January 12, 2012
New England's 100 Greatest Players
Ranking the region's all-time best players and managers
by Dan Guttenplan/
Our special cover was drawn exclusively for New England Baseball Journal by renowned sports artist Neal Portnoy. It depicts (clockwise from the bottom left) Carlton Fisk, Nap Lajoie, Mark Fidrych, Davy Lopes, Connie Mack, Mo Vaughn, Brian Wilson, Mike Flanagan, Paul Konerko, Mickey Cochrane, Tom Glavine, Jimmy Piersall, Chris Carpenter, Jeff Bagwell and Leo Durocher. (Neal Portnoy/New England Baseball Journal)
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There are so many ways to quantify greatness in baseball. With Hall of Fame inductions, World Series titles, All-Star appearances, home runs, RBI, pitching wins, ERA, saves, WAR, OPS and many other advanced metrics, there is no way to configure a list of the top 100 New England baseball players and managers that will satisfy everyone.
Still, we gave it our best shot. We didn’t rely on one single statistic to compile our top 100 rankings. Instead, we tried to use every statistic at our disposal, and still factored in attributes that can not be quantified, such as leadership, toughness, durability and championship pedigree.
If we can’t agree that we’ve factored in the most important traits in compiling our list, surely we can argue about it. After all, this is New England.
Without further adieu, here is New England Baseball Journal’s ranking of the 100 Greatest Players and Managers from New England:
1. Carlton Fisk
Charlestown, N.H.
Position: C
Career: 1969-93
When you sit down and crunch the numbers of every New England-born and -bred baseball player in history, you might have a hard time making the case that Carlton Fisk is No. 1.
A Hall of Famer? Sure. But Fisk falls short of Nap Lajoie in terms of dominance, short of Rabbit Maranville in terms of longevity, short of Jeff Bagwell in terms of power, and short of Tom Glavine in terms of skill and grace.
However, Fisk typifies baseball in New England, where ballplayers take to frozen baseball fields each spring, credit batters for “wearing” inside pitches all summer, and collectively hate all things Yankees through the dead of winter.
You hear Fisk’s name, and the first thing you think of is the 1975 Fall Classic. Of course, Fisk is the Red Sox legend who forced a World Series Game 7 against the Cincinnati Reds when he smashed a 12th-inning home run into the foul pole at the top of the Green Monster at Fenway Park in Game 6 — perhaps the greatest game in the history of baseball.
The image of Fisk waving the ball fair as he makes his way down the first-base line will forever be lodged in the memory bank of any diehard Red Sox fan who assumed an 86-year drought between championships as his or her own personal shortcoming.
Carlton Ernest Fisk. The more you read about him, the more he seems like a fictional hero. Fisk is from a little bit of everywhere in New England. He was born in Bellows Falls, Vt., grew up across the Connecticut River in Charlestown, N.H., went to Charlestown High, played Legion ball in Bellow Falls, played basketball and baseball at the University of New Hampshire, and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox fourth overall in 1967. Vermont, New Hampshire, Boston … try claiming Fisk as your own among a room full of New Englanders.
“Pudge,” or “The Commander,” played 2,499 career games, 2,226 at catcher. This is a man who tore knee ligaments during a collision at the plate in 1974, was told he’d never play again, and went on to play 19 more seasons behind the plate. He is not a man who would ask to move to first base or designated hitter late in his career.
In 1973, Fisk earned his Red Sox stripes when he ignited a 10-minute, bench-clearing brawl with the Yankees. The sequence played out like a John Wayne film. Yankees catcher Thurman Munson attempted to score on a botched suicide squeeze by teammate Gene Michael. Fisk caught the pitch, pushed Michael out of the way and absorbed the hit by Munson.
As Munson attempted to lay on Fisk so that another runner could score behind him, Fisk kicked Munson off him, only to be restrained by Michael. Fisk threw Michael to the ground, and according to Yankees manager Ralph Houk, pinned Michael with his left arm while punching Munson with his right.
