Boston Red Sox Memories: My all decade 1950’s Red Sox team

The baseball season has stalled so it is time to keep the Boston Red Sox interest ball rolling.  For me, it is a trip back in time to the 1950s and my all-decade team.

The decade may have started in 1951, but for me, it was 1953 when I started to follow the team. I limit my team to players I have seen play so Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr, Walt Dropo, and a few others have to be omitted.

The entire decade represented a decline from the tumultuous 1946-50 years when the Red Sox won one pennant, lost out on a potential subway series with a one-game playoff loss to the Indians, and a few close but no cigar losses to the (who else) New York Yankees. By 1951 the team was in decline.

The Red Sox played out the 1950s as a good, but not a great team. Usually in the middle of the pack with the only real interest being generated by individual success or being that rare spoiler. The most notable spoiler role came in 1959 when the Yankees were beaten by the White Sox with the Red Sox bombing the bombers at Fenway Park by sweeping a five-game series.

his was baseball’s last real traditional decade as expansion would take place and franchise movement was going full-bore with the Boston Braves were the first team to pull up the tent and move elsewhere since 1902. Others soon followed with the Dodgers and Giants finally making MLB a coast to coast game.

The following players are those that stand out from my memories. A few had great careers, a few good careers, and a few rather forgettable careers. For the older fans some names from the past to jar memories and for the younger fans names they heard spoken with reverence or disdain.

Catcher

What I recall best about right-handed-hitting Sammy White was his arm – a cannon.  Twice White led the American League in CS% and posted a career 47CS%. Defensively White was excellent in managing the fragile psyche of pitchers. But White was no pushover with the bat hitting a career .262 in eleven seasons and .264 in his nine Boston seasons and four seasons of 10+ home runs.

White made one All-Star team (1953) and could surprise with occasional power.  In one instance it was a grand slam off the legendary Satchel Paige. Of note is White who stood 6’3” was an All-American basketball player in college and was to play for the Lakers until the Red Sox intervened and prevented his two-sport venture.

One of the classic artworks by Norman Rockwell in his painting “The Rookie” and White is in that picture. White’s time with Boston ended with a trade to the Indians for another catcher Russ Nixon.  White promptly retired to manage his bowling alley in Brighton. A year later White was out of retirement and playing for the Braves and a year later for the Phillies before a final retirement to Hawaii where he became a golf pro and a director of golf at a Hawaiian resort.

Honorable Mention: Pete Daley. Daley played five seasons in Boston (1955-59) and hit .245 backing up, White. Daley – a right-hand hitter – was a competent backup for White both defensively and the ability to get some key hits. Daley – like White – was traded after the 1959 season and replaced by Haywood Sullivan as the backup catcher.

First Base

He played just two seasons for the Red Sox (1957-58) but left-hand hitting Mickey Vernon already had an extensive MLB resume.  A two-time batting champion, three times leading the AL in doubles, several All-Star appearances, and a very smooth swing.

Vernon came to Boston via an extensive multiplayer trade with Washington and stepped right in hitting .310 in 1956 when Vernon was 38-years-old. An excellent fielder and positive clubhouse guy. In 1957 Vernon slumped to .241 and was gone.

In 1946 Vernon won a batting title and beat out Williams for that title. Later Vernon went on to coach many seasons and toss in was a managerial job in 1961 with the new Washington team. Later Vernon moved on to several seasons of minor league managing. I loved his swing.

Honorable Mention:  The eternal search for a right-handed power bat came up with Dick Gernert, but Gernert never materialized as expected.  In eight seasons Gernert hit 101 home runs and hit .252. Vic Wertz survived polio and 17 years in MLB hitting a career .277.  With the Red Sox, the lefty-hitting Wertz drove in 103 RBI in 1960. Wertz could flat-out hammer the ball.

Third Base

The Red Sox spent money with a string of bonus babies in the 1950s and received little in return, but for $50 they got Frank Malzone. Malzone became a six-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a .276 hitter in his eleven Boston seasons with 131 home runs.  Malzone was a deadly right-handed pull hitter with a lifetime .298 average at Fenway Park.

Malzone had speed in the David Ortiz range but his quickness around third base – especially to his right – was remarkable. And his arm was second to no one. Offensively Malzone was the picture of consistency with yearly double-digit home runs and 80+ RBI.

Malzone is in the Red Sox Hall of Fame (1995) and was a scout for the team for 35 years. Sometimes it is not how much money you spend on a player.

Honorable Mention:  My first year following the Red Sox the third baseman was George Kell. How good was Kell?  He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. For the Red Sox Kell hit .305 in 295 games.

Shortstop

Shortstop in the bulk of the 1950s for the Red Sox was a dead zone – a baseball Chernobyl. Many were called to duty and many failed with the most notable failure being Don Buddin – a no field and no-hit player whose aversion to collecting ground balls with efficiency was sorely lacking. I remember far too many games lost with errant throws or routine grounders juggled like a circus clown.

