The 1978 Boston Red Sox & Beyond

[doncoryell]

This is a restart of the thread that I had started a while ago and decided to try it again.

Please let me know how it looks and any feedback from the readers is greatly appreciated, thanks.

[doncoryell]

Meet the 1978 Red Sox

In 1977, the Red Sox were in a tight race to the end with the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. Boston ended 1977 with a 97-64 record, 2.5 games behind the rival Yankees and tied for second place in the ALE with the Orioles. Maybe with just a few more tweeks, the Bosox could take the division from the favored Yankees. Several new players came on board to hopefully give the Sox a hand.

Let's take a look at the lineup.

1. Jerry Remy, 2b - One of the key offseason additions to the team. Acquired in a trade with the California Angels for pitcher Don Aase. Remy batted .252-4-44 with 41 stolen bases in 1977.

2. Rick Burleson, ss - "Rooster" had a good season in 1977 as he went .293-3-52 and 13 stolen bases. He also has a pretty good glove which helps the interior of the defense.

3. Jim Rice, dh - Rice is a yearly MVP candidate and 1977 was no exception. (.320-39-114). One of the "Gold Dust Twins" in 1975 along with Fred Lynn.

4. Carl Yastrzemski, lf - "Captain Carl". The man they call "Yaz" had a strong 1977 season with .296-28-102 numbers, not bad for a guy turning 38 this season. He was also 11/12 in stolen base attempts.

5. Carlton Fisk, c - "Pudge" has been a mainstay behind the plate since 1972, his rookie season. He continued to shine on both sides of the dish with .315-26-102 batting while showing a strong defense and arm.

6. Fred Lynn, cf - The other half of the "Gold Dust Twins" who was both the Rookie of the Year and the MVP award winner in 1975. When healthy, he is truly one of the hitting leaders of the team and shows good defense in center field. Fought through injuries during 1977 and only compiled .260-18-76 numbers in 129 games.

7. George Scott, 1b - "Boomer" returned to Boston after being traded to the Brewers in 1972 and completed a .269-33-95 season in 1977. He has saved plenty of errors with his defense around the bag.

8. Dwight Evans, rf - "Dewey" suffered a knee injury in 1977 and only played 63 games in the outfield while putting up .287-14-36 numbers. Was second on the team with a .526 slugging percentage. One of the best defensive right fielders in the game.

9. Butch Hobson, 3b - His .265-30-112 numbers are really good for a 9th place hitter in his second full season in the majors. A former quarterback at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant.

Bench

Bob Montgomery, c - "Monty" is servicable behind the plate as the backup to Fisk, which wasn't too often. His .300-2-7 numbers in 1977 are a bit deceiving since he only had 40 at bats.

Jack Brohamer - Signed as a free agent during winter. Batted .257-2-20 while with the White Sox in 1977. Solid glove who will back up the middle infield.

Bob Bailey - Came over from Cincinnati during 1977 and will be the backup at the corner infield spots as well as possibly in left field.

Bernie Carbo - One of the heroes for the Red Sox in game 6 of the 1975 World Series against one of his former teams, the Cincinnati Reds. Will probably be the main backup in the outfield who had a fine .289-15-34 season with 228 at bats in 1977 coming off the bench.

Garry Hancock - Young outfielder rounds out the bench and will spend most of his time there or shuffling to triple-A. Acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians for backup outfielder/first baseman Jack Baker.

Pitching

Starting Rotation

Mike Torrez - Signed as a free agent over the winter. Was a combined 17-13 with a 3.88 ERA while pitching for the A's and the Yankees in 1977. Unfortunately, he will have frequent bouts with his control.

Dennis Eckersley - "Eck" had a 14-13 record with a 3.53 ERA while pitching for the Cleveland Indians in 1977. Teriffic command. Had a 3.54 K/BB ratio in 1977, striking out 191 in 247 innings while walking only 54. Acquired in a trade late in spring training with catcher Fred Kendall for Rick Wise, Mike Paxton, Ted Cox and Bo Diaz.

Bill Lee - "Spaceman" had a 9-5 record with 1 save in 1977. Unpredictable character who will keep things interesting in the club house.

Allen Ripley - Rookie who will begin the season as a co-fourth starter in 1978.

Luis Tiant - "El Tiante" will be the other co-fourth starter in 1978. Had three 20-win seasons since being rescued from scrap heap by Boston in 1972. Had a 12-8 record with a 4.52 ERA in 1977. Could get 200th win in major league career this season in 1978 (entering with 191 wins).

Bullpen

Reggie Cleveland - Canadian who had an 11-8 record with a 4.26 ERA while pitching for Boston in 1977. 29-year old veteran who will probably see some spot starts or be trade bait.

Tom Burgmeier - Signed as a free agent at the beginning of spring training. Was 6-4 with 7 saves while pitching for Minnesota Twins in 1977 but had a 5.09 ERA.

