69 Fun Facts About Boston Red Sox

Fenway Park has been the Red Sox's home since which year?

Fenway Park opened on 20 April 1912; the Titanic had sunk five days earlier, pushing the new park's debut off the front pages.

Before adopting the name Red Sox in 1908, what was the club most commonly called?

Newspapers mostly called the club the Boston Americans, after its league; the Red Sox name was adopted in December 1907, taking up the red stockings the city's National League team had dropped.

How many World Series titles had the Red Sox won through their 2018 championship?

Nine: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013 and 2018, from thirteen World Series appearances through 2018.

Boston won the very first World Series in 1903 against which team?

Boston beat the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in the best-of-nine 1903 Series, urged on by the Royal Rooters' endless choruses of 'Tessie'.

Which pitcher won the pitching Triple Crown for Boston in 1901 and holds the all-time record of 511 wins?

Cy Young went 33-10 for Boston in 1901, threw a perfect game for the club in 1904 and finished with 511 wins; the annual pitching award took his name in 1956.

On 26 December 1919, the Red Sox sold which player to the New York Yankees?

Babe Ruth, fresh off a record 29 home runs in 1919, was sold to the Yankees for $100,000; Boston did not win another title for 86 years.

The 'Curse of the Bambino' only entered common use after which sportswriter's 1990 book of that name?

Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy's 1990 book The Curse of the Bambino popularised the idea that the 1919 sale of the Bambino doomed the club; Boston's drought ran from 1918 to 2004.

Who bought the Red Sox in 1933 and owned them for over four decades?

Tom Yawkey bought the club in February 1933 and owned it until his death in 1976; Yawkey Way outside Fenway reverted to Jersey Street in 2018 over his record on race.

Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941; what is that figure's significance?

Williams's .406 was the majors' last .400 season; rather than sit out the final day to protect a rounded .400, he went 6-for-8 in a doubleheader.

Ted Williams missed most of the 1952 and 1953 seasons serving as what?

Williams flew 39 combat missions as a Marine pilot in Korea, once crash-landing a flak-damaged jet; he had already lost 1943-45 to World War II service.

What did Ted Williams do in his final major-league at-bat in 1960?

Williams hit a home run off Baltimore's Jack Fisher in his last at-bat on 28 September 1960; John Updike immortalised the moment in 'Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu'.

What does the lone red seat in the right-field bleachers at Section 42 mark?

Ted Williams hit it in 1946, and the ball went through the straw hat of a fan named Joseph Boucher.

The Red Sox were the last major-league team to field a Black player, promoting whom in 1959?

Pumpsie Green debuted on 21 July 1959, twelve years after Jackie Robinson broke the colour line; the club had given Robinson a sham tryout at Fenway in April 1945.

Carl Yastrzemski's 1967 Triple Crown was the last in the majors until which player repeated the feat in 2012?

Miguel Cabrera hit .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBI for Detroit in 2012; Yaz's 1967 line was .326, 44 and 121 as the 'Impossible Dream' Red Sox won the pennant.

Yastrzemski was the first AL member of the 3,000-hit club to also reach how many home runs?

Yastrzemski reached 400 home runs in July 1979 and his 3,000th hit that September, the first American Leaguer with both; he spent all 23 seasons in Boston.

Whose 12th-inning home run off the left-field foul pole won Game 6 of the 1975 World Series?

Carlton Fisk was filmed waving his arms to keep the ball fair as it struck the foul pole at 12:34 a.m.; the Reds won Game 7 a day later.

Whose three-run homer over the Green Monster beat Boston in the 1978 tiebreaker?

Bucky Dent's seventh-inning, three-run homer off Mike Torrez gave New York a 5-4 win; Boston fans gave him a profane middle name, and the Yankees fired him as manager during a 1990 series at Fenway.

Roger Clemens first struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game in 1986 against which team?

Clemens fanned 20 Seattle Mariners at Fenway on 29 April 1986, then matched it against Detroit in September 1996; he went 24-4 in 1986 to win both the Cy Young and the MVP.

Whose slow ground ball rolled through Bill Buckner's legs to end Game 6 of the 1986 World Series?

Many, including Wilson himself, thought he would have beaten the throw anyway; the Mets won Game 7 two days later.

Bill Buckner had earlier led the National League in hitting with which club in 1980?

Buckner hit .324 for the Chicago Cubs in 1980 to win the NL batting title; Fenway fans gave him a standing ovation when he threw out the first pitch on Opening Day 2008.

Which general manager, hired in 2002 at age 28, became the youngest GM in MLB history?

Theo Epstein, a Brookline native and Yale graduate, was 28 when Boston hired him in November 2002, then the youngest GM ever; he won titles in 2004 and 2007 before leaving for the Cubs.

Pedro Martínez came to Boston in a November 1997 trade with which team?

Boston acquired Pedro Martínez from the Montreal Expos on 18 November 1997 for Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr.; he won Cy Young Awards for the Red Sox in 1999 and 2000.

Which Pedro Martínez number did the Red Sox retire two days after his 2015 induction?

The Red Sox retired Martínez's No. 45 at Fenway on 28 July 2015, two days after his Cooperstown induction, where he became the second Dominican enshrined after Juan Marichal.

