Since their founding in 1901, the Red Sox have been part of Boston's landscape. Originally called the Americans, in 1908, they officially became known as the Red Sox.
Fenway Park
Missy Esty points out that Fenway Park was first constructed in 1912, making it one of the oldest baseball stadiums worldwide. Famed for its cozy charm and rich history, Red Sox fans love calling Fenway home. While modern stadiums may boast high-tech features like scoreboards or video displays, Fenway has retained much of its old-world charm - perhaps because not much has changed within the park to keep its authenticity and uniqueness alive.
The park is best known for the Green Monster, an iconic 37.5-foot high wall in left field originally painted blue and later covered with forest green paint, earning its moniker. Another noteworthy feature is its manual scoreboard, installed in 1934, which has not been upgraded since, meaning three workers are responsible for changing scores by inning.
Other notable elements include the "Pesky Pole," which honors longtime Red Sox fan Johnny Pesky, who would stand at its base to catch many of Babe Ruth's home runs, and Ted Williams' famous home run from 1946 (memorialized with one red seat at Green Monster). Furthermore, fans can visit both broadcast booths and press boxes for an insider glimpse at how journalists and broadcasters provide live coverage of games.
Missy Esty highlights that though steeped in tradition, the Red Sox have struggled in recent years to shake an unfortunate image of racism. In 2016, they restored Yawkey Way to its original name; further efforts against racism within sports continue today.
Babe Ruth
Missy Esty mentions that Babe Ruth was baseball's most excellent star and most beloved figure at one point. Raised at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore - an orphanage run by the Xaverian Brothers - with little money or connections but incredible baseball talent to show for himself after honing his game at the minor league level before becoming part of the Boston Red Sox baseball team as their star pitcher with underrated speed on bases (he even stole ten times during his career!), Ruth became legendary.
He became one of the world's most celebrated athletes and, as such, was beloved by American fans. Furthermore, he was an exceptional husband and father, always taking time out for family visits.
The Red Sox have long been part of Boston culture and continue to bring inspiration and joy. Over the years, they have won multiple championships under great players like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, David Ortiz, and Jimy Williams and Joe Kerrigan; in turn, they have also seen excellent managers such as Jimy Williams and Joe Kerrigan take charge of managing. Under John Farrell's watch, the young stars Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jason Varitek have emerged. Melissa Esty
The Red Sox World Series victory in 2004
During their 2004 World Series victory, Red Sox ownership led by John Henry and Tom Werner was a new breed that understood the importance of creating a winning culture. Before they purchased the team in 2002, Boston fans endured years of heartache watching their beloved team fail year after year; the curse of the Bambino and Bill Buckner's error only added to this sense of futility around their beloved franchise.
Missy Esty directs our focus to the fact that Bobby Valentine was hired to replace two-time World Series champion Terry Francona and attempted to alter the team culture by handling players' inflated egos with care while emphasizing fundamentals. Unfortunately, his power-oriented management style failed to inspire players on his team, and he was fired in 2011.
With a roster of rising young talent such as Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Damon, and David Ortiz leading them, the Red Sox entered the World Series with an edge that its curse wouldn't dent. In Game Three of the ALCS against their fierce rivals, the Yankees, they took an impressive 3-0 lead that they held into Game Five against New York.
The Red Sox made history when they swept both the ALCS and World Series before beating the Cardinals in Game Four of the World Series. That victory against Cards became the first-ever comeback win of any sport against such odds and made an impressionable curse appear less dire.
The Red Sox organization
The Red Sox have been an American professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, since 1901, Missy Esty highlighted. Competing as part of Major League Baseball's (MLB) American League East division, Fenway Park serves as home for their home games; winning nine World Series championships is more than any other MLB franchise has achieved.
In 1907, owner John Taylor adopted the "Red Sox" nickname. Soon after that, in 1912, they won their inaugural Pennant under Tris Speaker Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, who boasted an astounding outfield combination that led them to their inaugural pennant victory.
After ten losing seasons during the 1920s, Tom Yawkey acquired some strong players and turned around his team's fortunes. Unfortunately, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth away to the New York Yankees, a move that began a so-called curse that wouldn't end until 2004.
In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their ninth World Series by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in four games, ending nearly eighty years of disappointment for Red Sox fans and becoming history. They became the first team in MLB history to overcome an early three-game deficit and triumph.
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