Ryan Kalish
Encyclopedia
Ryan Michael Kalish is an American professional baseball
outfielder
in the Boston Red Sox
organization.
A standout high school baseball and football player, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2006. In the minor leagues, he was twice voted the Red Sox Minor League Base-Stealer of the Month (June 2007 & April 2009), and was also named a New York-Penn League All Star (2007), a Red Sox Minor League Player of the Month (July 2008), and the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year (2009).
Kalish debuted in the major leagues in 2010, and at the end of the season was voted the Red Sox Rookie of the Year. He is known for his game-changing speed, sensational catches, excellent arm, intensity, aggressiveness on the bases and in the field, and patience at the plate.
, and grew up in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He was born in Los Angeles
, and grew up in Shrewsbury, New Jersey
. His father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic, and Kalish attended Catholic school.
, he won all-conference and all-division honors. As a freshman in April 2003, in his first varsity pitching start, Kalish struck out ten batters in six innings. As a sophomore, in May 2004 he pitched a 7-inning no-hitter
. For the season, he batted .507 with 32 stolen base
s, and on the mound he had a 6–1 won-lost record with a 1.60 ERA
. At the plate, in his senior season he hit .422 with 30 stolen bases. Baseball America
reported that it may be "apocryphal", but that "legend has it that Kalish didn't swing and miss at a single pitch as a high school senior." Confirming that, Red Sox scout Ray Fagant, who followed him in high school, said: "He went his entire senior year without a swing and miss once. He made hard contact every time." He batted .466 in high school, leading his team in batting his last three years. As a pitcher, he threw an 88-89 mph fastball, and what his coach called "a good curveball
[and] ... a real nice change-up", and had 190 career strikeouts.
Kalish was also a standout high school football player, playing quarterback
, strong safety, and punter for his school's football team, and leading it to a division championship. The team's head coach said: "He’s as talented a player as we’ve had at the QB position." In October 2005, his 42-yard pass under pressure helped seal the school's upset victory over Manasquan in the Shore Conference Liberty Division. In December 2005, he was voted First-Team All-Shore League. In addition, he played forward for the school's basketball team. In the summer of 2006, he played for the Middletown Monarchs in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation
, a summer collegiate baseball league. In 2006, he was named the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame High School Male Athlete of the Year.
Coming out of high school, Kalish was rated the # 76 baseball prospect in the U.S., and the # 2 prospect in New Jersey by Baseball America. He considered going to Rutgers, and playing both baseball and football there. But he committed to attending the University of Virginia
, with whom he signed on scholarship with the understanding that at least for his freshman year he would only play baseball.
Given his commitment to college, he was not drafted until the 9th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
, when he was picked by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox signed him, for $600,000—an amount that was consistent with what second-round draft prospects received, but well over the norm for a 9th-rounder. Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Office held up his signing initially, as the amount of money exceeded his draft slot, but approved it by late August. The signing was not without other problems, however. Kalish explained: "My girlfriend, but especially her dad, are Yankees fans. It was brutal. She was like, 'I can't believe I have to wear a Red Sox hat now!"
Lowell Spinners
and he was named the Red Sox organization's Base Stealer of the Month for June. He followed that up by being named New York Penn-League Player of the Week, for the week beginning July 9. He batted .800 for the week with a 1.533 slugging percentage, set a team record with three hits in each of all four games, and tied a team record by reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearance
s. The Lowell Sun
opined, "Ryan Kalish, Lowell's dynamic center fielder, is putting together a stretch perhaps not seen in the Spinners' history." His .476 on base percentage
was fourth-best in the league, and his batting average was fifth-best.
On July 16, 2007, Kalish was hit by a pitch which broke the hamate bone
in his right (non-throwing) wrist. At the time, he was leading the league in both stolen bases and runs scored, and batting .368 with a .471 on base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage. The injury ended his season. After waiting to see if his wrist would heal on its own, he had surgery late in the season. He was voted a New York Penn-League All Star, and Baseball America still ranked him the 6th-best prospect in the league. Lowell manager Gary DiSarcina
compared him to former major leaguer Darin Erstad
, noting their common intensity. "Speed and guts", said DiSarcina. "I love him. He's my favorite player."
