Top Five Red Sox Players Not in the Baseball Hall of Fame
Here is a list of the top five Red Sox players who are not members of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
With this year being David Ortiz‘s final season in MLB, fans from all around the world have been debating his legacy and place in Red Sox history. It goes without saying that he has been one of the greatest players in the team’s history and has, perhaps more than any other player, attributed to the team’s success in the last twelve years.
He is without question a Red Sox Hall of Famer and, if PED allegations don’t stand in his way, a Baseball Hall of Famer. He has been compared to some of baseball’s greatest players, including Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski.
His retirement, coupled with the recent enshrinement of Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek in the Red Sox Hall of Fame, Pedro Martinez in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the retirement of Wade Boggs‘ jersey number has caused many, myself included, to reflect on the history of the Red Sox, and many of the team’s greatest players.
With such a storied franchise, the Red Sox have had a handful of great players who have not been enshrined in Cooperstown, and dozens more not enshrined at Fenway.
Here are the top five Red Sox players who are not in the Hall of Fame:*
*This list does not include current Red Sox players, former Red Sox players who are currently on the Hall of Fame ballot, or retired Red Sox players who have yet to appear on the ballot.
Next: Normar Garciaparra
Number Five: Nomar Garciaparra
During his first six years in MLB, Nomar was one of the most dominant players in the game, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 1998 and finishing eighth in MVP voting. He finished second in MVP voting the following year.
An offensive powerhouse, Nomar led the league in batting average two years in a row in 1999 (.357) and 2000 (.372). He hit over .300 in all but two of his seasons with the Red Sox. In 1997, he led the league in hits (209) and recorded 30 home runs and 98 RBIs. The next season, he recorded 195 hits, 35 home runs, 122 RBIs, and .323 batting average.
As depicted above, Nomar also received praise for his defensive prowess, often being likened to his contemporary shortstops Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.
Unfortunately, Nomar’s career took a turn for the worst when he suffered a career-altering injury to the wrist in 2001. After that, he suffered from a myriad of injuries, never quite rendering him the same, and causing many to postulate his use of performance enhancing drugs. However, despite all that, he is still an all-time fan favorite and one of the greatest players to wear a Red Sox uniform.
Throughout his career with the Red Sox, from 1996 to 2003 (not including the 38 games he played in 2004), Nomar recorded 173 home runs, 1232 hits, 669 RBIs, and a .323 batting average, thus earning him the fifth sport on this top five list.
Next: Johnny Pesky
Number Four: Johnny Pesky
The great Johnny Pesky is the only player to have his number retired by the Red Sox and is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. That’s because Number 6 spent over six decades as an integral part of Red Sox Nation, earning the love of fans spanning generations. However, what many people do not realize is that he had a great career in his own right, and is one of the greatest “what ifs?” in Red Sox history.
During his rookie season in 1942, Pesky led the American League in hits with 205, and finished third in MVP voting. The young infielder’s future in Major League Baseball seemed to be bright; and with stars like Pesky and Dom DiMaggio, and future hall of famers Ted Williams and Joe Cronin, the future of the Red Sox seemed even brighter. However, in the prime of his career, Pesky, like so many other players, left Major League Baseball, and served in the Navy for three seasons during World War II.
Had Pesky not made the ultimate sacrifice, who knows how good his numbers would have been? During his return season in 1946, Pesky once again led the league in hits with 208, and again in 1947 with 207. One of the best contact hitters of his day, Pesky retired after only ten seasons in 1954, with 1455 hits. It’s not a stretch to say that had Pesky not gone off the fight, he would have recorded well over 2,000 career hits. During six of his seven and half seasons with the Red Sox, Pesky batted over .300 and earning an All Star selection in 1946. His stats and service speak volumes, and make him one of the greatest Red Sox players not in the Hall of Fame.
Next: Dwight Evans
Number Three: Dwight Evans
It is very much possible that Dwight Evans is one of the most underrated players in Red Sox history. For those of us who didn’t get a chance to watch him play, a look at his stats speaks volumes about the kind of impact he had as a player on the field.
Evans spent all but one of his 20 seasons with the Red Sox, earning the admiration of fans for his defensive abilities in right field. A winner of eight Gold Glove awards, Evans became famous for his leaping grabs and clutch plays in a Red Sox outfield that featured Fred Lynn and Hall of Famer Jim Rice.
Behind the plate, Evans also served as one of the Red Sox’ greatest assets, collecting 2,373 hits, 379 home runs, 1346 RBIs, and recording a career batting average of .272. Evans led the American League in home runs in 1981 with 22, in runs in 1984 with 121, and led the league in walks in 1981, 1985, and 1987. A three time all-star, two time Silver Slugger award winner, Evans four times finished in the top ten for MVP voting.
A longtime fan-favorite and member of Red Sox nation, Dwight Evans’s stats easily land him at number three on this list.
Next: Dom DiMaggio
Number Two: Dom DiMaggio
Unfortunately, I do not have an image that I am permitted to use of the great Dom DiMaggio, nonetheless, he is still, without question, the second greatest Red Sox player not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
While he may not have had a career like his older brother Joe’s, Dom made his mark on the game and was one of the premier players of his time. DiMaggio, after his first three seasons (two of which he was an All-Star), left MLB to serve in the military for three years during his prime. Even though he missed these three years, DiMaggio recorded numbers that, while not as good as his brother Joe’s, earned him seven All-Star selections in center field.
During his eleven years with the Red Sox, Dom, nicknamed “The Little Professor,” hit 1,680 hits, 618 RBIs, and recorded a .298 batting average. He twice led the league in runs scored and, in 1950, led the league with 11 triples and 15 stolen bases. An excellent lead-off man and contact hitter, many believe that Dom should be with his brother in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Next: Luis Tiant
Number One: Luis Tiant
If there is one player on this list that I think deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown, it’s Luis Tiant. One of the most dominate pitchers of the 1970’s, Tiant has numbers that, while may not rank him as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, are comparable to many that are in the Hall of Fame. However, this is not a post about Tiant’s Hall of Fame credentials, it is one about his success as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
Tiant spent eight years of his nineteen year career with his Red Sox, and pitched in front of the Fenway Faithful for most of his prime. During his tenure in Boston, Tiant led the league with a 1.91 ERA in 1972, and earned two All-Star selections.
He recorded a 3.36 ERA, striking out 1075 batters, and earning a .601 winning percentage, and recording a WHIP of 1.201.
Most notably, Tiant pitched a standout season in 1975, winning 18 games and playing a major role in bringing the Red Sox to the 1975 World Series to face off against the Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine. Tiant pitched the series of his life, winning Game 1 and Game 2, pitching a shutout in the former and a complete game in the later.
Next: Red Sox sign Casey Janssen
While the Red Sox did not win the series, Tiant cemented his legacy, thus, earning his spot atop this list of the greatest Red Sox players who are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.