Former Boston Red Sox players born on Christmas Day
The holiday season is upon Red Sox Nation with Christmas, especially Christmas Day. Birthdays are significant, at least when you are younger, and as fate would have it, some are born on Christmas Day. One of my friends of childhood days called it “getting screwed” as his gift haul often suffered the consequences. What is the history of Red Sox players born on Christmas Day?
Examining the list, there are six players in the team’s history with that birth date. The list is somewhat eclectic, containing a Baseball Hall of Fame member, an original Boston American, a race-baiting embarrassment, a hero of the 2007 season, and two players whose name recognition is just about nil.
The following slides will give a brief capsulate of their contributions in baseball and their tenure with the Red Sox. First up, or leadoff, is where you will expect this former Red Sox player.
Red Sox get the Man of Steal
In 2002, the Red Sox signed Rickey Henderson, who became the oldest player ever to play center field at the MLB level. This was not the Henderson dubbed “The Man of Steal.” Those days had long evaporated.
Henderson did not finish with gaudy numbers, but he swiped eight bags in ten attempts in his specialty. In 72 games, Henderson hit .223 with five home runs as the Red Sox finished second in the American League. For Ricky, it was not over, and he played 30 games for the Dodgers the following season before retiring at age-44.
Henderson’s career was remarkable for its longevity and record-shattering. The all-time leader in steals, runs, and caught stealing. The primary function of a leadoff hitter is to get on base, and Henderson had a career .401 OBP despite a career .279 batting average.
The first time I saw the right-hand hitting Henderson, I noted a rarity – he threw left-handed. Henderson finished his 25-year career as a ten-time All-Star and a former MVP (1990).
When sequencing into the next player, the choice became obvious to choose a player with similar talent but whose legacy is forever tarnished by his race-baiting, as depicted in the movie “42.”
Red Sox get a historic reprobate
Right-hand hitting Ben Chapman played for the Red Sox from1937-1938, and the hitting numbers are impressive. The outfielder hit .324 over a 240 game spread with 13 home runs and 137 RBI. He also stole 40 bases in the time frame. Chapman was traded after the 1938 season to the Cleveland Indians. For his MLB career, Chapman hit an impressive .302, but his legacy is one of hate.
Chapman was a key player for the great New York Yankees teams of the 1930s before being traded to make room for rookie Joe DiMaggio. Chapman was a three-time All-Star with the Bombers and topped the AL in steals three times.
Chapman’s racial and inflammatory history surfaced well before Jackie Robinson when he would taunt Jewish Yankee fans with Nazi salutes and any other epitaphs he could dream up.
Chapman was also involved in a spiking incident of Washington second baseman Buddy Meyer that led to a riot. He was fined and suspended for his actions. Chapman had an established pattern of behavior with taunts and physical confrontation even once being suspended for a season as a minor league manager for slugging an umpire.
Later that behavior emerged when Chapman became manager of the Phillies and targeted Robinson. A cruel and abusive person with domestic assault on his rap sheet. A career reprobate.
Red Sox other Japanese signing becomes a 2007 star
Chapman would have been in a frenzy over Red Sox lefty Hideki Okajima who signed with the Red Sox for the 2007 season. Oh, what a season that was for Okajima and Boston baseball.
Okajima had a substantial and impressive resume in Japan as a set-up man and closer, primarily for the Yomiuri Giants. The Red Sox beckoned and offered a two-year deal to travel stateside with the high-priced Daisuke Matsuzaka.
I remember Hideki’s first MLB pitch as it was lofted for a home run, but Okajima was a pitching life preserver from that pitch onwards. Okie went on an extensive scoreless streak, picked up the occasional save, and became a fan favorite with his depreciating humor.
Okajima did not throw hard but had an unusual delivery similar to former Red Sox great Luis Tiant. Okie also developed what became known as the “Okie-Dokie,” a variation of his change-up. By the 2011 season, it was over in Boston for Okie, who eventually returned to Japan and then back for a brief run with the Oakland Athletics.
Okajima pitched five seasons for the Red Sox, posting a 17-8 record in 266 games. For me, the highlight was Game Two against the Rockies in the 2007 World Series when Okie shut down the Rockies in relief of Curt Schilling.
The “Pitching Parson” goes from Braves to Red Sox (Americans)
Ted Lewis was an original with the 1901 Boston Americans. Lewis had pulled up his pitching stakes and drifted over about a one-half mile from the Boston Braves. Pilfering was in full bloom for the upstate American League, and several other Braves made the trek.
Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has an excellent book for Red Sox fans: “New Century, New Team: The 1901 Boston Americans”. This well-researched book details Lewis and other members of the original Red Sox. That concludes the advertisement and now back to Lewis.
Lewis was a remarkable person, not for baseball but his post-baseball career. Lewis retired after just one season with the Americans to teach at Columbia University. He eventually rode the academic ladder to the top, becoming president of the University of New Hampshire in 1927.
The “Pitching Professor” twice won 20 games for the Braves before transferring to the new league. Lewis went 16-17 with a 3.53 ERA for manager Jimmy Collins and another former Brave with the Americans. Cy Young was also a teammate who won 33 games for the second-place Americans. That was it for Lewis who was also a minister. At 28-years-old his next career started.
Two unknown but impressive former Red Sox players
The last two players had just brief appearances with the Red Sox. The first is utility infielder Herb Hunter who appeared in just four games for the 1920 Boston team hitting .083. Hunter was also born in Boston. For his 39 game MLB career spread over four seasons, the left-hand hitter hit just .163. But beyond that, had a fascinating career and impact on baseball.
Hunter’s most significant contribution to the game was as an ambassador, coach, and organizer. He coached at the university level in Japan and organized three excursions to Japan. In 1931, Japan was attempting to organize an eight-team professional league and offered Hunter a three-year contract as an advisor. More details on Hunter’s exploits with Japan can be viewed here.
Lloyd Brown pitched at the MLB level for 12 seasons, including part of the 1933 season with the Red Sox. The lefty went 8-11 and pitched to a 4.02 ERA for a team that finished seventh. Brown could hit, and in Boston hit .281 with two home runs.
Brown had a lengthy career and played until he was 50-years-old, racking up 186 minor league wins. Brown also saw duty as a coach, manager, and scout with the Phillies. Brown – fluent in Spanish – scouted extensively for the Phillies in the Caribbean.
Neither Brown nor Hunter had remarkable MLB careers, but their extensive contributions are notable. I had never heard of either and was impressed by Hunter’s little-known contribution to Japanese baseball.
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