Top 5 - Greatest Single Seasons by a Red Sox Pitcher

Rick Porcello won the 2016 AL Cy Young Award but how does his season stack up in Red Sox history? Well his 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 145 ERA+ doesn't come close to cracking the top 5 seasons by a Boston pitcher.

1. Pedro Martinez - 2000 - 18-6 / 213 IP / 313 K / 2.07 ERA / 285 ERA+ 

2. Cy Young - 1901 - 33-10 / 371 IP / 158 K / 1.62 ERA / 216 ERA+ 

3. Pedro Martinez - 1999 - 23-4 / 217 IP / 284 K / 1.74 ERA / 245 ERA+ 

4. Roger Clemens - 1990 - 21-6 / 228 IP / 209 K / 1.93 ERA / 211 ERA+ 

5. (tie) Pedro Martinez - 2003 - 14-4 / 186 IP / 206 K / 2.22 ERA / 211 ERA+
    (tie) Smokey Joe Wood - 1912 - 34-5 / 344 IP / 258 K / 1.91 ERA / 180 ERA+ 

Notes: Cy Young's 158 K's may seem small but it led the league that year and his ERA+ is smaller than what Pedro had in 1999 but keep in mind that Cy pitched 154 more innings - so I think we can give him a break on the ERA. Roger Clemens finished second in Cy Young voting in 1990 to Bob Welsh of the A's who had a 27-6 record with an ERA that was a full run higher than Roger (2.95 to 1.93). Joe Wood had a great 1912 but his K's and ERA were still second in the league to Walter Johnson of Washington. You could also argue Pedro's 2002 and I'd be OK with that.

PED's and the HOF

"Anyone found or admitted, I think you traded your money and numbers... for your [Hall of Fame] vote." Mike Lowell

I agree 100% with Mike Lowell. Barry Bonds made over $188 million, Roger Clemens made over $150 million and Mark McGwire made over $74 million in MLB contracts. These players were able to get these mega-buck contracts because PED's allowed them to put up bigger numbers and play more years than if they tried to do things the right way - the legal way. They traded their Hall of Fame vote for the money and the numbers - it's that simple. Will I feel bad when these players come up short in getting elected to the HoF? Not in the least.

The players I feel sympathy for are the guys like Fred McGriff who everyone thinks played the game the right way. McGriff finished his career with 493 HR which will be just under what is needed for election to the Hall. McGriff suffers because his power numbers pale in comparison to a guy like McGwire and his 583 HR.

Baseball Hall of Fame - Thought One

Here's a thought I had immediately after seeing that Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame - combined the four players made a little over $539 million during their careers.

The most controversial quartet of players on the Hall of Fame ballot associated with PED's - Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa combined salaries came close to almost the exact same amount ($537.5 million). The question that keeps popping up is if this group didn't do PED's would they be in the Hall of Fame today? I think the more accurate question is - if this group didn't do PED's would they have been paid like Hall of Famers? More than two-thirds of Roger Clemens money came after he left Boston in the "twilight of his career". The majority of Barry Bonds money was made after he left Pittsburgh. In Bonds last six years he made more in a single season than he made his whole time with the Pirates.

These guys cheated (allegedly) to get paid. Good.

They don't get Hall of Fame induction too. They made their choice and got their big money. They don't also get to enjoy something that Dale Murphy or Don Mattingly will never get close to. That's not right and that's something many sportswriters don't seem to understand.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I see Jon Lester as a very similar pitcher to Curt Schilling (except one's a righty the other lefty) and Schilling pitched till he was 40. I would have no problem with the Red Sox extending a 6-7 year contract to Lester at market rates. Bring Jon Lester home... Cool - the top of the Prudential Tower in Boston poking through the clouds... Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t now on Amazon Prime. Pretty excited for that...  Sacrifice... Would Reach-Around Elmo be a good name for a band or fantasy football team?... I wonder if somewhere in Vegas they have the odds on Roger Clemens being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame...

Top 5 - Greatest Single Seasons by a Red Sox Pitcher

Here are what I consider the greatest 5 pitching seasons in Red Sox history.

