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1908 Boston Red Sox season 
Summary
The 1908 Boston Red Sox season was the eighth season for the Major League Baseball franchise previously known as the Boston Americans. The Red Sox finished fifth in the American League (AL) with a record of 75 wins and 79 losses, 15+1⁄2 games behind the Detroit Tigers. The team played its home games at Huntington Avenue Grounds.
| 1908 Boston Red Sox | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| League | American League | |
| Ballpark | Huntington Avenue Grounds | |
| City | Boston, Massachusetts | |
| Record | 75–79 (.487) | |
| League place | 5th (15+1⁄2 GB) | |
| Owners | John I. Taylor | |
| Managers |
| |
| Stats | ESPN.com BB-reference | |
| ||
Offseason edit
On December 18, 1907, Boston Americans owner, John I. Taylor, seeing that the Boston Nationals had dropped wearing red and instead wore white for the 1907 season, chose to dress his team in red uniform for the 1908 season, further deciding to name his team the Red Sox.[2]
Transactions edit
- October 13, 1907: A three-team deal between the Chicago White Sox, the New York Highlanders, and the Boston Red Sox is concluded. The Red Sox send Freddy Parent to Chicago, Chicago sends Jake Stahl to New York, and New York sends Frank LaPorte to Boston.[3]
- August 23, 1907: The Red Sox purchase pitcher Eddie Cicotte from the Western League's Lincoln Links for $2,500.[4]
- November 5, 1907: Second Baseman Hobe Ferris is sold by the Red Sox to the New York Highlanders.[5]
- January 3, 1908: The Red Sox trade catcher Al Shaw to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for catcher Ed McFarland.[6]
- January 30, 1908: The Red Sox send pitcher Rube Kroh to the Johnstown Johnnies.[7]
Regular season edit
Prior to the regular season, the team held spring training in Little Rock, Arkansas.[8]
- April 14: The regular season opens with a 3–1 home win over the Washington Senators.[1]
- May 18: The team's longest losing streak of the season, seven games, ends with a home win over the Cleveland Naps.[1]
- May 28: The team's longest winning streak of the season, five games, ends with a home loss to the Chicago White Sox.[1]
- June 30: Cy Young throws a no-hitter against the New York Highlanders at Hilltop Park in New York City; at the plate, Young has three hits and four RBIs.[9]
- August 6: In their longest game of the season, the Americans lose to the White Sox, 2–1 in 13 innings at South Side Park in Chicago.[1]
- August 27: Deacon McGuire manages his final games for the team,[10] losing both ends of a doubleheader to the St. Louis Browns, dropping the team's record to 53–62.
- August 27: Catcher Bill Carrigan undergoes a successful operation for appendicitis.[11]
- August 28: Fred Lake manages his first game,[12] a 3–1 win over St. Louis. Under Lake, the team goes 22–17 through the end of the season.
- September 18: The franchise is no-hit for the first time in its history, by Bob Rhoads of Cleveland in a road game played at League Park.[13]
- October 5: The regular season ends with home doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics; Boston wins the first game, 10–1, then loses the second game, 5–3 in eight innings.[1]
Transactions edit
- June 1, 1908: It is reported that pitcher Jesse Tannehill was traded by the Red Sox to the Washington Senators for Casey Patten.[14]
- June 10, 1908: The Red Sox sign University of Vermont shortstop Larry Gardner.[15]
- July 10, 1908: Jake Stahl is purchased by the Red Sox from the New York Highlanders.[16]
- July 10, 1908: Bob Unglaub is sold by the Red Sox to the Washington Senators.[16]
- July 11, 1908: It is reported that the Red Sox have released Casey Patten.[17]
- July 22, 1908: It is reported that the Red Sox have traded Charles Pruiett for the Cleveland Naps' Jake Thielman.[18]
- July 27, 1908: The Detroit Tigers acquire pitcher George Winter from the Red Sox.[19]
- August 9, 1908: The Red Sox purchase pitcher "Smoky Joe" Wood from the Kansas City Blues.[20]
- August 17, 1908: The Red Sox trade Second Baseman Frank LaPorte to the New York Highlanders in exchange for Harry Niles.[21]
- August 28, 1908: Deacon McGuire resigns as manager of the Red Sox at the request of president John I. Taylor.[22]
- September 1, 1908: The Red Sox draft infielder Charlie French from Evansville in the Rule 5 draft.[23]
- September 2, 1908: The Red Sox draft pitcher King Brady from the Johnstown Johnnies, as well as outfielder Jack Hoey and catcher Tommy Murray from the Trenton Tigers.[24]
