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DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT

Boston Red Sox All-Time Team

The Red Sox history is rich with talent, while lacking in post-season success until The Curse was dispelled in 2004. The franchise began in 1901, the year the American League was born. It didn't always carry the nickname "Red Sox", variously using Americans, Somersets, and Pilgrims during its first few seasons. They've managed to capture eleven pennants and six World Series titles.

As longtime Fenway hopefuls would expect, this team is loaded with power and high-average hitters, but pretty thin on speed. The pitching staff has two great aces, but the bullpen is less than could be expected.

1st Base:

Carl Yastrzemski (.285, 452 HR, 646 D, 1844 RBI, 1816 R, 3419 H, 18 AS, 7 GG) will play here, even though he logged more games in the outfield (2076 at OF, 765 at 1B), because the outfield is even more crowded (like most All-Time teams). He not only had a great career, he also had some outstanding peak performances, including an MVP Triple-Crown year in 1967. He even excelled in the post-season, batting .369 with 4 home runs and 15 Runs in 17 games.

But after Yaz there is a problem. I'm going to go with Jimmie Foxx (.320, .605 SLG, .429 OBP, 222 HR, 6 AS) who played most of his games at 1B 807, while catching a few dozen as well. As you'll soon see, its a shame I can't use him at the latter position. But how can I keep him off the roster? He had a near triple crown in 1938: he led the league with a .349 average and 175 RBIs, and his 50 home runs were 16 more than the next guy, but unfortunately Hank Greenberg chose that year to crank out 58. I have to find a spot for a guy with his numbers, even if he only played for the Red Sox briefly.

Sadly, this means that Mo Vaughn (.304, .542 SLG, 230 HR, 2 AS) misses out. The 1995 MVP averaged 36 homeruns and 111 RBIs from 1993-98 (which includes strike-shortened seasons). You could certainly make a case for Vaughn over Foxx, but he too didn't play particularly long for Boston either.

George Scott (.257, 154 HR, 1 AS, 3 GG) had some power, is the only Red Sox 1B to win a gold glove (three times), and he played more games at 1B than anyone else, but his other numbers don't measure up.

2nd Base:

A standout second basemen of the 1940s, HOFer Bobby Doerr (.288, 223 HR, 1094 R, 1247 RBI, 9 AS) is the obvious starter. He was a power hitter at a position that rarely provided power: he managed 100 RBIs six times –- which amazingly is once more than Yaz did. He was named an all-star nine times, and played nearly twice as many games at 2B as any other Red Sox.

The Red Sox are not deep here, so the backup is Billy Goodman (.306, 2 AS), a utility man who played most of his games at 2B, but also played some 1B, OF, and 3B, and cumulatively deserves a roster spot. He led the league in batting in 1950 with a .354 mark. Pete Runnels (.320) played five years with Boston at 2B and 1B, hitting over .300 every season.

3rd Base:

One of the two best high-average hitters of the 1980s, Wade Boggs (.338, .428 OBP, 1067 R, 8 AS) is the clear choice to start at the hot corner. He had 200 or more hits seven times, and 100 or more runs eight times. After the 1992 season, and after 1520 games at 3B (most ever for the Sox), he left Boston for New York and eventually Tampa Bay.

The backup spot, however, is a tougher call. Johnny Pesky (.313) had an outstanding rookie campaign in 1942, then returned to the Sox after WWII and was a high average hitter for Boston over 7+ full seasons. He led the AL in hits three times, and six times scored over 100 runs. He split his time at SS (549 G) and 3B (457 G), but I'll choose him here because SS is even tougher to crack. If he hadn't lost several years, his resume would be even stronger. And you could certainly add to his case if you include his additional contributions to the Red Sox, including work as a coach, announcer, and general manager.

One could also make a good case for Frank Malzone (.276, 6 AS, 3 GG), who was good defensively and steady with the bat as well, consistently providing 15 home runs and between 80-100 RBIs a year. And he played 1335 games at 3B, just behind Boggs.

