Annnnnnd….baseball is officially back!!!!

While BC threatened by tacking the first run up on the board, the Sox came back strong in the 5th. (Complete Red Sox box score to this afternoon’s game can be found below).

Also good to see that Beckett went 2 innings without giving up a hit or a run and also had 2 strikeouts.

Clay Buchholz followed Beckett and threw 1 inning without giving up a hit or a run, while recording 1 strikeout.

Also impressing today was shortstop prospect Yamaico Navarro who went 2 for 2 with a homerun and 2 RBI.  According to Baseball America, Navarro is the #10 prospect in the Red Sox organization, and the 6th overall position player in the Sox system.  And according to my good Front Office co-worker Jon (who worked at the Spinners when Yamaico was with them) Navarro is a fun and exciting player to watch. 

From Our Media Guide…which will soon be on sale through Red Sox Publications – pubs@redsox.com!

 

NAVARRO, Yamaico INF

HT: 5’11”; WT: 170; BATS: Right; THROWS: Right; BORN: 10/31/1987 in San Pedro de Macoris, DR;

RESIDES: San Pedro de Macoris, DR

ACQUIRED: Signed by the Red Sox as a non-drafted free agent, 9/23/2005

 

2008: Combined to set career highs with a .304 (154-for-506) average, 11 homers and 77 RBI in 125 games split between Single-A Greenville and Single-A Lancaster…ranked among Red Sox minor leaguers in hits (T2nd, 154), games (4th, 125), RBI (6th, 77), triples (T6th, 6), average (8th, .304), runs (9th, 79) and (T10th, 27)…played in 83 games with Greenville and earned South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star honors, finishing 4th on the team with a .280 (91-for-325) average (min. 100 at-bats)…tied for the team lead with 54 RBI…played 21 games at shortstop and 4 at second base in April and was named that month’s Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Month…reached base in 19 straight games from May 24-June 14, hitting .329 (26-for-79) during the stretch…named South Atlantic League Player of the Week for June 2-8 after hitting .429 (12-for-28) with 4 home runs, 2 doubles, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored…earned a promotion to Lancaster on July 14 and hit .348 (63-for-181) in 42 games with 4 home runs and 23 RBI…hit .395 (32-for-81) during a 18-game hit streak from July 21-August 9…recorded his first career 5-hit game on August 2 vs. Rancho Cucamonga with a career-high 3 doubles…named Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Month for August/September after posting a .389 (44-for-113) average with 2 homers, 15 RBI and 22 runs scored in 27 games…led Lancaster with 11 hits and 10 runs in 9 playoff games…hit a game-tying RBI single in the 9th inning of Game 2 in California League semifinal series…Lancaster won in the 10th…drove in the winning run in the 8th inning of Game 5 of the California League semifinal series…hit .207 (18-for-87) with one home run and 11 RBI in 22 games for Hawaii Winter Baseball’s North Shore Honu club…after the season, ranked by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect and No. 6 position player in the Red Sox farm system…

 

Now it’s still WAY to early to be ablet to tell anything based on these outings, but I think it’s just exciting that the team is out there and playing ball again.

Don’t forget to watch Wakefield and the Sox take on the Twins tonight!

All the best from the Front Office,

“The Voice of the Nation”

Box score courtesy MLB.com below!

 

