While some might argue that Pedro Martinez deserves the nod for stretches of white-hot pitching brilliance, Clemens deserves the edge with three Cy Young Awards while in Boston compared with Pedro’s two. Clemens also had three 20-win seasons to Pedro’s two. By the way, Cy Young himself pitched for the Red Sox and would be in the discussion had his career in Red Sox flannels not ended in 1908, four years before Fenway Park opened.
Left-handed pitcher – Babe Ruth
Making Babe the southpaw hurling selection might seem odd, but it’s really not. He started his career as a pitcher, and a very good one, and didn’t become a slugging outfielder until traded to the Yankees. With Boston, he turned in back-to-back seasons with 23 and 24 wins. His winning percentage during six seasons was .659 and his earned-run average an impressively low 2.19.
Fellow southpaw Lefty Grove made the Hall of Fame as a pitcher, but his greatest seasons came in the first part of 17-year career in which he played for the Philadelphia Athletics. In Ruth’s favor, it should be added, he had it all over Lefty as a hitting pitcher. In a Red Sox uniform, Ruth batted .300 or better four times, while Lefty’s best batting average during eight Boston seasons was a measly .162.
Catcher – Carlton Fisk
