Who is the greatest under-the-radar player in Sox history?

[Dojji]

BTW there's been a player who's been rattling in the back of my mind and I was trying to recall who it was and it kept not coming to me. I know I loved him back when I was a kid and just starting to get into baseball. Was a kid who could defend extremely well made a lot of contact and hit a lot of doubles, played on a team that made some big playoff pushes but never sealed the deal

 

I've finally remembered the man's name. Jody Reed.

[YastrzemskI]

I dunno if I would file him as "under the radar" since he was captain and all but Jason Varitek hit some big home runs in the post season. And who can forget the incident with A-Roid. Probably too well known and celebrated to be mentioned in a thread like this but what the heck.. he's one of my favorite Red Sox.

[moonslav59]

I loved VTek and was always a big fan (and defender at times).

 

I'm not sure we win in 2004 or 2007 without him.

[YastrzemskI]

Yep.. he knew how to call a game too. Good scrappy player behind the plate. I miss him.

[cp176]

You don't really have to waltz too far down memory lane to come up with another good one - the Rooster - Rick Burleson - I loved watching that guy play his position - ss.

[notin]

I dunno if I would file him as "under the radar" since he was captain and all but Jason Varitek hit some big home runs in the post season. And who can forget the incident with A-Roid. Probably too well known and celebrated to be mentioned in a thread like this but what the heck.. he's one of my favorite Red Sox.

 

 

Didn’t the Sox win that game on a home run in the ninth off Mariano Rivera by ... Bill Mueller?

 

I do still think he was the best suggestion on this thread...

[YastrzemskI]

Didn’t the Sox win that game on a home run in the ninth off Mariano Rivera by ... Bill Mueller?

 

I do still think he was the best suggestion on this thread...

 

Ha! Good call.. yes I just checked and it was Mueller. One of the sweetest reg season wins that I can recall.

[Kimmi]

I loved VTek and was always a big fan (and defender at times).

 

I'm not sure we win in 2004 or 2007 without him.

 

I loved Varitek and always felt like he was underrated defensively.

 

I would still have him on my team today, if it were possible.

[notin]

L

I loved Varitek and always felt like he was underrated defensively.

 

I would still have him on my team today, if it were possible.

 

I wouldn’t want him on my team today. He’s like 45 years old...

[Dojji]

I dunno if I would file him as "under the radar" since he was captain and all but Jason Varitek hit some big home runs in the post season. And who can forget the incident with A-Roid. Probably too well known and celebrated to be mentioned in a thread like this but what the heck.. he's one of my favorite Red Sox.

 

Varitek is literally the best catcher in Red Sox history. Anyone who's alive long enough remembers him. He's one of the most famous Red Sox of the modern era and one of the most cerebral players in baseball in his day. And yes, he probably still is underrated.

 

IIRC he's somewhere in the front office these days working with our player development team. Which is a fantastic place for such a cerebral former player. Makes you wonder how much of a role he might have had in the development of some of our young studs.

[S5Dewey]

Varitek is literally the best catcher in Red Sox history. Anyone who's alive long enough remembers him. He's one of the most famous Red Sox of the modern era and one of the most cerebral players in baseball in his day. And yes, he probably still is underrated.

 

IIRC he's somewhere in the front office these days working with our player development team. Which is a fantastic place for such a cerebral former player. Makes you wonder how much of a role he might have had in the development of some of our young studs.

 

The last I heard 'Tek was offered a full time job with the Sox which he declined for "family reasons". Instead he's got some kind of a part time job with the team. I don't know what his official role is but he's seen a lot around the bullpen in Ft. Myers.

[S5Dewey]

I loved Varitek and always felt like he was underrated defensively.

 

I would still have him on my team today, if it were possible.

 

Not unless he were to shed about 45 lbs. Have you seen him lately?? LOL

[OH FOY]

Dom DiMaggio

[cp176]

Varitek is literally the best catcher in Red Sox history. Anyone who's alive long enough remembers him. He's one of the most famous Red Sox of the modern era and one of the most cerebral players in baseball in his day. And yes, he probably still is underrated.

