1975 World Series Injury
I was just curious if you feel you could have played against the Cincinnati Reds
in the 1975 series and that it was only management that did not allow it?
There are many people who think Boston might have won it had you been able
to play. Did you think management was being too conservative in not allowing
you to play?
Curt B.
I appreciate that people think I could have made a difference in the 1975 World Series. I wanted to play in that series and help my teammates. But anyone who thinks that management was being too conservative by not allowing me to play doesn’t know the severity of my injury.
I had a broken hand. With about 10 days to go in the season, Vern Ruhle hit me in the left hand and crushed two of my knuckles. I took the cast off because I didn’t want to be a spectator, but I couldn’t play. I couldn’t grip a bat.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Well Jim, it’s not like the Reds just rolled over the Sox in that Series. The Good Guys gave the Machine a real run for their money, but they came up short.
You had a terrific year in ‘75 and losing you late in the season was a blow. Anyone watching the game back then knew that if you could play you would have been on the field. The Sox needed a little more punch against the Reds and that punch was you.
That ‘75 team was a monster, and you were a big part of it. It was great to have the Sox get to the Series, but I will always feel that the Reds got lucky by not having to face the total team that ran roughshod over the American League that year and you were one of the major grinders.