Did Billy the Kid gunsling in Boston, or was the town too big for him?
Congrats are in order for Billy Wagner, a new inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Unlike Ichiro and CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner had a stint with the Red Sox, pitching for them during the 2009 season. How good was that season compared to his others? Is he really a Red Sox legend, as the kids like to say? Time to take a deep-dive into the stats and find out. (Fun fact: We had John Smoltz that year too!)
Let me state, for the record, that I was 9 years old during that season and I have zero recollection of him pitching for the team that year. Part of this is because the Sox claimed him off waivers in late August and he was really only with the team for a month. This affects his stats greatly and they do not look good, unless you consider the context. This was also the most pitching he did after his 2008 Tommy John surgery prior to joining the Braves in 2010.
He pitched in 15 games, but he only got one win, against the Orioles on September 9, and he recorded no saves. However, he recorded only one loss, on September 17 against the Angels, and his ERA over the 15 games was under 2, at 1.98. His FIP was also good, at 2.58. Over those 15 games, he recorded 22 strikeouts, 8 hits, 3 ER, and 7 walks, which made for a 3.14 SO/BB. No balks or HBPs, but he did throw one wild pitch. It’s of note that he struck out the side in his first game pitching for the Red Sox, and he also pitched in two games of the ALDS, but the Sox were swept by the Angels and didn’t advance.
For a 15 game stretch, those are actually pretty good stats, especially for a dude who’d just finished recovering from Tommy John. Wagner definitely helped the Sox put themselves in a good position for the Wild Card spot that year, as the team went 6-3 from August 21st (the day Wagner was acquired from the Mets) through August 30th, and 15-13 in September; the Sox lost 6 in row at the end of the season, but the team secured a playoff berth nonetheless. Certainly, there have been relievers that have stuck with the Red Sox longer than Wagner who were, or have been, worse (just check out Joely Rodriguez’s FIP for comparison).
Photo by Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images
This six-week blip was the shortest stat-line of Wagner’s career, as the second-fewest games he pitched during the regular season was 37 in 1996. The guy was in the twilight years of his career but still managed to pitch well in his age-38 season. To me, that’s Hall of Fame abilities right there.
It’s been heartwarming to see Wagner’s emotional reactions to getting into the Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility, and I’m very much looking forward to his speech in Cooperstown in July. He definitely deserves the award, and I think his Sox season just adds to his credibility. He didn’t stay in Boston long, but he didn’t leave a bad mark on the team or his legacy. Even for 15 games in his penultimate season, the guy was good.