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Tom Brady-200 WIN QB

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200 WINS FOR THE 199th DRAFT PICK

Tom Brady is the only Quarterback in NFL History to win 200 regular season games. He has been a part of great teams throughout his career, which have contributed to this milestone. Brady would be the first one to deflect this achievement and speak about all the great players who have helped him get to this point.

On the other hand, Brady has put this team on his back many of times and won in spite of poor defensive play. That is something Tom would never say, so I’ll say it for him. He’s done more with less than any QB in history.

Brady reaches 200 wins

Via hubwav

Brady already held the record for most regular season wins for a quarterback. He passed Peyton Manning and Brett Favre last October, winning his 187th game, passing the previous record of 186 in a win against the Jets.

NUMBER 200 WAS A SHOOTOUT

Number 200 came against the hottest offense in the NFL through 5 games, the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Because of Tom’s age, the media wanted this game to be a passing of the torch. A loss for Brady and a win for the young gun slinger.

Brady, just as he started his career, drove his offense down the field like he has, well 199 other times. His 39 yard strike to Rob Gronkowski set up Stephen Gostkowski’s game winning field goal. New England won 43-40 in this week 6 track meet, as the offense stepped up and traded punches with the Chiefs.

Tom Brady went 24 of 35 for 340 yards, with one TD and zero interceptions. He also got his team the lead back in the fourth quarter by scoring a rushing TD to add to his stat line.

THIS ISN’T OVER

For a quarterback to be able to achieve a record like this, it takes talent and longevity. Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback to have ever played in the NFL, and he’s not done yet. His relentless desire to win combined with the way he takes care of himself, has allowed him to be an extremely durable piece for the Patriots.

As Brady has said many times before, he plans to play until he is 45. But I can assure you it’s not for records like this. He is chasing that sixth Super Bowl Championship that New England fell short of last year.

Brady has his offense back

Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Tom is a walking Hall of Famer and he still isn’t satisfied. He is on a different level compared to other quarterbacks. Brady will look to win number 201 next week against a dominant Chicago Bears defense.

At the end of the day Brady has records stacked on top of records, but all he wants is more Super Bowl Rings. His dedication and love for the game makes everyone around him better. His Patriots are now 4-2, despite some writing this team off. Focusing on one game at a time, Brady is already studying the Bears defense to see where he can exploit them next week.

200 wins is quite the achievement, especially when he has 27 postseason wins on top of that. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are on to Chicago, trying to keep these wins coming.

 

On This Day In Red Sox History: Clemens Ties Own Record

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On September 18. 1996, the Red Sox played the Tigers at old Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The matchup was the second of the series, with the Red Sox having taken the first game 4-2. Roger Clemens was on the mound for the Sox in the midst of a stellar stretch to close out the season. He faced off with young left-hander Justin Thompson. Thompson would be an all-star the following season but was still finding his footing at the big league level.

Clemens’ 1996 Season

Roger Clemens had been struggling for much of the 1996 season, pitching to a 4.36 ERA by the end of his start on August 1st. He went on a dominant stretch over the final two months to close out his free agent season. Heading into this game with the Tigers, Clemens was 5-1 with a 2.17 ERA over his previous seven starts. Those numbers would only get better as the night wore on. The 34 year old Clemens would go on to strike out 20 Detroit Tigers batters on the night, tying his own Major League record set back in 1986 against the Seattle Mariners. He was the only person to ever accomplish the feat at the time.

Breaking Down Clemens’ Historic Strikeout Feat

Clemens struck out two batters in the first, then struck out the side in the second. He struck out two more in both the third and fourth innings before striking out the side again in the fifth. He gave up a leadoff single to Brad Ausmus in the sixth, but proceeded to strike out the next three batters. Clemens struck out two in the seventh and two in the eighth to give him 19 strikeouts through eight innings. He had struck out at least two batters in every inning.

Maybe he had worn down some from all the work, but the first two outs in the ninth inning were not by strikeout, leaving Clemens still one away from the record with one out to go. He came through, striking out Travis Fryman for the fourth time in as many at-bats to tie his own Major League record.

An incredible 14 of the 20 strike outs were swinging. Clemens got 32 strikes total on the night swinging. 101 of his 151 pitches on the night went for strikes. Six of the eight Tigers starters struck out multiple times, with Phil Hiatt striking out in his only at-bat off the bench. Travis Fryman struck out in all four at-bats, including the 20th punch out on the night. Tony Clark struck out three times.

