Today in OTM History
2010: Red Sox Draft Anthony Ranaudo, RHP with Pick #39; Remember the excitement around Anthony Ranuado? Remember trading him for Robbie Ross? It was a different time.
2012: Favorite Highlight: The Steal; We flashed back in 2012 to the distant past of 2004. Hard to believe that the curse-breaking 2004 World Series is nearing it’s 20th birthday and that the fortunes of the Red Sox have basically reversed.
2016: Second All-Star Update has three Red Sox starting; The leaders in 2016 were David Ortiz, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. Who would you expect to see represent the Red Sox this year in LA?
2021: How Martín Pérez is getting strikeouts without improving his stuff; His time in Boston may have been a mixed bag but now home with the Texas Rangers he’s putting together his best season ever.
Today in Red Sox History
1976:
The Red Sox draft Dixie High School (St. George, UT) standout southpaw Bruce Hurst in the first round of the amateur draft, the twenty-second of 24 picks overall. Four of the first five selections, including top pick ASU’s Floyd Bannister, are also left-handed hurlers, but the southpaw from Utah records most career victories (145) of the dozen hurlers selected.
2007:
In the third inning of a 10-3 loss to Boston at Chase Field, Julio Lugo tags out a surprised Alberto Callaspo, taking a lead off second base. The Diamondbacks’ baserunner is the victim of the hidden ball trick when he doesn’t realize the Red Sox shortstop had never returned the ball to the pitcher.
A hidden ball trick! And not even performed by the master Mike Lowell.
2010:
Tim Wakefield tosses 7.1 innings in Boston’s 3-2 victory over Cleveland at Progressive Field to become the Red Sox’s all-time leader innings pitched. The 43-year-old right-handed knuckleballer surpasses Roger Clemens, who had established the mark during his 13 seasons with the club by throwing 2,776 frames.
What a fantastic career for Tim Wakefield. And 8th Round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates ends up as part of two World Series championships in Boston and pitching until he’s 44. When will the next big knuckleballer break into the majors? It’s been to long without one.
Today in Red Sox Birthdays
Wish a happy birthday to, uh, Matt Perisho, Pete Magrini, and Charley Schanz. Perisho appeared in just one game for Boston in 2005, against the Baltimore Orioles allowing a double to Brian Roberts in the seventh inning. The September 2 game was started by Lenny DiNardo with relief by Chad Harbille, Matt Perisho, Chad Bradford, Keith Foulke, and Geremi Gonzalez. DiNardo, like Wakefield above, and Middlebrooks yesterday, is now a fixture on NESN broadcasts.
Many thanks to Baseball-Reference, NationalPastime.com and Today in Baseball History for assistance here, and thanks to Battery Power for the inspiration for these posts.
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