Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox is a Major League Baseball team located in Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. The team is in the Eastern Division of the American League. Its stadium, Fenway Park, was opened on April 20, 1912. The Red Sox won the first World Series as the Boston Americans in 1903 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Franchise History

Early 20^th century

The Boston Red Sox (the Americans at the time), won the first World Series in 1903 against the favored National League team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the following decade, the club won four World Series championships in a six-year span despite several changes in ownership. The 1912 and 1915 clubs featured an outfield considered to be among the finest in the game: Tris Speaker, Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, as well as superstar pitcher Smokey Joe Wood. The Sox won the Fall Classic both years.

The Red Sox were owned by Joseph Lannin from 1913 to 1916, who signed Babe Ruth, the most well-known and one of the best players in baseball history. In 1919, the team's new owner, Harry Frazee, sold Ruth to the New York Yankees. Legend has it that he did so in order to finance a Broadway play No, No, Nanette starring "a friend." However, the play did not actually open on Broadway until 1925.

The Red Sox, White Sox and Yankees had a detente. The teams were referred to as the "Insurrectos" because their actions antagonized the then AL president Ban Johnson. Although Frazee owned the Boston Red Sox franchise, he did not own Fenway Park (this was owned by the Fenway Park Trust), making his ownership a precarious one - Johnson could move another team into Fenway Park in Boston. Despite the fact Ruth held the single season home run record (hitting 29 in 1919^*), Frazee sold Ruth because:

of a need of finances to purchase Fenway Park (which was purchased in 1920),
the fact that the Red Sox franchise was in serious debt,
Ruth was considered a serious disciplinary problem (and continued to be one in New York),
and letting the Yankees have a box office attraction would help the then-mediocre Yankees, who had sided with Frazee in conflicts with "the Loyal Five" other AL teams and Ban Johnson^*.

The contract was a straight sale; the Red Sox got no players in return. This transaction was viewed as what created the "Curse of the Bambino," which suggested that the club was doomed to years of futility as a result of the trade. The sale of Ruth, and the resulting success of the Yankees is seen as the starting point of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. This rivalry has been referred to as the "Greatest Rivalry on Earth" by some baseball journalists in the American media. [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/submit/Frommer_Harvey6.stm ^*.

The Ted Williams Era

The Red Sox were purchased in 1933 by Tom Yawkey, who began investing heavily in the team. In 1939, the Red Sox purchased the contract of outfielder Ted Williams from the Pacific Coast League, ushering in an era of the team sometimes called the "Ted Sox." Williams is generally considered one of the greatest hitters of all time, because he consistently hit for both high power and high average. Stories of his ability to hold a bat in his hand and correctly estimate its weight down to the ounce have floated around baseball circles for decades. His book The Science of Hitting is widely read by students of baseball. He is also the last player to hit over .400 for a full season, hitting .406 in 1941. Williams feuded with sports writers his whole career, and his relationship with the fans was often rocky.

With Williams, the Red Sox reached the World Series in 1946, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games, in part because of the use of the "Williams Shift," in which the shortstop would move to the right side of the infield to make it harder for the left-handed-hitting Williams to hit to that side of the field. Some have claimed that Williams was too proud to hit to the other side of the field, not wanting to let the Cardinals take away his game. Williams did not fare well in the series, gathering only five singles in 25 at-bats, for a .200 average. However, his performance may have been affected by an elbow injury he had received a few days before when he was hit by a pitch in an exhibition game. Williams would never play in a World Series again.

The right-field bullpens in Fenway Park were built in part for Williams' left-handed swing, and are sometimes called "Williamsburg". Before this addition to right field, Fenway park was over 400 feet deep to right field.

The Red Sox featured several other players during the 1940s, including SS Johnny Pesky (for whom the right field foul pole in Fenway - "Pesky's Pole" - is affectionately named by fans), 2B Bobby Doerr, and CF Dom DiMaggio (brother of Joe DiMaggio).

The 1950s were viewed as a time of tribulation for the Red Sox. After Williams returned from the Korean War, many of the best players from the late 1940s had retired or been traded. The stark contrast in the team led critics to call the Red Sox' daily lineup "Ted Williams and the Seven Dwarfs." Also, unlike many other teams, they refused to sign players of African descent, even passing up chances at future Hall-of-Famers Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays, both of whom tried out for Boston and were highly praised by team scouts. Ted Williams hit .388 at the age of 38 in 1957, but there was little else for Boston fans to root for. Williams retired at the end of the 1960 season, famously hitting a home run in his final at-bat. The Sox finally became the last Major League team to field an African American player when they promoted infielder Pumpsie Green from their AAA farm team in 1959.

Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski and the Impossible Dream

The 1960s also started poorly for the Red Sox, though 1961 saw the debut of Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski, (uniform #8) who developed into one of the better hitters of a pitching-rich decade.