Hall of Famer Jimmy Collins (.296) was the first 3B for this franchise, and managed the club for their first six seasons as well, which included their winning the first World Series ever. He provided great defense and was often amongst the league leaders in several offensive categories.

George Scott played both a solid 1B and some 3B for Boston, but he can't quite crack the roster at either position. John Valentin (.281) did well in the late 90s, splitting time at SS, 3B, and a little 2B. Jim Tabor (.273) manned the hot corner for several years before and during World War II, and Larry Gardner (.282) was the regular at the position during the dead-ball era.

Shortstop:

Like Doerr at 2B, Rico Petrocelli (.251, 210 HR, 2 AS) provided Boston with power at a position that rarely demonstrated it. He regularly hit double-digit home runs, and cranked out 40 in 1969 after the leagues once again expanded. He split his time evenly between SS and 3B, but he'll make this team as the starting SS.

Although Nomar Garciaparra (.328, .562 SLG, 5 AS) was traded as part of a four-team exchange in the middle of the 2004 season, he was the supertstar in town for enough years to warrant this selection. In all of his six full seasons he hit over .300, with 20+ HR, and 95+ RBI. He lead the league in batting in both 1999 with .357 and 2000 with .372.

You could make a case for Joe Cronin (.300, 5 AS) to be the backup, as he was a player-manager for Boston for many years. Although his best seasons were with Washington, he managed a .300 average and three times had over 100 RBIs, and another three times he had over 90, while playing for the Sox. If you thought he should be on this team, but not in place of Nomar, then you could also shift Petrocelli to be the backup at 3B (so that decision then comes down to Cronin vs. Pesky).

Vern Stephens (.283, 4 AS) had three incredible seasons in Boston from 1948-50 with homer totals of 29, 39, and 30, and RBI totals of 137, 159, and 144. But then he only played parts of 1951-52. He was named an all-star four times during those years, but just didn't play long enough to qualify for the roster. Everett Scott (.246) and Rick Burleson (.274, 3 AS, 1 GG) were both good fielders, and they are 1-2 on the list for games played at SS, but both were rather light hitters. Burleson is the only Red Sox SS to ever win a gold glove, and was an All-Star three times, but doesn't compare well offensively.

Catcher:

Starting will be Carlton Fisk (.284, 162 HR, 7 AS, 1 GG), who had some key seasons in Bean Town before taking off for Chicago. He is most remembered for post-season heroics, but he did hit 20 or more homers four times. He was named an All-Star seven times, and was both a Gold Glover and Rookie of the Year in 1972.

Jason Varitek (.272, 2 AS, 1 GG) took over the bulk of the catching duties in 1999 (.272) and he has been a key part of their success since. A two-time All-Star so far, he has three times hit 20+ HR.

Until Varitek came along, the backup would have been a choice between Rich Gedman (.259) and Sammy White (.264). These two would have been considered based largely on having played at the position more than any others, which is not a ringing endorsement. White could be count on to produce .260+ and 10+ HR, and was an All-Star once. Gedman had a little more pop (three times hitting 15+ HR), and was an All-Star twice.

Outfield:

This is where some truly good players will not make the cut (and that is with Yaz already shifting to 1B to make more room). The starting three are lifetime Red Sox of high merit. Words don't do justice to the greatness of team captain Ted Williams (.344, .634 SLG, .482 OBP, 521 HR, 1839 RBI, 1798 R, 2021 BB, 17 AS). He had two Triple Crowns ('42 and '47) and two MVP awards ('46 and '49). The amazing thing here is that he didn't win the MVP in either of his Triple Crown seasons! Joe DiMaggio took the award in 1947 by one vote, largely based on his popularity and Williams's lack of it amongst the voters. The same reason might partially explain the 1942 season, when Yankee Joe Gordon took the MVP. And then there is 1941, when Williams batted over .400, but failed to win the MVP (DiMaggio took it riding on his 56-game hitting streak). Anyone who thinks Williams was swift afoot is not basing that opinion on his stolen base numbers (only 24 in his entire career). And he managed only 5-25 with no home runs in seven post-season appearances. But these are minor blemishes on a stunning career.

