The Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 season was a season in American baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

. It involved the Red Sox finishing second in the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 with a record of 96 wins and 59 losses.

Offseason

In December 1947, the Red Sox made a deal with the St. Louis Browns

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

. The Sox acquired Vern Stephens

Vern Stephens

Vernon Decatur Stephens was an American shortstop in professional baseball who played 15 seasons in the American League for four different teams. A native of McAlister, New Mexico, Stephens batted and threw right-handed...

, Billy Hitchcock

Billy Hitchcock

William Clyde Hitchcock was an American infielder, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball. He also served as president of the class AA Southern League from 1971-80...

, and pitchers Jack Kramer

Jack Kramer (baseball)

John Henry Kramer was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with four different teams between 1939 and 1951. Listed at 6' 2", 190 lb., Kramer batted and threw right-handed. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana....

 and Ellis Kinder

Ellis Kinder

Ellis Raymond Kinder , also nicknamed "Old Folks", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played for the St. Louis Browns , Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox...

. The deal cost $375,000 and 11 Red Sox players.

Notable transactions

• Prior to 1948 season (exact date unknown)
  • Milt Bolling
    Milt Bolling
    Milton Joseph Bolling is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers . Bolling batted and threw right-handed...
    
     was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox.
  • Bob Smith was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox.

Regular season

In 1948, Kramer led the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 in winning percentage. The manager of the team was former New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 manager Joe McCarthy, replacing the outgoing Joe Cronin

Joe Cronin

Joseph Edward Cronin was a Major League Baseball shortstop and manager.During a 20-year playing career, he played from 1926–45 for three different teams, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Cronin was a major league manager from 1933–47...

. Cronin had led the Red Sox to an 83-71 record in 1947

1947 Boston Red Sox season

The 1947 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 83 wins and 71 losses.- Offseason :* November 1, 1946: Virgil Stallcup drafted from the Red Sox by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1946 rule 5 draft....

, finishing in third place.

Throughout , the Sox, New York Yankees

1948 New York Yankees season

The New York Yankees season was the team's 46th season in New York and its 48th overall. The team finished with a record of 94-60, finishing 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind the second-place Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bucky Harris...

, and the Cleveland Indians

1948 Cleveland Indians season

The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team won a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox and would then go onto win their second World Series in franchise history, its first in 28 years.-Off-season:...

 slugged it out for the pennant

Pennant (sports)

A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...

. At the end of the regular season, Boston and Cleveland were tied for first place. Each team had a record of 96 wins and 58 losses, two games ahead of the Yankees.

American League Playoff

At the end of the season, the Red Sox and the Indians were tied for first place. This led to the first-ever one-game playoff in the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

, played at Fenway Park

Fenway Park

Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...

. The game was played on October 4, 1948. The start time was 1:15 pm EST.

McCarthy picked former St. Louis Browns

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

 pitcher Denny Galehouse

Denny Galehouse

Dennis Ward Galehouse born in Marshallville, Ohio was a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns...

, who had an 8-7 pitching record, to be his starter. The Indians won the game by the score of 8-3. Indians third baseman Ken Keltner

Ken Keltner

Kenneth Frederick Keltner was an American professional baseball player. He played almost his entire Major League Baseball career as a third baseman with the Cleveland Indians, until his final season when he played 13 games for the Boston Red Sox. He batted and threw right-handed...

 contributed to the victory with his single

Single (baseball)

In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...

, double, and 3-run homer over the Green Monster

Green Monster

The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...

 in the 4th inning. Later, McCarthy said he had no rested arms and that there was no else who could pitch. Mel Parnell

Mel Parnell

Melvin Lloyd Parnell is a former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher.Parnell spent his entire ten-year career with the Boston Red Sox , compiling a 123-75 record with 732 strikeouts, a 3.50 earned run average, 113 complete games, 20 shutouts, and 1752.2 innings pitched in 289 games...

 and Ellis Kinder

Ellis Kinder

Ellis Raymond Kinder , also nicknamed "Old Folks", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played for the St. Louis Browns , Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox...

 claimed that they were both ready to pitch.

Opening Day lineup

7	Dom DiMaggio Dom DiMaggio Dominic Paul DiMaggio , nicknamed "The Little Professor", was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox...	CF
6	Johnny Pesky Johnny Pesky John Michael Pesky , nicknamed "The Needle" and "Mr. Red Sox", was a Major League Baseball shortstop, third baseman, and manager. During a 10-year career, he played in 1942 and from 1946-1954 for three different teams. He missed all of the 1943, 1944, and 1945 seasons while serving in World War...	3B
9	Ted Williams Ted Williams Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...	LF
2	Stan Spence Stan Spence Stanley Orville Spence was a Major League Baseball center fielder who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators and St. Louis Browns . Spence batted and threw left-handed...	1B
5	Vern Stephens Vern Stephens Vernon Decatur Stephens was an American shortstop in professional baseball who played 15 seasons in the American League for four different teams. A native of McAlister, New Mexico, Stephens batted and threw right-handed...	SS
1	Bobby Doerr Bobby Doerr Robert Pershing Doerr is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and coach. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox . He led American League second basemen in double plays five times, tying a league record, in putouts and fielding percentage four times each, and...	2B
4	Sam Mele Sam Mele Sabath Anthony "Sam" Mele is a former right fielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball...	RF
8	Birdie Tebbetts Birdie Tebbetts George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians from to...	C
15	Joe Dobson Joe Dobson Joseph Gordon Dobson , nicknamed "Burrhead," was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox ....	P

Roster

1948 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders Other batters		Manager Coaches

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
2B		140	527	150	.285	27	111
SS		155	635	171	.285	29	137
OF		137	509	188	.369	25	127

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
	49	124	37	.298	1	2

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	38	245.1	16	10	3.56	116
	35	212	15	8	3.14	77
	29	205	18	5	2.35	72
	28	178	10	7	3.74	53

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	27	137.1	8	8	4.00	38

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
	9	0	1	0	5.65	5
	8	1	1	0	13.00	5
	4	1	0	0	0.00	2

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Birmingham, Scranton, Oneonta, Milford