In January 2008, Peter Gammons
called Kalish one of the three top hitting prospects in the Red Sox organization, and Baseball America rated him the 6th-best player in the organization and projected him as the parent team's starting left fielder in 2011. In February 2008 Baseball America rated him # 96 in its annual list of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball. He struggled in 2008 while coming back from his surgery, as he split the season between the Single-A Greenville Drive
and Single-A Lancaster JetHawks
, despite being awarded the Red Sox organization Player of the Month Award for July and being 5th in the Red Sox system with 19 stolen bases. After the season he played for the North Shore Honu
, in the Hawaii Winter League.
In early 2009 he had a slow start, despite being named the organization's Base-stealer of the Month in April for stealing 7 bases in 8 attempts over 19 games while playing for Single-A Salem Red Sox, and being named the Carolina League
's # 9 prospect. But in the second half of the season, which he ended with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs
, with his wrist finally healed, he batted .302, with a .384 on base percentage and a .561 slugging percentage. The Red Sox named him their 2009 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, as for the year he led Red Sox minor leaguers in walks (68), runs (84), and total bases (231), and was second in homers (18), fourth in RBIs (77), and tied for fifth in stolen bases (21). His 21 stolen bases came in 27 attempts. After the 2009 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League
for the Mesa Solar Sox
, batting .301 with a .384 on-base percentage. In December 2009, Baseball America ranked him the organization's # 5 prospect.
Starting 2010 with the Sea Dogs, in 41 games Kalish batted .293, leading the team in runs (35), home runs (8), and stolen bases (13; fifth in the league), while he was fourth in the Eastern League in walks (28) and on-base percentage (.404). He also became the ninth player in team history to have five hits in one game. He moved up to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
, and between the two teams in 2010 he batted .294/.382/.502 with 25 steals, while only being caught 3 times. Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo
said: "He’s as close as any player I’ve ever managed to being a superstar."
Kalish developed a reputation in the minor leagues for being solid, fast (stealing bases through 2009 at an 82% success rate), aggressive and hard-nosed on defense and on the bases, and patient at the plate.
Kalish began 2011 with Pawtucket. He injured his left shoulder making a diving catch on April 21, after just 14 games. He was slated to play his first rehab game for Short-Season Lowell on August 4, playing DH and outfield.
of ESPN wrote: "Remember the name. This may be his first big league camp, but Kalish ... gives off the vibe of someone on a collision course with bigger things." Red Sox manager Terry Francona
lauded his bat speed, and compared his intensity and aggressiveness to that of former Red Sox right fielder Trot "Dirt Dog" Nixon
.
Kalish was promoted to the Red Sox from Pawtucket on July 31, 2010, and immediately began playing almost every day. At 22 years of age, he was the eighth-youngest ballplayer in the AL in 2010. He got his first major league hit in his first at bat, and later in the game notched his first RBI.
He was fast and aggressive on the basepaths. He finished the season with 10 steals—which led the Red Sox, and tied for the lead among AL rookies—in 11 attempts, including a steal of home on the back end of a double steal. But the raw aggression of his running game was evidenced on August 2, in a game against the Cleveland Indians
, when Kalish came racing home from second base on a single to right field. The throw from right beat him to the plate, which Cleveland's rookie catcher Carlos Santana
had blocked with his legs. Kalish, in accordance with the rule that the basepath belongs to the runner, attempted to slide through Santana's legs, sliding "cleanly" but violently into Santana's left knee, knocking him completely out of his left cleat. Santana was carted off the field with his knee in an air cast, and three days later had season-ending surgery to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament in the knee.
Kalish hit his first major league home run into the right-field bullpen at Yankee Stadium off Javier Vazquez
, on August 6. On August 17, Kalish hit his first career grand slam
off Jered Weaver
, in a game against the Los Angeles Angels in Fenway Park
. He then hit another grand slam on September 6 at Fenway Park against the Tampa Bay Rays
. That tied a Red Sox rookie record, shared by Bob Zupcic
, who accomplished it in 1992. As of September 29, he was tied for second among American League rookies with 15 RBIs in September, and since his major league debut he was second among AL rookies with 16 extra-base hits, and tied for second with 23 RBIs. He was also patient at the plate, fourth among AL rookies in pitches-per-plate-appearance, at 4.16. While he batted .252 for the season, he batted .313 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, and .360 in games that were late and close.