Other Noteworthy Peformances

Bill Haselman was Clemens’ catcher for the game. When Haselman caught Clemens that season, The Rocket had a 3.10 ERA. In all other starts made by Clemens, his ERA was 4.71. In addition to his catching, Bill Haselman had a three hit game at the plate and drove in two runs. Joining him with three hits was September call-up Rudy Pemberton. Pemberton was a former Detroit Tigers farmhand and was having a heck of a September for the Red Sox. He had the only two extra-base hits for either team on the night, doubling twice amongst his three hits. Mike Greenwell had two hits and stole a base. Nomar Garciaparra stole the very first base of his Major League career.

The entire game is actually available on YouTube to watch. I watched it for the first time a couple years ago, as the night it happened I was relegated to listening to the game on the radio. If you aren’t a crazy fan like my and just want to see some highlights, enjoy the clips of all 20 strikeouts by Roger Clemens that night below.

An Interview with Red Sox Legend Rico Petrocelli

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I had the privilege of interviewing Red Sox legend Rico Petrocelli the other day. Rico is in the Red Sox Hall of Fame and hit more home runs than any other shortstop in team history when including his work at third base. He was a member of the 1967 “Impossible Dream” team that went to the World Series, and a member of the 1975 Red Sox team that played in the series. Rico has stayed in touch with the game since his retirement and still follows the Red Sox closely today.

BSE: Did you have a nice weekend down in Massachusetts?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, in Falmouth. I have another book out with two other authors and I did a book signing down there. I played against or with 56 Hall of Famers and I got to know them. The book is about some of the things I spoke with them about. There are photos of baseball cards, an explanation about the cards, the worth of the cards and something about the players.

BSE: Sounds interesting, what’s the name of the book?

Rico Petrocelli: “An All-Star’s Cardboard Memories.” I used to collect them as a kid, and like most people of my era, we threw them out. I had a card of 52, Mickey Mantle, rookie card. One of them, in perfect condition of course, went for 2.8 million.

BSE: You used to have it?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, used to put them in the spokes of the bike; flip them, hit them up against the wall. Who knew? The industry hadn’t been born yet.

So, this ball club, what’s the word? I used to use amazing about a month ago, now it’s…

BSE: Historical I think. On pace to threaten the all-time record for wins in a season.

Rico Petrocelli: That’s right, and they can do it, no doubt. They’re just a good hitting team. Everybody, well when I say everybody I mean the talk show guys say “well, wait until they get into the postseason.” But you know, it’s a month and a half away, let’s talk about it when it gets closer. This club right now is having a remarkable year. Mookie, what can you say about him? But Martinez has just turned things around. I don’t think too many people knew what he’d be in the clubhouse and the guys just love him. He helps with hitting, he’s a hard worker and a great example. I tweeted out the other day, I love Mookie Betts and Mike Trout, but JD Martinez has got to be the front-runner for MVP of this league. The guy has a lot of big hits, a la Big Papi.

BSE: What do you think of Xander this year?

Rico Petrocelli: I think he’s improved 100 percent. We know he’s a good hitter, he’s hit some more home runs, but his defense, his range has improved tremendously; I was happy to see that. He was hurt, but I don’t think he was getting to a lot of balls that he’s getting to this year.

BSE: Do you see any areas of concern for the rest of the season?

Rico Petrocelli: Other than major injuries, no. They feel great about themselves. You see other teams waiting to lose, when the Sox get to the late innings they just get tougher at the plate. But there’s no doubt it will be a battle come postseason. If they ran through some of these teams like nothing in the postseason I’d be very surprised.

BSE: Who do you think is their biggest threat come postseason? Any one team stand out?

Rico Petrocelli: I still think Houston. Once Altuve comes back, and their rotation is more settled. The key with them is their bullpen, I don’t know how much they’ve improved that end, but they’ll need it. They’re definitely beatable, they’re a good team but not as good as last year.

BSE: I’d like to talk some about your playing days if that’s alright? You grew up in Brooklyn watching the Yankees and Dodgers.

