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WE GOT THIS...

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51 years old
REVERE, MA

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Who's Who @ DH ?
September 18, 2008

Who is the greatest designated hitter the sox ever had ? Simple direct and to the point . I will put up a few suggestions and some stats as to why I think they are worthy of consideration. If you have someone I may have overlooked please add them . please respect others opinions . Thank you . From here on out it gets even more difficult as we go on , next chapter left field .

1) Orlando Cepeda , (the baby Bull) the Red sox first D. H. great player for many years in the NL came to the A.L. late in his career after knee problems prevented him from playing on the field everyday, he played for 17 season’s 11 time all star at lf and 1b, N.L. rookie of the year 1958, national league MVP 1967, .297 career batting avg. .325 career high. 379 home runs 142 stolen bases led the leqague twice in rbi’s the sox 1^st dh hit 289 with twenty homers and 86 rbis his only year with the sox. He retired in 1974 at the age of 36 had he not blown out his kness he was a lock for the hall

2) Cecil Cooper (Coop) took over the duties of D.H. in 1974 when Cepeda went to K.C. Cooper also played for 17 seasons his first six in Boston , his career avg was .298, Caree high .352, he had 241 career hrs. and 89 stolen bases a five time all star he won two gold gloves at first base for the Brewers he led the league in rbi’s twice , 1980 and 1983 and doubles in 1979 and 1980 he also led the league in total bases in 1980Cecil had over 200 hits three times in his career

3) Jim Ed Rice (the Boston Strongboy) one of the most devastating hitters of the seventies and early eighties , Jim played 16 seasons, career avg. 298, career high .325, jim was not just a slugger he was one of the best hitters of his time with over two hundred hits in 4 separate seasons leading the league with 213 in 1978. , he had .373 career home runs and 1451 career rbi’s eight time all star and 1978 MVP. He led the league three times in home runs 2ce in rbi’s and 4 times in total bases he also led the league in triples in 1978 with 15, slugging percentage 2ce and extra base hits once , he also led in strike outs one year and hit into double plays, 4 times.

4) Carl Yastrzemski, (Yaz) 23 seasons. all with Boston . .285 caree avg. .329 career high , famous for his play in left field but played a lot at 1^st base and D.H. later in his career 452 career home runs , 3419 career hits , 1844 career rbi’s, Yaz was also more than just a power hitter he was a fine all around hitter and was excellent on the field , 18 time all star 7 time gold glove winner , league batting champ three times, led the league in hits twice and was the last triple crown winner in 1967 with .329, 44, and 121 rbis , he also led the league in runs scored that year (quad crown ) lol. doubles 3 times, slugging pct 3 times, and total bases 4 times , yes he drank Budweiser and smoked cigarettes .

5) Mike Easler, (the Hitman) 14 seasons two as Bostons D.H., .293 career avg. .338 career high . 118 hr’s, all star 1981, took over the job when yaz retired , hit 313 27 and 91 in his first year in boston followed it up with 262, 26 and 74 then went to the Skanks …

6) Don Baylor, 19 season’s , .260 career avg. .303 career high , 338 career home runs 1276 career rbi’s, 235 stolen bases and american league all star MVP. in 1979, 3 three time silver slugger and winner of the Roberto Clemente award . Led the league in rbi’s 1979. Led the league in being hit by pitch 8 times Don would take one for the team . He also led the league in runs scored 1979 and sac flies 1978.

7) Andre Dawson (Hawk) 21 seasons two as Boston’s D.H. .279 career avg. and .310 career high . 438 career home runs , 1509 career rbi’s, 314 career stolen bases , 8 time all star , 1977 National league rookie of the year, 1987 national league MVP. 8 time gold glove winner in the NL. Led the league in home runs with 49 and rbis with 137 in 1987,

8) Jose Conseco, (Mr. Roid ) 17 season’s two as Boston’s D.H. .266 career avg. .307 career high . 462 career home run’s 1407 career rbi’s , 200 career stolen bases had 42 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1988 to be 40/40 man, 6 time all star, lead the league in home runs twice . 1986 rookie of the year and 1988 MVP. Lead the league in rbi’s and slugging pct 1988.

9) Reggie Jefferson, 9 seasons five with Boston , career 300 hitter career high .347, had career highs of 19 hr’s and 84 rb’s and his second highest avg .347 in his second year in boston

10) David Ortiz (Big Papi) 12 season’s , still our DH. Career avg. 289 career high .332, 287 career home runs 946 career rbi’s , holds Red Sox Single season home run record with 54. In 2006. 4 time all star has led the league in home runs once rbi’s twice and bb twice and extra base hits three times . Led the league in home run’s per at bat in 2006, on base percentage 2007 and total bases 2006 along with Yaz it’s the most clutch hitter I have ever seen .

