O/G JESTER™ Male 40 years old WINSTON SALEM, NC

....continuation of REDSOX 102 & 101.....

.....General Manager Theo Epstein's first major step toward restocking the team for 2007 was to pursue one of the most anticipated acquisitions in recent history. On November 14, Major League Baseball announced that the Red Sox had won the bid for the rights to negotiate a contract with Japanese superstar pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Boston placed a bid of $51.1 million, and had 30 days to complete a deal. On December 13, just before the deadline, Matsuzaka signed a 6-year, $52 million contract.

In the hopes of solidifying the starting rotation, the team announced that closer Jonathan Papelbon would become a starter in 2007. With Papelbon becoming a starter and Keith Foulke leaving the team, the Red Sox began building up their bullpen in search of a new closer. J.C. Romero, Brendan Donnelly, Joel Piñeiro, and Japanese lefty Hideki Okajima all joined the Boston bullpen. However, no clear closer candidate emerged during Spring Training. Eventually, Papelbon wanted to return to the closer role, and Sox officials believed Papelbon had rehabilitated himself so well in the offseason that his health of this shoulder was no longer a concern. The Red Sox had a star closer once again.^[27]

Shortstop Alex González was allowed to leave via free agency for the Cincinnati Reds. The Sox replaced him with Julio Lugo. Mark Loretta also was allowed to leave which opened up a spot for youngster Dustin Pedroia. Fan favorite Trot Nixon filed for free agency and agreed on a deal with the Cleveland Indians. With an opening in right field, the Sox pursued J.D. Drew, who had recently opted out of the remainder of his contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers to become a free agent. On January 25, 2007, the Red Sox and Drew agreed to a 5-year, $70 million contract. Another fan favorite, outfielder Gabe Kapler, announced his retirement at age 31 to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a manager. The Red Sox named him manager of their Class A affiliate, the Greenville Drive.

The Red Sox started quickly, moving into first place in the AL East by mid-April and never relinquishing their division lead. While Ortiz and Ramirez provided their usual offense, it was the hitting of Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia that surprisingly anchored the club through the first few months. While Drew, Lugo, and Coco Crisp struggled to provide offense, Lowell and Youkilis more than made up for it with averages well above .300 and impressive home run and RBI totals. Pedroia started badly, hitting below .200 in April. Manager Terry Francona stuck with him and his patience paid off as Pedroia hit over .400 in May and finished the first half over .300. On the mound, Josh Beckett emerged as the ace of the staff, starting the year 9-0 and finishing 12-2 at the break. His success was needed as Schilling, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, and Tavarez provided consistent and occasionally good starts, but all struggled at times. The Boston bullpen, on the other hand, was there to pick up the starters often, anchored once again by Papelbon, a more experienced Manny Delcarmen, and Okajima. While Papelbon served as the stopper, the rise of Okajima as a legitimate setup man and occasional closer was a boon for the Sox, giving them more options late in the game. Okajima posted an ERA of 0.88 through the first half and was voted into the All-Star Game by the fans as the final selection. By the All-Star break, Boston had the best record in baseball and held their largest lead in the American League East, 10 games over intra-division rivals the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.

In the second half, more stars emerged for the Sox as they continued to lead the AL East division. Beckett continued to shine, reaching 20 wins for the first time in his career. At one point, veteran Tim Wakefield found himself atop the American League in wins, posting decisions in his first 26 starts, and finishing with a 17-12 record. However, as Wakefield, Matsuzaka, and Okajima became tired down the stretch, minor league call-up Clay Buchholz provided a spark on September 1 by pitching a no-hitter in his second career start. Another call-up, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, was thrust into the starting lineup while Manny Ramirez rested through most of September. Ellsbury played brilliantly during the month, hitting .361 with 3 HR, 17 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. Mike Lowell continued to carry the club, hitting cleanup in September and leading the team in RBI for the season, setting a team record for a third baseman with 120 runs driven in. And eventual 2007 Rookie of the Year Dustin Pedroia finished his outstanding first full season with 165 hits and a .317 average. The Red Sox became the first team to clinch a playoff spot for the 2007 season on September 22 with a come-from-behind defeat of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.^[28] Boston captured their first AL East title since 1995 after a win on September 28 against the Minnesota Twins and a loss by the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles.

