Red Sox History: A fan's all-time Red Sox defensive team
A personal all-time Red Sox defensive team
The just-concluded 2023 season was not a glorious 162 games for the Boston Red Sox defensively, as they ranked 14th in the American League. This positioning is not an outlier, as Boston invariably has "issues" on that side of the ball these days.
This century showed that victory can be won with poor defense, as the 2004 team finished 13th. In 2007, Boston was third, followed by fifth in 2013 and second in 2018. The 2023 team had only one qualifier for a Gold Glove - Alex Verdugo, whose days in Boston were long rumored to be kaput before the Sox finally pulled the trigger in early December.
I have followed Boston baseball since 1952, so I have some opinions on my all-time Red Sox defensive lineup. Defensive evaluation tools have advanced dramatically in the last 20 years, with the ever-defining metrics leading the charge. In those "old days," it was usually quite basic to the eyeball test -- or, in other words, Luis Aparicio would have caught it and Don Buddin would not.
The slightly older me realized the importance of range, the cascade of signs signaling the defense to what pitch, quickness, speed, the ability not to get your double-play partner killed, fielding percentage, covering outfield gaps, and when to throw to what base with some ability to get a customer bonked with an errant throw. Much is more straightforward today with the metrics certifying or rejecting and even blending that eyeball test.
So, I will go through my lineup, and with the lineup is the usual array of Gold Glove Award (GG) winners - an award that first surfaced in 1957 and was, for years, skewed by popularity and offensive numbers rather than pure defense.
Catcher - Carlton Fisk
In my first season following the Red Sox, catcher Sammy White became an All-Star - an honor he never repeated. White was tall for a backstop, listed at 6'3". The White I remember had a rocket arm, and now that is backed up by diligent research, as he twice led the league in nailing runners. I'll stop there because it isn't Sammy.
In his Boston years, Carlton Fisk had the arm consistently surpassing or matching the league average in caught stealing. Another aspect with catchers that mattered until recently is toughness, since they were considered a target-rich opportunity. I wrote about the classic Fisk and Thurman Munson battles in a previous article, usually with an incident at home plate.
That Fisk only won a single GG Award makes my provincial mindset boil. Was this bias? I'll leave it at that. The other aspect critical to catching is handling petulant children -- or a pitching staff, as they are more commonly referred to.
Baseball Prospectus has an interesting article on that part of the game and how metrics have played into it. As stated, Fisk was a worthy game-caller. There was no framing in the Fisk era, but I feel comfortable saying Fisk would be rather accomplished.
I would not dispute if an argument can be made for Tony Peña or Jason Varitek. Both were among the most skilled catchers of their era or any era.
Pitcher - Nathan Eovaldi
When great defense by pitchers is discussed, the topic usually begins with Greg Maddux, where a yearly ritual was tossing a GG to him. The Red Sox have never had a GG winner in that position, but the required skill set is limited.
Pitchers are supposed to be adept at fielding bunts and making quick decisions about what to do with them. In the concept of today's game, bunting is rarely employed.
Throwing to second base on a pickoff, when fielding a grounder, or after corralling a bunt is essential. We often see an errant throw chased down by one or more outfielders and watch runners gleefully round the bases. There is a reason why, on infield popups, pitchers are shuttled as far away as possible so as not to interfere with the real fielders and keep the ball out of their hands unless they are pitching.
I was impressed with Nathan Eovaldi in Boston, and in his time in The Hub, Eovaldi made just one error. I used the traditional fielding percentage metric of four seasons with a perfect 1.000 for Eovaldi, so keeping the ball quiet was a plus.
Part of defense for pitchers is not allowing a stolen base, which means a runner can take an extra step or two to second since this guy has no throw to first. Eovaldi was skilled at keeping the pilfering below league average, but one statistical quirk exists.
In 2021, "Nasty Nate" had an almost Cy Young Award season and allowed ten steals with no runners caught. That stat keeping runners anchored may be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.
There were others that I remember doing a respectably defensive job on the mound. The athletic Gary Peters could also hit. Pedro Martinez was cat-quick. Bob Stanley was a bulky pitcher (no fat shaming here) and had some skills. On the downside was Dennis Eckersley, whose pitching motion often had him out of position.
First Base - George Scott
First base is easy for me with no second guessing, meaning George Scott or "The Boomer." Scott was an integral part of the 1967 team and a natural anchor for the infield. Scott won the first of many Gold Gloves that season, and watching him was terrific.
Scott could also accumulate some errors, and part of the reason was his range. Scott was big, and at first glance, one would assume he was at first only because he had no other option.
I will digress a bit with Jackie Gleason. Gleason was a well-known actor who had a variety of shows and was famed for the TV series The Honeymooners. Gleason was large and fat by his own admission. But Gleason was a skilled tap dancer and noted pool player extraordinaire. The same applies to Scott, who was nimble and agile around the bag. No Vic Power, but no one else was either.
If you look at FanGraphs' refined metrics, Scott is consistently among the best. If you witnessed 1967, you would say Joe Foy and Rico Petrocelli owed ever-lasting gratitude to Scott's first base play.
Second Base - Dustin Pedroia
This is another easy one, especially with a healthy dose of provincialism, which means Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia's game was marked by a mix of offense, excellent fielding, chip-on-the-shoulder attitude, and just plain fearlessness when faced with being mowed down at second base.
Pedroia was not flashy and, on occasion, not smooth, but he more than got the job done. Range factors, defensive runs saved, assists, fielding percentage, and the other defensive minutia were all excellent. Toss in the factor that Pedroia was excellent at turning the DP, fearless, and would get a toss to his DP partner that was on the mark, and you've got a complete player.
