100 Greatest Red Sox >> #34 Mike Greenwell

Mike Greenwell, LF, #39 (1985-1996)

1269 G, 1400 H, 657 R, 575 2B, 130 HR, 726 RBI, 80 SB, .303 Avg, .366 OBP, .528 SLG, All-Star (1988-89)

His nickname during his playing days was "The Gator." It was said he got the nickname because he liked to wrestle alligators during the offseason in his native Florida.

But the Boston Red Sox fans at Fenway Park knew Mike Greenwell as a dependable left-handed hitter and leftfielder for a decade, from 1987-1996.

Michael Lewis Greenwell was born in Louisville, Kentucky on July 18, 1963. He grew up in Florida and attended North Ft. Myers High School, which also produced football stars Jevon Kearse and Deion Sanders. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 1982 Amateur Draft and signed with the club.

Greenwell was brought up from Pawtucket in September 1985, and made his debut as a pinch-runner for Jim Rice in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. That fall, the Red Sox were playing out the schedule and not in the pennant race, and Greenwell played in 17 games, went 10-for-31 and hit four homers and drove in eight runs.

Greenwell spent most of 1986 back at Pawtucket, as Rice was still the left-fielder. Greenwell hit 18 HRs and batted .300 at AAA. He was brought up again in August and saw action mostly as a pinch-hitter that year. But the Red Sox had a terrific team in '86, and Greenwell made the postseason roster. He played in both the ALCS and World Series, mostly as a pinch-hitter. He went 1-for-5 in that memorable postseason, but is best remembered for pinch-hitting for Roger Clemens in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the World Series. (This was the scenario that became controversial once the Series was over, as Clemens claimed he didn't want to come out, but manager John McNamara claims he did, because of a blister.) Greenwell struck out in that appearance.

1987 was a year to forget for the Red Sox and their fans, as the hangover from the 1986 World Series loss hung over the team all year, and they finished under .500. But it was a breakout year for Mike Greenwell. Jim Rice was moved to designated hitter and Greenwell was put in left field on a permanent basis. Greenwell responded with 19 HRs, 89 RBIs and a .328 batting average in 125 games. He finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year Award balloting (which was won by Mark McGwire).

1988 would prove to be Greenwell's best offensive season. He hit 22 HRs, 119 RBI and a .325 BA. He finished second behind Jose Canseco in the AL MVP Award voting (another loss to a "Bash Brother") and was a big part of the Red Sox comeback to winning the AL Eastern Division that season. Greenwell was also selected for the AL All-Star team for the first time, and hit for the cycle on September 14. He also won the Silver Slugger Award. But it was a disappointing postseason for the Sox and for Greenwell. They swept out of the ALCS by Canseco and the Oakland A's, and Greenwell hit .214 in that series with 1 HR and 3 RBI.

Greenwell would make the All-Star team again in 1989, hitting 14 HRs, 95 RBI and a BA of .308. He would have the longest hitting streak of his career that year, 21 games. His power numbers would continue to decline in 1990 and 1991, to 14 and 9, respectively. He also drove in just 73 and 83 runs, but his batting average was still around the .300 mark. Many of the Sox faithful thought Greenwell was a disappointment, as they thought he was next logical successor in that "golden position" of Red Sox leftfielder. He was a solid hitter, but not in the mold of the previous Red Sox leftfielders like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice. Greenwell was like Yaz was early in his career, a line drive hitter who wasn't a big home run hitter, and who could pepper the left-field wall with doubles. Greenwell was also just an average outfielder at best, and wouldn't win any Gold Gloves in his career.

1992 was a year to forget for Greenwell, as he battled injuries that year and played in just 49 games and hit .233. His offensive numbers would continue to slide in his final four years with the Sox, although he had a nice bounceback year for the Red Sox in 1995, as they won the AL East that year. He hit 15 HRs, 76 RBIs and hit .297. But the Red Sox were swept out of the playoffs for the third straight time, this time in the ALDS by Cleveland. Greenwell, who went 0-14 in the 1990 ALCS, went just 3-for-15 in the three-game sweep in '95.

Greenwell basically became a part-time player in 1996, hitting .295 in 77 games. He was a free agent after the season, and it looked like the Red Sox were going to let him go. But just before his Bosox career concluded, he had one final night of glory.

On September 2, 1996, in a game against the Mariners in Seattle, Greenwell drove in 9 runs, which was all of his team's runs, in a 9-8, 10-inning win at the Kingdome. It was a MLB record for most RBIs by one player driving in all of his team's runs. It was also a Red Sox record for one game, a record that still stands.

Greenwell's final game in a Red Sox uniform was overshadowed by what would be the last game by another Red Sox star player: Roger Clemens. As it would turn out, both Clemens and Greenwell would both depart Boston, and for teams based outside the United States: Clemens to Toronto, and Greenwell would head for Japan, to play for the Hansin Tigers.

It would be a disasterous move for Greenwell. It was a much-heralded transaction in Japan, but Greenwell would see action in just seven games, due to injuries. He would announce his retirement from baseball soon afterward.

He would turn his attention in his post-baseball career to another love of his: stock car racing. In May 2006, he made his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway for Green Light Racing, starting 20th and finishing 26th. He also runs "Mike Greenwell's Family Fun Park" in Cape Coral, Florida, which includes a lot of activities like go-cart racing, miniature golf and batting cages. Greenwell is also a real-estate developer and an assistant baseball coach with Riverdale High School in Ft. Myers.

But Greenwell would get back in the sports headlines in 2005. When Jose Canseco released "Juiced," all about how his career was built on the use of illegal steroids, Greenwell went as far as demanding the he should be awarded the 1988 AL MVP Award away from Canseco.

He would tell the Ft. Myers News Press: "He's an admitted steroid user," Greenwell said of Canseco. "I was clean. If they're going to start putting asterisks by things, let's put one by the MVP. I do have a problem with losing the MVP to an admitted steroids user."

John Quinn is a writer who lives in New York City and runs the web site, "The Mighty Quinn Media Machine," and writes for the Red Sox fan site, Bornintoit.com, as "Brooklyn Sox Fan."

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #42 Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley, P, #43 (1978-1984, 1998)

88 W - 71 L, 241 G, 191 GS, 64 CG, 771 K, 3.92 ERA, All-Star 1982

Looking over the twenty-four years of Dennis Eckersley's career, eyes naturally gravitate towards his nine years in Oakland where he redefined the role of the closer while racking up four all-star appearances and a Cy Young and MVP in 1992. Ask anyone to conjure up an image of Eckersley and they are likely to recall the fearless closer with arms flailing as he releases the ball with hair flowing from his hat aiming the ball with pinpoint control. Head however to New England, ask the same question and you'll get memories of a young flamethrower, a starter wearing a Red Sox uniform.

Dennis Lee Eckersley was born October 3, 1954, in Oakland, California. Growing up in Fremont, California, where he attended Washington High School, Eckersley was multi-sport athlete in baseball, basketball and football. His sport of choice was solidified when was selected out of high school by the Cleveland Indians in the third round of the 1972 free-agent draft.

Eckersley spent his first three seasons as a professional ball player rising up through the Cleveland Indians farm system as a hard throwing starter with incredible potential.

"It was obvious to me Eckersley would be an outstanding pitcher," said Bob Quinn, Cleveland's minor league director at the time. "He had outstanding speed and intimidated you with a sidearm slider. But the thing that always impressed me - and I saw him pitch in the Texas League - was his makeup. He has that extra ingredient that says he will excel. Not necessarily a perfectionist, but he wants nothing but to beat you."

In 1975, at only 20 years of age, Dennis Eckersley was invited to attend camp and made the Indians big league roster. Eckersley started his career where he would end it, in the bullpen. But after ten scoreless outings in relief, Eckersley got his first opportunity to start on May 25th, 1975 against the Oakland A's pitching a complete game, three hit shut out. He would pitch a major league record 28 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to start his major league career.

Eckersley would finish the 1975 season at 13-7 with a 2.60 ERA, earning him the honors of Sporting News AL Rookie Pitcher of the Year. Eckersley's time in Cleveland would feature more incredible achievements including a no hitter and a 21 inning hitless streak in 1977. Eckersley would go 40-32 over his three seasons in Cleveland earning him a spot on the 100 Greatest Cleveland Indians Roster before being traded to Boston before the 1978 season along with catcher Fred Kendall for pitchers Rick Wise and Mike Paxton, third baseman Ted Cox and catcher Bo Diaz.

