All Time Great Red Sox Plays
- Thread starter Snodgrass'Muff
- Start date
I wonder how many of the catches from the past would be "5 star", or what was the probability they were made using the analytical techniques available today?
Fun to watch all of them again though...
Edit: Not meant to undervalue any of the old time catches, but rather to contribute to the debate about ranking catches -- both from a playoff vs regular season perspective and to control for recency bias.
Fun to watch all of them again though...
Edit: Not meant to undervalue any of the old time catches, but rather to contribute to the debate about ranking catches -- both from a playoff vs regular season perspective and to control for recency bias.
If we're talking 5-star according to Statcast, this is JBJ's only one so far this year.
https://www.mlb.com/video/bradley-jrs-great-diving-catch/c-1484153683?tid=6479266
https://www.mlb.com/video/bradley-jrs-great-diving-catch/c-1484153683?tid=6479266
Fred Lynn diving in left center field at SHEA Stadium against the Yankees to make a ridiculous catch a game they won 1-0. Rice had to jump over Lynns head and I dont know how he didnt kick him right in the face. Anyone remember that? Think that was a double header sweep against the Yankees...Also a plane flew overhead.
ahha found it.
http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-27-1975-red-sox-double-whitewash-yankees-shea-game-1
The Boston Globe the next day ran two photos of the play from WSBK-TV. In the top frame, center fielder Lynn has left his feet and leaped with an outstretched glove-hand as the ball rapidly descends. In the bottom frame, Lynn has begun to tumble with his left arm and leg thrown up in the air while snow-coning the ball, after which he “bounced three times, rolled over, and, with Jim Rice hurdling him, came up with the ball”6 to complete what coach Don Zimmer described as “the ‘best [catch] I’ve ever seen, given the situation.’”7
http://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/28/archives/53631-watch-red-sox-sink-yankees-10-60-yankees-defeated-10-and-60.html
If anyone can find the video, I cannot.
I suck a previous poster already mentioned this catch.
ahha found it.
http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-27-1975-red-sox-double-whitewash-yankees-shea-game-1
The Boston Globe the next day ran two photos of the play from WSBK-TV. In the top frame, center fielder Lynn has left his feet and leaped with an outstretched glove-hand as the ball rapidly descends. In the bottom frame, Lynn has begun to tumble with his left arm and leg thrown up in the air while snow-coning the ball, after which he “bounced three times, rolled over, and, with Jim Rice hurdling him, came up with the ball”6 to complete what coach Don Zimmer described as “the ‘best [catch] I’ve ever seen, given the situation.’”7
http://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/28/archives/53631-watch-red-sox-sink-yankees-10-60-yankees-defeated-10-and-60.html
If anyone can find the video, I cannot.
I suck a previous poster already mentioned this catch.
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Nothing finer than a 4th of July evening reading this thread and watching the clips while hiding from kids' bathtime in my kids bedroom while farting and drinking a beer.
Edit - after a steak dinner.
Edit 2 - and Hayward.
Edit - after a steak dinner.
Edit 2 - and Hayward.
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Piersall left some spike marks in the CF wall at Fenway jumping up to make a catch (before padding).
My favorite Pokey defensive play. Squares the ball up, the arm slot is high, motion is fluid. Just perfect.
I'm glad someone else remembered the 1975 catch by Freddy Lynn, dashing into left center field in Shea Stadium (I would mistakenly have said Yankee Stadium) to snag a line drive against the Yankees (off Graig Nettles I think). It was in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader swept by the Red Sox after which the Yankees were essentially dead for the year. I have always considered that the best catch I ever saw.
The game was also the major league debut of Ron Guidry who pitched two innings in relief. Between games he was interviewed by Phil Rizzouto who was still moaning over Freddy's catch.
Over the years of misery at the hands of the Yankees, I would bemoan that even on this day of Red Sox triumph, the Yankees introduced the pitcher who would destroy Boston's hopes in the close races of 1977 and 1978.
