In team history, only five players have had at least two three-home-run games: Betts, Williams, Mo Vaughn, Jim Rice, and Nomar Garciaparra, the latter three having done it exactly twice. Famously, Garciaparra had two grand slams and ten RBI in his first game and totaled three slams and 18 RBI over his two games; in comparison, Betts has 19 RBI over his four games. Other Red Sox players who have had at least one grand slam in a three-home-run game include Williams, Norm Zauchin, Jim Tabor (two in his one game), Bill Mueller (two in his one game), and Jack Clark.

Betts also joins some elite company in Major League Baseball as one of only 17 players to have four or more three-home-run games. The current record is six games, which is held by Sammy Sosa and Johnny Mize. Five players have done it five times: Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Dave Kingman, Carlos Delgado, and Joe Carter. After that, tied with Betts with four games each are Willie Stargell, Aramis Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Larry Parrish, Ralph Kiner, Lou Gehrig, Steve Finley, Barry Bonds, and Ernie Banks.

Of these players, only Delgado and Gehrig hit four home runs in a game, a high water mark held collectively by 16 major league players; no Red Sox player has ever accomplished this rare feat.

In team history, 18 other players have hit at least three home runs in a game, including two current teammates, Hanley Ramirez and Dustin Pedroia. Ramirez accomplished the feat on 20 July 2016 against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park, while Pedroia hit three in a game back on 24 June 2010 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Of note: of all MLB players who have had multiple three home run games, not one has done it for Boston and at least one other team.

Boston enjoyed a relatively successful if rather low-key spring training. Basking in the warmth of the Florida sun at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers while New England enjoy four March Nor’easters, the Red Sox went 22-9-1, winning 14 of their last 15 and five of six against the Minnesota Twins to claim the Mayor’s Cup (if that is still a thing). With the roster now final, baseball begins for real today in Tampa Bay with the Red Sox in town for four against the Rays; let’s catch up on the state of the team as Opening Day dawns across the league.

The Outfield

One of the few new faces in the dugout is that of outfielder J.D. Martinez, who signed as a free agent early in spring training. With a solid outfield trio in Andrew Benintendi (LF), Jackie Bradley, Jr. (CF), and Mookie Betts (RF), Martinez will most likely see time as the team’s DH, but will get some opportunity to show off his glove. The seven-year veteran has a career split of .285/.342/.514 coupled with 152 home runs and a 130 OPS+. In 2017, he split time between Detroit and Arizona, pacing the latter with 29 home runs and a 1.107 OPS to lead the Diamondbacks to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

The Infield

The presence of Martinez means that last year’s primary DH, Hanley Ramirez, will move back to first base where he was stationed in 2016. This will result in less playing time for Mitch Moreland, who returns after a successful 2017 season as the primary DH. With Dustin Pedroia on the DL, Eduardo Nunez gets the Opening Day start at second base; this marks the first time since 2006 that the Muddy Chicken doesn’t have that honor for the Red Sox.

On the left side of the infield, Xander Bogaerts returns at shortstop, continuing some stability at the position for the first time since the days of Nomar Garciaparra, while 21-year-old Rafael Devers, in his second year with the club (he is ineligible for rookie status as he had more than 130 at-bats last season), gets the starting nod at third base. Brock Holt also returns in a utility role after Boston sent Deven Marrero to Arizona late in spring training.

The Backstop

In another move late in spring training, the Red Sox signed catcher Christian Vazquez to a three-year extension, signaling to everyone that he is the primary catcher moving forward with the club for the near future. That said, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart return as well; Leon should service as the backup catcher, while Swihart will serve more in a utility role and spend time in the outfield.

The Rotation

Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello are the easy choices for the first three spots; after that, it gets a little spotty. With Steven Wright, Eduardo Rodriguez , and Drew Pomeranz all on the DL to begin the season, and with Wright further suspended 15 games for domestic violence stemming from an off-season incident, the back half of the rotation will be anchored by Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez. Once healthy and after completing his suspension, Wright should be eligible to return to the roster by the end of April, while Rodriguez should be ready by mid-April; there is no timetable on Pomeranz’s return.

