One of the classiest and most fun baseball players in recent memory. Enjoy the rest of your life, Demp. I was proud to see you in Cubby blue and I was glad you got a WS championship before the end.
Davy
Classy players don’t throw at people they don’t like.
cubs7691
He was just the messenger. If he didn’t do it someone else would have. He just so happened to be the starting pitcher that night. Doesn’t make it right, but I think everyone knew it was going to happen.
jneely77
He sat with my son at a charity softball game this summer and had a joke telling contest. It was awesome.
Dempster was not a great fit for the Sox, but he is a man of class. He kept his chicken and beer at home where they belong unlike Beckett, who also retired today.
I Want My Bird
Just kinda wish they didn’t wait until it was painfully obvious to everyone, like Oswalt pulling his hammy just covering home. But I realize they make their money at the end of the career and not the beginning.
Tko11
One can only hope to retire before 40. He had quite a 2008 season.
This doesn’t surprise me. On the night that the Sox won it all last year, Dempster and his friends and family stayed at Fenway Park until about 4 a.m., even though the grounds crew was begging them to leave so they could shut it all down and go home. When he decided not to play in 2014, I had the impression that maybe he wanted that night he finally won a ring to be his last in baseball.
He didn’t pitch great that season, but I don’t doubt he gave his best, and he did well enough to help the team in that No. 5 starter role. Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Dempster.
Matt Piece
Sorry to be negative, but kind of incredible that a right-hander with a career 4.35 ERA got 351 starts and played 16 years.
redsox4434
Not every major league starter can be Clayton Kershaw.
He was effective for a long, long time.
Matt Piece
Again, not to be controversial, but:
– this season a 4.35 ERA would have put Dempster 77th out of 88 qualifiers – between Wade Miley and Nathan Eovaldi.
I do understand that he played much of his career in the steroid era.
Metsfan93
He was essentially the definition of average, and there will always be a place for average ballplayers. 98 career ERA+. He’s not much different than a Kyle Loshe-type player. Lohse and him are remarkably similar and Lohse keeps getting employed and preventing runs at league average or better rates.
Bary Tone
He also had a career WAR of 22-27… That seems at least above average
Metsfan93
Over 2387 IP that’s actually pretty average….
ray_derek
Pretty effective as a closer as well, 87 saves. Solid career in my mind, better than average I think.
theUpdate23
Only Fergie Jenkins had more wins and IP than Dempster for Canadian players. Only Jenkins, Matt Stairs and Larry Walker had longer careers. One of the top Canadian players of all-time.
Michael 22
Lasting memory of Dempster, Johnny Gomes, David Ross and Jake Peavy acting like kids on Christmas morning at the Red Sox celebration in Boston. Someone can definitely use Ryan in their organization as a coach, instructor, etc.
Ryan It's T-Time Tripicchio
One of the classiest and most fun baseball players in recent memory. Enjoy the rest of your life, Demp. I was proud to see you in Cubby blue and I was glad you got a WS championship before the end.
Davy
Classy players don’t throw at people they don’t like.
cubs7691
He was just the messenger. If he didn’t do it someone else would have. He just so happened to be the starting pitcher that night. Doesn’t make it right, but I think everyone knew it was going to happen.
jneely77
He sat with my son at a charity softball game this summer and had a joke telling contest. It was awesome.
steimel
I thought he was already retired.
DarthMurph
He took 2014 off, but hadn’t made an official decision until now.
steimel
Oh that’s right. He did always seem like a good guy and he’s a great interview as well.
DarthMurph
Dempster was not a great fit for the Sox, but he is a man of class. He kept his chicken and beer at home where they belong unlike Beckett, who also retired today.
I Want My Bird
Just kinda wish they didn’t wait until it was painfully obvious to everyone, like Oswalt pulling his hammy just covering home. But I realize they make their money at the end of the career and not the beginning.
Tko11
One can only hope to retire before 40. He had quite a 2008 season.
John Cate 2
This doesn’t surprise me. On the night that the Sox won it all last year, Dempster and his friends and family stayed at Fenway Park until about 4 a.m., even though the grounds crew was begging them to leave so they could shut it all down and go home. When he decided not to play in 2014, I had the impression that maybe he wanted that night he finally won a ring to be his last in baseball.
He didn’t pitch great that season, but I don’t doubt he gave his best, and he did well enough to help the team in that No. 5 starter role. Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Dempster.
Matt Piece
Sorry to be negative, but kind of incredible that a right-hander with a career 4.35 ERA got 351 starts and played 16 years.
redsox4434
Not every major league starter can be Clayton Kershaw.
He was effective for a long, long time.
Matt Piece
Again, not to be controversial, but:
– this season a 4.35 ERA would have put Dempster 77th out of 88 qualifiers – between Wade Miley and Nathan Eovaldi.
I do understand that he played much of his career in the steroid era.
Metsfan93
He was essentially the definition of average, and there will always be a place for average ballplayers. 98 career ERA+. He’s not much different than a Kyle Loshe-type player. Lohse and him are remarkably similar and Lohse keeps getting employed and preventing runs at league average or better rates.
Bary Tone
He also had a career WAR of 22-27… That seems at least above average
Metsfan93
Over 2387 IP that’s actually pretty average….
ray_derek
Pretty effective as a closer as well, 87 saves. Solid career in my mind, better than average I think.
theUpdate23
Only Fergie Jenkins had more wins and IP than Dempster for Canadian players. Only Jenkins, Matt Stairs and Larry Walker had longer careers. One of the top Canadian players of all-time.
Michael 22
Lasting memory of Dempster, Johnny Gomes, David Ross and Jake Peavy acting like kids on Christmas morning at the Red Sox celebration in Boston. Someone can definitely use Ryan in their organization as a coach, instructor, etc.
VICTOR DEDOVIC
A tragic end to a remarkable career.