In last week’s battle of Boston legends the voters couldn’t decide between Larry Bird and Ted Williams, with Wednesday’s Challenge ending in a tie. Since you need to win to move up The RBSF Ladder, Bird will maintain his spot at #3 with Teddy Ballgame stuck, for now, at #5. This week’s challenge takes us from the top of the ladder back to the bottom as championship-winning Red Sox GM Theo Epstein attempts to get on board The Ladder by taking on #98 Peter McNab, the high-scoring former Bruin. A look at this week’s candidates…
MCNAB: Played 8 seasons for the Bruins (1976-84). Helped Boston reach Stanley Cup Finals twice (1977-78). Selected an NHL All Star in 1977. Scored at least 35 goals and 75 points in 6 straight seasons. Career totals for Boston: 263 goals and 357 assists for 587 points in 595 games. In the playoffs he had 38-36-74 totals in 79 games. In among the Top 10 in franchise history in game-winning goals (7th), goals (9th), power play goals (9th) and points (10th). Among Bruins centers he is 2nd all-time in goals, 4th in assists, and 2nd in points behind only Phil Esposito. Bruins made the playoffs in all 8 seasons he played in Boston.
EPSTEIN: Has been Red Sox GM for 6 seasons (2003-present) and Assistant GM for one (2002). Has helped lead the Sox to 2 World Championships (2004, 2007). Red Sox have made playoffs in 5 of his 6 seasons in charge, advancing to the ALCS or beyond 4 times. Bold trade of Nomar Garciaparra in ’04 (for Orlando Carbrera and Doug Mientkiewicz) helped propel Sox to first World Series title in 86 years. Other key acquisitions via trade have included Curt Schilling, Jason Bay, Kevin Millar and Dave Roberts. Has signed David Ortiz, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Bill Mueller, Keith Foulke and Mike Timlin as free agents. Drafted Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson. Is a native of Brookline, Mass.
VERDICT: McNab was one of my first favorite Boston athletes. A center who averages 35 goals and 45 assists a game is no joke. But Theo, on top of being a Boston native, has helped lead the Red Sox to a point where they are not just annual contenders; they are the franchise of the 21st century in baseball. After no titles in 86 years, the GM who has won 2 (possibly 3) in his first 6 years on the job is worthy of my vote this week.
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7 comments:
If Theo gets on the ladder Scott Pioli can't be far behind...
McNab helped get to 2 Cup finals in 8 years. The Bruins had 2 Cups(69-70 season and 71-72 season) in his lifetime pre playing days. One of those titles came in the same decase he stated playing.
Epstein helped get 2 (possibly 3) World Series titles in 6 years. Until Theo came in as the youngest GM in MLB history the Sox had not won a WS in his lifetime or the lifetime of his parents. (or any of our or our parents lives).
Theo gets my vote without question. Theo has created a perennial contender.
ps. I'd be ok with knocking off Eruzione to put Pioli on the list.
decade not decase.
theo easily.
i notice rodney is not on the ladder by the way. hes my favorite player and deserves to be on there somewhere.
When Theo goes to NY and climbs into the stands to chase a fleeing punk fan, catches the a-hole, and throws him down so his teammate can beat him with his own shoe he will get my vote. Until that time my vote is for Peter McNab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjEv8ioFW3o
One of the greatest moments in Boston sports history for my money. How did it not get mentioned in the write up? I think this challenge is biased.
DK, you are to the Red Sox what mainstream media is to Obama. Pucker up!
This is a bullshit challenge, instead I have opted to tell everyone who voted for Larry Bird over Ted Williams why they were wrong:
If Ted Williams had not gone to War he would've played 22 seasons. That approaches 200% of how long Bird played.
If you remove each player from their respective team's history it would alter both teams significantly. However, Celtics would still have tons of Championships. Williams though he did not get a Championship upheld the Red Sox Yankees rivalry singlehandedly against the likes of Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris (not even to get into the second tier, so-called legends of Whitey Ford, Billy Martin, Bill Dickey types). It is the greatest rivalry in all of sports. (amazing, with such a championship imbalance for so many years)
The NBA is a significantly younger league as well. Williams' percentage of history is greater than Bird's.
He bat .406.
He was in the pre-late 80's generation of rampant Steroid abuse, and there is nothing that can be said to argue with this feat. Growing up, every year Tony Gwynn, possibly and probably the most consistent, good hitter of my lifetime, was supposed to match this .400 feat, but fell short. (the closest he came if my memory serves me right is .398 - though I could be wrong)
If he had taken steroids he probably would've hit in the high 600s for homers, but he wouldn't do that.
Stats:
Stats have evolved over the years like the the rectangular panty to the thong. It is a much more svelte, well-engineered art these days with literally hundreds of categories that did not exist when he [Williams] played. Who knows how many categories he'd be the leader in if they were kept as rigorously as they are today (or were in the early 90's when Bird retired).
Larry's last year he was near a non-impact player. It is true.
He also didn't win after '86. Not to sound greedy but that was less than 8 years into his career. Again Williams played over a 22 year span.
In addition, the .406 mark may not be equaled/broken till 2050- which will make it all that more of a significant achievement. Maybe later.
Bird was nasty, I am highlighting differences so the erroneous ways of the last vote are realized. Championships should count for something. A whole lot actually, but his three does not override the truly AMAZING portion of the Red Sox history, and Boston history in general that Ted Williams led.
This seems like the usual [but fought against] case of the more recent player being the beneficiary for just that reason. If Macauley & Bucyk could get a fair shake, it seems the indisputably best Red Sox of All-Time- perhaps best Boston athlete of All-Time -should get one.
Moreover, Ted Williams was never affiliated with the Indiana Pacers organization.
Just to highlight Theo's negatives"
SIGNINGS:
Theo's bad moves:
Ramiro Mendoza
Matt Clement
Edgar Renteria
Chad Bradford
Byung-Hyun Kim
Julio Lugo
TRADES
Bad ones:
Freddy Sanchez, Mike Gonzalez for Jeff Suppan, Brandon Lyon, Anastacio Martinez
Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena
Kason Gabbard, David Murphy and Engel Beltre for Eric Gagne (no way to predict how bad though)
Marte, Shoppach and Mota for Crisp, Riske and Josh Bard.
Josh Hancock for Jeremy Giambi.
Cla Meredith and Josh Baird for Doug Mirabelli.
______________________________
Theo's best move = Hiring Terry Francona.
EXTENSIONS
However....Theo great around when and when not to provide extensions to players
VTek - well done
Ortiz - well done
Beckett - amazing
Wake - awesome (perpetual option)
Coco - good (tradeable)
Alex Cora - well done
Mike Timlin - ok - nothing special
Doug Mirabelli - zzzz (has rings)
COMP PICKS
Things I had no idea about:
Losing Pedro Martinez - we got Clay Buchholz and Jonathan Egan out of it.
Losing Derek Lowe - we got Craig Hansen and Michael Bowden out of it.
Losing Orlando Cabrera - we got Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie with the comp picks
I can't even argue for or against McNabb. I vote Theo
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