Oil Can Boyd, born Dennis Ray Boyd on October 6, 1959 in Meridian, Mississippi, is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1982-91, Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox (1982-89), Montreal Expos (1990-91) and Texas Rangers (1991). He batted and threw right handed.

Boyd had one of the more colorful personalities of his generation. He assisted Jackson State University. Being selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 16th round of the 1980 amateur draft, he made his debut in the 1982 season.

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 the Sox, with a high 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 disapointing 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 adquired 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 for good. Between the 1990s and 2000s, Boyd has pitched in the minors, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

From The News

• April 1, 2005 - The Brockton Rox will have 'Oil Can' Boyd in their training camp when the season opens up in May. The former Red Sox pitcher played for Rox manager Ed Nottle in the Northern League and is looking for a spot on the team as a 47-year-old right hander [1].

Quotes

• He (Oil Can) pitched like his hero, Satchel Paige, but with deception. - William C. Rhoden, of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [2]

• I am The Can, and I am going to come right at you with my best shit, and if you can hit it, I want to see how far Bo Jackson can hit The Oil Can. Boyd, to Jackson, before he hit the first Boyd's pitch over the 71-foot high score board in straight away center field at Fenway Park (the ball landed 515 feet from home plate). Resource: 10K Truth - Baseball Quotes [3].

Sources

• Red Sox connection
• Baseball Reference