'Big Papi' came to Boston in 2003 after parts of six seasons with which team?

David Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins from 1997 to 2002 before they released him; in Boston he hit 483 of his 541 home runs and entered the Hall of Fame in 2022.

Whose ninth-inning stolen base in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS sparked the Red Sox comeback?

Dave Roberts, pinch-running in the ninth, stole second off Mariano Rivera and scored on Bill Mueller's single; Boston became the first MLB team to win a series after trailing 3-0.

Which pitcher won Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS with sutures in his ankle bleeding through his sock?

Curt Schilling pitched seven innings of one-run ball in Game 6 with a tendon sutured in place, then won Game 2 of the World Series the same way; the 'bloody sock' became instant lore.

Which two players coined the nickname 'the Idiots' for the 2004 Red Sox?

Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar coined 'the Idiots' for the loose, long-haired 2004 roster that shrugged off the supposed curse and won it all.

Whom did the Red Sox sweep in the 2004 World Series to end the 86-year drought?

Boston swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games without ever trailing at any point in the series; Manny Ramírez was named Series MVP.

Whom did the Red Sox sweep in the 2007 World Series?

Boston swept the Colorado Rockies, who had won 21 of 22 games to reach their first World Series; Mike Lowell was named Series MVP.

Dustin Pedroia was hitting below .200 in April 2007; manager Terry Francona kept him in and he won what?

Pedroia finished 2007 at .317 with 165 hits and was voted AL Rookie of the Year; he won the AL MVP the following year.

The 2013 champions wore a 'B Strong' patch in memory of the victims of what?

The patch honoured victims of the 15 April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; after the title the duck-boat parade stopped to set the trophy on the marathon finish line on Boylston Street.

Who was named MVP of the 2013 World Series against the Cardinals?

David Ortiz went 11-for-16 (.688) with two homers in the six-game Series; the Game 6 clincher was Boston's first title won at Fenway since 1918.

How many regular-season games did the record-setting 2018 Red Sox win?

The 2018 Red Sox went 108-54, breaking the club record of 105 wins set by the 1912 team.

Who managed the 2018 Red Sox to the World Series title in his first season?

Alex Cora, from Caguas, Puerto Rico, won it all in his first season as a manager and was the first Puerto Rican manager to win a World Series.

Game 3 of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium set a record by lasting how many innings?

Game 3 ran 18 innings and a World Series-record 7 hours 20 minutes before Max Muncy's walk-off homer; Boston went on to take the Series in five games.

In 2018 Mookie Betts was the first to win MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove, World Series and what else in one season?

Betts hit .346 to win the 2018 AL batting title alongside the MVP, a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and the championship, a first; he was traded to the Dodgers in 2020.

How many consecutive home games did the Red Sox sell out from 2003 to 2013, a pro sports record?

The streak reached 820 games (794 regular season plus 26 postseason) between May 2003 and April 2013, passing the Portland Trail Blazers' 814 for the North American pro sports record.

Which English football club did Fenway Sports Group, the Red Sox's owner, buy in 2010?

Fenway Sports Group bought Liverpool FC in October 2010 for about £300 million; the club won the Premier League under that ownership in 2020.

Which Neil Diamond song has played mid-eighth inning at every Fenway game since 2002?

'Sweet Caroline' has been played in the middle of the eighth at Fenway since 2002, having first appeared there in 1997; the Standells' 'Dirty Water' follows every win.

In what year was the Green Monster first painted green?

In 1947 the advertisements were stripped off and the wall was painted green; the 'Green Monster' nickname only caught on decades later.

What happens if a batted ball goes through a hole in Fenway's manual scoreboard?

Fenway's ground rules award two bases, a ground-rule double, for any ball that goes through the scoreboard on the fly or on a bounce; the wall's interior is covered in players' signatures.

Pesky's Pole, on Fenway's right-field line, is named after Johnny Pesky, who was what kind of hitter?

Johnny Pesky was a light-hitting shortstop with 17 career home runs, just six at Fenway; broadcaster Mel Parnell popularised the name, claiming a Pesky homer there had won Parnell a game.

Fenway's right-field foul line, at roughly 302 feet, is what?

At about 302 feet, the right-field pole is the shortest outfield distance in the majors; parks built since 1958 must have foul lines of at least 325 feet.

From 1912 to 1933, the incline before the left-field wall was nicknamed after which Boston left fielder?

Left fielder Duffy Lewis mastered the 10-foot slope, so it became 'Duffy's Cliff'; it was levelled in the 1934 rebuild that also gave the wall its concrete face and scoreboard.

Terrace-style 'Monster Seats' were added on top of the Green Monster in which year?

The Monster Seats opened for the 2003 season, one of the new ownership group's first Fenway upgrades, putting about 270 seats atop the 37-foot wall.

Wally the Green Monster, the Red Sox mascot, first appeared in which year?

Wally debuted in April 1997; his backstory says he had lived inside the left-field wall for fifty years before finally coming out to meet fans.

In what year was Fenway Park added to the National Register of Historic Places?