Red Sox fans refer to 1967 as the year of the "Impossible Dream." The slogan refers to the hit song from the popular musical play "Man of La Mancha." The 1967 season is remembered as one of the great pennant races in baseball history because four teams were in the AL pennant race until almost the last game. The team had finished the 1966 season in ninth place, but they found new life with Yastrzemski as the team went to the World Series. Yastrzemski won the American League Triple Crown (the last player to accomplish such a feat) and put forth what is considered one of the best seasons in baseball history. But the Red Sox lost the series — again to the St. Louis Cardinals, in seven games.

Although the Red Sox played competitive baseball for much of the next seven seasons, they never finished higher than second place in their division. The closest they came to a divisional title was 1972, when they lost by a half-game to the Detroit Tigers in unorthodox fashion. The start of the season was delayed by a players' strike, and the Red Sox further lost a game to a rainout that was never replayed, which caused the Red Sox to lose the division by a half-game.

The Red Sox won the AL pennant in 1975, with Yastrzemski surrounded by other players such as rookie outfielders Jim Rice and Fred Lynn, veteran outfielder Dwight Evans, catcher Carlton Fisk, and pitchers Luis Tiant and eccentric junkballer Bill Lee. In the playoffs, the Sox swept the Oakland A's in three games.

Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, against the Cincinnati Reds' "Big Red Machine," is considered as one of the greatest games in baseball's postseason history. The game went to extra innings and featured dramatic home runs by Bernie Carbo and Fisk (the latter was the famous, game-winning "body English" home run), as well as a game-saving catch by Evans. Despite the series-tying win, the Red Sox lost Game 7.

In 1978, the Red Sox and the Yankees were involved in a tight pennant race. The Yankees were 14 1/2 games behind the Red Sox in July, and on September 10th, after completing a 4-game sweep of the Red Sox, the Yankees pulled into a tie for the divisional lead.

For the final three weeks of the season, the teams fought closely and the lead changed hands several times. By the final day of the season, the Yankees' magic number to win the division was one — which meant either a win over Cleveland or a Boston loss to Toronto would clinch the division for the Yankees. However, New York lost 9-2 and Boston won 5-1, forcing a one-game playoff to be held at Fenway Park on Monday, October 2nd.

Although Bucky Dent's three-run home run in the 7th inning off Mike Torrez just over the Green Monster — which gave the Yankees their first lead — is the most remembered moment from the game, it was Reggie Jackson's solo home run in the 8th that proved the difference in the Yankees' 5-4 win, which ended with Yastrzemski popping out to Graig Nettles with Rick Burleson representing the tying run at third.

The '86 World Series and Morgan's Magic

After the 1978 playoff game, the Red Sox didn't reach the postseason for the next seven years, finishing no higher than third place in their division during that period. Carl Yastrzemski retired after the 1983 season during which the Red Sox finished sixth in the seven-team AL East, posting their worst record since 1966.

However, in 1986 it appeared the slump may have been reversed. The team's offense had remained strong with Jim Rice, Dwight Evans, Don Baylor, and future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. Roger Clemens led the pitching staff, posting a 24-4 record with a 2.48 ERA to win both the American League Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards. Clemens became the first starting pitcher to win both awards since Vida Blue in 1971. The Red Sox won the AL East for the first time in eleven seasons, prompting a playoff series California Angels in the AL Championship Series.

The Series started poorly for the Red Sox. The teams split the first two games in Boston, but the Angels won the next two games at their home stadium, taking a 3-1 lead in the series. With the Angels poised to win the series, the Red Sox trailed 5-2 heading into the ninth inning of Game 5. A two-run home run|homer by Don Baylor cut the lead to one. With two outs and a runner on, and one strike away from elimination, Dave Henderson homered off Donnie Moore to put Boston up 6-5. Although the Angels tied the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Red Sox won in the eleventh on a Henderson sacrifice fly off Moore. The Red Sox then found themselves with six and seven run wins at Fenway Park in Games 6 and 7 to win the American League title for the first time since 1975. The Red Sox' win in Game Seven was the first Game Seven playoff win in the team's history.

While Buckner was singled out as the biggest goat, many observers — as well as both Wilson and Buckner — have noted that even if Buckner had fielded the ball cleanly, Wilson most likely would still have been safe (Wilson at the time was thought of as one of the faster players in the National League), leaving the game-winning run at third with two out. After dropping behind 3-0, the New York Mets then won Game 7, concluding the devastating collapse and feeding the myth that the Red Sox were actually "cursed."

The Red Sox did return to the postseason in 1988. With the club in fourth place, manager John McNamara was fired and replaced by Joe Morgan. Immediately the club won 12 games in a row, and 19 of 20 overall, to surge to the AL East title in what would be referred to as Morgan's Magic. But the magic was short-lived, as the team was swept by the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS. Ironically, the MVP of that Series was former Red Sox pitcher and Baseball Hall of Fame player Dennis Eckersley, who saved all four wins for Oakland. Two years later, in 1990, the Red Sox would again win the division and face the Athletics in the ALCS. However, the outcome was the same, with the A's sweeping the Series in four.