2004 relieved a lot of pain.
The game was also the major league debut of Ron Guidry who pitched two innings in relief. Between games he was interviewed by Phil Rizzouto who was still moaning over Freddy's catch.
Over the years of misery at the hands of the Yankees, I would bemoan that even on this day of Red Sox triumph, the Yankees introduced the pitcher who would destroy Boston's hopes in the close races of 1977 and 1978.
2004 relieved a lot of pain.
I looked everywhere trying to find video of that catch to add to my post but could not.
It was a spectacular catch and you said, Rice hurdling over Lynn made it all the more dramatic. What was great about it was it put one of final nails into the MFY's season that year; they had won the first game of that four game series on a Friday night, but the Red Sox took the next three including a double header sweep. The MFY's had the bases loaded with no outs but couldn't score in the 1-0 loss. Who knew the MFY's would rule over the Red Sox from that point on until 2004.
One of my favorites I can remember is J.D. Drew fielding an apparent line drive single with the bases loaded and throwing a perfect strike to Varitek for a 9-2 force out in a 2009 game against the Royals in which the Red Sox were trying their damndest to blow an 8-0 lead. I've never managed to find a replay of this play, which is weird because it could very well be the only 9-2 force out in MLB history.
7/4/49 game 1 of a doubleheader
RED SOX 9TH: DiMaggio struck out; Pesky singled to center;
Williams singled to right [Pesky to third]; Stephens walked
[Williams to second]; Zarilla forced Pesky (right to catcher)
[Williams to third, Stephens to second]; Doerr lined to right; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Red Sox 2, Yankees 3.
The 9-2 force mentioned above is recounted in the Summer of '49 by Halberstam. This force was aided by an overcast and a swirling wind as Pesky could not determine whether RFer Mapes had caught the ball. Very tough way to lose the game. The Red Sox comeback in the standings began the next day.
JDs play I don't believe was weather related.
RED SOX 9TH: DiMaggio struck out; Pesky singled to center;
Williams singled to right [Pesky to third]; Stephens walked
[Williams to second]; Zarilla forced Pesky (right to catcher)
[Williams to third, Stephens to second]; Doerr lined to right; 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Red Sox 2, Yankees 3.
The 9-2 force mentioned above is recounted in the Summer of '49 by Halberstam. This force was aided by an overcast and a swirling wind as Pesky could not determine whether RFer Mapes had caught the ball. Very tough way to lose the game. The Red Sox comeback in the standings began the next day.
JDs play I don't believe was weather related.
I believe in one of Lynn's highlight videos this catch is briefly included. I'm at work an can't look for it.
Casil
wait, did you include this for the mookie catch or for the RICH HILL COMPLETE GAME BABY
Wasn't Jeter supposed to be covering second on that play?
If so, wasn't he about 100 feet out of position?
If so, how does a player getting lost in the field merit such praise? I never understood that.
Shortstops are never supposed to be fielding on deck circles, right?
The real big play of the 1975 ALCS clinching game 3 was his lunge dive to snag a sure Jackson triple and hold him to a single. His would have been the tying run with one out. Instead, Rudi the next batter hits into a double play and the last big Oakland threat of the game was over. It was THE play of that game I believe.
I typed this in The Great Carl Yastrzemski thread that began September 24, 2014. The play was on You Tube for a while, but has been missing. I'll keep looking.
I typed this in The Great Carl Yastrzemski thread that began September 24, 2014. The play was on You Tube for a while, but has been missing. I'll keep looking.
at 7:18 of this video, finally found Lynns catch at Shea Stadium gainst the Yankees
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fred+lynn+great+catches&&view=detail&mid=18B3576726F0A4623F0218B3576726F0A4623F02&FORM=VRDGAR
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fred+lynn+great+catches&&view=detail&mid=18B3576726F0A4623F0218B3576726F0A4623F02&FORM=VRDGAR
Still remember the Yaz catch in the Billy Rohr game, and watching it after school when I was a 9y/o in Rutland, VT. Still the greatest catch I ever saw under the circumstances, but Dewayne Wise's was close to preserve Mark Buehrle's perfect game.
