Tag Archives: Red Sox

The Worst Second Basemen in Red Sox History

Moving ahead to the keystone position, these guys are a far cry from Bobby Doerr and Dustin Pedroia. Here are the worst Red Sox second basemen of all-time.

Damian Jackson

Jackson spent one season in Boston, playing all over the field as a utility and replacement player. He batted .261 for the season, not too bad, but his OPS was a measly .617. Admittedly, my distaste for Damian Jackson was just as much Grady Little’s fault as it was Damian Jackson’s. Little used to bring Jackson into games late, despite the fact Jackson often screwed up. Little would pinch-run Jackson, and he would get picked off or caught stealing. He would bring Jackson in for defense, only to have him commit errors. The man did not learn.

Jackson was caught stealing eight times in his one season with the Red Sox, a number that placed him in the worst ten for the league. Little again used Jackson as a pinch-runner in the playoffs. In game one of the ALCS against the Yankees, Jackson pinch ran for Todd Walker in the eighth inning and subsequently got picked off first base.

As for the fielding, Jackson had a mediocre .960 fielding percentage at second base for the Red Sox. He made nine errors amongst all the positions he played that season, making five of them at shortstop with an .881 fielding percentage. He was not a good fielder, yet Little liked to bring him in for defense. In fact, Jackson twice finished in the top five in the National League for errors made before he ever played in Boston. In the 2003 ALDS, Jackson crashed into Johnny Damon going after a pop-up, giving Damon a concussion and causing him to be carted off the field. This play happened two plays after Jackson entered the game as a defensive replacement.

Johnny Damon & Damian Jackson (AP photo)

Ski Melillo

Melillo played for the Red Sox during the 1930’s. Traded for during the 1935 season, Melillo spent the next two seasons as the Red Sox main second baseman. He wasn’t dreadful that first season, batting .260. However, Melillo had nearly no power, posting a .310 slugging percentage. The following season, with his average dropping off to .226, Melillo posted a lousy .287/.287/.575 triple slash line.

In parts of three seasons with Boston, Melillo posted a sub .300 slugging percentage. He batted .245 with a single homer, posting a .608 OPS. If one thinks you can apply a number value to anyone, let alone someone from 80 years ago, Melillo posted a -2.3 WAR. This number was a dreadful -1.9 in 1936. He was definitely not worthy of a starting job.

Moose Solters (left) was traded by the Red Sox to the Browns for Ski Melillo (right) in 1935

Jose Offerman

Offerman was given a four-year 26 million dollar contract by the Boston Red Sox before the 1999 season. His on-base skills were supposed to help replace Mo Vaughn. Offerman had batted .315 with a .403 on-base percentage the previous season. Offerman also led the league in triples with 13 while stealing 45 bases.

Offerman’s good play continued into his first season with the Red Sox. In 1999 he batted .294 and led the league with 11 triples. He had a .391 on-base percentage while making the All-Star Game. If there was a disappointment to his season it was getting caught stealing 12 times in 30 tries. Unfortunately, that was the best season he had stealing bases for the Red Sox.

The next season Offerman’s play fell off. Jose would bat .255 in his second season with the Sox, getting on base at a .354 clip. However, even with the walks boosting his on-base percentage, Offerman didn’t put it to much use. He attempted eight steals that season and was caught all eight times. In 2001 his average rebounded a bit to .267, but he actually got on base less. He also tripled just three times and stole just five bases. Finally, in 2002 he was sent to Seattle after batting just .232 with a .650 OPS.

Offerman was not a horrible player, but he failed to live up to his contract and expectations in having only one good season. He would bat .268 with a .743 OPS during his four seasons. As for his stealing ability, it disappeared in Boston. Despite stealing 45 bases in 1998, Offerman only stole 31 bags over four years with the Red Sox and was caught 27 times.

Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch applied a phantom tag on Jose Offerman, who was called out.
(Boston Globe/ ELISE AMENDOLA/AP)

Dishonorable Mentions:

Dalton Jones, Mark Lemke, Doug Griffin, Chuck Schilling

The Worst First Basemen in Red Sox History

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When you think of Red Sox at certain positions, who comes to mind? Do you think of the greatest there, or the worst? Maybe they both come to mind for you. The worst of the worst leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans and often get remembered for years to come. A couple of guys on this list of the worst first basemen in team history have gotten a lot of publicity for the wrong reasons.

Allen Craig

Allen Craig was a good hitter once upon a time. Between 2011 and 2013 Craig batted .312 for the St. Louis Cardinals. There was slight reason for concern; Craig’s power had dipped in 2013, falling off from 22 home runs to 13. His slugging percentage, which had been over .500 for consecutive seasons, fell to .457. He also was dealing with foot problems and was heading for offseason surgery.

