The numbers have been processed and the scores have been tallied. We have our top 25 Red Sox pitchers ready to be presented but, before we cycle through the best in team history, let’s see who just missed the cut. After all, these Boston legends were so close to making the rotation or the relief corps…

26. Curt Schilling
RHP, 2004-2008 - 53-29, 3.95 ERA, 574 SO, 9 SV, one All-Star selection
Sixteen years after being part of a mid-season deal that sent him to Baltimore for Mike Boddicker, Schilling returned in 2004 looking to “help break a 86-year-old curse” and did just that, giving his all in winning 21 games during the regular season, posting a 3.26 ERA and 203 strikeouts. He also posted nine saves in 2005 after coming off the disabled list to fill in for regular closer Keith Foulke. In his time here, he’s averaged 7.65 strikeouts against only 1.44 BB per nine innings pitched, placing him fourth and second all-time in franchise history and giving him a strikeout-to-walk ratio second only to Pedro Martinez.

27. Dick Radatz
RHP, 1962-1966 - 49-32, 2.65 ERA, 627 SO, 104 SV, two All-Star selections
He was “the Monster” before that name was given to the left-field wall at Fenway Park, throwing his arms up in triumph after finishing a game for the Sox. Between 1962 and 1965, he averaged 25 saves at a time that the statistic didn’t exist, and he often pitched two or three innings to earn it. He ranks first in hits allowed per nine innings pitched, second in strikeouts per nine innings pitcher, second in games finished, and ninth in WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched)

28. Bruce Hurst
LHP, 1980-1988 - 88-73, 4.23 ERA, 1043 SO, one All-Star selection
He is arguably the best left-handed pitcher in recent years with Boston, a place where southpaws usually struggle. Between 1986 and 1988, he was a remarkable 33-9 at Fenway Park and, in team history, ranks second behind former Boston lefty Mel Parnell with 56 at the place the Red Sox call home. Hurst is one of only six pitchers to record at least 1000 strikeouts in a Boston uniform and also ranks seventh all-time in strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

29. Frank Sullivan
RHP, 1953-1960 - 90-80, 3.47 ERA, 72 CG, 821 SO, two-time All-Star selection
Sullivan was nothing short of a workhorse for the Red Sox during the 1950s. He twice won at least 15 games for the Sox, leading the league in wins with 18 and innings pitched with 260 in 1955 while posting a 2.91 ERA.

30. Roger Moret
RHP, 1970-1975 - 41-18, 3.43 ERA
The sidearm-throwing Moret twice led the American League in win percentage, going 13-2 and 1973 and 14-3 in 1975 for the Sox, though he started only about half of his appearances those seasons. In 1973, he started the season 11-0, including six straight starts at one point, which places him second only behind Roger Clemens for number of wins to start a season without a loss.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Bruce Hurst, Curt Schilling, Dick Radatz, Frank Sullivan, Roger Moret

The numbers have been processed and the scores have been tallied. We have our top 25 Red Sox positional players ready to be presented but, before we cycle through the best in team history, let’s see who just missed the cut. After all, these Boston legends were so close to making the roster…

26. Frank Malzone
3B, 1955-1965, .276 BA, three-time Gold Glove winner, six-time All-Star
From 1957 through 1964, Malzone was Boston’s everyday third baseman, averaging around 15 home runs and just over 80 RBI per season. In 1957, he was the first player honored with a Gold Glove at third base, and he won it the following two years representing the American League. Five times, he started in the All-Star Game representing Boston. In team history, he ranks ninth in total hits with 1454.

27. Larry Gardner
3B, 1908-1917, .282 BA, 87 3B, 134 SB, 182 SF
When speed mattered, Gardner was one of the best in team history. He ranks fifth all-time in triples by a Boston player with 87, hitting 18 in 1912 and setting a personal best with 19 in 1914. He also swiped 134 bases with Boston, which also places him fifth in franchise history, and recorded 182 sacrifice hits, good enough for third all-time. Between 1912 and 1917, as Boston’s regular third baseman, he played part in three world championships; he later earned another ring with Cleveland and former Red Sox outfielder Tris Speaker in 1920.