Boston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Lugo, SS 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000   Navarro, SS 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 1.000 Baldelli, LF 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000   Pritz, RF 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Ortiz, DH 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000   c-Guerrero, PH-DH 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000   1-Corsaletti, PR-DH 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Drew, RF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000   a-Bell, PH-RF-CF 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Carter, 1B 2 0 1 3 1 0 2 .500 Kottaras, G, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000   b-Bard, D, PH-C-P 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000   d-Wagner, PH-C 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.000 Van Every, J, CF 3 1 1 0 0 1 2 .333   Negron, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Green, 2B 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 1.000   e-Natale, PH-2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Chavez, A, 3B 3 1 1 2 0 0 1 .333 Totals 25 7 8 7 5 4 11   a-Grounded out for Drew in the 4th. b-Grounded into a double play for Kottaras, G in the 4th. c-Walked for Ortiz in the 5th. d-Singled for Bard, D in the 5th. e-Flied out for Green in the 5th. 1-Ran for Guerrero in the 5th. BATTING 2B: Green (1, O’Brien), Chavez, A (1, Prohovich), Navarro (1, Prohovich), Carter (1, Kowalski). HR: Navarro (1, 6th inning off Laufer, D, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Navarro 6; Carter 2; Wagner; Van Every, J; Green 3; Chavez, A 2. RBI: Chavez, A 2 (2), Navarro 2 (2), Carter 3 (3). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Carter; Chavez, A; Natale. GIDP: Bard, D. Team LOB: 5.
Boston College IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Oxley 1.0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0.00 O’Brien 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Clemens 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 O’Keefe 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 Prohovich (L, 0-1) 0.1 4 6 6 2 1 0 162.00 Kowalski 0.2 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Laufer, D 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 1 9.00		Boston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Beckett 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 Buchholz 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Johnson, K 1.0 2 1 1 1 2 0 9.00 Tazawa (W, 1-0) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Doubront 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Bard, D 1.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0.00

 

I know I’m WAY late on a post about Spring Training, but my co-workers down south have been pretty busy.  But anyhow…below are a few shots from the Fort.

Also, I heard that the sons of David Ortiz and Julio Lugo were following them around on Photo Day and Conditioning drills respectively.  This made for and endless number of “awww…how cute” moments, according to one of my co-workers that witnessed it.

Another pretty cool story…one of my Front Office co-workers met a guy who was there trying to get shirt signed by Rocco Baldelli for a little boy suffering from Leukemia.  It turns out that the gentleman owned a fish and chips shack in Cumberland, RI which Rocco used to frequent.  Rocco remebered him in an instant.

Ok, I’ll try to get you all some more pictures and stories during the rest of Spring Training.  Here’s what I have now, courtesy of the very great Cindy Loo!

              Cindy Loo/Boston Red Sox

Cindy Loo/Boston Red Sox

Fruitgirl, amarige, The Teacher, and Will…this one’s for you!

THE CAPTAIN HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN SIGNED!!! (look how happy Jason Bay is about all this)

Mike Ivins/Boston Red Sox

After a whole winter of waiting and wondering, the Red Sox and Jason Varitek finally agreed on terms of a deal to keep him in a Red Sox uniform for at least the 2009 season.

Now, with that little bit of busines taken care of…I’d be interested to hear each of your grades for each area of the 2009 team so far (beyond your letter grades, I’d be interested to hear what you think the biggest strength and opportunity for each will be):

Starting Pitching:

Bullpen:

1B:

2B:

3B:

SS:

LF:

CF:

RF:

Bench:

And…of course, Catcher:

All the best from the Front Office!
“The Voice of the Nation”

 

Here’s the official release…

                                Mike Ivins/Boston Red Sox

Since the off-season signings have come relatively slowly this season, and because there are still a lot of big names out there, I just can’t believe “Truck Day” is already here!

Tomorrow morning, the Red Sox equipment truck will get packed up by our very great clubhouse workers, and as it departs, it will be followed by a 48ft flatbed truck full of Fenway Ambassadors, and Citzens of Red Sox Nation (who were chosen at random earlier this week).

For the first time in Red Sox history, among the boxes loaded on the truck will be one full of emails sent in by fans wishing the team good luck.  If you’d like to have your email and well-wishes accompany the truck down to Spring Training, just shoot me an email (insider@redsox.com) by Noon tomorrow (Friday).

All the best from inside the Front Office!
“The Voice of the Nation”

Thought you’d like to know….While regular season tickets are still available, as on Noon today, you can also begin registering for the Random Drawing for Yankees and Opening Day tickets, as well as Green Monster and the Right Field Roof Deck seats!

Click here to register!

And if you win a chance for these tickets in the Random Drawing, I fully expect you to send me an email (insider@redsox.com) with a picture of you on top of the Green Monster, or some such thing as a thanks for letting you know about this opportunity before you could find out about it anywhere else!