After the Yawkeys

Tom Yawkey died in 1976, and his wife Jean Yawkey took control of the team until her death in 1992. As a tribute to their time as owners of the team, their intials were placed on the Left field wall in Morse code ^*. After Jean Yawkey's death, the Yawkey Trust, led by John Harrington assumed control of the team, finally selling it in 2002, concluding 70 years of Yawkey ownership.

In 1994, General Manager Lou Gorman was replaced by Dan Duquette, a Massachusetts native who had previously worked for the Montreal Expos. Duquette's time as GM began with promises to revive the team's farm system. During his tenure the team's farm system produced players such as Nomar Garciaparra, Carl Pavano, and David Eckstein ^*. Duquette also spent money in the free agent market. The most notable contract he purchased was an eight-year, $160 million deal given to Manny Ramírez after the 2001 season.

However, not all of Duqette's moves went uncriticized. Many fans were upset when Roger Clemens and Mo Vaughn left the team as free agents. Duquette also made a comment (after Clemens had turned 30 and then had four seasons, 1993-96, which were by his standards mediocre at best) about Clemens entering "the twilight of his career."^* Duqette's comment met more harsh criticism when Clemens went on to pitch well for another ten years, winning four more Cy Young awards. In 1999, Duquette called Fenway Park "economically obsolete" and, along with Red Sox ownership, led a push for a brand new stadium to be built near the current stadium. Despite the approval of a grant by the Massachusetts Legislature and key political support, issues with buying out neighboring property and steadfast opposition within Boston's city council eventually doomed the project. On the field, the Red Sox had some success during this period, but were unable to return to the World Series. In 1995 they won the newly-realigned American League East, finishing seven games ahead of the Yankees. However, they were swept in three games in a series against the Cleveland Indians. Their postseason losing streak reached 13 straight games, dating back to the 1986 World Series.

In 1998, the Red Sox dealt pitchers Tony Armas, Jr. and Carl Pavano to the Montreal Expos in exchange for pitcher Pedro Martínez. Martínez became the anchor of the team's pitching staff. That season the team won the American League Wild Card, but again lost the American League Division Series to the Indians.

A year later, the 1999 Red Sox were finally able to overturn their fortunes agaisnt the Indians. Cleveland took a 2-0 series lead (stretching Boston's postseason losing streak to an almost unthinkable 18 games), but Boston staged a comeback, winning the next three games due to the strong pitching of Derek Lowe, Pedro Martínez and his brother Ramón Martínez. Game 4's 23-7 win by the Red Sox was the highest-scoring playoff game in major league history. Game 5 began with the Indians taking a 5-2 lead after two innings, but Pedro Martínez, nursing a shoulder injury, came on in the fourth inning and pitched six innings without allowing a hit while the team's offense rallied for a 12-8 win behind two home runs from outfielder Troy O'Leary. After the ALDS victory, the Red Sox then faced the Yankees in the American League Championship Series, but lost the series four games to one.

New ownership, new era

In 2002, the Red Sox were sold by Yawkey trustee and president John Harrington to a consortium headed by principal owner John Henry with Tom Werner serving as executive chairman, Larry Lucchino serving as president and CEO, and Les Otten serving as vice chairman. Dan Duquette was fired on February 28, 2002. Former Angels general manager Mike Port served as interim-GM in 2002, but he was eventually replaced by Yale graduate Theo Epstein after Oakland's Billy Beane turned down the position. Epstein age 28, became the youngest general manager in the history of the Major Leagues at that time. He was raised in Brookline. In the 2003 baseball season the Red Sox rallied from a 2-0 series deficit against the Oakland Athletics to win the best-of-five American League Division Series. Derek Lowe saved Game 5, a 4-3 victory, by striking out the A's Terrence Long with the tying run on third base. The team then faced the Yankees in the 2003 American League Championship Series. In the deciding seventh game, Boston led 5-2 in the eighth inning, but Pedro Martínez, who was still pitching into the 8th inning, allowed three runs to tie the game, including a two-run double by Jorge Posada. The Red Sox could not score off of Mariano Rivera over the last three innings and eventually lost the game 6-5 when Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone hit a solo home run off of Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.

Despite Wakefield's pitching, most of the blame was placed on manager Grady Little for failing to remove Martínez after he began to show what many fans could recognize as obvious signs of tiring. This was viewed as the culmination of two years of questionable decision-making by Little and Little's contract was not renewed by the team. The team then filled the position with Terry Francona, who would lead the team to a historic ALCS win and the first World Series victory in 86 years.

