins mistakenly dumped him. I remember thinking it was odd the Twins let him go and was happy to see the Sox bring him aboard, but obviously no one knew what would come of it. Ortiz had homered twenty times the year before in a part-time role and eighteen times the year before that. The Red Sox signed Ortiz for just 1.25 million dollars. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ortiz blossomed in Fenway and turned into maybe the most popular and beloved Red Sox of all-time. There are too many instances to cite; all the game-winning hits, the postseason heroics, David Ortiz is a living legend. He hit 483 home runs with the Red Sox. In several decades, people will tell of his heroic feats and some will wonder if half of them really happened. All he did was that unbelievable, that legendary. In several years Cooperstown should be opening its doors to him. When they do, the entire city of Boston and a large portion of the states in New England will try to get tickets and descend upon the tiny town, trying to watch the lovable Papi become enshrined.

In 2013, Ortiz came to the forefront, not for his baseball heroics, but for a motivational speech he gave following the Boston Marathon bombing. This speech can still give chills nearly five years later. David Ortiz was, is, and will forever remain, a Boston hero.

Ortiz rallied the entire city behind him after the tragic marathon bombing in 2013.

The Big Money Signings

Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez could be a headache, and was put on the trade block multiple times, but all in all the signing paid off. He was given an eight year contract worth 160 million dollars by the Red Sox before the 2001 season. Despite the problems he could cause, and “Manny being Manny”, Ramirez helped the Red Sox win two World Series and was the MVP of the curse breaker in 2004. That series he batted .412 to win the award. In four postseasons with the Red Sox he batted .321 with eleven home runs. In regular season play, Manny hit .312 with 274 home runs and a .999 OPS.

Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox celebrates after connecting for a three-run home run to defeat the Angels, 6-3 in Game 2 of the ALDS. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Johnny Damon

The Red Sox signed Johnny Damon to a four year deal worth 31 million dollars before the 2002 season. Damon batted .295 in his four seasons with Boston, making two All-Star Games. He stole 30 bases in each of his first two seasons, then hit 20 homers in his third season. Damon helped the Red Sox break the curse in 2004, helping the band of “idiots” overcome the “evil empire.” Damon hit two huge home runs in game seven of the ALCS that season to defeat the Yankees en route to the World Series. He may have cut off all his hair and gone to the Yankees, transforming from Jesus into the Antichrist, but during his deal he was certainly worth the money.

Keith Foulke

After the bullpen struggled in 2003, the Red Sox went out and signed closer Keith Foulke to a three year deal worth 18.75 million. He earned every penny of the entire deal in 2004 and embedded himself into Red Sox lore. After pitching to a 2.17 ERA and saving 32 games that season, Foulke became a postseason hero. With the team down 0-3 to the Yankees in the ALCS, needing a win to avoid the sweep, Foulke pitched 2.2 shutout innings to keep the game alive. He then pitched each of the next two days to help the Red Sox force a game seven. After winning the series, Foulke pitched in all four World Series games and recorded the unforgettable final out.

Bargain Contracts

Bill Mueller

Bill Mueller was a cheap signing heading into the 2003 season to handle the hot corner. Signed to a three year deal worth only 6.7 million dollars in total, Mueller was worth more than that in just the first season. He led the American League in hitting that year, batting .326 with 19 home runs, 45 doubles and a .938 OPS. That was a career year for Mueller, but he still batted .290 over the next two seasons. Mueller of course also had the base hit to score Dave Roberts, sending game four of the ALCS in 2004 to extra innings. Mueller batted .321 that postseason as the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.

Adrian Beltre

Beltre was a big name, but came to Boston on a relatively cheap deal. After a down season in 2009, Beltre bet on himself to rebound and cash in with a larger contract the following season. The Red Sox were able to procure his services for 9 million dollars in 2010. Beltre proceeded to have the second best season of his career; he hasn’t stopped hitting since. Beltre to that point had been a decent third baseman, but somewhat disappointing. His season with the Red Sox started him on an epic second half of his career journey which is leading him to the baseball Hall of Fame. In his one season in Boston, Beltre batted .321 with 28 homers and led the league with 49 doubles.

