6. Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque is truly one of the best defensemen in NHL history. He currently holds the all-time record for goals, assists, and points for defensemen. He is also 9th all time in games played. Bourque spent 21 years with the Bruins and made it to 19 All-Star games. He won 5 Norris Trophies, which are awarded to the league’s best defenseman. Bourque is known for being involved with some of the most emotional moments in NHL history. The first moment would come when he takes his #7 jersey off and reveals his new number of #77 during Phil Esposito’s number retirement. The second moment he was a part of was when, after 22 NHL seasons, he finally won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Although he did not enjoy the experience as a Bruin, Boston could not have been happier to see Bourque hoist up the cup. If anyone deserved a Stanley Cup, it was Ray Bourque.
7. Cy Young
Cy Young is known as one of the best, if not the best, pitcher of all-time. He spent 7 years with the Americans/Red Sox, compiling a 192-112 record with a 2.01 ERA and 1,341 strikeouts. He led the Americans to a World Series Championships in 1903, the first World Series to ever be played. Cy Young was so good that the award for the best pitcher for the year was named after him. Cy Young finished his career with 511 wins, almost 100 more than anyone else in MLB history. On May 5th, 1904 Young pitched a perfect game for the Red Sox, his second of three career no-hitters. Needless to say, Cy Young is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played in an era before numbers were used which is why his number was not retired by the Sox.
8. Carl Yazstrzemski
The man they call Yaz, Yazstrzemski spent his entire 23-year career with the Red Sox, 18 of which he was an All-Star. No other player in MLB history has spent more time with only one team. He is currently 2nd all-time in games played, 6th all-time in hits, 12th all-time in RBIs, 33rd all-time in homeruns. During his career, Yaz only played less than 100 games in a season once, which gave him the reputation as a workhorse. He was known for his ability to play through injuries. Yaz’s best season came in 1967 in which he hit .321 and had 44 homeruns 121 RBI. He won the MVP that season and it is the last season in which a player had won the Triple Crown. He was a first-ballot hall of famer and had his #8 retired by the Sox in 1989.
9. Bob Cousy
Bob Cousy is known for being one of the first great Celtics and for being one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. Cousy spent 13 years with the Celtics and lead them to 6 NBA Championships in the late 50s and early 60s. He was great at combining points with assists as he averaged 18.4 points and 7.5 assists per game for his career. He currently ranks 15th all-time in career assists. Cousy never played a season for the Celtics in which he did not make the All-Star team and he won the MVP in 1956. Cousy retired at the age of 35 in a ceremony known as the “Boston Tear Party” due to how emotional it became. Cousy was a first ballot Hall of Famer and had his #14 was retired by the Celtics in 1963.
10. Carlton Fisk
Carlton Fisk is widely regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball history. He spent 9 full seasons with the Red Sox and during that time he was selected to 9 All-Star Games and won the Rookie of the Year award in 1972. His best year came in 1977 when he hit .315 with 26 homeruns and had 102 RBI. Fisk career was almost cut short when, in 1974, a collision at home plate lead Fisk to tear several ligaments in his leg. He was told he would never play again but proved doctors wrong when he came back to play in 1975 and hit .331 for the year. Fisk’s shining moment as a Red Sox came in Game 6 of 1975 World Series when he coaxed his walk-off homerun fair in the 12th inning to force a Game 7, an image cemented into the minds of all Sox fans. Fisk had his #27 retired by the Sox and was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
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