After Craig’s foot surgery he was not the same. In 2014 he batted .237 for the Cardinals and was struggling to drive the ball. He was still hobbled by his surgery, anyone who watched him could see he didn’t run well or move well in the field. The Red Sox must have failed to scout him. At the trade deadline the Red Sox traded one of their best pitchers, John Lackey, for Craig and Joe Kelly. As I said at the time in arguments with my brothers, Allen Craig was a subtraction from the deal, he made it worse rather than add anything positive. He had a big contract and could barely run.

In addition to the rest of the 2014 season, the Red Sox have paid Allen Craig 25.5 million dollars over the past three seasons. In that time he has driven in exactly five runs for the Red Sox. Over 173 at-bats, Craig has hit .139 with two home runs, five runs batted in and a .432 OPS! It’s almost impressive just how bad he has been. He was sent to the minors and hasn’t even been on the 40 man roster the past two seasons. In 2016 Craig batted .173 with a homer over 75 at-bats in Pawtucket. Last season he managed to bat .253 with a single homer over 158 at-bats in AAA. Craig is the worst of the worst.

Tony Clark

There was plenty of reason for optimism when the Red Sox signed Tony Clark for the 2002 season. The Red Sox needed a slugger at first base and Clark appeared to be just that. Since his rookie season of 1996 Clark had hit 153 home runs for the Tigers. This averaged out to 26 home runs per season or 34 home runs per 162 games played. This came with a .278 batting average and .357/.506/.863 triple slash. Those are some pretty impressive numbers. On top of that, Tony Clark had hit the ball very well at Fenway Park. For his career at Fenway Tony Clark had batted .382 with 6 home runs over 110 at-bats. The pairing seemed to be a good one.

Clark’s Red Sox campaign started off as expected. On opening day against the Blue Jays Clark had three hits and a home run, drawing a walk and driving in three. That was pretty much the extent of Clark’s success with the Red Sox. For the season, Clark batted just .207 with three home runs. His OPS was by far a career low, including the rest of his career, at a measly .556. Anyway you measure it, his season in Boston was the worst of his career and an unmitigated disaster.

First baseman Tony Clark of the Boston Red Sox swings at the pitch during the game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on April 13, 2002. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees 7-6. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Danny Cater

Cater is on here more for what was given up to acquire him than he is for his performance. His performance wasn’t good, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the two above him on the list. Cater had bounced around the field, playing both corners of the infield as well as some outfield. He was a solid hitter, but nothing special. Before the Red Sox traded for him he was a .279 career hitter with an OPS of just .695. Who knows what possessed Richard O’Connell to trade Sparky Lyle for him. Lyle was a 27 year old reliever with a 2.85 career ERA and 69 saves. Cater was a 32 year old mediocre hitter.

Lyle pitched the next seven seasons for the Yankees, saving 141 games and winning a Cy Young Award. Cater spent three mediocre seasons with the Red Sox. His first season was by far his most playing time with the Red Sox, accumulating 317 at-bats. He only batted .237 and hit 8 home runs. The following season he actually hit a career high .313, although he only homered once. In his final season he managed to hit five homers in 126 at-bats while batting .246. In three season’s total, Cater batted .262 with 14 home runs and a .685 OPS.

Manny Machado Rumors Heating Up

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Are the Red Sox Going to Do Something?

The quiet Red Sox offseason so far might be heating up soon. According to reports, the Red Sox are interested in Orioles power hitter Manny Machado. Machado hit 33 home runs last season and had a batting average of .259. If the Red Sox do get Machado they would only have him for one season. Now they can do one of two things. One, the Sox get the power hitter they need and trade Xander Bogaerts to at least be competitive with the Yankees. Or they keep the team they have and just watch the Yankees walk away with the division.

Manny Machado Rumors

If the Red Sox land Machado and he works out this year, they could offer an extension to him. But if he doesn’t work out they’re back to where they started this season. The Red Sox really don’t have a farm system. Dave Dombrowski has traded away some good young talent for mediocre talent. Machado and the little leader Dustin Pedroia had some drama last season but seem to have made up since then. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, sources say that it would be misrepresenting to suggest that the Red Sox are on the doorstep or pounding at the door.

Who Will The Red Sox Trade Away?

Jon Morosi from reported on MLB Network “Sources: #RedSox showing continued trade interest in Manny Machado, as I reported this hour on @MLBNetwork in our #MLBTonight segment with @MattYallofMLB“. Will Dan Duquette do business with Dave Dombrowski and make this trade happen? That remains to be seen but the two did work together with the Montreal Expos. The Orioles put Machado on the trading block. But took him off December 20th because they weren’t happy with the offers they were getting. Andrew Benintendi isn’t going anywhere but I would trade Jackie Bradley or Bogaerts.

The Worst Catchers in Red Sox History

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The worst catchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox tend to be guys who played a long time ago, or did not spend much time with the team. These guys are not incredibly well-known, like the best catchers are. See how many of the following names you know or remember playing. Since poor position players are harder to come up with than good ones, I am doing the worst three players at each position.

