My All-Time Red Sox Team

The best thing about having a blog is that you can become a self-proclaimed expert on anything. How many times have you watched the pundits on ESPN and said "Hogwash (Or something more colorful), I know more than these guys."

You probably do, but the difference is that they have a soapbox to give their opinions from and often get paid big bucks to do it. With a blog you get to have half a loaf. No one’s paying you but you get to shout from the rooftops and become the expert on anything you choose.

With that being said, I hereby declare Dave McCray’s “All Time Red Sox Team.”

The rules are simple. They had to play at least five years at the position for the Red Sox and they had to play during my time as a Red Sox Fan -- 1967 to present.

Sorry about that Ted, Cy and Adrian but if I’m going to pick them I had to have watched them play and they needed to have been around several years. I am also listing honorable mentions that either didn’t measure up to the finalists or who didn’t play long enough for the Red Sox to be eligible. I have tried to list what info I used to come up with each decision. Today, I am going to pick the first baseman

First base

The honorable mentions -- Kevin Millar, Carlos Quintana, Kevin Youklis, Carl Yastrzemski, Cecil Cooper, Adrian Gonzalez.

The Finalists -- George Scott and Mo Vaughn.  The "Boomer" against the "Hit Dog."

Years with Red Sox

Scott: 1966-1971 and 1977-1978.

Vaughn: 1991-1998.

Best year

Scott: 1977 -- .269 batting average , 33 home runs, 112 runs batted in.

Vaughn: 1996 -- .326 batting average, 44 home runs, 143 runs batted in.

Awards

Scott: Two All Star teams and three Golden Gloves.

Vaughn: Two All Star teams and one Most Valuable Player Award in 1995.

World Series Appearances

Scott: 1967, lost.

Vaughn: None.

Factoids

Scott had lots of gold teeth.

Vaughn had lots of gold jewelry.

Demerits

Scott ended his career as a Yankee.

Vaughn was implicated as a steroid user.

Sentimental Favorite

Scott was a member of the Impossible Dream Team and was the Red Sox first baseman when I started following baseball.

Summary

A lot of George Scott's value can't be found in an offensive stat book because he was a defensive whiz. He was the best defensive first baseman I ever saw. When it came to hitting home runs Scott was a showman. Other players hit home runs, while Scott hit "Taters" that looked like they would never come down. Even when Scott struck out it was a masterpiece. He was a great clutch hitter but played in the shadow of Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro. Unfortunately Scott left Boston as he was reaching his prime and, as good as he was in Boston, he actually had his best seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mo Vaughn was the offensive front man for the Red Sox in the '90s. He was cocky from the beginning when he arrived in 1991 and he turned the cockiness into charisma, as he became one of the best power hitters of the decade. His best season wasn't even the year he won the MVP. In 1996, he hit 44 home runs with 143 runs batted in and a .326 batting average. From 1993-98 he hit an average of 35 homers and 100 runs batted in. His defense was average at best, but he was outstanding when it came time to swinging the bat. He also got as many accolades for his work with kids in the inner city than he did for his work with the bat.

The verdict

The winner is... "The Hit Dog." I have to admit, when I started this exercise I thought that the Boomer would be my choice hands down, but the more I looked into and relived the past, the more Vaughn’s superb offense could not be ignored. During his hay day he was unstoppable.

If the "Boomer" had played his whole career in Boston the results might have been different, but the fact is that his greatest offensive seasons were in Sudsville.

The "Boomer" will always be my favorite first baseman but I have to acknowledge that the "Hit Dog" has earned the position on my “All-Time Red Sox Team.”

Career statistics for George Scott http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=121932

Career Statistics for Mo Vaughn   http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=123678