Sometimes there is nothing better than a Red Sox deep dive. We all remember Ortiz, Schilling, and Lester but I think it fun to pay homage to the lesser remembered but no less important heroes of Sox past. As I was trying to refresh myself on the long twisted odyssey of Red Sox shortstops (thank goodness Xander has established himself as the only consistent SS since Nomar) I came across a fact that utterly surprised me. Alex Gonzalez made an All-Star team. (1999). This sparked my mind of which random sox players made/did not make an All-Star team. It made me sad thinking such great name such as Trot Nixon, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Rocco Baldelli never made an All-Star team. While this made me sad I did begin to notice that the Sox have had some solid players in their history that never made an All-Star team. This made me think that I could construct a roster consisting only of these non-All-Star Red Sox players that could go.500 in an MLB season.

The greatest Red Sox team to never make an All Star Team

The following team is comprised of Red Sox players who have never made an All Star team at any point in their career.

I am choosing players regardless of the length of their tenure with the team.

I am choosing players based on their production as a member of the Red Sox. (I easily could take Travis Shaw but the majority of his production has been with Milwaukee)

I am leaving off active players who I think have a high percentage chance of making All-Star games in the future (Andrew Benintendi, and Rafael Devers)

I am only choosing players I saw play. Players from 1994-2018

So here is the team and a proposed lineup :

CF. Coco Crisp

RF. Trot Nixon

DH. Steve Pearce

LF. Troy O’Leary

3b. Bill Mueller

1b. Brian Daubach

SS. Orlando Cabrera

C. Jarrod Saltalamachia

2b. Todd Walker

Let me defend my line up and why I think it could go .500

1. Coco Crisp- Funky name, funky batting stance, and a funky haircut. No better way to set the tone from the leadoff spot then this speedy center fielder. (I probably should lead off someone with a better OBP, Coco career is only .327, but I feel his ability to steal bases puts pressure on the opposing team to start a game). Coco has been a fan favorite everywhere he has played which made it a bit shocking he never made an All-Star team. Interestingly he finished 15th overall in MVP voting in 2013 but failed to make the mid-summer classic. (Honorable mention for my CF spot is the Woonsocket Rocket Rocco Baldelli

2. Trot Nixon – One of my favorite all-time dirt dogs. (Yes I tend to talk about Trot a lot). A solid defensive player whose sweat-stained hat folded perfectly into his pocket. Nixon is remembered as being a grinder but his numbers are actually quite respectable. A career .364 OBP and had a stretch from 2001-2003 where he hit over 25 HR and 80 RBI per year. In 2003 he hit .306 with a .396 OBP, 28 bombs, and 87 RBI. Trot is an on-base machine with some pop in the two spot. (Honorable mention Eric Hinske and Willy Mo Pena)

3. Steve Pearce. Maybe i’m just on an emotional high from his unbelievable post season run but Pearce is a solid professional hitter to stick in the 3 spot. While his numbers don’t jump off the chart as a traditional 3 hitter, I trust Alex Cora so if 13 hits him 3rd then so can I. Also I’m planning on making it to the world Series so I need some big time performers.

4. Troy O’Leary- Now I must admit O’Leary was around when I first started watching baseball so i do not have the greatest recollection of him as a player. I do remember him catching the final out of Hideo Nomo’s no hitter. For a non All Star Troy is an RBI Machine. Four straight seasons of 80+ RBI, and 5 seasons with 30 + doubles. Hopefully Troy will be continue this trend from the late 90’s so I can label him TroyE 2bags

5. In the 5 hole is one of my personal favorites. 2003 silver slugger and batting champion Bill Mueller. Mueller had a huge year in 2003 with a lead leading .326 BA, 19 HR, 85 RBI, and 45 doubles. The third basemen finished 12th in MVP voting but was not named to an All-Star team. CMON people this is a monster year and he was not rewarded for it. Mueller remains one of the most underrated players in team history but I will happily take him on my team. ( I really wanted Shea Hillenbrand on this team but he made the All-Star team in 2002 and 2005)

6. Brian Daubach – One of the great names in Red Sox history! Had a 4 year stretch with 20+ homers per year. Is he the greatest at getting on base…no, does he hit for a high average…no, is it fun having a Red Sox conversation that keeps Daubby relevant…absolutely.(Honorable mention Kevin Millar)

7. Orlando Cabrera- While only having a brief stint with the sox he will always be known as the man who replaced Nomar. Cabrera had a 15-year career and was a solid defensive SS wherever he would go. He had 96 RBI in 2001 and hit over 30 doubles 9 times in his career. But most importantly he made the crying baby face when A-Rod karate chopped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove. Anyone who likes to antagonize all of Yankee Stadium is more than welcome on my team. (Honorable mention Stephen Drew)

8. Jarrod Saltalamacchia – Good ole salty. The man who along with Elvis Andrus was the centerpiece of the Mark Texeira trade back in the day. Salty is a solid defensive catcher who at times showed some pop. In 2012 with the sox he launched 25 home runs. Not bad for a catcher!. Salty also had the forgotten walk-off single after Ortiz’s ALCS grand slam against the Tigers. (Honorable mention Sandy Leon)

9. Todd Walker- Todd AKA Mr. Power according to that random Devil Rays fan who used to heckle one player from each team. Walker only had one season with the sox but hit .299. Walker is the definition of a professional and is a strong leader at the bottom of the lineup. (Honorable mention Tony Graffanino)

So here is my team. I will be releasing my pitching rotation and bullpen after a few nights of baseball reference deep diving. Let me know if you think I missed anyone.