Red Sox players from the past seared in my negative memory

Sometimes a player looks excellent until you see them day after day and realize they are more a liability than an asset. That was Jose Offerman. Offerman was coming off a .315 season with the Royals in which he led the American League in triples and the Red Sox pounced on the free agent.

In his first Boston season, Offerman made the All-Star team and eventually led the AL in triples again while hitting .294. What’s not to like? How about defense for starters. The only reason Offerman could be deemed acceptable at second base in Boston years was the Yankees Chuck Knoblauch who brought defensive incompetency to another level.

Offerman could potentially get a shortstop mutilated with a less than advantageous toss. Poor foot movement, inability to go to his right and left with any savoir-faire, and a cultured ability to be a half step behind on every play.

In baseball when you have below average defensive skills you live and die by the bat and Offerman’s MLB career was about to expire. The Red Sox shipped Offerman off to Seattle in his last contract year and took some dead money in the process.

Offerman then hung on a few more season with a variety of teams before closing out his professional career by assaulting a pitcher with a bat in an independent league game. Offerman later followed that ugly incident up in 2010 by assaulting an umpire while managing a winter league team.