| The Red Sox Page! |
1972 O-Pee-Chee #37 Carl Yastrzemski
1952 Bowman #189 Jim "Jimmy" Piersall
| Congratulations to the 2007 WORLD SERIES Champs! On this page we feature some great Red Sox players who never got to win the big one (a World Series). They went through some heartache along with their fans. Regardless they provided some great Red Sox moments: Ted Williams batting .406; his home run in his final at-bat at Fenway (Ted's entire career is a highlight!), Dom DiMaggio, Jimmy Piersall, "The Impossible Dream" team of 1967, Carl Yastrzemski's Triple Crown, Tony C, Luis Tiant, Carlton Fisk's World Series heroics, Freddy Lynn's amazing Rookie of the Year and AL MVP Award in 1975, Dwight Evans in right field, Jim Rice's 1978 season, the list goes on. Finally the curse was put to rest in 2004. But to me these are the Red Sox players who we suffered with. Enjoy! |
| Well I guess if you are going to start a Red Sox page you ought to start with none other than the great Ted Williams. There is really not enough space to go into detail about what a great hitter and true American hero Ted Williams was. From ace hitter to ace fighter pilot, back to ace hitter, back to ace fighter pilot, and then after retirement, ace fisherman. Williams came to the Red Sox in 1939 and never looked back. He hit .327 in his rookie season, with 44 doubles, 11 triples and 31 HRs and 145 RBIs (led league). And from there he only got BETTER! In only his third big league season (1941) Ted hit .406 (last player to hit .400) with a .735 slugging percentage, 37 HRs, 135 Runs, and 120 RBIs. Yet do you think he was voted MVP? Nope. That honor went to Joe DiMaggio who hit in 56 straight games that same year. Williams enlisted in the Marines as a fighter pilot during World War II and missed 3 prime years in service to his country. When he returned in 1946, Williams continued where he left off. He batted .342 with 38 HRs, and 123 RBIs! Williams went on to serve in Korea, missing parts of two more seasons but when he returned he was still thumping the ball. Even late in his career, at the age of 39, he batted nearly . 400 (.388) with 38 HRs and 87 RBIs in only 132 games (1957). He even hit a home run in his very last at bat at Fenway in 1960! Considering he missed nearly 5 seasons to the military, Williams career numbers are staggering: .344 Avg. 2654 Hits. 525 2B. 521 HR. 1798 Runs. 1839 RBIs. 2019 Walks. 6 Time Batting Champ. 2 time Triple Crown winner (led in average, HR's, RBI's in same season), 2 Time Most Valuable Player recipient. Annual All- Star selection. Hall Of Fame:1966. Ted only got to appear in one World Series, against the Cardinals in 1946. His biggest disappointment was not winning a World Series and he was so disgusted with his performance that he gave his entire World Series check to the clubhouse attendant. |
| 1954 Bowman #66 Ted Williams |
| Another player who should have had his jersey number retired is #14, JIM RICE. Jim Rice came up through the Red Sox farm system in 1975 and along with FRED LYNN formed the "Gold Dust Twins," a dynamic duo who finished one-two in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Rice had a sensational rookie year, hitting .309 with 22 HRs and 102 Runs Batted In. A broken wrist sidelined Rice for the World Series that year, a very costly injury. However Jim Rice was not finished. He became one of the most feared hitters in the American League and won the AL MVP Award in 1978. Rice played his entire career (only 16 seasons) with Boston and finished with a .298 average, 2452 Hits, 382 Home Runs, and 1451 RBIs. This is another player who should be in the Hall of Fame. The card to the right is RIce's second year card from the 1976 Topps set. |
| 1976 Topps #340 Jim Rice |
| CARLTON FISK needs no introduction. A Hall of Fame catcher, he should have played his entire career with Boston. Instead Boston essentially let him go for NOTHING and Fisk went to the Chicago White Sox as a free agent in 1980. When Fisk and Fred Lynn were both let go after the 1980 season (Lynn was traded to the California Angels), I knew it was the end of that great Red Sox team. Carlton Fisk was the all-time leader in Home Runs by a catcher until Mike Piazza passed him recently. The Red Sox did do right by retiring Fisk's #27. Now they just need to retire Dewey's #24 and Rice's #14. I don't think I need to mention Fisk's heroic Home Run that won Game 6 of the 1975 World Series (vs. Cincinnati Reds). This 1972 Topps #79 Red Sox Rookie Stars is Fisk's first appearance on a bubble gum card. At one time this card was selling for about $100, but now you can pick up a graded NM example for less than $50. Great deal. |
