Boston Red Sox Team History

Unfortunately, the NL champion New York Giants declined to play any postseason series, fearing it would give their New York rivals credibility (they had expected the Highlanders to win), but a sharp public reaction led the two leagues immediately to make the World Series a permanent championship, starting in 1905. These successful times soon ended, however, as Boston lost 100 games in 1906. However, several new star players helped the newly renamed Red Sox improve almost immediately.

Four days after his 30th birthday, Yawkey bought the Red Sox for $1.2 million on the advice of his longtime friend, former A’s second baseman and superstar hitter Eddie Collins. The Red Sox had been the dregs of the American League for more than a decade since the infamous Babe Ruth sale to the Yankees by former owner Harry Frazee before the 1920 season, and had just come off a dreadful 111-loss season in 1932 which is still the worst in franchise history. Yawkey hired Collins as general manager with instructions to buy up as much talent as possible to turn the team around. He also heavily renovated Fenway Park, which had fallen into disrepair over the years. Yawkey devoted his time and finances for the rest of his life to building winning teams. His teams’ best seasons occurred in 1946, 1967 & 1975, when the Red Sox captured the American League pennant but then went on to lose each World Series in seven games, against the St. Louis Cardinals in (1946 & 1967) and the Cincinnati Reds in (1975). He would never achieve his ultimate goal of winning a world championship.

In the 1912 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Giants four games to three (with one tie).

In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. In their only World Series before 1950, the Phillies won Game 1 before being swept the rest of the way. It was 65 years before the Phillies won their next Series game. The Red Sox pitching was so strong in the 1915 series that the young Babe Ruth was not used on the mound and only made a single pinch-hitting appearance.

In the 1916 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins (a.k.a. Dodgers) four games to one. Casey Stengel shone on offense for the Robins in the 1916 Series but the Red Sox pitching core ultimately proved too much for the denizens of Flatbush. The Sox’s Babe Ruth pitched thirteen shutout innings in Game 2, starting a consecutive scoreless innings streak that would reach 29 in 1918. As with the 1915 Series, the Red Sox played their home games at the larger Braves Field, and it paid off as they drew a then-record 42,620 people for the final game.

The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, going back to 1903. The Red Sox scored only nine runs in the entire Series; the fewest runs by the winning team in World Series history. Along with the 1906 and 1907 World Series, the 1918 World Series is one of only three Fall Classics where neither team hit a home run.

The 2004 World Series was Major League Baseball’s (MLB) championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League (AL) champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League (NL) champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals four games to none in the best-of-seven series, played at Fenway Park and Busch Memorial Stadium. The series was played between October 23 and 27, 2004, broadcast on Fox, and watched by an average of just under 25.5 million viewers.

The 2007 World Series, the 103rd edition of Major League Baseball’s championship series, began on Wednesday, October 24 and ended on Sunday, October 28. It featured the National League champion Colorado Rockies making their first World Series appearance and the American League champion Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox won the Series in four games, sweeping the Rockies to collect their second World Series championship in four seasons and their seventh overall; it also marked the third sweep in four years by the AL champion.

The 2013 World Series was the 109th edition of Major League Baseball’s championship series. The American League champion Boston Red Sox defeated the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in the best-of-seven playoff four games to two. The Red Sox had home field advantage for the series, based on the American League’s win in the All-Star Game at Citi Field in Queens, New York, on July 16. The Series started on Wednesday, October 23, ending on Game 6 the following Wednesday, October 30, 2013.

The 2018 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball’s 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series was played between the American League (AL) champion Boston Red Sox and the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers and began on Tuesday, October 23. The Series was televised in the United States on Fox. This was the second World Series match-up between the two franchises, after the Red Sox defeated the Brooklyn Robins (later known as the Dodgers) in five games in 1916.

Once again, the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in five games, four games to one, to win their fourth World Series title since 2004, and their first since 2013. Steve Pearce won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, while Alex Cora became the fifth first-season manager, and first manager from Puerto Rico, to win the World Series.