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 4th 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...

 East with a record of 78 wins and 84 losses.

Offseason

• December 9, 1996: Bret Saberhagen
  Bret Saberhagen
  Bret William Saberhagen is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.-Early years:Bret Saberhagen attended Grover Cleveland High School, located in Reseda, California. Saberhagen starred in both basketball and baseball...
  
   was signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
• January 22, 1997: Steve Avery
  Steve Avery
  Steven Thomas Avery is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was a young star with the Atlanta Braves in the early 1990s.-Young Gun:...
  
   was signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
• January 27, 1997: José Canseco
  José Canseco
  José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
  
   was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Oakland Athletics for John Wasdin and cash.
• January 31, 1997: Mike Benjamin was signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.

Notable Transactions

• July 31, 1997: Heathcliff Slocumb was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Seattle Mariners for Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek.
• August 30, 1997: Curtis Pride
  Curtis Pride
  Curtis John Pride is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and is currently the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University. Pride stands at 6'0" tall and weighs 210 pounds. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.-Youth:Deaf at birth from rubella, Pride developed oral skills early in his...
  
   was signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.

Opening Day Line Up

5	Nomar Garciaparra Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...	SS
13	John Valentin John Valentin John William Valentin is a former shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played most of his major league career with the Boston Red Sox, with his final season being for the New York Mets. He batted and threw right-handed...	2B
42	Mo Vaughn Mo Vaughn Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn , nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played from 1991 to 2003...	1B
20	Mike Stanley Mike Stanley Robert Michael "Mike" Stanley is a former American college and professional baseball player who was a catcher in Major League Baseball for fifteen years...	DH
11	Tim Naehring Tim Naehring Timothy James Naehring is an American former professional baseball infielder with the Boston Red Sox...	3B
12	Wil Cordero Wil Cordero Wilfredo Cordero Nieva is a former first baseman/outfielder in Major League Baseball. He was best known as a member of the Montreal Expos . Cordero made his Major League Baseball debut in 1992 and last played in...	LF
44	Rudy Pemberton Rudy Pemberton Rudy Héctor Pemberton Pérez is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of three seasons in Major League Baseball, from through , for the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox , playing mainly as a right fielder...	RF
37	Bill Haselman Bill Haselman William Joseph Haselman is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He served as the first base coach for the Boston Red Sox in . Before taking over the role of first base coach, Haselman served as bullpen coach...	C
24	Shane Mack	CF
36	Tom Gordon Tom Gordon Thomas Gordon , nicknamed "Flash", is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played with the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros , Chicago White Sox , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Phillies and the...	P

Roster

1997 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders Other batters		Manager Coaches (First base) (Pitching) (Third base) (Bullpen) (Bench) (Hitting) (Bullpen)

Wally the Green Monster

Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox. His name is derived from 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...

 nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field 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"...

. Wally debuted in 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, the older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise.
According to the Red Sox promotions department, Wally was a huge Red Sox fan who decided to move inside the left field wall of Fenway Park since it "eats up" hits that would easily be home runs at other parks in 1947. Apparently, he was very shy and lived the life of a hermit

Hermit

A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...

 for 50 years. On the 50th anniversary of the Green Monster in 1997, he came out of the manual scoreboard and has been interacting with players and fans ever since. Thanks to former Red Sox second baseman and current broadcaster Jerry Remy

Jerry Remy

Gerald Peter "Rem Dawg" Remy is a Major League Baseball broadcaster and former Major League Baseball second baseman. Remy grew up in Somerset, Massachusetts.-Playing career:...

, those older fans have adored him.

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

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

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

Other pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

Relief pitchers

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO

Farm system