In the playoffs, the Red Sox swept the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALDS. Facing the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS, Josh Beckett won Game 1 but the Sox stumbled, losing the next three games. Facing a 3-1 deficit and a must-win situation, Beckett pitched eight innings while surrendering only one run and striking out 11 in a masterful Game 5 win. The Sox captured their twelfth American League pennant by outscoring the Indians 30-5 over the final three games, winning the final two games at Fenway Park.

In the 2007 World Series, the Red Sox faced the Colorado Rockies. Beckett once again set the tone, pitching seven strong innings as the offense provided more than enough in a 13-1 victory. In Game 2, Schilling, Okajima, and Papelbon held the Rockies to one run again in a 2-1 game. Moving to Colorado, the Sox offense made the difference again in a 10-5 win. Finally, in Game 4, Jon Lester took Tim Wakefield's spot in the rotation and gave the Sox an impressive start, pitching 5 2/3 shutout innings. The Rockies threatened, but thanks to World Series MVP Mike Lowell and aided by a pinch-hit home run by outfielder Bobby Kielty, Papelbon registered another save as the Red Sox swept the Rockies in four games. The Red Sox captured their second title in four years.

Nickname

The name Red Sox, chosen by owner John I. Taylor after the 1907 season, refers to the red hose in the team uniform beginning 1908. Actually, Sox was adopted by newspapers needing a headline-friendly form of Stockings, as "Stockings Win!" in large type would not fit on a page. The Spanish language media sometimes refers to the team as Medias Rojas for Red Stockings.

The name originated with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, 1867-1870 member of the pioneering National Association of Base Ball Players. Managed by Harry Wright, Cincinnati adopted a uniform with white knickers and red stockings, and earned the famous nickname, a year or two before hiring the first fully professional team in 1869. When the club folded after the 1870 season, Wright was hired to organize a new team in Boston, and he did, bringing three teammates and the "Red Stockings" nickname along. (Most nicknames were then only nicknames, neither club names nor registered trademarks, so the migration was informal.) The Boston Red Stockings won four championships in the five seasons of the new National Association, the first professional league. The success of the two teams in Cincinnati and Boston gave "Red Stockings" and other "Red" nicknames some historical and profitable grounding there and probably grounded other "Stockings" nicknames in other cities.

Boston and a new Cincinnati club were charter members of the National League in 1876. Perhaps in deference to the Cincinnati history, many people reserved the "Red Stockings" nickname for that city; the Boston team is commonly called "Red Caps" today. Other names were sometimes used before Boston officially adopted the nickname "Braves" in 1912; that club is now based in Atlanta.

In 1901, the American League led by Ban Johnson declared itself equal to the National League and established a competing club in Boston. For seven seasons, the AL team wore dark blue stockings and had no official nickname. They were simply "Boston" or "the Bostons"; or the "Americans" or "Boston Americans" as in "American Leaguers", Boston being a two-team city. Their 1901-1907 jerseys, both home and road, simply read "Boston", except for 1902 when they sported large letters "B" and "A" denoting "Boston" and "American". The National League club, though seldom called the "Red Stockings" anymore, still wore red trim. In 1907, they adopted an all-white uniform, and the American League team saw an opportunity. On December 18, 1907, Taylor announced that the club had officially adopted red as its new team color. The 1908 uniforms featured a large icon of a red stocking angling across the shirt front. For 1908, the National League club returned to wearing red trim, but the American League team had become "The Red Sox" for good.

The Red Sox are one of two teams in the American League with Sox in their name, the Chicago White Sox being the other.

Pilgrims

For years many sources have called the early Boston AL teams "Pilgrims" or "Puritans" or "Plymouth Rocks," or "Somersets" for owner Charles Somers, but Bill Nowlin has demonstrated that none of those names was used much and that "Pilgrims," the most popular today, was barely used at all.^[29]

Summary

• Called "Bostons" or "Boston Americans" or (in Boston) "Americans" from 1901 to 1907
• Called "Boston Red Sox" or "Red Sox" from 1908 to present
• Name often shortened to "Bosox" or "BoSox" by headline writers - to distinguish from the Chicago White Sox (or "ChiSox") - and also called simply "The Sox" by the team's fans.