Koji Uehara

Koji had always put up good numbers prior to coming to Boston, but had troubles staying healthy. The Red Sox initially gave him a two year deal worth 9.25 million dollars. Uehara stayed healthy and had an insanely dominant first season in Boston. In 2013, Uehara was 4-1 with a microscopic 1.09 ERA, 0.56 WHIP and saved 21 games. He then allowed one run in 13.2 innings pitched during the postseason as the Red Sox won the World Series. Koji was the MVP of the ALCS that year. Uehara ended up spending four seasons in Boston, posting a 2.19 ERA and 79 saves.

Off the Scrap Heap

Tim Wakefield

Wakefield burst onto the scene in 1992 with the Pirates, going 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA. The fall was quick though and Wakefield was back in the minor leagues for part of the next season and the entire 1994 season. The Pirates released him before the 1995 season started. Just under a week later, the Red Sox decided to nab Wakefield off the scrap heap and give his knuckleball a try. One thing Dan Duquette was good at was picking up players no one else wanted and getting success out of them.

Wakefield stayed in Boston for 17 years, pitching in every role imaginable. He won 186 games, good for third on the franchise’s all-time list. He was a fan favorite and still works with the team today, showing up on NESN often throughout the year to do studio work. Not a bad pickup.

Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox starts against the New York Yankees March 13, 2009 at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Luis Tiant

Tiant had been a successful pitcher in Cleveland in the sixties, even leading the league with a 1.60 ERA while winning 21 games in 1968. His career had fallen on hard times before coming to Boston however. Tiant missed half the season in 1970 and had yet to pitch when the Braves released him in May 1971. With Tiant a free agent, the Red Sox decided to take a chance on him and his injured arm. The move didn’t pay off immediately, as he was 1-7 the rest of that season. However, the dividends down the road were immense.

Tiant went on to have an excellent career with the Red Sox and become a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. I listed Tiant as one of the Red Sox five greatest right-handed pitchers ever a few months ago. By 1972, Tiant led the American League with a 1.91 ERA. He’d win 20 games as a member of the Red Sox three times, winning 122 total in parts of eight seasons. He also went 3-0 in the 1975 postseason with a 2.65 ERA.

Rich Garces

The lovable “El Guapo” is the third “scrap heap” free agent signing. Listed at a generous 250 pounds, (it was probably closer to 300), Garces looked like he belonged anywhere but playing professional sports. Garces pitched seven seasons for the Red Sox and developed into one of their more reliable relief pitchers. Between 1990 and 1995, Garces had only appeared in 26 Major League outings, a number he eclipsed in 1996 alone with the Sox. Garces’ best season came in 1999 when he put up a 1.55 ERA. Starting with that season, Garces won 19 games against just 3 losses over a three year stretch.

Rich Garces of the Red Sox pitches during a Spring Training game against the Rangers in Fort Myers, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

The Worst Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

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The designated hitter has been around for 45 seasons so far. David Ortiz was the Red Sox main DH for 14 seasons, nearly one-third of that time. There are only three other players who were the Red Sox main DH for more than just two seasons, Reggie Jefferson, Carl Yastrzemski and Cecil Cooper. So, for the final position of this series of articles, I dig to the bottom of the barrel to find the worst Red Sox designated hitters of all-time.

Jeremy Giambi

Prior to the 2003 season, the Red Sox signed Yankee star Jason Giambi’s younger, less famous brother, for two million dollars. Like his brother, Jeremy walked a lot, but he didn’t hit as well or for as much power. He didn’t really seem any better than David Ortiz at the start of the year, but he had first shot at the starting job at designated hitter versus righties. For some reason, he had a pretty long leash. The Red Sox started Giambi most days through the end of May despite him not doing much of anything.

