Red Sox starter Rick Porcello was named 2016 American League Comeback Player of the Year today. The award goes to a player in each league who re-emerged on the field during the season. The National League winner was Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon. Beat reporters from all 30 clubs vote to determine the award winners.
Porcello was 22-4 with a 3.15 ERA over a career-high 33 starts this past season and winner of the AL Cy Young Award. Porcello’s 22 wins were the most in baseball in 2016 and most by a Red Sox pitcher since Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez‘ 23-4 record in 1999.
Past Comeback winners with ties to the Red Sox include Nomar Garciaparra (2006 with Dodgers), Aaron Hill (2009 with Blue Jays), and Jacoby Ellsbury (2011 with Boston). Last August, 2015’s AL Comeback winner, Prince Fielder, was forced by injury to end his playing career.
Some other news for Red Sox fans:
- Red Sox Hall of Famer Dave “Boo” Ferriss died on Thanksgiving at age 94. Ferriss pitched his career with Boston from 1945 to 1950 and was an All-Star in 1946, going 25-6 with a 3.25 ERA in 40 games (35 starts). In his first season Ferriss beat every team in the league and even batted .267 in 120 at-bats. To this day he holds the club record for most consecutive home wins (13 in 1946) and the most wins (21), shutouts (5), and complete games (26) in a season as a rookie. After his career, Ferriss was a Red Sox pitching coach before coaching baseball at Delta State University. He’s survived by his wife Miriam, two children, and five grandchildren and great grandchildren.
- Ryan LaMarre, who appeared in just six games with the Red Sox last season, has signed a one-year, big league deal with the Angels. Despite his limited playing time with the Sox, LaMarre put together a solid year at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2016 going 96-for-317 (.303) with 10 home runs in 86 games. Ironically, LaMarre pitched an inning for the Red Sox against his new team in a 21-2 Angels rout over Boston last July 2nd.