The 2004 World Series Championship

During the 2003-04 offseason, the Red Sox acquired another ace pitcher in Curt Schilling and a closer in Keith Foulke to bolster the pitching staff. Expectations once again ran high that 2004 would finally be the year that the Red Sox ended their championship drought. The regular season did not start well, and through midseason the team struggled mightily, falling more than ten games behind New York.

Management shook up the team at the MLB trading deadline July 31 when they traded the team's wildly popular yet often hurt and disgruntled shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs, getting Orlando Cabrera of the Montreal Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz of the Minnesota Twins in return. In a separate transaction, the Red Sox also traded AAA outfielder Henri Stanley to the Los Angeles Dodgers for center fielder Dave Roberts. Many Sox fans blasted the trades as bringing the team inadequate compensation for a player of Garciaparra's superstar reputation, but others noticed that these players would provide a significant upgrade in two areas (footspeed and infield defense) where improvements were badly needed. The club would turn things around soon after, going on to finish within three games of the Yankees in the AL East and qualifying for the playoffs as the AL Wild Card. Players and fans affectionately referred to the players as "The Idiots," a term coined by Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar during the playoff push to describe the team's eclectic roster and devil-may-care attitude toward the supposed "Curse of the Bambino."

The turning point of the season came on July 24, when, in the defining moment of the season, catcher Jason Varitek punched New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez to protect his pitcher, Bronson Arroyo. Later in the game, the Red Sox got three runs in the bottom of the ninth off Mariano Rivera, as Bill Mueller hit a game-winning home run to right-center.

Boston began the playoffs by sweeping the AL West champion Anaheim Angels. The Red Sox blew out the Angels 9-3 in Game 1, scoring 7 of those runs in the fourth inning. However, the Sox' 2003 offseason prize pickup Curt Schilling suffered a torn tendon when he was hit by a line drive. Schilling hurt it further as he ran to first. The second game, pitched by Pedro Martinez, stayed close until Boston scored four in the ninth to win 8-3. In game three, what looked to be a blowout turned out to be a nail-biter, as Vladimir Guerrero hit a grand slam off Mike Timlin in the seventh to tie it at six. However, David Ortiz, who is noted for his clutch hitting, delivered in the 10th inning with a game winning two-run homer over the Green Monster. The Red Sox thus advanced to a rematch in the 2004 American League Championship Series against their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.

Despite high hopes that the Red Sox would finally vanquish their nemesis from the Bronx, the series started disastrously for them. Curt Schilling pitched with the torn tendon sheath in his right ankle he had suffered in Game 1 of the Divisional Series against Anaheim, and was routed for six runs in three innings. Mussina had six perfect innings, and once had a lead that was 8-0. Despite the Sox' best effort to come back (they scored seven unanswered runs to make it 8-7), they ended up losing 10-7. In Game 2, after trailing 1-0 for most of the game, John Olerud hit a two-run home run to put the Yankees up for good. The Sox were down three games to none after a crushing 19-8 loss in Game 3. In Game 3, the two clubs set the record for most runs scored in a League Championship Series game.

In Game 4, the Red Sox found themselves facing elimination, trailing 4-3 in the ninth with Yankees superstar closer Mariano Rivera on the mound. After Rivera issued a walk to Kevin Millar, Dave Roberts came on to pinch run and promptly stole second base. He then scored on an RBI single by Bill Mueller which sent the game to extra innings. The Red Sox went on to win the game on a two-run home run by David Ortiz in the 12th inning. In Game 5, the Red Sox were down again late, this time by the score of 4-2, as a result of Derek Jeter's bases-clearing double. But the Sox struck back in the eighth, as "Senor Octubre" hit a homer over the monster to bring the Sox within a run. Jason Varitek hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Dave Roberts to score the tying run. The game would go for 14 innings, capped off by many squandered Yankee opportunities (they were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position). In the top of the 12th, the knuckleballing Tim Wakefield came in from the bullpen, without his customary "personal catcher," Doug Mirabelli. Though Wakefield had little trouble in the 12th, the 13th was a very sloppy inning, with Varitek allowing 3 passed balls. The third and last of those game the Yankees runners on second and third with two out. Red Sox Nation was spared, however, as Ruben Sierra struck out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 14th, Ortiz would again seal the win with a game-winning RBI single that brought home Damon. The game set the record for longest postseason game in terms of time (5 hours and 49 minutes) and for the longest ALCS game (14 innings), though the former has since been broken.