Giambi ended up playing in 50 games for the Red Sox, batting .197 with five home runs and a .696 OPS. This stellar performance was good enough to keep David Ortiz on the bench for almost the first two months of the year. Ortiz went on to become an MVP candidate that season anyways. Giambi was relegated to mostly a pinch-hitting role after May and did not play at all after August 1st. Not only was his play terrible, his presence kept a budding superstar on the bench for far too long.

http://www.athletespeakers.com/speaker/jeremy-giambi/

Bob Bailey

Bob Bailey had a long career, playing in parts of 17 seasons from 1962-78. Bailey hit 20 home runs three times, topping out at 28 in 1970 with the Expos. By the time he came to Boston however, it was at the end of his career. They acquired him late in the 1977 season, then tried to make him their designated hitter in 1978. He only ended up playing 34 games at DH, Jim Rice was used more that season at the “position.” Rice played mostly left, but on days he was at DH Yaz would play left. On other days Yaz was at first base as the Red Sox tried to find a rotation that worked.

As for Bailey, he batted just .188 as a member of the Red Sox, homering four times and driving in nine runners. Two of his at-bats came at the end of the 1977 season, for the Red Sox 1978 season he batted .191 with a .679 OPS. Maybe that season would have turned out better had the Red Sox never had Bailey on the team.

Sam Horn

I like Sam Horn, so it saddens me to include him here. However, he was a bust after 1987. Horn was a big man, standing at 6’5″, and had a lot of power. In 1987, he hit 30 home runs for the Pawtucket Red Sox, posting a 1.037 OPS. After being called up by the Red Sox, he continued his tear, homering in each of his first two games and five of his first eight. By season’s end, Horn had homered 14 times while hitting for a .278 average over 158 at-bats with the Sox. His .589 slugging percentage and .945 OPS as a rookie gave great hope for the future. On the season, combined between the two levels he had homered 44 times.

Horn never regained that stroke, and was a total disaster in the Red Sox organization the next two seasons before moving on. In 1988, Horn batted .148 with two homers over 61 at-bats for the big league club. Sent to Pawtucket where he had homered 30 times the year before, Horn batted just .233 with 10 home runs. The next season he struggled again, batting .232 with eight home runs in AAA. In 54 at-bats in Boston, Horn again batted .148. This time, he did not hit any home runs.

Over parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Horn did hit 16 home runs in only 273 at-bats, but he only hit .233. With his limited defense, Horn had to really mash the ball to find playing time. Horn hit a career high 23 home runs with Baltimore in 1991 and finished his Major League career averaging 26 home runs per 162 games played. In 1993, Horn homered 38 times in AAA Charlotte and batted .455 with four home runs for the Indians in September.

Dishonorable Mention:

Jack Clark, Jim Leyritz

Feature picture from DailySportX.com

 

The Greatest Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

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Designated hitter is the final position to cover for Red Sox all-time greats. This is a spot that has had a lot of turnover since it came into existence, aside from a certain lovable Papi. The DH did not come into existence until 1973. Many guys have only played for two to three years as the primary DH on the Sox as Big Papi took up about one-fourth of that time. Keeping with the theme of these articles, here are the five greatest in Red Sox history.

David Ortiz

We can thank the Twins for one of the greatest players in franchise history, and maybe the most influential. Ortiz had shown promise with the Twins, posting an .818 OPS over his last three seasons. He hit 20 home runs in 2002 while posting a .500 slugging percentage. I remember thinking it was strange when they let him go and I wanted the Red Sox to sign him. Of course, nobody could have predicted the levels of success yet to come.

There are too many feats to list them all, but Big Papi helped the Red Sox to their first three World Series Championships in 86 years. When finally elevated into the lineup in 2003 over the terrible Jeremy Giambi, (took you long enough Grady Little!) Ortiz 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, ultimately finishing 5th. It was the first of five consecutive seasons in which Ortiz would place in the top five for the MVP. Ortiz finished in 2nd and 3rd place once and in 4th place twice. In 2006 he set the franchise single-season record by hitting 54 home runs.

Of course there was all the timely hitting. Ortiz had walk-off hits in both game 4 and game 5 of the 2004 ALCS. This came after Ortiz took Jarrod Washburn over the green monster to walk-off the Angels and complete the ALDS sweep. For a stretch there it seemed like whenever he came up with a chance to win the game, he would. I remember watching one game in particular against the Indians; my brother called for Ortiz to hit a home run for the walk-off. My response was, “come on, he’s not going to continue to hit a home run every time, it isn’t possible.” Ortiz promptly took Fausto Carmona over the center field wall to win the game. He was simply unreal, the most clutch player I have ever watched.

