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Red Sox: Top-5 left fielders in franchise history

By Sean Penney

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April 20, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Fans line up at gate B and surround the statues of former Red Sox players Ted Williams (not pictured), Bobby Doerr (not pictured), Johnny Pesky (not pictured), and Dom Dimaggio (not pictured) before the start of the 100th anniversary celebration and the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
April 20, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Fans line up at gate B and surround the statues of former Red Sox players Ted Williams (not pictured), Bobby Doerr (not pictured), Johnny Pesky (not pictured), and Dom Dimaggio (not pictured) before the start of the 100th anniversary celebration and the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

Ted Williams

Forget being the top left fielder or even the top hitter in franchise history. Ted Williams is arguably the best pure hitter to ever play the game.

The Splendid Splinter captured six batting titles, including one in which he hit .406 back in 1941. No major league player that has qualified for the batting title has topped a .400 average since. He won the Triple Crown twice, yet somehow finished as the runner-up on the MVP ballot both times. That would become a common trend throughout his career, as he often finished behind a Yankee for the award based primarily on his Red Sox teams finishing behind New York in the standings. His prickly relationship with the media certainly didn’t help either.

Williams did manage to earn a pair of MVP trophies, the first of which came in 1946 when he made his only postseason appearance, falling to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. That season followed a three year absence while Williams was off fighting in World War II. Think about that for a moment – Williams left the game for three years in his prime, served his country, then picked up right where he left off without missing a beat.

Even with those lost years, Williams still managed to smash 521 career home runs, tied for 20th in major league history and the most in a Red Sox uniform.

Teddy Ballgame made 17 All-Star appearances in 19 seasons, missing only as a rookie and in an injury shorted season where he played only 6 games. In his final year, at the age of 41, he hit .313 with a 1.096 OPS and 29 homers to set the bar for farewell seasons, at least until last year when Ortiz hurdled over it.

Williams finished his career with an absurd .344 average and a career .482 OBP that remains the best in major league history. His 130.4 fWAR is the highest total by a Red Sox hitter and 8th highest in major league history. He also has the highest walk percentage at 20.6% and is second all-time with 188 wRC+ and .493 wOBA.

Next: Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame

Did I mention that he missed a significant portion of his prime? Imagine what his overall numbers would have looked like if had played those three seasons!

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