The Bullpen

The bullpen remains a key strength of this team heading into the season. Craig Kimbrel enjoyed a monster 2017 season and expectations are high for him again in 2018 despite missing most of spring training to attend to a family matter. Also returning is Carson Smith, who is finally healthy after just 11 appearances over the last two seasons, as well as Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, and Heath Hembree. Also in the mix are two rookies: 2015 draft choice Bobby Poyner, who posted a 0.87 ERA over 10.1 innings pitcher in 10 appearances this spring, and 10-year minor league veteran Marcus Walden, who posted a 0.64 ERA over 14 IP in eight appearances.

His career appearances at shortstop is by and far the most by a player in a Yankees uniform; Phil Rizzuto is a distant second with 1647 appearances, while Frankie Crosetti is third with 1516. He has also played the most games of anyone in a Yankees uniform, 2602, which is over 200 more than the great Mickey Mantle.

In contrast, over the same time period, the shortstop position has been remarkably fluid for the Boston Red Sox, especially since 2004 when the team traded away perennial All-Star Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline. Since 2005, no player has held that role for longer than two seasons and only one player has started at least 150 games in a single season.

The following is a season-by-season comparison of Jeter’s statistics, including adjusted OPS (OPS+), range factor per nine innings (RF/9), which measures the average number of outs in which a player participated over nine innings, and wins above replacement (WAR). All statistics are compiled from Baseball-Reference.com.

In comparison, the following is a list of Red Sox players who have made the most starts at short by season since 1996.

In terms of offensive value, Jeter has by far had better numbers in terms of adjusted OPS when compared to his Boston counterpart, made even more noticeable since Garciaparra’s departure. The high water mark for the Red Sox since 2004 was last season, when Drew posted an OPS+ of 111, just slightly better than Scutaro’s 110 in 2011.

In terms of defensive value, Jeter has rarely posted numbers much better than his Red Sox counterpart in terms of range factor per nine. Only twice in the past 18 seasons has Jeter posted a better average than his Boston counterpart.

Overall, Jeter’s wins above replacement, which measures both offensive and defensive value, have been considerably better; only two Red Sox shortstops have posted a WAR better than 2.0 — again, Drew (2013) and Scutaro (2010 and 2011).

The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Class of 2014 is stacked with some impressive honorees, at least one who will be inducted into Cooperstown next year. Announced by the team this morning, this year’s class includes pitchers Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens, shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, and radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione. The team also selected one of Martinez’s greatest single game pitching performances as this year’s featured moment.

The Red Sox Hall of Fame, opened in 1995, honors players who spent at least three years with the Red Sox and have been out of uniform as an active player at least three years. Non-uniformed honorees and the memorable moment are chosen by a unanimous vote of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Selection Committee, a 15-member committee of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the BoSox Booster Club.

Martinez, who played with Boston from 1998 through 2004, was one of the most dominant pitchers to ever play the game. With the Red Sox, the nearly-unbeatable Martinez won two of his three career Cy Young Awards. In 2000, he put together perhaps the best season ever by a modern era pitcher, with an adjusted ERA+ of 291, second all-time only to Tim Keefe, who finished at 293 in 1880; the year before, his ERA+ was 243, ninth all-time in that same category. Known for his strikeout totals, he averaged 10.9 strikeouts per game in 203 appearances with Boston, with a high water mark of 13.2 SO/9 in 1999, a single season mark second only to Randy Johnson, who struck out 13.4 per nine two years later.

Clemens spent 13 seasons with Boston between 1984 and 1996 and was the first pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a nine inning game; in fact, the imposing righthander was also the second pitcher to accomplish that feat a decade later in his second-to-last game pitched with the team. His 192 wins in a Red Sox uniform is tied with Cy Young for the most in team history, which helped him win the honor named after the legendary pitcher three times with Boston between 1986 and 1991. He leads all pitchers in team history in career WAR (81.3) and strikeouts (2590).