28. Johnny Damon
CF, 2002-2005 - .295 BA, 461 R, 98 SB, two-time All Star
He may have been a self-proclaimed “idiot” but Damon was an integral part of the 2004 World Series champions, setting highs of 123 runs scored, 20 home runs, and 94 RBI while his long, dark locks chased him around the bases. In four seasons with Boston, he averaged 115 runs, nearly 25 stolen bases, and 75 RBI per season while averaging just under .300.

29. Ellis Burks
CF, 1987-1992, 2004 - .280 BA, 94 HR, 388 RBI, 95 SB, one Gold Glove
As a rookie, Burks was just the third player in team history to hits at least 20 HR and steal 20 bases in one season. When he was healthy, he was phenomenal; in 1988, he hit another 18 home runs, drove in 92, scored 93 times, and stole 25 bases while batting .294. He also displayed great range in center field, earning a Gold Glove in 1990. That same year, he earned his only All-Star selection with the team, hitting 21 home runs and batting .296 while also taking home Silver Slugger honors.

30. Trot Nixon
RF, 1996-2006 - .278 BA, 133 HR, 523 RBI, 547 R
Nixon was the true definition of a “dirt dog” - tough, gritty, and willing to do whatever was necessary for the team; that, in turn, earned him the admiration of not only his teammates but the Boston fans. In seven full seasons - not including the 2004 season in which he missed all but 48 games - he averaged 18 home runs and 71 RBI while showing great range in Fenway Park’s tricky right field.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Ellis Burks, Frank Malzone, Johnny Damon, Larry Gardner, Trot Nixon

Over 1200 players have picked up a bat and over 700 players have thrown a pitch wearing a Boston uniform, so who has made the most of his opportunity with the franchise? FenwayFanatics.com, home to Boston Red Sox fans everywhere, presents a new series this season that takes a look at the all-time top 25 pitchers and positional players in franchise history. Players past and present who have played at least four years in Boston are ranked according to totals accumulated with the Red Sox through the end of the 2007 season.

To further qualify, pitchers must have started at least 50 games or made 100 appearances and thrown a minimum of 440 innings, while positional players must then have a combined totaled of at least 720 at-bats and walks and played a minimum of 200 games. Rankings are then decided strictly by regular season numbers, so post-season heroics don’t count here, nor do Cy Young and MVP awards, batting titles, no-hitters, and All-Star selections, among others outside factors.

Our inspiration comes from Baseball-Reference.com, the definitive site for statistics tied to every player in Major League Baseball history. In addition to providing the batting, pitching, and fielding statistics of each player, it also ranks players based on the statistics and accomplishments of former players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of those is the Hall of Fame Career Standards measurement, which is used “…to measure the overall quality of a player’s career as opposed to single brilliance (peak value)…”[1] and based primarily on similar methods used by Bill James in his book, The Politics of Glory. From there, we tweaked the formula for our own use[2] and the results will be published here over the next six months. Stay tuned!

[1] Leader Glossary. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 07 April 2008.
[2] FenwayFanatics.com All-Time Top 25 Rankings Explained.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, top players

On the last play of Wednesday afternoon’s game in Oakland, Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis collected a ground ball from Athletics left fielder Jack Cust and recorded the out at first unassisted; in the process, he set a new major league record for consecutive error-free games by a first baseman with 194. That mark breaks the old mark held by former big leaguer Steve Garvey, who set the mark between June 1983 and April 1985 with the San Diego Padres. Youkilis also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI single in Boston’s 5-0 win over Oakland.

In 2007, Youkilis broke Stuffy McInnis’s old team record of 119 games and then surpassed the old American League mark of 178 straight games by Mike Hegan. At season’s end, Youkilis not only finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage but was awarded a Gold Glove, the only Red Sox first baseman other than George “Boomer” Scott to win the award at that position. Oddly enough, Youkilis originally joined Boston as a third baseman in 2004 but transitioned to first base full-time in 2006, though he did have some minor league experience at that position.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, George Scott, Kevin Youkilis, Stuffy McInnis

01 April 1998 - On this day ten years ago, Pedro Martinez makes his debut with the Boston Red Sox, strikes out 11 batters, and allows only three hits in a 2-0 win over the Athletics in Oakland. Martinez, who had pitched the previous four seasons in Montreal, had signed as a free agent with Boston over the off-season in a deal that guaranteed six years and $72.7 million, with a club option for a seventh season at $17.5 million. The previous season, he had posted 17 wins in 31 starts with a 1.90 ERA and 305 strikeouts, easily winning the National League Cy Young award. With the game starting late on the West Coast at 10:40 PM ET, Martinez set down the first eleven batters he faced before giving up a line-drive single to left field to Ben Grieve. The only real threat came in the seventh when back-to-back singles followed by a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out; however, facing his last two batters of the night, Martinez struck out catcher A.J. Hinch and center fielder Jason McDonald to keep Oakland off the board. Darren Bragg provided the only run the Red Sox would need in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Darren Lewis, and John Valentin added an insurance run in the seventh with a sac fly that plated Bragg.

