Oil Can Boyd

Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd in Holliston, MA - 2008
Pitcher
Born: (1959-10-06) October 6, 1959 Meridian, Mississippi
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 13, 1982, for the Boston Red Sox
Last MLB appearance
October 1, 1991, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	78–77
Earned run average	4.04
Strikeouts	799
Teams
Boston Red Sox (1982–1989) Montreal Expos (1990–1991) Texas Rangers (1991)

Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd (born October 6, 1959) 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.

His nickname has been reported as coming from his beer-drinking days in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, where beer is referred to as "oil." However, in a September 2012 interview, he said that wasn't strictly true; it was actually "rot-gut whiskey" from the neighborhood moonshiner. Boyd had one of the more colorful personalities of his generation and a quotable outlook that made him memorable long after his career ended.

Major league career

1982-89: Boston Red Sox

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. 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.

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 (154) and innings pitched (272.1).

In 1986 he won a career high 16 games for the Sox.

1990-1991: Montreal Expos

Boyd signed with the Expos as a free agent after the 1989 season.

In 1990 he won 10 games for the Expos and compiled a 2.93 ERA.

When the Rangers acquired him from Montreal during the 1991 season, 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 great (6-8, 3.52), it was plenty good enough for the pitching-poor Rangers. That was the plan, but Boyd turned out to be bad. 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.

1992-2005: Minor leagues

Between the 1990s and 2000s, Boyd has pitched in the minors, Northern League, Puerto Rico and In 1993 he played for the Industriales de Monterrey Mexico. In 2005, he came out of retirement to pitch for the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League.

Personal life

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.

In February 2009, Boyd announced he was attempting a comeback to Major League Baseball.

In February 2012, Boyd admitted to extensive use of cocaine while he was playing in the Major Leagues and said he was often under the influence of cocaine while pitching.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Red Sox connection