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 involved the Red Sox finishing sixth 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 76 wins and 86 losses.

Regular season

Future Hall of Famer

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...

 Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Yastrzemski

Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...

 made his major league debut on Opening Day

Opening Day

Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...

, April 11. He was considered the heir apparent to 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...

, who had retired at the end of .

On June 30, Wilbur Wood

Wilbur Wood

Wilbur Forrester Wood, Jr. is a former knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and most notably the Chicago White Sox, where he got 163 of his 164 wins...

 made his major league baseball debut with the Red Sox. In a game against the Cleveland Indians

1961 Cleveland Indians season

The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the newly expanded 10-team American League with a record of 78-83, 30½ games behind the New York Yankees.- Offseason :* December 14, 1960: 1960 MLB expansion draft...

, Wood pitched 4 innings, allowed 3 hits, and 2 earned runs. He had 3 strikeouts and allowed 1 walk.

On October 1, in a game against the New York Yankees

1961 New York Yankees season

The New York Yankees season was the 59th season for the team in New York, and its 61st season overall. The team finished with a record of 109-53, eight games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and won their 26th American League pennant. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played their home...

, Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard

Tracy Stallard

Evan Tracy Stallard is a retired American professional baseball player, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1960 to 1966. He played with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and St...

 gave up Roger Maris

Roger Maris

Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...

' 61st home run of the season, breaking Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

's record for most home runs in a season.

Notable transactions

• May 17, 1961: Joe Ginsberg
  Joe Ginsberg
  Myron Nathan "Joe" Ginsberg was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and New York Mets...
  
   was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.
• June 26, 1961: Rip Repulski
  Rip Repulski
  Eldon John Repulski was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1953 through 1961, he played with the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
  
   was released by the Red Sox.

Opening Day lineup

2	Chuck Schilling Chuck Schilling Charles Thomas Schilling is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox from 1961-65...	2B
7	Gary Geiger Gary Geiger Gary Merle Geiger was a major league outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros from . He was born in Sand Ridge, Illinois. His offseason home while a major leaguer was Murphysboro, Illinois. His wife Lyn's parents were St...	CF
6	Vic Wertz Vic Wertz Victor Woodrow Wertz was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St...	1B
4	Jackie Jensen Jackie Jensen Jack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...	RF
8	Carl Yastrzemski Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...	LF
3	Pete Runnels Pete Runnels James Edward "Pete" Runnels was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox and Houston Colt .45s . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed....	3B
22	Russ Nixon Russ Nixon Russell Eugene Nixon is a former catcher, coach and manager in American Major League Baseball. A veteran of 55 years in professional baseball, Nixon has managed at virtually every level of the sport, from the lowest minor league to MLB assignments with the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves...	C
12	Pumpsie Green Pumpsie Green Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green is a former Major League Baseball backup infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets . He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed....	SS
27	Bill Monbouquette Bill Monbouquette William Charles Monbouquette is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher...	P

Roster

1961 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		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
C		120	376	91	.242	16	58
1B		143	360	114	.317	3	38
2B		158	646	167	.259	5	62
LF		148	583	155	.266	11	80

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

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
	10	42	3	2	3.43	13

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
	43	132.2	2	7	4.88	109
	17	52.1	2	4	6.71	26

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
	6	0	0	0	5.54	7
	1	0	0	0	18.00	0

Farm system