Eckersley's first season in Boston was his best, compiling a 20-8 record, with a 2.99 ERA. Eck was particularly stellar down the stretch as the Red Sox battled the rival New York Yankees in a heated pennant race. Over his last four starts, all wins, Eckersley would pitch 33.2 innings including three complete games while allowing only twenty-seven baserunners and three earned runs (0.80 ERA) while striking out twenty.

Eckersley would follow up his successful 1978 campaign with an equally impressive second season in Boston. At the age of 24, Eckersely went 17-10 matching his previous 2.99 ERA finishing in the top ten in Cy Young balloting (7th), wins (5th), and ERA (3rd). Unfortunately for Dennis, 1980 would usher in a decade of decline for the starting pitcher. Eckersley would hover around the .500 mark for the next four seasons in Boston before being dealt to the Chicago Cubs on May 25th of 1984 along with outfielder Mike Brumley for first baseman Bill Buckner.

Eckersley would go on to rebound in Chicago over two and a half seasons, earning him the #96 spot on Bleed Cubbie Blue's Top 100 Cubs List, before once again being dealt in 1986 to Oakland where he would solidify his place in baseball history as one of the most dominant relievers of all time. If I could find a Top 100 A's of all time list, there is no doubt that Eck would place highly on his fourth such list (Cleveland, Boston, Chicago, and Oakland).

Eckersley would follow his manager Tony LaRussa from Oakland to St. Louis in 1996 spending two seasons with the Cardinals before coming back to Boston to end his career as a set up man for Tom Gordon in 1998.

Dennis Eckersley, a six-time All-Star, ended his 24-year (1975-98) major league career with a record of 197-171 (48-41 as a reliever), 361 games started, 100 complete games, 2,401 strikeouts, and a 3.50 ERA. His career in baseball culminated in 2004 when he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 85% of the vote.

In his induction speech in Cooperstown, Eckersley referenced the role that baseball and the fight that he had with alcohol abuse during his career played in his life.

"Walt Whitman once said, 'Baseball will repair our losses and be a blessing to us.' Well, I saved my life and my career was repaired. You never know when life is going to change forever."

"I care for this game with my heart and soul. I dedicated my life to being the best pitcher I could be. You leave me humbled and grateful for this honor. I'd like to leave an offering of a message of hope. That is, with the grace of God, you can change your life, whoever you are."

This Top 100 Red Sox profile was written by Tim Daloisio, Editor and Chief Blogger of the Red Sox Times.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #45 Derek Lowe

Derek Lowe, P, #32 (1997-2004)

70 W - 55 L, 85 Saves, 384 G, 673 K, 3.72 ERA, All-Star 2000, 2002

You needn't look any further than the 2004 post-season to gain an understanding of what it was like to be Derek Lowe. Known for incredible talent, at times questionable mental makeup, and a knack for having the highest highs and lowest lows a player can find on a baseball field, Derek Lowe went from being left out of the post-season rotation in 2004 to becoming the winning pitcher in the deciding games of the American League Divisional Series, American League Championship Series, and 2004 World Series. From desolation to revelation, this ride was the epitome of Derek Lowe's career.

Known for his devastating sinker and astounding GB/FB ratio, Lowe both excelled and fell from grace on the mound in Boston as both a top tier closer and top of the rotation starter over his eight year career as a Red Sox. Over the course of his career, Lowe would pitch in more games in a Red Sox uniform (384) than only Bob Stanley and teammate Tim Wakefield. Lowe ranks 4th on the all time Red Sox saves list with 85, and is the tallest pitcher to ever pitch in a Sox uniform at 6'6". Lowe is also the last Boston pitcher to record a no-hitter when he no-hit the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 27, 2002 five years and one day removed from his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners.

Born June 1st of 1973 in Dearborn, MI, a young Derek Lowe was the all-American high school athlete. Lowe lettered in baseball, golf, soccer, and basketball where he was a first team all-state player. In 1991, Lowe chose baseball as his sport of choice and was drafted in the 8th round of the 1991 amateur draft by the Seattle Mariners as a pitcher. By the end of the 1992 season in class A ball in Bellingham, WA Lowe was touted as the #6 prospect in the Northwest League by Baseball America.

Lowe rose through the Mariners minor league system spending 1994 and 1995 in AA before moving up to AAA Tacoma in 1996. Lowe started the season in 1997 back in Tacoma before getting his call to the bigs in late April. On April 26th, 1997 Derek Lowe made his Major League debut for the Seattle Mariners. Trailing 3-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays, Lowe was called upon out of the bullpen to start the sixth inning. In his first inning of work Lowe induced three ground balls in a one-two-three inning. Lowe would give up a hit in the seventh inning and a hit in the eighth allowing no runs while the Mariners tied the game at three. In the bottom of the ninth in his fourth inning of relief work, Lowe gave up back to back one out singles before being replaced by Norm Charlton. Charlton wasn't able to close out the inning and Derek Lowe's first appearance in the big leagues resulted in a well pitched loss.

Lowe would go on to start nine games for the Mariners going 2-4 with a 6.96 ERA before being traded to Boston along with catcher Jason Varitek at the July 31st trading deadline for Red Sox closer Heathcliff Slocumb in what would go down as one of the best trades in Boston Red Sox history. Lowe would go on to make his Red Sox debut on September 1st and compile a 0-2 record and 3.38 ERA in 8 relief appearances for the Red Sox in 1997.

Lowe started 1998 in the starting rotation before going 0-7 with a 5.81 ERA over ten starts before being moved to the bullpen where he found a niche setting up for Tom Gordon and excelled. In 53 games as a reliever in '98 Lowe went 3-2 with 4 saves and a 2.88 ERA. As a reliever, his BAA dropped .057 points and his Opponent SLG dropped .124 points to .301 while his K/BB ratio doubled. Lowe found comfort in the 7th and eighth innings and began to stand out as one of the better setup men in baseball.

The 1999 season saw Derek Lowe continue to evolve; this time from setup man to closer. As he did in 1997, Lowe flourished in his new role as the season progressed. Over his first 42 games, he was primarily a set up man for, of all people, Tim Wakefield who had been called upon to close games to start the season. Lowe did his set up job well going 0-2 with a 3.04 ERA, 4 saves, 34 K and 19 BB. In his final 32 appearances, primarily as the closer, Lowe was 6-1 with 11 saves, a 2.21 ERA, and only 6 BBs compared to 46 Ks. The closer role suited him and set him up for a breakout year in 2000.

In 2000, Derek Lowe built off his positive experiences in the ninth inning the year prior resulting in an All-Star appearance on his way to lead the American League in saves with 42. In 74 games, Lowe was 4-4 with 42 saves, a 2.56 ERA, and a 79/22 K/BB ratio. For all Lowe's success however, his future career wouldn't see him continue to flourish as a closer.

Looking to back up his '00 season with another stellar campaign, 2001 didn't get off the start that Derek Lowe was hoping for. In April, Lowe couldn't get out of his own way going 1-4 with 3 saves in 13.1 innings giving up 20 hits on his way to a 6.75 ERA. Lowe settled into the season in May and June, before struggling again in July and losing his closing job to acquired Ugueth Urbina in August. Lowe would make three successful starts in September, once again taking the lows of losing his job as a closer to an opportunity to excel in another role. Over the three starts he would go 1-0 with a 1.12 ERA.

In what would become a common trait for Derek Lowe, he would bounce back from adversity in a big way in 2002. As a starting pitcher for the first time since he started his Red Sox career, Lowe had another All-Star appearance, this time as the games starting pitcher. And that wouldn't even be the high point of his season. Lowe would go 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA over 32 starts finishing third in the Cy Young race to teammate Pedro Martinez and award winner Barry Zito. But when he looks back on what could be called the most successful season of his career, Lowe will remember one day above all others, April 27th 2002. Against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Fenway Park, Derek Lowe would pitch the game of his life no hitting the Rays in a 10-0 win. After the game ended and the fans partied to a rousing rendition of "Low-Rider" Lowe came back on the field and addressed the fans.

"I'm just glad all you guys were here to enjoy this with me. I know last year you guys had no confidence in me, and I deserved that. And I just want to come out in this park and give the confidence back to you guys. And I'm just very glad that you guys stayed with me and cheered me on throughout the game. Thank you very much."