Marc Sullivan

Marc Sullivan was a 2nd round pick of the Red Sox out of the University of Florida in 1979. Despite not demonstrating the ability to hit in the minors, Sullivan was able to find his way to the majors for a few seasons. Sullivan showed his first bit of promise in professional ball in 1981 when he hit .268 with 14 homers in the low minors. However, the next season in double-a he only batted .203 with a homer. Despite this dreadful showing, he got his first taste of the bigs that September. He spent the entire season of 1984 in the minors while struggling. In 1985 he managed to hit 15 home runs, but only batted .204. In his brief showings in the Major Leagues between 1982 and 1984 he was 5-12 at the plate.

By early 1985 Sullivan was up in the big leagues for good. Sullivan may not have deserved this honor though as he never even batted .200 again. As Rich Gedman’s backup in 1985, Sullivan batted .174. Backing up Gedman again in 1986, Sullivan raised his average to .193, homering just once and posting a .512 OPS. As a reward, he actually started more games at catcher than anyone else for the Red Sox in 1987. Gedman’s play fell off a cliff following his holdout, leading to the extra playing time. Sullivan hit .169 with a career low .435 OPS. He got on base at a .198 clip while slugging to the tune of .238.

Sullivan was at least solid behind the dish, throwing out 24 base stealers in 1987. He threw out 36% of runners for his career. This helped improve his career WAR too a -1.5. His career batting line was .186 with 5 home runs and a .236/.258/.494 triple slash.

Javy Lopez

Lopez wasn’t with the Red Sox long, but he was a big disappointment. Lopez is one of the better offensive catchers in baseball history. For his career he hit .287 and averaged 28 home runs and 93 runs batted in per 162 games played. Most of that production came for the Braves, where he is probably the best catcher in team history. Lopez had been playing with the Orioles since signing with them prior to the 2004 season. After a stellar first season there, Lopez had been okay between 2005 and 2006 when the Red Sox traded for him during the waiver trade period.

Following the injury to Jason Varitek, the Red Sox were looking to add a reliable catcher to pair with Doug Mirabelli. The thought was that Lopez would give the Red Sox some juice behind the plate until Varitek came back. Always a poor backstop, it was his bat that gave him value. Lopez proceeded to hit .190 for the Red Sox. He failed to homer in any of his 63 at-bats, driving in just four runs. With his measly two walks, Lopez posted a .215/.270/.485 batting line with Boston. The team fell out of contention and Lopez was ultimately released shortly after Varitek returned in early September.

Javy Lopez of the Red Sox walks off during the game against the Mariners August 26, 2006 (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Mike Ryan

Ryan was actually a pretty good defensive backstop. His glove and arm was all he really brought to the table. For the time period, he may have been alright as a backup catcher, but was miscast as the Red Sox main catcher for a couple of seasons. He managed to hit three home runs amongst his 17 base hits in 1965. Ryan then became the Red Sox top catcher for the 1966 season. That season he batted .214, the highest total of his career with more than 70 at-bats. Despite the poor offensive showing, Ryan did throw out 34 base runners.

Ryan started for most of the season during the Red Sox “Impossible Dream” season of 1967. He clashed with Dick Williams though, who wanted a better bat behind the plate and questioned Ryan’s game calling abilities. Mike Ryan batted .199 and was eventually replaced as the starting catcher when the Sox acquired Elston Howard. It was his final season in Boston as Williams didn’t want him around anymore.

In total, Mike Ryan batted just .201 with 7 homers and 70 RBI while with the Red Sox. His OPS was just .539 during that time. He did add value behind the plate, throwing out 61 would be base stealers over three seasons. His total WAR was -1.8.

Boston Red Sox players Mike Ryan and Russ Gibson at training camp in Winter Haven, Fla., on March 1, 1967. (Photo by Dan Goshtigian/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Dishonorable Mentions:

Russ Gibson, Dave Valle, Bob Tillman

The Worst Relief Pitchers in Red Sox History

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As one can imagine, there have been many poor relief pitchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox. With over a century’s worth of pitchers in team history, and at a position with many guys on the team, the list is cluttered. Narrowing it down to just five guy’s leaves a lot of “worthy” players on the dishonorable mention list.

Jerry Stephenson

Stephenson was a swingman for the Red Sox during the 1960’s. He both started and relieved during his time, but was a disaster in both roles. Stephenson was 8-19 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while with the Red Sox. This was during the sports best era to be a pitcher since the dead-ball era. These numbers led to a -4.4 WAR for the Red Sox, an astoundingly bad number for a pitcher. Stephenson was even worse as a reliever, posting a 6.65 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in that role.

Ramiro Mendoza

Mendoza pitched for the Red Sox for two seasons, but it was like he was still employed by the Yankees. After spending seven seasons in New York as an effective long reliever, Mendoza was given a 2 year 6.5 million dollar deal by the Red Sox. With the Yankees, Mendoza could come in after a starting pitcher was knocked out early and keep the opponent at bay for several innings while the Yankees clawed their way back into the game. He did it to the Red Sox on multiple occasions.

