BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 14: A view of the grandstand during the seventh inning at Fenway Park on September 14, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
One of the charter teams in the American League, the Boston Red Sox have a mixed legacy in the game, with many stars and questionable moves. Which of those players make up their Mount Rushmore?
The Boston Red Sox have quite the mixed legacy within Major League Baseball. One of the original eight American League franchises, they were a strong team from the beginning, placing second and third in their first two seasons. Then, in 1903, the Red Sox won the first modern World Series, defeating the heavily favored Pirates in eight games.
In the following decade, the Red Sox put together their first Golden Age. They made the playoffs four times, winning the World Series each time. And then, the Red Sox made the ill-fated decision to sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees in order to finance a play, sending the team down a path of mediocrity. Boston would occasionally make the World Series, but found increasingly painful ways lose. The Curse of the Bambino was alive and well.
To further those issues in the standings, the Red Sox steadfastly refused to integrate. Other teams came to learn that the Negro Leagues were filled with major league caliber talent, but Tom Yawkey refused to have a black player on his roster. That eventually changed when Pumpsie Green made his debut in 1959, as the Red Sox became the final team to integrate.
Boston eventually got back to its winning ways, becoming a perennial playoff contender in the 1990s. However, the curse remained, until 2004. Dave Roberts steal of second in the 2004 ALCS led to a comeback victory, and the Red Sox went on to be the first team in major league history to win a postseason series after being down 3-0. They won the World Series that year, finally putting the Curse of the Bambino to rest after 86 years.
These days, the Red Sox remain perennial playoff contenders. They have won the World Series three times in the 21st century, and with a rabid fanbase and one of the top payrolls in the game, they may well remain as contenders for the foreseeable future. It is certainly a great time to be a Red Sox fan.
Let us take this time to look back through the history of the team. Which of the stars that have come through their clubhouse make up the Boston Red Sox Mount Rushmore?
Acquired to win the World Series, Pedro Martinez delivered with the Boston Red Sox.
He cost quite a haul in prospects at the time, but Martinez proved to be worth the investment right from the beginning. Martinez dominated the American League, winning the Triple Crown in his first season in Boston. He was the unanimous AL Cy Young award winner, and finished second in the 1999 MVP vote. That placement was controversial, as he lost out on the award when two writers kept him off the ballot entirely, claiming that pitchers were not “all around players.”
Martinez continued his dominance with the Red Sox. Despite pitching at the height of the Steroid Era, he posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000. A rotator cuff injury the following year forced him to change his pitching style, but he remained as dominant as ever. His changeup continued to be devastating, a weapon that he used to neutralize the opposition.
Overall, he was a three time All Star and two time Cy Young award winner with the Red Sox, finishing in the top four in the vote five times. During his seven years in Boston, Martinez posted a 117-37 record, along with a 2.52 ERA and a 0.978 WHiP. He struck out 1683 batters, with only 309 walks, in 1383.2 innings. Few pitchers were in his class during his time with the Red Sox.
Pedro Martinez was brought in to bring a championship to the Boston Red Sox. He dominated in his role as the team ace, and succeeded in that mission.
Typically, when a pitcher turns 34 years old, they are in the downside of their career. That was not the case with Cy Young.
He had changed his pitching style by that point, going away from his fastball to a heavier usage of his breaking pitches and curve. Coupled with his excellent command, he was able to keep opponents off balance, helping him lead the American League in wins in each of the league’s first three years of existence.
Young was able to help bring legitimacy to the AL. One of the pitching stars of the 1890s, Young had been one of the biggest names in the game. His ability to continue to pitch well helped the American League take off, and he continued to make history as the first player to throw a pitch in the modern World Series.
During his time with the Red Sox, Young furthered his Hall of Fame credentials. He posted an excellent 192-112 record, with a 2.00 ERA and a 0.970 WHiP. Young completed 275 of his 297 starts, accounting for 2728.1 innings. In that time, he struck out 1341 batters with only 299 walks.
Cy Young was one of the more durable pitchers in baseball history. During his time with the Boston Red Sox, he proved he was still a star in his late 30s and early 40s.
The heir to the great Ted Williams in left field, Carl Yastrzemski forged an excellent career of his own for the Boston Red Sox.
Undaunted by the legacy that Williams had left behind, Yaz forged a great career of his own. He had one of the longest careers in baseball history, with over 3300 games played. His 23 years with the Red Sox tied Brooks Robinson for the longest career spent with only one franchise. He became a Boston icon, a player whose unique batting stance was copied by virtually every young Red Sox fan as they tried to emulate their hero.
Yaz became one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He was an 18 time All Star, the 1967 American League MVP when he became the last player in the 21st century to win the Triple Crown. A three time batting champion, Yaz led the league in hits twice, and doubles three times. He was also quite adept at getting on base, leading the AL in on base percentage five times.
Over the course of his 23 year career, Yaz produced a .285/.379/.462 batting line, hitting 452 homers and 646 doubles. He was an excellent outfielder in his career as well, winning seven Gold Gloves, and leading the league in runs saved in left five times. Yaz had a strong throwing arm, leading the league in assists eight times, and ranking fifth in baseball history. He was an excellent well rounded player, a worthy heir to Williams in Boston.
Carl Yastrzemski may not have been Ted Williams, but he was one of the greatest players in Boston Red Sox history in his own right. That was all anyone could ask for.
The greatest player in baseball history, one has to wonder how impressive Ted Williams career would have been had it not been for two wars interrupting his playing career.
A legendary player in Boston Red Sox history, Williams placed fourth in the MVP voting as a rookie. After that year, he made the All Star Game in every season, excluding his 1952 season when he played in only six games. He was the last player to bat over .400 in a season when he did so in 1941. However, he finished second in the 1941 MVP vote that year, losing the award to Joe DiMaggio. However, he would go on to win the award twice, doing so in 1946 and 1949.
Williams was also infamous for his spats with the Red Sox fanbase. He was fined several times for spitting at the crowd, and after being booed by the home fans in 1940, swore he would never tip his hat again. It was a vow he kept through his retirement, refusing to acknowledge the crowd in his final game with the Red Sox.
Through it all, Williams was a force with the bat. He produced a lifetime .344/.482/.634 batting line; his on base percentage the highest in baseball history. Williams hit 521 homers and 525 doubles, while driving in 1839 runs. Accounting for the five seasons he missed, Williams could have been even greater than his numbers were.
Ted Williams was a legend with the Boston Red Sox, the greatest player in franchise history. He was also the greatest player in the history of the game, one of the brightest stars in baseball history.