Good luck everybody!

All the best from a very snow-bound Front Office,

“The Voice of the Nation”

So, just before the weekend, I was allowed in to observe (well, more like creepily listen in on) a set of conference calls that included the Governors of Red Sox Nation.

I have to tell you…very very interesting stuff.  Each call began with a representative from our Baseball Operations department giving their insight on the makeup of the 2009 team.  Amiel Sawdaye, Assistant Director for Amateur Scouting, and Vice President/Player Personnel, Ben Cherington both gave the Governors their insight as to how the offseason has gone, and the direction of the team.  For the calls that I was privy to, Ben Cherington gave the Baseball updates.  He was great – running down the direction of the team, goals for the future, he touched on some of our offseason deals and needs.  For example, he detailed how the team has evolved from one that would “bludgeon pitching staffs in ’03 and ’04” to one that now is “much more multi-dimensional (fielding, base running, etc.).

He also pointed out that we can still hit with the best of them (2nd in runs scored in all of 2008), but that one of our greatest strengths is now the “group of young pitchers that we control in/approaching their prime.”

I have to say, it was just really cool to hear his inside perspective.

The two conference calls I was able to listen to were those for the New England Governors, and those for the Southern Governors (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia).

With the Governors on one end of the conference call and an assortment of Red Sox Front Office folks (multiple VPs), discussion ranged from the new benefits of Red Sox Nation citizenship to the challenges of getting to Fenway.  If you live in one of those states, you ought to be very proud of your Governors, because they came up with some great ideas and suggestions as to how we (the Red Sox) can better serve our fans.

If you are one of the Governors and are reading this, thanks for all your input!  If you are not one of the Governors, I would encourage you to reach out to your Governor as soon as possible.  If there was one thing that they said they wanted more than anything else, it was to hear from the Red Sox fans in their states.  We now have a Governor in every US State, so get in touch with them!  Even just shoot them an email to say hi.  TRUST ME, they’ll appreciate hearing from you!  You can find out who your Governor is, and contact them by clicking right here!

Ok, that’s all I got for now, I just wanted to share the latest here from the Front Office!

Cheers,

“The Voice of the Nation”

PS – To see the Red Sox Nation “watch-parties” that have been held ALL around the country take a look at the photos right here!  And if you’re living in a state and don’t see your picture in the gallery, contact your Red Sox Nation Governor to find out where the next “watch party” will be held!  They’d love to see you there!

Hot off the Front Office email…We just agreed to terms with Papelbon and Javier Lopez.

 

RED SOX AGREE TO TERMS WITH RIGHTHANDED PITCHER JONATHAN PAPELBON

AND LEFTHANDED PITCHER JAVIER LOPEZ

 

BOSTON, MA–The Boston Red Sox today agreed to terms with rigthhanded pitcher Jonathan Papelbon and lefthanded pitcher Javier Lopez on one-year, non-guaranteed contracts through the 2009 season, thus avoiding salary arbitration with both players. Terms were not disclosed.

 

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

 

Papelbon went 5-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 2008 and set career highs 67 appearances, 69.1 innings and 41 saves, the third-most in the American League. He also ranked among A.L. relief leaders in games finished (2^nd, 62), fewest walks per 9.0 innings (2^nd, 1.04), save percentage (4^th, 89.1), opponents on-base percentage (5^th, .245), and strikeouts (T6^th, 77).

 

The 28-year-old is one of four pitchers ever to record 30 or more saves in at least each of his first three full big league seasons, joining Billy Koch (4), Kazuhiro Sasaki (3) and Todd Worrell (3). He trails Bob Stanley (132) for second in Red Sox history with 113 career saves, the third-highest total in the majors from 2006-08.

 

Papelbon is 13-10 in 202 games/three starts over 230.0 career innings. His 1.84 ERA is the second-lowest in major league history since 1900 among pitchers with at least 200.0 innings behind Ed Walsh (1.82). Boston’s fourth round selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft is 2-0 with seven saves in 16 career playoff games and has thrown a post-season record 25.0 innings without allowing a run.