“I had no idea Fisk was that strong, but he was scary,” Houk said.
After playing for the Red Sox for 10 seasons, Fisk did something many New Englanders believed he would never do: He left. Fisk was among a group of Red Sox players who unsuccessfully lobbied Boston management to pay players what they deserved.
General manager Haywood Sullivan ignored the players’ pleas, and even let Fisk’s contract expire following the 1980 season. Sullivan lost the rights to Fisk when he mailed a new contact to the catcher one day after the contractual league deadline in 1981. Instead of accepting the offer, Fisk signed with the Chicago White Sox that March, eventually playing more seasons in Chicago (13) than Boston (10).
The legend of Fisk, though, is not limited to stories of memorable moments, fights and sports grit. He has the statistics to match. At the time of his retirement in 1993, he held the record for most home runs all-time by a catcher with 351 (since passed by Mike Piazza) and most games played by a catcher with 2,226 (since passed by Ivan Rodriguez). He was the first unanimous Rookie of the Year in 1972. He was an 11-time All-Star and three-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. He is one of eight players in baseball history to have his number retired by two teams.
As is the case with almost any legendary figure, Fisk’s story comes with a happy ending for New England fans. “Pudge” was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, and he chose to wear a Boston Red Sox cap on his plaque.
Career games: 2,499
Career WAR: 67.3
2. Nap Lajoie
Woonsocket, R.I.
Position: 2B
Career: 1896-1916
Statistically, Lajoie could be considered the greatest player in New England history. In 2,480 career games, he had 3,242 hits and a lifetime batting average of .339. When he retired, he ranked second all-time in career hits behind Honus Wagner. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s second class in 1937, and was inducted when the Hall opened in 1939.
Lajoie was a central figure in the rise of the American League in 1901, when he switched teams from the National League’s Philadelphia Phillies to the American League’s Philadelphia Athletics in order to receive a higher salary. He won the league’s first Triple Crown in his first season with the Athletics.
In 1902, the Phillies filed a lawsuit against Lajoie, and a judge ruled that he still belonged to the NL. Athletics manager Connie Mack (East Brookfield, Mass.) then traded him to the AL’s Cleveland franchise, and Lajoie avoided all future road trips to Philadelphia to avoid the consequences of the court ruling.
In 1903, the NL dropped its claim that all past league players had to return to their previous teams.
In 1905, Cleveland renamed its franchise the Naps after Lajoie, a player-manager who nearly died the previous season when his leg became infected after being spiked on the base paths.
Lajoie was considered Ty Cobb’s greatest competition for the league’s best player after Cobb broke into the big leagues in 1905.
Lajoie had a career OPS+ of 150, and collected five batting titles. He led the league in RBI three times, hits four times and OPS three times. Lajoie’s greatest season came in 1901, when he had 232 hits, 145 runs, 48 doubles, 14 home runs, 125 RBI, a .426 batting average and a 1.106 OPS.
Lajoie died in 1959 in Daytona Beach, Fla., at the age of 84.
Career games: 2,480
Career WAR: 104.2
3. Tom Glavine
Billerica, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1987-2008
Perhaps the statistic that best describes Glavine’s career is the fact that the left-handed pitcher avoided the disabled list until his 22nd and final season. Technically, one of the smoothest pitchers of all-time, Glavine invented a version of the circle change-up on his way to 305 career wins.
Glavine was a baseball and hockey standout at Billerica (Mass.) High School. As a senior, he was the Merrimack Valley Hockey Player of the Year and was later drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. On the baseball field, he led Billerica to a Division 1 state championship in 1984.
Glavine was the last major-league pitcher to win 20 games in three consecutive years (1991-93) as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
Serving as the linchpin of a rotation that included Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, Glavine led the Braves to five World Series (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999) appearances and one championship (1995) in the 1990s. Glavine was the World Series MVP in 1995 after collecting wins in Games 2 and 6.
