52 Facts About The Boston Red Sox

1.

Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,729
2.

The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball as a member club of the American League East division.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,730
3.

Red Sox were a dominant team in the new league, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903 and winning four more championships by 1918.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,731
4.

The Sox endured an 86-year wait before the team's sixth World Championship in 2004.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,732
5.

Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool FC of the Premier League in England.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,733
6.

From May 15,2003, to April 10,2013, the Red Sox sold out every home game—a total of 820 games for a major professional sports record.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,734
7.

Name Red Sox, chosen by owner John I Taylor after the 1907 season, refers to the red hose in the team uniform beginning in 1908.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,735
8.

In 1901, the league created a franchise in The Boston Red Sox, called the "The Boston Red Sox Americans", to compete with the National League team there.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,736
9.

In 1903, the team won their first American League pennant and, as a result, The Boston Red Sox participated in the first modern World Series, going up against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,737
10.

The Red Sox went on to win the 1916 World Series, defeating the Brooklyn Robins.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,738
11.

The sale of Babe Ruth came to be viewed as the beginning of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, considered the "best rivalry" by American sports journalists.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,739
12.

The Boston Red Sox served two stints in the United States Marine Corps as a pilot and saw active duty in both World War II and the Korean War, missing at least five full seasons of baseball.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,740
13.

In 1948, The Boston Red Sox finished in a tie with Cleveland, and their loss to Cleveland in a one-game playoff ended hopes of an all-The Boston Red Sox World Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,741
14.

In 1949, the Red Sox were one game ahead of the New York Yankees, with the only two games left for both teams being against each other, and they lost both of those games.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,742
15.

The BoThe Boston Red Sox had finished the 1966 season in ninth place, but they found new life with Yastrzemski as the team won the pennant to reach the 1967 World Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,743
16.

The Boston Red Sox was named the league's Most Valuable Player, just one vote shy of a unanimous selection as a Minnesota sportswriter placed Twins center fielder Cesar Tovar first on his ballot.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,744
17.

The Boston Red Sox was struck just above the left cheek bone by a fastball thrown by Jack Hamilton of the California Angels on Friday, August 18,1967, and sat out the entire next season with headaches and blurred vision.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,745
18.

The start of the season was delayed by a players' strike, and the Red Sox had lost one more game to the strike than the Tigers had.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,746
19.

The Red Sox went to Detroit with a half-game lead for the final series of the season, but lost the first two of those three and were eliminated from the pennant race.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,747
20.

The 1975 Red Sox were as colorful as they were talented, with Yastrzemski and rookie outfielders Jim Rice and Fred Lynn, veteran outfielder Dwight Evans, catcher Carlton Fisk, and pitchers Luis Tiant and eccentric junkballer Bill "The Spaceman" Lee.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,748
21.

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.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,749
22.

Red Sox won the AL East for the first time in 11 seasons, and faced the California Angels in the ALCS.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,750
23.

Red Sox faced a heavily favored New York Mets team that had won 108 games in the regular season in the 1986 World Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,751
24.

The Boston Red Sox won the first two games in Shea Stadium but lost the next two at Fenway, knotting the series at 2 games apiece.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,752
25.

Red Sox fans felt retribution to Dent being fired on their field, but the Yankees used him as a scapegoat.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,753
26.

Red Sox won the newly realigned American League East in 1995, finishing seven games ahead of the Yankees.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,754
27.

In 2002, the Red Sox were sold by Yawkey trustee and president Harrington to New England Sports Ventures, a consortium headed by principal owner John Henry.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,755
28.

The Boston Red Sox began the postseason by sweeping the AL West champion Anaheim Angels in the ALDS.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,756
29.

The Boston Red Sox then scored on an RBI single by Bill Mueller, sending the game into extra innings.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,757
30.

Red Sox swept the St Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,758
31.

The Red Sox faced the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series, and swept the Rockies in four games.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,759
32.

Red Sox began their season by participating in the third opening day game in MLB history to be played in Japan, where they defeated the Oakland A's in the Tokyo Dome.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,760
33.

The Red Sox defeated the Angels in the 2008 ALDS three games to one.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,761
34.

Red Sox returned to postseason play in 2009 but were swept in the ALDS by the Los Angeles Angels.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,762
35.

The Red Sox struggled throughout the season due to injuries, inconsistent play, and off-field news.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,763
36.

The Red Sox became the first team since the 1991 Minnesota Twins to win the World Series a year after finishing in last place, and the second overall.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,764
37.

The Red Sox grabbed the lead in the AL East early and held on to it throughout the year, which included many teams honoring Ortiz throughout the season.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,765
38.

The Red Sox surpassed the 100-win mark for the first time since 1946, broke the franchise record of 105 wins that had been set in 1912, and won the most games of any MLB team since the 2001 Seattle Mariners won 116.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,766
39.

The 2018 Red Sox were highlighted by All-Stars Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,767
40.

Red Sox entered the postseason as the top seed in the American League, and defeated the New York Yankees in four games in the Division Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,768
41.

The Boston Red Sox then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the World Series, for the team's fourth championship in 15 years and ninth in franchise history.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,769
42.

The Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game, and defeated the Rays in the Division Series, but were eliminated by the Astros in the League Championship Series.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,770
43.

In November 2008, the Red Sox signed an agreement with Lee County intended to keep their spring training home in the Fort Myers area for 30 more years.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,771
44.

Unofficial beginning of the spring training season for the Red Sox is Truck Day, the day a tractor-trailer filled with equipment leaves Fenway Park bound for the team's spring training facility in Florida.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,772
45.

The 1978 division race is memorable for the Red Sox having held a 14-game lead over the Yankees more than halfway through the season.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,773
46.

Rays–Red Sox rivalry developed in the late 2000s, after the two clubs had their first postseason meeting in the 2008 ALCS.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,774
47.

The Boston Red Sox has worked with play-by-play veterans Bob Starr and Jerry Trupiano.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,775
48.

Previously, the Red Sox published three official requirements for a player to have his number retired on their website and in their annual media guides.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,776
49.

In 2008, the Red Sox made an "exception" by retiring number 6 for Johnny Pesky.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,777
50.

In 2015, the Red Sox chose to forgo the official criteria and retire Pedro Martinez' number 45.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,778
51.

Several baseball writers, professionally based in Boston while writing about the Red Sox, have been recipients of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award, given for "meritorious contributions to baseball writing".

FactSnippet No. 1,891,779
52.

Red Sox personnel inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame are automatically inducted to the team's hall of fame.

FactSnippet No. 1,891,780