- September 20, 1908: Outfielder Denny Sullivan is sold by the Red Sox to the Cleveland Naps.[25]
Statistical leaders edit
The offense was led by Doc Gessler who had 63 RBIs, three home runs, and a .308 batting average. The pitching staff was led by Cy Young, who made 36 appearances (33 starts) and pitched 30 complete games with a 21–11 record and 1.26 ERA, while striking out 150 in 299 innings. Cy Morgan had a 14–13 record with 2.46 ERA in 30 games (26 starts). Smoky Joe Wood, who would go on to win 34 games in 1912, made his major league debut on August 24.[26]
Season standings edit
| American League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 90 | 63 | 0.588 | — | 44–33 | 46–30 |
| Cleveland Naps | 90 | 64 | 0.584 | ½ | 51–26 | 39–38 |
| Chicago White Sox | 88 | 64 | 0.579 | 1½ | 51–25 | 37–39 |
| St. Louis Browns | 83 | 69 | 0.546 | 6½ | 46–31 | 37–38 |
| Boston Red Sox | 75 | 79 | 0.487 | 15½ | 37–40 | 38–39 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 68 | 85 | 0.444 | 22 | 46–30 | 22–55 |
| Washington Senators | 67 | 85 | 0.441 | 22½ | 43–32 | 24–53 |
| New York Highlanders | 51 | 103 | 0.331 | 39½ | 30–47 | 21–56 |
The team had one game end in a tie; September 28 at Chicago White Sox.[27] Tie games are not counted in league standings, but player statistics during tie games are counted.[28]
Record vs. opponents edit
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | NYH | PHA | SLB | WSH | |||||
| Boston | — | 6–16–1 | 10–12 | 11–11 | 12–10 | 10–12 | 15–7 | 11–11 | |||||
| Chicago | 16–6–1 | — | 8–14–1 | 9–13 | 16–6 | 13–9 | 11–10 | 15–6–2 | |||||
| Cleveland | 12–10 | 14–8–1 | — | 13–9 | 16–6 | 16–6–1 | 11–11–1 | 8–14 | |||||
| Detroit | 11–11 | 13–9 | 9–13 | — | 15–7 | 14–8–1 | 12–10 | 16–5 | |||||
| New York | 10–12 | 6–16 | 6–16 | 7–15 | — | 8–14–1 | 5–17 | 9–13 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 12–10 | 9–13 | 6–16–1 | 8–14–1 | 14–8–1 | — | 8–13–1 | 11–11 | |||||
| St. Louis | 7–15 | 10–11 | 11–11–1 | 10–12 | 17–5 | 13–8–1 | — | 15–7–1 | |||||
| Washington | 11–11 | 6–15–2 | 14–8 | 5–16 | 13–9 | 11–11 | 7–15–1 | — | |||||
Opening Day lineup edit
| Jack Thoney | LF |
| Harry Lord | 3B |
| Jim McHale | CF |
| Doc Gessler | RF |
| Frank LaPorte | 2B |
| Bob Unglaub | 1B |
| Heinie Wagner | SS |
| Lou Criger | C |
| Cy Young | P |
Source: [29]
Roster edit
| 1908 Boston Red Sox | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers
Infielders |
Outfielders
Other batters |
Managers | ||||||
Player stats edit
Batting edit
Starters by position edit
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 | Lou Criger | 84 | 237 | 45 | .190 | 0 | 25 |
| 1B | Jake Stahl | 78 | 262 | 64 | .244 | 0 | 23 |
| 2B | Amby McConnell | 140 | 502 | 140 | .279 | 2 | 43 |
| SS | Heinie Wagner | 153 | 526 | 130 | .247 | 1 | 46 |
| 3B | Harry Lord | 145 | 560 | 145 | .259 | 2 | 37 |
| OF | Jack Thoney | 109 | 416 | 106 | .255 | 2 | 30 |
| OF | Denny Sullivan | 101 | 355 | 85 | .239 | 0 | 25 |
| OF | Doc Gessler | 128 | 435 | 134 | .308 | 3 | 63 |
Other batters edit
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavvy Cravath | 94 | 277 | 71 | .256 | 1 | 34 |
| Bob Unglaub | 72 | 266 | 70 | .263 | 1 | 25 |
| Frank LaPorte | 62 | 156 | 37 | .237 | 0 | 15 |
| Bill Carrigan | 57 | 149 | 35 | .235 | 0 | 14 |
| Tris Speaker | 31 | 116 | 26 | .224 | 0 | 9 |
| Pat Donahue | 35 | 86 | 17 | .198 | 1 | 6 |
| Jim McHale | 21 | 67 | 15 | .224 | 0 | 7 |
| Ed McFarland | 19 | 48 | 10 | .208 | 0 | 4 |
| Jack Hoey | 13 | 43 | 7 | .163 | 0 | 3 |
| Harry Niles | 18 | 33 | 8 | .242 | 1 | 3 |
| Walter Carlisle | 3 | 10 | 1 | .100 | 0 | 0 |
| Larry Gardner | 3 | 10 | 3 | .300 | 0 | 1 |
| Jimmy Barrett | 3 | 8 | 1 | .125 | 0 | 1 |
| Harry Ostdiek | 1 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Deacon McGuire | 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching edit
Starting pitchers edit
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cy Young | 36 | 299 | 21 | 11 | 1.26 | 150 |
| Eddie Cicotte | 39 | 207+1⁄3 | 11 | 12 | 2.43 | 95 |
| Cy Morgan | 30 | 205 | 14 | 13 | 2.46 | 99 |
| Fred Burchell | 31 | 179+2⁄3 | 10 | 8 | 2.96 | 94 |
| George Winter | 22 | 147+2⁄3 | 4 | 14 | 3.05 | 55 |
| Elmer Steele | 16 | 118 | 5 | 7 | 1.83 | 37 |
| Frank Arellanes | 11 | 79 | 4 | 3 | 1.82 | 33 |
| King Brady | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 |
| Doc McMahon | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | 3 |
