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

By Rick McNair

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 26: A general view of the Fenway Park faced after the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays was postponed due to rain at Fenway Park on April 26, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 26: A general view of the Fenway Park faced after the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays was postponed due to rain at Fenway Park on April 26, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – 1953: Outfielder Jimmy Piersall of the Boston Red Sox poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1953 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. 53-720061 (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – 1953: Outfielder Jimmy Piersall of the Boston Red Sox poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1953 against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. 53-720061 (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

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.

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