Showing posts with label Red Sox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Sox. Show all posts

Sunday, July 26, 2015

[SPORTS] Pedro Martinez Hall of Fame induction: Comparing Pedro's brilliance to other MLB greats – / 92

Pedro Martinez's 1.74 ERA during the 2000 season puts into context just how much he dominated during his prime.

His ERA was three runs lower than the 2000 major league average ERA (4.76) and almost two runs better than Roger Clemens' 3.70 mark, which ranked second best in the American League behind Martinez's that season. 

Even more stunning about Martinez's 1.74 ERA: 2000 marked the height of the Steroid Era when offensive statistics were at their true peak. The 5,693 home runs hit league-wide that year marked the most ever in one major league season.

The league-wide average .782 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) and 5.14 runs per game also were the highest they ever were during the Steroid Era.

But all that offense didn't matter when Martinez took the mound. 

The electric righthander recorded 10 or more strikeouts in 15 of his 29 starts. He held opponents to 0 or 1 runs in 17 starts on his way to winning his third Cy Young award in four years. 

He led the American League in ERA, shutouts (4), strikeouts (284), ERA+ (291), WHIP (0.74), fewest hits allowed per nine innings (5.3), fewest homers per nine innings (0.7) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.8).

That's dominance at its best.

The great Martinez will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y. on Sunday. He is just one of 11 pitchers in the game's history to have been named on 90 percent of the election ballots.

Based on that, the argument could be made he's one of the 11 greatest pitchers of all time. 
But it's not that simple. At the All-Star Game, Hall of Fame starting pitcher Sandy Koufax was named one of the four best living players along with Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench and Willie Mays. 

Koufax received 86.9 percent of the Hall of Fame vote in 1972. Koufax was picked over great pitchers Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Steve Carlton, Jim Palmer, Martinez and Tom Glavine — all of whom are living and were named on 90 percent or more of the Hall of Fame ballots during their first election years. 

So let's dig deeper into how Martinez statistically compares to the other great starting pitchers in this game's history and how the most dominant stretch of years during his career compares with the other greats in their prime.


Monday, November 4, 2013

Red Sox honor Boston Marathon bombing victims during championship parade



In a heart-warming moment on a feel good day in Boston, members of the Red Sox paid tribute to victims of the Boston Marathon as their rolling rally traveled down Boylston Street on Saturday morning.
As the parade reached the finish line, the site of the first bombing on April 15, the procession came to a halt and a moving tribute was held with Jonny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamacchia stepping off their vehicles to acknowledge and interact with victims from that tragic day. They also met with ownership from Marathon Sports and the Forum Restaurant, which were the businesses nearest the bombing sites. The World Series trophy itself was then placed on the finish line, and the 617 Boston Strong jersey that has hung in the Red Sox dugout all season was draped over the trophy symbolizing the unity and strength of the city.

That's a powerful message.
The short ceremony then concluded with the crowd and Red Sox players singing a rendition of "God Bless America."
Planned or not, that added touch was Boston Strong in more ways than one.

Via: Yahoo
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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

World Series Game 5: Boston Red Sox lead St Louis Cardinals 3-2

Boston Red Sox are only one victory away from winning the World Series for the third time in 10 years after beating the St Louis Cardinals 3-1 in Game 5 of the 2013 Fall Classic.
The win, Boston's second in a row at the Cardinals' Busch Stadium, means they lead the series 3-2 and have to win just one of the final two games scheduled at their Fenway Park home.
Jon Lester, the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff, produced a dominating performance, outduelling Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.
It was the second time left-hander Lester, who was treated for a form of blood cancer known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006,  has won a game in this World Series against Wainwright - who won 19 games during the regular season - after the pair faced each other in Game 1.
Via: BBC
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Friday, September 20, 2013

Red Sox pitcher goes to bat for the littlest teammates in fight against cancer

It was an uncharacteristically sizzling hot day in Southern California, and fans were gathering on a Friday evening to watch the first game of a three-game series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Among the lucky ones to actually go down on the field were the Youseff family from Southern California, escorted onto the diamond by Sarah Narracci, a community relations representative for the Red Sox, and Jeri Wilson, the executive director of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. 

Six-year-old Zein Youseff was bouncing around, at times nearly coming out of his skin, because he was about to meet his hero -- Red Sox pitching ace Jon Lester.

Zein and Jon have a common bond. Cancer.

Just as his Major League career was taking hold in 2006, Lester discovered he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Lester is now cancer free. But Zein and his family are in the fight of their lives, as Zein is under treatment for neuroblastoma.

When Zein and Lester met near the Red Sox dugout, the pitcher crouched down to meet Zein at eye level, and they had a not-so-private conversation.

Via: Fox News


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