 

IIRC he's somewhere in the front office these days working with our player development team. Which is a fantastic place for such a cerebral former player. Makes you wonder how much of a role he might have had in the development of some of our young studs.

 

I absolutely loved it when Variety came to Boston and I loved what he gave us.

 

I do have to disagree with him "being the best catcher" in Red Sox history. A discussion of best Sox catchers has to begin with Carlton Fisk.

[notin]

I absolutely loved it when Variety came to Boston and I loved what he gave us.

 

I do have to disagree with him "being the best catcher" in Red Sox history. A discussion of best Sox catchers has to begin with Carlton Fisk.

 

Agree. (Stop making sense!!)

 

Fisk is a Hall of Famer who spent his best years in Boston. Varitek is not going to Cooperstown...

[Dojji]

I absolutely loved it when Variety came to Boston and I loved what he gave us.

 

I do have to disagree with him "being the best catcher" in Red Sox history. A discussion of best Sox catchers has to begin with Carlton Fisk.

 

Fisk had the better offensive numbers, but as a defender, team captain and battery mate Varitek was superior, and Varitek led his teams to 2 World Series which Fisk came close but never actually pulled off.

 

If Tek hadn't captained 2 World Series winning teams I'd agree with you, but accomplishing the hardest thing in major league baseball twice with a different cast of characters each time carries a great deal of weight with me.

[Dojji]

Oh and since this has kind of become a thread about reminiscing over beloved players in the team's past -- I feel Mike Lowell deserves to be brought up. I loved Lowell a lot. Not the flashiest player by any means but he had power, had very good hands at third base, and was a master of using the Monster, always good for a clutch double while he was here. Shouldn't have re-signed him after 2007 but considering he was a throw-in on a deal for another player he did us proud.

[moonslav59]

I absolutely loved it when Variety came to Boston and I loved what he gave us.

 

I do have to disagree with him "being the best catcher" in Red Sox history. A discussion of best Sox catchers has to begin with Carlton Fisk.

 

The guy had four 900+ OPS years with Boston and three more over .800.

 

He was pretty good on defense and handling pitchers, too.

[moonslav59]

Oh and since this has kind of become a thread about reminiscing over beloved players in the team's past -- I feel Mike Lowell deserves to be brought up. I loved Lowell a lot. Not the flashiest player by any means but he had power, had very good hands at third base, and was a master of using the Monster, always good for a clutch double while he was here. Shouldn't have re-signed him after 2007 but considering he was a throw-in on a deal for another player he did us proud.

 

He sure did. He was a salary dump in the Beckett trade.

 

Yes, he fell fast and hard after the re-signing.

[Dojji]

I disagree that he fell, he reverted to form after a near-career year in 2007, what he did in 08 and 09 was pretty consistent with his career performance level, and he was battling a nasty hip injury towards the end of his contract, but he wasn't worth the money at the time. Still a very solid 3B though, right up until his body fell apart on him

[cp176]

Fisk had the better offensive numbers, but as a defender, team captain and battery mate Varitek was superior, and Varitek led his teams to 2 World Series which Fisk came close but never actually pulled off.

 

If Tek hadn't captained 2 World Series winning teams I'd agree with you, but accomplishing the hardest thing in major league baseball twice with a different cast of characters each time carries a great deal of weight with me.

 

Maybe I'm biased I guess because I was fairly young when Carlton Fisk broke in but I would have to argue with anyone who thought that he wasn't the best all around catcher who has been in a Sox uniform. He is in the Hall for a reason. I get the part where you referred to Tek's titles so I would reply that when Varitek is inducted into the Hall that is when the discussion begins as to who the greatest catcher the Sox ever had might have been. Actually I think that when the greatest catchers of all time are mentioned , Fisk isn't at the top of the list but once again he gets mentioned.

We probably shouldn't even be arguing over this simply because both of these two guys meant so much to the franchise.