Glavine posted a career record of 305-203 — good for a .600 winning percentage. He logged 200-plus innings in 14 of his 22 seasons and had 20-plus wins in five seasons. He was the Cy Young winner in 1991 and 1998 and finished in the top three in the voting four other times. The 10-time All-Star had a career ERA+ of 118.
Glavine will be eligible for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
Career games: 682
Career WAR: 67.0
4. Tim Keefe
Cambridge, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1880-93
“Smiling Tim” or “Sir Timothy” was one of the most dominating pitchers of the 19th century. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964. His first season was the last in which pitchers threw from 45 feet; for most of his career, he pitched from 50 feet.
Keefe had a career record of 342-225 in his 14 seasons. He won a career-high 42 games in 1886. In that season, 62 of his 64 starts were complete games. He logged a career-high 619 innings in 68 starts in 1883.
Keefe had a career ERA of 2.63, which translated to a 127 ERA+. He had 2,564 career strikeouts. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964.
Career games: 600
Career WAR: 82.5
5. John Clarkson
Cambridge, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1882-94
Clarkson, a Hall of Fame inductee in 1963, had a career record of 328-178. He won a career-high 53 games in 1885. In MLB history, only Charles Radbourn won more games (59) in a single season. In a five-year stretch from 1885 to 1889, Clarkson won 209 games.
Clarkson pitched more than 600 innings in two separate seasons and eclipsed 450 innings in three others. His career ERA of 2.81 was good for an ERA+ of 134.
Clarkson led the league in WAR four times. In 1889, he won pitching’s Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (49), ERA (2.73) and strikeouts (284).
Career games: 531
Career WAR: 82.1
6. Mickey Cochrane
Bridgewater, Mass.
Position: C
Career: 1925-37
Cochrane was a five-sport standout at Boston University, where he considered himself more of a football player than a baseball player. He started his career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925, hitting third in front of Jimmie Foxx.
Considered the best catcher of his time, Cochrane won the MVP award in 1928 and 1934. The latter award was earned as a member of the Detroit Tigers and seemed to underscore Cochrane’s leadership characteristics. Statistically, Cochrane had an inferior season to Lou Gehrig, who won the Triple Crown that season.
Cochrane also won three World Series championships, two with the Athletics in 1929 and 1930, and one with the Tigers in 1935. In 13 seasons, Cochrane had a career OBP of .419, an OPS of .897, and an OPS+ of 128. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1947 on the fifth ballot.
Career games: 1,482
Career WAR: 51.2
7. Jeff Bagwell
Killingworth, Conn.
Position: 1B
Career: 1991-2005
Bagwell forever will be remembered by Red Sox fans as the one who got away. He was involved in one of the most lopsided trades in major-league history between the Sox and Houston Astros, serving as the prospect end of a trade for 36-year-old reliever Larry Andersen.
Bagwell went on to play his entire major-league career with the Astros.
The Xavier High (Middleton, Conn.) graduate played his college ball at the University of Hartford. In 15 professional seasons, Bagwell had 449 home runs and 1,529 RBI with an OBP of .408, an OPS of 94, and an OPS+ of 149.
He earned a unanimous MVP selection in 1994, when he hit .368 with 39 home runs, 116 RBI and 104 runs in just 400 at-bats due to the strike-shortened season. His .750 slugging percentage that year was 11th best all-time. He also was MVP runner-up in 1999 and the third-place finisher in 1997.
Still, Bagwell was only a four-time All-Star selection. When he became eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2011, he received 41.7 percent of the vote, well below the 75 percent needed for induction.
Career games: 2,150
Career WAR: 79.9
8. Roger Connor
Waterbury, Conn.
Position: 1B/3B
Career: 1880-97
Connor is best known as the player Babe Ruth succeeded as baseball’s home run champion. His record of 138 career home runs stood for 23 years after his retirement. Connor was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1976.
Connor, who had a .317 career batting average, was the first player in the majors to hit a grand slam and the first player to hit an outside-the-park home run at the Polo Grounds.