Martinez would go on to finish second in the American League Cy Young vote that season behind former Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens, posting a 19-7 record with a 2.89 ERA and 251 strikeouts in 33 starts. The following year, he joined Randy Johnson as the first pitchers to win a Cy Young award in both leagues, the first of two consecutive awards for the ace. In seven seasons with Boston, Martinez would win 117 games against 37 losses, post a 2.52 ERA, and strike out 1683 batters in nearly 1400 innings of work. He would also be part of the club in 2004 that won Boston’s first World Series championship in 86 years, winning Game Three of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals with seven scoreless innings of work. Through 2007, his won-loss percentage of .760 puts him first in franchise history, his win total puts him tied for sixth, and his strikeout total puts him second behind Clemens, though just three ahead of current Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.

Tags: Boston Red Sox, John Valentin, Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens

With the opening game of the 2008 Major League Baseball season set to begin in less than 12 hours, the defending 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox will bid sayonara to the memories of last season and focus on becoming the first team since the 2000 New York Yankees to successfully defend their title. The road to a possible third championship in the last five seasons begins at the Tokyo Dome in Japan with the Sox facing the Oakland Athletics, with native son Daisuke Matsuzaka set to square off against Joe Blanton. Matsuzaka, who won 15 games in his first full season with Boston in 2007, pitched eight seasons before last season with the Seibu Lions and made his professional debut at the very same venue in 1999. Joining him will be teammate and Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima, another former Japanese baseball star who also spent his first season in the majors last season with Boston after 11 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants and one year with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Tomorrow’s contest, set to begin at 6:05 AM ET, is the first of two games in Japan between the American League rivals as Boston’s Jon Lester and Oakland’s Rich Harden will face either other in the second game on Wednesday morning. Both teams will then return to the US and face off in two more games during MLB Opening Week starting 01 April at McAfee Coliseum. The Red Sox then fly to Toronto to face the Blue Jays over the weekend at the Rogers Centre before opening Fenway Park on 08 April against the Detroit Tigers. Boston’s first tilt with New York comes just a few days as the Yankees invade Fenway for three games beginning 11 April.

Boston’s roster remains virtually the same this season, with defending World Series MVP Mike Lowell returning to his position at third base after signing a three-year deal with the Red Sox. The most noticeable difference is in center field, where Jacoby Ellsbury is slated to start the opener in place of Coco Crisp, who has been hampered this spring by a nagging groin injury. Ellsbury stepped in for Crisp during last post-season’s run to the championship, playing the last six games after the latter player got off to a slow start in October. A quick start to the season may find Crisp relegated to a bench role or possibly traded elsewhere.

Other returning positional players include: a healthy David Ortiz, who had successful off-season surgery on his knee that gave him trouble for most of last season; left fielder Manny Ramirez, who is in the last season of a guaranteed eight-year deal with Boston that will pay him another $20 million this season, with the Red Sox holding the option on an additional two years; 2007 Gold Glove winner Kevin Youkilis, who will set a new Major League record for consecutive error-free games at first base if he remains perfect in the field for another four games; 2007 Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia; veteran catcher Jason Varitek; shortstop Julio Lugo; and right fielder J.D. Drew.

Pitcher Josh Beckett, who won all four starts in the post-season, will likely begin the season on the disabled list due to back spasms; he is expected to return to the lineup by the second full week of the season, possibly in time for the opening series at Fenway Park. Another veteran pitcher who will spend far more time on the DL is Curt Schilling, who is out until mid-season at the earliest due to a shoulder injury. Schilling’s injury means that Clay Buchholz, whom the Sox had hoped to start at Triple-A Pawtucket, will instead begin the season with the parent club. Depending on the progress of former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon, assigned to the minors after signing a free-agent deal this month by Boston, Buchholz may eventually return to the farm to continue development.

