Boof Bonser: What's in a Pitchers Name?

In baseball, it’s not easy to forget a name like Boof Bonser. It belongs to a right-handed pitcher who has never been a star but through his ability has carved out a lengthy professional career and ensured he will be remembered long after he retires.

In 2000, Bonser was a first-round draft choice (21^st overall selection) of the San Francisco Giants out of Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he had a career record of 24-9 with a 1.99 ERA.

After a rough first professional season, Bonser was phenomenal during his sophomore campaign in 2001 with the Single-A Hagerstown Suns. He was 16-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 27 starts, showing what had made him so highly coveted in the previous year’s draft.

He continued pitching well and making steady progress in San Francisco’s system, reaching Triple-A in 2003. However, that offseason, he was traded with pitchers Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano to the Minnesota Twins for catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash.

Although he maintained his success in Minnesota’s system, Bonser didn’t get called up to the majors until 2006. During his rookie season, he put in a nice effort in the Twins’ starting rotation by going 7-6 with a 4.22 ERA in 18 starts.

He pitched with Minnesota through the 2008 season but missed all of 2009 because of shoulder surgery. Since then, he has had brief stints in the majors with the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics in 2010, has pitched for their minor league affiliates, and also been in the minors with the New York Mets, Giants and Cleveland Indians.

Most recently, Bonser appeared in a combined 18 games (16 starts) in stints with Indians and Giants Triple-A affiliates, going 2-8 with a 5.89 ERA. He wound up pitching in Taiwan at the end of the season, but the 32-year-old’s career is far from over. It will be interesting to see where he lands in 2014, and if he can work his way back to the majors at some point before it is all said and done.

Last year, Bonser was gracious enough to answer some questions regarding his career. Keep reading for more on the pitcher with the unforgettable name.

Boof Bonser Interview:

If you could sit down and pick the brain of any pitcher, current or former, who would that be and why?: I don’t really have one guy. My thing is if I could talk to any old-time pitcher that would be great. 

If you were pitching in Game 7 of the World Series, who would you want as your catcher, and why?: Well I have only had three catchers in the bigs that I was able to throw to. [Joe] Mauer, [Jason] Varitek, and [Kurt]Suzuki. Anyone of those guys would be great.

Can you elaborate on the origins of your name?: There is really nothing to my name. It was just a nickname that my parents gave me as a kid, and it stuck with me.

What is your favorite moment of your playing career?: My favorite moment would have to be when I got the call that I was going to the big leagues. 

What is your current thought process about trying to get back to the majors after having already been there for parts of four seasons?: Well the biggest thing for me is just trying to stay healthy. So when everything is healthy, it’s just about pitching good and getting back to the bigs.

Which coach or manager has been the most influential on your career?: Every one of my coaches where great. Each one had something different for me to learn and think about.

How does it feel being back with the organization who made you a first-round draft choice in 2000?: It is great. I’m just hoping I can get up to the big leagues with them. That would be like a dream come true.

What are you looking forward to the most for the 2014 season?: My biggest thing is getting myself back to the big leagues and staying there.

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The 3 Best Baseball Movies Ever Made

Baseball is so ingrained in the fabric of American society that it has been a popular topic of Hollywood films for many years. Ranging from comedy to drama and genres in between, the game has more than enough intricacies to make for compelling fodder.

Ranked lists of movies are rife on the internet but are often tied to factors like quality of cinematography and costuming. There will be none of those pretensions here. While I can appreciate the finer qualities of films, when it comes to those about baseball, I am looking for something that either gives me greater insight about the game and/or the warm and fuzzies because of how well the topic is celebrated.

Although I haven’t seen all the baseball movies ever made, here are the three that have earned spots on my own top-ranked list.

3. Sugar: The 2008 drama directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck tells the story of Miguel “Sugar” Santos, an impoverished but talented Dominican pitcher who is signed out of a baseball academy and starts a professional career in the minor leagues in the United States.

“Sugar,” who has nothing to fall back on but a baseball career, discovers the path to his dream is dotted with obstacles. Simply trying to navigate in the foreign world that is Midwest America is as big of a challenge as he has ever experienced in his life. When he cannot find the same level of success as a professional as he did as a starry-eyed up-and-comer back home, he is forced to re-evaluate his goals, ambition and connection to baseball.

