![]() ![]() They tied Cleveland for the 1948 pennant, only to be clobbered 8-3 in the playoff game. Twice the Red Sox played American League tiebreakers, both times at Fenway Park. The Sox earned World Series berths in 1946, 1967, 19, losing each series in seven games. They in turn gave way to Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans in the 1970's and '80's.īut this offensive firepower could not break the "Curse of the Bambino," and for eight decades the Red Sox fell victim to some of the most heartbreaking near-misses any team and its fans have endured. In 1960, Williams passed the slugging baton to Carl Yastrzemski and a new generation of heavy hitters that included George Scott, Rico Petrocelli, Reggie Smith and Tony Conigliaro. In fact, the Red Sox have always turned out great hitting talent, beginning with Williams, considered by many the greatest natural hitter in history. This lineup of sluggers became one of baseball's best teams in the 1940's. ![]() He started by adding veteran stars such as Jimmy Foxx and Joe Cronin, and during the next decade he mixed in home grown talent such as Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio and a fresh-faced slugger from San Diego named Ted Williams. Thomas Yawkey bought a dismal, down-and-out franchise in 1933, and immediately committed the money necessary to turn it around. It was Barrow who brought all this talent to Boston, and when the Red Sox let the Yankees hire him away, they condemned themselves to two decades of second division mediocrity while Barrow built the Yankee dynasty. Perhaps the most devastating loss for the Red Sox during this time was Ed Barrow, the era's most effective general manager. These transactions sparked a heated rivalry between the two franchises which continues unabated today. He gutted his franchise during the next few years by sending the Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Herb Pennock, and solid players such as Joe Dugan, Everett Scott, George Pipgras, "Bullet" Joe Bush and Sam Jones without receiving adequate compensation. In the most infamous transaction in baseball history, Frazee got out of debt by selling Ruth to the Yankees, giving birth to the "Curse of the Bambino," a long-lamented reason given by Sox fans for the misfortunes that always seemed to overtake their teams at crucial times and derail their efforts for a championship.īut Frazee didn't stop with Ruth. He also began showing a prodigious talent to hit home runs and became a league phenomenon when he hit a then-unheard of 29 homers in 1919.īy the end of that year the finances of Red Sox owner Harry Frazee were spiraling downward and in trying to right his financial ship, Frazee sunk the Sox. His name was Babe Ruth, and over the next six seasons he won 89 games and posted an ERA of 2.19, making him one of the best southpaw pitchers in the league. The Sox also unveiled a skinny 19-year old left-handed pitcher in 1914 who went 2-1 in four games. The Americans adopted the name Red Sox late in 1907 and hit their stride with world championships in -18 led by a legendary outfield - Tris Speaker, the peerless Hall of Fame center fielder, flanked by fellow Hall of Famer Harry Hooper in right and Duffy Lewis in left. Already in his late 30s, Young won 33, 32 and 28 games in 1901-03. These teams were anchored by legendary hurler Cy Young. Boston finished second that first season, third in 1902, and then won the first World Series in 1903, defeating Pittsburgh. The Boston Americans began play Apwith a 10-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. ![]() The enthusiasm and support Bostonians gave to their National League team convinced Ban Johnson that Boston would be a strong charter entry in his new American League. Little did those fans realize the ups, and mostly downs, they and generations of Sox fans yet-to-be-born would endure before a sixth world championship banner would be raised at Fenway.īoston baseball traces its roots to the 1870's. It was the Red Sox fourth world championship in seven years and their fifth overall. On September 11, 1918, a happy flock of 15,238 fans filed out of Fenway Park, having seen their ace right hander Carl Mays shut down the Chicago Cubs on three hits for a World Series clinching 2-1 win. BOSTON RED SOX The Official History of the Boston Red Sox | Baseball Almanac ![]()
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