What a Difference Big Papi Would Make in that Clubhuse---as Manager!

[Kimmi]

I loved me some JD Drew and for a while, me and UN? were some of his only supporters on here, but yeah, that is a bit of an absurd statement.. You would think he would say it was the guy hitting after him (or before him) most his career, Manny Ramirez.

 

I loved JD as well and spent countless hours defending him against his many naysayers. But I agree, calling him the best player he's ever seen is rather absurd.

[Kimmi]

Drew was the prototype for a baseball player. He did everything very well. I remember how impressed I was with him when I saw him in Ft. Myers in 2007. His fielding was underrated because he made it look effortless. He got a better jump on balls than any RF that I have seen except maybe Dewey. Every time that balls were hit in the RCF gap, he would be there by time the camera tracked the ball. When the ball went down the line into the corner, he would be there too. Yes, part of it was positioning, but a bigger part was the type of jump he got on the ball. When Jay Bruce came up for the Reds, I went to the RF deck seats in Ft. Myers to watch the game. It was a great perspective to appreciate the jump that OFers get on balls. The difference between Bruce and Drew was huge. Drew got so much a better jump on balls than Bruce. Drew's baseball skills were at the top of the charts across the board.

 

The problem with Drew was that if he sneezed you knew that you would be playing without him for 2-3 weeks.

 

And this gives me the opportunity to post my favorite quote about JD. This comes from an unknown scout, when JD was first acquired, before he ever played his first game with the Red Sox:

 

"Drew will easily get to balls that Trot had to dive for, and he will be criticized for it."

 

How true did that turn out to be?

[Bellhorn04]

I loved JD as well and spent countless hours defending him against his many naysayers. But I agree, calling him the best player he's ever seen is rather absurd.

 

I don't think it's that absurd...there's a major caveat involved...'when JD wanted to play'.

[Kimmi]

I don't think it's that absurd...there's a major caveat involved...'when JD wanted to play'.

 

Yeah, but even with that, of all the players that Papi has seen play, he chooses JD as the best?

 

That's not a knock on JD. I think he was a lot better than most people give him credit for. I just don't see him as being on the list of the best.

[Jasonbay44]

JD Drew isn't even in the same class of greatness that Manny Ramirez was. Steroids or not, Manny was one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen.

[Bellhorn04]

Yeah, but even with that, of all the players that Papi has seen play, he chooses JD as the best?

 

That's not a knock on JD. I think he was a lot better than most people give him credit for. I just don't see him as being on the list of the best.

 

I'm guessing that Ortiz saw in Drew a much more complete baseball player than he was himself, or than Manny was.

 

I'm also guessing Ortiz was mainly referring to players he played with and got to see on a day-to-day basis.

[Kimmi]

I'm guessing that Ortiz saw in Drew a much more complete baseball player than he was himself, or than Manny was.

 

I'm also guessing Ortiz was mainly referring to players he played with and got to see on a day-to-day basis.

 

Fair enough.

[SoxHop]

JD Drew isn't even in the same class of greatness that Manny Ramirez was. Steroids or not, Manny was one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen.

 

His swing...... was pure sweetness..

 

THe best I've seen in my time..

[a700hitter]

And this gives me the opportunity to post my favorite quote about JD. This comes from an unknown scout, when JD was first acquired, before he ever played his first game with the Red Sox:

 

"Drew will easily get to balls that Trot had to dive for, and he will be criticized for it."

 

How true did that turn out to be?

I really didn't read or hear much criticism of Drew's fielding while he was in Boston. He was a far better fielder than Trot.

[oldtimer]

I'm guessing that Ortiz saw in Drew a much more complete baseball player than he was himself, or than Manny was.

 

I'm also guessing Ortiz was mainly referring to players he played with and got to see on a day-to-day basis.

 

Francona also saw JD as having incredible talent but his comments about his passive and uninvolved temperment took away from what he added to the team.

[Kimmi]

I really didn't read or hear much criticism of Drew's fielding while he was in Boston. He was a far better fielder than Trot.