A melancholy film, the notion that professional athletes have it easy, is dispelled early on. In particular, the bigotry “Sugar” experiences, and the need for him to adapt to a whole new society and game when he is not even out of his teen years is an excellent reminder of the silent majority in baseball. These are the real-life non-American players who have come before and since this movie, and have toiled under similar constraints before fading away to unknown fates without ever fulfilling major league aspirations.

Of special note is former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Rijo, who appears in a small role as a baseball consultant. Ironically, he was forced to take a leave of absence several years later in his former real-life job as a special assistant for the Washington Nationals, after a scandal broke regarding a Dominican player he had helped discover.

2. Eight Men Out: Directed by John Sayles, this 1988 film is an adaptation of Eliot Asinof’s 1963 book by the same name. It covers the infamous Black Sox scandal, where eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for life for their alleged roles in throwing the 1919 World Series in exchange for bribes from gamblers.

The film takes some Hollywood liberties by including unsubstantiated scenes for dramatic effect (‘Say it ain’t so, Joe’ never happened) but overall it is an incredibly strong representation of the doomed team.

The cast is full of heavy hitters, both literally and metaphorically, and highlighted by a young John Cusack as third baseman Buck Weaver, a surprisingly athletic Charlie Sheen as centerfielder Hap Felsch, and John Mahoney (the dad from Frasier) as manager Kid Gleason.

However, the film is carried by a vastly underrated performance by D.B. Sweeney in the role of Shoeless Joe Jackson. Not only does he look good on the field (an important part of any effective acting in a baseball movie), but he also captures Jackson nicely by portraying him as a country bumpkin who isn’t necessarily as stupid as many think.

Eight Men Out shows the grimy underbelly of baseball during a time when it was spreading around the country like wildfire as the game of heroes. It’s tight, has acceptable on-field action and tells the story from all points of view. It may not be the perfect movie but when it comes to those about baseball, it’s about as good as it gets.

1. Field of Dreams: Let’s get this out of the way first. Ray Liotta is a fine actor. A great actor even when considering his work in films like Good Fellas. Unfortunately, his turn as Shoeless Joe Jackson in this 1989 Phil Alden Robinson fantasy-drama is not among his best work.

It’s not that Liotta stammered his lines or hammed it up. He simply wasn’t Jackson. The real-life player was an uneducated left-handed hitter, while Liotta plays him as a righty with the propensity to wax poetic. As it turns out, while the portrayal is a bit of a distraction, it ultimately doesn’t matter.

Based on W.P. Kinsella’s book Shoeless Joe, Field of Dreams is the story of Iowa corn farmer Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, who is struggling with approaching mid-life, his failed relationship with his dead father, and the fact he is hearing strange voices in his fields.

Much to the chagrin of his family and his militantly conservative neighbors and in-laws, Ray builds a baseball field in the middle of his crops in compliance with the sweet nothings murmured from the depths of his corn. To his surprise, Jackson and the rest of the Black Sox appear from the silky stalks and start playing on the diamond.

James Earl Jones nails his part as Terence Mann, a cynical iconic writer who used to love baseball and may once again.

The real delight is screen legend Burt Lancaster, who makes a cameo as former player turned kindly doctor Moonlight Graham. Anyone who can watch his scenes without a major lump in their throat are stronger than I.

Slowly, Ray starts to realize why he was directed to build the field and how the power of baseball can make ties that bind.

I have probably seen the movie 45-50 times in my life, and the final scene where Ray comes to have an emotional game of catch with an unexpected partner in the shadows of a beautiful setting sun has never failed to make me lose it. Not once.

The beauty of Field of Dreams is how it is able to seemingly flip a switch with viewers, creating emotion and connection from the way it wonderfully intertwines baseball, family and the concept of never giving up on dreams. Accordingly, this remains the Mona Lisa of the silver screen, and the standard that all other baseball movies should be measured against.

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Blather Up: Ryan Dempster’s Sabbatical, Stephen Drew’s Fate and Other Boston Red Sox Chat

With spring training starting up, Ron Juckett, the editor for Red Sox 101, and I have recorded our second installment of Blather Up, a podcast of Boston Red Sox chat.

