Today in Red Sox History: March 9

Today in OTM History

2020: Looking at the offseasons since 2018; Things got a little frustrating there for a bit, but we’re starting to come out on the other side of that now.

2019: MLB starting to use the Atlantic League as a testing ground; And now we can expect to see some of this stuff, including bigger bases, in the majors as soon as 2023.

2017: Extending prospect patience to Henry Owens; Patience with young players is, of course, always recommended. Sometimes they still just don’t work out, though.

2016: Roenis Elias or Joe Kelly in the rotation?; Amazingly, the team for whom this was a relevant question won the division.

2015: Looking at JBJ’s mechanics; Probably something to keep in mind this year, as well.

2014: Spring training doesn’t matter; What I wouldn’t give to watch a game that doesn’t matter.

Today in Red Sox History

1981: Carlton Fisk signs with the White Sox; Pudge was, of course, one of Boston’s best players but became a free agent due to a clerical error. The Red Sox failed to get him a contract by the time they were supposed to. Fisk went on to become a legend for both Sox teams.

1959: Red Sox trade Bob Smith to the Cubs for Chuck Tanner; Smith came up in the ‘58 season and pitched solidly, finishing with a 106 ERA+ over 66 ²⁄₃ innings. Tanner, meanwhile, spent most of the year in Triple-A before being purchased by Cleveland.

Today in Red Sox birthdays

Happy would-be 95th birthday to Jackie Jensen, who was a star in the Red Sox outfield for much of the 50s, including in 1958 when he won the American League MVP. His acquisition prior to the 1954 season is one of the more underrated moves in the franchise’s history.

Happy 74th birthday to John Curtis, who is a local player having been born in Newton and was a former first round pick. He spent four years in Boston as a league-average starter before being traded in 1973 for a package including Reggie Cleveland. Curtis would have a 15-year career with five clubs.

Many thanks to Baseball-Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History for assistance here. Also thanks again to Battery Power for the inspiration for these posts.