Bill Campbell - Had a 13-9 record with 31 saves in 1977. "Soup" will start as setup man in 1978.

Jim Wright - Rookie pitcher who has not pitched in major leagues. Will start season as mop up man and long reliever.

Bill Stanley - "Steamer" was 8-7 with 3 saves as a reliever/spot starter in 1977.

Dick Drago - Signed as a free agent over the winter to handle closing position. Drago was 6-4 with 5 saves while pitching for Angels and Orioles.

1978 Outlook
Revamped pitching staff plus other new faces could make things interesting if things gel. Should contend for division and league title based on solid lineup expectations. Will need to outslug opposition at times.

[doncoryell]

If the readers wanted, I could start with another year for the Red Sox involving a tight pennant race, like possibly 1967, which involved 4 teams going into the final week and 3 teams at the wire on the last day of the regular season. Any preferences as to which year to begin?

[doncoryell]

January Happenings


Trades
1/02 - Officials for the San Francisco Giants confirmed that they have traded 1b Mike Ivie to the Texas Rangers. In return, the Giants will receive c John Ellis.
1/09 - The Baltimore Orioles sent rf Pat Kelly to the Montreal Expos for 2b Dave Cash. Officials from both teams seem to be pleased with the deal.
1/12 - The Texas Rangers have finalized a deal with the California Angels for the services of cf Rick Miller. In exchange, the Angels will receive ss Bert Campaneris.
1/12 - A trade between the Detroit Tigers and the Milwaukee Brewers was made official. The Detroit Tigers have sent c Milt May to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for 3b Sal Bando.
1/14 - The New York Yankees have parted ways with 2b George Zeber, sending him to the Kansas City Royals for ss Freddie Patek.
1/14 - Officials for the Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed that they have traded ss Bill Russell to the Oakland Athletics. In return, the Dodgers will receive c Jim Essian.
1/14 - The San Diego Padres sent cf George Hendrick to the Cincinnati Reds for 1b Dan Driessen.
1/21 - The Toronto Blue Jays have finalized a deal with the Seattle Mariners for the services of 3b Bill Stein. In exchange, the Mariners will receive 1b Rico Carty.
1/21 - The Cincinnati Reds have sent 3b Ray Knight to the San Diego Padres in exchange for p Dan Spillner and cf Mike Champion.
1/21 - The California Angels have parted ways with ss Dave Chalk, sending him to the New York Mets for p Mike Bruhert.
1/21 - Officials for the Cincinnati Reds confirmed that they have traded 2b Junior Kennedy and cf Mike Champion to the Toronto Blue Jays. In return, the Reds will receive p Don Kirkwood.
1/24 - The Milwaukee Brewers sent rf Ben Oglivie to the Detroit Tigers for p Jim Crawford.
1/25 - The Philadelphia Phillies have finalized a deal with the Chicago Cubs for the services of p Dave Roberts. In exchange, the Cubs will receive c Tim McCarver.
1/25 - The Montreal Expos have sent cf Del Unser to the New York Mets in exchange for p Bob Myrick.


The Boston Red Sox were sent trade offers for rf Dwight Evans and 1b/lf/dh Carl Yastrzemski by Toronto, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, NY Yankees, Baltimore and St.Louis. All offers were rejected.

[doncoryell]

February, 1978


Trades
2/04 - The Philadelphia Phillies have parted ways with cf Garry Maddox, sending him to the Chicago Cubs for p Ray Burris.
2/08 - Officials for the New York Yankees confirmed that they have traded 1b Chris Chambliss to the Montreal Expos. In return, the Yankees will receive p Rudy May.
2/08 - The Texas Rangers sent cf Juan Beniquez to the San Francisco Giants for p Jim Barr.
2/08 - The New York Yankees have finalized a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the services of p Jim Bibby. In exchange, the Pirates will receive c Thurman Munson.
2/10 - The Kansas City Royals have sent lf Hal McRae to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for p Geoff Zahn.
2/26 - The Pittsburgh Pirates have parted ways with c Ed Ott, sending him to the San Francisco Giants for 2b Rob Andrews.
2/26 - Officials for the Detroit Tigers confirmed that they have traded rf Rusty Staub to the Minnesota Twins. In return, the Tigers will receive p John Sutton.

Injuries
2/13 - The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without the services of Bruce Kison for awhile. He suffered a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament (elbow) recently while playing catch with his son. The Pittsburgh reliever will be on the shelf for at least 7-8 months.


The offers continued to come in for either Carl Yastrzemski or Dwight Evans from Philadelphia, Montreal, California as well as others. They were all rejected.

[doncoryell]

Spring Training, 1978

Trades
3/09 - The Minnesota Twins sent rf Glenn Adams to the St.Louis Cardinals for 1b Roger Freed.
3/16 - The Pittsburgh Pirates have finalized a deal with the New York Mets for the services of 2b Joel Youngblood. In exchange, the Mets will receive ss Frank Taveras.

