July 29, 2013

Scott Passes

Former first baseman George Scott passed away. There are no details yet.

Scott posted a .373 OBP in the 1967 Red Sox AL Championship season and .333 for his career, also hitting 271 homers. He’s listed at Baseball Reference at 6′ 2″, 200 pounds, but I believe he was much heavier than that. Despite his heft, his reputation was as a great glove man, although it doesn’t show up in his defensive stats that well.

His best year in terms of WAR was 1973, but in 1975 he led the league in home runs and RBI, helping the Red Sox to a second AL Pennant.

My thoughts go out to his family and friends. I certainly enjoyed watching him play.

Correction: Scott played for the Brewers in 1973 and 1975. I regret the error. Thanks to all who pointed out the problem.

6 thoughts on “Scott Passes

  1. fred

    He was a great fielder,1st at 3rd base then over at first.He saved a ton of errors from other infielders throws.
    He called his homers taters.He had to be in the 220# range.
    He was a rare black player for the sox of those days.
    R.I.P. George,this lifelong sox fans remembers you fondly.

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  2. art kyriazis

    George Scott was not just a very good player for a number of years, he was one of the few african american players who played for the Red Sox in the 60s and 70s who actually seemed to enjoy playing in Boston.

    And he loved hitting that Green Monster.

    I shall miss him.

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  3. Bob Shvodian

    In his rookie 1966 season, George Scott hit one of the longest HR ever to the upper deck
    left field stands at Yankee Stadium, almost as long as Jimmie Foxx’s LF blast off Lefty Gomez.
    Gomez, watching Astronaut N Armstrong taking steps on the moon, stated that a white spot on the lunar surface was the HR that Foxx hit off him. As stated above, Scott brought the term “taters” for HR into baseball lingo. He had a beautiful smile showing a gold tooth. Most of the Sox players took offense when mgr Dick Williams once called Scott “cement head” after a Scott gaffe & Scott could have punched
    Williams out but Scotty was just too nice a guy. RIP Boomer

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  4. NPB Card Guy

    Scott was actually a Brewer in 1975. He spent 1972 through 1976 – arguably his peak seasons – in Milwaukee. The Red Sox traded another African American first baseman entering his prime – Cecil Cooper – to the Brewers to reacquire Boomer for the 1977 season.

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  5. Bill McGrath

    If I recall, the Boomer wore a big necklace and when asked what the beads were, he responded “Second Basemen’s teeth” …

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