Rico Petrocelli: The Giants were there too, we had three teams. Willie Mays was the center fielder for the Giants, of course Mickey Mantle for the Yankees and Duke Snider. All three teams had tremendous players. It seemed to me that the World Series was always Yankees-Dodgers. The Dodgers couldn’t win until 1955, the Yankees had some great teams. I’m the youngest of seven and my brothers were all Yankees fans. I used to go see the Dodgers, when I was real young, to Ebbets Field. Then growing up and making the Majors and getting to play against them? It was like being in baseball heaven.

Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.

BSE: You had a brother that worked security at Yankee Stadium right?

Rico Petrocelli: Actually two of them, but the one Dave, he worked there almost all the home games. When we came they’d put him next to the dugout so he could talk to me.

BSE: So was he rooting for the Yankees when you played there?

Rico Petrocelli: Well he said “no, when we play the Red Sox we’ll root for you guys, but our heart isn’t fully in it.”

BSE: What was it like signing with the Red Sox after growing up in New York and having your brothers such big Yankees fans?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, the explanation I was given by the Yankees and the Mets out of high school, the Yankees said they just signed five guys to bonuses. The Mets, I don’t know what they were looking for. But it worked out, the old Yankee Stadium was unbelievably large. 463 feet to center, left-center 400. Right field was short, but man. Then when I came to Boston, it was only 200 miles from home.

BSE: You were actually pitching some in high school right, hurt your elbow?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, the Dodgers were actually looking at me as a pitcher. Playing in a semifinals city game, I threw 12 innings. In the 12th inning, I threw a slider, I used to throw a hard slider too, probably didn’t hold the ball right. All of a sudden I heard a crack, I threw the ball and there was a loud crack in my elbow and my whole arm went numb. I said “Oh my God.” I was really hurting. Since I was a decent hitter, they threw me out in left field. So the next inning, they get a man on second, a couple of guys on. Where do you think the guy hits the ball? They hit it in the hole, out to me. I had no chance, I threw it underhand.

BSE: That affected you in later years too? You changed your diet and workout regimen before the 69 season?

Rico Petrocelli: Yes, I had calcium deposits in my elbow so I had to lay off dairy products. I had a great offseason working out. Got ready to go in Spring Training and felt great, the ball looked like a grapefruit. I was hitting the ball hard, took it into the season, hit the 40 home runs. I think I was just as surprised as everybody else, but it sure was a thrill to be able to do it.

BSE: Yeah, you hit 97 home runs over three years, and as you mentioned the 40 in 1969 which broke Vern Stephens record for American League shortstops. That stood until A-Rod, do you have any thoughts on him being the one to pass you?

Rico Petrocelli: Not at all, most people don’t like him but I thought he was just a great player. He really focused on what he had to do, and also he was a hell of a shortstop.

Rico was a sure-handed infielder, setting franchise records for fielding % in a single season at both shortstop and third base.

BSE: Speaking of fielding at shortstop, you had set a single season franchise mark for fielding percentage at shortstop. Then, you volunteered to move to third base for Luis Aparicio?

Rico Petrocelli: Luis Aparicio, they got him at the winter meetings. They called me and said, “you’re probably going to move over to third eventually, would you do it now because we could get Luis Aparicio and we just couldn’t get a decent third baseman.” I said of course, Aparicio was one of the top shortstops in the league, we all respected him. He had a couple good years left.

BSE: Over at third base you set another fielding percentage franchise record, and a Major League record for errorless games in a row at the position.

Rico Petrocelli: I believe so, 77, I think. I don’t know exactly what it was. I had good hands, but of course at short Aparicio was there and he was a Gold Glove, and rightfully so. And when I moved over to third, Brooks Robinson was there, one of the all-time greats. So, I never really had the chance at getting a Gold Glove, but the main thing was helping the team. Frank Malzone helped me when I moved to third base.

BSE: Anyone else you give a lot of credit to for your successes?

Rico Petrocelli: Eddie Popowski was a manager, I had him for two years in the minors and he really helped develop me at short. Then he came up to be a coach too, he was kind of a father image. I was very close to him.

BSE: You played in two World Series with the Sox. Hit two homers in game six in 1967, batted over .300 in 1975. What was it like playing on the big stage and what was the energy like in Fenway back then?

Rico Petrocelli: The energy was incredible, as soon as they opened the gates, so excited. It happened my third year, the first one in 67, which I was just thrilled to be there. I think me, Yaz and Reggie Smith all hit home runs in one inning. I hit another one, maybe earlier in the game.

