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

[notin]

 

How about Trot Nixon?

 

The act of adding Nixon to the list injured him..

[moonslav59]

I agree with Moonslav. Evans, Youkillis, Greenwell, Burks, Valentin, Oil Can Boyd I think are all properly remembered. Nick Esasky, wow, I forgot about him.

 

How about Trot Nixon?

 

I thought about Nixon, but I thought he got the cred he deserved.

[Dojji]

Based on these criteria what about John Valentin? Very good SS-3B who got kind of overshadowed by the emergence of Nomar

[moonslav59]

Based on these criteria what about John Valentin? Very good SS-3B who got kind of overshadowed by the emergence of Nomar

 

I considered him, too as well as Tim Naehring.

[Carpin]

What about Kevin Millar?

 

He might get in in this category

[moonslav59]

What about Kevin Millar?

 

He might get in in this category

 

I had him 10th.

[Spudboy]

The story of Rogelio(sp) Moret was a very sad one. That was a man who really looked liked he was going to have an outstanding career.

Doug Griffin another one who could have solidified second base for us for such a long time had it not been for the beaning.

 

Time for my Roger Moret story!

 

For those of you who have heard it take a break.

 

Just after Moret was called up or whatever, I was standing near where the tarp is kept about an hour or so before a game. Moret and Carlton Fisk were walking in towards the dugout from the bullpen.

 

A group of fans was there and asked for autographs. One fan asked Moret a question. He spoke only Spanish, I guess, because Fisk translated for him.

 

Fisk spoke Spanish about as well as I did. I had half a school year of Spanish in 4th grade.

 

It was pretty funny at the time.

[kenmeister]

The act of adding Nixon to the list injured him..

 

You just made my day. So true! I bet if Tim Naehring and Trot Nixon shook hands, they'd both tear the other's arm off.

[sk7326]

Based on these criteria what about John Valentin? Very good SS-3B who got kind of overshadowed by the emergence of Nomar

 

Valentin is a terrific choice. He had a 5 year stretch (1995-2000) where he had 30.5 bWAR. There are exactly zero 2018 Red Sox to have done that.

 

Fun trivia: using the old Game Score heuristic ... who had the best pitching performance (in a single game) for the Red Sox this century?

[Bellhorn04]

I considered him, too as well as Tim Naehring.

 

To hell with Naehring. He's with the Yankees now. :-)

[moonslav59]

Valentin is a terrific choice. He had a 5 year stretch (1995-2000) where he had 30.5 bWAR. There are exactly zero 2018 Red Sox to have done that.

 

Fun trivia: using the old Game Score heuristic ... who had the best pitching performance (in a single game) for the Red Sox this century?

 

Pedro?

 

Clemens 20 K game?

[Bellhorn04]

Pedro?

 

Clemens 20 K game?

 

This century.

[kenmeister]

Pedro?

 

Clemens 20 K game?

 

He said this century. Clemens had 1986 and 1996 20 K games.

 

I would imagine the answer is the 2007 Clay Bucholz no-hitter.

Edited November 29, 2018 by kenmeister

[kenmeister]

Valentin is a terrific choice. He had a 5 year stretch (1995-2000) where he had 30.5 bWAR. There are exactly zero 2018 Red Sox to have done that.

 

Bill Mueller, John Valentin, Tom Bolton, Bret Saberhagen all great answers to this thread.

[moonslav59]

Nomo's 99 in 2001. (He also had a 95 game with his no hitter)

 

Pedro hit 98 twice in 2000.

 

Lester hit 94 in '08

 

Lester hit 93 in '14, and so did Buch. Buch hit 93 in 2007 as well.

 

Wright led all Sox with an 89 in 2010. Rich Hill in 2015 with a 92.

 

Sale led the team in '71 with a 90 game, and Porcello in 2018 with a 90 game vs the Yanks in early August.

[notin]

Bill Mueller, John Valentin, Tom Bolton, Bret Saberhagen all great answers to this thread.

 

Ramon Martinez deserves special mention for his one skill with the Red Sox - shutting down the Yankees...

[kenmeister]

Nomo's 99 in 2001. (He also had a 95 game with his no hitter)

 

Pedro hit 98 twice in 2000.

 

Lester hit 94 in '08

 

Lester hit 93 in '14, and so did Buch. Buch hit 93 in 2007 as well.

 

Wright led all Sox with an 89 in 2010. Rich Hill in 2015 with a 92.

 

Sale led the team in '71 with a 90 game, and Porcello in 2018 with a 90 game vs the Yanks in early August.

 

I *completely* forgot about Hideo Nomo! Wow! He definitely should win this thread.

[moonslav59]

Bill Mueller, John Valentin, Tom Bolton, Bret Saberhagen all great answers to this thread.

 

Danny Darwin led the majors in WHIP in '93 with the Sox.

[sk7326]

The entire 1995 team would qualify for this thread ... I don't know if it was because of the sweep or it being the season coming off of the strike, (if you are a Supreme Court follower - it was the first place you would have heard of Sonia Sotomayor) but that is an easy good Red Sox team to overlook. Erik Hanson had a 15 win season for us iirc.

[Dojji]

This might be a bit controversial since he's one of The 24, but I put forward the name of Mike Timlin. A middle relief guy who actually played a very important role in both 2004 and 2007, but whose name probably won't even show up on a trivia question today.

[Bellhorn04]

This might be a bit controversial since he's one of The 24, but I put forward the name of Mike Timlin. A middle relief guy who actually played a very important role in both 2004 and 2007, but whose name probably won't even show up on a trivia question today.

 

Yeah, Timlin is a good call.

[moonslav59]

Yeah, Timlin is a good call.

 

I can see him being top 10.

[Bellhorn04]

Timlin has 4 rings, 2 with the Jays and 2 with the Sox. In 1992 he recorded the last out of the Series in Game 6 and got the only save of his post-season career.

[Spudboy]

Ceasar Tovar, obviously.

[Dojji]

Timlin has 4 rings, 2 with the Jays and 2 with the Sox. In 1992 he recorded the last out of the Series in Game 6 and got the only save of his post-season career.

 

Yeah, he had an extremely impressive career for a guy you haven't heard of in a decade.

[Dojji]

While I'm on the subject of relievers who definitely didn't get enough love -- Javier Lopez. Sidewinding lefty that won a ring with us and then 3 more with SFG, never got a lot of love but he was actually extremely effective as a ground ball LOOGY

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Bruce Hurst.

[NativeBostonian]

Jason Bay

[moonslav59]

Jason Bay

 

He got too much credit.

[Larry Cook]

I’m gong with bob Stanley! Love sinker ballers.