| 1972 Topps #70 Red Sox Rookie Stars (Mike Garman, Cecil Cooper, Carlton Fisk) |
| TONY C. Tony Congliaro had it all. He was a kid from Massachusetts who slugged his way into the hometown team, the Boston Red Sox. Conigliaro led the American League in Home Runs in 1965, just his second big-league season. Tony C. was having a monster season in 1967. He became the youngest player (20 years old) to hit 100 career Home Runs and was on pace to have his best year yet when he was hit on the left side of his face by a Jack Hamilton fastball. Not only did he miss the rest of the season (including the 1967 World Series in which he no doubt was missed as the Red Sox lost to the Cards in 7 games), but he missed the entire 1968 season as well. When he came back, he came back strong and managed to have 2 more great years despite recurring eye problems due to the beaning. Conigliaro attempted to come back with the Red Sox in 1975, clubbing a home run on Opening Day. But the damage was done and so was Conigliaro's baseball career. It only got worse. He had a heart attack in 1982 and died of kidney failure in 1990 at the age of 45. A really heartbreaking story. Gone but not forgotten...RIP Tony C. Click here for Tony Conigliaro's Obituary courtesy of TheDeadballEra.com. NEW! For more on Tony C, check out our new Tony C Page! |
1969 Topps #330 Tony Conigliaro
| 1977 Topps #210 Fred Lynn 1977 Topps Venezuelan Sticker Fred Lynn |
FRED LYNN was the reason I became a Red Sox fan. I grew up in Los Angeles and I still am a Dodger fan, but Fred Lynn and his style of play led me to the Red Sox.
What a great young team they had in the mid-seventies. The Red Sox had a superb outfield of Yaz in left, Lynn in center, and Dwight Evans in right. Anchoring the infield
was veteran Rico Petrocelli, newcomer Rick Burleson, second base Denny Doyle, first base Cecil Cooper (Yaz played first also) and Fisk behind the plate. Add Jim Rice,
who played both the outfield and DH and you had quite an impressive line-up. Pitchers included zany left-hander Bill "the Spaceman" Lee who won 17 games twice for
Boston, and veteran Luis Tiant who was a delight to watch. It was no wonder the Red Sox got to the World Series in 1975. Unfortunately that was the only World Series
this team would be in. They came within 1 game of going to the ALCS in 1978 and usually came up short to the New York Yankees in the AL Eastern Division. Keep in
mind that back then there was no "Wild Card" and only two divisions in each league. Ah, what could have been. But that 2004 come-from-behind win against the
Yankees in the ALCS more than made up for it. The World Series win over St. Louis was anti-climatic for me, but it was great to see them finally win a World Series (also
Chicago this past year).
This 1977 Topps Fred Lynn card (above, right) is one of my favorite Fred Lynn cards. The card on the right is actually a very scarce 1977 Venezuelan Topps Sticker
#144 Fred Lynn. They are very fragile and survivors tend to be in bad shape. Notice the crude printing between the two cards. Topps printed cards for the Venezuelan
market in the years 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968. They also produced stickers in both 1972 & 1977. All Topps Venezuelan issues are extremely scarce
and usually found in lower grades due to the common practice of pasting the cards/stickers in albums.
What a great young team they had in the mid-seventies. The Red Sox had a superb outfield of Yaz in left, Lynn in center, and Dwight Evans in right. Anchoring the infield
was veteran Rico Petrocelli, newcomer Rick Burleson, second base Denny Doyle, first base Cecil Cooper (Yaz played first also) and Fisk behind the plate. Add Jim Rice,
who played both the outfield and DH and you had quite an impressive line-up. Pitchers included zany left-hander Bill "the Spaceman" Lee who won 17 games twice for
Boston, and veteran Luis Tiant who was a delight to watch. It was no wonder the Red Sox got to the World Series in 1975. Unfortunately that was the only World Series
this team would be in. They came within 1 game of going to the ALCS in 1978 and usually came up short to the New York Yankees in the AL Eastern Division. Keep in
mind that back then there was no "Wild Card" and only two divisions in each league. Ah, what could have been. But that 2004 come-from-behind win against the
Yankees in the ALCS more than made up for it. The World Series win over St. Louis was anti-climatic for me, but it was great to see them finally win a World Series (also
Chicago this past year).