Contracts
3/08 - The latest out of Detroit indicates that Ron LeFlore has re-signed with the Tigers and that the cf is set to earn $3,522,000 over a 2-year span.
3/09 - New York received a bit of good news today as their 3b Graig Nettles accepted a $3,003,000-per-year offer that will keep him in a Yankees uniform for the next 4 years.
3/11 - Mike Hargrove and Texas officials have reached an agreement keeping the lf around another 3 years. Though terms were not confirmed, insiders tell us that he re-signed for $2,005,000 per year.
3/16 - Rumors have become reality as Al Oliver put his signature on a contract that will keep him in Texas another 6 years. The deal is valued at $3,139,750 per year.
3/16 - a $866,000 package keeping Marty Pattin a member of the Royals has been accepted by the player and his agent. He will earn $433,000 annually over the next 2 years.
3/18 - Team officials were upbeat as Fergie Jenkins signed an extension with the Rangers. He'll be calling Texas home for the next 2 years and will earn $2,494,000 in salary by the end of the contract.
3/20 - The Cincinnati Reds have finalized a deal with All Star-caliber p Pedro Borbon that will extend his stay in Cincinnati at least 3 years, and will pay out $2,667,000.
3/20 - Burt Hooton is staying put. The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher inked a $9,944,000 extension and will play in Los Angeles another 4 year.
3/20 - A throng of media gathered as Lee Lacy announced that he had come to terms with the Dodgers and that he would be sticking around town another 2 years. He is set to draw $516,000 in pay over that time.
3/21 - The Royals must be relieved this evening as word that Dennis Leonard has decided to stay put became reality. He will call Kansas City home for at least another 3 years.
3/22 - Happy times in Los Angeles as the Dodgers and star 3b Ron Cey put the finishing touches on a $14,215,000 contract extension that will keep him in town 5 years longer.
3/22 - Fans hailed the signing of Nolan Ryan as the California Angels starting pitcher came to terms with the club. Set to make $12,734,800 over the upcoming 5 years, he signed primarily out of loyalty to the organization, thrilling the most diehard supporters who think there isn't much loyalty in a market driven by free agency.
3/22 - Los Angeles officials and Reggie Smith shook hands on a $7,450,000 deal. The extension will keep him from becoming a free agent for at least 2 years.
3/23 - Reggie Jackson won't be pulling up stakes anytime soon, as he has signed a 2-year extension at a pay rate of $3,861,000 per annum by the Yankees.

The Boston Red Sox have reached contract extention agreements with p's Bill Campbell and Mike Torrez, ss Frank Duffy and lf Carl Yastrzemski.


Major Injuries
3/07 - Bobby Bonds of the Chicago White Sox was injured in today's game against Cleveland and had to be helped off the field by trainers. The initial diagnosis is a scratched cornea and he is expected to be out up to 4 weeks.
3/13 - After injuring himself, Rangers shortstop Toby Harrah headed straight to the hospital. He was removed from the game as a precaution after colliding with a player at a base and the team's worst fears were confirmed when it turned out to be a little more serious. He will miss at least 3 months with a dislocated shoulder.
3/14 - The Baltimore Orioles will lose the services of 3b Doug DeCinces after he sustained a strained posterior cruciate ligament while running the bases in today's game against the Cleveland Indians. His trainer said he is expected to be sidelined for the next 3-4 weeks.
3/14 - The Chicago White Sox were dealt a serious blow when the team learned that Eric Soderholm was likely to be out for 8-9 weeks after he injured himself colliding with a player at a base in today's game against the Texas Rangers. A round of tests by the team doctors revealed the injury to be a torn rib cage muscle.
3/20 - The expression on his face said it all when starting pitcher Steve Trout was injured in a game against Boston. He was examined quickly by the team doctor and immediately rushed to the local hospital. After several tests, the diagnosis was ruptured disc (back), and in this case, it means his career is over.
3/25 - Atlanta fans will be disappointed to learn that Mickey Mahler developed a ruptured bicep tendon while throwing a pitch in today's game. He was expected to miss 7 months.
3/29 - Sixto Lezcano and the Milwaukee Brewers got a bad break in today's game against the Blue Jays as the team confirmed he will miss 6 weeks with fractured ribs.

[orion523]

Glad to see this is up and running again

[doncoryell]

Quote: Originally Posted by orion523

Glad to see this is up and running again

Since only two people voted out of those that viewed, I decided to do both of them. I am also including the stats leaders for the Phillies as well on both. You had asked me to do it on a monthly basis the last time so I decided to do it weekly this time around.

I also love it that your Phillies keep offering me 35-year old 1b Davey Johnson for either 26-year old rf Dwight Evans or 38-year old lf/1b/dh Carl Yastrzemski. I enjoy turning them down.

[doncoryell]

Opening day is upon us and first up for the Red Sox is a 3-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox on the road.

[bhurst99]

What game is this?