The Boston Red Sox are a charter member of the American League. The team
began playing in 1901 as the Boston Americans. They won the very first
World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903. By 1908 the team was known as the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox played their first eleven seasons at the Huntington Avenue
Grounds. In 1912, the team moved into the brand new Fenway Park. In their
first seven seasons in their new ballpark, the Red Sox won four more World
Series. In fact, the team won ever World Series in which it appeared. In 1919, the Red Sox were the team of the century. They had won five of
fifteen championships and had the best player in the history of baseball
playing for them. Then, on January 3, 1920, Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees. The Red Sox
began their rapid descent into mediocrity. It wasn't until the 1940s that the team began to reclaim some of its
glory. Ted Williams led the team for two decades, when he wasn't flying
fighter planes for the Navy. Carl Yastrzemski took over in left field for
the next two decades or so. The Red Sox appeared in four World Series. Each series went seven games,
and each time the Red Sox lost. Each one was more heartbreaking than the
previous series. In 1986, the Red Sox won the first two games of the World Series against
the Mets at Shea Stadium. Coming back to Fenway Park, many thought the
series was theirs to lose. They return to New York for the sixth game, up
3-2. In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Red Sox were one pitch away
from becoming champions at last. Champagne was waiting for them in their
locker room. A string of base hits and errors cost the Red Sox the game
and ultimately the series. After losing in such dramatic fashion, talk of
the Curse of the Bambino became commonplace. The Red Sox lost in extra innings to the Yankees in the seventh game of
the American League Championship Series in 2003. In 2004, the Red Sox played the Yankees again in the ALCS. The Yankees had
them down three games to none and, to make matters worse, had pounded them
by the score of 19-8 in the third game at Fenway Park. Somehow, the Red Sox came back in the fourth game and won in extra
innings. They won again in extra innings in the fourth game. By then, the
momentum had turned and the Red Sox became the first team in MLB history
to come back from a 3-0 deficit and win a playoff series. Most Red Sox fans were preparing to be let down yet again as the National
League champion St. Louis Cardinals came to Boston. However, masterful
pitching, including a heroic effort by Curt Schilling, led the Red Sox to
their first world championship in 86 years. The Red Sox aren't satisfied with a World Championship. It was a tough year for the Boston Red Sox in 2010. Despite finishing with 89 wins, they failed to make the playoffs, and finished third in the AL East, behind the division-winning Tampa Bay Rays and the rival New York Yankees, who won the Wild Card. You knew the Red Sox wouldn't just sit idly by though and let that happen again, so the club re-upped in a major way in the offseason.
First, they poached centerfielder Carl Crawford from the Rays and locked him up to a huge long term deal worth about $140 million. Then they brought in Adrian Gonzalez, formerly of the San Diego Padres, and locked him into another long and lucrative deal to be the anchor at first base.
Those are two perennial All Star players that the team added at once, and it makes the lineup and the entire team a huge threat. After a slow start to the 2011 season, they have reclaimed first place in the division, but it will be a fight until the end of the season with those other teams.
Josh Beckett is back in great form on the mound, and Jon Lester is having yet another excellent season. Oh, and the team still has David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia, amongst others. The Red Sox are one of the favorites to win the World Series for the year, and if you are lucky enough to find tickets to Fenway Park and a Boston Red Sox game, then get on them as soon as you can before somebody else. |