This 1977 Topps Fred Lynn card (above, right) is one of my favorite Fred Lynn cards. The card on the right is actually a very scarce 1977 Venezuelan Topps Sticker
#144 Fred Lynn. They are very fragile and survivors tend to be in bad shape. Notice the crude printing between the two cards. Topps printed cards for the Venezuelan
market in the years 1959, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968. They also produced stickers in both 1972 & 1977. All Topps Venezuelan issues are extremely scarce
and usually found in lower grades due to the common practice of pasting the cards/stickers in albums.
| YAZ. You sure can't blame Yaz for the Sox never winning a World Series. Check out these stats for his two World Series (1967, 1975) and one American League Playoffs (1975): 17 Games, 65 AB, 15 Runs, 24 Hits, 3 2B, 4 HRs, 11 RBIs, 9 BB, .369 Avg. In 1967 Carl Yastrzemski had his best season, winning baseball's Triple Crown (.326 Avg., 44 HRs, 121 RBIs) and almost single-handedly propelling the Sox to the World Series. With a three team race for the pennant the Red Sox needed to win their last 2 games of the season. What did Yaz do? He went 7 for 8! That is batting .875 folks.The Bosox won both games and with a little help from Detroit, won the pennant. Jerry West, the Hall of Fame Guard for the Los Angeles Lakers had the nickname "Mr. Clutch." Carl Yastrzemski was every bit "Mr. Clutch" as well. For more on Yaz, check out our new YAZ page! This is a tough Yaz card to acquire, issued on the bottom of Bazooka Bubble Gum boxes. Bazooka would issue 3 baseball cards on the bottom panel of their gum boxes and they were intended to be cut out by kids. Being on the bottom panel, they were susceptible to wear or damage, PLUS they were intended to be cut out with scissors, by excited kids no less. So like the Post cereal, Jell-O issues, these Bazooka cards are difficult to find in nice shape. Expect to pay a premium for well cut examples (this graded MINT example by SGC had an asking price of $400 on eBay). Bazooka bubble gum is still manufactured by the Topps Company to this day. |
1964 Bazooka #16 Carl Yastrzemski
DWIGHT EVANS, or "Dewey" was a mainstay in right field for the Red Sox from 1973 to 1990. Evans was always a fantastic fielder and he had a cannon for an arm. It
took him awhile to get his hitting stroke going but once he did he kept getting better and better. Dwight Evans was like a fine wine- keeps getting better with age. He
finished his career with a respectable .272 batting average, with 2446 hits, 385 home runs, and 1384 runs batted in. He also won 8 Gold Gloves for his defensive
abilities. Dewey got to play in two World Series for Boston (1975, 1986) and hit .300 with 3 HRs and 14 RBIs. Unfortunately the Red Sox came up short in 1975 against
The Big Red Machine, and we all know what happened in 1986. Dwight Evans is one of my all-time favorites and a real class act. Thanks for memories Dewey!
took him awhile to get his hitting stroke going but once he did he kept getting better and better. Dwight Evans was like a fine wine- keeps getting better with age. He
finished his career with a respectable .272 batting average, with 2446 hits, 385 home runs, and 1384 runs batted in. He also won 8 Gold Gloves for his defensive
abilities. Dewey got to play in two World Series for Boston (1975, 1986) and hit .300 with 3 HRs and 14 RBIs. Unfortunately the Red Sox came up short in 1975 against
The Big Red Machine, and we all know what happened in 1986. Dwight Evans is one of my all-time favorites and a real class act. Thanks for memories Dewey!
| 1973 Topps #614 Rookie Outfielders (Dwight Evans RC) |
1965 Topps #145 Luis Tiant RC
Luis Clemente Tiant y Vega started his career with the Cleveland Indians and he had a sensational
(yet forgotten) 1968 season when he went 21-9 with 19 Complete Games, 264 Strikeouts, and an A.L.
leading 1.60 ERA. It is largely forgotten to this day because that year Denny McLain of the Detroit
Tigers went 31-6 en route to his Cy Young/MVP season. However, Tiant was not to be forgotten and
he is fondly remembered as a wonderful pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Starting in 1972, Tiant won
15, 20, 22, 18, 21 games in consecutive seasons. Of course 1975 was a magical season for the
Bosox, and Tiant delivered in the postseason as well. He pitched a complete game shutout against
the Oakland A's, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 8. In the World Series against "The Big Red
Machine," he won 2 complete game victories.Tiant finished his career with the California Angels in
1982. He won 229 games, including 187 complete games, and posted a lifetime 3.30 ERA. Pitchers
today would get 10 million a year just for having an ERA in the 3's for one season! Tiant did this
throughout his career! One of the great Cuban players in baseball (& Red Sox) history!