Garciaparra spent nine seasons with Boston between 1996 and 2004 and made an immediate impact as American League Rookie of the Year in 1997, collecting 209 hits in 684 at-bats to lead the league and set Red Sox rookie records. 2000 was far and away his best season, as he batted .372 and finished with an on-base percentage of .434 and an OPS+ of 156 while earning the third of five All-Star selections with the team. Not only was he difficult to keep off the base paths, he also showed power, finishing with a slugging percentage of .553 and an OPS+ of 133 during his Red Sox tenure; twice, he hit two grand slams in a single game and six times finished with 21 or more home runs.

Castiglione, who made his broadcast debut for Boston in 1983 partnered with the legendary Ken Coleman, will enter his 32nd season as the radio voice of the Red Sox in 2014. Castiglione was the team’s lead announcer between 1992 and 2010 and continues to do the play-by-play for the team for at least four innings every game, depending on his partner. He also serves as a lecturer at Northeastern University and has authored two books related to his tenure with the team.

As has been the case since the Hall opened in 1995, the Red Sox will also recognize a special moment in team history. This year, it will be Martinez’s one-hit, 17-strikeout performance against the Yankees on Sept. 10, 1999. The official ceremony is expected to take place at a dinner in August.

As a team, the Red Sox have finished under .500 only 38 times in 112 seasons.  The worst team ever in terms of both winning percentage and number of defeats was the forgettable 1932 squad, led by former Boston outfielder Shano Collins for the first 55 contests before getting fired and replaced by former utility infielder Marty McManus.  The team finished a dismal 43-111 and dead last in the eight-team American League, 7.5 games behind the seventh place Chicago White Sox and 64 games behind the first place New York Yankees, who finished 107-47, a near-mirror record compared with Boston.

The Sox were actually in the midst of a 15-year stretch between 1919 and 1933 in which they finished under .500 every season.  Eight times, the team finished under the .400 mark, including six straight seasons between 1925 and 1930.  Another particularly bad stretch of seasons happened between 1959 and 1966, when the team went eight straight years under .500, including an abyssmal 62-100 in 1965 with a team that include manager Billy Herman and outfielder Carl Yastrzemski.

Speaking of 100-loss seasons, seven teams in franchise history have earned this mark of shame, including the 1932 and 1965 teams.  Also in the mix are teams from 1926 (46-107), 1925 (47-105), 1906 (49-105), 1927 (51-103), and 1930 (52-102).  12 teams in franchise history have finished last in the league or division.  Surprising, this does not include the 1965 team, which finished three games ahead of the Kansas City Athletics for ninth place in a ten-team league.

It should also be noted that the last time the Red Sox suffered back-to-back losing seasons was a stretch of three sub-.500 seasons between 1992 and 1994.  All three teams were managed by Hobson and the best finish was an 80-82 mark in 1993.  Surprisingly, a three-year stretch between 1906 and 1908 in the only other time, beyond the aforementioned streaks of bad luck, that the franchise team suffered back-to-back losing seasons.  Of note, the 1907 team, which finished 59-90, was managed by four different people that season, including player-manager Cy Young.

Born on 27 September 1919, the same day that legendary player Babe Ruth hit his last home run for the Sox, Pesky amassed an eye-popping 205 hits, tops in the majors, and batted .331, second only to teammate Ted Williams, as a rookie in 1942; his efforts were enough to place him third in voting for the American League MVP.  Pesky returned three years later in 1946 along with Williams and Dom DiMaggio to help his team finish first in the American League with a record of 104-50. His time away from the diamond had not diminished his skills; he led the league with a league-leading 208 hits and batted .335 that season, the third best average in the American League, to finish fourth in the MVP vote.

He again led the league with 207 hits the following year and finished his Red Sox career with 1277 hits, a .313 average, and an OBP of .393.  In 1995, he was named an inaugural member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.  Pesky, who as a coach mentored other prolific Red Sox hitters like Wade Boggs and Nomar Garciaparra, also had the distinction of having his number retired by the Red Sox in 2008 and a Fenway Park feature, the Pesky Pole, officially named after him.