 

In 2008, Lopez tossed a career-high 59.1 innings on his way to a 2-0 record and finished fourth in the A.L. among qualifying lefthanded relievers with a 2.43 ERA and tied for fourth with 70 appearances. The 31-year-old limited lefthanded hitters to a .182 batting average, fifth in the A.L. He recorded a 1.98 ERA in his last 58 outings beginning April 25 and closed out the year with a season-high 12.0 consecutive scoreless frames over his final 15 games.

 

Lopez has spent each of the last three seasons in the Red Sox organization after joining the club through a trade with the Chicago White Sox on June 15, 2006. His 2.70 career ERA as a reliever with Boston ranks third in club history among pitchers with at least 150 appearances out of the bullpen, trailing only Papelbon (1.81) and Dick Radatz (2.66). The six-year major league veteran is 11-5 with 4 saves and a 4.38 ERA in 329 games with Colorado (2003-05), Arizona (2005) and Boston (2006-08).

 

And the good news keeps on coming!  We officially have signed Kevin Youkilis to a 4-year contact today – with an option for 2013.

What are your thoughts??  Do you like the team’s strategy so far this offseason?  What would you grade it thus far 1-10?

All the best from a very busy Front Office,

“The Voice”

 

RED SOX AGREE TO TERMS WITH FIRST BASEMAN KEVIN YOUKILIS

ON FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT WITH OPTION FOR 2013

 

BOSTON, MA–The Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms on a four-year contract with first baseman Kevin Youkilis. The deal includes a club option for a fifth year. Terms were not disclosed.

 

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

 

Youkilis batted .312 in 2008 and led the Red Sox with 29 home runs and 115 RBI over 145 games, including 125 appearances at first base, 36 at third base, and two in right field. He received 201 points in the American League Most Valuable Player voting to finish third behind teammate Dustin Pedroia (317) and Minnesota’s Justin Morneau (257). He also collected the 2008 Hank Aaron Award for the A.L. and was the league’s starting first baseman in the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

 

The 29-year-old ranked first among A.L. qualifiers with an RBI every 4.7 at-bats and finished among league leaders in slugging percentage (3^rd, .569), extra-base hits (4^th, 76), RBI (4^th), batting average (6^th), doubles (T7^th, 43), multi-hit games (T8^th, 52) and total bases (8^th, 306), all career highs. He also placed sixth in the league with a .390 on-base percentage.

 

In 2008, Youkilis became just the third modern major leaguer (since 1901) ever to bat over .300 with more than 100 RBI during a season in which he spent at least 30 games at both first and third base. St. Louis’ Albert Pujols (2001) and Cleveland’s Al Rosen (1954) are the only other players to accomplish the feat.

 

The five-year major league veteran is a career .289 hitter with 66 homers and 314 RBI in 553 games with Boston. He was a member of both the 2004 and 2007 World Series Champions and has a .333 batting average with six round trippers and 17 RBI in 26 playoff contests. In 11 post-season games in 2008, Youkilis hit .292 with two home runs and seven RBI.

 

Last season, Youkilis finished fifth among A.L. qualifiers with a .996 fielding percentage at first base. His error on June 7, 2008 was his first at that position since July 4, 2006, a major league record span of 238 games and 2,002 total chances without a miscue. Boston’s eighth-round pick in the 2001 draft was selected as the first baseman on the 2007 A.L. Rawlings Gold Glove Team, becoming just the second Red Sox first baseman to take home the award joining three-time recipient George Scott (1967-68, 1971). His .997 career fielding percentage at first base is tops in club history (minimum 350 games).

 

Quietly, we are putting together quite the team for the 2009 season.  We may not have made a big-name signing, but our bench and bullpen are looking stronger than they have in years (if you ask me, and yes – obviously I’m a bit biased).

But really, there is some huge possible upside to all the signings this year.  Add Mark Kotsay to that list.  He came up big for us at the end of the year last year and hopefully he’ll continue to add that stability to our bench.  And without further ado…here’s the official release!

