16. Kevin McHale
Behind Larry Bird, Kevin McHale was the best player on the Celtics during their dominance in the 1980’s. A true Celtic, McHale spent his entire career in Boston and was able to help bring three championships to the city in 1980, 1983, and 1985. McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for his career, but his best year came in 1986 in which he average 26.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and finished 4th in the MVP voting behind Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan. McHale showed Boston that he had the heart of a lion when, in 1987, McHale averaged 38 minutes a game in the playoffs with a career threatening broken foot. The Celtics eventually lost in Game 6 to the Lakers in the Finals, but fans truly appreciated McHale’s valiant effort. Kevin McHale was had his #32 retired by the Celtics in 1994 and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
17. Johnny Bucyk
Johnny Bucyk, nicknamed the “Chief,” spent the final 21 years of his career with the Bruins. He was a 6-time All-Star and won 2 Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972 with the Bruins. His best season came in 1970 in which he scored 51 goals and had 65 assists at the age of 35. Bucyk currently ranks in the top 25 in goals scored, total points, and games played. Bucyk retired in 1978, but has been remained with the Bruins organization to this day. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981 and had his #9 retired by the Bruins in 1980.
18. Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx, who spent his first 11 years with the Philadelphia Athletics, spent 6 seasons with the Boston Red Sox. One of the best players of all time, Foxx is a part of the illustrious 500 Home Run Club, won 3 MVPs (including one with Boston), and ranks 8th all-time with 1,922 RBI. His best year with the Red Sox was in 1938 in which he hit .349 with 50 homeruns and 175 RBI, one of the best hitting years in the history of baseball. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. Although his tenure with the Red Sox was not very long, he still spoiled fans with his incredible talents and gave fans a glimpse of what it was like for a player to be able to do almost anything he wanted with a bat in his hand.
19. Jim Rice
Jim Rice spent his entire 16-year career with the Red Sox and he was the definition of a slugger. He hit .298 for his career with 382 homeruns and 1,451 RBI. Rice won the MVP in 1978 after hitting .315 with 46 homeruns and 139 RBI. In 2009, Rice was inducted into the Hall Of Fame and had his #14 retired by the Sox. 17 years after his retirement, Rice is still a major part of Red Sox nation. Whether he’s doing work with the Jimmy Fund, offering some analysis on NESN, or spreading his wisdom among the Red Sox clubhouse, Jim Rice truly is a Red Sock for life.
20. Wade Boggs
Wade Boggs was one of the best hitters in Red Sox history. During his 11 years with the team, Boggs accumulated .338 average with over 2,000 hits and had won 5 batting titles. Boggs was a base-hit machine with a freakish ability to get the bat on the ball and find holes in his opponents’ defense. His best year came in 1987 when he hit 24 homeruns, 81 RBIs, and had a batting average of .363. After his career with the Sox, Boggs moved on to play for the Yankees and the Devil Rays. He finished his career among the prestigious 3,000 Hit Club and became a first-ballot hall of famer in 2005.
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