Obscure Sox Factoids.

Today is an off day. One of only 5 the sox have til October, so I'll let them rest for this one while they head down to TB. To tide us all over here as some tasty little facts. Enjoy.

The 2004 Red Sox (remember them? Probably) won 98 regular season games that year. That's the most a Red Sox team has won since 1946 when they won 104. They also went to the WS that year but it didn't have the same magic as '04, or the same outcome.

Since 1930 the Sox have finished last in their division only once, in 1992. Some members of that team: Mo Vaughn, Roger Clemens, Billy Hatcher, Tom Brunansky/Hinske, Jody Reed, Wade Boggs and Frank "don't call me Frank" Viola.

In the last 30 years the lowest Sox yearly cumulative ERA was 3.58. Oddly enough, that year was 1992. Guess it wasn't Frank's fault they finished last.

The Sox are getting old, well, were getting old. In 2005 the average Sox age was just over 32 years of age. That is the oldest Red Sox team ever assembled. Thank you Timlin, Wake and Schill. Maybe they were counting Pesky because he was still wearing a uni back then.

5 current Red Sox players at one point played in the Cape Cod League. Youk, Jason Bay, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury. Other note able Sox that passed time on the arm of MA; Bill Meuller, Mark Bellhorn, Nomar, Justin Masteron, Carlton Fisk (back then it was just Cod, the Cape was established in '72) and Mo Vaughn. Jason Varitek is the only Sox player to have a 3 year tenure on the 'Cod.

Warning: Baseball post ahead

I am sorry for the baseball post. This does not change things between us, you the reader and I. I still like to post stupid things and call it baseball related. I just found this interesting.

Jacoby Ellsbury has 37 stolen bases. Assuming he has 3 more this week, that would give him 40 through the half way point. Being an engineer, I'll do the math on that and say he'd be up around 80 for the season at the current pace. 80 stolen bases hasn't been done in over 20 years. ('07 Reyes had 78 and that's the closest since '88) In 1982 Rickey Henderson had 130 stolen bases. One effing hundred and god damn thirty. (side note: he was also caught 42 times that year) To put that in perspective, Ells would have to DOUBLE his SB pace starting right this minute to even be in the 130 base range. Hendu also walked 116 times that year. To put THAT in perspective, in 06 when Ortiz had 50+ HRs he walked 119 times from the 3 spot. Rickey walked 116 times from the leadoff spot. Not to hang from the guy's taint or anything, but those are some crazy numbers. FYI in 82 Dan Quisenberry finished ahead of Rickey in the MVP voting.

Last baseball thing hopefully before Steve saves this site and posts a picture worthy of The Cheese, Jeff Passan of Yahoo! had a good article about Mark Buehrle wanting to retire early. One of the better quotes when asked about if he would go to the Sox/Yanks/big market team and make more, "What, is $14 million a year not enough? I need to go somewhere and get a couple extra million?". Found it kind of fitting because that shortstop guy back in town that turned down $15 mil doesn't think it's enough.