The legendary Ted Williams touted “NO-mah” as the game’s next great player and he seemed destined for a Hall of Fame career.  First, he easily won Rookie of the Year honors in 1997, then followed that with a second-place finish in the MVP ballot in 1998 and two batting titles in two years (1999 and 2000).  Five times, he was named to the All-Star while with Boston, and he was often compared to other great shortstops of his time, including Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada.

When Garciaparra returned as an Oakland Athletic last July to Fenway Park for the first time since being traded away in 2004, he received a lengthy standing ovation from an appreciative crowd, to which he tipped his cap and graciously clapped along with them.  It reminded us of the moment following a series-ending loss to Cleveland in the 1998 American League Division Series; as the Indians celebrated on the field by the visitor’s dugout, Garciaparra stepped back out from the Boston dugout, turned to the stands, and began clapping in genuine appreciation of the Red Sox fans that had followed the team all season and every season before then.

Boston is still searching for the answer at short while fans search for answers on why such a promising career ended too soon; some might say that Garciaparra is to this generation what Fred Lynn was to the last one and Tony Conigliaro was to the one before then.  Red Sox fans will always have a place in its collective heart reserved for Garciaparra, who gave all he had with the club for eight seasons, but we will always wonder what might have been for him.

Ramirez, who earlier this season hit career home run number 500 to become just the third player to reach that mark in a Boston uniform, had recently and publicly voiced his unhappiness with team management for failing to pick up his option for the 2009 season; he had even offered to waive his option to void the trade as a 10/5 player (ten years in the league, five years with the same club). In the end, the Red Sox decided that it was better to part ways with the disgruntled slugger, who was batting .299 with 20 home runs and 68 RBI through action on Wednesday; in return, they get the 29-year-old Bay, who was batting .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI to this point in the season with the Pirates. Bay is expected to join the club in time for the opener of a three-game weekend series with the Oakland Athletics beginning Friday night at Fenway Park and will play left field in front of the Green Monster where Ramirez stood for many years.

Despite the ugly departure of the eight-time Boston All-Star, Ramirez will be remembered as one of the greatest right-handed batters in club history. Over seven-plus seasons, the eccentric flycatcher hit 274 home runs, which currently places him fifth all-time amongst Boston sluggers past and present, at an amazing rate of 14.4 at-bats per home run. His other numbers with the club speak for themselves; amongst franchise career leaders, he ranks ninth all-time in batting average (.312), sixth in runs batted in (868), fifth in on-base percentage (.411), and fourth in slugging percentage (.588). The respect opposing pitchers had for Ramirez also had a hand in building the career of David Ortiz; after a sub-par start to his career in Minnesota, Ortiz joined the Red Sox in 2003 and, with the perennial All-Star hitting behind him, developed into one of the most feared left-handed power hitters in the game. Eventually, the two sluggers became one of the greatest one-two punches in recorded baseball history, hitting a combined total of 422 home runs in five-plus seasons together; the two also combined over 40 times for home runs in the same game, the most by two teammates over that span.

Notably, Ramirez was at his best when it counted most for the Sox: the post-season. In 165 at-bats over nine playoff series, he batted .321, averaging .375 or better four times, hit 11 home runs, drove home 36 runs, and even won World Series MVP honors in the 2004 Fall Classic batting .412 with a home run and four RBI. In part due to his efforts, the Red Sox won two world championships in four years after the team went 86 years between titles.

Fast-forward to the present and, with none of these aforementioned players still wearing a Red Sox uniform, Boston sits at 41-30, one win better than the club’s record at this time last season. The loss of these key players have been, for the most part, offset by smart management decisions made by Theo Epstein, who spent his third off-season putting his spin on this organization’s building legacy. With free agents like Edgar Renteria and Matt Clement plugging some of the gaps and seasoned Red Sox players like Jason Varitek still tasting champagne on their lips, it’s been another up-and-down first half but Boston remains hungry to repeat the success of 2004, even with the final outcome still lingering high in the air.