1. Pedro Martinez - 2000 - 18-6 / 213 IP / 313 K / 2.07 ERA / 285 ERA+ 

2. Cy Young - 1901 - 33-10 / 371 IP / 158 K / 1.62 ERA / 216 ERA+ 

3. Pedro Martinez - 1999 - 23-4 / 217 IP / 284 K / 1.74 ERA / 245 ERA+ 

4. Roger Clemens - 1990 - 21-6 / 228 IP / 209 K / 1.93 ERA / 211 ERA+ 

5. Smokey Joe Wood - 1912 - 34-5 / 344 IP / 258 K / 1.91 ERA / 180 ERA+ 

Notes: Cy Young's 158 K's may seem small but it led the league that year and his ERA+ is smaller than what Pedro had in 1999 but keep in mind that Cy pitched 154 more innings - so I think we can give him a break on the ERA. Roger Clemens finished second in Cy Young voting in 1990 to Bob Welsh of the A's who had a 27-6 record with an ERA that was a full run higher than Roger (2.95 to 1.93). Joe Wood had a great 1912 but his K's and ERA were still second in the league to Walter Johnson of Washington. 

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder if medical science came out with evidence that taking steroids saved Roger Clemens from having to get Tommy John surgery whether my opinion would change about either steroids or Clemens?... So how does a 3-D printer work? I've said it before but once they perfect printing 3-D blow-up sex dolls - all the dating sites will go bankrupt... As a fan of the New England Patriots - I love Rex Ryan as the coach of the Jets. In fact they should give him a contract extension... I'm surprised nobody has come out with a Tickle-Me Michael Jackson doll. That would be one of the top gag gifts of all-time... If you watch porn backwards - it tells the story of a woman who gives her man sex so he will clean the pool or deliver some pizzas... Very sad about Linda Rondstadt... When people say they were "born and bred" in a particular place - does that mean their parents specifically had sex in hoping to have a baby in that specific geography? I'm Boston born and bred because my parents wanted to make sure I had the right accent?

Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs wants the Red Sox to retire his number. The Red Sox won't do that for a very simple reason. It's not because Boggs went on to play for the Yankees. It's not because Boggs already had his number retired by Tampa Bay. It's because Wade Boggs is a douchebag.

Major league douchebag.

There's a good reason why his contemporary Don Mattingly is still actively involved in MLB while Boggs is lucky to be working with high school teams. There's a reason why Boston never has him back as a favorite prodigal son like Freddy Lynn. There's a reason why Roger Clemens invited tons of his old teammate to his 300th win game but did not invite Boggs.

The man compares himself to Ted Williams as a hitter and wants to be the next Johnny Pesky to the organization. The latter comparison is perhaps more insulting given the saint that was Johnny Pesky. The man wants his number retired while the Red Sox want to give it to scrubs.

The man is a douchebag.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder what the updated Vegas odds are of Roger Clemens getting voted into the Hall of Fame. I remember during the summer it was 4-1 that he'd get in on the first ballot and 7-4 that he'd get in on the second ballot.The guy would obviously be a 100% lock without the steroids allegations. It will be interesting to watch... Tom Brady is operating at a level this season that few quarterbacks in history have reached yet he gets very little MVP recognition because we've come to expect this from Brady. Brady is simply unbelievable. Enjoy him while you can... Probably shouldn't write this but I can't be the only person who quietly suspects that film maker Ken Burns may secretly be a woman - can I?...  Bad management - not unions killed Hostess... Interesting stat from SI's Stewart Mandel; of Notre Dame's 12 wins - 9 came against bowl eligible teams. Alabama only had 5 such wins and Georgia just 4... Didn't realize this but Curt Schilling actually had a higher career WAR (76.9) than Jeff Bagwell (76.7). Not reading anything into that - just that it surprised me... The next fuck I give about the Jets "Fireman" Ed will be the first.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

There was a hoax running on Twitter saying Todd Jones "the Navy Seal that killed Osama bin Laden" died in battle. Lots of people were taken in by the hoax. I have to wonder why someone would do this? Was there someone named "Todd Jones" desperate for attention? Someone who knows a Todd Jones who was having fun at his expense?.... I have to wonder if Roger Clemens wants to pitch in MLB this year just to reset his Hall of Fame clock... If on your calf you have a tattoo of a rooster with his head in a noose - that doesn't really mean  that you have a cock that hangs below your knee... I'm adding taking a trip on the Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle to my bucket list... Convinced that Clive Owen is the most over-rated big name actor in Hollywood. He was just awful in the last two movies I saw him in (the HBO Hemingway and Gellhorn and The Killer Elite). Just awful... 5 Myths about booze that you probably believe.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Ronald Reagan - A true believer who caught destiny's eye

- BBC: Problem with my blackberry (video)

- Charlie Sheen's Briefcase of Cocaine (or as he likes to call it - Wednesday)

- New conflict of interest concern in Clemens case - Andy Pettitte and the Yankees are going to have an interesting summer one way or another

- The United States of Beer

- The best online advertising placement ever?

