Popularity Contest

Who's your favorite Red Sox player? Who are the most popular Red Sox players? Popularity surely shouldn't determine security, but maybe it makes it difference. If you're a 'rat buzzard' and equally talented to a more popular player, that might get you a ticket out of town if Theo has to make Sophie's Choice.

It also makes a difference whether you're a pitcher or an everyday player. Most of us 'associate' with everyday players, not as though we should associate with any of these athletes. About the only thing most of us have in common with them is human DNA, and probably a big appetite.

Life's choices allow us to be lumpers and splitters, so I'll lump the players into quintiles from most popular to least popular, realizing that I'm trying to project other people's opinions onto my biased opinions. Hey, we're not about being right, just having an opinion.

Quintile 1
David Ortiz
Jason Varitek
Johnny Damon
Trot Nixon
Manny Ramirez

Quintile 2
Tim Wakefield
Curt Schilling
Bronson Arroyo
Kevin Millar
Gabe Kapler

Quintile 3
David Wells
Mike Timlin
Edgar Renteria
Bill Mueller
Matt Clement


Quintile 4
Mike Myers
Tony Graffanino
Doug Mirabelli
Kevin Youkilis
Manny Delcarmen

Quintile 5
Jeremi Gonzalez
Chad Bradford
Wade Miller
Alex Cora
Roberto Petagine
Adam Stern

DL (Mark Bellhorn, Keith Foulke)

Okay, so what do we do with this information? The 'less popular' players are either new, reservers or unknown quantities, or quiet. The 'more popular' players are either better known, stars, or 'good interviews'. Jose Cruz, Jr. we barely knew ya.