Logo and uniform

Team logos and insignias

Design and appearance of uniform

The home uniform is white with red piping around the neck and down either side of the front buttons and "Red Sox" in red letters outlined in blue arched across the chest. This has been in use since 1979, and was previously used from 1933 to 1972, although the piping occasionally disappeared and reappeared.

The away uniform is gray with red piping on the sleeves and a "Boston" in red letters outlined in blue arched across the chest. This uniform has been in use since 1990.

A third uniform, much like those in use around the majors, is also used. This is red with blue piping around the neck, the sleeves, and down either side of the front buttons. "Red Sox" is displayed across the chest in blue lettering outlined in white.

There is also a fourth uniform, which is traditionally used only on St. Patrick's Day. This is a bright green, with "Red Sox" in white letters outlined in red across the front. A pair of red socks, like the ones in the team's logo, are displayed on the left sleeve. While the other uniforms all use the standard blue hat, this alternate uses a green one matching the uniform shirt. The Red Sox also wore this uniform on April 20, 2007 to honor former Boston Celtics coach, general manager and president Red Auerbach, who passed away during the previous off-season. The team was originally scheduled to wear the uniforms on April 12th, however this game was rained out. (It is in fact a coincidence that they wore the uniforms on the 95th anniversary of Fenway Park.)

From 1936-73, and from 1975-2002, the club wore tri-colored stirrup stockings, with a red anklet and two white stripes on a blue background on the upper sock. In 2003, the team switched to all-red stockings, which most players wear as full socks, not stirrups.

Retired numbers

The Boston Red Sox have two official requirements for a player to have his number retired:

1. Election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
2. At least 10 years played with the Red Sox ^[30]

The Red Sox previously had a requirement that the player "must have finished their career with Red Sox." (While Carlton Fisk actually retired with the White Sox, Dan Duquette hired him for one day as a special assistant which allowed Fisk to technically end his career with the Red Sox.)^[31] It is a topic of debate now between Red Sox fans on whether the "must retire a Red Sox" rule is still in place. One indication suggesting it may be is that Wade Boggs' number 26 has not been retired by Boston, despite the fact that he qualifies for the other 2 requirements.

The numbers honored are as follows:

Retired numbers in Fenway Park

The number 42 was officially retired by Major League Baseball in 1997, but Mo Vaughn was one of a handful of players to continue wearing #42 through a grandfather clause. He last wore it for the team in 1998. On April 15, 2007, the 60th anniversary of Robinson's major league debut, Major League Baseball invited players to wear the number 42 just for that day to commemorate Robinson, which CF Coco Crisp, DH David Ortiz, and Coach DeMarlo Hale did just that.

Until the late 1990s, the numbers originally hung on the right-field facade in the order in which they were retired: 9-4-1-8. It was pointed out that the numbers, when read as a date (9/4/18), marked the eve of the first game of the 1918 World Series, the last championship series that the Red Sox won before 2004. After the facade was repainted, the numbers were rearranged in numerical order.

Wade Boggs, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, has met the criteria to have his #26 retired, but has yet to be honored with a ceremony and no future plans have been announced by the team. However, the Red Sox have not issued #26 to anyone since his election. ^[32] Boggs was enshrined into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Red Sox have not issued several numbers since the departure of prominent players who wore them, specifically:

•   5 -- Nomar Garciaparra SS (1996-2004); played in 2007 for Los Angeles Dodgers
•  14 -- Jim Rice OF-DH (1974-1989); Hitting Coach (1995-2000)
•  21 -- Roger Clemens RHP (1984-1996); played in 2007 for New York Yankees
•  45 -- Pedro Martinez RHP (1998-2004); played in 2007 for New York Mets

Rice, who played his 16-year career solely with the Sox, would meet the requirements to have his number 14 retired if elected to the Hall of Fame. In 2008, Rice received 72.2 percent of the vote, falling 16 votes shy of election.

