Mo Vaughn

Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn (born December 15, 1967 in Norwalk, Connecticut), nicknamed "Hit Dog", was a Major League Baseball first baseman from 1991 to 2003. Vaughn won the American League MVP award in 1995 and was a key factor in the Boston Red Sox's 1995 and 1998 playoff teams.

Last Season with the Sox

Though Vaughn's boisterous personality and extensive charity work made him a popular figure in Boston, he had many issues with the Red Sox management and local media; his disagreements with Boston Globe sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy and Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette were particularly acute. As an outspoken clubhouse leader, Vaughn felt that the conservative Sox administration did not want him around. Incidents in which he allegedly punched a man in the mouth outside of a nightclub and crashed his truck while returning home from a strip club in Providence led to further rifts with the administration. Constantly the blood and guts of the club Mo helped protect young potential hall of famers Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra in the Red Sox lineup.

Related Topics:
Boston Globe - Dan Shaughnessy - General manager - Dan Duquette - Providence - Jason Varitek - Nomar Garciaparra

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Vaughn hit a walkoff grand slam in the ninth inning of Opening Day at Fenway Park against the Seattle Mariners in 1998. Despite this auspicious start, the season was filled with acrimony, as Vaughn and the Sox administration sniped at each other throughout the year. After Cleveland knocked Boston out of the playoffs in the first round, Vaughn became a free agent. Almost immediately, he signed a six-year, $70-million deal with the Anaheim Angels, one of the highest contracts in the game at that time. The Red Sox sadly made essentially no effort to retain him.

Related Topics:
Grand slam - Opening Day - Fenway Park - Seattle Mariners - Free agent - Anaheim Angels

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