On a more positive note, Tim Wakfield returns for his 14th season in Boston after winning 17 games last year to tie his career high in that category. Jonathan Papelbon also returns as the Red Sox closer, looking to surpass 30 saves for the third time in three years this season after recording the last out of the 2007 World Series. Terry Francona also returns with a new deal to manage Boston at least through the 2011 season after becoming the first skipper to win his first eight World Series contests and only the second Red Sox manager to win two titles with the franchise.

As the Boston Red Sox head to Japan to play the first two games of its 2008 regular season schedule in Tokyo against the Oakland Athletics, it is interesting to note that, as well as having had Japanese players like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima play for Boston, there have been several non-Japanese players with past Red Sox teams that have also logged time with a Far East baseball club.. Perhaps the most well-known of these players is former outfielder and recent Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee Mike Greenwell, who signed on to play with the Hanshin Tigers in 1997 after twelve seasons with Boston. However, “the Gator” unexpectedly left the team during spring training while claiming an undiagnosed back injury, abruptly flew back to the United States, then returned to Japan and rejoined the team in late April. He finally played his first Japanese professional game in early May but, after fracturing his foot with a foul tip, announced his official retirement from baseball after batting .231 in just seven games with the club.[1]

Outfielder Reggie Smith was another former Red Sox great who later played in Japan, though his move to Japan came ten years after he departed Boston. After playing his final season in the majors with the San Francisco Giants in 1982, Smith was lured to Japan to play for the Yomiuri Giants; however, his personality and demeanor immediately clashed with the expectations of the Japanese fans and the media with regards to the norm for a baseball player. After injuring his knee early in the 1983 season, he was dubbed “Million-Dollar Bench-Warmer” by the Japanese media as he sat for two months nursing the injury; he also earned another less-honorable nickname, the “Giant Human Fan,” for striking out too often. Despite this, in just 263 at-bats, he managed a batting average of .285 with 28 home runs, a .409 on-base percentage, and a .609 slugging percentage.[2]

One other more-recent Boston player who donned spikes in the Land of the Rising Sun was Gabe Kapler who, lured by a lucrative contract offer, departed the Red Sox a month after the team won the World Series in 2004 and joined the Yomiuri club. However, after batting just .153 (17-for-111) with three home runs and six RBI in 38 games with the Giants, the team put the veteran outfielder on waivers and Kapler returned to the Red Sox in June of 2005. In addition, other non-Japanese players who have worn both a Boston uniform as well as one for a Japanese club include: John Wasdin, who played for the Red Sox between 1997 and 2000, then signed for one season with Yomiuri in 2002; Larry Parrish, who played a half-season with the Sox in 1988, then played a season each with the Yakult Swallows (1989) and Hanshin (1990); Kip Gross, who played five seasons in Japan for the Nippon Ham Fighters (1994-1998), then returned to the United States to play for Boston for one season (1999); and Benny Agbayani, who also played 13 games for Boston in 2002 and has played the last four seasons for the Chiba Lotte Marines (2004-2007).

[1] Mike Greenwell - BR Bullpen
[2] Reggie Smith - BR Bullpen

Tags: Boston Red Sox, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Mike Greenwell, Reggie Smith

17 March 1971 - On this day thirty-seven years ago, former Boston Red Sox third baseman and American League batting champion Bill Mueller is born in Maryland Heights, MO. Drafted by San Francisco in 1993, Mueller signed as a free agent with the Red Sox in January of 2003 and hit .326 over 146 games in his first season with Boston, good enough to win the AL batting title over teammate Manny Ramirez. The switch-hitting Mueller also became the first player in history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in one game on 29 July of that season in a 14-7 win over the Rangers in Texas, and he set career-highs with 45 doubles and 19 home runs.

The next season, Mueller missed significant time due to injury between mid-May and early July, limiting him to just 110 games, and his average dropped to .283; even so, he was part of some memorable moments in Boston’s championship run in 2004. In late July, his walk-off home run against the Yankees at Fenway Park ended a see-saw affair that witnessed Boston catcher Jason Varitek and New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez square off after pitcher Bronson Arroyo hit Rodriguez with a pitch. Then, with Boston down to its last three outs of the AL Championship Series against New York, Mueller’s single up the middle off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, following Dave Roberts’ infamous steal of second base, tied the score at four; David Ortiz would eventually win the game with a walk-off home run three innings later. Overall, Mueller would bat .321 in the 2004 post-season, including .429 in the World Series with two RBI, as Boston won its first world championship in 86 years.

