The last 10 Red Sox to wear the number 10:
Luis Alicea (1995)
Esteban Beltre (1996)
Lee Tinsley (1996)
Scott Hatteberg (1997-2001)
Carlos Baerga (2002)
David McCarty (2003-05)
Shawn Wooten (2005)
Tony Graffanino (2005)
Coco Crisp (2006-08)
Tim Bogar, coach (2009)
Here are 10 from the Files:
1. With 185 homers, the Red Sox are on their way to their first 200-homer season since 2004. And they did it without building a very expensive new ballpark. This is also the first year they will hit over 100 homers at home since 2004 when they hit 111 homers at home and 111 on the road.
2. It’s odd to me that Jason Varitek has the Sox’ only grand slam of the season. It’s not odd that the captain hit it. It’s odd that the Sox only have one.
3. The Red Sox rank third on Derek Jeter’s all-time hit list with 254. The Orioles are tops with 273 hits, and the Jays are second with 262. Jeter has a lifetime .291 average against Boston, which is about 26 points lower than his career average.
4. Looks like the Sox will only have three players in double figures in steals: Jacoby Ellsbury has 61, Dustin Pedroia has 17, and Jason Bay has 12. Youk is next with six. Yet, thanks to Ellsbury, the Sox are fifth in the league and one of only six teams with 100-plus stolen bases.
5. Ichiro Suzuki deserves huge kudos for notching 200-plus hits in nine consecutive seasons, breaking a record that was set in 1901 when Wee Willie Keeler finished his streak of eight straight years. Wade Boggs went seven straight years for the Sox from 1983-89 and then never had 200 hits again in the last 10 years he played. He did get to ride a horsie though.
6. Youk and David Ortiz are tied this season, each making one error at first. Of course, Youk has played 72 games, while Ortiz has played first only six times. Then again, Youk has made only three errors in 52 games at third, while the thought of Big Papi at third just makes me laugh out loud.
7. If Adam Wainwright wins the Cy Young Award this season, that will make back-to-back winners born on Ted Williams’ birthday, Aug. 30. Cliff Lee won last season.
8. If J.D. Drew hits the 140 mark in games played, it will be for just the fourth time in 12 seasons.
9. Since 2002, Victor Martinez has 548 RBIs, a number that's only exceeded among catchers by Jorge Posada’s 633. On the other hand, only 441 RBIs have come when V-Mart was behind the plate. The rest were when Victor was at first or DH.
10. Since the trading deadline last year, Jason Bay has out-homered (Manny Being) Manny 41 to 35 … but who’s counting? OK, who’s not counting?
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Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of, Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales, with a foreword by Jon Miller, published by ACTA Sports. Bill Chuck is a regular contributor to NESN and NESN.com and is available at Bill@billy-ball.com.