Next are two stars who played alongside each other for many years in the 70s and 80s, Dwight Evans (.272, 379 HR, 1346 RBI, 1435 R, 3 AS, 8 GG) and Jim Rice (.298, 382 HR, 1451 RBI, 1249 R, 8 AS). Evans played a bit longer and was a much better fielder, but Rice had superior peak performances. Take his MVP 1978 season for instance: .315, 46 HR, 121 R, 139 RBI, and 15 triples giving him 406 total bases (the Red Sox record). He was an All-Star eight times. Evans was an All-Star only three times, but he won eight Gold Gloves, and hit 20+ HR 11 times. Neither Rice nor Evans are in the Hall of Fame, for now.

The fourth spot has to go to high-average HOFer Tris Speaker (.337, 267 SB), who split most of his career with Boston and Cleveland. In 1912 he had his best year, batting .383 with 222 hits, 136 R, 52 SB, and 53 doubles. He adds speed to this rather slow team: he has 4 of the top 10 single season SB totals for Boston. He never won a batting title while in Boston, largely due to playing during the Ty Cobb era.

Dom DiMaggio (.298, 1046 R, 7 AS) had little power and only moderate speed (he led the league in SB once, but with only 15). But "The Little Professor" had several productive seasons, scoring 100 or more runs six times. And like Williams and many others, he missed three of his prime years to WWII.

And the final OF spot goes to dead-ball era hitter Harry Hooper (.272, 130 T, 988 R, 300 SB), whose speed made him a consistent, if not a flashy run scorer. He had between 75-100 runs in each of 11 full seasons with the Red Sox (though he never managed more than 53 RBIs). And for many years he was a part of a trio (with Speaker and Duffy Lewis) who for a long time after were considered the best outfield assembled on one team.

But all of this means that several quality guys are left out, most notably Fred Lynn (.308, .520 SLG, 6 AS, 4 GG). Not only did he have a famous Rookie of the Year campaign in 1975 (winning the MVP), but in 1979 he belted 39 homers and 122 RBIs while batting .333. But he only played about half as many games for the Sox as Hooper did.

Manny Ramirez (.313, 217 HR, 5 AS) signed as a free-agent from the Indians after the 2000 seasons, adn so far has had five superb seasons for the Sox. In 2002 he paced the AL with a .349 average, adn then in 2004 led the league with 43 HR. Not a good runner, and definitely a liability in the field, it will only take one or two more strong offensive seasons for him to make this roster in place of Hooper.

Jackie Jensen (.282, 170 HR, 2 AS, 1 GG) had seven good seasons with Boston, including six with 20 or more homers and five with 100 or more RBIs (three times leading the league). Also considered were Mike Greenwell (.303, 2 AS), Duffy Lewis (.289), Reggie Smith (.281, 2 AS, 1 GG), and Tony Conigliaro (.267, 162 HR, 1 AS). All had some good seasons, but none come close to making this team.

Starting Pitching:

This team's pitching staff starts out with two all-time greats: one whose name is on the top award for the position, and another who has won that award more than anyone else. Roger Clemens (192-111, 3.06, 2590 SO in 2776 IP, 5 AS) had many of his best years in Boston, including a 24-4 record in 1986. He took home three Cy Young Awards: 86, 87, and 91. His last four years with Boston were unremarkable before leaving for Toronto and New York — and a revitalized career. But in the seven years before that he posted 17 or more wins and 200 or more Ks. Cy Young's (192-112, 2.00, 275 CG in 297 GS) almost unbelievable career began in 1890 with the Cleveland Spiders. But many of his best seasons were spent in Boston, where he pitched from 1901-1908, anchoring the first dominant team of the junior circuit. During those years he posted the following ERAs: 1.63, 2.15, 2.08, 1.97, 1.82, 3.19, 1.99, 1.26. His average W-L record during that time was 25-15. No wonder the award is named after him.