Others who have played the position .....Dante Bichette, Jack Clark , Bob Baily, Brian Daubach, Rick Miller ,Dewey Evan’s and Rick Cerone and here for a cup of coffee Carlos Baerga.

Darkhalf~RSM

Minister of the Red Sox Faith

-WE GOT THIS ! ~RSM ~™

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Comments

	This isn't gonna be easy to give an answer to brother !!! Let me give it some thought & I'll get back to ya on this... 09/18/2008 5:04 PM
MIKEYMOM..

	It isn't easy -- but, I'd have to say the current occupant of the position is number 1. A valid argument could be made for Mr. Rice and Yaz as well. Tipping the scales for me is that Yaz was better known for his all-around play. 09/18/2008 5:10 PM
section15

	Yeah, Papi for defining CLUTCH!! 09/18/2008 5:28 PM
~Joe Sox.. (online now)

	Easy choice for me! My hero, YAZ of course! 09/18/2008 6:25 PM
YankDis!

	14/09 09/18/2008 6:46 PM
RSN14~RS..

	Papi...so Clutch, and the others (most of them) were position players with the Sox as well...Papi has been almost solely a DH since his arrival. 09/18/2008 8:23 PM
K Dub-Ke..

	Yaz and Rice get more votes for LF so that puts Big Papi over the top!!! 09/18/2008 9:34 PM
The Poet..

	as clutch as Popi is and as thankful as i am thaqt he found his way here.... the man averaged 97 runs 190 hits 29 HR' 6 trps 30 dbl's 113 RBI a 292 ave 320 tb and 502 SLG Jim has my vote 09/19/2008 12:02 AM
MURPH

	Carlos for a cup of coffee ha ha ha at a whopping 75 games as a Sox DH compared to the Name Not to be Mentioned.......Manny at 460 ;+)) But as much as I want to go with Yaz and/or Jim ... I have to say they were more "fill" in DH's compared to Big Papi actually aquired for the role .... Papi it is for me. 09/19/2008 4:26 AM
~ Psycho..

	I'm with K Dub... Papi for me. 09/19/2008 7:42 AM
Hunt For..

	Yeah what the other guys said. Yaz and Rice definitely get consideration but they were not pure DH's. So I gotta go with Papi. Ps. You forgot Jeremy Giambi but I'm okay with that. 09/19/2008 8:04 AM
∞Why N..

	love it ! ...PAPI ! PAPI ! PAPI ! ( I CONSIDER YAZ AND RICE BETTER PLAYERS ALL AROUND ...BUT , NOT BETTER DH'S )..WHO HAS THE MOST WALK OFF'S AS DH ? IF IT ISN'T DAVID THEN I'D CONSIDER CHANGING MY CHOICE ... AS JIM IS IN MY TOP 3 FAV'S OF ALL TIME ! 09/19/2008 8:23 AM
THE HITM..

	the Large Father . Nuff Ced 09/19/2008 9:27 AM
Dan-in-P..

	i may be repeating here but , Papi has primarily played DH . all the others where position players as well . yeah , Papi has played first , but howmany times ? He's pure Batsman . slowing a little as of late , yes , but he's givin us so much . and like someone said above , he's redefined CLUTCH . 09/19/2008 9:33 AM
Dan-in-P..

	DAMN.....WITH NAMES LIKE YAZ AND JIM ED.........ITS HARD TO SAY PAPI.....BUT HE DEFINATELY DESERVES THE RECOGNITION BECAUSE THIS WAS HIS POSITION! I'M SAYIN PAPI......BUT STILL GIVIN RESPECT TO THE YAZ AND RICE! PAPI WILL BE KNOWN AS THE BEST DH IN RED SOX HISTORY.....THERES NO DOUBT IN MY MIND! THIS WAS A TOUGH ONE IN WAYS......BUT ITS EASY TO SAY HE WAS/IS THE BEST DH! 09/19/2008 4:36 PM
IRISH WH..

After much thought about this,I will agree with many who posted here that David 'Big Papi' Ortiz will forever be considered,as it stands now,the best Red Sox DH to ever don their uniform.While he has played a limited amount of time @ 1st base,he's primarily been the DH for the Red Sox since they acquired him from Minnesota via FA.It is more apparent that this position is a valuable one to all AL teams,thanks in no small part to the tremendous success he's had with the Red Sox.Many of the other players listed in the Rev's query played other positions for the Red Sox,but were never considered a 'true DH',if you will;some have had HOF careers even,but none at the DH spot.As time goes on,it will be very interesting to see just how the baseball writers who vote for enshrinement into Cooperstown will look at the players who have primarily played this position.There is no disrspect towards any of the other players spoken of here if we choose David Ortiz here;it's just the way it is in regards to this position.Thanks Reverend for giving us another great article here. ...View More

09/20/2008 8:22 AM

MIKEYMOM..