Mueller remained for one more season with the Red Sox, playing in 150 games and batting .295 in 2005, before leaving Boston as a free agent and signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, his career would soon end; he appeared in just 35 games for Los Angeles before a knee injury, the third of his career, ended his season in early May. Mueller would eventually retire after the 2006 season to join the front office of the Dodgers.

Tags: Bill Mueller, Boston Red Sox, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek

It might not equal the excitement of winning a World Series championship but, thanks in part to Red Sox veterans Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Jason Varitek, Boston won its second consecutive Mayor’s Cup over Minnesota, beating the Twins 12-7 Wednesday afternoon to take the Grapefruit League “series” three games to two. Boston had won the first two contests against Minnesota this spring but the Twins came back with consecutive wins against the Sox to force a deciding Game Five at Hammond Stadium. Clay Buchholz, looking to secure a spot in the starting rotation with Boston, earned the decision with 3-2/3 innings of work, beating Francisco Liriano and earning his first decision of the spring. Meanwhile, Varitek hit his second home run in exhibition play while Ramirez went 2-for-2 and Ortiz went 2-for-3, each with an RBI. As both teams spring training facilities are located in Fort Myers, FL — the Red Sox reside at City of Palms Park — the two teams often play each other at least five times in Grapefruit League action. Thus, the Mayor’s Cup is awarded annually to the team that wins the most games against its cross-town rival. Last season, Boston took its first cup home since 2004, also winning three out of five contests between the two clubs.

The Sox will have six more games in the next seven days before leaving Fort Myers to fly to Japan; there, they will play two exhibition contests against Japanese clubs before opening the regular season a week early with a two-game series against the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome beginning 25 March. Boston then returns to the states to play its final three games of the spring against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the second match scheduled to be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The regular season then resumes for the Red Sox on 01 April with two against the Athletics in Oakland at McAfee Coliseum.

[Ed. Note: Thanks to Red Sox Connection for the tip on a great cause!]

When the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox return to Fenway Park for their 2008 home opener on Tuesday, 08 April, all of Red Sox Nation will have the opportunity to Rally Against Cancer simply by wearing a Red Sox hat or shirt to work or class. In honor of Rally Against Cancer Day, 08 April 2008, all businesses and schools throughout New England are asked to encourage their staff and students to wear their favorite Red Sox apparel to work or school that day. To Rally Against Cancer, employees and students must each pitch in $5 to help the Jimmy Fund’s quest to beat cancer. The top fundraising business and school team will each win a visit from Red Sox infielder Dustin Pedroia.

“Unfortunately, everyone can’t be at Fenway Park for the home opener,” says Pedroia, honorary chair of Rally Against Cancer, “so this is a great alternative for fans to show support for my two favorite home town teams, the Red Sox and the Jimmy Fund.” To get started, every team must designate a coach to help build the roster and the team’s fundraising total, which will be calculated at 11:00 PM on 08 April 2008. The coaches’ main job is to motivate co-workers and help the company or school become a sea of Red Sox gear on the day of the home opener. Interested businesses and schools can step up to the plate and register at www.rallyagainstcancer.org.

Almost everyone has been affected in some way by cancer. When you join the Rally, you help further cancer research while rooting for the Red Sox, and provide hope to adults and children being treated for cancer worldwide. “I’ve been to Dana-Farber and seen first-hand how overwhelming and life-altering cancer can be for families and patients,” adds Pedroia. “Rally Against Cancer is an easy and fun way for everyone to help the Jimmy Fund, ultimately giving hope to the people who are fighting this awful disease.” Rallying against cancer is as easy as putting on a Sox hat and T-shirt. It’s a great way to build team spirit among co-workers and students, and all contributions will be made and tallied online, eliminating the need to collect and/or send any cash.

For more information, contact Charles Savicki at 617-632-5420, visit www.rallyagainstcancer.org, or view a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

About The Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund supports the fight against cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a world-renowned pioneer in discovering and developing innovative, effective cancer therapies for adults and children. Founded in 1948, the Jimmy Fund is an official charity of the Boston Red Sox.