Top 99 Boston Red Sox players Ever

#99-

Jody Reed 2B (1987-1982)-

Key Stats- 715 Games 743 Hits .280 avg 357 OBP 372 slugging %

A small midlle infielder with a beautiful glove and a average righty stroke who was home grown in Boston and spent his first 6 years with Boston. Drafted in the 8th round by the sox, reed had a good stint of 4 years in the Minor Leagues in which he batted .289. Reed began as a Jacoby Ellsbury Type Player coming up in September and stealing second and scoring the winning run in his first game and beating the Orioles 4-3 on September 12, 1987.

He made the opening day roster in 1988 but served as Spike Owens backup until the Red Sox signed new manager Joe Morgan after the All-Star Break. That, along with other changes, led the Sox to the AL East Pennant. As not much of a speed team ever, the sox put Reed in the leadoff spot because of his good .293 average. This resulted in not any RBI’s or Home Runs but he only struck out 21 times in 338 at bats.

Despite a good season Reed only finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year. In the next 3 years Reed mastered the Wall Ball Double of the Green Monster and batted in the good .280’s. In 1990 he hit 45 doubles and finished 18th in MVP voting while leading the Sox to another AL East Pennant.

Sparky Lyle RP (1967-1971)-

Key Stats- 260 Games- 22-17 W-L- 69 Saves- 2.85 ERA

Sporting the classic handlebar mustache, Sparky Lyle had one of the most dominant sliders in the game at his time. All through his 16 year carrer which he split with the New York Yankees, Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Chicago White Sox the slider was nasty. He spent 4 good years with the Red Sox. During his whole career he had 899 relief appearances, 99 wins, and 238 saves. He never started a game and sported a good Fastball and an ok Curveball.

He was drafted out of college by the Baltimore Orioles and came up in thier system. The Orioles used him as trade bait though and traded him to Boston before his big league debut. While at Spring Training his rookie season, Lyle was sized up by Ted Williams. “Ted Williams told me that I’d never make the big leagues unless I came up with a slider,” Lyle recalled. “I had a pretty good curve, but I couldn’t throw a fastball over the plate.“Ted Williams told me the slider was the one pitch he couldn’t hit,” Lyle said. “Ted Williams knew a lot about baseball, and when you hear something from a guy like that, you’re going to try to do something about it.”

The Red Sox agreed and held him from the majors until 2 years later, in 1967. “About two months after I perfected the slider in 1967, I was called up to the major leagues,” Lyle said. “I threw the pitch so it would come straight at the batter until it got to within three feet of the plate. Then it would break down. It was an excellent pitch for double plays. I was a ground-ball pitcher, and that’s how I got batters to hit ground balls.” He wore number 28 through most of his career. He was part of the 67′ Impossible Dream season in his rookie season. In 68′ he emerged as the anchor of the Sox bullpen. He got 11 saves, went 6-1, and posted a 2.74 ERA. He was kept improving, having 17 saves in 69′, 20 in 70′. He started to dip in 71′, saving 16 games. He was then traded to the New York Yankees. for 1B Danny Carter which panned out to be one of the worst trades in Red Sox history.

He had later success after his Red Sox days. He saved a then record 35 games in 72′ with the Yanks. In that same year he bacame the first Left hander in American League history to save 100 games. He led the league in Saves in 72′ 76′ and 77′. He became the first reliever in American League History to win the Cy Young which he did in 1977. In 77 he had a career total saves of 201 and was in reach of Hoyt Wilhelm’s record of 227. Lyle was traded to Texas after 1977 and never pitched like he did in the American League East. Unfortunatly Rollie Fingers jumped ahead of Lyle while Lyle was on the decline and broke the saves record just 2 weeks before Lyle hit the mark.
  

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