Red Sox non-star team (since 1975)

Pablo's TB Lover

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1B: Brian Daubach - where I learned what a streaky hitter looked like. Underrated mini-slugger in his day.
Yaaaas. His swing was a smoother version of Mitchy 2-bags and he is a slightly richer version of Mitch: Mitch career OPS+ = 100, Daubach career OPS+ = 108.
 

Plympton91

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Oct 19, 2008
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I like this list a lot - I would replace Stanley with Cecil Cooper, who was not a star in Boston, but was a regular platoon guy for 3 yrs (OK..one was '74, before the cut off). If you then considered Stanley as the RH/DH to go with Jefferson as LH /DH, that keeps Stanley on the team. I would take Reid Nichols over Nava. For 2B I would maybe take Jeff Frye over Loomerloni. Naehring can qualify as a guy who never could not establish himself as a starter if we allow in established starters who couldn't stay in the line-up due to health...and I don't know who else would go at 3rd.

I will take a shot at adding pitchers (starters are guys who seemed to pitch well but were not consistently in the rotation - injuries as a factor permitted):
Starters - Roger Moret, Andy Hassler, Joe Hesketh, Chuck Rainey
Relief - Rheal Cormier, Jim Willoughby, Tom Burgmeier, Rich "El Guapo" Garces
I loved Nichols as well. But he got exposed when they tried to use him more, so I went with the left handed hitting platoon guys.

I totally missed Jeff Frye. Love him too. Agree he’s better than Merloni there. Like Naehring, it was injuries not talent that kept him from becoming a full-time starter.

For pitching, Butch Henry was the best pitcher who was never healthy from the Duquette era.
 

dirtynine

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Mike Greenwell should not be in this thread. You don’t get one of these if you’re not a star.



That is all.
 

dirtynine

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Here’s what I’d do with this thread. Players who stuck with you for some extra reason - not because they were objectively good but because they were one of your guys for some reason. Like character actors you like - they’ll never win an Oscar or open a summer blockbuster, but you root for them.

C: John Marzano
1B: Brian Daubach
2B: Marty Barrett
SS: Lou Merloni
3B: Wilton Veras
RF: Wily Mo Pena
CF: Tony Armas
LF: Phil Plantier
DH: Sam Horn
SP: Wes Gardner
RP: Rod Beck
CL: Koji Uehara
 

jcaz

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Jun 8, 2009
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This thread got me thinking about Coco Crisp whose time in Boston was unremarkable - .271/.330/.390 with an OPS+ of 84. Of course he's probably best remembered for his Matrix-like avoidance of James Shields right hand. Anyone remember what predicated that HBP? Watching the video, Remy says that Coco should have known that he was going to get thrown at. Also, Jonny Gomes and Carl Crawford were pretty ready to pummel Coco on the deck.
 

DJnVa

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Dec 16, 2010
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Here’s what I’d do with this thread. Players who stuck with you for some extra reason - not because they were objectively good but because they were one of your guys for some reason. Like character actors you like - they’ll never win an Oscar or open a summer blockbuster, but you root for them.

C: John Marzano
1B: Brian Daubach
2B: Marty Barrett
SS: Lou Merloni
3B: Wilton Veras
RF: Wily Mo Pena
CF: Tony Armas
LF: Phil Plantier
DH: Sam Horn
SP: Wes Gardner
RP: Rod Beck
CL: Koji Uehara

Let me do this:

C: Gary Allenson (met him at a baseball camp)
1B: Carlos Quintana
2B: Marty Barrett ('86 team)
3B: Tim Naehring
SS: Rick Burleson
LF: Jason Bay
CF: Bob Zupcic
RF: Phil Plantier (actually played mostly RF when he wasn't DH for Sox)
DH: Sam Horn
SP: Bruce Hurst
RP: Joe Kelly (Joe Kelly fight club!)
CL: Ugueth Urbina
 

SoxJox

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Rock > SoxJox < Hard Place
More for sentimental reasons and one heck of a rookie year, I was looking for Brian Daubach. 4 solid years, although I guess such a short period in the red stockings is a disqualifier.
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
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Jul 10, 2007
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The wrong side of the bridge....
This thread got me thinking about Coco Crisp whose time in Boston was unremarkable - .271/.330/.390 with an OPS+ of 84. Of course he's probably best remembered for his Matrix-like avoidance of James Shields right hand. Anyone remember what predicated that HBP? Watching the video, Remy says that Coco should have known that he was going to get thrown at. Also, Jonny Gomes and Carl Crawford were pretty ready to pummel Coco on the deck.
Coco Crisp brings back two beautiful memories for me: the amazing catch to put the ribbon on the 2007 ALCS, and the even more amazing epic AB that ended in the game-tying 8th-inning hit in 2008 game 5 vs. TB. A perfect choice for this thread.
 

shaggydog2000

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More for sentimental reasons and one heck of a rookie year, I was looking for Brian Daubach. 4 solid years, although I guess such a short period in the red stockings is a disqualifier.
It seems the rules are pretty arbitrary, list whoever you want. I'd pick Dauber too. Although Carlos Quintana would give him a run for his money. Tony Pena would be catching.
 