He also made some sensational catches on defense, as he started most of his games in center field and a handful in left and right fields. Playing center field in late August, sprinting at full speed and then diving sideways he made an eye-opening, somersaulting catch of a ball in mid-air that concluded, as The Providence Journal described it, with him "tucking his elbow for an acrobatic, elegant landing on the Tropicana Field turf, looking like a character from the movie The Matrix
" (see video). It was designated the best play in American sports for the night by ESPN's SportsCenter
. He showed off his arm nabbing Coco Crisp
at third base (see video), and made another spectacular, diving, rolling catch on September 26, against the Yankees (see video).
After the season, Kalish was voted the 2010 winner of the Harry Agganis Award as Red Sox Rookie of the Year, by the Boston chapter of the BBWAA.
predicted that in 2011 Kalish would bat .271, with 20 home runs and 43 stolen bases. By comparison, James anticipated that Carl Crawford
would steal one fewer base. J. P. Ricciardi, special assistant to the Mets general manager, predicted that Kalish will be "a star". Peter Gammons said during spring training that comparisons of Kalish and Trot Nixon may underestimate Kalish's potential:
Through March 25, Kalish was leading the team in stolen bases in spring training, with 5, and tied for second in walks, with 6. However, as a result of the crowded Red Sox outfield resulting from the acquisition of Carl Crawford
, the returns of Mike Cameron
and Jacoby Ellsbury
, and the presence of J.D. Drew, Kalish was optioned that day to start the season in Triple-A Pawtucket.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization.
A standout high school baseball and football player, he was drafted by the Red Sox in 2006. In the minor leagues, he was twice voted the Red Sox Minor League Base-Stealer of the Month (June 2007 & April 2009), and was also named a New York-Penn League All Star (2007), a Red Sox Minor League Player of the Month (July 2008), and the Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year (2009).
Kalish debuted in the major leagues in 2010, and at the end of the season was voted the Red Sox Rookie of the Year. He is known for his game-changing speed, sensational catches, excellent arm, intensity, aggressiveness on the bases and in the field, and patience at the plate.
Early life
Kalish is the son of Steven and Eileen Kalish, who were both born in Dorchester, MassachusettsDorchester, Massachusetts
Dorchester is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named after the town of Dorchester in the English county of Dorset, from which Puritans emigrated and is today endearingly nicknamed "Dot" by its residents. Dorchester, including a large...
, and grew up in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He was born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and grew up in Shrewsbury, New Jersey
Shrewsbury, New Jersey
Shrewsbury is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 3,809....
. His father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic, and Kalish attended Catholic school.
High school and draft
Kalish was one of New Jersey's top high school baseball players. Pitching and playing outfield as a four-year starter for Red Bank Catholic High SchoolRed Bank Catholic High School
Red Bank Catholic High School is a four-year private coeducational Roman Catholic high school, located in Red Bank, New Jersey, under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton...
, he won all-conference and all-division honors. As a freshman in April 2003, in his first varsity pitching start, Kalish struck out ten batters in six innings. As a sophomore, in May 2004 he pitched a 7-inning no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
. For the season, he batted .507 with 32 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, and on the mound he had a 6–1 won-lost record with a 1.60 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. At the plate, in his senior season he hit .422 with 30 stolen bases. Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
reported that it may be "apocryphal", but that "legend has it that Kalish didn't swing and miss at a single pitch as a high school senior." Confirming that, Red Sox scout Ray Fagant, who followed him in high school, said: "He went his entire senior year without a swing and miss once. He made hard contact every time." He batted .466 in high school, leading his team in batting his last three years. As a pitcher, he threw an 88-89 mph fastball, and what his coach called "a good curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
[and] ... a real nice change-up", and had 190 career strikeouts.
