Day 123: Rest in Peace, George "The Boomer" Scott

Baseball lost an amazing glove man last weekend. On Sunday, July 28th, George "The Boomer" Scott passed away in his hometown of Greenville, MS at the age of 69. The eight-time Gold Glove winning first baseman played for 14 seasons with the Red Sox, Brewers, Royals and *cough* Yankees *cough*.

Boomer played for the Red Sox from 1966-1971 and was part of the "Impossible Dream" team in 1967 when he won his first Gold Glove. He returned to Boston in 1977 after spending five seasons in Milwaukee where he won five consecutive Gold Gloves. While I was too young to remember his first tour in Boston, I can recall his second stint (1977-1979) quite well. He anchored an infield patrolled by the likes of Butch Hobson, Rick Burleson and Jerry Remy, some of my favorites, the very first time I visited Fenway Park.

Scott was mostly known for his dependable glove, but the nickname was a result of his home runs. Although he never hit a ton in any one season, the homers he did hit were monsters. Over the course of his career, he did hit 271 home runs, including 154 with the Red Sox, and drove in just over 1,000 runs. In 2006, he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

His former teammates had nothing but praise for the big man's prowess at first base.

“I’ve never to this day seen anyone play first base like that,” said former Red Sox second baseman Mike Andrews. “He was just like a big cat over there, and he saved me a lifetime full of errors.”  

“For a guy who was pretty big, he was incredibly agile, and we found out later he was an excellent basketball player in high school, and that’s what helped him get to so many ground balls,” said former Red Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg. “He probably had the softest hands of any big guy I’ve ever played with, with regards to ground balls. If it hit his hands, he could scoop it up. It was great to look back into the infield and see George Scott there playing behind you.”

He will always hold a special place in Red Sox history for me. It was the late 70's when I started really loving the Red Sox, understanding the game, and remembering the players and what they meant to me. Rest in peace, Boomer. Red Sox Nation will miss you.