Mendoza went 16-8 with a 3.60 ERA over his final two seasons with the Yankees. After switching sides of the rivalry, supposedly, Mendoza posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 2003 for the Red Sox. Mendoza did bounce back in 2004 in half a season. He missed about half the year and was not trusted in high leverage situations once he was back. He also faltered down the stretch, allowing eight runs in September and October after allowing four prior to that. Mendoza finished his Red Sox career 5-6 with a 5.73 ERA.

Did Ramiro Mendoza ever really trade in his pinstripes? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Eric Gagne

Gagne was the Red Sox big acquisition for the stretch run in 2007. The Red Sox were the best team in baseball that year but needed another reliable bullpen arm in the later innings. Gagne wasn’t quite the dominant force he had been in Los Angeles when he set the record for most consecutive successful save opportunities, but he was still a good pitcher.

From 2002-05 he was 14-7 with a 1.83 ERA and 160 saves. Gagne missed most of 2006, only pitching two innings. Texas took a chance on him in 2007 and he rewarded them, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves. Texas cashed him in for a few prospects with David Murphy turning out to be the best of the bunch. Murphy went on to have a solid career for the Rangers, while the Red Sox got nothing out of Gagne. Over 20 games Gagne had a 6.75 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP for the Red Sox. Then in the postseason, Gagne allowed three earned runs over 4.1 innings pitched. He was anything but the reliable setup man the Sox thought they were receiving.

Bringing in Eric Gagne was like punting the game. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Craig Hansen

Hansen was the Red Sox 26th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He was supposed to be a rapid riser through the system, a near Major League ready arm. Because of this belief, I think the Red Sox pushed him quicker than was warranted. Hansen made four appearances late that same season. The next season he pitched well overall in the minors, but showed underlying control issues. The Red Sox called him up anyways and he proven unready. Hansen had a 6.63 ERA in the Major Leagues in 2006.

The Red Sox, realizing they may not have allowed Hansen to develop, left him in the minors for all of 2007. This late attempt at a correction didn’t have much effect as Hansen had a 5.58 ERA and almost as many walks as strike outs in 2008. He was then including in the three team deal at the deadline that season that involved Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay. Hansen finished his Red Sox career with a 6.15 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.

Craig Hansen of the Red Sox during a game against the Orioles on May 30, 2008 at Camden Yards. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Todd Frohwirth

Frohwirth was as bad as can be while with the Red Sox. He pitched in 26.2 innings for the Red Sox, and 52 innings for the PawSox. Frohwirth came to the Red Sox after spending three seasons with the division rival Orioles. In Baltimore, he was 17-13 with a 2.71 ERA, so there was reason to be in favor of the acquisition.

Todd Frohwirth had an 0-3 record with the Red Sox in 1994, pitching to an unsightly 10.80 ERA and 2.14 WHIP. Usually pitching two innings or less, Frohwirth allowed three or more runs in four appearances out of 22. After pitching to an ERA north of 10 by June 10th, the Red Sox sent him to the minors. When he returned in August he was no better, allowing 10 runs, seven earned over five innings. He was so bad I remember friends and family referring to him as Todd “throw up.”

Despite a successful three year stint in the Baltimore bullpen, Frohwirth spent a chunk of the 1994 season in Pawtucket.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Skip Lockwood, Mark Melancon, Heathcliff Slocumb, John Wasdin, Matt Mantei, Lenny Dinardo, Emerson Dickman, David Aardsma, Arnold Earley

What MLB Can Give Me for Christmas

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Let’s be clear, I love baseball. While it no longer dominates American sports like it did before the NFL exploded in the 1990’s, baseball remains a great game. Unlike football, it is an international game and the league draws the best talent from around the world. Like the NHL being better after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the influx of the best Eastern European players to North America, Major League Baseball draws the best talent out of Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

But it is a game that can be improved. We previously talked about how baseball can improve the fans experience by fixing the pace-of-play. This article will address larger, more controversial changes that MLB should adopt to improve the quality of the game.

1. Contraction

Over-expansion in the 90’s diluted the talent pool in MLB by forcing players into The Show too early, and in some cases promoting players who previously would have topped out at AAA. This month’s fire sale in Miami only serves to highlight what we’ve known for a long time – there are franchises that are not viable and there are fan bases unworthy of teams.

Major League Baseball needs to stop the charade and eliminate both Florida franchises. Like a third world country devaluing their currency, Miami has routinely sold off their talent to cut payroll and remain solvent in a market that doesn’t support the franchise. Miami was 28^th (of 30) in attendance this year.

Tampa is even worse. Tampa, last in attendance in every year since 2012, can’t fill the Trop even in years when the team is competitive. And they almost never are.

It’s lonely for fans at the Trop.

Keeping Tampa and Miami is tantamount to baseball’s welfare state. Between 2012-2015, Miami received $142M from MLB Revenue Sharing; Tampa $138M. In that same period they were 30^th and 29^th respectively in team payroll rank. The $142M payout from the league to the Marlins represented 57% of the total amount of players’ salaries on their 40-man roster during that same period.

