Boston Red Sox: what did the team look like before Tom Brady

Now that Tom Brady has found a new employer outside of the New England area, let’s look at what the Boston Red Sox looked like before Tom Terrific came to town.

Tom Brady has made his intentions known he is leaving the New England Patriots and is taking his talents to Tampa Bay. A sixth-round draft pick in 2000, Brady played in one game that year and then took over as a starter in 2001.

Let’s turn back the clock and look at some of the names on the 1999 Boston Red Sox team. The last team which didn’t have to share headlines with Tom Terrific.

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The 1999 Boston Red Sox were managed by Jimy Williams to a 94-68 finish, good enough for second in the AL East and a wild card berth. After dispatching of the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series, the Sox lost the AL Championship Series to the eventual World Series Champion New York Yankees.

The team had some memorable names in the lineup. Nomar Garciapara, John Valentin, Trot Nixon, and a young Jason Varitek (at 27 he wasn’t young in baseball years, but considering he suited up for the Red Sox until age 39, he was young then).

In the rotation who could forget the year Pedro Martinez going 23-4 with a 2.07 earned run average. An aged Bret Saberhagen won ten games. Tim Wakefield was still a young man, just five years into his seventeen year Boston tenure and Derek Lowe’s great years were still ahead of him.

Those are the household names from the 1999 Boston Red Sox, now close your eyes and see if you can picture these sweet players in BoSox unis. Reggie Jefferson, remember that cat. He played over fifty games at DH that year, capping off his five-year career in Beantown.

Off the bench came Damon Buford and Butch Huskey, two of the better names in Boston Red Sox history. Scotty H. Scott Hatteberg, prior to his Moneyball fame days, was a backup catcher on that team.

Mark Portugal was ending his 15-year career that season and he was joined in the rotation by Pat Rapp. Try to find a picture of Pat Rapp not in a Marlins uniform. He suited up just that one season in Boston and won six games. Out in the bullpen sat Kent Mercker. Who knew that guy pitched until he was 40? He won two games for the Red Sox in 1999 only pitching in five games total..

Epic closers Flash Gordon and Rod Beck combined for 14 saves that season. And what would the 1999 Boston Red Sox have been without Pedro’s brother Ramon Martinez?

Wow, what a trip down memory lane. Then Tom Brady came to town and brought with him four World Series Championships for the baseball team he never played for.