With the series returning to Yankee Stadium for Game 6, the improbable comeback continued with Curt Schilling pitching on an ankle that had three sutures wrapped in a bloody (red) sock. Schilling struck out four, walked none, and only allowed one run over seven innings to lead the team to victory. Mark Bellhorn also helped in the effort as he hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Originally called a double, the umpires conferred and agreed that the ball had actually gone in to the stands before falling back in to the field of play, which was apparent to the television audience but angered Yankees fans. A key play in came in the bottom of the eighth inning with Derek Jeter on first and Alex Rodriguez facing Bronson Arroyo. Rodriguez hit a ground ball down the first base line. Arroyo fielded it and reached out to tag him as he raced down the line. Rodriguez slapped at the ball and it came loose, rolling down the line. Jeter scored and Rodriguez ended up on second. After conferring, however, the umpires called Rodriguez out on interference and returned Jeter to first base, the second time in the game they reversed a call. Yankees fans, upset with the calls, littered the field with debris. The umpires called police clad in riot gear to line the field in the top of the 9th inning. The bottom of the ninth inning in that game was one of the more terrifying moments in the postseason, as Tony Clark, who had played extremely poorly for the Sox in '02 but played well against the Red Sox since came up to the dish representing the winning run. This was extremely nerve-racking for many Sox fans. As Theo Epstein put it: "He ruined our 2002 season and it looked like he'd probably ruin our 2004 one." Keith Foulke however, struck out Clark to end the game and force a Game 7. In Game 7, the Red Sox completed their sensational and historic comeback on the strength of Derek Lowe's pitching and Johnny Damon's two home runs, including a devastating grand slam in the second inning off the first pitch of reliever Javier Vazquez. Ortiz, who had the game winning RBIs in Games 4 and 5, was named ALCS Most Valuable Player.

Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League are the three professional sports that feature best-of-seven games series in their playoffs. The incredible feat of coming back to win a seven game series when down by three games has only been accomplished by three teams in the history of the MLB, NBA, and NHL. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) came back from being down by three games to the Detroit Red Wings to win the 1942 Stanley Cup. The 1975 New York Islanders (NHL) did the same when they came back to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals. No team in the NBA has ever accomplished such a comeback and the Boston Red Sox are the only team in Major League Baseball history to ever do so. The 2004 American League Championship Series marks easily and without a doubt the greatest comeback in baseball history.

The Red Sox faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The Cardinals had posted the best record in the major leagues that season, and had previously defeated the Red Sox in the 1946 and 1967 Series, with both series going seven games. The third time would be the charm, however, as the momentum and confidence Boston had built up in the ALCS would overwhelm St. Louis. The Red Sox began the Series with an 11-9 win, marked by Mark Bellhorn's game-winning home-run off of Pesky's Pole. It was the highest scoring World Series opening game ever (breaking the previous record set in 1932). The Red Sox would go on to win Game 2 in Boston (thanks to another sensational performance by the bloody-socked Schilling). The Red Sox won both these games despite making 4 errors in each game. In Game 3, Pedro Martinez shut out the Cardinals for seven innings. The Cardinals only made one real threat — in the third inning when they put runners on second and third with no outs. However, the Cardinals' rally was killed by Jeff Suppan's baserunning gaffe. With no outs, Suppan should have scored easily from third on a routine ground ball to second baseman Belhorn, who was playing back, conceding the run. But as Belhorn threw out the hitter, Larry Walker, at first base, Suppan inexplicably froze after taking several steps toward home, and was thrown out by Sox first baseman David Ortiz as he scrambled back to third. The double play was devastating for St. Louis. The Red Sox needed one more game to win their first championship since the 1918. In Game Four the Red Sox did not allow a run, and the game ended as Edgar Renteria (who would become the 2005 Red Sox starting SS) hit the ball back to Keith Foulke. (This was the second time that Renteria had ended a world series, as he won it for the Marlins seven years prior in the 1997 World Series.) After Foulke lobbed the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz, the Sox had won their first World Championship in 86 years. The Sox held the Redbirds' offense (the best in the NL in 2004) to only three runs in the last three games. The Red Sox never trailed in the series. Manny Ramírez was named World Series MVP. The Red Sox won Game Four of the series on October 27, eighteen years to the day from when they lost to the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series.

The Red Sox performed well in the 2004 postseason. From the eighth inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees (a tie) until the end of the World Series, the Sox played 60 innings, and never trailed at any point.

Strangely enough, on the night the Red Sox won, a total lunar eclipse colored the moon over Busch Stadium to a deep red hue. The Red Sox won the title about eleven minutes before totality ended.

The Red Sox held a parade (or as Boston mayor Thomas Menino put it, a "rolling rally") on Saturday, October 30, 2004. A crowd of more than three million people filled the streets of Boston to cheer as the team rode on the city's famous Duck Boats.

2005

After winning its first World Series in 86 years, Red Sox management was left with the challenge of dealing with a number of high profile free agents. Pedro Martínez, Derek Lowe, and Orlando Cabrera were replaced with David Wells, a former Yankee, Matt Clement, and Edgar Rentería respectively. The club re-signed its catcher, Jason Varitek, and named him team captain.