BSE: And the season kind of saved baseball in Boston.

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, from what we understand. We didn’t really realize it until later on that Mr. Yawkey was thinking of selling the team or moving the team. We didn’t know that until a year later. A lot of players from the organization came up together, played together as friends, we had a great pennant race between four teams.

BSE: And a lot was done last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that team. How does it feel to be a part of a team so widely remembered and celebrated?

Rico Petrocelli: It feels great and I appreciate it, I think all the guys do. The fans have been so great to us over the years. John Henry and Tom Werner have been great to us.

BSE: Last year was also the 50th anniversary of Tony C being hit. What do you think his career could have looked like had that beaning not happened?

Rico Petrocelli: You know I really believe Tony could have been a 500 home run guy. He had a home run swing; he was strong, could hit to all fields, and with power and was a clutch hitter. Then with the DH, I think he could have stayed for a long time. But it was a tragedy.

Tony C with a mighty swing.

BSE: When the Sox won finally in 2004, what was that like for you as a former Sox player?

Rico Petrocelli: I was really happy. Really happy for the team, for the fans, it meant so much. The players on the team were great guys, not just as players, but great guys. First of all, coming back from the Yankees, that was just incredible. After they won the World Series, the guys were celebrating and almost every guy they got on said that they were so happy to win, but it wasn’t only for them, it was for the guys who came before them and got so close. That was really classy and very appreciated.

BSE: What are some of your favorite memories from your playing days?

Rico Petrocelli: Certainly the two World Series, Yaz’ great year in ’67 was just phenomenal. I think the game against Vida Blue; Sonny Siebert against Vida Blue at Fenway. Vida was, I think 10-1 and Siebert was 9-0. We were both in first place and they hyped it up like it was a World Series game, it was just incredible. The fans came in to see Vida, he was a phenom. I was fortunate enough to hit two home runs off him and we went on to win the game.

BSE: After your retirement you did a number of things; coaching, broadcasting, radio shows, writing. Did you have a favorite out of those?

Rico Petrocelli: I enjoyed doing the radio in ’79 with Ken Coleman. Ken was a tremendous broadcaster and that was really fun. Since 1977 I’ve been doing some form of broadcasting, including currently. I did pregame and postgame when it was on channel 68, when they had the games for a couple years, and that was fun.

BSE: You worked closely with the Jimmy Fund in the past, do you still do a lot with them?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah I play in their golf tournaments. I worked with them for three years, was involved with their sports fundraisers with Mike Andrews. What an experience. Tough at times, seeing the kids and the young parents, six or seven year olds getting treatments. But the Jimmy Fund was dear to my heart.

BSE: So what are you up to nowadays in addition to the book?

Rico Petrocelli: These past seven years I’ve been doing a show on Sirius XM on the MLB station, myself and my partner Ed Randall. We do a show called “Remember When.” A lot of our guests are players and managers from the past. We talk a lot about what it was like when they played. A lot of them are currently in baseball, we have some guys who just retired five years ago. It’s good to get some insight from them on how their organization is doing. How an organization decides the path they are going to take, whether to sell off their players for kids and take a lot of losses. We’ve had Hall of Famers; Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Smith, we just had Bob Costas on last week. He is one of my favorite broadcasters.

Then I do a collectibles show; it’s called “The Great American Collectibles Show” with a partner. It’s an hour show and we have the experts in that field come on and talk about all these cards, their worth. That’s been a couple years now. I keep busy.

Rico Petrocelli with Tom Zappala recording “The Great American Collectibles Show.”

BSE: That’s all my questions for today, did you have anything you’d like to add?

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, I go out to book signings or whatever. The fans amaze me with how wonderful they have treated me over the years. They’ll talk about their father’s taking them to see me play.

BSE: That is great to hear.

Rico Petrocelli: Yeah, I’ve been very fortunate, blessed. Whatever happens the rest of the way, I have no regrets. My wife and I had four sons and have nine grandkids; seven girls and two boys.

BSE: Well thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.

Rico Petrocelli: You’re welcome Scott, I enjoyed it. Take care and best of luck.

Can J.D. Martinez Continue to Make Home Run History?

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It seems as though the 5-year 110 million dollar man J.D. Martinez is already proving himself worth the money. Last night J.D. hit his 25th home run of the season. This made him the leader in Red Sox history for most home runs before the month of July. He has brought the firework show well before the 4th and it’s been quite the spectacle.

