There will never be another Boomer

Long before Chris Berman put  Bristol, Connecticut on the map there was a "Boomer". Long before David Wells pitched a perfect game there was a "Boomer" and long before Norman Julius Esiason played in a Super Bowl, there was a "Boomer" His name was George Charles Scott Jr. and there will never be another. The Boomer passed away on July 29th at age 69

Without question, the Boomer was the best defensive first baseman I ever saw. At his heaviest he was 275 pounds and he patrolled first base with the grace of Baryshnikov. If a ball was hit near the Boomer you could put the out in the scorebook before the hitter left the batter’s box and he had the 8 Gold Gloves to show for it

As good as Scott was with the glove he was just as magical with the bat. When it came to hitting he 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 and although he played in the shadow of “Superstar" Carl Yastrzemski and "Matinee Idol" Tony Conigliaro, no one ever left their seat when the Boomer was up, because he was capable of putting a tater on the moon with every swing.

And no one had more fun playing the game or played it more ferociously. You never saw the Boomer back slapping and laughing with opponents at first base and if you were an infielder and he was coming at you to take second base you had better get out of the way or make sure all your personal affairs were in order.

There were a lot of imitators but there will never be another Boomer

Long before Mo Vaughn paraded around in gold jewelry at Fenway Park, the Boomer wore a necklace which he once identified to reporters as being composed of "the second baseman's teeth he knocked out while breaking up double plays. 

Long before Keith Hernandez won his first gold glove in 1978, George Scott had won 8 of them.

Long before John Olerud wore a batting helmet playing first base, the Boomer wore one on the field to protect himself when opposing fans in the first base grandstand pelted him with bottles and batteries.

Long before William the Refrigerator Perry wore a fur coat on Bourbon Street our man Boomer was wearing one on Lansdowne Street.

And long before Ryan Howard was hitting bombs into the Citizens Bank grand stands the Boomer was launching taters over the Green Monster. 

We will miss you Boomer, but thanks for the memories, there will never be another one like you.

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