Baseball should stop subsidizing teams that owners can’t afford and cities do not support.

2. Shorten the Season

Why do the “boys of summer” play baseball in the snow? This happens almost every year at the beginning of the season and, depending on who’s in the Fall Classic, could happen at the end of the season. The answer is because the season is simply too long. Major league teams play 162 games over roughly 182 days. There are only twenty off days in a season – five of which occur over the All Star “break”.

Baseball went to the 162-game season in 1962. Prior to that, beginning in 1920, it was 154 games. From 1892 until 1920, it fluctuated between 154, 132, and 140, but for 17 of those 27 years it was 154 games. Put it back.

Cutting eight games off the regular season isn’t going to save the world, but it will save almost two weeks. Between games and travel or off days, MLB can push the opening day back a week and end the regular season a week earlier. But that’s just part one.

The second way to shorten the season is to return to scheduled double headers. Baseball used to routinely schedule double headers but the 2002 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) eliminated them except under special circumstances like a make-up game due to a rain-out.

Returning to regularly scheduled double headers will shorten series and therefore shorten the season. One regularly scheduled double-header per team, per month saves an additional six game-days, which if scheduled properly is almost ten calendar days of the season. Yes, it is hard on players – hence the ’02 CBA. However, the 2012 CBA authorized teams to expand their active rosters to 26 for double headers and, coupled with a reduction in games, the introduction of scheduled double-headers will increase off days.

3. Automated Strike Zone

I enjoy watching Joe West, Hunter Wendelstedt, and Angel Hernandez ruin a good ballgame with inconsistent plate calls as much as the next guy. And by that I mean, not at all. Game to game, inning to inning, and at bat to at bat – strike zone variations are not just frustrating, they are unnecessary.

Embed from Getty Images

In 2016, according to PITCHf/x data from Baseball Savant, home plate umpires correctly called 82.21% of strikes. In other words, they made the wrong call almost 18% of the time. It’s frightening to think that in 2012 it was only 76.8%. Umpires have gone from C students to B-.

Why on earth do we accept this? MLB needs to invest in automated strike zone technology and limited the home plate umpires role to adjudicating swings and misses, foul ball, hit-by-pitches, and out calls. Baseball is a $10 Billion dollar industry, it shouldn’t be left in the hands of B- students.

Fewer teams will improve the leagues financials and reduce the number of not-ready-for-primetime players in the league. A shorter season will keep fans engaged. Better umpiring improves the quality of the game. That’s all I want in my stocking this year.

The Worst Starting Pitchers in Red Sox History

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Starting a new historical series of articles, I will cover the worst Red Sox to ever play at each position. This is the follow-up to my series of the five greatest Red Sox at each position. This one is even trickier, trying to find the worst player over the span of more than a century. I won’t bother with players who barely made an appearance. These articles will use some combination of guys who failed miserably in living up to a contract or hype, and those who just failed miserably.

Red Ruffing

Ruffing tops my list for what he did with the team versus what he did after leaving. Ruffing spent five full seasons in Boston and parts of two others. During that time he won 39 games against 96 losses! Despite this record of 57 games under .500, he ended up making the Hall of Fame. Yes, he is one of the weaker members in the Hall of Fame and probably doesn’t belong in there, but it goes to show what he did after.

After going 39-96 with a 4.61 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, just wretched numbers all around, Ruffing was sent to the Yankees. He ended up winning 231 games over parts of 15 seasons with the Yankees. He won 20 games in four consecutive seasons to close out the 1930’s. Ruffing certainly benefited from a potent Yankees lineup, but he pitched much better with the Yankees. That is why this bum comes in at number one.

Red Ruffing of the Boston Red Sox throwing a ball in 1925. (Photo by Sporting New and Rogers Photo Archive via Getty Images)

Daisuke Matsuzaka

It might seem strange to have a guy who finished in the top five of a Cy Young vote at number 2, but he earned it. Daisuke sat on the Red Sox roster, overpaid, for six seasons. Not wanting to lose on their investment, the Red Sox tried to fit him into the rotation year after year, deserving or not. Including the posting fee, Matsuzaka cost the Red Sox over 100 million dollars. For all that he only won 50 games.

Daisuke was one of the most hyped pitchers I have ever witnessed. He came from Japan with a “gyro ball” and a bunch of other phantom pitches he didn’t actually throw. He was also the most frustrating pitcher I have ever watched, nibbling a couple of inches off the plate once he got to two strikes and seemingly going 3-2 on every batter. As a result, Daisuke rarely went deep into games. In fact, in his good season with the team, 2008, Matsuzaka only averaged 5.2 innings pitched per start. Even when he was good, Daisuke taxed the bullpen and relied on them to close out his wins for several innings.

After winning 33 games over his first two seasons in the states, Daisuke won 17 over his last four seasons with Boston. During that stretch he was 17-22 with a 5.53 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. He also walked 4.5 batters per nine innings during that stretch. He was paid 37 million during those four years, on top of the high posting fee the Red Sox had to pay to even negotiate with him.