Pedro Martinez (117-37, 2.52, 1683 K in 1383.6 IP, 4 AS) was electric during his seven seasons in Boston. You could argue about where he belongs on this roster, but I'll give him this third spot. His 1999 and 2000 seasons, for which he won Cy Young awards, are arguably two of the very best pitching seasons in the history of the game, especially if you consider his numbers relative to the rest of the league:

• 23-4, 2.07 (vs. 5.07 lg. avg.), 213.3 IP, 160 H, 313 K, 37 BB
• 18-6, 1.74 (vs. 4.97 lg. avg.), 217.0 IP, 128 H, 284 K, 32 BB

The fourth starter is Mel Parnell (123-75, 3.50, 2 AS), a Red Sox hurler from the 40s and 50s. He twice won 20+ games, and two other times had 18. The highlight of his career was going 25-7 with a 2.77 ERA in 1949. Next is Luis Tiant (122-81, 3.36, 2 AS), who had his most dominating years earlier in his career (with Cleveland), but also had many good years in Boston in the 70s. This included three 20-win seasons, and a 15-6 campaign in 1972 in which he posted a 1.91 ERA.

The sixth starter is HOFer Lefty Grove (105-62, 3.34, 5 AS). He had a simply awesome career, though most of his dominating seasons were spent for the Athletics. From 1934-41 he pitched in Boston, and managed some good seasons, but they were only a shadow of his former self. He had only one 20-win season during this time, but captured four AL ERA titles.

Old-timer Smokey Joe Wood (116-56, 1.99, .208 OBA) makes the team in the seventh spot. He had a 34-5 record in 1912, and a 116-56 record with an amazing 1.99 ERA in his 7+ years with Boston.

So who does this leave out? Most notably I have omitted Babe Ruth (89-46, 2.19, .207 OBA). He had two 20-win seasons (with ERAs of 1.75 and 2.01), and a few other good pitching years as well. Each year he batted more and more, being used on some off-days in the field at 1B or OF. In 1919, his last year in Boston, he exploded for 29 home runs... which was only the tip of the iceberg.

I'll also note that the third winningest pitcher in Boston history isn't being include: Tim Wakefield (135-119, 4.27). His knuckleball has given him longevity, but his peak performances aren't anywhere near those of the seven on this roster. His best seasons were 1995 (16-8, 2.95), 1998 (17-8, 4.58), and 2005 (16-12, 4.15). And for several seasons he was a spot starter and worked as long-relief from the pen.

Another early pitcher who had several good years with Boston was Dutch Leonard (90-63, 2.13). Leonard was very consistent (each season his ERA was below 3.00, and one year it was 0.96!), but he never won 20 games in a season as he was often used as an effective relief pitcher in a time when this was a rarity. Another solid pitcher you could make a case for was Tex Hughson (96-54, 2.94, 3 AS). Having respectable pitching careers in Boston, but also not good enough to make this roster, are: Dennis Eckersley (88-71, 3.92), Bruce Hurst (88-73, 4.23), Bill Monbouquette (96-91, 3.69), and Frank Sullivan (90-80, 3.47).

Relief Pitching:

The relief pitching for this team is a strange situation. The Red Sox have had some high quality closer names in their recent history, but none stuck around very long. This list includes:

• Jeff Reardon 3.41, 153 IP, 88 SV
• Sparky Lyle 2.85, 331 IP, 69 SV
• Tom Gordon 4.45, 495 IP, 68 SV
• Lee Smith 3.04, 168 IP, 58 SV

Gordon has the team record with 46 saves in one year (1998). But three earlier guys accumulated more saves than these big names, and have certainly logged far more relief innings. And, therefore, they are awarded the roster spots. Ellis Kinder (86-52, 3.28, 91 SV) was a starter at first and actually went 23-6 in 1949, but then became a short reliever for the club. In 1953 he had his best relief season, saving 27 games with an ERA of 1.85. Dick Radatz (49-34, 2.65, 104 SV, 2 AS) was a dominating pitcher for Boston from 1962-66. His numbers in the first three of these seasons are noteworthy:

• 1962: 9-6, 24 SV, 2.24 ERA, 124 2/3 IP, 144 K
• 1963: 15-6, 25 SV, 1.97 ERA, 132 1/3 IP, 162 K
• 1964: 16-9, 29 SV, 2.29 ERA, 157 IP, 181 K

The only other reliever worth mentioning is Derek Lowe (70-55, 3.72, 85 SV, 2 AS). He pitched for Boston from 1997 - 2004, the first five as a reliever (three as closer) and the last three as a starter. In 2000 he tied for the league lead in saves with 42, and then in 2002 he wen 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA. But his resume as a whole isn't quite good enough to earn him a spot on this roster.

Extra Spot:

I think the strongest candidate here has to be Mo Vaughn. Honorable Mention goes to Babe Ruth, George Scott, Joe Cronin, Frank Malzone, Jimmy Collins, Fred Lynn, Manny Ramirez, and Jackie Jensen.

Team Captain:

Choosing the captain for this team is pretty easy. The only realistic possibilities are lifetime Red Sox Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. Though Yaz played longer, his average season performance is no where near that of Williams, and neither are his peak performances. For instance, Williams led the league in major offensive categories a whopping 44 times, while Yaz did so only 21 times. And the gap is even greater when you consider that Williams lost 3 full prime years to WWII. Ted is arguably the greatest hitter of all time, while Yaz would be in the 20-40th spots in such a ranking, at best.

Starting Lineup

Wade Boggs 3B
Bobby Doerr  2B
Carl Yastrzemski  1B
Ted Williams  OF
Jim Rice  OF
Dwight Evans  OF
Carlton Fisk  C
Rico Petrocelli  SS
Roger Clemens  SP

Prospects for Current Players:

What are the prospects of current Red Sox players making this all-time team? Varitek is the only current Red Sox member to be on this roster. The most likely player to crack it soon is Manny Ramirez. There have been many trade rumors swirling about him in recent years, but if he adds just one or two more good seasons, he'll be in. Fellow slugger David Ortiz so far has three superb seasons under his belt, so if he stays long enough he could make this team too. He's primarily a DH, but would make this roster at 1B, so that means he has to either surpass Foxx, or Hooper the 6th outfielder who would be dropped if Yaz was shifted away from 1B. Outfielder Trot Nixon and SP Tim Wakefield are both longtime Red Sox, but they are steady-but-not-outstanding players, so I doubt either will ever make it. We'll see...

Other Lists

Red Sox Retired Numbers (players only)
Bobby Doerr (1), Joe Cronin (4), Carl Yastrzemski (8), Ted Williams (9), Carlton Fisk (27)

Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame (link)
Instituted in 1995, it is intended to recognize the careers of former Boston Red Sox players. A 15-member selection committe comprised of Red Sox broadcasters and executives, past and present media personnel, and representatives from The Sports Museum of New England and the BoSox Club are responsible for nominating the candidates. Players must have played at least three years with the Sox and must have been inactive for three years. Players who are in the National Hall of Fame will automatically be in the Red Sox Hall of Fame. This means that the following Red Sox players were automatically in: Jimmy Collins, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Harry Hooper, Rick Ferrell, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, and Cy Young.

In 1995, the following players were inducted: Tony Conigliaro, Dom DiMaggio, Frank Malzone, Johnny Pesky, Jim Rice, and Smoky Joe Wood.

In 1997, the following players were inducted: Carlton Fisk, Mel Parnell, Rico Petrocelli, Dick Radatz, and Luis Tiant.

In 2000, the following players were inducted: Dwight Evans, Larry Gardner, Jackie Jensen, Bill Monbouquette, Reggie Smith, and Bob Stanley.

In 2002, the following players were inducted: Rick Burleson, Boo Ferriss, Tex Hughson, Duffy Lewis, Jim Lonborg, and Fred Lynn.

In 2004, the following players were inducted: Wade Boggs, Bernie Carbo, Bill Carrigan, Jimmy Collins, Dennis Eckersley, Billy Goodman, Burce Hurst, and Pete Runnels.