 

It wasn't criticism of his defense. It was criticism of his lack of 'dirt dog'. Trot dove for balls all the time, which gave the impression that he was playing hard, which he was. But Drew didn't dive for balls, mostly because he didn't have to, and that gave the impression that he wasn't playing hard. That's what he got criticized for, even though his defense was head over heels above Trot's.

[a700hitter]

It wasn't criticism of his defense. It was criticism of his lack of 'dirt dog'. Trot dove for balls all the time, which gave the impression that he was playing hard, which he was. But Drew didn't dive for balls, mostly because he didn't have to, and that gave the impression that he wasn't playing hard. That's what he got criticized for, even though his defense was head over heels above Trot's.

I think Drew's unemotional demeanor would not have been held against him if he strapped on the gear for 150 games/year. He missed large chunks of time, so it became a target. No one criticized his fielding because he didn't dive for balls. He got to almost everything standing up, but he did make his share of sliding catching. I really don't recall people screaming that he should be diving around the field. The unemotional demeanor was his problem when he started missing games.

[Emp9]

hmmm, weren't there just a few balls he could've dove for but didn't?

 

 

[cp176]

I love it because it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ortiz doesn't know jack. JD Drew the best? In his five years with the Sox he was never rated better than 3d in MLB in RF. Last year Mookie Betts--you know, Ortiz's teammate-- was not only ranked #1 among all MLB rightfielders, it was by a huge margin.

 

I agree JD Drew was a five tool player--hitting, hitting with power, running the bases, fielding, and throwing--and might even have had a slight edge in fielding. But Mookie has the better arm--more accurate, quicker release, stronger--runs the bases twice as well, really does hit with power, and hits for average. More than that, he plays every day and is the right guy to have at the plate when you need some runs. In five years with the Sox, 2007-11, Drew never drove in more than 68 runs. In his entire career he never drove in more than 100 runs. Last year Mookie drove in 113.

 

i'm with you here for the most part. We all loved David in his role as a player and leader of the Red Sox. Sometimes it isn't a bad thing to stay in the roles that you are good at. I don't remember anyone questioning J.D. Drew's ability. We just want him to be on the field a little more than he was. Once again - a person needs to have a grasp of his/her limitations.

[cp176]

Thank you!

Thank you!

 

We are very fortunate to be able to read about your experiences. "Keep on keepin on"!!!

[jad]

Fans love 'dirt dogs' (however they define them, which is often as an image of themselves). And Drew wasn't one of those. He just did his thing, no matter what the situation. And performed consistently throughout his career. (Not sure why GM's hired a .280 hitter expecting to get a .300 hitter). Oddly, and somewhat illogically, the other player I associate with that mentality was Manny--who was a hoot, particularly in the field-- but whose approach to hitting seemed the same no matter what the situation. He wasn't impassive, of course, but he just didn't change due to the drama of the game. (And it's fitting that the beloved dirt dog known for his bat-throwing outbursts after striking out--which was often--was Youkilis. My one regret about Manny was he didn't just beat the crap out of him when he finally went after him for doing this.)

[a700hitter]

Fans love 'dirt dogs' (however they define them, which is often as an image of themselves). And Drew wasn't one of those. He just did his thing, no matter what the situation. And performed consistently throughout his career. (Not sure why GM's hired a .280 hitter expecting to get a .300 hitter). Oddly, and somewhat illogically, the other player I associate with that mentality was Manny--who was a hoot, particularly in the field-- but whose approach to hitting seemed the same no matter what the situation. He wasn't impassive, of course, but he just didn't change due to the drama of the game. (And it's fitting that the beloved dirt dog known for his bat-throwing outbursts after striking out--which was often--was Youkilis. My one regret about Manny was he didn't just beat the crap out of him when he finally went after him for doing this.)

Manny was the drama. The problem with Manny was that every season he pulled a work s*** down in the middle of the season. That didn't go over well with his teammates or the fans. OCab challenged him to a fight in 2004 if he didn't get his ass in the Lineup.