Pitchers Curt Schilling, Keith Foulke, and Wade Miller spent large parts of the season on the disabled list, and were unable to return in good form. For much of the season Boston held first place in the AL East but down the stretch the team struggled, squandering its lead over the Yankees and allowing the Cleveland Indians to close the gap in the Wild Card race.

The division crown would be decided on the last weekend of the season, with the Yankees coming to Fenway Park with a one game lead in the standings. Although the Red Sox won two of the three games to finish the season with an identical 95-67 record as the Yankees, a one-game playoff was not needed since both teams had already qualified for the playoffs. The division title was decided by the season series between the two teams. In the 19 games played between the two teams in 2005, the Yankees had won 10 to the 9 won by the Red Sox, earning them the AL East championship, while the Sox instead clinched the AL Wild Card.

The Red Sox faced the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox, who had not won a playoff series since 1917, in the ALDS. The White Sox won Game One in a 14–2 rout. In the second game, the Red Sox led 4–0, but lost the game 5–4 after a fifth inning which featured a crucial error by second baseman Tony Graffanino. Game Three in Boston ended 5–3 in favor of Chicago, thus completing the sweep. Chicago would go on to win the World Series, their first championship since 1917.

On October 31, 2005, general manager Theo Epstein resigned on the last day of his contract, reportedly turning down a three-year, $4.5 million contract extension. He slipped away from the gathered reporters at Fenway Park in a hairy, sweaty gorilla suit.

On Thanksgiving evening, the Red Sox officially announced the acquisition of a potential ace in right-hander pitcher Josh Beckett from the Florida Marlins. Boston also added Gold Glove Award winning third baseman Mike Lowell and right-handed reliever Guillermo Mota in the deal while sending minor league prospects shortstop Hanley Ramírez and right-handed pitchers Aníbal Sánchez, Jesús Delgado and Harvey García to the Marlins. On December 7, the Sox traded backup catcher Doug Mirabelli to the San Diego Padres for second baseman Mark Loretta. On December 8, the Sox traded Edgar Renteria to the Atlanta Braves for third base prospect Andy Marte. On December 20 Johnny Damon declined arbitration and a few days later signed a four-year, $52 million deal with the New York Yankees. The Red Sox lost Bill Mueller in free agency to the Dodgers, and Kevin Millar was not offered arbitration and signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

2006

On January 19, 2006, the Red Sox announced that Bronson Arroyo had accepted a three-year contract. However, on March 19 Arroyo was traded to the Reds, along with cash considerations to be named later, for outfielder Wily Mo Peña. Later, Arroyo would make the 2006 National League All-Star team. Peña had done well in the 2005 season, batting .254 with 19 home runs. The Red Sox also announced that Theo Epstein would be rejoining the Red Sox in a "full-time baseball operations capacity." On January 24, 2006, it was announced that Epstein would again assume the title of General Manager. The next day, Mota, Marte, catching prospect Kelly Shoppach and a player to be named later were traded to the Cleveland Indians for center fielder Coco Crisp, relief pitcher David Riske, and backup catcher Josh Bard. Venezuelan shortstop Alex González signed a one-year contract to replace Edgar Renteria. The Red Sox enter the 2006 season with a revamped roster, carrying only three positional starters from their 2004 championship squad. After only five games, however, newly acquired Coco Crisp fractured his left index finger while stealing a base and didn't return to active play until May 28.

On May 1, 2006, the Red Sox completed a deal with the San Diego Padres, reacquiring Doug Mirabelli for Josh Bard, minor-league pitcher Cla Meredith, and $100,000. On the day of the trade, the Red Sox even arranged a private plane and a car ride from the airport with police escort and his re-issued uniform to take Mirabelli, the personal catcher for Tim Wakefield, to Fenway Park before the game against the Yankees. Mirabelli got ready just in time to catch for Wakefield. On the same day of his return, the Fenway faithful also greeted Johnny Damon and left-handed specialist Mike Myers (with some cheers, but mostly boos, jeers, chants, and even fake money thrown in center field) back for the first time since they signed with the Yankees. The game ended in favor of the Red Sox as David Ortiz belted a three-run home run into the Red Sox bullpen in the bottom of the 8th inning. Ironically, Myers was the pitcher who gave up the home run.

On June 30, 2006 Boston set a major league record of 17 straight errorless games, breaking the record of 16 games set by the St. Louis Cardinals from July 30 to Aug. 16, 1992. During this span, they also recorded 12 consecutive victories, all in interleague play. The winning streak is the third longest in club history, behind only the 15 wins posted by the 1946 club and 13 victories in 1948.

The Red Sox have reached the postseason in each of the last three seasons. Although this statistic seems insignificant, it does however rank third among all active postseason streaks in MLB. Only the Atlanta Braves, who have appeared in the last 14 postseasons, and the New York Yankees, who have appeared in the last 12, have a longer active streak (see Active MLB playoff appearance streaks).