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inOPkBFc8uU]

Sigh of Relief

This past couple of months has been nothing short of refreshing. The addition of this slugger has not only elevated the statistics of his own personal career, but it seems to have created intensity around the entire line-up. First, when evaluating this season thus far for Martinez, you have to look at the company he has joined since last night’s milestone missile. Martinez passed players such as Ted Williams (1950), Jose Canseco (1996), Mo Vaughn (1996) and Manny Ramirez (2001). Pretty elite class to say the least, but it sure does make you miss 1996. Regardless, this is something Red Sox nation has not seen in a while, even during Ortiz’s tenure.

Speaking on recent history, this is extra sweet because of the drought of 2017. You may be familiar, but this time last season Aaron Judge racked up 30 home runs before the All-Star break (July, 17). At that time the Red Sox were sending three players to the All-Star game (Sale, Kimbrel, Betts). Yet, they were certainly not the talk of the A.L East. Now the buzz is Boston who currently holds the two leaders in MLB SLG% (Betts .684, Martinez .654) and the current home run leader in Martinez. It is easy to get excited about a team that is red hot in June. But a combination of this with identical pitching which led them to post-season play is a game changer.

So at this point, the acquisition of J.D. Martinez more than an overall success. Even a surprise.  In 2013 Chris Davis, somehow, hit an A.L. record 37 home runs before the All-Star break. It would be nice to see that spot be taken by pure expert and student to the craft of his swing.

On This Day In Red Sox History: June 8, 1950

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On June 8, 1950, the Red Sox played host to the St. Louis Browns at Fenway Park. The Red Sox had crushed the Browns the previous day by a score of 20-4. That game proved to be only the appetizer to the upcoming entrée. The Red Sox, whose offense clicked at historic levels that season, were ready to set a few records on that Thursday afternoon.

The 1950 Red Sox

This was one of several Red Sox clubs from that era victimized by there being no playoffs. Two teams played for the World Series in those days, there were no playoffs leading up to them. You had the best record in the league or you didn’t. The 1950 Red Sox went 94-60, which is more wins than either of the division winning teams the Red Sox have fielded the past two seasons, in fewer games. However, they did not get the chance to play for anything.

The Red Sox also scored 1067 runs as a team in 1950, only 40 less than the Major League record. They did all this while missing Ted Williams for half the season, who broke his elbow at the All-Star Game. Williams had hit 28 home runs and driven in 97 runs over just 89 games. Six of their eight regulars that season batted over .300, with the other two finishing above .290. Their top utility player, Billy Goodman, batted .354! This team deserved a chance to play in a postseason.

The Red Sox bats did not disappoint in the previous days game, scoring 20 runs on 23 hits. The team had hit five home runs in the onslaught.

Red Sox box score from June 7, 1950.

The Game Gets Underway

The Red Sox featured nearly the same lineup as the day before, and why not? They had just banged out 20 runs after all. The only differences were in the 8-9 spots. Matt Batts replaced Birdie Tebbetts at catcher batting 8th, and the 9th spot was filled by the pitcher, Chuck Stobbs. The team didn’t look like they were about to accomplish something historic when they went scoreless in the first inning. Johnny Pesky and Ted Williams were stranded on base in the inning.

The floodgates were opened up in the 2nd inning. Coming off a three hit day, Al Zarilla started the inning with a double. Take note of that, as he would have a few more of them before the game ended. After a walk to Bobby Doerr, backup catcher Matt Batts doubled in the first run of the game. The pitcher Chuck Stobbs then drew a walk, another common theme of the game. The bases were loaded with a run already in. Two straight fly balls netted just one run but Ted Williams was due up with two men still on base. He unloaded on the Cliff Fannin offering to right for a three-run homer and the Sox had themselves a five run inning.

They weren’t finished. After a walk Walt Dropo homered to left field to make it seven runs in. Al Zarilla then doubled for the second time during the inning and was brought home by Bobby Doerr. When Fannin finally got out of the second inning the Red Sox had 8 runs in and had sent 12 men to the plate.

Red Sox Pile On

The Browns pinch-hit for Cliff Fannin in the third, ending his day with just two innings pitched. They picked up three runs on three hits and two walks in the inning to make it an 8-3 ballgame. The Red Sox offense then went to work against Cuddles Marshall, not a daunting name.

