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Boston Red Sox: Most underrated players in franchise history (part 2)

By Drew Athans

ANAHEIM - OCTOBER 12: Bruce Hurst of the Boston Red Sox pitches during Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS against the California Angels played on October 12,1986 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM - OCTOBER 12: Bruce Hurst of the Boston Red Sox pitches during Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS against the California Angels played on October 12,1986 at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. (Photo by David Madison/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) /

Vern Stephens

Long before Nomar Garciaparra, the Red Sox had another slugging shortstop: Vern Stephens. While he only played five seasons out of his fifteen year career with the Red Sox, they were arguably the best seasons of his career as he helped the team come within a hairs breadth of winning two American League pennants.

After spending seven seasons in St. Louis and helping the Browns win their only AL pennant in 1944, Stephens came over to the Red Sox for the 1948 season and promptly paid dividends by hitting .269 with 29 home runs and 137 RBI as the Red Sox finished tied in the American League with the Cleveland Indians before losing a one-game playoff.

He was even better in 1949, batting .290 with 39 home runs and a league-leading 159 RBI as the Red Sox again came up just short, needing to win only one game in the final series of the season against the Yankees to clinch the pennant (they ended up getting swept).

For the remaining three seasons he spent in Boston, Stephens hit .295 with 30 home runs and 144 RBI (again leading the league) in 1950 before tailing off a bit in 1951 and 1952 when he battled injuries and saw his power numbers decline. He finished his career with a season in Chicago with the White Sox before going back to the Browns for two final seasons (the last one in Baltimore after they moved to become the Orioles).

Ted Williams had called Stephens the best hitter who ever followed him in the order during his career and Stephens’ career totals of a .286 average, 247 home runs, and 1174 RBI are testament to that.

Stephens made eight All-Star teams (including four straight with the Red Sox from 1948 to 1951) and is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame. He deserves to be remembered for his excellence in Boston during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

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