In 2006, the following players were inducted: Vern Stephens, Ellis Kinder, Jerry Remy, and George Scott.

In my view, the crowd started to thin out a bit with the 2002 class. Dave "Boo" Ferriss went 21-10 in 1945, and then 25-6 in 1946, but then went only a combined 19-14 his other two significant seasons. Bernie Carbo played only five partial, mediocre seasons for the Sox, and was traded to and from them three times (and also purchased from them by the Indians once). Bill Carrigan was a light-hitting, part-time catcher from 1906-1916, but was also a manager for the club for two stints (1913-16, and 1927-29). And Jerry Remy was a 2B with some speed who played from 1978-84 for the Sox, though he only had three full seasons for them.

2003 Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups

He goes with Foxx and Vaughn at 1B. He likes Runnels as the backup 2B, which is understandable but I think a disservice to Goodman. Nomar and Pesky are used at SS, which leaves Petrocelli and Cronin out. Boggs is the starter at 3B, with Collins as the backup, which is reasonable since Pesky was slotted at SS. Neyer chooses Wally Schang as the backup C, even though he played only three years for the Sox. Through 2002, Varitek hadn't yet done enough so I would have gone with Gedman or White.

The tough decisions continue in the outfield. Because he is strictly distinguishing LF/CF/RF, Carl Yastrzemski is the LF backup to Williams. Yaz is also listed as the second DH behind Jim Rice. Speaker is in center, but I can't help feel something amiss by choosing Lynn over Dimaggio as the backup here. He mentions that Lynn is more deserving for the Hall of Fame than Dom, with which I can agree, but that doesn't seem relevant to this selection, since Lynn played a lot elsewhere. Evans in right with Hooper as the backup is on target though.

His first four starters are Clemens, Martinez, Young, and Wood, elevating Pedro and Joe a bit based on their peak performances. The rest of the staff is the same as mine, with the addition of Ruth as well. Radatz and Kinder are good relief selections.

1985 The All-Time All-Star Baseball Book by Bart Acocella, Nick Acocella, and Donald Dewey

Written in 1985, their lineup would naturally not include modern stars such as Boggs, Rice, Evans, Vaughn, Garciaparra, Varitek, and Martinez. Some of their choices are in agreement with my own: C Carlton Fisk, 2B Bobby Doerr, OF Ted Williams. They list Yastrzemski at his primary position of OF, and therefore start Foxx at 1B. They went with Tris Speaker as their third outfielder, which is understandable since Rice and Evans were still in mid-career in 1985. They chose Cronin at SS over Petrocelli, which I won't argue with too much. But at 3B they Collins. An even bigger mystery is their selection of Wood as the pitcher. Perhaps I am misunderstanding some aspect of their selection criteria that bars Cy Young from being included, but he clearly is the best pre-1985 hurler. One could make a case for Wood over Parnell, Grove, or Tiant, but I'd rank him last in this crowd. They do mention Parnell as their other candidate, but chose Wood because of his better winning percentage.

1995 Baseball Ratings by Charles S. Faber

The Faber system as applied in 1995 creates a reasonable all-time team. The Faber system lists Yastrzemski in the OF, at the position he played at most (which leaves Evans out of the lineup, and has Foxx as the starting 1B). The only odd result is Rick Burleson at SS, instead of Petrocelli or Cronin. His five starting pitchers are solid: Young, Clemens, Tiant, Grove, and Parnell. The top reliever is deemed to be Bob Stanley.

2000 Red Sox Century, by Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson

These authors chose two separate rosters: one for pre-World War II and one for post-WWII. And since they don't seem to have a strict limit per position, their combined rosters are much larger than mine.

For the Pre-WWII squad, Foxx and Doerr are the only 1B and 2B. Three shortstops are taken: Joe Cronin, Everett Scott, and Heinie Wagner (who they noted played for four World Series champions). At 3B they have Jimmy Collins who they write is "Acknowledged as the greatest third basemen of his era", but who only played five full seasons in Boston. He hit over .300 twice during that time, and had some speed. They also chose Larry Gardner as a backup, a "stead performer", who played from 1908-17 providing a good average, some speed, and triples power.