At 6-foot-3, Connor had unusual speed for his size. He had 233 triples and 244 stolen bases. Over a 12-year period (1880-91), Connor finished in the top 10 in batting average 10 times. He had a career OPS of .889 and an OPS+ of 153.
Career games: 1,998
Career WAR: 87.2
9. Jack Chesbro
North Adams, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1899-1909
Chesbro holds the modern-day record for single-season wins with 41 in 1904. No other pitcher won more than 26 games that season. With a career record of 198-132 (.600 winning percentage), he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946. Chesbro had five 20-win seasons, leading his respective league twice (1902, 1904).
By 20th century standards, Chesbro was extremely durable. He pitched 285 or more innings in six consecutive seasons from 1901 to 1906, topping out at 454 2/3 innings in 1904. He led the National League in shutouts in 1901 and 1902.
Chesbro had a career ERA of 2.68, and an ERA+ of 111. Playing for the New York Highlanders, Chesbro won 14 consecutive games in 1904, a franchise record that would later be broken by Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens in 2001. His 239 strikeouts in 1904 remained a team record until Ron Guidry struck out 248 in 1978.
Career games: 392
Career WAR: 33.2
10. Connie Mack
East Brookfield, Mass.
Position: Mgr.
Managerial career: 1894-1950
Mack remains the longest-serving manager in MLB history with 7,775 games managed. He holds the record for wins (3,731) and losses (3,948); both marks are 1,000 more than any other manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937, 13 years before retiring as manager of the Philadelphia Athletics at the age of 87.
Mack’s Philadelphia A’s teams won five World Series in a 20-year span (1910-30). He was the first manager to win the World Series three times, and is the only manager to win consecutive Series on separate occasions (1910-11, 1929-30). His five championships remain third most by any manager, and his nine AL pennants rank second.
Shibe Park in Philadelphia was renamed Connie Mack Stadium in 1953. The stadium remained home to the Phillies until 1970. To put Mack’s career in perspective, he was often either managing a championship team or rebuilding from scratch. His teams finished last 17 times.
Career games managed: 7,775
World Series titles: 5
11. Leo Durocher
West Springfield, Mass.
Position: Mgr.
Managerial career: 1939-73
“Leo the Lip” managed the 1954 New York Giants to a World Series title. He had a career record of 2,008-1,709, managing the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs and Astros.
Career games managed: 3,739
World Series titles: 1
12. Gabby Hartnett
Woonsocket, R.I.
Position: C
Career: 1922-1941
Harnett, who played catcher for the Chicago Cubs from 1922 to 1940, was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1955. The 1933 NL MVP was considered the NL’s greatest catcher prior to Johnny Bench.
Career games: 1,990
Career WAR: 50.3
13. Hugh Duffy
Cranston, R.I.
Position: OF
Career: 1888-1906
Duffy was inducted to the Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1945. He had 100-plus RBI in eight of nine seasons between 1891 and 1899.
Career games: 1,737
Career WAR: 49.6
14. Joe Kelley
Cambridge, Mass.
Position: LF/1B
Career: 1891-1908
Kelley was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971. He had five consecutive seasons (1893-97) with at least 113 runs and 33 stolen bases.
Career games: 1,853
Career WAR: 55.5
15. Pie Traynor
Somerville, Mass.
Position: 3B
Career: 1920-37
Traynor was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1948. He finished in the top 10 of MVP balloting six times.
Career games: 1,941
Career WAR: 37.1
16. Charlie Buffinton
Fall River, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1882-92
Buffinton went 48-16 with a 2.15 ERA in 1884. For his career, he was 233-152 with a 2.96 ERA.
Career games: 414
Career WAR: 56.1
17. Jim O’Rourke
Bridgeport, Conn.
Position: OF/C/1B
Career: 1872-1904
O’Rourke was inducted to the Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1945. In 1904, he returned for one game after an 11-year retirement at age 54 to become the oldest player ever to appear in an NL game.
Career games: 1,999
Career WAR: 53.9
18. Rabbit Maranville
Springfield, Mass.