 

RED SOX SIGN FREE AGENT OUTFIELDER MARK KOTSAY TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

 

BOSTON, MA–The Boston Red Sox today announced that the team has signed free agent outfielder Mark Kotsay to a one-year contract for the 2009 season.  No further terms were disclosed.

 

To make room for Kotsay on Boston’s 40-man roster, righthanded pitcher David Aardsma was designated for assignment.

 

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

 

Kotsay, 33, split the 2008 season between the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox following an August 27 trade for outfielder Luis Sumoza. He combined to hit .276 with 45 runs, 111 hits, 25 doubles, six homers, 49 RBI and 32 walks, his highest marks in all of those categories since 2006.

 

He batted .289 with six home runs and 37 RBI in 88 games for Atlanta and became the fifth Braves player since 1900 to hit for the cycle on August 14 against the Cubs, collecting the 1,500th hit of his career in that same contest. With the Red Sox, the lefthanded hitter posted a .226 batting average and 12 RBI in 22 games. Kotsay appeared in 10 of Boston’s 11 post-season contests in 2008, going 10-for-40 (.250) with two runs, including the game-tying score in the club’s historic come-from-behind victory in Game 5 of the ALCS against Tampa Bay.

 

In the field, Kotsay made just one error in 240 total chances, combining to make starts in centerfield (80), right field (18), and first base (4), his only experience at the position since 2006. His last miscue in the outfield came on July 30, 2007, a span of 112 games and 228 total chances. He ranks second in the majors since the start of the 1998 campaign with 113 outfield assists, trailing only Vladimir Guerrero (115) in that time.

 

Overall, he has a .281 career batting average, 109 home runs and 609 RBI in 1,450 total games with the Marlins (1997-2000), Padres (2001-03), Athletics (2004-07), Braves (2008) and Red Sox (2008).

 

Kotsay was originally selected by the Marlins as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft. He received the 1996 Golden Spikes Award and was named the 1995 National Player of the Year after leading Cal-State Fullerton to a College World Series title.

 

RED SOX SEND OUTFIELDER MICKEY HALL TO CLEVELAND TO COMPLETE BYRD DEAL: The Red Sox today sent outfielder Mickey Hall to the Cleveland Indians to complete the trade that brought righthanded pitcher Paul Byrd to Boston on August 12, 2008

 

Hall spent the majority of 2008 with Double-A Portland but began the season in Single-A Lancaster, combining to bat .230 with 37 RBI and a career-high 14 home runs over 94 games. He tied with outfielder Bubba Bell for the Sea Dogs team lead with 13 round trippers.

 

The lefthanded batter was selected by Boston in the second round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft and hit .239 with 47 homers and 222 RBI in 538 games over six seasons in the Red Sox organization.

I’m sure this is the sight Braves fans have been dreading seeing, and for that I am truly sorry that I have to be the first to bring it to you.  However, for Sox fans, this is a very welcome sight!  I can’t wait to see him take the hill in a Sox uniform!

Brita Meng Outzen/Boston Red Sox

Happy to report that John Smoltz will be with us for the 2009 season!  Smoltz was at Fenway for his press conference this morning, and my co-workers who were at the event (I was unfortunately swamped in work and wasn’t able to make it in time) said that he seems like a really nice, genuine, and intelligent guy.  Luckily for us, he also happens to be one heck of a pitcher!  Smoltz has long been a favorite of mine to watch from afar.  He just seems like the consumate professional.  And if he’s able to get back into good health at some point during the first few months of the season, we’ll be in great shape!

Smoltz has always been one of the best – a certain Hall of Famer, and while the press release below does a great job of outlining his great qualities on the field, I would bet that his experience and knowledge will be also serve as invaluable assets to our entire pitching staff – the youngsters in particular.

What are your thoughts??

All the best from a Front Office still glowing about Jim Ed,

“The Voice of the Nation”

 

RED SOX SIGN FREE AGENT RIGHTHANDED PITCHER JOHN SMOLTZ TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

 

 

                                      Brita Meng Outzen/Boston Red Sox

 

BOSTON, MA–The Boston Red Sox today announced that the team has signed free agent righthanded pitcher John Smoltz to a one-year contract through the 2009 season. No further terms were disclosed.

