Boston Red Sox: Best pitchers who could hit in franchise history
By Rick McNair
Red Sox – Honorable Mention
When you think of Cy Young you think award and 511 career wins, but Young could hit. Young won 36 games in 1892 and then they moved the mound back to its current distance and Young won 33. With the Red Sox, Young hit .219 in eight seasons and had six home runs and 81 RBI. Young also hit 15 triples and had 35 for his career to go with 18 home runs and a .210 average. That is part of the story as longevity pays and Young leads all pitchers with at-bats (2947), hits (618), runs (322), and unofficially RBI (289).
Tom Hughes played only two seasons in Boston but hit .301 and was part of the 1903 championship team. Hughes – a righty – went 20-7 in 1903 and 132-174 for his career. Hughes finished just .198 for his career, but those two Boston years were by far his best.
Lefty Mickey McDermott played six seasons for the Red Sox (1948-1953) and hit .281 with three home runs and 44 RBI. McDermott won 48 games for the Red Sox and lost 34 and finished with a career .252 average for 12 seasons. McDermott also received two intentional bases of balls one season. A first for any hurler.
Bullet Joe Bush pitched four seasons for the Red Sox before being shipped (no surprise) to the Yankees where he won 26 games in 1922. Bush could swing the club hitting .286 for the Red Sox and .252 for his career. In 17 seasons the righty hit seven home runs and had 140 RBI.
Right-hander Willard Nixon spent his entire nine-year career with the Red Sox winning 69 games and losing 72. Nixon was a bit more successful hitting .242 over that span with a pair of home runs and 41 RBI.
Next. Red Sox first-round draft pick disasters. dark
Pedro Martinez is in the HOF but his .099 average didn’t get him there. Luis Tiant is better at .164 with five home runs. Curt Schilling hit .151 for his career with no home runs but did get a stolen base. Jon Lester did not warm up to the NL style hitting just .107 for his career.