The Red Sox were well represented in this year's All-Star Game. David Ortiz, along with second baseman Mark Loretta, started for the American League squad. Manny Ramirez did not appear due to a knee injury. Closer Jonathan Papelbon was also named to the team but did not pitch.

Postseason series

1903 World Series	Pittsburgh Pirates	Won 5-3
1904 World Series	Not Played	N/A
1912 World Series	New York Giants	Won 4-3
1915 World Series	Philadelphia Phillies	Won 4-1
1916 World Series	Brooklyn Robins	Won 4-1
1918 World Series	Chicago Cubs	Won 4-2
1946 World Series	St. Louis Cardinals	Lost 4-3
1967 World Series	St. Louis Cardinals	Lost 4-3
1975 American League Championship Series	Oakland Athletics	Won 3-0
1975 World Series	Cincinnati Reds	Lost 4-3
1986 American League Championship Series	California Angels	Won 4-3
1986 World Series	New York Mets	Lost 4-3
1988 American League Championship Series	Oakland Athletics	Lost 4-0
1990 American League Championship Series	Oakland Athletics	Lost 4-0
1995 American League Division Series	Cleveland Indians	Lost 3-0
1998 American League Division Series	Cleveland Indians	Lost 3-1
1999 American League Division Series	Cleveland Indians	Won 3-2
1999 American League Championship Series	New York Yankees	Lost 4-1
2003 American League Division Series	Oakland Athletics	Won 3-2
2003 American League Championship Series	New York Yankees	Lost 4-3
2004 American League Division Series	Anaheim Angels	Won 3-0
2004 American League Championship Series	New York Yankees	Won 4-3
2004 World Series	St. Louis Cardinals	Won 4-0
2005 American League Division Series	Chicago White Sox	Lost 3-0

Quick facts

Founded: 1899, as the Buffalo franchise in the minor Western League. Moved to Boston when that league became the major American League in 1901.

Team Name: Boston Red Sox (see Nicknames before "Red Sox" below)

Name in Spanish: Los Medias Rojas de Boston

Current ownership: New England Sports Ventures: John Henry, Tom Werner and partners (Larry Lucchino, president and CEO), who paid $660 million and assumed $40 million in debt, in February 2002. The purchase includes Fenway Park and 82 percent of New England Sports Network. The purchase price set a record for a major league baseball franchise.

Current payroll: The 2006 Opening Day payroll for the 25-man roster was just shy of $120.1 million. For 2005, payroll was about $123.5 million, over $80 million less than that of the New York Yankees. For 2004, payroll was about $127 million, $57 million shy of the New York Yankees. In both of these years, the Red Sox had the second-highest total payroll in MLB.^* (NOTE: The numbers cited are actually the payroll of the team at the start of the each seasons. Payrolls can change due to mid-season personnel changes, including trades, promotion of minor league players, waiver, etc.)

Home ballpark: Fenway Park (April 20, 1912 - Present), Braves Field (1929 - 1932 Sundays, 1915 - 1916 World Series), Huntington Avenue Grounds (1901-1911). Fenway is the oldest ballpark in baseball. The Red Sox ownership group has recently committed to keeping the team at Fenway for years to come; plans are already under way for the first ballpark centennial celebration in MLB history in 2012.

Longest Winning Streak: 15 games (April 24 1946 - May 10, 1946)

Mascot: "Wally the Green Monster," named after the left field wall Green Monster introduced in 1997.

Uniform colors: Navy blue, red, and white and green (spring training and mainly St. Patrick's day). After years of sporting stockings that featured blue and white stripes, along with a red stirrup, the Red Sox switched to all-scarlet stockings in 2003.

Logo design: Two hanging red socks with white heels and toes, over a white baseball surrounded by the words Boston and Red Sox. The word "Boston" is in navy blue outlined in red, the words "Red Sox" are in red outlined in navy blue, and the entire logo is surrounded by a thick red circle. Recently the team has begun phasing in a new logo that removes the outline, text and baseball, leaving only the pair of red socks.

Theme Song: None officially, but several "unofficial" theme songs exist:

played in the middle of the eighth inning at Fenway Park: Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" performed with raucous audience participation.
played after each victory at Fenway Park: "Dirty Water" by The Standells (a popular rendition of the song is a cover version performed by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who pitched for the Red Sox for three seasons before being traded in 2006).
played after "Dirty Water" and for rallies during a game: The Dropkick Murphys' 2004 rewrite of "Tessie." The original "Tessie" was a Broadway tune, which Boston fans adopted during the 1903 World Series and sang regularly until 1916.
played during David Ortiz's at-bats: "Big Poppa" by The Notorious B.I.G.
played during Mark Loretta's at-bats: War's "Low Rider" due to "Loretta" sounding like "Low Rider."
played during Kevin Youkilis' at-bats: House of Pain's "Jump Around"
played in an organ version after the song Tessie on every Sox win: "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations
played during Jason Varitek's at-bats: "Kryptonite"