Position: 2B/SS
Career: 1912-35
Maranville is New England’s poster boy for longevity with 2,670 career games. He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1954.
Career games: 2,670
Career WAR: 38.2
19. Chris Carpenter
Exeter, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1997 to present
Carpenter won the NL Cy Young in 2005 with a 21-5 record and 2.83 ERA. With a career record of 144-94, he is a three-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion.
Career games: 347
Career WAR: 32.5
20. Paul Konerko
Providence, R.I.
Position: 1B
Career: 1997 to present
With 396 career home runs, Konerko is 53 shy of Bagwell for New England’s career homer leader. He also is 672 games shy of Maranville’s record for appearances.
Games played: 1,998
Career WAR: 25.9
21. Bill Donovan
Lawrence, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1898-1918
“Wild Bill” had a 185-139 career record with a 2.69 ERA. He won 25 games in two separate seasons (1901 and 1907).
Career games: 378
Career WAR: 34.8
22. Mike Flanagan
Manchester, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1975-92
The 1979 AL Cy Young winner logged a 167-143 career record with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
Career games: 526
Career WAR: 23.9
23. Vic Raschi
West Springfield, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1946-55
Raschi was a four-time All-Star and three-time 20-game winner as a member of the Yankees. He logged a career record of 132-66 with a 3.72 ERA.
Career games: 269
Career WAR: 21.4
24. Wilbur Wood
Belmont, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1961-78
“Wilbah” was a left-handed knuckleballer who recorded 163 of his 164 career wins with the White Sox. He was a three-time All-Star and runner-up for the AL Cy Young in 1972.
Career games: 651
Career WAR: 45.0
25. Davy Lopes
Providence, R.I.
Position: 2B/OF
Career: 1972-87
Lopes was a four-time All-Star and one-time Gold Glove winner. He had 557 career stolen bases.
Career games: 1,812
Career WAR: 39.3
26. Fred Tenney
Georgetown, Mass.
Position: 1B/OF/C
Career: 1894-1911
Tenney had 2,231 career hits over 17 seasons. He had a lifetime batting average of .294 and an OPS+ of 109.
Career games: 1,994
Career WAR: 42.8
27. Mo Vaughn
Norwalk, Conn.
Position: 1B
Career: 1991-2003
Drafted by the Red Sox in the first round of the 1989 amateur draft, Vaughn had six seasons with at least 30 homers and six seasons with at least 100 RBI.
Career games: 1,512
Career WAR: 25.8
28. Wilbert Robinson
Bolton, Mass.
Position: Mgr.
Career: 1914-31
Robinson managed the Brooklyn Robins to two NL pennants (1916, 1920) and had a career record of 1,399-1,398.
Career games managed: 2,819
World Series titles: 0
29. Bob Stanley
Portland, Maine
Position: P
Career: 1977-89
Stanley had a 115-97 career record with a 3.64 ERA. The two-time All-Star also had 132 saves as a career Red Sox.
Career games: 637
Career WAR: 21.5
30. Stu Miller
Northampton, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1952-68
Miller, an All-Star with the San Francisco Giants in 1961, had 105 career wins and 154 saves.
Career games: 704
Career WAR: 22.6
31. Dick Donovan
Boston, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1950-65
The three-time All-Star placed second in the AL Cy Young voting in 1957. He was 122-99 with a 3.67 ERA for his career.
Career games: 345
Career WAR: 20.1
32. George Gore
Saccarappa, Maine
Position: CF
Career: 1879-92
Gore was an advanced metrics wizard before those stats were even kept. He had a career OPS of .797, good for an OPS+ of 135 over 14 seasons.
Career games: 1,310
Career WAR: 45.9
33. Jimmy Piersall
Waterbury, Conn.
Position: CF
Career: 1950-67
A two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove selection, Piersall was a legend in New England when he played for the Red Sox from 1950 to 1958.
Career games: 1,734
Career WAR: 24.2
34. Larry Gardner
Enosburg Falls, Vt.
