A poor man's Brooks Robinson
I realize this is two ridiculously irrelevant posts in a row - some might say more - but I just noticed this while poking around the so-addictive-it's-life-altering SI Vault, and as someone who got his Red Sox baptism during the doomed '78 season, I just had to share.
The article, titled "These Are The Boston Manglers," appeared in the May 1, 1978, issue of Sports Illustrated. The author? Some cat named Gammons. (Don't know what became of him. Probably a blogger now. Shhh, don't tell Bissinger. He'll freak.) The theme of the article, as you may or may not have gathered from the clunky headline, told the story of the relentless Boston offense, with Gammons emphasizing the contributions of Jim Rice, who'd go on to earn the AL MVP that season, and No. 9-hitter Butch Hobson, who, well, would not, despite these early-season words of praise in SI:
Though he is only 26, because of his determination and attitude Hobson is the most respected member of the Red Sox. When he first came to Boston, there were doubts about his fielding. In one season he made himself into a third baseman of a rank just below the Yankees' Gold Glover, Graig Nettles. "He wears out us coaches," says Johnny Pesky, one of the men Hobson calls on to hit practice grounders by the gross. In a stretch of four games this season, Hobson made half a dozen brilliant plays. And though he strikes out a lot—162 times in '77—only Rice and Fisk can equal his clutch-hitting performances on the Sox. Last season 14 of Hobson's homers came after the seventh inning. With 16 RBIs in the first 13 games this year, Hobson appears to be headed for another 100-RBI season—if he can avoid having to undergo elbow surgery.
Now, I doubt anyone remembers Hobson with more distorted, misty-watercolor fondness than I do. He was my favorite player as a kid, and your favorite player as a kid ought to be your favorite player for life. The number "4" in my email address? Hobson's number with the Sox. Not a coincidence. And don't call me a dork.
I can say without a moment's hesitation that there has never been a Sox player in my lifetime who played harder (or more recklessly) than Hobson, and his hustle often led to spectacular plays; he was a recurring character in the "This Week In Baseball" highlights. Ol' Butchie never saw a dugout he couldn't dive into in pursuit of a popup. Bat racks feared him.
But the most ardent Hobson admirer has to chuckle at even an understated comparison to Nettles as a defender, especially considering what happened later that season. Hobson, plagued by bone chips in his throwing elbow, made 44 errors that season, becoming the first everyday player since 1916 to have a fielding percentage below .900. Any patron who dared to sit in the boxes behind first base was in the line of fire. It was only after Hobson went to his iron-skulled twit of a manager in tears and said, "I'm killing the team" that he was mercifully shifted to a DH role. Of course, it was actually The Gerbil who was killing the team, but we'll leave that story in the archives for today.
As for Nettles . . . he won his second straight Gold Glove that season, and his legendary and spectacular defensive performance in Game 3 of the '78 World Series lives on as a clinic on how to play the position. He might have been a colossal jerk, but he was a colossal jerk who could throw around the leather.
All these years later, I'd like to think Hobson could have stolen the same October moment, had fate been kinder to him and the ballclub that season, had his body not betrayed him, had his arm not gone on the fritz.
And you know what? I imagine Gammons does, too.
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I'm sorry, I'll never be able to say a kind word about Graig Nettles because of what he did to my own favorite Red Sox player, Bill Lee.
When Nettles wrenched the Spaceman's arm behind his head and torqued it as hard as he could, he robbed Lee of what little velocity he had to begin with. Guts and guile will only get plenty, but a sub-80's fastball doesn't do a man any favors.
As far as I'm concerned you can offer 'irrelevant' 1978-era posts out there as often as you like - that year was also my real indoctrination into the game. Recently learned that a notebook from that year in which I scrawled statistics and standings on a regular basis somehow survived the decades - lots of odes to my favorites, Rooster and Scooter, but of course still have vivid memories of Hobson diving headfirst down dugout stairs too...
Has any team other than the 1977 Sox ever had a #9 hitter (Hobson) rake 30 taters? That '77 squad could really mash. Even though I was only 8 at the time, I still remember the July 4th, 1977 when the Sox hit a whole bunch of HR's off the expansion Blue Jays.
Hobson wasn't a Theo Epstein type player; not with that .297 lifetime OBP.
You are not a dork. My favorite player - Freddie Lynn. Wore Number 19 on every baseball team I played for and it still finds its way into just about any screen name, email address, etc. that I can work it into. Oh yeah, I am almost 40!
