The Boston Red Sox drafted Mo Vaughn nicknamed the “Hit Dog” in the first round with the 23rd pick of the 1989 MLB draft. When called up to the Red Sox in 1991, Vaughn played in 74 games. He hit .260 in 219 at-bats that season for the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox
In 1993, Vaughn became one of the Red Sox best players. That season he hit .297, hit 29 home runs with 101 RBIs. By 1995 Vaughn became one of the best hitters in baseball. Hit 39 home runs, batted .300 and drove in 126 runs. Also, in this season he helped lead the Red Sox to the playoffs. The biggest accomplishment for Vaughn was when he was named American Most Valuable Player in 1995.
When 1996 came around, Vaughn was primed in ready for the best season of his career. Vaughn Batted .326 hit 44 home runs and drove in 143 runs. From 1995 to 1998, Vaughn hit 158 home runs while with the Boston Red Sox. 1998 was his last season with the Red Sox.
Anaheim Angels
Before the 1999 season, Mo Vaughn signed a six-year, $80 million contract with the Anaheim Angels. At the time he was the highest paid player in baseball. The former Red Sox hit 30 plus home runs in first two seasons with the Angels. While with the Angels, Vaughn suffered from a lot of injuries. Everybody remembers the famous slip in the dugout while trying to catch a foul ball. The first baseman did not play in all of 2001 because of an injury.
New York Mets
In 2001, Vaughn was traded to the New York Mets for Kevin Appier. The Mets saw Vaughn as a power hitter to be in the middle of their lineup. In his first season with the Mets, he hit .259 with 26 homers and 72 RBIs. During Vaughn’s time in New York, he was consistently overweight, which led to knee problems. In 2003, Vaughn played a little under a month before knee problems ended his seasons and his career.
Vaughn ended his career a .293 career batting average, 328 home runs, and 1064 total runs batted in. Also, he was a three-time all-star, American League MVP and is in the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