Position: 3B/2B
Career: 1908-24
Gardner had 238 RBI over a two-year span in 1920 and 1921. He had a career OPS+ of 109 over 17 seasons.
Career games: 1,923
Career WAR: 39.9
35. Richie Hebner
Norwood, Mass.
Position: 3B/1B
Career: 1968-85
Hebner had a lifetime batting average of .276, 203 home runs, an OBP of .790 and an OBP+ of 119 over 18 seasons.
Career games: 1,908
Career WAR: 35.2
36. Jack Sanford
Wellesley, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1956-67
The 1957 NL Rookie of the Year with the Phillies had a career record of 137-101 with an ERA of 3.69. He finished second in the NL Cy Young voting in 1962 after going 24-7 with the Giants.
Career games: 388
Career WAR: 17.9
37. Lefty Tyler
Derry, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1910-21
Tyler had a career record of 127-116 with a 2.95 ERA. He pitched 28 complete games in 1913.
Career games: 323
Career WAR: 20.4
38. Ray Collins
Burlington, Vt.
Position: P
Career: 1909-15
The University of Vermont graduate retired at age 29 with a lifetime record of 84-62 with a 2.51 ERA. The Red Sox pitcher was relegated to the bullpen following an injury in 1915, and he retired at the end of the season.
Career games: 199
Career WAR: 19.3
39. Candy Cummings
Ware, Mass.
Position: P/OF
Career: 1872-77
In his short career in the majors, Cummings invented the curveball. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1939.
Career games: 242
Career WAR: 0.6
40. Dick McAuliffe
Hartford, Conn.
Position: IF
Career: 1960-75
The three-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers led the AL in runs (95) in 1968.
Career games: 1,763
Career WAR: 35.1
41. Steve Bedrosian
Methuen, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1981-95
“Bedrock” was the NL Cy Young recipient in 1987 after posting 40 saves as a member of the Phillies.
Career games: 732
Career WAR: 16.4
42. Charles Nagy
Bridgeport, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1990-2003
A three-time All-Star with the Indians, Nagy posted a career record of 129-105 with a 4.51 ERA.
Career games: 318
Career WAR: 22.8
43. Turk Farrell
Brookline, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1956-69
The four-time All-Star finished his career with a record of 106-111 and an ERA of 3.45. He also had 83 saves.
Career games: 590
Career WAR: 26.3
44. Bill Monbouquette
Medford, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1958-68
The three-time All-Star with the Red Sox had a career record of 114-112 and an ERA of 3.68. He won 20 games for the Sox in 1963.
Career games: 343
Career WAR: 20.2
45. Mark Belanger
Pittsfield, Mass.
Position: SS
Career: 1965-82
The slick-fielding Belanger was an eight-time Gold Glove winner with the Orioles, but had only a .228 career batting average.
Career games: 2,016
Career WAR: 32.5
46. Bob Tewksbury
Concord, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1986-1998
Tewksbury was 110-102 with an ERA of 3.92. He was an All-Star and placed third in the NL Cy Young voting in 1992.
Career games: 302
Career WAR: 20.0
47. Brian Wilson
Londonderry, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 2006 to present
The three-time All-Star led the NL in saves (48) in 2010, and also recorded the final out in the 2010 World Series for the Giants. He has had 36 or more saves in four consecutive seasons.
Career games: 313
Career WAR: 6.7
48. Mark Fidrych
Worcester, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1976-80
“The Bird” burst onto the MLB scene as a rookie with the Tigers in 1976, going 19-9 with an AL-best 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. The two-time All-Star won 10 games over the rest of his career due to a torn rotator cuff.
Career games: 58
Career WAR: 9.8
49. Joe Coleman
Natick, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1965-1979
An All-Star with the Detroit Tigers in 1972, Coleman had a career record of 142-135 with a 3.70 ERA.
Career games: 484
Career WAR: 22.9
50. Tony Conigliaro
Lynn, Mass.