- 19 Photos of Ronald Reagan With Various '80s Celebrities

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder if Michael Vick would still vote for himself for MVP after yesterday's performance. I hate to toot my own horn but I did call that Vick would make the Eagles a one and out playoff team... Kind of funny to see Drew Brees and Peyton Manning in commercials now that their teams were eliminated in the first round... I guess "Wealthy Hippies" don't exist... The things you learn from the Internet: The La-Z-Boy got its name in a contest. Other submissions included the Sit-N-Snooze and the Slack-Back (via Mental Floss)... Very interesting theory - is Roger Clemens the real reason Andy Pettitte is retiring?... Every time I see that ad for Lectric Shave with Carmen Electra - I think the ad is going to be for a porn movie... When I was growing up people were worried about Irish bombs. Today it is Irish bonds. Is that progress?... Most comic use for activated carbon ever. If you are anything like me - you actually read that and think about buying some... The things you learn from the Internet Part II: Before renaming the team "Jets" in 1963, the New York Titans franchise considered the names Dodgers, Gothams and Borros (via Mental Floss). Too bad they didn't go with Borros because with a jackass for a coach it would really fit...

Roger Clemens - the Texas Con Man

Two thoughts on the recent Roger Clemens news.

First, Clemens getting indicted will hopefully remind people that the late great Will McDonough had Clemens pegged years ago when he nicknamed him "the Texas Con Man." I hope that nickname comes back into use with proper attribution. Although I'm guessing that even McDonough didn't think with the threat of jail time hanging over Clemens that the nickname could become literal.

Speaking of nicknames, yesterday Clemens once again announced his innocence this time via his Twitter account. I found this amusing because Clemens "signed" the Tweet. It's your Twitter account - there's no need to sign it. It already says @RogerClemens. Also signing it "Rocket" instead of Roger shows a huge ego. I mean who refers to themselves by their nickname? I could see Chipper Jones doing it because that was his "name" growing up but Rocket? I just found that small detail amusing and telling at the same time. They say that pride goeth before a fall and I'm guessing thinking of yourself in the third person using a nickname given because your fastball announced itself with authority is a tipoff to a tremendous amount of pride (or delusion).

It's like Clemens is determined to combine the Tim Robbins roles in Bull Durham and Cadillac Man in real life.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I would love to play Steve Phillips in Fantasy Baseball. I would be willing to bet $1,000 that I would beat him. Against Jim Bowden I'd bet $10,000. I'm amazed that those two were able to land jobs as big league GM's. And while I'm talking about Steve Phillips - he doesn't think that Curt Schilling is a Hall of Fame player because Phillips doesn't give the same weight to Schilling's post-season heroics that others do. Let me ask the obvious - what the hell does Steve Phillips know about the post season?... Interesting read on possible recruiting violations by UConn's men's basketball team. My guess is that we're only seeing one side of the story here and that UConn won't face any serious punishment for any potential violations in this case. Nate Miles, who is at the center of the story, is described as talented but troubled. At some point in your life you start bringing much of the trouble upon yourself. I hope Nate Miles learns that lesson... Gordon Edes makes an excellent point - Curt Schilling now has a better chance of making the Hall of Fame than Roger Clemens. Who could have guessed that three years ago?... Happy 43rd birthday to Tom Glavine...

What I've Learned By Watching Sports Personalities

The age of consent is just 15 (Roger Clemens).

It's possible to be young and stupid at 26 (Alex Rodriguez).

You are a man at 40 (Coach Mike Gundy).

Just Saying

Yes the Yankees signed CC Sabathia to a big contract but how will that convert into wins and losses for the Yankees? I have long believed that the first year in the Bronx is taxing on any pitcher and even the biggest names have struggled in their first season. Here's how the last 6 big name pitchers have fared during their first year at the House that Ruth built.

Carl Pavano - 4-6 with a 4.73 ERA
Randy Johnson - 17-8 with a 3.79 ERA
Kevin Brown - 10-6 with a 4.09 ERA
Javier Vazquez - 14-10 with a 4.91 ERA
Roger Clemens - 14-10 with a 4.60 ERA
Mike Mussina - 17-11 with a 3.15

Everyone is optimistic that CC won't be overwhelmed by the experience of playing in the Big Apple. The argument goes that his temperament and his experience of playing in the American League will cancel out any extra pressure of playing for the Yankees in New York. That clearly hasn't been the case historically.

The Yankees will be lucky to get 17 wins out of Sabathia. Lucky! More likely they are looking at 14 (if history is any guide). Keep in mind that Sabathia is taking Mussina's slot and Mussina finally won 20 for the Yankees in the 8th and final year of his contract. Everyone was optimistic that given the run support of the Yankees that the super free agent Mussina could be penciled in for 20 wins a year. How did that work out? How many rings does Mussina have again?

