- Oil Can Boyd
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Oil Can Boyd 
Oil Can Boyd in Holliston, MA - 2008Pitcher Born: October 6, 1959
Meridian, MississippiBatted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut September 13, 1982 for the Boston Red Sox Last MLB appearance October 1, 1991 for the Texas Rangers Career statistics Win–loss record 78–77 Earned run average 4.04 Strikeouts 799 Teams Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd (born October 6, 1959 in Meridian, Mississippi) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox (1982–89), Montreal Expos (1990–91), and Texas Rangers (1991). He batted and threw right-handed. Boyd currently lives in East Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife, daughter Tala, and son Dennis. His nickname comes from his beer-drinking days in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, where beer is referred to as "oil." [1]
Boyd had one of the more colorful personalities of his generation and a quotable outlook that made him memorable long after his career ended. He attended Jackson State University. He was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 16th round of the 1980 amateur draft, Boyd made his debut in the 1982 season. He pitched 10 years in the majors before blood clots in his right arm ended his career.[2] According to the Inside Baseball portion of the April 27, 1987 Sports Illustrated, Boyd listed Haiti in the '87 Red Sox yearbook as his favorite vacation destination.
In a 10-season career, Boyd collected a 78-77 record with 799 strikeouts and a 4.04 ERA in 1389.2 innings.[2]
From 1983-85 Boyd won 31 games for Boston, with 15 victories in 1985. In the same season, he posted career-highs in games started (35), complete games (13), strikeouts (117) and innings pitched (272.1).
In 1986 he won 16 games (a career-high), but after three disappointing years with Boston, he signed with the Expos as a free agent after the 1989 season.
In 1990 Boyd won 10 games with a career-best 2.93 ERA.
When the Rangers acquired him from Montreal in the 1991 midseason, it looked like a deal which might lead to a division title, and though Boyd's work with the Expos before coming to Texas wasn't as good (6-8, 3.52), it was plenty good enough for the pitching-poor Rangers. That was the plan, but Boyd turned out to be a disaster. In 12 starts he posted a 2-7 record with a 6.68 ERA (the highest of his career) and allowed 81 hits in only 62 innings. Boyd was a free agent when the season ended, and after turning down some offers for relief duties, he retired.
Between the 1990s and 2000s, Boyd has pitched in the minors, Northern League, Puerto Rico and Mexico. In 2005, he came out of retirement to pitch for the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League.
In November 2005, Boyd was indicted by a federal grand jury in Mississippi for threatening a former girlfriend (who was also a business associate) as well as her son. On November 14, 2005, Boyd surrendered to F.B.I. agents in Tupelo, Mississippi.[3]
In February 2009, Boyd announced he was attempting a comeback to Major League Baseball.[4]
References
- ^ http://www.bostonspastime.com/history.html
- ^ a b ed. by David Pietrusza .... (2000), Baseball : the biographical encyclopedia, Kingston, NY: Total/Sports Illustrated, p. 115, ISBN 1892129345
- ^ ’Oil Can’ Boyd surrenders after indictment - Baseball - MSNBC.com
- ^ Oli Can Boyd, 49, making another comeback try. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- Red Sox connection
Boston Red Sox Opening Day starting pitchers Ivy Andrews • Frank Arellanes • Jim Bagby • Josh Beckett • Oil Can Boyd • Tom Brewer • Rex Cecil • Eddie Cicotte • Roger Clemens • Ray Collins • Ray Culp • Bill Dinneen • Joe Dobson • Dennis Eckersley • Howard Ehmke • Dick Ellsworth • Alex Ferguson • Wes Ferrell • Tom Gordon • Lefty Grove • Charley Hall • Slim Harriss • Tex Hughson • Bruce Hurst • Ferguson Jenkins • Sad Sam Jones • Win Kellum • Jon Lester • Jim Lonborg • Danny MacFayden • Pedro Martínez • Daisuke Matsuzaka • Carl Mays • Bill Monbouquette • Wilcy Moore • Dick Newsome • Mel Parnell • Marty Pattin • Gary Peters • Jack Quinn • Gordon Rhodes • Red Ruffing • Allen Russell • Babe Ruth • Curt Schilling • Don Schwall • Aaron Sele • Ernie Shore • Bob Stanley • Tom Sturdivant • Frank Sullivan • Luis Tiant • Yank Terry • Mike Torrez • David Wells • Bill Wight • Earl Wilson • George Winter • Smoky Joe Wood • Cy Young
Categories:- Major League Baseball pitchers
- Boston Red Sox players
- Montreal Expos players
- Texas Rangers players
- Elmira Pioneers players
- Winter Haven Red Sox players
- Bristol Red Sox players
- Pawtucket Red Sox players
- New Britain Red Sox players
- Industriales de Monterrey players
- Leones de Yucatán players
- Sioux City Explorers players
- Bangor Blue Ox players
- Massachusetts Mad Dogs players
- Greenville Bluesmen players
- Brockton Rox players
- Baseball players from Mississippi
- Jackson State University alumni
- African American baseball players
- People from Meridian, Mississippi
- 1959 births
- Living people
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