Position: RF
Career: 1964-75
The one-time All-Star started his career in 1964 and cracked 24, 32, 28, 20, 20 and 36 homers in successive season. But his career never reached its promise due to what many believe was a broken spirit after being hit in the face with a pitch in 1967.
Career games: 876
Career WAR: 8.7
51. Ned Hanlon
Montville, Conn.
Position: CF
Career: 1880-92
Career games: 1,267
Career WAR: 14.5
52. Stan Williams
Enfield, N.H.
Position: P
Career:1958-72
Career games:482
Career WAR: 20.6
53. Tommy McCarthy
Boston, Mass.
Position: OF
Career: 1884-96
Career games: 1,273
Career WAR: 19.0
54. Bill Swift
Portland, Maine
Position: P
Career: 1985-98
Career games: 403
Career WAR: 17.3
55. Danny MacFayden
Somerville, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1926-43
Career games: 465
Career WAR: 21.4
56. Mike Bordick
Portland, Maine
Position: SS
Career: 1990-2003
Career games: 1,720
Career WAR: 24.4
57. Tommy Corcoran
New Haven, Conn.
Position: SS/2B
Career: 1890-1907
Career games: 2,202
Career WAR: 20.0
58. Greg Gagne
Somerset, Mass.
Position: SS
Career: 1983-97
Career games: 1,798
Career WAR: 23.9
59. Duke Farrell
Oakdale, Mass.
Position: C/3B
Career: 1888-1905
Career games: 1,565
Career WAR: 22.8
60. Ken Hill
Lynn, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1988-2001
Career games: 332
Career WAR: 22.0
61. Freddy Parent
Biddeford, Maine
Position: SS/OF
Career: 1899-1911
Career games: 1,327
Career WAR: 32.2
62. Mike LaValliere
Manchester, N.H.
Position: C
Career: 1984-95
Career games: 879
Career WAR: 12.9
63. Brad Ausmus
Cheshire, Conn.
Position: C
Career: 1993-2010
Career games: 1,971
Career WAR: 17.3
64. Carl Pavano
Southington, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1998-present
Career games: 291
Career WAR: 15.4
65. Joey Jay
Middletown, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1953-66
Career games: 310
Career WAR: 16.8
66. Jerry Remy
Somerset, Mass.
Position: 2B
Career: 1975-84
Career games: 1,154
Career WAR: 12.0
67. Jay Johnstone
Manchester, Conn.
Position: OF
Career: 1966-85
Career games: 1,748
Career WAR: 16.9
68. Gary DiSarcina
Malden, Mass.
Position: SS
Career: 1989-2000
Career games: 1,086
Career WAR: 9.6
69. Mike Pagliarulo
Medford, Mass.
Position: 3B
Career: 1984-95
Career games: 1,246
Career WAR: 9.8
70. Shanty Hogan
Somerville, Mass.
Position: C
Career: 1925-37
Career games: 989
Career WAR: 13.0
71. Jack McCarthy
Hardwick, Mass.
Position: LF
Career: 1893-1907
Career games: 1,092
Career WAR: 8.0
72. Eddie Waitkus
Cambridge, Mass.
Position: 1B
Career: 1941-55
Career games: 1,140
Career WAR: 8.4
73. George Haddock
Portsmouth, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1888-94
Career games: 204
Career WAR: 8.2
74. Paul Sorrento
Somerville, Mass.
Position: 1B
Career: 1989-99
Career games: 1,093
Career WAR: 3.5
75. Dick Siebert
Fall River, Mass.
Position: 1B
Career: 1932-45
Career games: 1,035
Career WAR: 3.2
76. Jim Hegan
Lynn, Mass.
Position: C
Career: 1941-60
Career games: 1,666
Career WAR: 1.7
77. Walt Dropo
Plainfield, Conn.
Position: 1B
Career: 1949-61
Career games: 1,288
Career WAR: 2.5
78. Johnny Cooney
Cranston, R.I.
Position: CF
Career: 1921-44
Career games: 1,172
Career WAR: 6.8
79. Joe Dugan
Torrington, Conn.
