The Red Sox have not always been a successful team on the field — maybe you’ve heard of a little thing called the “Curse of the Bambino” and all.
But even at its worst, the organization was still capable of producing some all-time talents.
Thanks to the franchise’s early success — the Red Sox were the winners of the very first World Series, and a powerhouse before the most infamous transaction of them all brought them back to Earth — and its resurgence in the 21st century, their All-Time team is a mashup of MLB legends across its entire existence. And one with depth, too: this lineup features seven Hall of Famers in its starting nine and on the mound, a couple likely future Cooperstown inductees and yet another sitting in the bullpen, along with a manager who’ll also get the call.
Manager: Terry Francona
Between Ed Barrow’s 1918 championship and the 2004 hiring of Terry Francona, there were 35 managerial changes in Boston. That’s less than two-and-a-half years per manager. Francona, though, took over and led the Red Sox to where his predecessor, Grady Little, could not, then followed up with another World Series title in 2007. He’s second in games managed and wins for Boston, with no one else with his tenure anywhere near him in winning percentage, either. Francona’s 28 postseason victories are more than twice as many as the next-best skipper, and he’s one of just two to win multiple championships.
(Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Starting pitcher: Cy Young
The Red Sox can lay claim to three of the greatest pitchers in MLB history. Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez combined for 10 Cy Young awards, but that honor is named after Boston’s first ace. Cy Young’s greatest run came in Beantown: a franchise-record 192 wins over eight years, 2.00 ERA and 275 complete games, while leading them to the first World Series championship in 1903. Young was the top player on the team by wins above replacement in seven of his eight seasons in town, and is MLB’s all-time leader in both pitcher WAR and traditional wins.
(Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
Reliever/closer: Jonathan Papelbon
The Red Sox drafted Jonathan Papelbon in 2003 as a starting pitcher. He stayed in that role for a couple of years, but a permanent transition to relief would come in the majors in 2005. He finished his first partial MLB season with a 2.65 ERA, and in ‘06, was awarded the closer job. He’d never leave it while with the Sox: Papelbon was named to four consecutive All-Star teams from 2006-2009, and allowed just seven runs in his rookie season. Papelbon is the all-time leader in saves for the Sox, with 219 — 87 more than Bob Stanley.
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Catcher: Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk is responsible for one of the most famous homers ever. His walk-off shot in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, in which he waved a fly ball fair, is an all-time great moment for the Sox and MLB. That shot cleared the Green Monster in a hurry, and yet, Fisk visibly made the most of that time. Brief, yet memorable: that describes both the play he’s known for, as well as his career with Boston. Fisk spent more time with the White Sox, but hit .284/.356/.481 and produced most of his career value in Beantown.
(Photo by MLB via Getty Images)
1B: Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx didn’t start his career with Boston: he played 11 seasons with the Athletics before joining the Red Sox in 1936. His seven years with Boston featured Foxx batting an absurd .320/.429/.605, while hitting 222 of his 524 career homers. He won his third and final MVP in 1938, thanks to batting .349/.462/.704 with 50 homers and an MLB-leading 175 RBIs and 119 walks. Foxx is second in Red Sox history in on-base percentage, tied for fifth in batting average, third in OPS+ and even ninth in home runs despite the comparatively short stint.
2B: Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia was at the forefront of the battle between traditional scouting and the analytics movement, one that resulted in the front offices of today. He was thought too short — his listed height is… generous — to be the hitter his minor-league numbers suggested, and it didn’t help that his arm and range seemed limiting. Projection systems disagreed. The verdict? Laser Show. Pedroia made up for his lack of range with fantastic defensive positioning, resulting in four Gold Gloves. His all-out play meant his career ended too soon, but his .299/.365/.439 line and three World Series rings speak volumes.
(Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
3B: Wade Boggs
In Wade Boggs’ 11 years in Boston, no one in MLB matched him in batting average (.338), on-base percentage (.428) or doubles (422). Among players with at least 7,000 plate appearances in those 11 seasons — Boggs logged 7,323 — he had the fewest strikeouts (470), and is still top-10 even if you drop that threshold to 5,000 PA. He won five batting titles with the Sox, five Silver Sluggers and made eight All-Star teams. Boggs didn’t hit for power, but he didn’t have to: his 71 WAR ranked third-best among all MLB hitters from ‘82 through ‘92, anyway.
(Photo by David Madison/Getty Images)
SS: Nomar Garciaparra
If not for the injuries, Nomar Garciaparra would be a Hall of Famer. “Nomah” was the star in the Red Sox lineup from 1998 through 2003, years in which he won consecutive batting titles (.357 in 1999 and .372 in 2000) and jumped on that Cooperstown track. An Achilles strain in the spring of 2004 derailed that train, however: then the Red Sox traded him to the Cubs to shore up their defense, leading to their first World Series championship in 86 years. Garciaparra and the Red Sox would reunite in 2014, for induction into the team’s Hall of Fame.
(Photo by J Rogash/Getty Images)
OF: Ted Williams
An inner-circle great for not just the Red Sox, but baseball. Ted Williams hit 521 homers, first among Sox players. He’s fourth in walks in MLB, won a pair of MVPs, and somehow, at 41 years old, hit .316/.451/.645. Williams batted .406 in 1941, led the AL in all three slashline stats on five occasions and in two of them on five others, despite missing his age-24, 25 and 26 seasons to military service. There’s a reason MLB’s best crowded around Williams like excited children during the 1999 All-Star Game festivities at Fenway: he was a living legend.
OF: Carl Yastrzemski
In 1961, Carl Yastrzemski was given what should have been an impossible task: replace Ted Williams, who patrolled left field from 1939 through 1960. From 1963 through 1970, Yaz hit .301/.402/.513 — remember, offense was so dreadful in the 60s that MLB lowered the mound. When Yaz won the Triple Crown in ‘67 batting .326/.418/.622 with 44 homers and 121 RBIs, the AL managed .236/.303/.351. Yaz didn’t end Ruth’s curse, but that wasn’t on him: 1967 was the “Impossible Dream”, wherein Boston posted their first winning season since 1958 and first World Series since 1946.
OF: Mookie Betts
Producing a singular talent like Yaz or Williams is rare. Throw in Ruth, and Boston did just that on four occasions. Mookie Betts was beloved by their front office for his wrist speed, athleticism, and reaction time — Betts was a star high school basketball player and bowler, on top of baseball. He moved to the outfield in the minors, then won four Gold Gloves for Boston in right, as well as an MVP. Betts’ career is ongoing, and Boston’s All-Time team loaded, but he might very well be at least the second-best position player on this list when it’s over.
(Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
DH: David Ortiz
David Ortiz made analysts wonder about whether clutch hitting was a true and measurable skill. Ortiz eventually became Boston’s full-time DH in 2003, and mashed a career-high 31 homers that he’d then best again and again. Ortiz would spend 14 years with the Sox, hitting .290/.386/.570 with 483 dingers, second all-time for Boston behind Ted Williams. He was part of the 2004, 2007 and 2013 World Series teams, as their lone connective tissue. In his final season, Ortiz, 40, batted .315/.401/.620, with that slugging percentage, his OPS and his 48 doubles all leading MLB.
(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Honorable mentions:
- Roger Clemens (starting pitcher)
- Pedro Martinez (starting pitcher)
- Mo Vaughn (1B)
- Kevin Youkilis (1B)
- Bobby Doerr (2B)
- Tris Speaker (OF)
- Dwight Evans (OF)
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