Bobby Doerr

[the 'stache]

Bobby was a great player on some great teams, but the Red Sox 1950 offense is one of the best units in baseball history. The team hit .302, and scored 1,027 runs in 154 games. That's insane.

Look at this lineup:

C Birdie Tebbetts .310 AVG 268 AB .821 OPS
1B Walt Dropo .322 AVG, 559 AB, 101 R, 34 HR, 144 RBI, .961 OPS
2B Bobby Doerr .294 AVG, 586 AB, 103 R, 27 HR, 120 RBI, .886 OPS
SS Vern Stephens .295 AVG, 628 AB, 125 R, 30 HR, 144 RBI, .872 OPS
3B Johnny Pesky .312 AVG, 490 AB, 112 R, .825 OPS
OF Al Zarilla .325 AVG, 471 AB, 92 R, 74 RBI, .915 OPS
OF Ted Williams .317 AVG, 416 AB, 82 R, 28 HR, 97 RBI, 1.099 OPS
OF Dom DiMaggio .328 AVG, 588 AB, 131 R, 70 RBI, .866 OPS

And Williams' replacement in left field
OF Billy Goodman .354 AVG, 424 AB, 91 R, .882 OPS

Billy Goodman won the batting title that year, but he didn't have Williams' power. That the Red Sox went 94-60 with the best hitter in baseball history missing 65 games speaks to the team's greatness. I feel that was the best team Bobby and Ted played on, overall.

[egri]

Just think what they could have been with some pitching. That 1950 team finished four games out of first, despite having only one pitcher with an ERA under 4.00 (Mel Parnell, 3.61; next lowest was Joe Dobson at 4.18). The two previous years, carried almost entirely by two pitchers (Parnell and Ellis Kinder), they lost pennants by one game.

[the 'stache]

Absolutely agreed.