Position: IF
Career: 1917-31
Career games: 1,447
Career WAR: 4.0
80. Rich Gedman
Worcester, Mass.
Position: C
Career: 1980-92
Career games: 1,033
Career WAR: 8.0
81. Joe Morgan
Walpole, Mass.
Position: Mgr.
Career: 1988-91
Managerial record: 301-262
82. Steve Blass
Canaan, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1964-74
Career games: 282
Career WAR: 7.1
83. Bernie Friberg
Manchester, N.H.
Position: IF/OF
Career: 1919-33
Career games: 1,299
Career WAR: 3.3
84. Bobby Valentine
Stamford, Conn.
Position: SS/2B
Career: 1969-79
Career games: 639
Career WAR: 0.8
85. Clem Labine
Lincoln, R.I.
Position: P
Career: 1950-62
Career games: 513
Career WAR: 10.4
86. Rob Dibble
Bridgeport, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1988-95
Career games: 385
Career WAR: 8.7
87. Del Bissonette
Winthrop, Maine
Position: 1B
Career: 1928-33
Career games: 604
Career WAR: 7.3
88. Mark Bellhorn
Boston, Mass.
Position: 2B
Career: 1997-2007
Career games: 731
Career WAR: 7.7
89. Phil Plantier
Manchester, N.H.
Position: LF
Career: 1990-97
Career games: 610
Career WAR: 1.9
90. Lou Merloni
Framingham, Mass.
Position: 2B
Career: 1998-2006
Career games: 423
Career WAR: 2.0
91. Rich Gale
Littleton, N.H.
Position: P
Career: 1978-84
Career games: 195
Career WAR: 1.3
92. Jason Bere
Wilmington, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1993-2003
Career games: 211
Career WAR: 0.3
93. Spec Shea
Naugatuck, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1947-55
Career games: 195
Career WAR: 7.5
94. Billy Gardner
Waterford, Conn.
Position: IF
Career: 1954-63
Career games: 1,034
Career WAR: -0.1
95. Ricky Bottalico
New Britain, Conn.
Position: P
Career: 1994-2005
Career games: 562
Career WAR: 5.2
96. Mark Wohlers
Holyoke, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1991-2002
Career games: 533
Career WAR: 3.3
97. Mark Sweeney
Framingham, Mass.
Position: 1B
Career: 1995-2008
Career games: 1,218
Career WAR: 1.5
98. Rico Brogna
Watertown, Conn.
Position: 1B
Career: 1992-2001
Career games: 848
Career WAR: -1.9
99. Jeff Juden
Salem, Mass.
Position: P
Career: 1991-99
Career games: 147
Career WAR: -0.9
100. Sam Fuld
Durham, N.H.
Position: OF
Career: 2007-present
Career games: 203
Career WAR: 2.0
Our special edition cover
Our special cover was drawn exclusively for New England Baseball Journal by renowned sports artist Neal Portnoy. It depicts (clockwise from the bottom left) Carlton Fisk, Nap Lajoie, Mark Fidrych, Davy Lopes, Connie Mack, Mo Vaughn, Brian Wilson, Mike Flanagan, Paul Konerko, Mickey Cochrane, Tom Glavine, Jimmy Piersall, Chris Carpenter, Jeff Bagwell and Leo Durocher.
What is WAR?
Wins Above Replacement has become one of the most popular and reliable advanced metrics among sabermetricians. It attempts to measure a player’s value compared to his potential replacement. According to the popular Baseball-Reference.com, WAR is defined as “a single number that presents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add.” The all-time career leader in WAR for position players is Babe Ruth (172.0), and the all-time career leader in WAR for pitchers is Cy Young (146.0).
Other key statistics:
ERA — Earned run average
OBP — On-base percentage
OPS — On-base plus slugging percentages
+ versions — Percentages adjusted for league averages and ballpark effects
This article originally appeared in the January-February 2012 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
Dan Guttenplan can be reached at feedback@baseballjournal.com
