Boston Red Sox best rookies in franchise history at each position
Who were the best rookies in the history of the Boston Red Sox? Here is a breakdown of the best rookies in franchise history at each position.
Who were the greatest rookie players in Boston Red Sox history? A few actually won the Rookie of the Year Award (ROY) and many others didn’t for the simple fact there was no award.
To determine who had that best introductory season, I’ll abide by the current rules that have fewer than 130 at-bats and for pitchers less than 50 innings. That reduces the competition by eliminating players such as Mookie Betts who put in half a season.
Certain positions have an abundance of players who deserve and a few positions are rather barren such as catcher. In other situations, a player may have played well under the number of games on the schedule, but made enough of an impact to get the notoriety.
Some of the rookies used the beginning as a springboard to incredible careers with a few being fortunate enough to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Others were traded or saw careers shortened with injuries or fading performances.
First Base
A voted ROY in 1950 and a huge right-handed power hitter who swatted 34 home runs and led the American League with 144 RBI. That was Walt Dropo.
Dropo also hit .322 and the Red Sox had the new Jimmie Foxx or did they? After that season, Dropo never hit .300 again, or notched a 100 RBI or topped 30 home runs. And was soon gone from Boston. What happened to “Moose” from Moosup, Connecticut?
In 1951, Dropo fractured his right wrist and that was it. A gifted gloveman despite his size, I never saw Dropo in a Red Sox uniform but did when he played against Boston while with the Tigers, White Sox, and Baltimore. But Dropo had chances other than baseball.
The Chicago Bears wanted to sign Dropo as did the ill-fated Providence Steamrollers for professional basketball, but Dropo had an easy decision once Tom Yawkey opened up his checkbook. Dropo becomes another Red Sox and baseball “what if?” based on that one injury that dulled his bat.
Honorable Mention: In 1966 George Scott became an All-Star hitting 27 home runs and carting 90 RBI while batting .245. Scott played as good a first base as one could imagine.
Second Base
Another player who became an official ROY in Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia became instrumental in the 2007 quest for a World Series with his .317 average and that was just the beginning of a 14 year Red Sox career that may be at an end or maybe not? Never count Pedroia out.
As with Dropo, the impact of injuries has scuttled Pedroia’s late stages of his career and possibly cost the effervescent second baseball and noted trash talker the possibility of going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pedroia the player had all the components one looks for – hitting and defense at a top-level.
Honorable Mention: Where is Bobby Doerr? Doerr’s first season was just 147 at-bats and a .224 batting average. If this was the greatest second baseman in team history that would be a different outcome so I go to a player whose first season was similar to Pedroia’s – Marty Barrett. Barrett hit .303, but what stands out is just 25 whiffs in 139 games.
Third Base
The Red Sox found a nugget in Frank Malzone who signed for pocket change. The right-handed hitting Malzone finished second in ROY ballot in 1957 but won a Gold Glove, became an All-Star, cranked out 15 home runs, and platted 103 RBI. That was just the beginning of a career that showed remarkable consistency in the field and hitting.
Malzone played 11 seasons for the Red Sox hitting .276 and making the Red Sox HOF in the process. Post-career, Malzone became a staple in the organization in multiple roles. From my own memories, Malzone was a clutch hitter and had a rocket launcher for an arm. Very similar in style to Mike Lowell.
Honorable Mention: In 1982 Wade Boggs played just 103 games but hit .349 and only 39 of those games were starts at third base. Boggs defensively was ugly until later in his career but he’ll get the nod.
Shortstop
This is the domain of Nomar Garciaparra who was also a legit ROY in 1997. Nomar was outstanding that first season hitting 30 home runs, hitting .303, and gathering in 98 RBI. Garciaparra only got better winning a pair of batting titles and providing a power bat at a position usually reserved for quick hands and a slow bat.
Garciaparra and the Red Sox finally blew up in 2004 with contract issues and a subtext of Nomar’s lack of intensity. A parting of the ways that resulted in an upgrade defensively at short and the end of “The Curse.”
As for Garciaparra, who had suffered a significant wrist injury with Boston, it was a slow retreat until retirement. Nomar certainly had the credentials to be an eventual HOF player.
Honorable Mention: A solid case could be made for Johnny Pesky and his 1942 season. Pesky hit .331 and led the AL in hits with 205. A favorite player of mine was “The Rooster” Rick Burleson who hit .284 in his first year with a solid play at short.