Merkle's Boner

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I have a soft spot for Cody Ross in LF. One of my boys’ first memories of Fenway is him hitting a walkoff homer in, maybe, 2011? I think it was a 3-run dinger too. Obviously not the case, but he seemed to come up with more big hits than he should have while with the Sox.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
I have a soft spot for Cody Ross in LF. One of my boys’ first memories of Fenway is him hitting a walkoff homer in, maybe, 2011? I think it was a 3-run dinger too. Obviously not the case, but he seemed to come up with more big hits than he should have while with the Sox.
Must have been 2012, because that was his only year with the club. It's funny, I could have sworn he was with us at least two years (I guess 2012 just seemed to take that long).

He was also much better than I remembered: .807 OPS with 22 HR and above-average defense in RF.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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I have a soft spot for Cody Ross in LF. One of my boys’ first memories of Fenway is him hitting a walkoff homer in, maybe, 2011? I think it was a 3-run dinger too. Obviously not the case, but he seemed to come up with more big hits than he should have while with the Sox.
July 19 versus White Sox--3 run jack to win 3-1. The day before he hit 2 HRs with 6 RBI.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/BOS/BOS201207190.shtml
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F437KaJ5Kws
 

Scott Cooper's Grand Slam

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I've seen some batshit crazy posts in this forum, but holy shit.
The Red Sox have played approximately 5,000 games since Remy's tenure at NESN started 31 years ago. I can't find stats on the number of games Remy has called, but he's been a featured presence for most Red Sox broadcasts for decades.

Papi played in 1,953 games for the Red Sox over 14 years. Pedro pitched in 203 over seven years.

"Here comes the pizza!" isn't as memorable as "This is our fucking city" or "Wake up the damn Bambino..." I won't try to compare Remy's best call to Papi's biggest hit or Pedro's best game, but stardom surely comes from being a near-constant presence on the NESN broadcast for over 30 years. Then there's the silly, manufactured stardom: RemDawg (and the failed restaurants), Honorary President of Red Sox Nation, and the book series with Wally.

Alan Embree says "What?"

Perhaps you mean "Won the last game in the '04 ALCS"?
Or "Recorded the last out in the '03 ALDS"?
Thanks. You're right, I meant to say "won" in '04 but I was thinking of Terrance Long. It's a bad gaffe on my part. In penance, here's that filthy final pitch.
 

donutogre

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This thread is a wide-ranging delight. Made me remember how much I loved Youk in his prime. He didn’t have a very long career, but from 2006-2011 he OPS’d 130. Add in outstanding defense and he probably does not cut it for the non-star list, particularly given he was a 3x all-star. Not the kind of guy who will be remembered all around baseball, but a damn memorable player if you were a Sox fan in the 2000s.
 

Bergs

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The Red Sox have played approximately 5,000 games since Remy's tenure at NESN started 31 years ago. I can't find stats on the number of games Remy has called, but he's been a featured presence for most Red Sox broadcasts for decades.

Papi played in 1,953 games for the Red Sox over 14 years. Pedro pitched in 203 over seven years.

"Here comes the pizza!" isn't as memorable as "This is our fucking city" or "Wake up the damn Bambino..." I won't try to compare Remy's best call to Papi's biggest hit or Pedro's best game, but stardom surely comes from being a near-constant presence on the NESN broadcast for over 30 years. Then there's the silly, manufactured stardom: RemDawg (and the failed restaurants), Honorary President of Red Sox Nation, and the book series with Wally.
How many people do you honestly think would say "Jerry Remy is a bigger Red Sox star than Pedro or Ortiz" if you asked 1,000? 3? 4? I appreciate the sideways taking of the piss in the face of the original premise, but come the fuck on.
 

donutogre

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Speaking of.....I'm kinda' fond of the '04 trio of Embree, Timlin and Foulke out of the bullpen.
I can't imagine why... but yeah. They were damn good. Timlin in particular was a rock for years. He got a lot of rope in the end because of his track record, but still...he's the man.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
How many people do you honestly think would say "Jerry Remy is a bigger Red Sox star than Pedro or Ortiz" if you asked 1,000? 3? 4? I appreciate the sideways taking of the piss in the face of the original premise, but come the fuck on.
He didn't say "bigger Red Sox star". He said "biggest star in all of Red Sox-dom." The difference is non-trivial.
 

