Red Sox Pre-Offseason Mega Thread

[notin]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

When I think of guys like Cy Young, it also reminds me of Bob Stanley. 

Yeah, the guy who holds the most IP record for relievers probably has the most wins and losses for the Sox. Makes sense. Doesn't mean he was especially valuable over that time period. 

It probably does mean he was more valuable than the rest of that bullpen.

Stop dissing Stanley.  His legacy might be tied to those two losses Bellhorn mentioned but he really was an excellent relief pitcher for the Sox in an era where bullpens were often undersized, overworked and disregarded…

[mvp 78]

18 minutes ago, notin said:

It probably does mean he was more valuable than the rest of that bullpen.

Stop dissing Stanley.  His legacy might be tied to those two losses Bellhorn mentioned but he really was an excellent relief pitcher for the Sox in an era where bullpens were often undersized, overworked and disregarded…

I wasn't aware of who Stanley was until he was in his 30's. If my lasting memory is my dad waking me up to tell me the Red Sox were going to win the WS only for Stanley to throw a ball to the backstop, I think you can maybe see where my grudge comes from. If he was good from 78-83, it doesn't really matter to me. 

[notin]

10 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I wasn't aware of who Stanley was until he was in his 30's. If my lasting memory is my dad waking me up to tell me the Red Sox were going to win the WS only for Stanley to throw a ball to the backstop, I think you can maybe see where my grudge comes from. If he was good from 78-83, it doesn't really matter to me. 

You must have HATED Yaz, that old man in his 40s propping himself up at the plate, looking like he would be given a walker if he ever got to 1b…

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

You must have HATED Yaz, that old man in his 40s propping himself up at the plate, looking like he would be given a walker if he ever got to 1b…

The only memory I have of Yaz is him running around Fenway on Carl Yastrzemski Day. I was a little too young to remember him actually playing. He also didn't lose a WS during my lifetime. 

[NHNative]

20 minutes ago, notin said:

You must have HATED Yaz, that old man in his 40s propping himself up at the plate, looking like he would be given a walker if he ever got to 1b…

Yaz was the man and was in his prime during my HS years. Nobody hated Yaz.

 

[mvp 78]

Just now, NHNative said:

Yaz was the man and was in his prime during my HS years. Nobody hated Yaz.

 

Somebody was out there calling him Yazbumski for sure! 

[NHNative]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Somebody was out there calling him Yazbumski for sure! 

Well--some people are mentally ill. He was the pride of the Sox for all of us back then.

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Yaz was the man and was in his prime during my HS years. Nobody hated Yaz.

 

I very vaguely remember Ted, and Yaz was just starting out when I was old enough to remember. 

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Well--some people are mentally ill. He was the pride of the Sox for all of us back then.

My favorite Red Sox of all time. Some down him, because he didn’t win a WS, but no other Red Sox team since most likely wouldn’t have been Gibson in 67, or The Big Red Machine in 75 after having to beat the 3 time champion A’s to get to The Big Red Machine.

[NHNative]

2 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I very vaguely remember Ted, and Yaz was just starting out when I was old enough to remember. 

Another much loved member was Rico Petrocelli then.

My Dad was a south paw pitcher when I was a wee lad playing for a team I was told was a feeder team, but I later found out it was not exactly. Anyway, we were all Red Sox. That was about 1962.

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, NHNative said:

Another much loved member was Rico Petrocelli then.

My Dad was a south paw pitcher when I was a wee lad playing for a team I was told was a feeder team, but I later found out it was not exactly. Anyway, we were all Red Sox. That was about 1962.

I’ve said many times on here that 1967 was, and is my favorite Red Sox team of all time. Yaz was the old man at 28, and the rest were mostly young, and homegrown. Tony C who came up at 19 was the youngest to hit his 100th Homer at that time, and was only 22 when he got beaned.

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Well--some people are mentally ill. He was the pride of the Sox for all of us back then.

Yes, radio show callers. 

[Bellhorn04]

2 hours ago, notin said:

And just being over 33 and declining…

Age, sure, but 2003 and 2004 were two of his best seasons.