The Red Sox spent money on bonus babies and had talented young players who never excelled – Billy Consolo, Ted Lepcio, Milt Bolling, Buddin and the one I choose is a left-hand hitter picked up from the Giants – Billy Klaus. Klaus played 297 games at short for the Red Sox and had actually played briefly for the Boston Braves in 1952.

In 1955 Klaus joined the Red Sox and finished second in Rookie of The Year balloting after hitting a solid .283 with 60 RBI. A gritty competitor who had the physical appearance of Dustin Pedroia. Klaus put in four seasons in Boston hitting .262 before being traded Baltimore. A real fireplug in the infield at second, third, or short.

Honorable Mention: Bolling. This could be a pick ‘em with Buddin since neither could hit or field, but Bolling hit .247 and Buddin .244 so I give the edge to Bolling.

Outfield

Ted Williams in left field will not cause any social media wars. Williams’s baseball history, war service, and character are legendary and need no further information. The perfect hitter. TSW also was no stiff at Fenway Park with his defensive acumen for knowing all the possible trajectories of balls off the wall. Ted’s weakness defensively was to both the right and left getting a jump on the ball.

Centerfield goes to the best defensive outfielder I have every seen – Jimmy Piersall. Piersall was never a great hitter but was a reasonably dangerous one once leading the American League in doubles. Piersall was traded to the Indians in a rather strange way.  Piersall had gone to GM Joe Cronin and said he was opening a supermarket and needed publicity so Cronin traded him to the Indians. A .273 hitter in eight Boston seasons.

The Golden Boy was Jackie Jensen who played right field. A five-tool player who led the AL three times in RBI, won an MVP Award (1958) and appeared in the Rose Bowl as a college football player, the World Series as a Yankee, and several All-Star games. Jensen – a right-handed pull hitter – hit .298 for his career at Fenway Park. And three times leading the league into hitting into double plays – think Jim Rice as both could absolutely crush a ball.  Jensen’s career that was cut short by his aversion to flying – even sitting out a season. Underrated defensively – a great arm.

Honorable Mention:  The Red Sox had many who came and went in the 1950s but I will select one little know player who was a caddy for Williams and that is Carroll Hardy. Why?  Hardy is the only player to ever pinch-hit for TSW. Hardy also pinch-hit for Carl Yastrzemski and Roger Maris and was a halfback for the 49ers in the NFL for one season.

Starting Pitchers

Developing left-handed pitching for Boston has traditionally been rather scarce with much of it based on the reluctance to have a left-handed starter at Fenway. Casey Stengel used to keep Whitey Ford in the closet when the Yankees came to town and Ford’s record at The Fens (7-6, 6.16) makes Stengel a stable genius. My choice would be a pitcher I saw toss a no-hitter – Mel Parnell.

Parnell won 21 games in 1953 – his second venture into the 20 win club – and finished his injury-ravaged ten seasons with Boston at 123-75. Parnell still has the team record for victories by a lefty – a good target for Eduardo Rodriguez.  A very smooth lefty with a great curve who also is the source for naming the right field foul pole “The Pesky Pole.”

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The best right-hander that I saw in the 1950s was a tall (6’8”) Frank Sullivan who led the AL in wins (18) in 1955. Sullivan twice made the All-Star team and had excellent control once having the lowest BB/9 in the AL.  Sullivan never threw exceptionally hard but had an excellent sinker and changeup. Deceptive delivery with his tall frame certainly helped keep the ball in the yard.

Sullivan was traded for another skyscraper in Gene Conley who also played for the Celtics. When questioned about who got the better of the deal long time baseball GM Frank Lane said “The Red Sox by an inch.”

Honorable Mention: The tough choice was either Sullivan or smooth curve balling right-hander Tom Brewer. Brewer pitched eight seasons and won 91 games. In 1960 righty Bill Monbouquette won 14 games and made the All-Star team.  Mombo would eventually have a 20 win season. Billy Muffett won only six games in 1960 but had a great baseball line. When asked about his record Muffet said: “My problem is losing close games 9-8, 10-9, etc.”

Closer 

Ellis Kinder won 23 games as a starter (1949) and twice led the AL in saves. The right-handed Kinder got a late start at the MLB level becoming a rookie with the St. Louis Browns (1946).  With Boston, Kinder was plugged into the rotation until 1951 when Boston needed some significant bullpen help. Kinder did the job and also twice led the AL in games. Kinder had 93 saves for the Red Sox to go along with 83 wins.

Lefty Leo Kiely was originally a starter for Boston but eventually became the left-handed bullpen option for the Red Sox garnering 28 saves in six Boston seasons. Kiely pitched well at Fenway Park (15-6, 3.19), but if it was speed you wanted you’ll need to look elsewhere.  Kiley’s career 3.3 BB/9 almost matched his career 3.6 K/9.

Honorable Mention: Mike Fornieles had been with several teams before the right-hander came to Boston where he worked primarily out of the bullpen getting 48 saves in seven seasons when saves were far harder to get credit for.  Fornieles was the first-ever AL winner of the Sporting News Fireman of the Year (1960).