Once again, success was hard for Derek Lowe to repeat for Lowe in 2003. Lowe would end up a respectable 17-7 behind the strength of a stellar offense, but would post a 4.47 ERA over 33 starts. At Fenway Park, Lowe approached the pitcher we say in 2002 going 11-2 with a 3.21 ERA. On the road however, Lowe was 6-5 with an abysmal 6.11 ERA. It would be on the road however that Lowe would make his most lasting memory of the season. With the Red Sox on the brink of erasing an 0-2 deficit against the Oakland A's in the ALDS, Lowe was called upon in a role that he had given up years before; the closer. After starting game four in which he pitched well but yielded a no decision in a Red Sox win, Lowe was called on in the ninth inning striking out two A's on nasty diving sinkers with the game in the balance. Jason Varitek would call the last strike "the best pitch he's ever made." Here is my recap from that game.

2004 would be Lowe's last in a Red Sox uniform before leaving in free agency and signing a contract with the L.A. Dodgers. He would in fact save his best for last. Both fortunately and fortunately, his best wasn't on display until the very end. Lowe would struggle through most of the season with questionable mental makeup and a 15-12 record and a 5.42 ERA. Luckily for Red Sox fans, even after being left out of the rotation in the 2004 post season, Lowe's ability to bounce back from the lowest of lows was never more apparent.

In game three of the ALDS against the Anaheim Angels with the Red Sox up two games to none and the game headed to extra innings, Lowe pitched a scoreless tenth inning before David Ortiz ended the game and the series with a walkoff two-run homer into the Monster Seats making Lowe the winning pitcher. After being called upon to start game four of the ALCS against the New York Yankees because of the devastation that long games prior had on the Red Sox pitching staff forcing schedule starter Tim Wakefield into action, Lowe pitched well keeping the Red Sox in the game through his 5.1 innings of work. By the time the series had reached game seven, Lowe was called upon again, this time on only 2 days rest. Lowe pitched his way into Red Sox history allowing only one run and one hit over six innings on his way to another series clinching win solidifying the greatest comeback in the history of team sports. Not to be outdone, Lowe finished off his amazing post season run with a victory in the clinching game of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on October 27th, 2004. In what would be his last game in a Red Sox uniform, Lowe would go seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits while walking one and striking out four. The Red Sox won the game 3-0, the series 4-0, and after a horrid regular season, Derek Lowe was the winning pitcher in all three series-deciding games in the 2004 playoffs.

This Top 100 Red Sox profile was written by Tim Daloisio, Editor and Chief Blogger of the Red Sox Times.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #48 Trot Nixon

Trot Nixon, RF, #7 (1996-2006)

982 G, 912 H, 547 R, 133 HR, 523 RBI, .278 Avg, .365 OBP, .478 SLG

Trot Nixon (or Christopher Trotman Nixon) was born on April 11, 1974 in Durham, NC. He went to New Hanover High School where he played both baseball and football. Both of which he was very adept at. During his senior year is where he came to his high school career peek. As a senior in football he broke records for passing and in baseball he got State Player of the Year and was named High School Player of the Year by Baseball America. He finished his senior baseball year with .512 BA, 56 RBIs (which was a state record), and 12 homeruns. He also pitched 40 innings with a 12-0 record and a .40 ERA.

He was drafted in 1993 in the amateur draft as first pick by the Sox, 7th overall. His first professional season came in 1996. His best year came in 2003 where he posted a .306 BA, 28 homeruns, and 24 doubles.

He is said to have been just about as Red Sox as they come. From saving the Sox from elimination in 2004 to wearing goofy hairstyles in the 2004 season, he’s said to be the one who coined the phrase “Boston Dirt Dog”. He also one of the rare cases of being on the disabled list and being kicked out of the game. When Gabe Kapler hit a homerun which the umpires counted as a double, Nixon ran out to contest the call and ended up getting ejected.

During the final game of the 2006 season Nixon got taken out in the 5th inning, everyone knowing it was his last game in Boston. He got replaced by David Murphy. He wasn’t offered arbitration by the Sox in the off-season either, and after the signing of JD Drew things started to look bleak for him on the Sox. In January of 2007 Nixon signed with the Cleveland Indians in a 1 year $3 million deal.

He also chose to change his number from 7 to 33 by the advice of his son Chase, who chose it because Nixon is turning 33 this year.

This 100 Greatest Red Sox biography was written by Mander.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #60 John Valentin

John Valentin, SS/3B, #13 (1992-2002)

991 G, 1043 H, 121 HR, 528 RBI, .281 Avg, .358 OBP, .460 SLG

Ted Williams on Johnny Valentin: "That little guy at Third Base, I like him. He's good. I love him"

Before the 'Holy Trinity' (Jeter, Garciaparra and A-Rod) and subsequent statistical explosion, the Major League shortstop was known primarily as a glove man, someone who was going to scoop the ball up and chip in a few hits here and there. Two shortstops in particular came along in the nineties to break that mould, Cal Ripken Jr of the Orioles and John Valentin of the Boston Red Sox.

Born February 16th, 1967 in Mineola, New York, Valentin attended Seton Hall University. Valentin's college roomate and Seton Hall Pirates team mate was Mo Vaughn. Another team mate was Craig Biggio. They played together on Seton Hall’s 1987 Big East Championship team, which went 45-10.

There has actually been a book written about that Seton Hall Team. David Siroty penned The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth: Biggio, Valentin, Vaughn, and Robinson: Together Again in the Big Leagues.

Valentin started his professional career in the Red Sox minor league system in 1988. and made it to the Majors in 1992. He would go on to have an eleven year career, ten of those with the Boston Red Sox.

Valentin always had a nose for the dramatic. He is one of only 12 players in modern major league history to complete an unassisted triple play. Valentin completed the rare play on July 8th in 1994 in a loss to Seattle. In the 2nd inning. he caught a line drive off the bat of Marc Newfield, stepped on 2nd base to retire Mike Blowers, then tagged runner Keith Mitchell who was heading (slowly!) for 2nd. As is often the case in MLB, once a player makes a great play in the top of an inning he often follows it up with some good stick work in the bottom. Naturally Valentin hit a home run in the bottom of the second. To make the game more notable still, Seattle uber-prospect Alex Rodriguez, 18, was 0-for-3 in his ML debut that night.


Statistically John's best season came in 1995. He hit at an impressive .298 clip and added 27 home runs, 102 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Red Sox fans who are possibly new to the fold and know little about Valentin should take this one on board and chew it over. 'Val' was Boston's short stop the last time the Boston Red Sox won the American League East Division championship, in 1995.

Valentin simply had a spectacular 1995. On May 2nd in a 8-0 whitewash of the hated Yankees, Boston scored all eight runs in back to back innings by former college teammates (Seton Hall) Valentin and Mo Vaughn.That was the only time ever that two grand slams account for all the runs scored in a game (Source: SABR statistician David Vincent). That two former Seton Hall lads did it only makes it more unusual and indeed unique. On June 2nd of that shining season for him, Valentin and the Sox beat the Mariners 6-5 with 'Val' going 5-5 with three home runs and four runs scored. At the time he was the first shortstop ever to total 15 bases in one game. Again at the time he was the 8th Red Sox player to hit three home runs in a single game.

On September 29th The Sox slipped past the Brewers 11-9 and Valentin reached a personal landmark 102 runs batted in, becoming just the 4th Red Sox shortstop ever to drive in 100 runs in a season.

Furthermore, when Boston's big bats (Vaughn and Canseco) completely disappeared in the playoffs first round that season against the Indians, it was Valentin led the way, blasting a memorable two run bomb in the third inning of game one to get the Sox going. Sadly that would be one of the few highlights as the Sox went meekly into the night 0-3.

John was rewarded for his excellent 1995 season by being awarded Major League baseball's Silver Slugger Award. As a measure of the achievement, the same award, since '95, has been taken by either Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Miguel Tejada. That is a fine collection of slugging shortstops.

Valentin was by no means a fast man, but he was always an extremely clever base runner, and this was displayed physically in the tremendous amount of runs he managed to score, particularly between '95 and '98. In those four seasons he clocked up an incredible 400 runs scored.


Perhaps John's finest hour as a member of the Red Sox came in the form of the '99 playoffs. The Sox were up against the mighty Indians, the first team to score 1,000 runs in a season in nearly 50 years. The 'Tribe' looked like they were going to simply brush the Sox aside and took a 2-0 lead going into game three in Boston. Cometh the hour cometh the man and Valentin got to work. In the bottom of the sixth Val hit a lead off solo shot to put Boston ahead 3-2. After the Indians tied it Val came through again with a bases loaded double, putting the Sox ahead for good on the way to a dramatic 9-3 season saving win. What happened next was nothing short of historical as a suddenly reeling Cleveland side caved in and Boston won game four 23-7.