Year	Tm	W	L	ERA	GS	CG	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	HBP	WHIP	BB9	SO9
2007	BOS	15	12	4.40	32	1	204.2	191	100	80	201	13	1.324	3.5	8.8
2008	BOS	18	3	2.90	29	0	167.2	128	54	94	154	7	1.324	5.0	8.3
2009	BOS	4	6	5.76	12	0	59.1	81	38	30	54	2	1.871	4.6	8.2
2010	BOS	9	6	4.69	25	0	153.2	137	80	74	133	8	1.373	4.3	7.8
2011	BOS	3	3	5.30	7	0	37.1	32	22	23	26	1	1.473	5.5	6.3
2012	BOS	1	7	8.28	11	0	45.2	58	42	20	41	3	1.708	3.9	8.1
2013	NYM	3	3	4.42	7	0	38.2	32	19	16	33	5	1.241	3.7	7.7
2014	NYM	3	3	3.89	9	0	83.1	62	36	50	78	6	1.344	5.4	8.4
BOS	BOS	50	37	4.52	116	1	668.1	627	336	321	609	34	1.418	4.3	8.2

Jeff Suppan

In the nineties Jeff Suppan was a highly touted Red Sox prospect. A 2nd round pick of the team in 1993, Suppan climbed up the ladder successfully. He breezed through both A ball and AA before continuing his success in AAA, leading to his status as the Red Sox top pitching prospect. Suppan made the majors at the age of 20, which might have led to his not panning out. He had some level of success later on, but over parts of three seasons with the Sox to start his career, he posted a 5.99 ERA over 39 games.

After being okay with Kansas City, Suppan went to the Pirates in 2003. In Pittsburgh he won 10 games with a 3.57 ERA. So, what did the Red Sox do? They traded top prospect Freddy Sanchez amongst others to bring him back for the stretch run. Suppan failed the Red Sox again, posting a 5.57 ERA and being left off the playoff roster. He left for the Cardinals in the offseason and had his two best seasons of his career. In 2004 he finally did the best thing he ever did for the Red Sox; he got picked off third base by David Ortiz in the World Series as part of a double play.

Jeff Suppan of the Boston Red Sox throws against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 7, 2003. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Matt Young

Boston brought in Matt Young with talks of his “great arm”. Despite control problems and underwhelming numbers, the Red Sox gave Young a three-year contract for 6.35 million, big money in those days. Young was coming off a season with 18 losses, although his 3.51 ERA wasn’t so bad. However, since his all-star appearance in his rookie season, Young had gone 40-63 with a 4.52 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. Those are some pretty bad numbers for the 1980’s. Despite this, the Red Sox felt strongly enough in Young’s left arm they gave him a big contract,

Young is most famous for throwing a no-hitter that doesn’t count as one. In April of 1992 he threw an 8 inning no-hitter against the Indians. The reason it doesn’t go into the record books as a no-hitter is because he only pitched eight innings. The reason he only pitched eight innings, well, he lost. Matt Young walked seven batters that day and the Red Sox lost 2-1. This game pretty much sums up Young’s career.

Despite a three-year contract, the Sox released Young before the 1993 season began, getting two seasons out of him. In those two seasons Young was 3-11 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Young walked 5.4 batters per nine innings pitched.

Matt Young of the Boston Red Sox before a game on April 20, 1991 at Fenway Park.(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Steve Avery

Avery came to the Red Sox following a successful stint with the Atlanta Braves. In Atlanta, he teamed with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz to form perhaps the best rotation in baseball. Avery won 72 games with a 3.83 ERA for the Braves over seven seasons. There were reasons to be skeptical however, as Avery’s play had dropped off in recent seasons. From 1991-93 he went 47-25 with a stellar 3.17 ERA. After a decent strike season, Avery fell off the next two years, going 14-23 with a 4.58 ERA. The Red Sox, needing help in their rotation, and a left-hander, signed Avery to a 4.85 million dollar contract with a second year vesting option.

Avery was brutal in 1997 for the Sox, finishing with a 6.42 ERA and 1.82 WHIP. One start shy of his option vesting for 1998, the Red Sox took him out of the rotation. The next month however, not agreeing with the morality of the move, Jimy Williams started Steve Avery for one final game, causing his option to take hold. Avery did do better his second season, going 10-7. He still was not good though, with a 5.02 ERA and 1.55 WHIP. In fact, Avery walked more batters than he struck out that season, 64 to 57. So his two-year totals with his fat contract came to a 5.64 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and -0.7 WAR.

Steve Avery leaves the game after giving up seven runs to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 3rd inning. (TOM MIHALEK/AFP/Getty Images)

Dishonorable Mention:

Mike Smithson, Vaughn Eshelman, John Smoltz, Mike Torrez, Matt Clement, Brian Rose, Gordon Rhodes, Jack Russell

HOT STOVE: Which Marlins Player Should The Red Sox Pursue Now?