Chuck Stobbs drew his second walk in as many plate appearances. Two more walks had the bases loaded against Cuddles with just one out. Vern Stephens doubled to left to score two, followed by Walt Dropo’s two-run single. The score was 12-3. Al Zarilla doubled once more and Bobby Doerr brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox reloaded the bases, again. Chuck Stobbs drew his second walk of the inning, third of the game, and yes, he was the pitcher. But Cuddles Marshall was able to get out of the inning with “only” five runs scored.

The Browns went 1-2-3 in the top of the 4th and the Red Sox offense went right back at it. Vern Stephens scored Johnny Pesky with a triple, then was driven home by Walt Dropo. Bobby Doerr hit his first homer of the game, a 2-run shot, and Cuddles Marshall’s day was over. Marshall allowed nine runs while only recording four outs. Sid Schacht replaced him and fared better, only if because he kind of had to. Chuck Stobbs drew his fourth consecutive walk, a record for walks drawn by a pitcher in one game.

Chuck Stobbs set a record for pitchers by drawing 4 walks.

The Sox Ease Up

The Red Sox scored two more in the fifth but were held scoreless in the sixth. Meanwhile, Stobbs wasn’t having much trouble on the mound or in the batter’s box. After a scoreless sixth he had still allowed runs in just the one inning. The seventh gave him more trouble, as he walked two and hit a batter. However, the Browns still failed to score so the game remained 22-3 Boston at the 7th inning stretch.

The Sox wasted no time in adding to their lead in the bottom half. Al Zarilla led off the inning with his fifth hit of the day, and the first that wasn’t a double. Bobby Doerr then followed him up with a 2-run shot over the monster in left, his second home run of the game. Doerr had now driven in seven runs on the day. The next three batters went down in order; 24-3 Red Sox after seven.

Red Sox Set Records

Sid Schacht had pitched alright considering how others before him had fared, but he lost it in the 8th. The Red Sox homered three times off him in the inning before he was removed with one out. Johnny Pesky opened the inning with a double to right, his fifth hit of the day. Ted Williams then hit the first of three 8th inning homers, his second of the day. Williams drove in five runs in the blowout. Vern Stephens singled for his third hit of the day. Walt Dropo followed with his second home run of the game. Dropo had four hits and seven runs batted in. After a flyball out, Bobby Doerr deposited his third baseball over the wall in left field. Doerr had four hits, three of them home runs, and eight runs batted in! Schacht’s night was over, as was the scoring for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox had set a Major League record with their 29 runs scored in the game. Their 29-4 victory also set the record for largest victory in big league history. The 60 total bases accumulated by Red Sox hitters was also a record. Beyond that, coupled with their 20-4 thrashing of the Browns the day before, the Red Sox had set a record with 49 runs scored and 51 base hits over a two game span. Throw in pitcher Chuck Stobbs record four walks in one game for a pitcher (not to mention his two base hits) and the Red Sox were living large.

Bobby Doerr hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in the 29-4 demolition of the Browns.

On This Day In Red Sox History: John Valentin Sets Record

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On June 2, 1995, the Seattle Mariners came to Boston for a 7:09 start at Fenway Park. The Red Sox, with their new manager and new team were off to a 20-11 start after three straight disappointing seasons. The Red Sox sent their ace, Roger Clemens to the mound. Clemens was making his first start of the season after spending over a month on the disabled list. He was opposed by Seattle right-hander Chris Bosio, who had thrown a no-hitter against the Red Sox in 1993.

Valentin Starts With a Bang

Clemens looked in fine form to begin his season, striking out the first batter he faced in Joey Cora. After a double he retired dangerous hitters Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner to finish a scoreless inning. John Valentin was the second batter in the Red Sox lineup. On a 1-1 pitch from Bosio, Valentin crushed it to deep left, easily clearing the monster for a home run. The Sox held a 1-0 lead after the first inning thanks to Valentin’s eighth home run of the season.

Clemens retired the first two batters of the second before running into trouble. He hit Darren Bragg with a pitch to put a man on. Bragg, who the Red Sox traded for the following season, then stole second base. Clemens then hit catcher Chad Kreuter as well, giving the Mariners two baserunners on two hit by pitches. Light hitting infielder Felix Fermin made him pay for it with an RBI single to right field and the game was tied.