Valentin exploded in that game knocking in an incredible seven runs. No Red Sox fan will ever forget what happened in game five when Troy O'Leary went yard twice and Pedro came in from the bullpen to shut the door on the Indians, however none of that would have been possible without Valentin's heroics in games three and four in particular. In five games against the Indians John batted .318 with three home runs and a fantastic 12 runs batted in.

Perhaps the Sox gave too much in taking the ALDS against Cleveland as they went out in the ALCS against the Yankees, disappointingly losing 4-1. Valentin still gave Red Sox fans reason to smile in game three at Fenway. With the crowd already energised by Pedro mowing down the Yanks in the top of the first, Jose Offerman jolted them further with a lead off triple against former Sox great Roger Clemens. Up stepped Johnny Val and the roar could be heard in Mineola as he lifted a majestic two run blast over the Monster in left to give the Sox a 2-0 lead on route to a dramatic 13-1 win. Although the Sox were eventually knocked out, Valentin did all he could, reaching base ten times in the five games.

Sadly Valentin's career became plagued with injuries and in his last two seasons with the Red Sox Johnny Val only played 31 games before spending one more season with the New York Mets and then calling it a day. Since hanging up his cleats Val has worked as a part-time television analyst for the New England Sports Network and has branched out into the culinary world as owner of Julia's Restaurant in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey. He has also spent time working as a hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays AA affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Red Sox history is littered with shining stars who own often spectacular statistics. Although Valentin didn't have a 40 home run season or hit .400, he helped pave the way for a new breed of slugging shortstops and was a part of the gradual renaissance of the Boston Red Sox, which started in the nineties and culminated in '04. If anything Valentin should be remembered for his clutch hitting, particularly in the playoffs. In his time, when the bell rang, John Valentin always answered.

This Top 100 Red Sox of all time profile was written by Cormac Eklof @ ''I didn't know there was baseball in Ireland?!''

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #61 Ellis Burks

Ellis Burks, CF, #12, 25 (1987-1992, 2004)

733 G, 2827 AB, 791 H, 94 HR, 388 RBI, 95 SB, .280 AVG, .339 OBP, .455 SLG

I saw Ellis Burks’s last at-bat on September 23, 2004: a pinch-hit appearance at the bottom of the ninth inning of a losing effort against the Baltimore Orioles on a rain-sodden night at Fenway Park. He singled up the middle. And as a pinch runner jogged out to take his place at first, the few fans who remained in the wet seats cheered long and loud as Ellis Burks tipped his cap.

The Red Sox would go on to make some epochal history in that 2004 postseason, but Burks was not be on the roster. He understood that. I just like to think he was happy to finish his career in Boston — and to get to ride on a float down Boylston Street barely a month later.

He may have had a career year in home runs (40) with the Colorado Rockies. He may have matched a career best in batting average (.344) hitting behind Barry Bonds on the San Francisco Giants. But I always like to think of Ellis Burks as a Red Sox above all else — and I hope he does too.

Ellis Rena Burks was born on September 11, 1964 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was an outstanding high school athlete, and was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1983 amateur draft. He signed with the team that spring.

Burks had quite a reputation as an uber prospect to live up to, and after four seasons in the minors he did just that in his rookie season in 1987. Installed in center field between Jim Rice and Mike Greenwell, he covered a lot of ground and possessed a strong, accurate arm. It was at the plate and on the base paths, however, that he established his bona fides, quickly making a name for himself himself as a supremely athletic combination of speed and power. He became just the third Red Sox ever to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season (he stole 27). Baseball Digest and Topps both named him to their “All-Rookie” squads.

In 1988, Burks had another good season (.294/.367/.481, with 18 homers and 92 RBI), but in 1989 his injuries caught up to him, and even though he was hitting well (.303) and stealing bases (21) his season was shortened to just 97 games when he was forced to undergo shoulder surgery. It was far from the last time injuries would throw up major obstacles to his career.

Burks bounced back nicely in 1990, however, playing 152 games, bashing 21 home runs, getting named to the American League All-Star team, and winning both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. He also finished 13th in MVP voting.

1991 saw slight declines in Burks’s numbers across the board, and in 1992 he played in just 66 games. The following year, he signed on for one season with the Chicago White Sox, where he found his stride again. He’d go on to put up great numbers in Colorado (1994-1998), San Francisco (1998-2000), and Cleveland (2001-2003). (1996 was a banner year for Burks, when he led the National League in runs, total bases, and extra base hits, slugging, and finished third in MVP voting.)

In 2004, Burks came full circle. Perhaps sensing what that particular squad was capable of doing, he signed a one-year, $750,000 deal for a final season with the Red Sox. He was almost 40, at that point, and ended up playing in just 11 games as a DH and pinch hitter, with just 33 at-bats. He hit a homer and stole a couple bases for old times sake. But that was pretty much it for Ellis Burks.

He never expected to be batting cleanup in the World Series. He just wanted to have a little fun before hanging up his cleats. And if you had to pick a season to sign on with the Red Sox, you could’ve done a lot worse than 2004.

Biography written by Mike Millard of the Phoenix's SoxBlog.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #63 Rich Gedman

Rich Gedman, C, #10 (1980-1990)

906 G, 83 HR, 356 RBI, .259 Avg, .309 OBP, .412 SLG

Obstructed View: The Rich Gedman Bio

The Red Sox and Fenway Park will always have their staples. In the 80s, you could count on Jim Ed in left, Dewey in right, Ken Coleman in the booth, and a pole in the way.

A less-celebrated fixture of Fenway in that neon decade was two-time All-Star catcher Richard Leo "Rich" Gedman, Jr.

Platoon-mates and backups came and went, but only Geddy was behind the plate from the Carter administration to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Here was a hometown hero, a stand-up guy who never quit, even when his body begged him to. He was the backbone of the defense, the glue that held the pitching staff together, and when he connected on that helicopter swing, Pesky's Pole braced itself for another frozen rope.



Rich grew up in the City of the Seven Hills--Worcester, not Rome--45 miles west of Boston. The Red Sox signed him as an undrafted free agent out of high school in August 1977. He quickly shot up through the system. On September 7th, 1980, a bespectacled Gedman, wearing number 50 on his back, pinch-hit for Carl Yastrzemski in his Major League debut. A few weeks later, on his 21st birthday, he caught Dennis Eckersley's one-hitter. After that season, Carlton Fisk was gone, and Geddy, the hometown boy built like a tight end, was set to become the next first-string catcher at Fenway.

In early '81, shortly after catching the first nine innings for Pawtucket in what is still pro baseball's longest game, he came up to the big leagues for good, now wearing his familiar number 10. That year he would be named Sporting News' AL Rookie Player of the Year, and would finish second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

After two more years of splitting time behind the plate, Rich became the bona fide starter, and showed his power as well, hitting 24 dingers and slugging over .500 in 1984. In 1985, he set personal records in BA, 2B, RBI, and OBP, and performed the rarest of feats, hitting for the cycle--only the sixth catcher of the century to do so. That year he was named to the All-Star team.

But it was 1986 that would define not only many of our childhoods, but Rich Gedman's career as well. In April, Rich was again part of history when he caught Roger Clemens' 20 strikeout game. He was hitting .300 at the end of that month, and was again named to the All-Star team in July.

For the third consecutive year, though, Rich caught over 130 games, and the wear-and-tear would finally start to affect his game. He slumped severely in July and August, before hitting .284 in the final month just to get his season average to .258. But the Red Sox were going to the playoffs, and Rich was primed for his first trip to the postseason.

In the '86 ALCS, the Red Sox went down three games to one. Game five would be the precise moment when Gedman reached the pinnacle of his career. His two-run homer in the second off of Angels' ace Mike Witt put Boston up 2-0. After getting two more hits off of Witt, and throwing out two runners on the basepaths, Rich came up to bat in the ninth, his team down a run, with nobody on and two men out. Angels manager Gene Mauch hadn't forgotten Rich's three hits. Seeing him up there as the tying run, and an out away from the World Series, Mauch removed Witt. Gedman, knowing the season depended on him, had to sweat it out as Gary Lucas warmed up, and over 60,000 California fans prepared to storm the field in celebration. Lucas threw--and plunked Rich Gedman. Now Rich was the go-ahead run at first. Dave Henderson came up and hit that unforgettable home run, putting life back in the Red Sox' season. It was Gedman's three hits that made it possible. The game went to extra innings, and Rich's bunt single--his fourth hit, and his fifth time on base that day--put what would be the winning run on third, setting up Hendu again, this time for the game-winning sacrifice fly. After that, the series went back to Beantown, where the Sox would win the final two games easily, advancing to the Fall Classic. Geddy's final average in the ALCS was .357.

