Your top "forgot he was a Red Sox"

deanx0

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Dec 7, 2004
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Decided to try this as a companion to the "almost a Red Sox" thread, but I was going through some baseball cards to enter in a database and found a Jason Bay Red Sox card. While this is probably more of an indication of my age and memory, I thought "wait, Jason Bay was a Red Sox?" Of course he was for a season and a half and was even an AL All Star for the Sox, hitting 36 Home Runs in 2009. Skipping cups of coffee or players from decades before you were born, do you all have people that you forgot were Red Sox, or am I the only idiot?
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
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Dec 2, 2006
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Tuukka's refugee camp
Decided to try this as a companion to the "almost a Red Sox" thread, but I was going through some baseball cards to enter in a database and found a Jason Bay Red Sox card. While this is probably more of an indication of my age and memory, I thought "wait, Jason Bay was a Red Sox?" Of course he was for a season and a half and was even an AL All Star for the Sox, hitting 36 Home Runs in 2009. Skipping cups of coffee or players from decades before you were born, do you all have people that you forgot were Red Sox, or am I the only idiot?
I'm pretty sure the only reason I remember him is because the prospect of trading for him led to "lol boo hoo".

After randomly typing 2009 Red Sox in, I totally forgot Victor Martinez had an awesome 1.5 years here, including an All Star nod.
 

grimshaw

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May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
John Smoltz. I was so giddy when he was signed and assumed he'd at least be average.

Also, Rob Deer. I was looking up high k-rate guys from 20+ years back and vaguely remembered him patrolling RF.
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
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Oct 2, 2003
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I was goofing around on b-ref the other day, looking up players from the '80s as sort of a memory lane thing, as it was my formative decade as a baseball fan. Checked out Greg Swindell (he'd had some pretty good years with the Indians), and lo and behold, I completely forgot he was on the Sox in 1998.
 

reggiecleveland

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Mar 5, 2004
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I play ootp video game and forgot Mark Loretta another RedSox all star, until he showed up the roster during historical replay.

Jason Bay so effectively replaced Manny that it is easy to think Sox went Manny, Gomes/Nava, to killer Bs
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
3,405
I was goofing around on b-ref the other day, looking up players from the '80s as sort of a memory lane thing, as it was my formative decade as a baseball fan. Checked out Greg Swindell (he'd had some pretty good years with the Indians), and lo and behold, I completely forgot he was on the Sox in 1998.
The Duquette era was really the peak of “throw a bunch of vaguely recognizable veterans out there and see who sticks.” Like, this guy was on the Red Sox at one point? Or this guy?
 

Spelunker

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Jul 17, 2005
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Decided to try this as a companion to the "almost a Red Sox" thread, but I was going through some baseball cards to enter in a database and found a Jason Bay Red Sox card. While this is probably more of an indication of my age and memory, I thought "wait, Jason Bay was a Red Sox?" Of course he was for a season and a half and was even an AL All Star for the Sox, hitting 36 Home Runs in 2009. Skipping cups of coffee or players from decades before you were born, do you all have people that you forgot were Red Sox, or am I the only idiot?
I literally did this with Jason Bay last week, when he came up in a different thread. I somehow entirely erased him from my memory.
 

Zedia

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Jul 17, 2005
6,988
Pasadena, CA
I didn’t forget because seeing him in Pawtucket was pretty memorable, but Mark Fidrych was technically a Red Sox.

I did completely forget Frank Tanana.

And Yoenis Cespedes.
 

GlucoDoc

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Dec 19, 2005
74
Elston Howard

Those of us who are old enough all remember him as a Yankee, but he had a few memorable moments for the Sox in 1967 and in the world series.
 

teddywingman

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Jul 31, 2009
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I had definitely forgotten Carlos Baerga.

This thread has also reminded me of some former sosh posters. Stealing Venison and Bernard Gilkey Baby. Where are those dudes?
 

ngruz25

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Sep 20, 2005
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Tony Graffanino was a real good deadline pickup for the 2005 Red Sox. Unfortunately he's probably only remembered for a ground ball that went through his legs in the playoffs.

That 2005 team was really weird. Other notable one or two year wonders included John Olerud, David Wells, Matt Mantei, John Halama, Mike Stanton (for one inning), Mike Remlinger, and... Jose Cruz, Jr.?!? I do not remember that last one.
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
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Just looking through this thread and David Cone, Brady Anderson (before he was an Oriole), and Billy Wagner all qualify for me.

I remember Jason Bay because he had GIANT hands that were genuinely distracting on broadcasts.

Edit: You can add John Olerud to this, good stuff @ngruz25
 

Mantush

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Jul 30, 2014
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Adam LaRoche? I think we traded for him then traded him away almost immediately after

edit: yup, traded him away for casey kotchman (another name for this thread!). Kotcham OPS'd .572 down the stretch in 95 PA and LaRoche had a .957 OPS for the Braves in August and September
 

djbayko

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Jul 18, 2005
25,895
Los Angeles, CA
Just looking through this thread and David Cone, Brady Anderson (before he was an Oriole), and Billy Wagner all qualify for me.

I remember Jason Bay because he had GIANT hands that were genuinely distracting on broadcasts.

Edit: You can add John Olerud to this, good stuff @ngruz25
While this thread is full of misfits, John Olerud is the only name so far that I completely forgot about. In fact, the Google images of him in a Sox uniform are blowing my mind right now.
 

kenneycb

Hates Goose Island Beer; Loves Backdoor Play
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Dec 2, 2006
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Tuukka's refugee camp
Adam LaRoche? I think we traded for him then traded him away almost immediately after

edit: yup, traded him away for casey kotchman (another name for this thread!). Kotcham OPS'd .572 down the stretch in 95 PA and LaRoche had a .957 OPS for the Braves in August and September
Yeah but we didn't have to deal with his son.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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Jul 15, 2005
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This is a funny thread, cuz if you remember the guy was a Red Sock, he can’t really make your list! But one guy who frequently slips my mind is the Hit Man, Mike Easler.
 

jacklamabe65

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Juan Marichal pitched one truly stellar game for the Red Sox in a clump of mostly mediocre starts back in '74, and it was out in Oakland. He went deep into the game, gave up very few hits and runs, had the high leg kick that day, and looked like the Juan Marichal of old. It was a joy to watch on TV. 42695
 

milfordsoxfan

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Jan 26, 2006
516
Connecticut
Eric Gagne pitched 18 innings for the 2007 team. I don't remember why the bullpen needed to be bolstered, but I do remember being semi-excited he might reclaim past glory. He didn't.