MLB 9s: Boston Red Sox—Carlton Fisk, Nomar and Yaz Among Fenway Heroes

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Having broken their 86-year drought for a World Series title in 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their second Fall Classic under Terry Francona in 2007.

Powered by Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Curt Shilling, the Red Sox proved that the AL East wasn't just a formality for the New York Yankees on their way to October glory.

What about the hundreds of players who never led the Red Sox to a championship at Fenway? Men like Johnny Pesky and Babe Ruth. How should they be remembered in Boston's rich baseball history?

This is one question with hundreds of answers. Which Boston players had the greatest ever offensive season at their positions?

Major League Baseball has been asking fans this question in an effort to choose each team's best ever collection of stars. They are calling it MLB 9s.

Here I separated the contenders from the pretenders in an effort to pick my dream Red Sox lineup. Have your say by commenting below, or by voting on the MLB site here .

To view my archive page with the rest of the teams' All-Time 9s, click here . The links are at the bottom of the page.

Catcher: Carlton Fisk (1977)

Fisk surpasses all other Red Sox catchers in virtually every category, and he did it all in the same season.

Jason Varitek had 25 home runs in 2003, Fisk had 26 in 1977. Mike Stanley scored 73 runs in the ’96 season, Fisk scored 102 in 1977. Rich Ferrell had a .312 batting average in 1936, Fisk batted .315 in…1977.

Fisk, who went to his fifth All-Star Game in six years back in 1977, ranked inside the AL’s top 10 in OBP (.402, fifth); runs scored (102, second); RBI (102, ninth); and walks (75, eighth). Fisk’s 26 home runs are also the most ever by a Red Sox catcher in franchise history, tying his own record from 1973.

Best remembered for his extra-innings home run in Game Six of the 1975 World Series, Fisk’s ’77 campaign was the best of his remarkable 24 years behind the dish at Fenway.

Highlight Game: September 6, 1977 @ Toronto. Fisk launched two home runs and drove in seven runs in am 11-2 victory over the Blue Jays. Not bad production from the number six spot in your lineup.

Competition: Jason Varitek provides Fisk with his strongest competition, but his .273 average and 63 runs scored leave him a long way short.

First Base: Jimmie Foxx (1938)

You have to go back more than six decades to find the greatest offensive season by a Red Sox first baseman, when Foxx won his third MVP award, his first and last in Boston.

Foxx put up incredible numbers, leading the league in no fewer than eight offensive categories. He hit 50 home runs and drove in 175 runs while falling just one point short of a .350 batting average.

“Double X” had an on base percentage of .462 and slugged .704, drawing an AL-high 119 walks and almost 400 total bases. Known for his awesome power, Foxx also recorded seven triples and five stolen bases. Even today, Foxx still holds the Red Sox single-season record for RBI, extra base hits, and home runs by a right-handed hitter.

Highlight Game: August 23, 1938 vs. Cleveland. In the second game of a double-header against the Indians, Fox hit a walk-off home run with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth off of Wills Hudlin. It was Fox’s second home run of the night, following his solo shot in the third inning.

Competition: Walt Dropo deserves a mention for his 34-144 season in 1950, as does Mo Vaughn for the 39 bombs and 126 RBI he recorded in his MVP year of 1995.

Second base: Bobby Doerr (1950)

Doerr’s 1950 season was fantastic, even by today’s standards. His 27 home runs is the most ever by a Red Sox’s second baseman, as is his 120 RBI.

An All-Star for the eighth time in his career, the life-long Red Sox’s batter hit .294 with 67 extra base hits and 103 runs scored.

Highlight Game: June 8, 1950 vs. St Louis Browns. Doerr, batting out of the seven spot, hit three home runs in the same game. He had a two-run shot in the fourth inning, another two-run jack in the seventh, and a solo bomb in the eighth. It was the only three-homer game of his 14-year professional career.

Competition: Dustin Pedroia’s 2008 season gave me a difficult decision to make, because his 118 runs are the most ever by a Boston second baseman. His .326 average and 20 stolen bases made it hard to choose between the two players, but I gave Doerr the benefit of the doubt because of the decade he played in.

His 27 home runs were just one behind Yogi Berra, while his 120 RBI fell just two short of Joe DiMaggio’s 122. In his day, Doerr was one of the best players around.

Third Base: Billy Werber (1934)

Billy Werber left the bath paths blazing in 1934, stealing 40 bases. “That’s not that impressive,” you say. “Guys have had more than 100 in one year.” That’s true, but consider the era.

Werber’s 40 steals were the most of any Red Sox player in his decade, as well as the 1950's and the 1960's. In fact, it wasn’t until 1973 when his record would be broken. It was also the most by any third baseman in baseball between 1934 and 1965. Werber batted .321 with 41 doubles, 10 triples, 129 runs and 77 walks.

Highlight Game: September 3, 1934 @ Washington. Play-by-play records and box scores are tough to come by from 1934, but Werber hit an inside-the-park home run in the ninth inning in the first game of a double-header against the Washington Senators—his third inside-the-park home run of the year.

Competition: I like a few other third basemen here. Mike Lowell had a great year in 2007, driving in 120 with a .324 batting average, and Wade Boggs was equally impressive 20 years earlier hitting .363 with 24 homers and 108 runs in 1987.

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