So, of course, with nothing else to interest them as mid-season approaches, it must be time to start talking about free agent possibilities again. This year, the Red Sox again have more than a few guaranteed contracts coming to a conclusion at season’s end, perhaps none bigger than that of center field Johnny Damon, who was a key member of last season’s championship squad and has continued to dominate at the plate over the first half of the season. He might even have the opportunity, if he is not voted in by the fans, to make the American League All-Star roster representing Boston for the second time in his four seasons here.

With his deal, signed by Dan Duquette just before the former general manager got the boot by the new ownership, drawing to a close, the 32-year-old Damon and his agent, the notorious Scott Boras, a “bulldog” as described by one of his other clients, Varitek, are looking for a five-to-six year guaranteed contract. Although no dollar figures have been give, it is likely that he will command considerably more per season on the free-agent market than the $8.25 million he is due to collect by the end of the season.

It is possible that Damon will remain in Boston if he is willing to take the “hometown” discount and accept a contract with shorter terms and only a moderate increase in salary with club options for later years. On the other hand, he also represents the Red Sox through the Major League Baseball Players Association, which endorses the free market system for its players and therefore does not encourage members to negotiate contracts in this manner. Having been elevated to celebrity status since showcasing his talents during last year’s playoff run, he knows that he should be able to command top dollar, even if legions of loyal Red Sox followers want to see him finish out the remainder of his career in Boston, and it will be difficult for him to pass up lucrative opportunities.

As head coach Bill Belichick and vice-president of player personnel Scott Pioli have proven with the New England Patriots over the last five seasons, it is not the value of the individual but rather the collective whole that determines the success of its team, evident by the three Super Bowl victories over than span. Great players like Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy whose demands would have been met less the organization feared a backlash by its fan base have, without much fanfare, been shown the door. Egos are checked outside the clubhouse and players have seen the benefit of putting the team before the individual, knowing that the collective contributions of each member are proof positive of continued success.

I have no other objective this season as a Red Sox fan except to continue to bask in the glow of Boston’s championship for as long as it lasts and see if Boston can win back-to-back titles, even with the knowledge that a few team members may be wearing another uniform next season. As is the nature of sports in the 21st century, the days of a player remaining with one organization for an entire career are fading, for better or worse. It’s a harsh reality for those who remember the days of placing a name to the face of an organization, like Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Ernie Banks, or Cal Ripken, players who never knew the feeling of changing loyalty to a club.

I’ve followed the Red Sox faithfully for more than twenty years; even if they never win another championship, they will always have my unwavering support. That’s not to say that I have no respect for those who wear the Boston uniform; I cheer as loudly as everyone else in the Red Sox family when one of our players makes a diving catch, helps turn two to end an inning, or drives home the game winning run in the ninth. However, as represented by the fact that home uniforms for my beloved team do not have the names of each player sewn above the number on the back, my loyalty will always be to the name on the front of the jersey.

How much with the loss of Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez hurt?

Both guys played key roles in the 2004 post-season; Lowe was the winning pitcher in all three series-clinching games and Martinez dazzled in his only World Series appearance. They also combined to win 30 games during the regular season and both stayed healthy for the entire season. Only time will tell if Matt Clement, Wade Miller, and David Wells will be able to combine their efforts to repeat, but we have to remember that the Sox also have one of the best lineups at the plate. While the win totals were impressive, both Lowe and Martinez had their earned-run averages jump considerably, combining for a 4.59 ERA. Lowe’s 5.42 ERA was almost three runs higher than his stellar 2002 campaign numbers, and Martinez’s 3.90 ERA was almost double his Red Sox career average. The point is that, barring an unlikely drop-off in production at the plate, the Sox will continue to win, even with these two wearing different uniforms this season.

Should we be concerned with Curt Schilling missing the opener?