Kalish was also a standout high school football player, playing quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, strong safety, and punter for his school's football team, and leading it to a division championship. The team's head coach said: "He’s as talented a player as we’ve had at the QB position." In October 2005, his 42-yard pass under pressure helped seal the school's upset victory over Manasquan in the Shore Conference Liberty Division. In December 2005, he was voted First-Team All-Shore League. In addition, he played forward for the school's basketball team. In the summer of 2006, he played for the Middletown Monarchs in the Atlantic Baseball Confederation
Atlantic Baseball Confederation
Founded in 2002, the Atlantic Baseball Confederation is an eight-team collegiate summer baseball league composed of teams located throughout New Jersey...
, a summer collegiate baseball league. In 2006, he was named the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame High School Male Athlete of the Year.
Coming out of high school, Kalish was rated the # 76 baseball prospect in the U.S., and the # 2 prospect in New Jersey by Baseball America. He considered going to Rutgers, and playing both baseball and football there. But he committed to attending the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, with whom he signed on scholarship with the understanding that at least for his freshman year he would only play baseball.
Given his commitment to college, he was not drafted until the 9th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
, when he was picked by the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox signed him, for $600,000—an amount that was consistent with what second-round draft prospects received, but well over the norm for a 9th-rounder. Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Office held up his signing initially, as the amount of money exceeded his draft slot, but approved it by late August. The signing was not without other problems, however. Kalish explained: "My girlfriend, but especially her dad, are Yankees fans. It was brutal. She was like, 'I can't believe I have to wear a Red Sox hat now!"
Minor leagues
By July 3, 2007, Kalish's "game-changing speed" had him leading the New York-Penn League with 12 stolen bases for the short seasonShort season
Short season refers to a form of class A minor league baseball in which only about 75 games are played each season, as opposed to the typical 140 games for an affiliated minor league team at a higher level...
Lowell Spinners
Lowell Spinners
The Lowell Spinners are a Short-Season A minor league baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.-History:Founded in 1996 after Clyde Smoll moved the Elmira Pioneers to Lowell, Massachusetts, the Spinners play in the New York - Penn League, which has a Short-Season A classification with 76 games a...
and he was named the Red Sox organization's Base Stealer of the Month for June. He followed that up by being named New York Penn-League Player of the Week, for the week beginning July 9. He batted .800 for the week with a 1.533 slugging percentage, set a team record with three hits in each of all four games, and tied a team record by reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s. The Lowell Sun
Lowell Sun
The Sun is a daily newspaper based in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, serving towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the Greater Lowell area and beyond. Its circulation is about 50,000...
opined, "Ryan Kalish, Lowell's dynamic center fielder, is putting together a stretch perhaps not seen in the Spinners' history." His .476 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
was fourth-best in the league, and his batting average was fifth-best.
On July 16, 2007, Kalish was hit by a pitch which broke the hamate bone
Hamate bone
The hamate bone is a bone in the human hand that may be readily distinguished by its wedge-shaped form, and the hook-like process which projects from its volar surface. It is situated at the medial and lower angle of the carpus, with its base downward, resting on the fourth and fifth metacarpal...
in his right (non-throwing) wrist. At the time, he was leading the league in both stolen bases and runs scored, and batting .368 with a .471 on base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage. The injury ended his season. After waiting to see if his wrist would heal on its own, he had surgery late in the season. He was voted a New York Penn-League All Star, and Baseball America still ranked him the 6th-best prospect in the league. Lowell manager Gary DiSarcina
Gary DiSarcina
Gary Thomas DiSarcina is a front office executive and a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was raised in Billerica, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. DiSarcina was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft...
compared him to former major leaguer Darin Erstad
Darin Erstad
Darin Charles Erstad is the Head Coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team and a former Major League Baseball outfielder/first baseman. Prior to , he had played with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise before signing with the Chicago White Sox in 2007...
, noting their common intensity. "Speed and guts", said DiSarcina. "I love him. He's my favorite player."
In January 2008, Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
called Kalish one of the three top hitting prospects in the Red Sox organization, and Baseball America rated him the 6th-best player in the organization and projected him as the parent team's starting left fielder in 2011. In February 2008 Baseball America rated him # 96 in its annual list of the Top 100 Prospects in baseball. He struggled in 2008 while coming back from his surgery, as he split the season between the Single-A Greenville Drive
Greenville Drive
The Greenville Drive is a minor league baseball team that plays in Greenville, South Carolina. They are a Class A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and a member of the South Atlantic League. Prior to the 2005 SAL season, the team played in Columbia, South Carolina, was affiliated with the New York...
and Single-A Lancaster JetHawks
Lancaster JetHawks
The Lancaster JetHawks are a minor league baseball team of the California League located in Lancaster, California. The team is named for the city's association with the aerospace industry and plays its home games at Clear Channel Stadium...