Their outfield is split up by position: the starters presumably would be LF Ted Williams, CF Tris Speaker, and RF Harry Hooper, so that is fine. They list as backups LF Duffy Lewis who was the third part of the famed Speaker/Hooper/Lewis trio, CF Chick Stahl who had several fine seasons before his suicide in 1907, and RF Buck Freeman an early power hitter who had superstar seasons from 1901-03. At C they mention Lou Criger, an extremely weak-hitting defensive whiz, and Rick Ferrell a good hitting Hall of Famer who played parts of five seasons for Boston. The pitching staff includes many of my selections: Cy Young, Joe Wood, Lefty Grove, and Babe Ruth, as well as Dutch Leonard who I mentioned. They also include Carl Mays, who only had a few good years in Boston and so couldn't crack my roster. And lastly they include Bill Dinneen who had three consecutive 20+ win seasons from 1902-04, but ended up with a 85-86 lifetime Red Sox record.

For their post-WWII roster, most of their infield is sensible: Vaughn at 1B, Jerry Remy at 2B, Pesky, Stephens, and Garciaparra at SS, and Malzone and Boggs at 3B. Remy had some speed and hit for a pretty good average, but really only had three full-time seasons in Boston, so I think Runnels or Goodman should get the nod here. And what about Petrocelli in place of Stephens?

Ted Williams makes it at LF here as well, and rightfully so. The rest are all good choices: Yastrzemski and Rice in LF, DiMaggio and Lynn in CF, and Evans and Conigliaro in RF. The same is true at catcher, where Fisk and Gedman are recognized. The starting pitchers include Roger Clemens, Mel Parnell, Luis Tiant, and Pedro Martinez. Jim Lonborg is listed too, as he won the 1967 AL Cy Young award with a 22-9 campaign. He was a mediocre starter in Boston otherwise. And Spaceman Bill Lee makes the team, on the basis of his three consecutive 17-win seasons and due to his "mastering the New York Yankees." The relievers are identical to my chocies: Kinder, Radatz, and Stanley.

TheBaseballPage.com (link)

This website (as of May 2006) selects David Ortiz and George Scott at 1B, which I think are poor choices over Foxx and Vaughn. Perhaps someday Ortiz will warrant a spot, but not yet. They redeem themselves at 2B by choosing Doerr and Goodman, and then round out the infield with Cronin and Garciaparra at SS, and Boggs as the lone 3B (leaving Pesky and Petrocelli out). They list Williams as the "DH", even though he was long retired before that position was started. But this leaves more room for outfielders, where they have Yastrzemski and Rice in LF, Lynn and Smith in RF, and Evans and Hooper in RF. I'm glad to see Hooper included, but I think Speaker and even DiMaggio are more deserving than Smith (or even Lynn). Varitek is a fine choice as catcher, but Fisk should obviously be included as well, not their selection of Bill Carrigan. Plus they confusingly list Rich Gedman as the starting catcher in the starting lineup.

The five starting pitchers listed are Young, Clemens, Martinez, Tiant, and Wood. Two others get listed as relievers: Mays and Parnell. I don't see how Mays can make it over Grove. Radatz and Kinder are superb RP selections, but I think Tom Burgmeier as the third is questionable. He had five fine seasons in Boston, including four with an ERA under 3.00. And in 1980 he had 24 saves and was an All-Star. But I think Bob Stanley is more deserving. Their honorable mention list is long as always, though it doesn't include the likes of Jimmie Foxx, Mo Vaughn, Tris Speaker, and Lefty Grove!

