Every city has their Garnetts, their Charas, their Becketts, their Bradys (well maybe not Bradys). They are your jersey guys, your Wheatie box guys, and rightfully so. I gravitate more towards the lesser known players. These guys are unsung heroes that we would never have won titles without. Simply put, these guys gave "Titletown" their name.
One guy that comes to mind is Heathcliff Slocumb. Heathcliff played for 8 teams in his major league career, amassing a staggering 98 saves and 513 strikeouts in 631 innings. The Sox finally got their hands on him in '96 after his only All-Star season for Killadelphia. He spent a season anda half with us, and then we shipped him to the Mariners for.... drumroll please.... Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek. Thanks Heath for being the ham sandwich in the most lopsided trade in baseball history.
Another guy is the real El Guapo, Rich Garces. This 6'0" 250 lb freak of athletic ability spent 6 years with the Sox in some of their worst years ('96-'02). The pinnacle of his career has to be pitching twice against the Indians in the '99 ALDS and not breaking the mound. His win against Bartolo Colon in Game 4 was overshadowed by Pedro's historic relief performance in Game 5, but true fans remember the real MVP of the '99 squad. No Boston fan can forget El Guapo and what he meant to that franchise... seeing him chugging out from the 'pen in late innings is one of my most treasured memories of Boston sports. As Sir Isaac Newton said, "I have stood on the shoulders of giants," and Okajima, Delcarmen, and the rest of the current staff better not forget this giant.
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