The Big Story – Sox Done for 2023: It was a busy week, where the end of the Patriots dynasty and Mac Jones hit a new low in an embarrassing 38-3 loss to Dallas and the Celtics did another blockbuster trade that probably made them worse while getting a really good player in Jrue Holiday. But the biggest story is the end of another dismal Red Sox season and where they go from here, which is our focus today.
Sports 101: Who holds the record for most relief appearances in one season with 106?
News Item – 2023 Red Sox Notables:
Triston Casas: He was the high point of 2023. Here’s how the power hitting rookie stands up to the great Carl Yastrzemski’s first season. Yaz stats followed by TC. Age: 21–23. G: 148–132. Avg: .266–.263. R: 70–66. 2B: 31–21. 3B: 6–2. HR: 11–24. RBI: 80–65.
Alex Verdugo: After ridiculously saying he was “snubbed” for the All-Star game, he hit a robust .225 since to show everyone how wrong they were.
Astonishingly just one pitcher, Brayan Bello, matched the 157 innings Dick Radatz pitched as closer in his dominant 1964 season — 157 IP, with 181 K’s, 16-9, 29 saves and 2.29.
All-Name MVP: Goes to Sox minor league pitcher of the year Wikelman Gonzalez, who went 9-4 with a 3.96 ERA in A-ball.
Alex Cora: Amazingly, with him returning, he joins the retiring Tito Francona as the only Sox managers in the last 60 years to last for five years according to Boston Globe baseball writer Alex Speier.
News Item – 2023 Baseball Notables:
Ronald Acuna: His sensational season included batting .337, leading the majors in runs scored with 149 and becoming the fifth player to have 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.
Freddie Freeman: The Dodgers slugger came up one double short of being the first with 60 since 1936, when famers Ducky Medwick (64) and Charlie Gehringer (60) did it.
Zach Greinke: If this is it for the 2009 Cy Young winner he didn’t go out in style. By going 2-15 with a 5.06 ERA for the Royals, he whittled down his career winning percentage in 2023 from 61.3 to 58.9. He’ll also retire 23 strikeouts short of 3,000.
Adam Wainwright: Despite his epic struggle to get his 200th career win, he got it in the final week.
Numbers:
1 – 20-game winner in 2023, Atlanta’s Spencer Strider at 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA.
9 – shockingly low number of .300 hitters across the majors.
93 – homers by Kyle Schwarber since Chaim Bloom let him walk after 2021. With 47 (and 104 RBI) this year to become the first to hit under .200 (.197) while clubbing 40 bombs.
… Of the Season Awards
Branch Rickey Award – Alex Anthopoulos: Not only did he build the power-laden Braves, who hit a record-tying 307 homers, he did the opposite of Rickey’s famous line that he’d rather trade a guy a year too early than a year too late by replacing a reigning MVP in Freeman a year ago with an even better first baseman in Matt Olson (from Oakland), who led the majors in homers and RBI with 54 and 139.
Maxwell Smart ‘Missed It By That Much’ Award – David J. Long: No, not the Dolphins linebacker, but your not so humble scribe, who said in this space on April 6 the Sox would finish last in the AL East at 77-85. Which is exactly how they’d have finished if Tanner Houck hadn’t stabbed me in the back by finally pitching decently in Game 162. Instead it’s 78-84.
News Item – Looking Ahead: Most interesting rumor mill name for Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations is Sam Fuld, both because he’s from Durham (N.H.) and because it would be the latest example of John Henry’s indecisive leadership. Nothing against Fuld, but he’s the top lieutenant of Dave Dombrowski in Philadelphia, whom Henry foolishly fired to Tampa Bay-ize things by hiring Bloom in 2019. Now with him gone, will the fickle owner zig-zag back to the free-spending, trade-the-prospects style of the Dombrowski era? One can hope.
Free Agent – Shohei Ohtani: After getting zero from the $150 million Chris Sale got before they knew if his arm was OK, how can the Sox hand Ohtani $500 million until they know if his is OK?
Sports 101 Answer: To Mike Marshall in 1974, Radatz of ’64 was a sissy. He pitched an astonishing 208.1 innings in 106 relief appearances while going 15-12 with 143 K’s, 21 saves and a 2.42 ERA.
Final Thought – Tim Wakefield: Raise a glass to the honorable Red Sox lifer who lost his battle with brain cancer on Sunday. He meets his maker after winning a third most in franchise history 186 games. RIP.
Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.