Championships and Pennants:

Playoff appearances (18): 1903, 1904, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1946, 1967, 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005

Official television station: New England Sports Network (NESN) Red Sox own 80% of NESN, the Boston Bruins own the remaining 20%

Official radio station: WEEI (flagship) WRKO (Starting 2007 season)

Spring Training Facility:City of Palms Park, Fort Myers, FL

Nicknames before "Red Sox"

The name Red Sox, chosen by owner John I. Taylor after the 1907 season, is based on the red footwear worn by the team starting in 1908. "Sox" was adopted by newspapers in need of a more headline friendly form of "Stockings," as "Stockings Win!" in large type would not fit on a page.

The name originated with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team and a member of the first (now defunct) league, the National Association of Baseball Players. The Cincinnati Red Stockings were formed by Harry Wright in 1869, and was the first team to actually pay its players a salary, which was frowned upon at the time. The Red Stockings were able to attract the best players from around the country, and hence became one of the first dynasties in American sports. Many other clubs began to follow suit, which is how professional baseball was born. In 1871, due to slumping attendance in Cincinnati, the team folded and then re-formed in Boston, and kept their nickname and their exemplary play. In 1876, the National League was formed and the now-Boston Red Stockings became a charter member, but changed their nickname to the "Red Caps". Back then, the nicknames were not as important, and teams went by many different names during this time. In 1912 the Boston Red Stockings changed their official nickname to the "Braves", and are today based in Atlanta.

In 1901, the American League was formed by Ban Johnson to compete with the National League, and a new Boston club was formed. Prior to 1908, the A.L. team in fact wore dark blue stockings, and did not have an official nickname. They were simply "the Bostons" or "the Boston Baseball club"; some newspaper writers referred to them as the Boston "Americans", as in "American Leaguers", Boston being a two-team city. During 1901-1907, their jerseys, both home and road, simply read "Boston", except for 1902 when they sported large letters "B" and "A", denoting "Boston" and "American". Many sources have stated for years that the early team was called the Boston "Pilgrims" or "Puritans" or "Plymouth Rocks", or "Somersets" (for their owner, Charles Somers), but research into contemporary sources by SABR research Bill Nowlin indicates otherwise. ^* Nowlin's followup article in the 2006 edition of the SABR publication, The National Pastime, unearthed some sporadic references to "Pilgrims", presumably as an alternative to the prosaic "Americans". This usage apparently originated with a writer for the Washington Post during 1906, and by 1907 it found occasional usage in Boston newspapers. On December 18, 1907, Taylor announced that the club had officially adopted red as their new team color.

Retired numbers

The Boston Red Sox have two official requirements for a player to have his number retired:

Election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
At least 10 years played with the Red Sox

The numbers honored are as follows:

1 Bobby Doerr, 2B, 1937–51
4 Joe Cronin, SS, 1935–45; manager, 1935–47; general manager, 1947–58; also American League President, 1959-73
8 Carl Yastrzemski, OF-1B, 1961–83
9 Ted Williams, OF, 1939–60
27 Carlton Fisk, C, 1969–80
42 Jackie Robinson, retired by all Major League clubs to honor his breaking of Baseball's color barrier.

Until the late 1990s, the numbers originally hung on the right-field facade in the order in which they were retired: 9-4-1-8. It was pointed out that the numbers, when read as a date (9/4/18), marked the eve of the 1918 World Series. Due to superstitions involving the "Curse of the Bambino" the numbers were rearranged in numerical order.

The tradition of retiring the numbers of players who have finished their professional baseball careers with the Red Sox was slightly bent when Carlton Fisk was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Fisk actually finished his playing career with the Chicago White Sox, but the Red Sox hired Fisk for 1 day as a "special assistant to (then GM) Dan Duquette" to continue the tradition. ^*

Wade Boggs meets two requirements to have his number 26 retired by the Red Sox, though he did not finish his career with the Red Sox. Should Jim Rice be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, he will also meet the requirements to have his number 14 retired.

Baseball Hall of Famers

Affiliation according to National Baseball Hall of Fame

* Inducted as Red Sox

** Wears Red Sox cap on Hall Of Fame plaque, but spent more time on other teams

Sources

Current roster

Minor league affiliations

Triple-A: Pawtucket Red Sox, International League
Double-A: Portland Sea Dogs, Eastern League
Advanced-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks, Carolina League
Single-A: Greenville Drive, South Atlantic League
Short-A: Lowell Spinners, New York-Penn League
Rookie: GCL Red Sox, Gulf Coast League
Rookie: Dominican Summer League Red Sox, Dominican Summer League

References

External links

Boston Red Sox | Major League Baseball teams | 1901 establishments

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