If you believe Schilling, the only reason that he is heading to the DL to start the season is because he needs another week or so to work on his mechanics. His infamous ankle, which was surgically repaired last November nearly a week after the World Series ended, is not the problem; it has fully healed and trainers gave him the green light early enough in spring training that he would otherwise be in the Bronx next Sunday night to open the season for Boston. Luckily, the Sox have enough off days during the first two weeks of the season to go with a four-man rotation and Schilling should be available before the schedule becomes more demanding.

Has Edgar Renteria stabilized the shortstop position?

Renteria should cement himself in that position for many years to come, especially given that the Sox signed him to a four-year contract at $10 million per season. He is a year younger than fellow Colombian Orlando Cabrera, whom he replaces in the Red Sox lineup and a couple years younger than Nomar Garciaparra, who seemed to be a permanent fixture in Boston until last year. Like Cabrera, he is a Gold Glove winner and has flashed the leather many times this spring, already winning over the hearts of Red Sox fans. He also adds more punch in the lineup, with a lifetime batting average of .289 and 10 or more home runs each season over the last six years. Prospect Hanley Ramirez, who impressed coaches and the front office this spring, waits in the wings in Portland but don’t be surprised if he’s never seen in Boston, so long as Renteria performs as expected.

What more can we expect from David Ortiz this season?

There is just so much beauty in that man’s swing, it almost brings a tear to my eye. Looking at his statistics from last season through the regular season and into the playoffs, it’s just amazing what he has done since the Sox picked him off waivers from Minnesota. Last year, “Big Papi” amassed 41 home runs and 139 RBI, spending more than three-quarters of the time in the DH role, and his post-season heroics earned him MVP honors in the American League Championship Series. This spring, it’s evident that his powerful stroke has not diminished, even if he’s taken off a few pounds during the off-season. Terry Francona expects to use him as the everyday DH, so there’s no reason that he can’t continue to compile the numbers that make jaws drop everywhere.

Who will be the surprise of the season?

Jay Payton grabbed headlines when he was traded to Boston in December for Dave Roberts, but perhaps overlooked in that deal was the acquisition of infielder Ramon Vazquez. The four-year veteran from Puerto Rico, who has averaged 78 games in that time, plays all four infield positions and sports a .979 fielding percentage. Remember how valuable Pokey Reese was for Boston last season? Perhaps he might not get as many opportunities as Pokey, who took advantage of Nomar’s absence for the first half of the season, but he should prove valuable as a late-inning defensive replacement. Plus, when one of the veterans needs an off-day to recover from aches and pains, Vazquez should prove adequate with a .262 lifetime average.

Will Adam Stern remain with Boston for the entire season?

Being a Rule V pick-up, Stern would be shipped back to the Atlanta Braves if the Sox are unable to find a permanent place for him on the major league roster. Unfortunately, there are five Red Sox outfielders in front of him: Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, Trot Nixon, Payton, and Kevin Millar. Adam Hyzdu has already been sent packing this spring for that very reason. Barring an injury to one of the fore mentioned players, Boston will not jump through hoops to retain his services, so expect him back with Atlanta by mid-summer.

Isn’t Francona deserving of an extension now?

Francona managed in his first year at the Red Sox helm to win a World Series championship, something that no Boston manager had done since Ed Barrow, also in his first season as manager, in 1918. To some, that would seem like reason enough to sign him to a new contract right now; however, the Red Sox front office is not going to rush to get him guaranteed for anything past the current length of their agreement with him, at least through this season. Should his fortunes continue, then it’s possible that he would be granted an extension after that, as well as a statue right next to Ted Williams‘s, but both Francona and the Sox are content to let sleeping dogs lie for now.

Will they or won’t they?

It bears repeating that all roads to the championship will lead through New York and the Yankees spent the winter reloading the arsenal as usual. However, the Red Sox are just as strong themselves and should be able to rise to the challenge once more. Winning the division has become inconsequential thanks to the Wild Card draw; Boston should do well enough again to earn at least that prize and make the playoffs. As long as they play to their potential and Francona continues to make smart coaching decisions, the Red Sox should get another chance to meet a National League opponent in late October for all the marbles.