1. DAVID "BAD MFER" ORTIZ...THE BEST "CLUTCH" HITTER IN RECENT MEMORY..HELPED WIN 2 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS. 2. CAPTAIN CARL YASTRZEMSKI....I STILL SAY YAZ THROWING OUT FIRST PITCH LAST YEAR INSPIRED SOX TO VICTORY...#8...SPACEMAN SAID ON ITS SIDE SPELLS "INFINITY"...I LOVE YAZ MORE THAN HILLSHIRE FARMS SMOKED KIELBASA.....NO RINGS LANDS HIM 2ND PLACE. 3. JIM 6-4-3 RICE..HAHAHAA...14/09..I LOVE YA STRONBOY BUT YA SHOULDVE SIGNED MY BALL....JIM RICE'S NUMBERS WERENT AS GOOD AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CAREER WISE BUT IN 1977-1980 HE WAS MOST FEARED HITTER IN BASEBALL...RICE WAS POSSIBLY THE BEST NATURAL RIGHT HANDED POWER HITTER I EVER SAW WITH MY OWN TWO EYES...REMEMBER HE USED TO BREAK BATS WHEN CHECKING HIS SWING...STRONGEST FOREARMS IN THE 617!!! BIG BAG JIM RICE....MY CLEANUP HITTER..BUT NO RINGS AND THE POST-SEASON LACKLUSTER IN 86 GETS YOU 3RD PLACE..EVEN THOUGH IF YOU ASKED ME IN 1978 I WOULDVE SAID HE'D FINISH UP WITH BONDS-ESQUE NUMBERS.......NO JUICE EXCEPT THE STEEL IN HIS VEINS...THEY PUT SHIFT ON JIM AND HE DIDNT BAT AN EYE....COMPACT POWERFUL SWING..MAN, HE COULD DRIVE THE BALL..... I WILL STOP AT THREE BUT I CANT BELIEVE GEORGE "THE BOOMER" SCOTT DIDNT RECEIVE ANY HONORABLE MENTION FROM THE REVERAND HERE....TISK TISK,,,,SCOTT WAS DH IN SOME OF MY MOST MEMORABLE GAMES ...HE MIGHTVE ONLY BATTED .220 BUT WHEN HE GOT A HOLD OF ONE IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO BROOKLINE....I REMEMBER HE ALWAYS DRESSED ALL SNAZZZY BACK IN 78 IN SOME PURPLEY CRAZY PIMP SUITS AND HATS AND HE WAS ALWAYS CORDIAL TO THE FANS..BIG SMILE....HE WAS VERY COOL!!! BUT IN THE END THE FACT IS THAT ORTIZ IS THE ONLY "DESIGNATED HITTER" WHO IS A TRUE DH...ALL THE REST YAZ, CEPEDA, RICE, FISK, SCOTT, CANSECO, COOP WERE PRIMARILY OTHER POSITION PLAYERS THAT TRANSITIONED INTO THE DH ROLE AS THE GOT OLDER AND LESS MOBILE...IE-MR. BILL BUCKNER...MUCH RESPECT #6....PESKY AND PETRO BOTH PROUD AS HELL YOU CAN WEAR #6 FOR EVAH...BUCKNER, U DESERVE HALL OF FAME!!!~~~ AND THIS IS WHERE I TELL YA JIM RICE IS GOING TO BE INDUCTED IN 2009!! I AM ASKING EVERYONE WHO READS THIS TO MAKE SOME PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THEIR NEED FOR JIM RICE TO GO INTO COOPERSTOWN.....RICE FOR PRESIDENT......OUR LEFTFIELDERS NEVER WERE MEDIA FAVORITES AND SOMETHING ABOUT LEFTFIELD IN BOSTON SEEEMED TO STIR THE NASTY LITTLE REPORTERS LOINS....REGARDLESS, PLEASE TELL A FRIEND AND HAVE HIM TELL A FRIEND...WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF GAMES LEFT TO MAKE OUR VOICE BE HEARD......VOTE RICE INTO HALL OF FAME...14/09!!!!!...MORE IMPORTANT THAN FLOSSING!! LETS GO RED SOX!!!! RICE IN HALL!!!!! PLEASE SPEAK UP AND BE HEARD.....SOMEONE TELL REMY TO GET ON BOARD.....GREAT BLOG, SIR, BUT MY VOTE GOES TO BIG PAPI...BEST DH EVER....EDGAR MARTINEZ IS 2ND BEST DH EVAH!!! ...View More

09/21/2008 8:05 PM

JESTER ~..

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