Luck stayed on Gedman's side in the early stages of that fateful World Series, In Game One, his grounder went through the legs of Tim Teufel--he of "the shuffle"--scoring the game's only run. He also called Bruce Hurst's masterful performance that night. Rich's late-inning single helped a rally that put Game Two away, and the Sox were sitting pretty. But they sloppily lost the next two at home, before salvaging Game Five.

As Game Five of the ALCS was the top of the mountain for Gedman, Game Six of the World Series was the moment he started bouncing down the other side. After a poor performance in the field and at the plate (he hit just .200 in the series), Rich still had a chance to celebrate a championship. But with the Mets one strike away from elimination, and down two runs, they started getting hits. When the tying run was at third, Bob Stanley threw a pitch that curved away from Gedman, bouncing in the dirt and getting through to allow the run to score. Before the delirium subsided, Mookie Wilson's grounder was squirting through Bill Buckner's legs, and the Mets had won. Despite Geddy's homer in Game Seven, the Mets would come from behind again, winning it all. Gedman would never return to the World Series.

Was Stanley's pitch catchable? No. Was it blockable? Probably. It was scored a wild pitch. But many remember it as a passed ball. Some even base Rich Gedman's entire career on that play. Between eras of blaming Bill Buckner for '86, Sox fans came up with a laundry list of players and events to place blame on. Gedman was part of that blame parade. They are moments that will live forever. And they all have one thing in common. Gedman reaching for that ball as Mookie leaps out of the way; Gedman behind the plate as Mookie hits the grounder; Gedman in the background as Buckner misses the ball; Gedman standing in disbelief as Knight crosses the plate right in front of him. It was only a matter of time before people decided, "Hey, this Gedman must've done something wrong..." Do a little research, though, and see that if it weren't for Gedman, there wouldn't have even been a World Series for the Sox that year.

After that season, partially due to contract issues, Rich never found his stride again, hitting no higher than .231 from '87 to the end of his career in '92. His Red Sox tenure ended in 1990, when Tony Pena took over the catching duties. I'll never forget being at Fenway in the late 80s, and hearing a fan rudely shout, "Hey Rich, you used to be an All-Star catcher! What happened?!" Rich fielded a similar question in a 2003 article:

"I wish I could have played better than I did [after '86]. For whatever reason, I didn't. I can't tell you why. I know when it ended, I loved the game just as much as when I started. For some reason, I just didn't play as well. It was probably more mental than anything else. I started to doubt myself."

Looking at the stats, he hit about .330 at Fenway in '84 and '85 combined, then fell to .214 in '86. His OPS went from the .900s to the .500s over the same stretch. Maybe he just forgot how to use Fenway to his advantage. He also says he doesn't like to use injuries as an excuse, but he suffered from scores of them. Look how many full games he caught in '85 and '86. No catcher in the league did it more than Gedman either year. (He caught more full games in those two seasons than he did for the next and final seven years of his career.) He also caught all 14 games--start to finish--of the '86 postseason. All this work had to have taken its toll. Then there was the debacle of the '86 All-Star game. Forced to catch knuckleballer Charlie Hough, Gedman had a rough time, with a run scoring on a passed ball and a wild pitch over a two-batter stretch. Maybe that was the moment Rich's fall from grace began.

The current Red Sox ownership has kept Gedman in the family. In 2004, he and other former Sox greats finally got their rings. Gedman is now truly a hometown hero, managing the minor-league Worcester Tornadoes. His son Michael currently plays baseball at LeMoyne College.

(Photo of Jere at age fourteen, 1989, with Rich Gedman (#10) in background, probably by Jere's mom. Photo of Gedman with Johnny Pesky at the World Series parade, 2004, and Gedman with Yaz at the ring ceremony, 2005, by Jere. 1986 baseball card of Gedman with Carlton Fisk by Fleer.)

Jere is a fourth-generation Sox fan, and since March 2004, writes the blog A Red Sox Fan In Pinstripe Territory.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #65 Troy O'Leary

Troy O'Leary, OF, #25 (1995-2001)

962 G, 954 H, 209 2B, 117 HR, 516 RBI, .276 Avg, .330 OBP, .459 SLG

As soon as Jose signed his letter of intent declaring his plans to participate in this project, he knew he wanted Troy O’Leary. Let’s look at the facts. First, O’Leary hit one of the two batting practice balls Jose owns from his time working at Fenway in 1995. (Note: The other belongs to the then hitting coach a washed up hack named Jim Rice who could still crush batting practice.) Second, O’Leary, like Jose frequented a bar named O’Leary’s on Beacon St. just West of Kenmore Square. They have good soda bread there. Third, the rumors about the personal problems that distracted O’Leary in 2000 involve the delicious combination of Mrs. O’Leary and a speedy teammate, making this the most interesting story involving a Mrs. O’Leary that does not involve the incineration of Chicago. Fourth, his nickname “Yummy,” given for his sweet tooth, is maybe the best official Red Sox nickname of all time. Jose only regrets that he was not writing at the time, so he could have demanded that “yummy, yummy, yummy I’ve got love in my tummy” by Ohio Express become O’Leary’s theme song.

But let’s be honest, as much as Jose loves all of these things about Troy O’Leary, they are not the reason he is on this list and they are not the reason Jose wanted to write about him. No, Troy O’Leary became a legend… that’s right a legend... one night in October 1999 when the Cleveland Indians twice made a tactically perfect move. Two times they intentionally walked Nomar Garciaparra, the only frightening hitter on that Red Sox squad, in order to face the man they call Yummy. And Yummy ate them up like so many chocolate covered gummi bears. Each time he launched home runs a grand slam and a three run shot that, in combination with Pedro Martinez’s six innings of hitless relief, gave the Red Sox a 12-8 win. When asked after the game how he had overcome his poor performance earlier in the series to emerge as a star, O’Leary a black ballplayer in Boston answered with a reply that would have made any Sully in Southie proud “Luck of the Irish.”

Troy O'Leary's biography was proudly written by Jose Melendez of Keys to the Game.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #69 Marty Barrett

Marty Barrett, 2B, #17 (1982-1990)

929 G, 935 H, 17 HR, 311 RBI, .278 AVG, .338 OBP, .347 SLG

On June 23, 1981 Marty Barrett sprung into the Red Sox fan's consciousness as part of the the tag line of one of the most famous baseball games ever played - the 33 inning double marathon run by the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox. In the 33rd inning of a game featuring 2 Hall of Famers and a dozen future major leaguers of varying caliber it was Dave Koza knocking in Marty Barrett that salted the game away for the PawSox, with future Boston teammate and even futurer World Series opponent Bobby Ojeda getting the W.

And it encapsulated the rest of his career in a microcosm.

He batted second for all 8.5 hours, only went 2-13, didn't knock anyone in, and didn't make an error.
And at the end of the day? Hit by pitch, takes third on a single, and scores on the game winning hit by Koza.

The annoying pest who is in the middle of it all when it matters.

Martin Glenn Barrett was born on June 23, 1958 in Arcadia, California, and grew up in Las Vegas.

He attended Arizona State University despite having been drafted by the Angels in the 11th round in '77, the Mets in the third round in January 78, and the Red Sox in the first round of the secondary phase in June of '78, before finally signing with the Sox when they took him as the first overall pick... in the secondary phase of the January draft in '79... before MLB stopped the draft madness. (incidentally sharing a round with future Sox Otis Nixon, Scott Fletcher, and Gary Gaetti). He was signed by noted scout and legendary baseball procreator Ray Boone.

Looking at his career line above you are of course wondering why we care.
How does a career .286 hitter - a batter who only hit 18 homers... in his life; who never won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, or batting title; was never an All Star; was never for even a second the best second basemen in his league, never mind baseball - make it to the Outer Limits of the Inner Circle of All Time Red Sox?

Because that last bit is wrong. In October of 1986 he was the best second baseman on the planet, it was as though he'd turned into Frankie Frisch. He was everywhere, terrorizing the Angels and Mets with OPS' of .846 and 1.014.

And that's what we'll remember in the end. The 1986 postseason. We'll forget the brains, we'll forget that he never struck out, we'll forget his leading the league in sacrifices, we'll forget the hidden ball trick and that one 'hesitation' slide (find video of it - it's unreal). We'll overlook the look of annoyance on opponents faces upon finding an unselfish #2 hitter looking to move along Hall of Famer Wade Boggs when the braintrust was smart enough to lead Boggs off.