This week we discuss Ryan Dempster’s sudden decision to sit out the 2014 season, the fate of Stephen Drew, which players face make-or-break seasons, and much, much more.

Check out the podcast HERE.

For more, make sure to follow Ron on Twitter at @RedSox_101 or his personal account of @ronjuckett. Of course, you can also find me @historianandrew and through my work with SportsReelBoston.com.

Another edition of Blather Up, with all new topics of conversation, will be coming at you shortly, so stay tuned.

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How Ryan Dempster's Departure Will Impact the Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox received surprising news Sunday when veteran starting pitcher Ryan Dempster announced he will not pitch in 2014 in order to focus on his family.

Dempster has pitched for five teams during a 16-year major league career, going a combined 132-133 with a 4.35 ERA.

He signed with the Red Sox last offseason to a two-year deal, and went 8-9 with a 4.57 ERA in 32 games (29 starts). However, he lost his spot in the rotation towards the end of the year, and was used mainly in a mop-up role from that point through the playoffs.

According to multiple reports, Dempster’s decision means he will be placed on the restricted list by Boston, and his $13.25 2014 salary will come off the books. Expected to compete for a spot in the starting rotation, or failing that, to be used in relief or as trade bait, the announcement from the 36-year-old right-hander seemingly came out of the blue.

Here are three ways Dempster’s sabbatical will impact the team:

Brandon Workman may get a chance to start: The top of Boston’s rotation seems relatively set in stone with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and John Lackey. Beyond that, Dempster, Felix Doubront and Jake Peavy were expected to battle it out for the final two spots. However, now that Dempster is out of the equation, assuming that the starters are set would be a mistake.

Doubront showed up to camp last year out of shape. Additionally, he has faltered down the stretch during his career, with a 6.51 ERA in regular season games that came after August 31.

Peavy was 4-1 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 starts for the Red Sox in 2013 after being acquired in a trade, but was very uneven in the playoffs.

That brings us to Workman. The 25-year-old right-hander was 6-3 with a 4.97 ERA in 20 games (three starts) as a rookie last season, finishing as an important bullpen piece in the playoffs. However, the 2.45 ERA and 1.04 WHIP the Texan had in his three starts should be enough to earn him a long look this spring for a spot in the rotation.

More money to spend: Obtaining an additional $13.25 million of flexibility is a major coup at this stage of the season, especially when it comes at the expense of Dempster, a player who was likely going to play a marginal role at best.

The Red Sox have strove to avoid exceeding the luxury tax threshold, and the accompanying financial penalty that would come from doing so. The 2014 threshold is set at $189 million, and the newfound windfall provides a significant amount of leeway if the team chooses to pursue additional expenditures at any point this season.

Last year’s starting shortstop Stephen Drew is still waiting for a new home. Boston is reportedly still interested him, but only on their terms. Dempster’s savings could make them feel a bit more comfortable extending themselves to bring the infielder back into the fold.

There is also nothing like having a nest egg for a rainy day, so the Red Sox may choose to just sit on the new money. After all, there’s no telling if an interesting trade opportunity or an emergent need will develop at some point later in the season. It’s always better to leave a bullet or two in the chamber when it comes to navigating through a long and unpredictable MLB season.

Puts a little more pressure on the youngsters: Offseason talk often centered on the enviable pitching depth of the Red Sox. While the absence of Dempster won’t completely eliminate that advantage, it certainly does give it a good-sized dent.

The team still has a full pitching staff with plenty of arms ranging from the youthful (Workman) to the aged (closer Koji Uehara). The loss of a veteran like Dempster means that the top young arms in the farm system (of which there are many) will likely be one step closer to being asked to fill in if needed.

The pitching prospects most ready to contribute if called upon include right-handers Allen Webster, Anthony Ranaudo, Rubby De La Rosa, Alex Wilson and Matt Barnes. Additionally, left-hander Drake Britton got his first taste of the majors last season, and prized southpaw prospect Henry Owens is getting closer to being ready by the day.

Conclusion: The departure of Dempster will certainly have more impact than the three reasons listed above. By all accounts he was a dedicated player and a great teammate. Although he has decided to step away and address his life off the field, on it the game must go on. The team has already started for life without him, and while there isn’t time to stop and process too long, here’s wishing him all the best this year and in the future.

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