Johnny Pesky

It is right and fitting that the Red Sox will retire Johnny Pesky's #6 on Friday. Pesky turns 89 on Saturday and has spent the better part of his life as a member of the Red Sox organization. For almost every year since 1942 Pesky has been associated with the Red Sox in one form or another.

Retiring Pesky's number required "bending" the rules the Red Sox had established that stated a player's number can only be retired if the player spent 10 years with the Red Sox, was a Hall of Fame player and also retired with the Red Sox. Technically Johnny Pesky did not meet a single one of the conditions (he last played with the Washington Senators) but the Red Sox owners wisely viewed the rules more as just guidelines.

That leaves open the question of other players such as:

Jim Rice - he will have his number 14 retired. The Red Sox are waiting to see if he gets voted into the Hall of Fame this year. If he does not - then the Red Sox will "bend" the rules once again. Rice still works for the Red Sox as a studio analyst.

Roger Clemens - nope - not gonna happen. Clemens is tied for all-time wins for the Red Sox but his number 21 won't be retired. It's not just the steroids business either. Clemens left the Red Sox with bad blood and many Red Sox fans have no love for him. Heck he's tied with Cy Young for wins and do you see Young being recognized by the Red Sox?

Wade Boggs - nope - not gonna happen. Boggs can get misty about his days with the Yankees or Devil Rays but there's a reason you never see him around Fenway Park (unless he's selling hair plugs).

Dwight Evans - many stat heads will argue that Evans was every bit the player Jim Rice was and if you include defense then I won't argue the point. However, there's a reason contemporaries voted Jim Rice in the top 5 in MVP voting 6 times and Evans just twice. Evans left the Red Sox with bad blood and look no further to the fact that the Red Sox gave 24 to among others Kevin Mitchell as evidence that they had no plans to retire 24. That could have changed if Manny Ramirez stayed with Boston but now you'll see someone else wearing 24 shortly.

Tony Conigliaro - some oldtimers will argue for the retirement of number 25 but you don't retire numbers for "could have beens". Gord Kluzak could have been one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history but knee injuries caused him to retire early. You don't see the Bruins retiring his number. There have been 12 players to wear 25 since Tony C - the most current being Mike Lowell.

Separated at Birth?



Roger and Debbie and Harry and Lloyd.

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Sidney Ponson with 8 strong innings? Just 6 hits and one earned run? This has to be a tease... I was wrong about Josh Hamilton setting a record for RBI in April. He doesn't even have the team record. Hamilton ended up with 32 RBI in April but Juan Gonzalez owns the big-league and Rangers record with 35 RBI in April... On this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig takes himself out of the line-up for the good of the team. His record of 2,130 consecutive games played is considered unbreakable until Cal Ripken comes along... With all the news about Roger Clemens having "relationships" with all sorts of women - I have to wonder if Wade Boggs was talking about Roger when he had threatened to release his Delta Force secret videos of married players cheating on their wives on the road way back in the day...

The Roger Clemens Award

The embarrassment that is Roger Clemens makes me have to point out a big problem with NCAA baseball once again.

Currently the Roger Clemens Award is given to the best pitcher in college baseball. The award was originally called the Rotary Smith Award but was renamed the Roger Clemens Award in 2004. The award is considered the college equivalent of the Cy Young Award.

The NCAA may want to rethink the name of this award or at least their support. Never mind the risk associated with naming an award after a player who was still active at the time - the NCAA should have had issues naming an award after a player who did not complete his degree. The student part of student athlete was clearly missing in Roger Clemens makeup. If that is a message the NCAA really wants to send then they should go right ahead and start paying the athletes.

I know that not every player who wins the Heisman Trophy, for instance, goes on to complete their degree or is a paragon of the NCAA supposed ideals. John Heisman at least was a man worthy of an award named after him.

I suggest re-naming the award after Smokey Joe Wood who was one of the greatest professional pitchers in history (until injury cut his career short in his prime). More importantly, however, Joe Wood served as the head baseball coach at Yale for 20-years. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has said anything negative about Joe Wood and players should be honored to receive an award named after such a man.

Roger Clemens was no Smokey Joe Wood as a person.

Roger Clemens and Politics

When Roger Clemens appeared before Congress it seemed like his support and his detractors were aligned along party lines. The Republicans were defending him and the Democrats were holding his feet to the fire. That's why I find these latest revelations interesting.

The Mindy McCready story was broke in the pages of the New York Daily News - a paper owned by the very conservative Mort Zuckerman. I guess Roger's suppport from Republicans wasn't exactly across the board.