It'll be that one white hot moment where Marty Barrett made his bid to be a folk hero in the way we look at the kids from 2004. If only the 'good' players hitting behind him could have found a way to take advantage of the fact that he was on base almost every other at bat Bill Buckner could live somewhere other than Idaho, and Marty wouldn't have add a "but" to his greatest stretch in baseball.

Barrett's solid career ended abruptly after he twice injured his knee. Team owner/doctor Arthur Pappas kept giving him cortisone shots to keep him on the field rather than fixing it surgically, so not surprisingly they didn't get better. His range in the field shot, and Jody Reed not really being a good fit at short, the Sox released him following the 1990 season, ending the third longest reign at the second sack (behind B. Doerr and Turn of the Century keystoner Hobe Ferris) and the longest in the second half of the 20th century.

After an brief attempt to carry on outside the Fens with the Padres ended with John Kruk delivering the knockout blow to his knee, Barrett coached for a couple of seasons with his hometown Las Vegas Stars in the PCL before moving on to manage the Rancho Cucomunga Quakes.

Which he dropped like a shot when "I was going back to the airport with my youngest son. He had all my baseball cards out, and he was looking at them. I asked him why he was doing that, and he said `I look at the cards when I forget what your face looks like.' That killed me." (Baseball Digest, August 2002 )

So he returned home to dabble in real estate, play golf, and get more involved in his community. The Las Vegas North Little League bears his name and he has been peripherally involved in city politics.

So barring a run for mayor, with his final child set to graduate high school this summer we should be seeing a return of Marty Barrett to the managerial ranks, where he will be as successful as he has been at everything else.

In closing, it needs to be said that it's really too bad that Marty missed the blog era. What would the blog kids do with a player who hits a little like Mark Loretta, fields on a par with Alex Gonzalez (without the flash), had Varitek's smarts and Trot Nixon's engine?

Nothing but love.

Travis doesn't have a Sox blog of his own, but can often be found sharing his baseball opinions here, going by the name Frawst

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #71 Tom Gordon

Tom Gordon, RP, #36 (1996-1999)

25-25, 68 saves, 4.45 ERA, 175 G

As the first capsule profile of a top 100 Red Sox that Jose has dared to write, there was no formula for Jose to draw upon, none of the comforting rituals of banality in which to swaddle himself. So it falls to Jose to dive in forthwith lest he be branded Hamlet on the Charles. So let’s take a look at a moment, a single instant of time, that made Tom “Flash” Gordon the Red Sox legend he is today.

Gordon stands astride the Fenway mound, his wool cap tight and drawn down over his eyes, blinders to his thoroughbred, eliminating all distractions and concentrating all focus on the task at hand. He draws his hands in to his chest purposefully, like a spring compressing. What will it be? The 97 miles per hour of dynamite? Or the curve that shaves six hours off the face of a clock? The switch flipped, the spring that is Tom Gordon expands with violence, sending the a blur of red and white, pinball-like down the alley and towards home plate…

And then…

Tom Gordon’s greatest Red Sox moment arrives.

It arrives not with the slap of a ball in the tired leather of a well-worn catcher’s mitt, but with the thunderclap of ash on horsehide, as David Ortiz swings as smoothly and as surely as a pinball flipper on a spoke, and sends the ball flying, as if rolling up a ramp and into the Boston night.

Yankees 4--Red Sox 3 and six outs to go. TILT.

Yup, Tom Gordon did a lot for the Boston Red Sox, and we should appreciate him. Heck, he did more that night alone, walking Kevin Millar, and panicking with Dave Roberts pinch running for Kentucky Fried Kevin, allowing Mosey Nixon to slap single Roberts to third on a hit and run. He did more for the Red Sox that one night than in his entire stint with the team. And that’s why he is one of the all time greatest Red Sox, even if it was for his work in pinstripes.

But of course this is totally unfair. In his time with the Red Sox, Tom Gordon was, well, flashy. He came aboard as a starter, as he had been in Kansas City before, and put in mediocre inning after mediocre inning before trying his hand in the bullpen. It was then that he discovered that free from the awful burden of pitching more than one or two innings at a time, he could throw quite a bit harder. Indeed, he was almost incapable of blowing a save, at least between April and September. But in October things were different. When the apples got big and ripe, Gordon would wither and fade, such as in 1998, when his blown save against Cleveland in Game 4 of the ALDS, only his second of the season, prevented Jimy Williams from looking like a genius for starting Pete Schourek over Pedro Martinez. At least some good came of it. No, Gordon seemed to be a Vanderjagt or Schiraldi, brilliant in the regular season and soft in the post season, than he did a Mariano Rivera.

It got worse, Sox fan and author Steven King authored a book that off-season entitled The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon with predictable results. King got hit by a truck and Gordon blew out his arm, all but ending his Red Sox tenure. We all know King is comfortable meddling with the forces of the dark, but seriously, he should have known that messing around with the Red Sox would have dire results.

Biography penned by Jose Melendez of Keys to the Game.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #81 Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon, RP, #41 (1990-1992)

150 G, 3.41 ERA, 88 SV

Jeff Reardon spent a few years in the latter part of his career as a closer for the Red Sox. Reardon broke into the big leagues in 1979 with the New York Mets, but became one of baseball's best closers for the Montreal Expos and Minnesota Twins throughout the 1980's.

The Sox signed Reardon for the 1990 season, and Jeff led the bullpen with 21 saves for the 1990 division winning Red Sox. However Reardon struggled in the ALCS against the Oakland A's., giving up a couple of runs in a Game 2 loss, and losing the confidence of manager Joe Morgan. The Red Sox were swept by the A's 4 games to none. Reardon was named to the 1991 All Star team, pitching 2/3 of a scorless inning in the American League's 4-2 victory. He earned annual save totals of 21, 40 and 27 before he was traded to the Atlanta Braves late in the 1992 season.

While with the Red Sox in June 1992, Reardon temporarily became the all times saves leader when he earned career save number 342. Jeff was the first pitcher in Major League Baseball history to have 40 saves in a season for 3 different teams. He did it with the 1985 Montreal Expos,1988 Minnesota Twins and 1991 Boston Red Sox. Reardon is 4th among saves leaders for the Red Sox, with 88 career saves. Only Bob Stanley, Dick Radatz and Ellis Kinder saved more games for the Sox.

Player Biography by John from Sox Fan Zone

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #90 Brian Daubach

Brian Daubach, 1B, #23 (1999-2002, 2004)

541 G, 477 H, 86 HR, 306 RBI, 4 SB, .265 AVG, .341 OBP, .488 SLG

Brian Michael Daubach, born February 11, 1972 in Belleville, Illinois, was drafted in 1990 by the New York Mets in the 17th Round, and got a reputation as a player that always was the sort of guy who you had an idea could contribute but not start everyday. He toiled for seven years in the Mets’ minor league system without breaking through to the majors before being granted free agency. In 1997, he signed with the Florida Marlins organization and made his major league debut in 1998 getting 15 ABs. In 1995, he crossed picket lines to be a replacement player (scab) during the MLBPA players’ strike, but the strike ended before any of the replacements saw game action. (Daubach is one of a select few Major League Baseball players who is not a member of the MLB Players Union because he was a strike breaker during the 1994 strike shortened season.)

A left-handed first baseman with above-average power, Daubach was shunned as a “scab” when he joined the Boston Red Sox in 1999. Due to his hard nosed style of play and penchant for clutch hitting this resentment didn’t last long, and he quickly became both a player and fan favorite. From 1999-2002 he averaged 432 ABs. His best year with the Sox was his first, 1999, when he batted .294 with 21 HR and 73 RBI. He became the first among AL rookies in home runs. He is only the third left-handed rookie in Red Sox history to hit at least 20 home runs, joining Ted Williams (20 in 1939) and Fred Lynn (21 in 1975). Those power numbers stayed somewhat consistant throughout his time with the Sox, but his average took a bit of a hit as the years went on. A notable moment for Red Sox Nation occurred on August 16, 1999 when he helped the Red Sox pull away from the Oakland Athletics en route to the American League wild card with his three-run double in the bottom of the ninth off Tim Worrell.

During his tenure with the Red Sox, he also became a special friend to the Jimmy Fund. In addition to making frequent visits to the Jimmy Fund Clinic, Daubach made appearances at Jimmy Fund events, including the Scooper Bowl®, and served as a spokesman for the Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk. In 2003, Daubach contributed $500 to the Jimmy Fund for every home run he hit throughout the season. The Brian Daubach Home Run Challenge raised $34,000.

