Boston Athlete of the Day: Mo Vaughn

Mo the "Hit Dog" Vaughn never feared to show Major League pitchers who owned home plate, as he would consistently hover over the irregular pentagon that lay 60 feet 6 inches from the rectangular rubber. Maybe that explains why Mo was plunked 71 times in his 8 seasons with Boston, a Red Sox record.

His grittiness at the plate, along with a powerful punch packed into every swing, Mo Vaughn had all the essential skills that allowed him to be a great professional hitter. In his first full season with the Sox in 1993, Mo batted .297 with 29 HR and 101 RBI. His breakout in a Beantown uniform came two years later - an MVP year - when he hit a crisp .300, cranked 39 HR out of Fenway, and drove in 139 RBI. His numbers obviously didn't go unnoticed - Mo earned his first All-Star appearance, walked off with the American League MVP award, and led his team to a American League East division title.
The following season, Mo continued to impress the Beantown faithful. He batted .326, and collected career highs in runs (118), hits (207), home runs (43), and RBI (143). Despite having arguably one of the best statistical seasons of his career, Mo's numbers failed to convince MVP-voters, and he finished second behind Juan Gonzalez of the Detroit Tigers.
Bad blood between Vaughn and Red Sox front office sent Vaughn packing, where he took his big bat to Anaheim to play alongside Jim Edmonds with the Angels. Although he put up some impressive numbers with the Angels, injuries began to take a toll on the first baseman, limiting his effectiveness.
Mo was traded to the Mets in 2002, as he saw his numbers drop dramatically. Being a Mets fan, I saw some of the farthest- hit home runs at Shea stadium jump off the bat of Mo Vaughn. He trotted around the bases with a veteran swag, thinking to himself "If only they saw me back in '96".
A deteriorated knee condition sidelined Mo for the remainder of his career. A mention on the Baseball's Most Wanted list, the Mitchell Report, severely diminished Mo's Hall of Fame candidacy, but he will always be remembered as one of baseball's notorious sluggers.