Boston Sports Then and Now

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 →

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.

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Hugh Duffy was the first Boston Triple Crown Winner.

Believe it or not, it has been 43 years since a major league baseball player captured the Triple Crown. The jewels in this elusive crown are batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.

Only a blessed few are in this elite class. Sixteen men, yes only sixteen men in the history of major league baseball have achieved such an incredible individual feat.

The first ball player to wear the Triple Crown was Paul Hines of the Providence Grays in 1878. The center fielder had 4 home runs, 50 RBI, and a .358 average. These numbers are far from eye popping due to fewer games and lack of statistical upkeep.

The first player from a Boston based club could say he was the top offensive player in baseball. His name was Hugh Duffy who played center field for the Boston Beaneaters.  The Rhode Island native clouted 18 homers drove in 145 RBI and had an incredible .440 batting average.

The next Boston slugger to dominate the offensive stat sheet was you guessed it, The Splendid Splinter. Ted Williams has two Triple Crowns in his trophy case. Teddy Ballgame won his first in 1942 before going into the service. He batted .356 with 36 round trippers and 137 RBI.

Ironically, Ted Williams did not win the Triple Crown in 1941 when he eclipsed the .400 BA mark by hitting an astonishing .406. He is the last player to achieve such a milestone

Even a world war couldn’t even tarnish Williams’ offensive dominance. His second year back on the diamond, Williams hit .343 with 32 home runs and knocked in 114 runs. The Splendid Splinter terrorized opposing pitching to be the king of the batter’s box yet again.

The last player to win the Triple Crown ironically was the man who replaced Williams in left field.

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These are not your 2009 Boston Red Sox.

When fans tune in to Opening Day on April 4, 2010, what they will see is a team that has a vast difference from the team that was swept away by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Almost awkwardly, the captain that the city of Boston has held dear to their hearts over the years will be commanding the ship from the bench come Opening Day. Though Jason Varitek remains with the team, he will no longer be relied on nearly as heavily as he was prior to the arrival of perennial All Star, Victor Martinez.

Despite the drastic change, the Red Sox front office and the fans of Boston should not be surprised, as this “changing of the guard” of sorts practically took place almost instantly after Martinez’s trade to Boston. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein didn’t publicly announce that Martinez would be taking over the bulk of the Red Sox’s catching duties until earlier this winter, but it essentially already happened and was already assumed by players and fans alike.

When comparing the Opening Day ‘09 catching situation to what it will be in 2010, I think it’s fair to call this an upgrade.

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Will Mike Lowell play for the Red Sox in 2010?

The talks and emails about Jason Bay have dissolved over the last few weeks as he signed with the New York Mets. The Red Sox signed John Lackey, Marco Scutaro, and Mike Cameron.

So what is next for the Red Sox? What else does Theo Epstein need to do before his team meets for spring training? There are a couple of big questions that surround the team right now:

1. Will the Red Sox be able to produce as many runs as they have in the past?
2. Who will play then infield?

With the loss of Jason Bay and Manny Ramirez over the past couple of years, Boston has some big holes to fill if they choose to receive offensive production. David Ortiz and Victor Martinez are the two biggest hitters in the Boston lineup, and they need to be just that.

Last season, Ortiz had a horrible time at the plate, especially in the first half. Due to his wrist injury, he was unable to get enough practice time in. This offseason, Ortiz is doing more workouts, and he hopes he can return to his true form.

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There was alot to cheer about in Boston over the last 10 years.

The most memorable decade in Boston sports history is drawing to a close and oh what a decade it was!

Six Championships.

Six Victory Parades.

Historic Records.

Blockbuster trades.

The last ten years washed away the 86 year curse of the Red Sox, saw the Patriots win three Lombardi trophies and the Celtics raise banner #17.  Now we are just waiting for the Bruins to join the championship party.

Let’s relive and revel in the top 10 sports moments in Boston, “The City of Champions”.

#10: The Boston Bruins finally win a playoff series.

Yes it may not be a championship, but when you finally win a playoff series after 10 seasons, it’s a big deal.

The Bruins swept the hated Montreal Canadiens in the 2008-2009 NHL playoffs. This was the team’s first playoff series victory since they defeated Carolina in 1999.

Boston would go on to lose to the former “Whale” four games to three in the second round of the playoffs.

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