[mvp 78]

11 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Age, sure, but 2003 and 2004 were two of his best seasons.

He had a lot of innings from 99-04. It all adds up. 

[notin]

10 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Age, sure, but 2003 and 2004 were two of his best seasons.

For a pitcher, sometimes it’s all just one strained ligament away…

[jad]

I don't remember anyone booing Yaz.  But I do remember them booing Ted;  they also booed Boggs and Rice.     (The same sort  of fan that a generation later were calling Devers a bad team-mate,  Bogey  washed up, and Betts too expensive).

[notin]

2 minutes ago, jad said:

I don't remember anyone booing Yaz.  But I do remember them booing Ted;  they also booed Boggs and Rice.     (The same sort  of fan that a generation later were calling Devers a bad team-mate,  Bogey  washed up, and Betts too expensive).

In Philly, they booed Santa Claus.  But the untold part of that was because he had just sold Blitzen to Hillshire Farms…

[notin]

1 hour ago, NHNative said:

Another much loved member was Rico Petrocelli then.

My Dad was a south paw pitcher when I was a wee lad playing for a team I was told was a feeder team, but I later found out it was not exactly. Anyway, we were all Red Sox. That was about 1962.

Rico kind of gets lost in Sox lore, along with Vern Stephens…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Rico kind of gets lost in Sox lore, along with Vern Stephens…

Rico needs to be found, a guy with the perfect swing for Fenway Park. 

And if they find him, maybe Brez can hire him to teach all current Red Sox his technique so they can double their home run output next year.

Imagine the impact if Wong can crank 8 HRs instead of 4, and Seigler hits 6 instead of 3, and Yoshida blasts 10, and Mona 12, Sogie 10 -- that's as many right there as Ben Rice!!!

Anthony might even reach double figures with one hand... until he ruins that one, too.

[moonslav59]

My faves from those mid 70's teams were Burleson, Tiant & Lee.

Of course that OF was hard to not love.

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, jad said:

I don't remember anyone booing Yaz.  But I do remember them booing Ted;  they also booed Boggs and Rice.     (The same sort  of fan that a generation later were calling Devers a bad team-mate,  Bogey  washed up, and Betts too expensive).

Boggs did have the Margot Adams fiasco. 

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, notin said:

Rico kind of gets lost in Sox lore, along with Vern Stephens…

Rico was around the franchise a lot during the 90's and 00's. If you were in the Boston area during that time period, I think you are pretty familiar with him. If not, maybe he could be lost in time to you.

[NHNative]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Rico was around the franchise a lot during the 90's and 00's. If you were in the Boston area during that time period, I think you are pretty familiar with him. If not, maybe he could be lost in time to you.

Yup--his impact on the game and Boston hasn't stopped with his retirement.

[mvp 78]

To me, John Valentin is on the same level as Rico, but maybe more underrated.

[Old Red]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

To me, John Valentin is on the same level as Rico, but maybe more underrated.

As a player yes. As folklore goes no.

[Bellhorn04]

14 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

My faves from those mid 70's teams were Burleson, Tiant & Lee.

Of course that OF was hard to not love.

As we have been talking about, the 1978 team had 4 Hall of Famers, 2 who many think should be Hall of Famers, and one that could be argued had Hall of Fame talent but couldn't stay healthy enough.

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Boggs did have the Margot Adams fiasco. 

Boggs and Clemens, the most unlikable Red Sox greats.

[mvp 78]

34 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Boggs and Clemens, the most unlikable Red Sox greats.

Yup, even as a kid I traded my Clemens cards for Doc Gooden cards. He was fine enough, but I definitely like Oil Can more. Boggs wasn't my thing either. I like Rice and Dewey. Later on it was Burks, Gator and Mo.  

[Old Red]

37 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Boggs and Clemens, the most unlikable Red Sox greats.

Who went to the Yankees.

[Bellhorn04]

19 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

He had a lot of innings from 99-04. It all adds up. 

Yes, but I have my little pet narrative that Foulke sacrificed his arm for a Red Sox ring, and I'm perfectly happy with it.

😄