One of the six states that make up New England, most people think of maple syrup and skiing when they hear Vermont. However, the state has produced Major League Baseball talent, including seven who played for the “hometown” team, the Boston Red Sox.
Vermont Red Sox Players
Ray Collins
Ray Collins was born in Colchester in 1887. Collins spent seven years in the major leagues, all with the Red Sox. Over those seven seasons (1909-1915), Collins was 84-62, with a 2.51 ERA. The lefty’s best season, in terms of wins and losses, was 1913, when he was 19-8. His best ERA came during the 1910 season (1.62).
Jean “Chauncey” Dubuc
Born in St. Johnsbury in 1888, Jean Dubuc is likely more remembered for the scandals he was involved in as an athlete at both the college and professional levels. He did appear in two games for the Red Sox. In those two games in 1918, the righty was 0-1 in 10 2/3 innings. Dubuc allowed five runs (all earned) on 11 hits while also walking five and striking out one. He ended his two-game stint with the Red Sox with a 4.22 ERA.
Larry Gardner
The pride of Enosburg Falls, Larry Gardner played parts of 17 major league seasons, primarily at the “hot corner.” His first ten seasons were spent in Beantown. Over those 10 seasons (1908-1917), Gardner’s best offensive season in a Red Sox uniform was in 1912. During that season, Gardner batted .315, with three home runs and 86 RBI in 143 games.
Ambrose “Amby” McConnell
Born just over the upstate New York border in North Pownal, in 1883, Amby McConnell saw parts of three seasons with the Red Sox. The second baseman spent his first two seasons with the Sox (1908 and 1909). In the middle of his third season, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. His best season in Boston was his first in 1908, when he batted .279, and hit two of his three career home runs while driving in 43.
Steve Slayton
The righty from Barre had a brief Major League career; three games to be exact. In those three games, all in a Red Sox uniform, Steve Slayton was 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA, over a total of seven innings. He allowed three runs (all earned) on six hits while walking three and striking out two during the 1928 season.
George “Birdie” Tebbetts
The Burlington-born George “Birdie” Tebbetts played parts of 14 Major League seasons. The backstop spent parts of four of those seasons with the Red Sox (1947-1950). He was acquired from the Detroit Tigers during the 1947 season. Tebbetts made the most of those four seasons in the Bay State’s capital city. He was an All-Star in 1948 and 1949. At the plate, Tebbetts’ best season as a Red Sox player was in 1948 when he batted .280, including five home runs and 68 runs batted in.
Carlton Fisk
Today In 1975: Boston #RedSox catcher Carlton Fisk hits a historic 12th inning walk-off HR to win Game 6 of the World Series vs. the Cincinnati #Reds at Fenway Park! #MLB #Baseball #History #Postseasonpic.twitter.com/VBnokz4Ats
— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) October 21, 2022
If you ask anyone in New England about Carlton Fisk, the first thing they will likely say is “Game six, 1975 World Series.” Fisk willing the ball to stay fair in the twelfth inning is one of the most iconic moments not only in Red Sox history, but also in MLB history. Fisk is the only Major League player from Vermont to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Bellows Falls-born Fisk spent parts of 11 seasons with his hometown Red Sox, before spending the remaining 13 years of his career with the Chicago White Sox.
Fisk was a seven-time All-Star catcher while with the Red Sox, during the 1970s and in 1980. He won the AL Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove Award in 1972. Fisk hit 20 or more home runs four times in a Red Sox uniform. His best batting average was .315 during the 1977 season, when he also had a Red Sox career-high 102 RBI. He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 2000.
Takeaway
Making it to the big leagues is something many kids dream of growing up. Regardless of the duration of a major league career, it is still an achievement that less than one percent of people get to experience. Even rarer are those who make it to the big leagues and play for the team they rooted for growing up. The seven aforementioned players are part of that rare group. Whether it lasted only a few games or spanned over a decade, these seven players from the Green Mountain State of Vermont will likely never forget the moment they put on that Red Sox uniform.
Photo Credit: © John Heider/hometownlife.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
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