Ortiz batted .290 and hit 483 home runs as a member of the Red Sox. He drove in 1530 runs, bashed 524 doubles and had a .386/.570/.956 slash line. Ortiz made 10 All-Star Games and won seven Silver Sluggers. Of course, he went out on top of his game still, batting .315 with 38 home runs and a league leading 48 doubles at the age of 41. In the playoffs, Ortiz hit 17 home runs and had a .947 OPS. They say good pitching beats good hitting in the playoffs, but Ortiz’ postseason numbers are right in line with his regular season ones. He then stepped it up even further in the World Series, batting .455 with a 1.372 OPS over three separate World Series.

Reggie Jefferson

Jefferson came to the Red Sox without a true role. The Sox already had Mo Vaughn at first base and Jose Canseco at DH. Jefferson ended up forcing his way into the lineup by hitting line drives all over the yard. His emergence may have played a role in Canseco being shipped out-of-town after the 1996 season. That year, Jefferson batted .347 with 19 home runs and a .981 OPS! He had the 2nd highest batting average in the American League and the highest OPS on the Red Sox that season.

Jefferson batted .319 as the primary DH in 1997, hitting .352 against right-handers. He again batted over .300 in 1998 before a back injury shelved him for the remainder of the season in mid-July. In five seasons with the Red Sox, Jefferson batted .316 with a .363/.505/.868 slash line. He was even better in front of the home crowd, hitting .345 with a .928 OPS at Fenway Park. You can read more about him here.

Reggie Jefferson #18 of the Boston Red Sox bats during a game against the White Sox on July 1, 1997 at New Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Jose Canseco

Canseco was a beast at the plate during his two years with the Red Sox; when healthy. Canseco only played in 102 and 96 games in his two seasons, battling injuries. In his time on the field, Canseco managed to bat .298 with 52 home runs and a .960 OPS. Of course, he had some added help, but those are some monster numbers. If he could have stayed healthy he would have threatened 40 home runs both years.

Canseco batted behind Mo Vaughn in the order, providing him with some lineup protection. Teams still walked Big Mo to get to Canseco occasionally, and it seemed like whenever they did Canseco hit one onto Landsdowne Street. I used to think he would get angry in the on-deck circle at the disrespect. He ultimately slots in third on this list since he was only with the team for two years, but they were two very good offensive seasons.

Jose Canseco of the Red Sox drives in a run in the first inning of Boston’s game against the Yankees at Fenway Park. Canseco also had a home run and a tie-breaking two-run double as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 7-4. (JOHN MOTTERN /AFP/Getty Images)

Mike Easler

Easler is another guy who only spent two seasons with the Red Sox. There really aren’t many primary designated hitters who lasted for a while with the team. Easler’s 337 base hits actually rank 5th among Red Sox designated hitters. He batted .288 with 43 home runs and 165 runs batted in on the strength of his first season with the team. In 1984 he was great, hitting .313 with 27 homers and 91 RBI. And that, oddly enough for a position dedicated to guys who can hit, is good enough to make the top five.

April 13, 1984: Mike Easler bats during the Red Sox home opener against the Detroit Tigers on April 13, 1984.
(Photo by Peter Travers/Boston Red Sox)

Cecil Cooper

Cooper is a guy who should have been with the team longer than he was. An upcoming prospect coming off two solid seasons, the Red Sox traded the 27-year-old Cooper to Milwaukee. Boston brought back two former Red Sox on the wrong side of 30 in George Scott and Bernie Carbo. Scott and Carbo both had one more good season, Cooper went on to bat .302 over 11 seasons with the Brewers.

Before he was traded, Cooper had batted .283 with 40 home runs and a .772 OPS. His best season with the Sox was definitely in 1975, batting .311 with an .899 OPS. He was one of the team’s hottest hitters that summer before taking a pitch to the face in September. Although he would become a Gold Glover in Milwaukee, he was not considered to be a good fielder in his younger days so he had been relegated to DH.

Honorable Mentions:

Carl Yastrzemski (.264 46 HR .764 OPS at DH), Don Baylor, Andre Dawson