Fenway was listed on the National Register on 7 March 2012, weeks before the 20 April centennial of its first game; a decade of renovations was finished for the anniversary.

Whom did the 1912 Red Sox, powered by Smoky Joe Wood, beat in the World Series?

Boston beat the New York Giants 4-3-1 (one tie) in a Series remembered for Fred Snodgrass's dropped fly ball in the deciding game.

Whose 'mad dash' from first base won the 1946 World Series for the Cardinals?

Enos Slaughter ran all the way from first on Harry Walker's eighth-inning hit, scoring as the relay throw home was held a beat too long; St. Louis won 4-3.

Which Red Sox slugger became the youngest American Leaguer to hit his 100th home run?

Tony Conigliaro reached 100 home runs in July 1967 at age 22, the youngest American Leaguer ever to do so; an August 1967 beaning derailed his career.

Which of these nicknames belonged to Roger Clemens rather than Ted Williams?

'The Rocket' was Roger Clemens; Williams was also 'Teddy Ballgame'.

Whom did the Red Sox trade at the 2004 deadline, sending the star shortstop to the Cubs?

Nomar Garciaparra went to the Cubs in a four-team deal on 31 July 2004; Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz came back, and Boston won the title three months later.

Whom did Boston sign after the 2000 season to an eight-year, $160 million contract?

Manny Ramírez's eight-year, $160 million deal was signed in December 2000; he was traded to the Dodgers in a 2008 three-way deal that brought Jason Bay to Boston.

Which distinction does Carlton Fisk hold from his 1972 rookie season?

Carlton Fisk was the first unanimous AL Rookie of the Year in 1972, hitting 22 homers and winning a Gold Glove; he later set the record for games caught, since passed by Iván Rodríguez.

Ted Williams retired with how many career home runs?

Williams finished with 521 home runs, a .344 average and a 1.116 OPS despite losing three full seasons to World War II and most of two more to military service.

What did Yankees fans begin chanting at the Red Sox in 1990 as a taunt?

'1918!' was the year of Boston's last title before the drought; the chant echoed at Yankee Stadium whenever the Red Sox visited until the 2004 title silenced it.

Which NHL franchise did Fenway Sports Group, the Red Sox's owner, buy in 2021?

Fenway Sports Group completed its purchase of the Pittsburgh Penguins in December 2021, adding the NHL club to a portfolio that includes a stake in RFK Racing.

Where did Boston's American League club play its home games before moving to Fenway Park?

The Huntington Avenue Grounds, now part of Northeastern University's campus, hosted the club from 1901 to 1911 and the first World Series game in 1903.

The 'Impossible Dream' slogan for the 1967 season came from a hit song in which musical?

'The Impossible Dream (The Quest)' is the signature song of Man of La Mancha, which opened in 1965; the 1967 Red Sox rose from ninth place to the pennant.

Which owner proposed the name Red Sox for Boston's ball club in December 1907?

John I. Taylor, owner since 1904, chose the name in December 1907 after the city's National League team dropped its red stockings; the new hose debuted in 1908.

Which defensive tactic was partly blamed for Boston losing the 1946 World Series in seven games?

Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer used the Williams Shift, swinging the shortstop to the right side against the left-handed Ted Williams, who hit just .200 in the Series.

How did GM Dan Duquette describe Fenway Park in 1999 while pushing for a new stadium?

Duquette called Fenway 'economically obsolete' while unveiling plans for a replacement next door; the new-park push collapsed and the ownership group that arrived in 2002 renovated instead.

Whose challenge to his teammates gave the 2003 Red Sox the nickname the 'Cowboy Up' team?

Kevin Millar's 'Cowboy Up' rallying cry became the 2003 team's motto; they came back from 0-2 to beat Oakland in the Division Series before Aaron Boone's Game 7 homer ended the ALCS.

What did Boston's starter call the blooper Tony Pérez hit out in 1975's Game 7?

Bill Lee called his blooper the 'Leephus pitch', a pun on the eephus; Pérez's two-run homer off it cut Boston's 3-0 lead and the Reds went on to win 4-3.

How many games did Boston lose in 1906 on the way to a last-place finish?

Boston went 49-105 in 1906, finishing last, 45½ games behind; Tris Speaker arrived in 1907 and anchored the rebound to the 1912 title.

How much did Boston bid in 2006 for the right to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka?

Boston's winning posting bid was $51,111,111.11, about $51.1 million; they then signed Matsuzaka to a six-year, $52 million contract, and he won 15 games in the 2007 title season.

In which year did Harry Frazee sell the Red Sox?

Frazee sold the club to a syndicate led by Bob Quinn in July 1923, having already shipped most of his best players to the Yankees.

Which closer did Boston trade to Seattle in 1997 for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe?

Closer Heathcliff Slocumb went to the Mariners on 31 July 1997 for two prospects, Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe, who became cornerstones of the 2004 champions.

Which club joined the Red Sox and Yankees in the 'Insurrectos' faction in the 1919 Carl Mays row?

The Chicago White Sox sided with Boston and New York as the 'Insurrectos' after Ban Johnson tried to block the Mays sale; the other five clubs were the 'Loyal Five'.