Catcher
This is one that every reasonable Red Sox fan would know right off – Carlton Fisk. Fisk was all you wanted in a backstop – hitting for average, power, defense, leadership, and handling the pitching staff. Fisk had it all right out of the gate and was the 1972 ROY, an All-Star, and Gold Glove winner. The .293 batting average also produced a league-leading nine triples, 22 home runs, and 61 RBI.
Fisk managed to survive a devastating knee injury in 1974 that required reconstructive surgery. Then came the 1975 World Series and that notable Game Six and his famous home run.
Then it came to an end thanks to a former Red Sox catcher, Haywood Sullivan, who had taken charge of the team. Sullivan mailed out a contract too late and Fisk was on the open market and signed with the White Sox for whom he played more games than with the Red Sox. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mention: Either Rich Gedman (.288/5/26) or Jason Varitek (.252/7/33) who both played solid defense and contributed offensively. Both went on to have a solid Boston career.
Outfield
The easy one is Ted Williams who in 1939 led the AL in RBI (145) and total bases (344) while hitting 31 home runs and .327. You may think of Teddy Ballgame as a left fielder but he was strictly a right-fielder that season and the following. After 1939, Williams really started to hit.
When you break in with a ROY Award and an MVP there is no denying Fred Lynn deserves a spot. The mercurial center fielder hit .331 and knocked in 105 RBI. The defense was exceptional as was the clutch hitting. Lynn led the AL in runs (103), doubles (47), slugging (.566), and OPS (.967).
The second gold-dust Twin of 1975 was Jim Rice. Rice hit .309 with 22 home runs and 102 RBI. A late-season broken wrist kept the right-handed slugger out of the World Series and that curse may have been busted if the wrist was not.
Honorable mention:
Gator or Mike Greenwell looked like a batting champion in waiting hitting .328 in 1987 with 19 home runs and 89 RBI. Jacoby Ellsbury led the AL in steals (50) in 2008 and hit .280 and scored 98 runs. Tony Conigliaro was only 19-years-old slamming 24 home runs and hitting .290 in 1964.
Pitching
Rotation
The right-handers lead off and that is Smoky Joe Wood who started his full-service Boston career and a 2.18 ERA in 1909. The best was yet to come with Wood’s remarkable 1912 season going 34-5 with ten shutouts.
A real ROY was a tall righty named Don Schwall, a sinkerball specialist who finished 15-7 for the 1961 Red Sox. Schwall certainly kept the ball down with a 0.4 HR/9, but the real issue was with the following pair of stats: A 5.5 BB/9 and 4.6 K/9. In a few seasons, Schwall was gone.
The best start is probably reserved for Dave Ferriss who went 21-10 in 1945 with a 2.96 ERA. Ferriss followed that up with a 25-6 season before arm issues and asthma finished off his career after just six seasons.
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Frank Sullivan may have been the best Red Sox pitcher of the 1950s and it started in 1954 with a 15-12 season. Sullivan went 90-80 in his Boston years with two All-Star selections.
The left-handers start out with possibly the best lefty in the American League for three seasons – Babe Ruth. Ruth joined the Red Sox in 1915 and dished out an 18-8 season with a 2.44 ERA. Ruth later became somewhat notable for his hitting abilities and it showed in 1915 with a .315 average and four home runs. Ruth did that blasting in just 92 PA’s and led the team in dingers.
Mel Parnell started his career and finished it in Boston. The start was 1948 and 15-8 with a 3.14 ERA. The next season Parnell led the AL in wins (25) and ERA (2.77). After that Parnell never matched that season but did finish up his last season with a no-hitter.
Dutch Leonard lost more than he won (14-17) for the 1913 Red Sox but showed what was to come with a 2.39 ERA in 259.1 innings. The following season that ERA dropped to 0.96.
Closer
There is only one real choice and that is the towering righty, Dick Radatz. In 1962, Radatz led the AL in saves (24) and in games (62). This was all in relief that makes the 124.2 innings even more outstanding, but Radatz topped that IP figures the next two seasons before burning out.
Next. Best free agents in Red Sox history. dark
Honorable Mention: Statistically you can make a cognizant argument for Jonathan Papelbon over Radatz. Papelbon had a remarkable 0.92 ERA and 35 saves in 2006 with a second-place finish in ROY.