Red Sox History

January 14, 2000
Carlton Fisk is elected to the Hall of Fame and says he will wear a Red Sox cap on his plaque; the New England-born catcher added, "this has always been my favorite cap."

January 27, 1994
Dan Duquette became general manager of the Boston Red Sox. The 35-year old native of Dalton, Massachusetts became the youngest GM in Red Sox history. His successor, Theo Epstein, took that honor for himself several years later.

February 21, 1969
Out of the game since his retirement in 1960, Ted Williams signs a five-year contract to manage the Senators. After his first season, he is named Manager of the Year when the Senators finish five games above the Yankees in the standings. When the franchise relocates to Texas, Williams becomes the first manager of the Texas Rangers.

March 19, 1997
A 25-foot Coca-Cole "bottle" was unveiled atop Fenway's left-field Wall; the single bottle soon grew to a three-bottle cluster that now seems an accepted part of the park. At the time, traditionalists were understandably aghast.

April 16, 1945
The Red Sox at least appear to go through the motions of giving a tryout to three black players (Jackie Robinson, Sam Jethroe, and Marvin Williams), but claim not to see adequate talent in any one of the three. The Globe's Arthur Siegel noted in 1963, "They weren't even invited to use the clubhouse facilities after the workout." Fifteen more years - and a tremendous opportunity - pass before the Red Sox have an African-American player on the major league roster. Robinson was named Rookie of the Year in 1947. Sam Jethroe was named N.L. Rookie of the Year in 1950.

May 14, 1914
Joseph Lannin bought out all the common stock holdings of the Taylor family, and became the sole owner of the Boston Red Sox.

May 21, 1988
Bobby Doerr's #1 was retired in a ceremony at Fenway Park. Doerr had been voted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1986.

June 8, 1950
In the most lopsided score in history, the Boston Red Sox annihilated the St. Louis Browns at Fenway Park, 29-4. Bobby Doerr had three home runs and eight RBIs; Walt Dropo, two home runs and seven RBIs, and Ted Williams, two home runs and five RBIs. The Sox set a major-league record with 58 total bases. Leadoff batter Clyde Vollmer went to the plate eight times in eight innings, the only time this has happened in history.

June 21, 1916
The first no-hitter ever thrown at Fenway Park was by "little George Foster, the farmer boy from Oklahoma" (as the New York Times described him). The 5'7½" Foster beat Bob Shawkey and the Yankees, 2-0. Foster walked three. The win earned Foster a $100 bonus from Red Sox President Lannin.

July 10, 1992
Bob Zupcic's eighth-inning grand slam off Bobby Thigpen makes the difference in Boston's 6-5 win over the White Sox. It's Zupcic's second slam in his rookie year (his ninth inning slam on June 30 was a walk-off game-winner) Ellis Burks had two grand slams in his own rookie year, 1987. The two share the major league record.

July 19, 1983
The seven-day trial to determine who would run the Red Sox ended in Suffolk Superior Court. The goal of the proceedings was to remove Buddy LeRoux from ownership, and a central complaint was LeRoux's announcement that he was taking over the ball club on the night of the June 6 benefit for the stricken Tony Conigliaro. The group bringing the complaint was comprised of Jean R. Yawkey, Haywood Sullivan, and John Harrington. They prevailed.

August 1, 1993
Around 6:00 a.m., Roger Clemens was bitten by an injured dog lying beside an exit road along a Baltimore expressway. Clemens tried to lift the dog to help it, but the mixed terrier bit the Rocket, breaking the skin on his right thumb and requiring a tetanus shot at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

August 31
Red Sox debuts on this date: Ken Ryan (1992), Nomar Garciaparra (1996)

September 8, 2002
As Fenway's organist became further relegated to just brief interludes, the Red Sox tried to honor ballplayers who like to have a favorite song played over the park's sound system as they stride to the plate or came in from the bullpen. Manny Ramirez requested "I Get High" by the group Styles, and it was indeed played when he approached home plate during the game hosting the Blue Jays. Trouble is, there was a 12-letter expletive uttered early in the song. First, the artist discussed how he needed drugs, then he came out with the word. Second base umpire Angel Hernandez called upstairs after Manny's fly out, and said he would report it to the commissioner's office. "I think we'll have a CD burning ceremony," said Sox VP Dr. Charles Steinberg. "Whatever that song was, you won't hear it again at Fenway Park."

October 6, 1923
Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas C. O'Brien announced an investigation into the ownership of both Boston baseball teams, questioning why there seemed to have been so many one-sided traded to the detriment of the Boston clubs. Two days later, having studied the incorporation papers, the D.A. suggested it was not a matter he would look into any more deeply.

October 27, 2004
For the first time in 86 years, the Boston Red Sox win the World Series. The Sox scored first, as they had in every game of the Series, and Derek Lowe never let the Cardinals score at all, nor did the Boston bullpen. For Lowe, it was his 17th appearance in a post-season game for the Red Sox, a club record for pitchers.

November 12, 1939
The San Francisco Seals Pacific Coast League club sold Dominic DiMaggio, younger brother to Vince and Joe, to the Red Sox for a reported $40,000.

November 14
Birthday for Jim Piersall (1929), Kim Andrew (1953), Curt Schilling (1966)

December 7, 1937
Eddie Collins signs The Kid. Bill Lane of the San Diego Padres trades Ted Williams to the Boston Red Sox for Dom Dallessandro, Al Niemiec, Spencer Harris, and cash variously reported as either $25,000 or $35,000.

December 21, 2001
The John W. Henry-Tom Werner-Larry Lucchino group formally took ownership of the Red Sox. President Larry Lucchino pledged, "This isn't so much a wish as it is a commitment. We will extinguish the curse of the Bambino." They did.

Day by Day with the Boston Red Sox chronicles over a century of Red Sox history – one day at a time. The result of extensive research by Bill Nowlin, the 614-page book is easy to read and serves as the ultimate historical reference account of the Red Sox.