Duffy's Cliff: A Red Sox Lexicon Mostly Unabridged and Uncensored

1. Hardy, Carroll

The only man ever to pinch hit for Ted Williams.
Frozen forever in trivial carbonite in first inning of game on 20th of Septmeber, 1960. Williams injured his foot after fouling a ball of it, and Hardy was called upon to finish the at-bat. He prompty hit into a double play.

Pitch outs: In 1955, Hardy played one year for the San Francisco 49ers, scoring 4 TD's amongst 12 catches. His teammates that year included football HOFers Y.A. Tittle, Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny In December of 1962, Hardy was traded away from the Sox to the Colt 45's for...Impossible Dream skipper Dick Williams. Was Denver Broncos player personel director for 20 years, including their 1977 Super Bowl XII run. Other famous substitutions on Hardy's ceevee: - at plate for Roger Maris - at dish for Carl Yastrzemski - in field as 9th inning defensive replacement after the Splendid Splinter hit no. 521. Williams went out to his spot in left field, but it was merely a curtain call, the last appearance Teddy Ballgame would would make in a game as major league baseball player. Much to the chagrin of the Fenway crowd, Carroll Hardy jogged out to replace him, whereupon he spent the next three outs awash in a sea of epithets and mamma jokes...

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 27-Oct-2006 02:06 PM)

2. 'Nuf Ced McGreevey

Saloonkeeper Michael T. ”’Nuf Ced” McGreevey was the leader of the Royal Rooters, a band of fanatical Boston baseball fans in the late 19th (NL’s Beaneaters/Braves) and early 20th century (AL’s Pilgrims/Red Sox).
The Rooters often started their game-day binge drinking at McGreevey’s “3rd Base” saloon, located at the corner of Tremont & Ruggles streets, then carried their sotted asses to the ballpark, singing raucously and punching the occasional nun along the way.
Their signature rally song was “Tessie,” most famously used to spur Boston during the 1903 World Series as the Olde Towne Team trailed the Pirates 3 games to 1 in a best of 9 series that they eventually won.
“Nuf Ced” dubbing came from McGreevey’s tendency towards abrupt and uncompromising endings to conversations.

Pitch Outs: The Boston Public Library houses McGreevey's priceless collection of Red Sox and other baseball memorabilia. Interestingly the Royal Rooters disbanded in 1918, the same year of the start to a long Sox championship drought that ended in 2004, the same year bean-eating punks the Dropkick Murphys released a version of the song "Tessie."

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 25-Oct-2006 09:18 PM)

3. Little Professor, The

Nickname of Dominic Paul DiMaggio (born February 12, 1917 in San Francisco, California)
Former Sox center fielder who played his entire career with Olde Towne Team from 1940 to 1953.
The youngest of nine children born to Sicilian immigrants, Dom followed siblings Joe and Vince to the major leagues (and like brothers, played center fielder).
“The Little Professor” moniker reflected his wearing of eyeglasses and relatively diminutive height of 5’9”.
An exceptional fielder, he also hit .300 four times.

Fun fact: His 34-game hitting streak in 1949 remains a club record.

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 25-Oct-2006 05:33 PM)

4. Papi, Stan

The profoundly unspectacular utility infielder traded for Bill Lee. On D-Day – December 7, 1978 – Lee was Traded by the Sox to the Montreal Expos for Papi. Papi (not to be confused…) played 50 games for the Sox in 1979, batting .188, then was let go by Sox after a single game played in 1980.

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 25-Oct-2006 01:18 PM)

5. Webb, Earl

William Earl Webb (September 17, 1897 – May 23, 1965), former Red Sox right fielder who holds record for most doubles in a season with 67 achieved in 1931.
Webb’s 67 broke both Tris Speaker’s AL record for two-baggers in a season (59), and the major league record of George Burns (64).
On his 32nd birthday, September 17, 1931, Webb hit his 64th and 65th doubles during a doubleheader against Cleveland at Fenway to break Burns’s mark. He added two more by season’s end to finish with 67, a record that’s stood for 75 years.
Batting .371 at mid-season in ‘31, he slumped in the second half, hitting .270 after July 30th. At some point in August of ‘31, Webb accidentally put iodine in one of his eyes, an incident that is believed to have contributed to his second-half struggles. Webb finished the season with a .333 average, 14 homers, 103 RBI, and 196 hits. He was 2nd in the league in extra base hits with 84.

Fun fact: The infamous John McGraw, impressed with Webb when he was playing for Chicago Cubs, actually traded away a young Hack Wilson for him in 1925.

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 24-Oct-2006 07:56 PM)

6. Joseph A. Boucher

The occupant of “The Red Seat” who had the misfortune of being hit on the head by the longest home run in Red Sox history.

An Albany construction engineer, Boucher often traveled to Boston to work on building projects in Park Square. He stayed in an apartment on Commonwealth Avenue during these visits, and frequently made it to Fenway to see his beloved Red Sox. But on that fateful day, sitting more than 30 rows behind the bullpen in Seat 21 in Row 37 of Section 42, Ted Williams’s deep drive off Tigers righthander Fred Hutchinson flew high over the head of right fielder Pat Mullin and the bullpen. 502 feet (a suspect estimate) later the ball met with Boucher’s be-hatted dome. Lore has it that the home run perforated the top of Boucher’s straw hat.

As a footnote to this, Boucher didn’t even end up getting the ball. In fact, he claims not to have seen it against the background of a sun-emblazoned sky. On-lookers informed him it rocketed back another dozen rows after meeting with his melon.

(Submitted by F. Morris [6], 24-Oct-2006 01:33 PM)