 

To make room for Smoltz on Boston’s 40-man roster, righthanded pitcher David Pauley was designated for assignment.

 

The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein.

 

Smoltz, 41, went 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA in six games/five starts for the Atlanta Braves in 2008. He recorded 36 strikeouts and eight walks over 28.0 innings after spending three separate stints on the disabled list.

 

He began the regular season on the D.L. with right shoulder inflammation but was reinstated to the roster on April 6, going 3-2 with a 2.00 ERA in five starts before right biceps tendonitis sidelined him on April 29. He came back for one relief appearance on June 2 but landed on the D.L. with a right shoulder injury the following day. Smoltz missed the remainder of the 2008 season and Dr. James Andrews conducted surgery to repair labrum damage in Birmingham, Alabama on June 10.

 

The 20-year major league veteran has a 210-147 record and a 3.26 ERA in 3,395.0 innings over 708 career games/466 starts, all with Atlanta. He fanned  Washington’s Felipe Lopez on April 22, 2008 for the 3,000^th strikeout of his career and ranks 16^th all-time with 3,011 K’s, tops in Braves history and fourth among active pitchers behind Randy Johnson (4,789), Pedro Martinez (3,117) and Curt Schilling (3,116). He also ranks among that group in career complete games (4^th, 53), innings (4^th), opponents batting average (4^th, .235), earned run average (5^th), shutouts (5^th, 16), starts (5^th) and wins (8^th).

 

The Michigan native has finished among the top 10 in N.L. Cy Young Award voting five times in his career, most recently in 2006 (7^th) and 2007 (6^th), and received the honor in 1996 when he led the majors with 24 wins. He passed the 200-inning plateau in each of his last three full seasons from 2005-07 and has done so in a total of 10 major league seasons, tied with Jamie Moyer and Andy Pettitte for third-most among active hurlers.

 

Smoltz amassed a Braves record 154 saves as the team’s closer from mid-2001 through 2004, including three straight 40-save seasons from 2002-04. He is the only pitcher ever to record at least 200 wins and 150 saves in a career and one of just seven players ever to make at least 400 starts and 200 relief appearances. Smoltz led the majors with a club record 55 saves in 2002 to earn the N.L. Rolaids Relief Award and join Dennis Eckersley as the only two pitchers in big league history to post at least one season of 20 or more wins and 50 or more saves.  

 

The eight-time All-Star is 15-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 207.0 innings over 40 career post-season games/27 starts. His 15 wins and 194 strikeouts during the playoffs are both all-time major league records. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1992 NLCS after going 2-0 with a 2.66 ERA in three starts against the Pirates. In all, Smoltz helped lead the Braves to a World Series title in 1995 and N.L. Pennants in 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1999.

 

In 2007, he posted a 14-8 record in 32 starts. He ranked third in the N.L. with 197 strikeouts and finished fourth in the senior circuit with a 3.11 ERA in 205.2 innings. Smoltz led all major leaguers with 50 quality starts from 2006-07.

 

He has thrown 20.2 career innings at Fenway Park without allowing an earned run, the most of any big league pitcher since 1954, and is 2-0 with four saves and a 0.85 ERA in 10 total games/four starts against the Red Sox. He was originally selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 22^nd round of the 1985 First-Year Player Draft and was the 2005 recipient of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award.

 

ACTIVE STRIKEOUT LEADERS

Strikeouts       Player

4,789               Randy Johnson

3,117               Pedro Martinez

3,116               Curt Schilling

3,011               John Smoltz

2,607               Tom Glavine

 

ALL-TIME POST-SEASON WIN LEADERS

W-L                 Player

15-4                 John Smoltz

14-16               Tom Glavine

14-9                 Andy Pettitte

11-14               Greg Maddux

11-2                 Curt Schilling

 

ALL-TIME POST-SEASON STRIKEOUT LEADERS

Strikeouts       Player

194                  John Smoltz

145                  Mike Mussina

143                  Tom Glavine

139                  Andy Pettitte

132                  Randy Johnson