We recently sat down with one of Yastrzemski world's original owners, Boston's 13 time division titlist mike45. We chatted about the state and outlook of the Red Sox franchise, some of his all-time favorite players, and sundry others items of interest. Here's what he had to say:
Which of your HBD teams is your favorite and why?
Boston Red Sox (Yastrzemski). It’s where I’ve had the most success, but it’s really the one I work at the most as well. I’ve been here since the very beginning and it’s sort of fun to watch the players come and go as I build an organization, rather than just a team.
The Red Sox have not yet missed the playoffs in 15 completed seasons. Without giving away any secrets, can you explain how you have kept this team so competitive over the years? Do you see the team continuing to be on top for the foreseeable future?
In the first few seasons, I think I figured out quicker than most what ratings were important and which weren’t. Lots of owners focused on overall ratings which weren’t very accurate. For example, they heavily weighted stamina, which doesn’t add nearly as much to a player’s effectiveness as the ratings bump would suggest. So I signed the right players and was able to make good trades. Since then it’s really been a lot of luck.
You have had many elite players on the Red Sox over the years. Name for us your top three, and explain how and why they have been special for you.
Ron Karnuth was just ridiculously good. I’ll give you 14 reasons why I love him the most. .318, .354, .414, .356, .377, .371, .341, .382, .357, .384, .360, .369, .361, .359. Those were his batting averages in Boston. Then you add in 5 World Series rings, a couple of MVPs, 13 all star appearances, 12 silver sluggers, 4 gold gloves…you get the picture.
Alfonso Mercedes (current); 675 homers and really shows no signs of stopping (leads ML with 46 jacks this season)
Herman Parrish: I had him for only 6.5 years, but he had an 1.173 OPS while he was in Boston. That’s just absurd.
Honorable mentions: Terry Davis (current), Miguel Beltran
Without necessarily telling how you voted, do you feel that all time career saves leader (for now) Del Garces deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame? Why or Why not?
I’m not a big proponent of closers being in the Hall, but Garces is a special case. He’s the best this world has seen. 9 time all-star, 6 fireman awards. I think he’s worthy.
Who amongst your current prospects in the minors do you feel will make the biggest contribution at the ML level?
I’m hoping for Moe Stovall (currently .333/.433/.598) at AAA to make a big impact, possibly next season.
In your opinion, which ratings are the most important when it comes to determining how successful a pitcher might be?
I’ll be damned if I know anything about pitching. I quickly realized early on that I knew more about the offensive side of the game so my resources have gravitated to that side of the ball. However, playing half of my games at Fenway, I try to find pitchers with good control, groundball tendencies, and effectiveness against right handed hitters. If this year’s stats are any indication, I should try a new strategy next season.
If you could change one thing about HBD, what would it be and why?
Coach hiring is way too time consuming. We should just be able to allocate resources among levels or coach type.
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