While Garciaparra, Clemens and Martinez have yet to formally retire from baseball; only Clemens has thus far met the "At least 10 years played with the Red Sox" requirement for official number retirement.

There is also considerable debate in Boston media circles and among fans about the potential retiring of other numbers:

•  6 -- Johnny Pesky, for his 50+ years of service to the Red Sox as a player, coach and manager. Since Rico Petrocelli wore it for 13 seasons, the number 6 has been sparingly issued to players for the past few decades. The last player to be assigned #6 was Gary Gaetti. Gary, who primarily wore #8 for Minnesota and Kansas City, played 10 games for the Red Sox in April 2000 before retiring from baseball.

• 25 -- Tony Conigliaro, who set the record for the fastest to reach 100 home runs in a career, had his promising career cut short when he was hit by a pitch to the face. Despite the controversy, the number has been worn consistently by Sox members since Conigliaro's last season in Boston, 1970. It is currently worn by the team's third baseman, Mike Lowell.

Baseball Hall of Famers

• Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

* Inducted as Red Sox

** Wears Red Sox cap on Hall Of Fame plaque, but spent more time on other teams

Notable seasons and team records

• Cy Young in 1901 won 41.8% of the team's 79 games. He won the pitching Triple Crown with 33 wins, 1.62 ERA and 158 strikeouts. ^[33]
• Dutch Leonard posted a modern record 0.96 ERA in 1914. ^[34]
• Earl Webb set the single-season doubles record in 1931 with 67. ^[35]
• Jimmie Foxx hit 50 home runs in 1938, which would stand as a club record for 68 years. Foxx also drove in a club record 175 runs. ^[36]
• Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, the last time a major leaguer has hit above .400 in a full season. Williams also established club records in slugging percentage (.741) and on base percentage (.553). ^[37]
• In 1967, Carl Yastrzemski became the last major leaguer to win the Triple Crown, hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI's. He finished one vote short of a unanimous MVP selection, as, in a famous controversy, a Minnesota sportswriter placed Twins center fielder Cesar Tovar first on his ballot. ^[38]
• In 1975, twenty-three year old Fred Lynn became the first player in major league history to win the MVP award and the Rookie of the Year award in the same season. [32]
• In 1986, Roger Clemens won the Cy Young and MVP, finished with a 2.48 ERA, and had a 20-strikeout game. ^[39]
• In 1995, Mo Vaughn won the MVP award. He is the last Red Sox player to do so.
• Pedro Martinez in 2000 had one of the greatest pitching seasons of all time — a 1.74 ERA in a hitter's park in a big-hitting era. [33]
• Nomar Garciaparra hit .372 in 2000, the club record for a right-handed hitter. ^[40]
• David Ortiz in 2005 had 47 home runs and 148 RBI's. He also had many game winning and timely hits and came in second in the MVP voting to the New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez. ^[41]
• David Ortiz had a franchise record-breaking 2006 season with 54 home runs in the regular season
• In 2006, The Boston Red Sox had the highest payroll of any team in Major League history to not make the playoffs. ^[42][
• On April 22, 2007, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek hit four consecutive home runs in the 3rd inning, the first time in Red Sox history this feat has occurred. All four home runs were off of 10 pitches from Chase Wright of the New York Yankees in his second Major League start and his fourth above Single-A ball. This was the fifth time in Major League history that such a feat had occurred. Additionally notable, J.D. Drew, then with the Dodgers, previously contributed to a four consecutive home run series as had Red Sox manager Terry Francona's father, Tito Francona.
• The overall regular season winning percentage since club inception in 1901 is .513, a record of 8497-7960 (as of the 2007 All Star Break). They started 2007 with winning percentage of .512 (8444-7960). ^[43]
• On September 1, 2007, Clay Buchholz no-hit the Baltimore Orioles in his second Major League start. He is the first Red Sox rookie and 17th Red Sox pitcher to throw a no-hitter.^[44]
• On September 22, 2007, with a victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Red Sox clinched a spot in the postseason for the fourth time in five years, the first time in club history this has happened. Also, with this postseason berth, manager Terry Francona becomes the first manager in team history to lead the club to three playoff appearances.

Current roster

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