| Jesse Tannehill | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3.60 | 2 |
| Casey Patten | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15.00 | 0 |
Other pitchers edit
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tex Pruiett | 13 | 58+2⁄3 | 1 | 7 | 1.99 | 28 |
| Ralph Glaze | 10 | 34+2⁄3 | 2 | 2 | 3.38 | 13 |
| Smoky Joe Wood | 6 | 22+2⁄3 | 1 | 1 | 2.38 | 11 |
Relief pitchers edit
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlie Hartman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 |
| Jake Thielman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40.50 | 0 |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f "The 1908 Boston Red Sox Regular Season Game Log". Retrosheet. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ Worth, Richard (2013). Baseball Team Names: A Worldwide Dictionary, 1869-2011. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7864-6844-7.
- ^ "Freddie Parent Traded". The Lewiston Daily Sun. October 14, 1907. p. 6. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 23". The Lewiston Daily Sun. August 24, 1907. p. 5. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Ferris Goes To St. Louis". The Boston Evening Transcript. November 6, 1907. p. 15. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Baseball Notes". The Pittsburgh Press. January 3, 1908. p. 16. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Johnstown Gets Kroh". The Meriden Daily Journal. January 30, 1908. p. 8. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Pilgrims Come Tomorrow". Arkansas Gazette. Little Rock, Arkansas. March 2, 1908. p. 8. Retrieved November 5, 2018 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 8, New York Highlanders 0". Retrosheet. June 30, 1908. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ "Deacon McGuire". Retrosheet. November 17, 2018.
- ^ "Catcher Carrigan Appendicitis Victim". The Meriden Daily Journal. August 28, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Fred Lake". Retrosheet. November 17, 2018.
- ^ "Cleveland Naps 2, Boston Red Sox 1". Retrosheet. September 18, 1908. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^ "Trade Patten And Tannehill". The Toledo News Bee. June 1, 1908. p. 8. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Red Sox Sign College Star". The Pittsburgh Press. June 10, 1908. p. 14. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "Jake Stahl Goes to Boston". The News-Democrat. July 11, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Patten Adrift". The Toledo News-Bee. July 11, 1908. p. 5. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "The Naps Get Pruiett For Jake Thielman". The Youngstown Daily Vindicator. July 22, 1908. p. 12. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Detroit Gets Winter". The Meriden Daily Journal. July 27, 1908. p. 8. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Wood, Gerald C. (2013). Smoky Joe Wood: The Biography of a Baseball Legend. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-8032-4499-3.
- ^ "Niles for Laporte". The Daily Guernsey Times. August 18, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Jim M'Guire Resigns Red Sox Manager". The Meriden Daily Journal. August 28, 1908. p. 2. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Nowlin, Bill. "Charlie French". Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ Carney, Peter P. (September 3, 1908). "Murray Drafted by Boston Americans". The Daily True American. p. 7. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Dennie Sullivan Sold". The News-Democrat. September 21, 1908. p. 3. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "Smoky Joe Wood". Retrosheet. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox 2, Boston Red Sox 2". Retrosheet. September 28, 1908. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ Hershberger, Richard (December 28, 2015). "Tie Games in Baseball". ordinary-times.com. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 3, Washington Senators 1". Retrosheet. April 14, 1908. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
Further reading edit
- Murphy, Cait (2007). Crazy '08: How a Cast of Cranks, Rogues, Boneheads, and Magnates Created the Greatest Year in Baseball History. foreword by Robert Creamer. Smithsonian. ISBN 978-0060889371.
External links edit
- 1908 Boston Red Sox team page at Baseball Reference
- 1908 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com