The Boston Red Sox are one of Major League Baseball’s most storied franchises, with a rich history of championships, star players, and legendary moments. Among the most critical aspects of a successful baseball team is the starting rotation, and the manager’s role in shaping that rotation is pivotal. In 2000, the Red Sox, under the leadership of manager Jimy Williams, entered the season with high expectations, hoping to compete for the American League East division title. A key element in this ambition was determining the four-man starting rotation.
While the Red Sox were known for having a potent lineup in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they also had to be mindful of their pitching staff. The rotation had to be strong enough to keep them competitive throughout the long 162-game season, and as the year unfolded, it became clear that solid pitching, especially from the fourth starter, would be vital for postseason aspirations.
### The Red Sox in 2000: A Year of Transition
To understand the significance of naming a fourth starter, it’s important to contextualize the 2000 season for the Red Sox. The team had made significant moves in the offseason to bolster their lineup and pitching staff. They were coming off a disappointing 1999 season where they fell short of the playoffs, finishing 3rd in the American League East with an 85-77 record. Their offense, led by power-hitters like Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martínez, and Troy O’Leary, was potent, but the pitching staff was inconsistent.
Heading into the 2000 season, one of the team’s biggest challenges was to improve their pitching staff. They had a dynamic ace in Pedro Martínez, who was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, and they needed to fill out the rotation behind him. Jimy Williams and the Red Sox front office had made efforts to strengthen the rotation, hoping to balance the team’s power-hitting prowess with solid pitching.
### The 2000 Red Sox Starting Rotation
The Red Sox entered the 2000 season with a starting rotation that was both experienced and full of potential, though some uncertainty loomed over the back end. The top three spots were locked in, but the fourth spot was still up for debate.
1. **Pedro Martínez (Ace)** – The Red Sox were fortunate to have one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball during this era. Pedro Martínez had been a force in the 1990s and was arguably the best pitcher in the game. In 1999, he posted a 2.07 ERA and won the Cy Young Award, and he was expected to carry that form into the new millennium.
2. **Bret Saberhagen** – After signing a multi-year deal with the Red Sox in 2000, Bret Saberhagen was brought in to provide stability in the rotation. A former World Series MVP with the Kansas City Royals, Saberhagen was a seasoned veteran with a track record of success. Though his career was on the back end, he was still an important piece of the Red Sox’s hopes for a strong pitching staff.
3. **Darryl Kyle** – Kyle had been a solid starter for the Houston Astros and was acquired in the offseason. His experience and consistency were crucial for a rotation that needed a reliable middle-of-the-rotation option. Although not an elite pitcher, Kyle was seen as a dependable arm to eat innings and keep the team in games.
4. **The Fourth Starter** – This spot was the subject of much discussion and intrigue as the 2000 season unfolded. At the start of the year, there were multiple candidates vying for the fourth starter role. The Red Sox needed someone who could provide depth and consistency behind Martínez, Saberhagen, and Kyle.
### Candidates for the Fourth Spot
The competition for the fourth starter spot was fierce, and several pitchers were in the mix. The candidates ranged from younger, unproven arms to veterans looking to prove themselves.
1. **Frank Castillo** – Castillo was an established major league pitcher who had previously been with the Chicago Cubs. While he had been effective at times, his career had been inconsistent. In 1999, he posted a 5.22 ERA and had yet to put together a standout season. However, the Red Sox were hopeful that a change of scenery would help him rediscover his best form.
2. **Aaron Sele** – Sele was a veteran starter who had been a solid contributor to the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers in the 1990s. He had a successful career, but like Castillo, he had struggled with consistency. After being traded to the Red Sox during the 1999 season, Sele looked to build on his past successes and provide stability to the back end of the rotation.
3. **John Wasdin** – Wasdin was a hard-throwing pitcher with immense potential but a checkered history in terms of performance. Known for his ability to generate strikeouts, Wasdin was a bit of a wildcard. He had not yet lived up to the expectations placed on him, but with his strong arm, he was a tantalizing option for the rotation.
4. **Tomo Ohka** – Ohka was an intriguing candidate, as the Japanese-born pitcher had shown flashes of brilliance with the Red Sox in 1999. Although not well-known at the time, Ohka had the tools to be a solid contributor. He had a strong fastball and a good curveball, which made him a potential dark-horse for the fourth starter role.
### Jimy Williams’ Decision
The decision to name the fourth starter fell squarely on the shoulders of manager Jimy Williams. As the season got underway, Williams faced the challenge of balancing his desire for performance with the need to have a reliable starter to complement Pedro Martínez, Bret Saberhagen, and Darryl Kyle. While the top three spots were essentially solidified, the fourth spot was fluid and remained open for competition.
After careful evaluation and observing spring training performances, Williams ultimately named **Frank Castillo** as the fourth starter for the 2000 season. This decision was met with some skepticism, as Castillo had yet to prove himself as a reliable big-league starter at that point in his career. However, Williams believed that Castillo’s experience and potential would be enough to solidify the back end of the rotation.
Castillo was a steady, workmanlike pitcher, and Williams felt that his ability to eat innings and limit damage in the fourth spot would be critical for the team’s success. At this stage of the season, the Red Sox needed depth more than anything, and Castillo’s veteran presence was deemed crucial in providing that.
### Castillo’s Performance
While Castillo’s selection was met with uncertainty, he performed admirably in the fourth starter role for much of the 2000 season. Over the course of the year, he posted a respectable 4.51 ERA and made 30 starts, going 12-12. Castillo was never a dominating presence on the mound, but he did exactly what was needed from a fourth starter: he kept the team in games and ate innings.
His best stretch came in the middle of the season, where he managed to string together several solid outings, helping the Red Sox stay competitive in the American League East race. While not an All-Star, Castillo was a reliable arm at the back of the rotation, and his contributions were crucial to the team’s success in 2000.
### The Red Sox’s 2000 Season
Despite strong individual performances from the likes of Pedro Martínez, Bret Saberhagen, and even Castillo, the Red Sox were unable to clinch a playoff spot in 2000. They finished the season with an 85-77 record, placing them 2nd in the American League East, just behind the New York Yankees. Their pitching staff, while solid, did not have the depth to compete with the juggernaut Yankees.
The failure to reach the postseason in 2000 led to significant changes for the Red Sox. Jimy Williams was fired as manager after the season, and the team made several moves to bolster their roster. The following year, the Red Sox would have a renewed focus on building a team capable of contending for the postseason.
### Conclusion
In retrospect, the decision to name Frank Castillo as the fourth starter in the 2000 season wasn’t the key factor that kept the Red Sox from reaching the playoffs, but it was an important piece of the puzzle. Castillo’s steady presence in the rotation provided the team with some much-needed depth, even if his performance was not earth-shattering. His contributions exemplified the importance of having a reliable fourth starter, particularly when contending in a competitive division like the AL East.
In the grand scope of Red Sox history, the 2000 season is often overlooked, but it was a pivotal year for the franchise, as it set the stage for future successes. The lessons learned from decisions like the naming of the fourth starter played a role in shaping the Red Sox’s approach to building championship-contending teams in the years to come, ultimately leading to World Series victories in 2004 and beyond.
As baseball fans look back on the 2000 season, they can appreciate how crucial every decision was, from the top of the rotation to the back end. The name of the fourth starter may not be as celebrated as that of Pedro Martínez, but it played an important role in the larger narrative of a Red Sox team striving for greatness.
