You know those pesky states not attached to the rest of the US? We’re finally there.
If you missed the premise of this series, check out the intro piece here. TLDR: Who is the best Red Sox player to come out of each state/country?
We’re finally there. The end of the United States. The Pacific brought out some immense legends of the franchise’s history; let’s see what the last two states do:
Hawaii
Batter: Shane Victorino
Who else could it be but the Flyin’ Hawaiian? Victorino, in essence, finished his career in Boston, and boy, was it worth it. From his stellar defense, to the clutchest of hits in the 2013 post-season, the Wailuku native was well worth any IL stint he ever saw. When it’s between him and a player from the early 2000’s who barely saw the field of play, it goes to Victorino, hands down. For a lot of his tenure, we didn’t have to worry. . . bout a thing. . . cause every little thing. . . was gonna be alright.
RUNNER-UP: BENNY AGBAYANI
Pitcher: NO ONE
Our final blank entry! No Hawaiian has stepped foot on the mound in Red Sox history.
RUNNER-UP: NO ONE
Alaska
Batter: Randy Kutcher
Kutcher is frankly the only batter from Alaska to don the Sox uniform, so by default, he joins the list. The Anchorage native was a utility outfielder, seeing time behind Mike Greenwell, Ellis Burks, and Dwight Evans. Yeah, you can see why Kutcher wasn’t an everyday starter. In his three seasons in Boston to finish his career, Kutcher hit a slash line of .224/.292/.354/.645 with three dingers and 23 RBIs.
RUNNER-UP: NO ONE
Pitcher: Curt Schilling
This might be the first time a representative that has no other competition in a state could have been a challenger on any other state’s list. While a contentious voice (ed. note: total jackass) now, Schilling was an absolute force to be reckoned with as he finished his career with the Red Sox. A 21-6 record in 2004, those wins leading all of the Majors, with a 3.26 ERA (148 ERA+), 203 strikeouts, and oh yeah, a curse-busting World Series at the end of it, where he literally pitched through life and limb to propel the Red Sox to victory. He would go on to have a 53-29 record, with 574 strikeouts, an ERA+ of 120, and a second World Series title to retire with. Despite the desire to pitch more, he was completely sidelined for the 2008 season by a right shoulder injury, one that would be a career-ender. A six-time All-Star, and someone who garnered bo both Cy Young and MVP votes numerous times, Schilling has an illustrious legacy (as a baseball player, don’t ask me about anything else), and even without the competition, is a great pitcher on the list.
RUNNER-UP: NO ONE
So that’s it. The United States of the Red Sox has been complete. But the title of this series says World, right? We’ll be back next week, starting with Latin/South America as we live up to our promise of going around the world for the best Red Sox players!