Boston Sports Then and Now

Jacoby Ellsbury

Jacoby Ellsbury was signed by the Red Sox in 2005 as the 23rd overall pick. He began playing for the Lowell Spinners. From the start, he showed that his patience and great speed were an asset when he led off the game by walking on a 3-2 pitch, stealing second, continuing to third on a throwing error and then scoring on a wild pitch.

Ellsbury made his Major League debut on June 30th, 2007 when he was called upon to replace the injured Coco Crisp. Ellsbury was then sent back down, despite his recent success.

As the playoffs approached, Ellsbury was brought back up to the Sox, and fit in perfectly. In eleven total postseason games, he hit .360 in 25 at-bats with two stolen bases.

He began his career with 25 consecutive stolen bases, but that streak was ended in a game against Milwaukee when the Brewers used a pitch out to throw him out.

Ellsbury has a lot more than just speed and hitting. He knows how to play the outfield as well.

On April 12, Ellsbury played his 179th straight regular-season game without an error, breaking Mike Greenwell’s Red Sox franchise record for outfielders. On April 15, Ellsbury with six errorless chances passed Coco Crisp for most errorless chances by a center fielder, setting a new Red Sox franchise record of 433.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tim Wakefield

When someone says the name Tim Wakefield, one of the most automatic thoughts is the knuckleball. The 43-year-old pitcher has been on the mound for the Red Sox since 1995 and could be there for a while longer.

After graduating from Florida Tech, Wakefield was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 8th round of the free agent draft in 1988. A scout told Wakefield that he would never make it past double A with his position skills.

At this point, Wakefield focused on improving his knuckleball that has made him so well known today. He had immediate success and it did not take long to make the majors.

In his Major League debut, Wakefield pitched a complete game against the Cardinals. He struck out ten batters and threw 146 pitches in doing so.

As the season continued, Wakefield started 13 games, going 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA. His success as a rookie earned him the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

The next season, Wakefield began to struggle and was eventually released by the pirates. Six days later, the Red Sox picked him up. He began Read the rest of this entry →

"RJ" spent five years managing the PawSox.

For years, Ron Johnson opened his spring trainings as an assistant coach under Terry Francona.

Then would come April, and Johnson would find himself in Pawtucket and relative obscurity as Francona’s version of the Red Sox set out on a Major League campaign.

Johnson will stick around this year when the Boston squad breaks north.  In November, the Red Sox named the long-time PawSox skipper first base coach for the 2010 season.  The promotion is a feel-good story about a man who has spent seasons upon seasons informing his players of their big league promotion.

Little has changed in the early going for Johnson.  In a press conference last week, Francona explained that thus far, Johnson’s role is the same as it had been during his tenure in Pawtucket.

Still, he acknowledged that when the season starts the story will be a good one.  When a reporter commented that Johnson won’t have to suffer the long bus rides demanded by a Minor League season, Francona smiled, chuckled, and said, “Yeah, and he deserves it.  Good for him.”

Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury have both been managed by Johnson.

Johnson has spent ten seasons coaching in the Red Sox minor league system, including the last five managing in Pawtucket.  This will be his first big league gig.  In February, Johnson told NESN.com, “I’m really excited.  I’m more excited about this spring training than I have been in a lot of years. I’m very proud to have my first big-league job be with the Boston Red Sox. I want to be as good, or better, than I ever have been in the past.”

-Adam Vaccaro can be followed on Twitter.

Jeremy Hermida's star fell in Florida. He'll have a chance to make good on his promise in Boston this season.

In 2009, Red Sox fans cheered on a fourth outfielder in Rocco Baldelli whose playing time was limited to 62 games and 164 plate appearances.

This season, they can expect to see a whole lot more of Jeremy Hermida, who will be filling the role.

The fifth year outfielder, acquired by the Sox on November 5 for two minor league pitchers, has received little talk as the decade’s first season approaches. Hermida, though, should accrue significant playing time in a reserve role for Boston. He is expected to serve as the immediate backup for rightfielder JD Drew and leftfielder Jacoby Ellsbury. He will technically also receive backup centerfield plate appearances by playing leftfield, bumping Ellsbury to his former position and Mike Cameron to the bench.

Of course, it goes without saying that a fourth outfielder will accumulate playing time backing up the outfield spots. However, Hermida may be able to top 300 at-bats given the circumstances in the Red Sox outfield. Drew famously misses his share of games, and Cameron is entering his age 37 season; he’ll need plenty of rest. Further, Cameron has struggled against right-handed pitching, hitting .244 last season with a .318 on-base percentage and slugging .430 (compare this to his .271/.420/.534 line against southpaws and you see how staggering the split is). Hermida, meanwhile, hits quite well against righties. It would be beneficial both to Cameron’s keeping fresh and, perhaps, the team’s performance if Hermida saw some extra playing time against right-handers.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Lowell Spinners Enter Year Five of The YEP

Massachusetts towns from Spencer to Swampscott and from Boston to Brookfield have become participants in the Lowell Spinners’ quest to eliminate heartbreak and taunting from youth baseball programs playing in the shadows of Fenway Park.

Even a squad or two from Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and yes, Rochester, NY have been spared the wide spread humiliation that accompanies being subjected to Yankee Pin Stripes while living in the heart of Red Sox Nation.

In the spirit of the many unique and ingenious promotions that are such a part of minor league baseball and as a testament to the greatest rivalry in the sport, The Lowell Spinners, Class A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, are happy to announce that the Yankees Elimination Promotion (Y.E.P) is celebrating its fifth year of eliminating New York Yankees teams from youth baseball programs throughout New England.

Originally developed as a response to the heartbreak and ridicule which children of New England assigned to Yankees youth baseball and softball teams face, the Y.E.P. has eliminated over 150 Yankees teams since 2006, replacing them with Spinners teams. Read the rest of this entry →

Dwight "Dewey" Evans

We honor Dwight Evans as the Boston Sports Then and Now Athlete of the Month. With the opening of the baseball season around the corner, the choice of “Dewey” Evans is fitting. He was a player who gave his all, all the time to the Boston Red Sox where he played from 1972 to 1990. He is one of the best players not in the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Dwight Michael Evans made an immediate impact in his professional baseball career by winning the International League’s MVP in 1972. With AAA Louisville, Evans had 17 hrs, 95 RBI and hit .300.

Dewey was called up to the tail end of the ’72 season. On September 16^th, he pinch ran and was 0-1 at the plate. He played 18 games and decent numbers during his call up. In 57 plate appearances, Evans had 1 hr, 6 RBI and batted .263.

Dwight Evans called right field in Fenway Park his home. He was a defensive standout and offensively could hold his own.

Read the rest of this entry →