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JT Realmuto isn’t the slugger Red Sox faithful imagined coming to the South Shore from South Beach. As an underdog acquisition, Realmuto in Boston could have promise. JD Martinez may be the player who is on everyone’s list this holiday season, and for good reason. I believe Realmuto would come at a low price point that the Sox can easily afford, as a compliment to a Martinez deal.

Realmuto is Real Deal:

As Craig Mish reported this morning around 10 am EST, Realmuto has approached Miami’s front office about being traded. You have to imagine Jeter is licking his chops, and is ready to deal out another player.

It would not come as a surprise if most Boston fans have not heard of JT Realmuto. He is an impressive catcher, who is starting to show progress each year at the plate, in his year 26 season. Although Realmuto has yet to add any accolades to his young career, there is room to improve. To me, JT is very reminiscent of a young Jason Varitek. With the captain a new member of the Red Sox front office, it may be destiny. Varitek’s role with the organization was described as a boots on the ground position. He will be more involved with player development, rather than any behind the desk work for the Red Sox. So, in theory, Tek could mold Realmuto into the leader he was, but that seems like another Red Sox dream that is too good to be true.

The tough part of this trade, is the realization that Christian Vazquez isn’t the catcher of the future. Vazquez does have incredible value right now, coming off the season he had last year. But five home runs for the worst power team in the league doesn’t seem like a solution for 2018. Vazquez’s batting statistics are improving, and defensive metrics are sublime. Yet the two catchers are identical in age, and Realmuto checks more boxes in his MLB progression than Vazquez. Realmuto more than doubles most of Vazquez’s run production at the plate. Finding a catcher who can produce those numbers is valuable and realistic, especially when their first name isn’t Buster.

youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZpZBJQwkeY

(all sporst NEWS)

Why Not Yelich:

To me, this seems a bit more realistic and practical than any trades for Christian Yelich. Yelich does have more superstar status than Realmuto, but what Yelich provides is no different than what you’d trade to get the silver slugger outfielder.

Personally, these statistics are not drastically different than Realmuto. The Red Sox outfield, compared to catching, has a bit more stability. The Red Sox rumored to trade Jackie Bradley Jr. in a Yelich deal, which to me seems like insanity. The benefits in getting Yelich may be in his two years of youth that JBJ may not have, but the stats between these two aren’t drastically different enough for me to press the big red button on Yelich.

It would be ideal for Red Sox fans see JD and JT under the tree this winter. This period in the offseason is hopefully the quiet before the storm of Red Sox trades. If these aren’t the guys on your Red Sox holiday list, who would you like to see in Boston come spring?

Let Dave Dombrowski Do His Job

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In August of 2015, the Boston Red Sox put an end to the Ben Cherington reign. The man who shoveled loads of money to Pablo Sandoval was out the door, and in came a breath of fresh air: Dave Dombrowski.

Before Boston

Dave Dombrowski made his name with the Florida Marlins in the late 1990s under then owner John Henry (current Red Sox owner). In 1997, the Florida Marlins won the World Series with Dave Dombrowski at the helm.

After his tenure in Florida, Dave Dombrowski made his way up to the Detroit Tigers. While he never won a World Series with the Tigers, he always made sure his team was in position to win. Dombrowski was known for bringing in the likes of Miguel Cabrera, David Price, Ian Kinsler, Prince Fielder, and Max Scherzer.

After finally grasping things in Detroit, he made sure Detroit was in contention for almost his entire tenure.

On August 4th, 2015; Dave Dombrowski was released from Detroit, and reeled into Boston two weeks later as the newest President of Baseball Operations.

2016: First Season in Boston

Boston was coming off of two straight last place finished in the AL East. Going into Dombrowski’s first offseason in Boston the Red Sox had two clear needs: starting pitching, and a closer. Dave Dombrowski wasted no time getting to work, his first off-season was highlighted by acquiring star closer Craig Kimbrel, above average reliever in Carson Smith, and the best pitcher on the market: David Price.

Going into his first trade deadline in Boston, the Red Sox had another need for starting pitching. Dave Dombrowski soon thereafter acquired all-star Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. The price that Dave paid was steep, dropping jaws of many around the league. Looking back, Anderson Espinoza had to undergo Tommy-John surgery, and Drew Pomeranz just had his best season in the MLB dawning a Boston uniform.

Also having a need for relief pitching at the deadline of 2016, Dave Dombrowski traded for Brad Ziegler; filling yet another need that the Boston Red Sox had.

In 2016, after two straight seasons finishing in last place, Dave Dombrowski’s Red Sox won the A.L. East.

After finishing at the top of the A.L. East, but not making any noise in the playoffs, Dave Dombrowski was not going into 2017 with the same roster.

2017: Second Season in Boston

In early December, Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox acquired Chris Sale from the White Sox for prospects Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz.

