2003 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were one of the AL's most powerful teams in the early part of the 20th century. Baseball legends Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young helped Boston win six pennants and five World Series titles from 1903 to 1918.

Outfielder Ted Williams, considered one of the best hitters in baseball history, was the last major league player to compile a batting average of .400 or greater in a season. He is one of only two players who have twice won the Triple Crown, leading the league in hitting, home runs, and runs batted in (RBIs) in the same season. The other is Rogers Hornsby of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Boston lineups of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s featured stars such as Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Dwight Evans, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, and Carl Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown in 1967; no player has accomplished the feat since.

Cy Young One of baseball's greatest pitchers, Cy Young set several major-league career records that still stand, including the most wins, most innings pitched, and most complete games. Young, who played with the Red Sox from 1901 to 1908, won 511 games during his 22-year career. In 1956 Major League Baseball established the Cy Young Memorial Award, which is given annually to each league's best pitcher.

The Boston Americans became charter members of the American League in 1901. Player-manager Jimmy Collins guided the team to two AL pennants and, in 1903, a World Series victory. Pitcher Cy Young, whose 511 career victories are an all-time record, led Boston in wins seven times from 1901 to 1908. Outfielder Tris Speaker batted .300 or better seven seasons in a row from 1909 to 1915, powering the Red Sox to World Series titles in 1912 and 1915.

In 1914 a 19-year-old pitcher from Baltimore named Babe Ruth joined the Red Sox. By 1916 the 6-ft 2-in (188 cm) left-hander was one of the AL's premier starters, leading the league in wins, shutouts, complete games, and earned run average (ERA). He helped Boston to World Series titles in 1916 and 1918. A year later, however, it was clear that he was also an outstanding hitter. Ruth stunned the baseball world in 1919 when he led the league with 29 home runs, 114 RBIs, 103 runs, and a .657 slugging percentage while posting an 8-5 pitching record and a 2.98 ERA. His home run count was more than the total output of 10 of the other 15 teams. After that season Ruth's contract was sold to the New York Yankees, with whom he became the greatest power hitter the game has ever known.

After Ruth's departure, the Red Sox finished last in the AL nine times from 1922 to 1932. The team's fortunes changed in 1939 when outfielder Ted Williams arrived. The 20-year-old rookie led the major leagues with 145 RBIs as Boston compiled its best record (89-62) in 32 years. Williams joined a talented lineup that also included shortstop-manager Joe Cronin, second baseman Bobby Doerr, first baseman Jimmie Foxx, and pitcher Lefty Grove.

In 1941 Williams hit .406, and in 1942 he won his first of two Triple Crowns, while also leading the league in slugging percentage, runs, and walks. After three years of military service in World War II, Williams returned in 1946 to power Boston to its first pennant since 1918. The Red Sox, however, were bested by the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, 4 games to 3. In 1947 Dave Ferriss led the pitching staff with 25 wins and Williams won his second Triple Crown, but the Red Sox finished in third place.

Boston did not win another pennant until 1967. That year Carl Yastrzemski, who replaced Williams in left field in 1961, won the Triple Crown. Outfielder Tony Conigliaro and shortstop Rico Petrocelli also starred offensively, while Jim Lonborg anchored the pitching staff. The Red Sox lost to the Cardinals in the World Series.

In 1975 the Red Sox participated in one of the most thrilling World Series in league history. A home run by catcher Carlton Fisk in the bottom of the 12th inning of game six gave Boston a series-tying victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The next night Cincinnati erased a 3-0 lead by the Red Sox to win game seven, 4-3. That year Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn became the first player to be named rookie of the year and most valuable player (MVP) in the same season.

In 1978 Boston started strong but suffered a late-season slump and ended the year tied with New York for first place in the East Division; the Yankees went on to beat the Sox in a one-game playoff. Boston outfielder Jim Rice was named the league's MVP that year.

The Red Sox returned to the postseason in 1986 with a lineup starring Rice, third baseman Wade Boggs, first baseman Bill Buckner, pitcher Roger Clemens, and Dwight Evans, one of the finest defensive right fielders in the game's history. After defeating the California Angels (now Anaheim Angels) in the AL Championship Series (ALCS), Boston lost to the New York Mets in the World Series.

The Red Sox captured East Division titles in 1988, 1990, and 1995, but the team was swept each year in the ALCS. Leading the 1995 club were designated hitter José Canseco and first baseman Mo Vaughn, winner of that year's MVP award. In 1998 the Red Sox reached the playoffs as a wild card team but lost to the Cleveland Indians in the first round. In 1999 pitcher Pedro Martinez led Boston back to the playoffs and won the AL Cy Young Award after finishing with a 23-4 win-loss record, an earned-run average (ERA) of 2.07, and 313 strikeouts. After defeating Cleveland in the first round of the postseason, Boston lost to the Yankees in the ALCS.

In 2002, the Boston Red Sox underwent changes in management and while these leadership changes seemed to bode well as the Red Sox went 93-69 under Grady Little, they missed the playoffs for the third straight year.

In 2003, the Red Sox clinched the wild-card spot for the postseason playoffs, beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 but fell to New York in the American League Championship Series 4-3.