I'm still not sure that the Pedroia play the other night was his best ever....how about the play he made diving in back of the 2nd base bag to preserve Clay's no-no?
I'm still not sure that the Pedroia play the other night was his best ever....how about the play he made diving in back of the 2nd base bag to preserve Clay's no-no?
All these years and thousands of baseball games later, the Yaz catch is still the best. Of course I am biased, as Yaz was my childhood hero. That play in the 75 Oakland series was also special, as he didn't play the outfield much at all that year.
Showoff
Ryan HannableVerified account @RyanHannable 22m22 minutes ago
Jackie Bradley Jr. on his catch: “I don’t really have a ranking system, but I wouldn’t say it was the most difficult catch I’ve ever made."
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 25m25 minutes ago
Bradley Jr. -- 'I wouldn't say it was the most difficult catch I've ever made. Given the situation and the timing, it's up there.' #RedSox
Ryan HannableVerified account @RyanHannable 22m22 minutes ago
Jackie Bradley Jr. on his catch: “I don’t really have a ranking system, but I wouldn’t say it was the most difficult catch I’ve ever made."
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 25m25 minutes ago
Bradley Jr. -- 'I wouldn't say it was the most difficult catch I've ever made. Given the situation and the timing, it's up there.' #RedSox
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0678450271826744424-4
The catch Bradley speaks of: http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/213252306/v34439983/cwsbos-bradley-dives-to-make-a-great-grab-in-center
Was in 2014, not 2015.
Was in 2014, not 2015.
You can tell from the video that Bradley already had a lot of respect from his opponents. De Aza, at second base, goes halfway to third, then quickly retreats so that he is on second base when Bradley makes the catch. Normally, you don't tag up at second on balls that could fall in--unless you are sure that the ball will be caught.
9/10/99. Pedro's last pitch of the game to strike out Chuck Knoblauch to end the game. Knobby was the only Yankee to not strike out up to that point in the game. What made it great was how behind he was on the pitch. The ball was in Tek's glove when he swung the bat. I remember sitting in the right field upper deck of the old stadium and just laughing because you could see how late he was on it.
Obviously not a diving catch or ridiculous play, but it was the perfect exclamation point on that awesome game.
Obviously not a diving catch or ridiculous play, but it was the perfect exclamation point on that awesome game.
At about 30 seconds in,
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v1616204283/must-c-catch-bradley-jr-robs-judge-of-a-home-run
Have to add this version too.
http://m.mlb.com/video/v1616263083/bradley-salta-para-robarle-un-vuelacercas-a-judge/?player_id=598265
Thanks. Funny that the WFAN call isn't the pbp, it's after the catch. I wonder if they were just yammering away, not actually describing the play.
Sorry, Jackie, but the cachet of a (way) above the wall catch to save two runs, against Judge and the Yankees no less, is always going to trump a within the field catch. To us fans anyway.
How come Judge's Twitter handle is TheJudge44?
Pretty cool of Ryon Healy to tweet. He was robbed by JBJ in that A's series this year.
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Just because my father is no longer here to say it, but Al Luplow should be on this list.
https://www.si.com/vault/1985/10/14/624774/he-leaped-a-wall-to-catch-the-ball-but-heres-the-catch-who-saw-it#
No video exists, but I have been hearing about this catch forever. My father was in the right field bleachers that day.
EDIT. Oops! I see it was mentioned.
https://www.si.com/vault/1985/10/14/624774/he-leaped-a-wall-to-catch-the-ball-but-heres-the-catch-who-saw-it#
No video exists, but I have been hearing about this catch forever. My father was in the right field bleachers that day.
EDIT. Oops! I see it was mentioned.
Coco Crisp on a full layout dive into the gap in left center for a ball hit by David Wright of the Mets on, I think, June 29, 2006 was also a notably great catch.