E5 Yaz

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How many people do you honestly think would say "Jerry Remy is a bigger Red Sox star than Pedro or Ortiz" if you asked 1,000? 3? 4? I appreciate the sideways taking of the piss in the face of the original premise, but come the fuck on.
Jerry Remy is President of Red Sox Nation-dom
 

BoSox Rule

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I go with Todd Walker. Though he only played one year, 03(should have kept him instead of getting Bellhorn) he was very good and clutch in reg. season and playoffs. Wish they would have kept him.
Were you alive in 2003 and 2004, or just asleep? This should be a bannable post if it’s serious. Can you not look at the numbers and see how wrong this is? Or can you just not remember any clutch hits Bellhorn had in 2004, yet somehow anything Todd Walker did somehow stands out in your mind?
 

jaytftwofive

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Were you alive in 2003 and 2004, or just asleep? This should be a bannable post if it’s serious. Can you not look at the numbers and see how wrong this is? Or can you just not remember any clutch hits Bellhorn had in 2004, yet somehow anything Todd Walker did somehow stands out in your mind?
All in the ALCS and WS. What did he bat that year?? He wasn't that great defensively and struck out too much. Is it all about winning the World Series?
 

jaytftwofive

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Were you alive in 2003 and 2004, or just asleep? This should be a bannable post if it’s serious. Can you not look at the numbers and see how wrong this is? Or can you just not remember any clutch hits Bellhorn had in 2004, yet somehow anything Todd Walker did somehow stands out in your mind?
Walker 03 .283 13 HR's 85 RBI's, 54 Strikeouts. Bellhorn .264 17 HR's 82 RBI's, 167 strikeouts. I stand corrected on his batting average, didn't realize it was as high as .264. And Walker did hit some big HR"s in the 03 ALCS. But he only played one year so that's hard for him to qualify.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Bellhorn 2004: .264/.373/.444/.817, 107 OPS+, 17 HR, 37 2B, 93 R, 82 RBI, 3.7 bWAR
Walker 2003: .283/.333/.428/.760, 95 OPS+, 13 HR, 38 2B, 92 R, 85 RBI, 1.1 bWAR

I'll take Bellhorn, thanks.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
Walker 2003: Total Zone Rating 0, BIS Defensive Runs Saved -12
Bellhorn 2004: Total Zone Rating 4, BIS Defensive Runs Saved 2

Again, I'll take Bellhorn.
Both seasons are within the UZR/DRS era, so we can add:

Walker 2003: -12 DRS, -13 UZR in 1187.1 innings;
Bellhorn 2004: -3 DRS, -4.8 UZR in 1044.2 innings.

So, yeah.

OTOH--Walker didn't look like he slept on the street after the game.
That's not a bug, it's a feature.
 

jaytftwofive

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Remember Bellhorn and Pokey Reese were supposed to platoon at 2nd. Pokey was better defensively, but then Nomar got hurt and Pokey started at short a lot and Bellhorn at 2nd. When Nomar came back in early June?????, Pokey lost 2nd and short. Since Bellhorn played 1 and a half seasons and Walker only one , neither belong on this team. I'll take Coco over them on the team because he played longer. For outfield of course. He was the best defensive center fielder I've seen for the Red Sox. And he could hit also. Darren Lewis was close but not Coco. I'm 62 so I never saw pre-1965 center fielders.
 

Leather

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I'll second/third whatever Jody Reed, for the first 3-4 years of his career.

He probably should have won ROY (better OPS and bWAR over Weiss).
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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It's always fun to stroll down memory lane in threads like this and I get that the parameters are pretty subjective, but, holy cow, have there been some terrible players named here. Gary Allenson? Darren Lewis? Carlos Quintana? John Marzano? Who's next? Spike Owen? Jackie Gutierrez? Ed Jurak?
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
It's always fun to stroll down memory lane in threads like this and I get that the parameters are pretty subjective, but, holy cow, have there been some terrible players named here. Gary Allenson? Darren Lewis? Carlos Quintana? John Marzano? Who's next? Spike Owen? Jackie Gutierrez? Ed Jurak?
That's what happens when the ceiling is better defined than the floor.

I don't know if it's quite fair to call Darren Lewis terrible, though. Mediocre, yes. And Quintana was a good player -- just one with a tragically abbreviated career.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
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It's always fun to stroll down memory lane in threads like this and I get that the parameters are pretty subjective, but, holy cow, have there been some terrible players named here. Gary Allenson? Darren Lewis? Carlos Quintana? John Marzano? Who's next? Spike Owen? Jackie Gutierrez? Ed Jurak?
Marc Sullivan and his 0.494 OPS (which followed his 0.617 OPS in AAA) says hello.