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Red Sox announce Hall of Fame Class of 2018 inductees

By Sean Penney

BOSTON, MA - JULY 23: Mike Lowell, former Red Sox third baseman, throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Seattle Mariners on July 23, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 23: Mike Lowell, former Red Sox third baseman, throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the game against the Seattle Mariners on July 23, 2011 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Red Sox announced that Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Derek Lowe are among the 2018 inductees into the franchise Hall of Fame.

The 2018 Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame class is loaded with players who played key roles on championship teams.

The team announced on Thursday that Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and Derek Lowe are among the next inductees into the franchise Hall of Fame. Next year’s class also features Buck Freeman, who led the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 1903.

Youkilis made his big league debut as a part-time player for the 2004 championship team. By 2006 he was an everyday player for the Red Sox and went on to make three All-Star appearances in parts of nine seasons with the team.

Dubbed the Greek God of Walks, Youkilis owned a .388 OBP during his time in Boston that ranks 12th in franchise history (minimum 1500 plate appearances). Youk won another championship ring in 2007, then followed that up with the best season of his career when he hit .312 with a .958 OPS, 29 home runs, 115 RBI and finished third in MVP voting.

It’s hard to believe that Lowell was once viewed as a throw-in when the Red Sox acquired him in a trade with the Florida Marlins along with Josh Beckett. Lowell’s best season in Boston came in 2007 when he hit .324 with a .879 OPS, 21 home runs, and 120 RBI to finish fifth in MVP voting. He earned MVP honors in the World Series that year, hitting.400/.500/.800 with a home run against the Colorado Rockies in the Fall Classic.

Lowe spent eight years pitching for the Red Sox, making a pair of All-Star appearances and winning a World Series ring. The versatile right-hander started 111 games and made 273 relief appearances for the Red Sox. He served as Boston’s closer for parts of three seasons, leading the league with 42 saves in 2000. Two years later he joined the rotation, winning 21 games and posting a 2.58 ERA to finish third in Cy Young voting.

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Lowe struggled during his final season with the Red Sox in 2004 but came up big in the postseason. He won Game 7 of the ALCS to cap Boston’s epic comeback against the New York Yankees and earned the win in Game 4 of the World Series to complete the sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, clinching the franchise’s first championship in 86 years.

Freeman came to town in 1901 to join the Boston Americans. While his power numbers look rather pedestrian by today’s standards, he was considered one of the top home run hitters of his era. He led the league with 13 homers in 1903 and drove in 100+ runs in three consecutive seasons, leading the league in two of them.

Also included in the 2018 class is non-uniformed inductee Al Green. The 90-year old has spent the last 44 years working primarily in the Fan Services information booth where he has become known for being one of the friendly faces at Fenway Park.

Next: Red Sox: MLB FanSided Winter Meeting results

The inductees were selected by a panel led by Red Sox historian Gordon Edes. The 2018 class will be honored at a Red Sox Foundation gala on May 24 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.

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