1958: Sport magazine, February issue

As part of a running series, Sport magazine reported on all-time all-star teams picked by "big league publicity departments and the writers covering the clubs." Here is what they had to say:

• First Base: Jimmy Foxx, old "Double X," who played in Boston from 1936 through 1942. He is in Baseball's Hall of Fame.
• Second Base: Bobby Doerr, one of the most popular players Boston has ever had. Bobby played there from 1937 through 1951.
• Shortstop: Joe Cronin, who came to the Red Sox from Washington for $250,000 in 1935 and played there until he retired in 1945. He was the team's manager during that time, too, and he held the job until he moved into the front office after the 1947 season.
• Third Base: Jimmy Collins, called by many fans the best third-baseman of all time, arrived in Boston in 1895, and remained there until 1907. He is a member of the Hall of Fame. Collins managed Boston for six years, 1901-1906.
• Left Field: Ted Williams. Even the Boston writers (well, anyway, most of them) put Ted on the team.
• Center Field: Tris Speaker, possibility the greatest of all time and a member of the Hall of Fame. Tris began his big-league career with the Red Sox in 1907 and was traded to Cleveland in the winter of 1915-1916.
• Right Field: Harry Hooper, who played with the Sox from 1909 to 1920.
• Catcher: Bill Carrigan, who played with the Sox from 1906 through 1916 and managed them in his last four active seasons. He returned to Boston as a manager in 1927-1929.
• Righthanded Pitcher: Cy Young, another Hall of Famer, who played in Boston from 1901 through 1908. Cy won 510 big league games, a record that no one else has come close to.
• Lefthanded Pitcher: Lefty Grove, the great fireballer who came to Boston from the A's in 1934 and retired in 1941. Lefty is in the Hall of Fame, too.

Analysis:

Back in 1959 this is an entirely reasonable roster. A case could have been made for Pesky at SS or 3B, but Cronin and Collins are solid.

1969 The Sporting News Fan Poll
The July 5, 1969 issue reports the results of a fan poll for the long-standing franchises of the day. The results for New York were:
1B: Jimmie Foxx
2B: Bobby Doerr
3B: Frank Malzone
SS: Joe Cronin
C: Birdie Tebbetts
LF: Ted Williams
CF: Tris Speaker
RF: Carl Yastrzemski
RHP: Cy Young
LHP: Lefty Grove.

Analysis:

For 1969, all of these are good choices, except at the weakest position of catcher, where I think White is more deserving than Tebbetts. Birdie played only parts of four seasons for the Sox (although he was an All-Star for them twice).

1990: The Baseball Research Journal

In an interesting article, Robert C. Berlo used Thorn and Palmer's TPR (Total Player Rating) system to choose all-time teams. He selected players based on their best 800 consecutive games for the franchise, with a minimum of five years played. His results:

Analysis:

Interesting results. Presumably Pesky and Petrocelli don't trail Cronin by very much at SS. And Roger Clemens I guess hadn't done quite enough for the Sox at the time this analysis was done.

1982 Fan Vote, as reported in The Boston Red Sox Fan Book, by David S. Neft, Michael L. Neft, Bob Carroll, and Richard M. Cohen

The fans in 1982 chose Foxx and Scott at 1B, Doerr and Remy at 2B, Petrocelli and Malzone at 3B, and Burleson and Pesky at SS. I seriously question giving spots to contemporaries Remy and Burleson, over the likes of Goodman, Runnels, Cronin, and Collins. Fisk and Tebbetts are the catchers. The starting OF is Williams, Yastrzemski, and Evans, with the backups being Rice, DiMaggio, and Lynn. That isn't bad, though Speaker is missing. Right-handed pitchers are Young and Tiant, and Lefties are Ruth and Grove. The relievers are Radatz and Lyle.

2001 Fan Ballots in Boston Globe Vote, as reported in The Boston Red Sox Fan Book, by David S. Neft, Michael L. Neft, Bob Carroll, and Richard M. Cohen

This time around the fans only chose a starting lineup. A fine lineup is composed of Fisk, Foxx, Doerr, Boggs, Garciaparra, Williams, Yastrzemski, and Rice. Four starters are listed: Young, Martinez, Clemens, and Wood. And the reliever chosen was Radatz.