Sadly, he had no place on the team at the beginning of the 2003. He signed with the Chicago White Sox, but saw limited action and underperformed to a great extent. He made a triumphant return to Fenway in 2004, but he did not play well after coming back and was soon gone again. He is considered a founding member of the “Boston Dirt Dogs” and later received a World Series Championship ring as a member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

On June 16, 2005, Daubach finally made his debut with the club that drafted him fifteen years earlier. He started 2005 with the Norfolk Tides, a Triple-A affiliate of the Mets in the International League. That year Brian led the way for the Tides, as he led the International League in all three triple-crown categories, hitting .371 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. Currently, Brian is a minor league first baseman for the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

In his seven-season major league career, he has compiled a .261 batting average with 92 home runs and 330 RBI in 646 games.

Player Biography by Karen

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #91 Greg Harris

Greg Harris, RP, #27 (1989-1994)

287 G, 53 GS, 3 CG, 16 SV, 3.92 ERA

To appreciate Greg Harris's impact on the Boston Red Sox, you have to realize that he was a swingman. He was actually a swingman in two different ways (there may have been a third, but I don't know Greg or his wife well enough to ask). As you can see from the provided stat line, Harris was both a starter and a reliever for the Sox. Yes, he was really only technically a swingman in 1991, but a lot of his value to the club was tied to his versatility and rubber arm.

Harris was selected off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies on August 7th, 1989. He spent the rest of the '89 season in the bullpen, where he provided the Sox with 28 innings and an ERA+ of 160. Ineffectiveness (Wes Gardner and Eric Hetzel) and FA departures (Oil Can Boyd) opened up a spot in the Red Sox rotation for Greg Harris in 1990. He would start 30 games for the '90 squad, giving the Sox just about 6 IP per start at the league-average ERA. He refined and improved his curveball, giving credit to Mike Boddicker for helping him improve the pitch and his overall usefulness.

1991 saw the Red Sox begin to figure out how Harris could be most useful. He both started and relieved, but the improvement in his pitching as a reliever was evident, with an ERA about 2 1/4 runs lower as a relief pitcher. He also averaged about 1 2/3 IP per relief appearance. While Greg could still provide about 6 IP with league-average results as a starter, he was strikingly better as a setup man.

In 1992, Greg had arguably the best season of his entire career. He would pitch 70 games, starting two, with an ERA+ of 169. Harris, seemingly, had found a home with the Red Sox and a spot to call his own. As we all know, however, relievers are a fungible and unpredictable commodity. After setting the Red Sox record for appearances with 80 G(later broken by Mike Timlin in 2005) in 1993, his 1994 season was a nightmare. His ERA jumped to 7.99 (league-average ERA in 1994 was an even 5, and his BABIP was a significantly unlucky .367), he was released and only able to find work with the Yankees in July.

You might be thinking, hey, numbers are great, but why should I care about this guy? I'll tell you. But first, take another look at the picture I've chosen for Greg Harris's bio. See the hand he's shown pitching with? Greg Harris spent 99.9% of his career as a right-handed pitcher. Greg Harris was actually ambidexterous. For reference, the last pitcher in the ML to pitch with both his right and left hands was Tony Mullane in 1893.

This may seem like a huge advantage (provided the pitcher is skilled with both hands), but it was an advantage Lou Gorman was unwilling to use in his tenure as GM. Gorman believed it would "make a mockery of the game". Harris disagreed. In protest, he still wore an ambidexterous six-finger glove when pitching. He also, obviously, would pose for pictures (as in the '91 Score card) as a left-handed pitcher. Greg Harris never got the chance to use his ability with the Red Sox.

However, in his final season and next-to-last game with the Montreal Expos, maverick visionary manager Felipe Alou allowed Greg Harris to realize his dream. From the online Baseball Library:

The Reds defeat the Expos by a score of 9-7, with Expos reliever Greg Harris pitching the 9th ambidexterously. The Reds don't score against him as he faces two with his (normal) right arm and two with his left. After Harris (right-handed) retires Reggie Sanders on a grounder, manager Felipe Alou permits him to do what he had wanted to try for 10 years. Following a wild lefty toss to the backstop, he walks Hal Morris. Remaining as a southpaw, though, he gets Eddy Taubensee to ground out. Finally, returning the ball to his right hand, he retires Bret Boone on a ground out.

Greg Harris was a useful pitcher for the Red Sox during his tenure. The righty/lefty setup combo he and Tony Fossas provided in those years was a forerunner to the successful duo of Mike Timlin and Alan Embree. Harris also, notably, spelled his middle name correctly.

Allen writes about the Red Sox in a self-important and pretentious way so that you don't have to. You can find him at Over The Monster.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #93 Lee Smith

Lee Smith, RP, #48 (1988-1990)

139 G, 12-7, 58 SV, 3.04 ERA

Lee Arthur Smith (born December 4, 1957). An imposing and intimidating figure at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds with a 95-mph fastball, Lee Smith retired as the career leader in saves with 478, a record that stood until last year when it was surpassed by current San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman. Smith was voted “Fireman of the Year” three times and paced his league in saves four times over his 18 season career with eight teams. The right-hander strung together 12 straight seasons of 25 or more saves, a record that reflected his durability and performance. When he retired, he not only stood alone as the all-time saves leader but also ranked first in games finished (802) and third in appearances (1022). However, some say his team-jumping (he was traded four times and left teams four times as a free agent) and his lack of post-season success have hurt his Hall of Fame chances.

Lee Smith started his career in the days of two-inning closers and later helped usher in the one-batter closer that became en vogue in the 1990s. Smith originally resisted the move to the bullpen. “When [Double-A Manager] Randy Hundley tried to make me a reliever,’’ Smith told the San Jose Mercury-News in 2000, “I took it to mean that I was not good enough to start.’’ For a brief period he quit baseball to play basketball at Northwestern Louisiana State until a visit from Cubs great Billy Williams convinced him to return to the mound. From 1983-1985, when he was with the Cubs, Smith averaged 6.2 batters faced per game pitched. From 1991-1993 he averaged 4.1 per game. By contrast, Dennis Eckersley averaged 4.7 per game in his nine years with Oakland.

Notorious for his slow gait coming in from the bullpen, Smith shared closing duties with future AL MVP Willie Hernandez in 1982 (inheriting the job from Dick Tidrow) and led the NL in saves for the first time for the Cubs in 1983. Smith then strung together four straight seasons with 30 or more saves. At the time, Dan Quisenberry had been the only other pitcher to accomplish that feat.

In 1984 while the Cubs finished with the franchise’s best record since World War II, Smith compiled his worst ERA of the decade — although he saved more than 30 games for the first time in his career. In Game 2 of the 1984 NLCS, Smith recorded two outs for the save to put Chicago up 2-0 in the best-of-5 series against San Diego. The Padres easily won Game 3 but Game 4 was tied when Smith started the 8th inning. After a scoreless 8th and a strikeout to start the bottom of the 9th, Smith allowed a single to Tony Gwynn. Steve Garvey followed with a two-run homer to force Game 5. The Cubs led that game in the 7th inning but Smith watched from the bench as the underdog Padres scored four runs and won a trip to the 1984 World Series. The Cubs have still not been to a World Series since 1945 and have not won one since 1908.

Smith saved more than 30 games while the Cubs had a losing record in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1987, Smith was on pace for his first 40-save season. Although finishing short of 40, he was chosen for his second All-Star Game. When the midsummer classic went past the 9th, Smith pitched the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, striking out four and getting credit for the win when the National League scored the only two runs of the game in the 13th. This strong showing in the All-Star game and the high number of saves he recorded that season did not help dispell the rumors that his bulk was beginning to affect his knees. The Cubs’ all-time saves leader was traded to the Red Sox for Calvin Schiraldi and Al Nipper in the off-season.

After losing the 1986 World Series to the Mets in shocking fashion, the Red Sox finished the following season with a team record below .500. One of the main problems was a bullpen full of pitchers with high ERAs. Smith was brought in to help rectify this situation.

Smith did not start his career with the Red Sox in an endearing fashion, giving up a game-winning home run in his 1988 opening day Fenway Park debut. However, he recovered enough to post his best ERA in five years, recording 29 saves and 96 strikeouts for the season. This was enough to help the Red Sox get into post season play.