I am a dork, but thanks for the nice sentiment, EWA. And there was a good Lynn interview on Deadspin yesterday, if you didn't see it. He always comes off as a laidback and likable guy.
Butch was a football player at The University of Alabama under Bear Bryant. That would explain the toughness. His legacy will unfortunately be tarnished due to the whole drug thing. To forgive is divine though right Chad?
Who can forget the Red Sox 1978 batting order:
Burleson
Remy
Lynn
Rice
Yaz
Fisk
Scott
Evans
Hobson
That was some lineup alright, with Hobson, the #9 hitter coming off a 30 HR/112 RBI season.
Butch Hobson gave the effort paying fans, coaches and teamates want and demand from their teams, teamates and or players.Dan,(comment #1) i actually have a bill lee # 37 home jersey,1974 he gave up a whopping 320 hits! but had a very respectable e.r.a. of 3.51. I guess the lefty could pitch in and out of trouble.I lived on Queensbury st. when "WHO IS STAN PAPI" was painted on the street side of the "Monstah" Traded for peanuts because Sox management did not appreciate his "protests", over the way his friend Bernie Carbo was treated. Freddie Lynn still my all-time favorite. Also Tina Cervasio on MSG! Whats next Mikey Adams on the FAN. hahahehe
Butch Hobson gave the effort paying fans, coaches and teamates want and demand from their teams, teamates and or players.Dan,(comment #1) i actually have a bill lee # 37 home jersey,1974 he gave up a whopping 320 hits! but had a very respectable e.r.a. of 3.51. I guess the lefty could pitch in and out of trouble.I lived on Queensbury st. when "WHO IS STAN PAPI" was painted on the street side of the "Monstah" Traded for peanuts because Sox management did not appreciate his "protests", over the way his friend Bernie Carbo was treated. Freddie Lynn still my all-time favorite. Also Tina Cervasio on MSG! Whats next Mikey Adams on the FAN. hahahehe
Evans should have been hitting second in that lineup. Remy had a Cora-like OPS. Of course, at that point, I think Bill James was still a security guard.
The strange thing about Hobson is that the elbow injury is widely regarded as wrecking his career, yet he bounced back in '79 with 28 homers and a career-high OPS+. Must have been the hard living that cut the whole thing short.
To this day I remember a Sunday afternoon game against the White Sox, a routine grounder was hit to Hobson -- sitting in the bleachers I watched him sail one about 15 rows above the dugout -- classic BH
Remy was as much of a leadoff or #2 in the lineup hitter as Coco Crisp. Wasn't much of an OBP guy. The Scooter was a #8 or #9 hitter.
EWA - same thing here with Fred Lynn. The day he was traded to the Angels was a dark day for both Fred, and for us fans of his. Fred's HoF career went down the toilet that day.
Dan already beat me on the Nettles condemnation.
I turn 40 next week, and Hobson was also my favorite as a kid. I suspect there are thousands of us who feel the same way.
Chris from Boston, I actually have a Lee Jersey, but I kinda cheated. I couldn't find any throwbacks from the 70's with his name and number, so I just ordered a customizable Modern-Day away jersey with LEE and the number 37 on it. I'd rather have a period piece, but I'd rather have something than nothing at all.
Chad: Evans only had a .336 OBP in 78 (mainly because he only hit .247).
That was also the team average, by the way,
You know who should've hit second in that lineup (though it would've been considered whacky)? Yaz. .367 OBP that year, and his power was 17-81 (just about the same as Hobson) so you could've hit Yaz second, slid Hobson into Yaz's fifth spot, and put Burleson with his .295 OBP where he belonged--ninth.
Man, I should have looked at the numbers closer. Those are some horrific OBPs.
I remember in college, the Sox and Mets were in the series. We were in a bar (of course) watching one of the games and some Met fan called my table "fair weather Red Sox fans" and challenged us a round of beers to name the 1978 Red Sox...I said you want that by position or by batting order! I was going to keep that $20 bill forever, but sadly, I needed to buy gas to get home for the weekend! Thanks for everything Butch!
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Irreverence and insight from Chad Finn, a Globe/Boston.com sports writer and lifelong and incurable sports nut. Yes, he realizes how lucky he is. You can e-mail him at chadfinn4@yahoo.com.
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