2014 Sox

[Danzz]

The Red Sox tried stacking their line-ups with right handed power for 84 years. What did it get them? Mostly, 25 players, 25 cabs. Then a 28 year old Yale wunderkind comes along, armed with the knowledge that there is more to baseball than the Homerun, RBI, stolen base, and to which pitcher a win is credited.

Fenway is actually better suited for a lefty line drive hitter. Yes, straight away right field is 380 ft. but for hitters like Williams, Lynn, Boggs, Buckner, Vaughn, Nixon, Damon, and Papi, going the other way off the wall is nearly as good as going over the wall. If there is a man on, he almost definitely scores, and it keeps the pitcher in the stretch, when they would most definitely rather pitch from the wind up. Even relievers who pitch exclusively out of the stretch would rather have the bases clear than man on 2nd.

The 2013 team had Napoli from the right side and that was it for power. It is more a question of the lineup than the park. BTW, if Ted Williams ever hit the LF wall it was a mistake. He was a dead pull hitter and the Williams shift was the first drastic shift that I can recall and I go back to the 50's.

 

[60'sfan]

The 2013 team had Napoli from the right side and that was it for power. It is more a question of the lineup than the park. BTW, if Ted Williams ever hit the LF wall it was a mistake. He was a dead pull hitter and the Williams shift was the first drastic shift that I can recall and I go back to the 50's.

Dan, you're just a kid. I started rooting for the Sox in 1948. I actually saw Ted Williams lay down a bunt against the shift. He laughed all the way to first.

 

[Danzz]

Dan, you're just a kid. I started rooting for the Sox in 1948. I actually saw Ted Williams lay down a bunt against the shift. He laughed all the way to first.

You are an old fart! Do you mainline Geritol?
Only saw Williams bat once live in Yankee Stadium (my family are Yankee fans so never got to Fenway as a kid). It was on a little league trip in his last year in the second game of a double header and he didn't play in the first game. Sox down by 2, he PH the first pitch into the Yankee bullpen in the 8th inning for a 3 run HR for what ended up being the winning hit. It is still my biggest thrill in sports.
I've seen all the great hitters since then but Williams was in a class by himself.