(yet forgotten) 1968 season when he went 21-9 with 19 Complete Games, 264 Strikeouts, and an A.L.
leading 1.60 ERA. It is largely forgotten to this day because that year Denny McLain of the Detroit
Tigers went 31-6 en route to his Cy Young/MVP season. However, Tiant was not to be forgotten and
he is fondly remembered as a wonderful pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. Starting in 1972, Tiant won
15, 20, 22, 18, 21 games in consecutive seasons. Of course 1975 was a magical season for the
Bosox, and Tiant delivered in the postseason as well. He pitched a complete game shutout against
the Oakland A's, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 8. In the World Series against "The Big Red
Machine," he won 2 complete game victories.Tiant finished his career with the California Angels in
1982. He won 229 games, including 187 complete games, and posted a lifetime 3.30 ERA. Pitchers
today would get 10 million a year just for having an ERA in the 3's for one season! Tiant did this
throughout his career! One of the great Cuban players in baseball (& Red Sox) history!
Nowbatting19 Sportscards Presents: "The Curse is OVER!" Bill Buckner Tribute
1987 Topps Tiffany #764 Bill Buckner
Thank goodness the "Curse of the Bambino" has finally been lifted. No more torture for the Red Sox faithful.
However, one guy who I think is owed an apology is Bill Buckner (of 1986 World Series Game #6 infamy).
Bucker was the scapegoat of that Series and yes, the Red Sox were twice 1 strike away from winning the
World Series. But it was not Bill Buckner who was pretending to pitch in that horrific inning. Pitching imposter
Calvin Schiraldi is the REAL goat of Game 6. Bob Stanley didn't help with that wild pitch afterwards, but
Schiraldi had no business being out there. He posted 2 losses in that series with a wonderful 13.50 ERA.
Schiraldi accomplished all of this in only 4 innings! So while Buckner did make the error that allowed the
winning run to score, he by no means should have taken the heat he did. It's very similar to Steve Bartman
(of Chicago Cubs infamy), who was simply trying to catch a pop foul. It wasn't Bartman's fault the Cubs lost
that game and eventually the series. It was the Cubs. And same with Buckner. He did not lose that '86 World
Series. The BOSTON RED SOX team did. They still had Game 7 to play and they couldn't get it done.
So I would like to publicly apologize to Bill Buckner and say, "Mr. Bucker, this Red Sox fan is sorry
for the unimaginable #$%@ you had to go through. Billy Buckner was a great hitter during his
career, compiling a lifetime .289 batting average (including a NL Batting Crown in 1979; .324), 2707 hits,
1073 runs, and 1205 RBI's. He should be remembered for much more than the error in 1986. While I'm at it,
Steve Bartman, wherever you are, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!
However, one guy who I think is owed an apology is Bill Buckner (of 1986 World Series Game #6 infamy).
Bucker was the scapegoat of that Series and yes, the Red Sox were twice 1 strike away from winning the
World Series. But it was not Bill Buckner who was pretending to pitch in that horrific inning. Pitching imposter
Calvin Schiraldi is the REAL goat of Game 6. Bob Stanley didn't help with that wild pitch afterwards, but
Schiraldi had no business being out there. He posted 2 losses in that series with a wonderful 13.50 ERA.
Schiraldi accomplished all of this in only 4 innings! So while Buckner did make the error that allowed the
winning run to score, he by no means should have taken the heat he did. It's very similar to Steve Bartman
(of Chicago Cubs infamy), who was simply trying to catch a pop foul. It wasn't Bartman's fault the Cubs lost
that game and eventually the series. It was the Cubs. And same with Buckner. He did not lose that '86 World
Series. The BOSTON RED SOX team did. They still had Game 7 to play and they couldn't get it done.
So I would like to publicly apologize to Bill Buckner and say, "Mr. Bucker, this Red Sox fan is sorry
for the unimaginable #$%@ you had to go through. Billy Buckner was a great hitter during his
career, compiling a lifetime .289 batting average (including a NL Batting Crown in 1979; .324), 2707 hits,
1073 runs, and 1205 RBI's. He should be remembered for much more than the error in 1986. While I'm at it,
Steve Bartman, wherever you are, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT!!!
1960 Fleer All-Time Greats #72 Ted Williams
1969 Topps Super #5 Carl Yastrzemski
"Teddy Ballgame"
"Tony C."
"YAZ"