The price that Dave Dombrowski paid was enormous, but to bring in one of the top five pitchers in the world, Chris Sale, truly put the league on notice: Dave Dombrowski will do whatever it takes to win a championship.

With first place in sight again for 2017, Dave Dombrowski was not going to sit still at the trade deadline. The Red Sox again found themselves in need of relief pitching as well as infield help. Dave Dombrowski, to no surprise, went out and filled both needs with Addison Reed and Eduardo Nunez.

There are a few connections that can be drawn in this article:

1.) Dave Dombrowski has put two straight first place finishes on the field.

It is no coincidence that as soon as Dave Dombrowski heads to Boston, they go from two straight last place finishes before, to two straight first place finishes with him.

2.) Dave Dombrowski always fills the Red Sox needs.

Since Dave has been here, the Red Sox have yet to have a need at a position, either in the off-season or trade deadline, and not had it filled. He is always willing to do whatever it takes to put the best team on the field.

2018: Third Season in Boston

So here we are at the Winter Meetings before Dave Dombrowski’s third season with the Red Sox. He has never left us hanging. He has always made moves to better the roster, that cannot be denied.

Dave Dombrowski has been very vocal in saying that the Red Sox need a middle-of-the-order bat. Given what you know about his track record in Boston, what are the odds that he does not fill this need?

Do yourselves a favor and relax. Do not allow other team’s moves to put you in a state of panic. Give this man time. He always comes through for Boston, and will continue to fill every need and put the best team he can onto the field.

In Dave Dombrowski we trust.

Top Five Boston Sports Moments of 2017

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It’s December, which means 2018 is right around the corner. A lot of things happened this year in Boston sports from the Patriots winning the Super Bowl to Kyrie Irving being a Boston Celtic. Claude Julien is no longer the coach of the Bruins and the Red Sox are looking to add a power hitter after the Yankees just got Stanton. It’s been a year of up and downs the Red Sox fired John Farrell and hired Alex Cora who is coming off a World Series win with the Houston Astros. Here are my top five Boston sports moments of 2017:

5. CLAUDE JULIEN GETTING FIRED:

The same day the Patriots had their victory parade after winning the Super Bowl The Bruins fired Claude Julien. Don Sweeney spoke about firing Julien saying.

“I had come to a conclusion that in moving this group forward with an eye toward the plans that have been put in place, that I wasn’t willing to commit to a longer term basis with Claude”.

Claude didn’t really interact with the younger guys on the team. Bruce Cassidy took over and is playing the younger guys which is giving the Bruins a better shot at winning.

4. JOHN FARRELL GETTING FIRED:

John Farrell exits as Red Sox manager.

After the Boston Red Sox were eliminated from the playoffs Dave Dombrowski fired John Farrell. The reason it’s number four on this list is because it was a move that had to be made and long time coming. It’s a fact that back-to-back division wins isn’t good enough, and they needed a change. The Red Sox hired Alex Cora as the new manager going forward. In conclusion John Farrell spoke about being fired last week in an interview on MLB Network saying:

“Hey, every situation has a shelf life and a change was made. I respect the change that did take place.”

3. JIMMY GAROPPOLO GETS TRADED:

Jimmy Garoppolo got traded to the San Francisco 49ers. This came a shock to many Patriots fans as they thought he would be the successor to Tom Brady. As a result Tom Brady at age 40 seems to not be slowing down anytime soon and still playing at a high level. Jimmy Garoppolo is 2-0 as a starter for the 49ers and 4-0 lifetime as a starter. General Manager for the 49ers John Lynch spoke after the trade:

“I am extremely pleased this came together today and we all think it is a big win for our organization”.

Brian Hoyer was the old backup for the 49ers singed back with the Patriots.

2. KYRIE IRVING GETS TRADED TO THE CELTICS:

The NBA off-season was a win for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics traded for Kyrie Irving sending Isaiah Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers. When the trade happened it shocked a lot of fans around the Boston area and in Cleveland. It was obvious Irving wanted to get away from LeBron James and win on his own. The Celtics also singed Gordon Hayward. But as he looks to make it back for at least the playoffs, Irving sets the tone for the Celtics and is the leader of the team. The Celtics currently have one of the best records in the NBA.

1. THE PATRIOTS WIN SUPER BOWL LI:

Number one on this list is pretty obvious. Super Bowl LI was not only the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, it was a landmark for Tom Brady. There is no question Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. He and the Patriots never gave up in the game. They had the right leader leading the comeback. The best part of it a the Super Bowl win after Tom Brady’s suspension. The Patriots are on a clear path this year too as they’ll win the division game AFC Championship and go to the Super Bowl again.

2017 was a great year in Boston sports and it shows that Boston is the best sports city in the country. For 2018 it will be a fun exciting and roller coaster ride for the Boston Sports teams. How will the Red Sox respond to Stanton going to the Yankees? How will Alex Cora do as the manager? Will the Patriots win the Super Bowl? Are the Bruins going to make the playoffs? Will the Celtics make the NBA Finals? We’ll find out next year!