How much is it instinct, and how much is the positioning metrics? Whatever it is, you rarely saw Pedroia out of position. I had old timers tell me that Pedroia reminded them of Charlie Gehringer, known as the "Mechanical Can," regarding his play at second.
Pedroia's career was cut short by a knee injury, and his relentless comeback efforts were unsuccessful. Pedroia would be in the Hall of Fame with a few more solid years under his belt.
Shortstop - Orlando Cabrera
Vern Stephens, Nomar Garciaparra, and Rico Petrocelli were noted Red Sox shortstops but considered offense-first guys. Petrocelli was underrated in his defensive ability, but not one you could compare to a contemporary such as Luis Aparicio.
The only player I saw with Boston who was more intense than Pedroia was Rick Burleson, who won a GG in 1980. The "Rooster" was quick, had a great arm, and was nimble, but I will bypass him for a player who only played 58 games for the Red Sox.
Orlando Cabrera came to the Red Sox in a dramatic deadline trade in 2004, and his play was remarkable. Do the metrics lie? A case could be made that Pokey Reese was a more accomplished shortstop, but what I saw was a player who was smooth, flashy, ate up the ground balls, had a terrific arm, and did all the expected defensive work with panache.
If I had seen Johnny Pesky play, this might not have been my selection, and maybe in a few years, it will be Trevor Story. But in 2004, it was refreshing to watch Cabrera do the work that I had seen from a long list of great Latin American shortstops of the era.
Boston let Cabrera go to free agency and signed free agent Edgar Rentería, the 2002 and 2003 GG recipient in the National League. That was a one-year disaster.
Third Base - Frank Malzone
Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Beltré, and Mike Lowell are all this century's outstanding defensive third basemen. I will omit Rafael Devers. There is a drift back to the 1950s and early 1960s for a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.
Frank Malzone was a Red Sox lifer and a long-time fixture as a coach, but he was also the best I ever saw at third for Boston. The GG inaugural class had Malzone, as did the next two seasons until Brooks Robinson arrived and took over the award for years.
Malzone's 1957 defensive statistics are representative of his career, and the error figures can be a fright at first glance, but I remember most how his play rescued Ted Williams. Say, what?
Malzone was great at going to his right, and at Fenway Park, a ball hit down that line meant double. With Ted in left, it was automatic. Malzone regularly did preventive maintenance, but was equally gifted at going to his left. From my dimming memory banks, a healthy portion of Malzone's errors were on throws, since he refused to give up on any ball.
Malzone was excellent on the slow roller or bunt and had that bare hand to grab the ball and throw in one motion. What stood out was a series of lousy defensive infields for Boston in that period, which made Malzone look even better.
Left Field - Carl Yastrzemski
If you listened to an older relative, read about Red Sox history, or looked at ancient videos, there is only one player for left field. Naturally, that is Carl Yaztrzemski.
On Opening Day in 1961, it became a view of the future for Yaz. I was at the game, and a single to left was hit with a runner on second. The other team assumed Williams was still in left. Yaz charged the ball, and the runner was nailed at home.
Yaz was originally an infielder, so that came into how he played the outfield, but his brilliance went far deeper than throws. Yaz captured his first of a string of GGs in 1963, and his run prevention was well noted with 17 assists that season. Even late in his career, Yaz was good for 17 nailed in 1977.
Yaz was excellent at all aspects of outfield defense, especially his understanding of the quirks of the left-field wall. Yaz was quick to the ball down the left field line, and a slow runner had a death wish trying for a second. Going to his left was another significant run-prevention aspect of Yaz's outfield play. Defensively, the Captain was a pitcher's best friend.
Yaz was not only the best defensive left fielder I ever saw in Boston but in all of baseball. In 1967, if Boston needed a hit or a defensive stop, it was Yaz.
Center Field - Jim Piersall
What a list one can build at this position. Fred Lynn was graceful and fearless, so the Red Sox padded the outfield walls before he went all Pete Reiser (look him up) on them.
Coco Crisp was another gatekeeper in the outfield and, as the Tampa Bay Rays can attest, quite handy with his fists. There is Jim Piersall, and the 1958 season was a typical defensive statistical season for the gifted and flawed Piersall. Piersall's life can be viewed here.
Casey Stengel once said that Piersall was the best right fielder in baseball's history, and he played right field until Jackie Jensen arrived. Jensen was a great outfielder, and coupled with Piersall, that locked down right and center.
Piersall was instinctively outstanding and would glide to the ball. Fenway is a formidable outfield at all three spots, and Piersall had no issue. Going back on a ball, charging a ball, or making an accurate toss was all part of a top-of-the-line defensive package.
Piersall won a GG in 1958 with Boston and another with Cleveland, to whom he was traded after that season. It was a trade that shocked more than a few fans at the time, but just watching Piersall play center was a lesson in baseball defensive excellence.
Right Field - Mookie Betts
I will not choose Israel Alcantara or even J.D. Drew, but then comes Mary Ann or Ginger for the fans of Gilligan's Island. In this case, it is Dwight Evans or Mookie Betts.
There is a semi-strong movement afoot among Red Sox fans to have Evans in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Evans won't get in, but Betts eventually will; part of it is his defense. So, yes, I am going with Betts.
Betts' excellence was in all phases of outfield play, and the right field at Fenway Park was challenging. Like Yaz, Betts was a former infielder, and that skill set was on display with Betts' ability to attack the ball and deliver a quality throw. First to third on Betts was a high risk for the adventurous.
Betts's defensive numbers were consistently among the best in baseball during his career, with the Dodgers now the recipient of his outstanding play. Betts now has six Gold Gloves and will get a few more, including one possibly at second base.
Stat sources: FanGraphs and Baseball Reference