Red Sox: Happy Birthday to Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski
As Red Sox legend, Carl Yastrzemski turns 78 today, let’s take a look back at his tremendous career.
Carl Yastrzemski is arguably the greatest player in Boston Red Sox history. He had one of the best careers out of any Red Sox player. He is also known as one of the toughest players to ever play the game.
Let me tell you a few of his career highlights. Yastrzemski was an 18-time All-Star, 7-time Gold Glove Award winner, 3-time AL batting champion and took home the AL MVP award in 1967. Those are just some of the big highlights from Yaz’s career.
Yaz began playing for the Red Sox in 1961, taking over left field from the iconic Ted Williams. Saying that he was under tremendous pressure to fill the shoes of the Splendid Splinter is an understatement. Through his first two years with the Sox, he proved himself as a solid player.
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In 1963, Yaz had a great season. He hit .321, which won him the AL batting championship. He hit 40 doubles that season, which led the league. He won a Gold Glove and was selected as an All-Star.
Yaz had his best season in 1967 when he won the AL MVP. He batted .326 with 121 RBIs and 44 home runs to capture the coveted Triple Crown. He also had a slugging percentage of .622 and an OPS of 1.040. He was selected as an All-Star for the fourth time and won his third Gold Glove that season.
Yaz went on to have a great career and racked in ton of awards.
Yastrzemski retired when he was 44 years old, spending his whole career with the Red Sox. He played in 23 seasons with the Sox, which is the longest anyone has ever played for one team.
Yaz was elected in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989, which was his first year of eligibility. In that same year the Red Sox also retired his number 8.
Today, Yaz serves as an instructor for the Red Sox and is very involved with the team.
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Yaz will always be considered one of the best players to play the game. No Red Sox fan will ever forget the name, Carl Yastrzemski.