, despite being awarded the Red Sox organization Player of the Month Award for July and being 5th in the Red Sox system with 19 stolen bases. After the season he played for the North Shore Honu
North Shore Honu
The North Shore Honu were a minor league baseball team in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. They are based in Waipahu, Hawaii. The name Honu is derived from the Hawaiian word for a sea turtle. They play their home games at the Hans L'Orange Field....
, in the Hawaii Winter League.
In early 2009 he had a slow start, despite being named the organization's Base-stealer of the Month in April for stealing 7 bases in 8 attempts over 19 games while playing for Single-A Salem Red Sox, and being named the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
's # 9 prospect. But in the second half of the season, which he ended with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs
Portland Sea Dogs
The Portland Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Established in 1994 and based in Portland, Maine, the Sea Dogs play in the Northern Division of the Eastern League....
, with his wrist finally healed, he batted .302, with a .384 on base percentage and a .561 slugging percentage. The Red Sox named him their 2009 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, as for the year he led Red Sox minor leaguers in walks (68), runs (84), and total bases (231), and was second in homers (18), fourth in RBIs (77), and tied for fifth in stolen bases (21). His 21 stolen bases came in 27 attempts. After the 2009 season, he played in the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
for the Mesa Solar Sox
Mesa Solar Sox
The Mesa Solar Sox are a baseball team that plays in the East Division of the Arizona Fall League. They play their home games in Mesa, Arizona at HoHoKam Stadium, which is also the spring training facility of the Chicago Cubs....
, batting .301 with a .384 on-base percentage. In December 2009, Baseball America ranked him the organization's # 5 prospect.
Starting 2010 with the Sea Dogs, in 41 games Kalish batted .293, leading the team in runs (35), home runs (8), and stolen bases (13; fifth in the league), while he was fourth in the Eastern League in walks (28) and on-base percentage (.404). He also became the ninth player in team history to have five hits in one game. He moved up to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox are the minor league baseball Triple-A affiliates of the Boston Red Sox and belong to the International League...
, and between the two teams in 2010 he batted .294/.382/.502 with 25 steals, while only being caught 3 times. Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo
Torey Lovullo
Salvatore Anthony "Torey" Lovullo is a former Major League Baseball infielder and current first base coach of The Toronto Blue Jays. He was the manager of the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. He is an alumnus of the University of California, Los Angeles...
said: "He’s as close as any player I’ve ever managed to being a superstar."
Kalish developed a reputation in the minor leagues for being solid, fast (stealing bases through 2009 at an 82% success rate), aggressive and hard-nosed on defense and on the bases, and patient at the plate.
Kalish began 2011 with Pawtucket. He injured his left shoulder making a diving catch on April 21, after just 14 games. He was slated to play his first rehab game for Short-Season Lowell on August 4, playing DH and outfield.
2010
Observing Kalish in spring training in February 2010, Gordon EdesGordon Edes
Gordon Edes is an American sportswriter and covers baseball for . He is best known for his long time coverage of the Boston Red Sox baseball beat for the Boston Globe. He is a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame....
of ESPN wrote: "Remember the name. This may be his first big league camp, but Kalish ... gives off the vibe of someone on a collision course with bigger things." Red Sox manager Terry Francona
Terry Francona
Terry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for...
lauded his bat speed, and compared his intensity and aggressiveness to that of former Red Sox right fielder Trot "Dirt Dog" Nixon
Trot Nixon
Christopher Trotman Nixon is an American retired professional baseball right fielder. He played from 1996-2008 for three different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the Boston Red Sox...
.
Kalish was promoted to the Red Sox from Pawtucket on July 31, 2010, and immediately began playing almost every day. At 22 years of age, he was the eighth-youngest ballplayer in the AL in 2010. He got his first major league hit in his first at bat, and later in the game notched his first RBI.
