August 25, 2011 at 2:58 PM
New Englanders in the majors
When I write my draft preview each year, I include a section on the top New England players available in the draft -- and I always get a lot of positive feedback about it and requests for more coverage of local players, even if they’re not in the Red Sox system. We New Englanders undoubtedly enjoy watching our own home-grown players succeed -- as long as it’s not in Yankee pinstripes. Given that, here is a breakdown of the twenty-one New England born players in the majors in 2011 (listed in order of career WAR – Wins Above Replacement). Note that this list does not count players who went to high school or college in New England but were not born here, such as Chicago Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena, a graduate of Haverhill (MA) High School and an alumnus of Northeastern University.
1. Chris Carpenter, RHP, St. Louis
Born: April 27, 1975 in Exeter, NH
Other New England ties: Graduated from Trinity High school in Manchester, NH in 1993
Notes: In his eighth year in the St. Louis organization, Carpenter is one of the anchors of the Cardinals’ pitching staff in 2011, posting an 8-8 record with a 3.57 ERA. Over his career, Carpenter has compiled 141 wins in 340 games between the Toronto and St. Louis organizations. The three-time All-Star also took home the National League Cy Young Award in 2005 and won a World Series ring with the Cardinals in 2006. While Carpenter still regularly visits his family in the Manchester area, he now resides in St. Louis during the off-season
Check out the rest of the column on ESPN Boston.