In Game 2 of the 1988 ALCS against Oakland, Smith came into a crucial tie game but gave up three singles in the 9th inning capped off by Walt Weiss’ game-winner. The loss put Boston in an 0-2 series deficit going to Oakland. After Boston lost Game 3, Smith was put in to prevent Oakland from increasing a 2-1 A’s lead in Game 4. Instead, he gave up two insurance runs and Oakland finished off the four-game sweep.

At the beginning of the 1990 season Boston traded Smith to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Tom Brunansky. He returned to his dominant self with the Cardinals, recording a miniscule ERA of 2.06 in 1990 and then reeling off three straight 40-plus save seasons.

On September 28th of 1991, he picked up save number 45 to tie Bruce Sutter’s National League record from 1984 (coincidentally, when Sutter and Smith reached 45 saves in their respective seasons, both were ex-Cubs pitching for St. Louis against the Cubs). Smith claimed the league record for himself three days later and finished the season with a career-high 47 saves. One difference for him in 1991 was walks as he surrendered only 1.60 walks per nine innings, by far the best in his career to that point. Smith won his first “Rolaids Relief Award”, received the most significant consideration for league MVP in his career, and finished second in Cy Young Award voting behind Tom Glavine who had a breakout season that year.
In 1992, Smith’s former teammate, Jeff Reardon, broke the career saves record held for over a decade by Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. However, Smith was registering saves at a faster pace than Reardon and by the end of 1992, he was not far behind him. Just two weeks into the 1993 season, Smith passed Reardon with career save number 358. At age 37, Reardon was slowing down and Smith was well in front of him when Reardon retired in 1994. The day after setting the career major league record, he saved his 301st National League game to break that record as well. Smith had 15 saves in June 1993, the most ever in one month for a pitcher, until he was tied by John Wetteland in June 1996 and Chad Cordero in June 2005.
On August 31, 1993, the Cardinals traded Smith to the Yankees for a career minor leaguer. Smith left the team as their all-time save leader until Jason Isringhausen passed him on June 13, 2006.

Towards the end of the 1993 season, Smith was dealt to the Yankees for pitcher Rich Batchelor. Smith made eight appearances with the Yankees and recorded 3 saves. He filed for free agency in October and signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles in January 1994. He continued to master opposing batters, saving 33 games with the Orioles before filing again for free agency at the end of the year. Smith signed with the California Angels for 1995 and nailed down 37 saves in what would be his last productive year.

While Smith had started 1994 in fantastic fashion at age 36, he started 1995 even better at age 37. He registered a save in every appearance from April 28 through all of May and into June. On June 11, he saved his 16th consecutive game to break the major league record set by Doug Jones in 1988. He ran his streak to 19 games before finally blowing a save on June 28 (John Wetteland broke the record the next year by saving 24 straight). After keeping his ERA at 0.00 through the first two months of the season, he was selected to his seventh and last All-Star Game, thereby becoming only the fourth player to be an All-Star for four different teams.

At the opening of the 1996 season Smith was traded to the Cincinnati Reds where he was primarily used as a setup man. Adjusting to this unfamiliar role led to a shaky season. In ’97 he inked a deal with the Expos, but by July it became obvious that age had finally taken its toll. After announcing his retirement on July 15, 1997 at the age of 39, Smith refused to answer questions from the media.

In 1998, Smith was invited to spring training by the Royals as a non-roster player, but was released when he refused to start the season for their Triple-A affiliate. Smith signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros later that year but soon retired again. Within three years he was back in baseball as a coach in the Giants’ organization.
Two years after his retirement in 1998, Smith went to work as a roving minor league pitching instructor for the San Francisco Giants. In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, Smith served as the pitching coach of the South Africa national baseball team which was given 20,000 to 1 odds of winning the tournament. That summer Smith also participated as a coach in the second annual European Baseball Academy for Major League Baseball International in Tirrenia, Italy.

There has been much speculation about Lee Smith’s chances of becoming a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame as well as the criteria for relief pitchers and closers in general. Baseball’s second all-time saves leader with 478, Lee Smith’s saves total is so impressive that John Franco, who is third all-time, is more than 50 saves behind him.
However, Smith has come up short of receiving the necessary number of votes to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame twice, but many feel it’s only a matter of time.

“I’ve been on the ballot a few years and I think my chances are looking pretty good,” said Smith about getting into Cooperstown. “I think the best thing for all of us relief pitchers was seeing Dennis Eckersley go in as a relief pitcher. Hopefully that will filter down and help out the guys like myself, Goose (Gossage), and Bruce Sutter.”

As of this writing, only Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter have been inducted into the Hall of Fame based primarily on their relief pitching and only Sutter has been inducted with fewer starting appearances than Smith. Let’s hope that Lee Smith makes it number 5 very soon.

Player biography written by Karen

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #99: Jody Reed

Jody Reed, 2B, #3 (1987 - 1992)

715 games, 743 hits, .280 avg, .357 obp, .372 slg

Jody Reed was a scrappy middle infielder known for his defensive prowess and a solid bat that contributed to Boston’s pennant winning clubs in 1988 and 1990.

Selected by the Red Sox in the 8th round of the 1984 draft out of Florida State, Reed hit .289 in four minor league seasons and arrived in Boston for good on September 12, 1987, when he pinch ran for Pat Dodson in the 9th inning of a 4-3 Red Sox victory over the Orioles at Fenway.

The baby-faced Reed was impressive in the limited action he saw in his late-season 1987 call-up, highlighted by a 3-for-6 performance in his first start, when Reed batted leadoff in the second game of a September 18th doubleheader at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.

Reed made the Opening Day roster in 1988, but served as veteran Spike Owen’s back up at shortstop until Joe Morgan replaced John McNamara as manager during the All-Star break. Walpole Joe worked his magic on the ’88 squad, which wound up winning the AL East, and one of his first decisions was to replace Owen at short with the 25-year old kid from Tampa.

Reed, all 5'9" and 165 pounds of him, didn’t waste the opportunity and rewarded Boston’s new skipper with solid defense and a .293 average. Furthermore, Reed excelled at making contact, striking out just 21 times in 338 at-bats.

Reed finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1988 and his best years as a Red Sox lay directly ahead.

Reed excelled in Boston from 1989-1991, when he appeared in an average of 151 games and hit in the .280s all three seasons. He mastered the art of the “Wall Ball” double at Fenway Park, and his 45 doubles led the AL in 1990, when Reed had the best year of his career (finishing 18th in MVP balloting) while pacing the Red Sox to another AL East title.

Reed also made history in 1990, albeit in an infamous manner, in a game against the Twins on July 17 when he grounded into a triple play in the 8th inning. Four innings earlier, Tom Brunansky had also grounded into a triple play, making the notoriously slow-footed Red Sox the only team in Major League history to hit into two triple plays in one game.

Because of his below average arm, Reed was moved from short to second base during the ’90 season, and his last two years in Boston were spent as the team’s every day second basemen. His final season in Boston was the only subpar one of his tenure with the Red Sox, who decided to leave him exposed in the expansion draft.

In reality, Reed was left unprotected by the Red Sox for two reasons: his declining offensive production – he hit just .247 in 1992 – and his salary, which was $1.6 million in his final year in a Red Sox uniform.

And so on November 17, 1992 Reed was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 13th pick in the expansion draft, and thus his time in Boston was over after appearing in 715 games in six seasons, during which he hit .280 and got on base at a .357 clip.

Reed never got a chance to play in Denver, as the Rockies shipped him to Los Angeles immediately after they drafted him. Reed performed well in his one season in Dodger Blue, hitting .276 and making only 5 errors, but he'll always be remembered for turning down a 3-year, $7.8 million contract to stay in LA.

On the advice of his agent/brother-in-law Reed declined the Dodgers' offer, assuming there would be larger offers on the free agent market.

As it turned out, not another team in the Major Leagues was interested in Jody Reed's services, and he was forced to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers for the league minimum at the start of Spring Training in 1994.

After a good season in Milwaukee, Reed spent a pair of years in San Diego and closed out his career in 1997 with a season spent mostly on the bench for Detroit, where he hit just .196.

For more on the life and career of Jody Reed, visit Red Sox Connection.

100 Greatest Red Sox >> #101: Wally

Wally the Green Monster, Mascot, #97 (1997 - present)

place stat line here

Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball team. The etymology of his name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, the older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise. As of 2006, Wally has become a popular mascot for fans of all ages, largely due to broadcaster Jerry Remy creating stories about him and sharing them during televised games.

Tim Daloisio writes at the Red Sox Times (more author bio info here)