The Rocket would rebound in the third with a 1-2-3 inning. He struck out both Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner in the inning. In the bottom half of the third, Bosio retired each of the first two batters to bring John Valentin back up to the plate. The count ran full and Valentin fouled off two more pitches. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat Valentin went down to get a low offering and lined it to left, just clearing the monster. The line drive left the yard in a hurry and the Sox had the lead again in the third.

Valentin readies for the 9th pitch of the at-bat just before homering for the 2nd time in the game.

Clemens Runs Into Trouble

There was no scoring in the 4th. Roger Clemens cruised through another 1-2-3 inning and had allowed just the one hit through four innings. The Sox got two men in scoring position in the bottom of the inning but failed to score. However, Clemens seemed to run out of steam in the fifth inning. After hitting Chad Kreuter with a pitch for the second time, Felix Fermin came through with another single. After a bunt moved the runners up Alex Diaz brought home Kreuter with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two. Edgar Martinez, who would win the batting title that season, singled home Fermin to give the Mariners their first lead of the game. Jay Buhner then hit one of his 40 home runs that season and the inning became a disaster. Two more men reached base before Clemens escaped the inning with a 5-2 deficit.

Roger Clemens’ first start of the season was over. He had pitched well for four innings before running out of steam having not pitched since the previous August. He had hit three batters and allowed five runs over five innings. Derek Lilliquist replaced Clemens on the mound and combined with Mike Maddux for a scoreless sixth inning.

Valentin was due up to lead off the sixth inning to take another crack at Bosio. This time he hit a ground ball into center field for a single to kick-off the inning. Mo Vaughn singled Valentin over to third and Reggie Jefferson followed with another single to give the Sox their first run other than a John Valentin home run.

More Heroics

Mike Maddux, who had recorded the final out of the sixth, stayed on to throw two more scoreless innings for the Red Sox. The older brother of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux allowed just one hit in his 2.1 shutout innings. After a 1-2-3 top half of the eighth, Valentin was again due to leadoff an inning. This time Chris Bosio was out of the game, with left-handed reliever Ron Villone set to face him. With night having fallen, Valentin got a 2-0 pitch out over the middle and annihilated the ball up into the night sky. The home run sailed over the monster, over the screen above the monster and out onto Lansdowne Street. The Red Sox were back within a run.

Valentin hits his third home run of the evening.

Sidearmer Stan Belinda was brought on for the ninth. A new addition to the team, Belinda was already 3-0 on the season. He had an uneventful inning on the mound, allowing just a 2-out single. The Red Sox faced a 1-run deficit with just a half inning to go. The Mariners brought on their closer Bobby Ayala. Ayala had 8 saves and a 1.89 ERA through May as he took the mound. John Valentin wouldn’t be due up unless six men were sent to the plate.

After the lead man was retired, Red Sox catcher Mike Macfarlane came to the plate. Macfarlane had some power for a catcher and showed it first pitch swinging. He homered to left field for his eighth home run of the young season and tied the game at 5-5.

Extra Innings

The Red Sox had to like where they were at entering extra frames. They had come back from down 5-2 to tie the game. A home run had just tied things up and John Valentin was 4-4 with 3 home runs and due up first in the bottom half of the 10th.

Stan Belinda stayed on the mound for a second inning of work. This was nothing new to Belinda, who had worked for more than an inning in five of his twelve appearances so far on the season. He gave up a leadoff single but retired the next three batters to finish off a second scoreless inning.

John Valentin was due at the plate to face Salomon Torres, the third pitcher he would face on the game. They battled a bit, with the count running full. After fouling off three pitches Valentin laced a 3-2 offering down the line and into the left field corner for a double. After Mo Vaughn was intentionally walked Steve Rodriguez was called upon to bunt. He didn’t do his job, falling behind 0-2 while trying to bunt. He then put one in play, but it wasn’t a good one and Valentin was forced out at third base. With two men still on base, Mike Greenwell lined the first pitch he saw from Torres into left field for the game-winning hit as Vaughn lumbered home with the winning run.

John Valentin’s Night

John Valentin had gone 5-5 with three home runs, a single, double, 3 runs batted in and four runs scored. His 15 total bases were one shy of the franchise record, set by Fred Lynn in Detroit back in 1975. They were also a Major League record for a shortstop, as Valentin became the first shortstop in history to accumulate 15 total bases in one game. Here is the video from that night.