He was fast and aggressive on the basepaths. He finished the season with 10 steals—which led the Red Sox, and tied for the lead among AL rookies—in 11 attempts, including a steal of home on the back end of a double steal. But the raw aggression of his running game was evidenced on August 2, in a game against the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, when Kalish came racing home from second base on a single to right field. The throw from right beat him to the plate, which Cleveland's rookie catcher Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana (baseball)
Carlos Santana is a Dominican Republic professional baseball player, who is currently a catcher and first baseman with the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball's American League.-Professional career:...
had blocked with his legs. Kalish, in accordance with the rule that the basepath belongs to the runner, attempted to slide through Santana's legs, sliding "cleanly" but violently into Santana's left knee, knocking him completely out of his left cleat. Santana was carted off the field with his knee in an air cast, and three days later had season-ending surgery to repair a torn lateral collateral ligament in the knee.
Kalish hit his first major league home run into the right-field bullpen at Yankee Stadium off Javier Vazquez
Javier Vázquez
Javier Carlos Vázquez is a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Previously, he pitched for the Florida Marlins , Atlanta Braves , Chicago White Sox , Arizona Diamondbacks , New York Yankees and Montreal Expos . Vázquez was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico...
, on August 6. On August 17, Kalish hit his first career grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
off Jered Weaver
Jered Weaver
Jered David Weaver , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
, in a game against the Los Angeles Angels in Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. He then hit another grand slam on September 6 at Fenway Park against the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
. That tied a Red Sox rookie record, shared by Bob Zupcic
Bob Zupcic
Robert "Bob" Zupcic is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox . He batted and threw right-handed....
, who accomplished it in 1992. As of September 29, he was tied for second among American League rookies with 15 RBIs in September, and since his major league debut he was second among AL rookies with 16 extra-base hits, and tied for second with 23 RBIs. He was also patient at the plate, fourth among AL rookies in pitches-per-plate-appearance, at 4.16. While he batted .252 for the season, he batted .313 with 2 out and runners in scoring position, and .360 in games that were late and close.
He also made some sensational catches on defense, as he started most of his games in center field and a handful in left and right fields. Playing center field in late August, sprinting at full speed and then diving sideways he made an eye-opening, somersaulting catch of a ball in mid-air that concluded, as The Providence Journal described it, with him "tucking his elbow for an acrobatic, elegant landing on the Tropicana Field turf, looking like a character from the movie The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
" (see video). It was designated the best play in American sports for the night by ESPN's SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
. He showed off his arm nabbing Coco Crisp
Coco Crisp
Covelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp is an American professional baseball center fielder. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed...
at third base (see video), and made another spectacular, diving, rolling catch on September 26, against the Yankees (see video).
After the season, Kalish was voted the 2010 winner of the Harry Agganis Award as Red Sox Rookie of the Year, by the Boston chapter of the BBWAA.
2011
Bill JamesBill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
predicted that in 2011 Kalish would bat .271, with 20 home runs and 43 stolen bases. By comparison, James anticipated that Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
would steal one fewer base. J. P. Ricciardi, special assistant to the Mets general manager, predicted that Kalish will be "a star". Peter Gammons said during spring training that comparisons of Kalish and Trot Nixon may underestimate Kalish's potential:
I have great respect for Trot Nixon, but Ryan Kalish is a totally different athlete. He is a great athlete. I see him being a guy, he doesn’t swing and miss a lot, who’s going to hit somewhere between .280 and .300, hit 25 home runs. He can run. I think he’s going to be a really exciting player.
Through March 25, Kalish was leading the team in stolen bases in spring training, with 5, and tied for second in walks, with 6. However, as a result of the crowded Red Sox outfield resulting from the acquisition of Carl Crawford
Carl Crawford
Carl Demonte Crawford is an American professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...
, the returns of Mike Cameron
Mike Cameron
Michael Terrance Cameron is an American professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played for the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, and Florida Marlins.Cameron has won 3...
and Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby Ellsbury
Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball....
, and the presence of J.D. Drew, Kalish was optioned that day to start the season in Triple-A Pawtucket.
See also
- List of select Jewish Major League Baseball players
External links
- Profile of Minor Leaguer Kalish (video)