The 1999 Red Sox: The Team That Fans Forgot
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Red Sox. They didn’t win it all, but they were a much better team than you remember. And they were a much…
(Mandatory Credit: Harry How /Allsport)
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Red Sox. They didn't win it all, but they were a much better team than you remember.
And they were a much better team than they had the right to be. I've had that year's team on my mind recently for a couple of reasons. First, we're on the verge of what will likely be another disappointing Red Sox season, thanks to a front office and ownership that seem to have lost interest in one of the most storied franchises in Major League Baseball. Second, Jimy Williams just passed away.
Jimy Williams was the Boston Red Sox skipper from 1997 through 2001, when he was fired by General Manager Dan Duquette during an August slump. Tony Mazz at our sister station 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote this remembrance of Williams' tenure in the Fenway home dugout, and it's a good read. But I'd like to focus on what he was able to do with the 1999 team.
The 1999 Red Sox: The Team That Fans Forgot
I think for a segment of Sox fans with selective memories, history begins with the 2003 ALCS heartbreak and the 2004 World Series redemption. But bring it back five more years and you get a Boston team that did a lot with a little. Of course, they had Pedro going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA, winning a Cy Young, and almost winning MVP. In short, the greatest single-season performance of a pitcher in the steroid era.
And they had NOMAH! The beloved Boston SS hit .357 that year with 27 home runs and 104 RBI. But aside from that? Jose Offerman, John Valentin and Troy O'Leary weren't exactly All Star-caliber players. And future Sox stars Jason Varitek, Trot Nixon, and Tim Wakefield had yet to come into their own.
Still, Williams managed the team to 94 wins, good enough for 2nd in the AL East behind the wagon of a Yankees team that would pummel them in the ALCS. But that came after a thrilling ALDS victory over the Cleveland Indians that featured some classic Pedro heroics. Let's travel back in time to '99 and enjoy a few choice moments from a season that some Sox fans forgot.
Pedro
Pedro Martinez was *the* story of the 1999 Red Sox. He came to Boston in '98, won 19 games, finished second in Cy Young voting, then proceeded to say "hold my beer" and, as I mentioned above, turned in the greatest single-season pitching performance of MLB's Steroid Era.
Nomah!
Nomar Garciaparra became the Sox full-time SS in 1997, the year he won Rookie of the Year honors in the American League. By '99, he was the team's offensive and defensive anchor, as well as a fan favorite. You can have Jeter and A-Rod. We have Nomar and, as the chant went back in '99: "NOMAH'S BETTAH! CLAP! CLAP! CLAPCLAPCLAP!"
Pedro's Starts Were An Event
It was the ultimate "you had to be there moment." When Pedro Martinez had a home start at Fenway, the park was electric. "K" signs, Dominican flags, Pedro jerseys. It was a block party atmosphere every damn time. (Mandatory Credit: Harry How/Getty Images)
1999 All Star Game
You can't talk about the '99 season without talking about the '99 All Star Game at Fenway. There's Sox skipper Jimy Williams himself, who would go on to win Manager of the Year honors for the American League. (Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport)
Mark McGwire? Sit Down.
Pedro started the '99 ASG, of course. In two innings, he struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced: Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire, and Jeff Bagwell. Filthy. And unprecedented. (Mandatory Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport)
Pedro. Again.
1999 ALCS. Game 5, Jacob's Field, Cleveland. Pedro comes out of the bullpen to pitch 6 scoreless innings, striking out 8, and powering the Red Sox to a series victory over the Indians. Good call going to Pedro, Jimy. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew Stockman /Allsport)
1999 Comes To An End
Yes, the Sox beat the Indians and punched their ticket to the ALDS. Yes, they were obliterated by the Yankees in 5 games. But just getting there was a win in and of itself. (Mandatory Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport)