[notin]

Fisk had the better offensive numbers, but as a defender, team captain and battery mate Varitek was superior, and Varitek led his teams to 2 World Series which Fisk came close but never actually pulled off.

 

If Tek hadn't captained 2 World Series winning teams I'd agree with you, but accomplishing the hardest thing in major league baseball twice with a different cast of characters each time carries a great deal of weight with me.

 

I don’t buy this. Titles are a team effort.

 

At some point, you’re saying “Tek was a better catcher because he was teammates with Manny and Ortiz.”

[S5Dewey]

Oh and since this has kind of become a thread about reminiscing over beloved players in the team's past -- I feel Mike Lowell deserves to be brought up. I loved Lowell a lot. Not the flashiest player by any means but he had power, had very good hands at third base, and was a master of using the Monster, always good for a clutch double while he was here. Shouldn't have re-signed him after 2007 but considering he was a throw-in on a deal for another player he did us proud.

 

I absolutely agree with Mike Lowell. He was a guy who went out every day and very quietly got the job done. He's up there with Dewey Evans in my book for people who played the game the right way and did it with class.

[cp176]

I absolutely agree with Mike Lowell. He was a guy who went out every day and very quietly got the job done. He's up there with Dewey Evans in my book for people who played the game the right way and did it with class.

 

Lowell was the kind of person/player who I wish had spent his career in a Sox uniform.

[moonslav59]

I disagree that he fell, he reverted to form after a near-career year in 2007, what he did in 08 and 09 was pretty consistent with his career performance level, and he was battling a nasty hip injury towards the end of his contract, but he wasn't worth the money at the time. Still a very solid 3B though, right up until his body fell apart on him

 

You are right, he didn't fall fast and hard right after the signing like my statement implied.

[cp176]

I don’t buy this. Titles are a team effort.

 

At some point, you’re saying “Tek was a better catcher because he was teammates with Manny and Ortiz.”

 

 

A very good point. I taught that old cliche "no I in team" for many many years. It should never get old. As much as we love great individual efforts, what I loved the most about this year's team is that they got it. I doubt seriously that the Red Sox sign any free agent in the near future who doesn't get that no matter how talented they appear to be. Since we have been talking about Varitek, he certainly was all about the team as was Fisk.

[moonslav59]

A very good point. I taught that old cliche "no I in team" for many many years. It should never get old. As much as we love great individual efforts, what I loved the most about this year's team is that they got it. I doubt seriously that the Red Sox sign any free agent in the near future who doesn't get that no matter how talented they appear to be. Since we have been talking about Varitek, he certainly was all about the team as was Fisk.

 

Fisk did have a some pretty good talent around him, but the pitching staffs were never quite good enough or deep enough to get us over the hump.

[Bellhorn04]

Fisk did have a some pretty good talent around him, but the pitching staffs were never quite good enough or deep enough to get us over the hump.

 

There's always the luck and randomness factor too. In 1975 the Sox had a 3-0 lead in Game 7 of the World Series. In 1978, they lost a playoff game to the eventual champs.

[cp176]

Fisk did have a some pretty good talent around him, but the pitching staffs were never quite good enough or deep enough to get us over the hump.

 

Some of the teams Fisk played on very well might have been every bit as talented as all but one of our greatest Red Sox teams. They were sadly always just a little pitching poor. There has not been a catcher born who could have helped much either. It robbed me of just a small piece of my heart when the boys up and left town. I should say when they were allowed to leave.

[moonslav59]

Some of the teams Fisk played on very well might have been every bit as talented as all but one of our greatest Red Sox teams. They were sadly always just a little pitching poor. There has not been a catcher born who could have helped much either. It robbed me of just a small piece of my heart when the boys up and left town. I should say when they were allowed to leave.

 

Yes, sending his contract a day late was a total travesty.

 

Luis Tiant was great and deserved a ring, but sadly, we had little so little behind him.

 

It's no coincidence that we never won a ring until we had 2 aces and more pitching depth than any teams in the 70's, 80's and 90's.