One of the most popular Boston Red Sox players of all-time, Johnny Pesky, had one of the best rookie seasons ever in 1942.  That season, he was Boston’s starting Shortstop, and he would lead the American League in Hits (205), batted .331, and was third in MVP voting.  Pesky would miss the next three seasons due to military service in World War II, and he returned exactly where he left off.

The story of Howard Ellsworth “Smoky Joe” Wood is common in that, and we have a power pitcher who was dominant for a short time, only for arm fatigue to cause an early end of his pitching career (though he would continue to play, but we’ll get to that later.)

Luis Tiant was an All-Star in 1968, winning the ERA Title as a member of the Cleveland Indians, but two years later, he was struggling and was offered a minor league contract with the Red Sox in 1971.  He was called up, but only went 1-7 with a 4.85 ERA, so in the following season, there were lowered expectations for the native of Cuba.  What followed was the most the emergence of the most popular hurler of the 70s in New England.