Red Sox Baseball

Rick Grantham asked:


The first few years of Red Sox were great. It seemed that only the great things could happen to them. They had their first world series in 1903. They were at the top of the Baseball world, winning four more world series in 1912, 1915, 1916, and 1918.

Some of the best players of all time have played for the team. In fact, some of the most famous hall of famers was once part of the team. Cy Young and **** Ruth were some of them.

However, the good years for the Boston Red Sox did not last long. After winning the World Series in 1918, they experienced a very long championship drought. Most blame it to the curse of Bambino.

How the curse began

The curse began when the Red Sox financer sold the promising star, **** Ruth, also called as the Bambino, to the New York Yankees. After the sale, the Bo Sox fans had the most heartbreaking World Series experiences in history. On the contrary, Ruth experienced the prime of his career with the Yankees.

The team was hitting rock bottom. Ed Barrow, the team manger, left the team in 1920 and joined the Yankees. Some of the Sox best assets did the same.
Red Sox bounced back with the leadership of Thomas Yawkey. After buying the team, he invested in finding and having talented players. He had veterans Joe Cronin and Jimmy Foxx. Over the years, he has come up with one of the strongest teams in baseball.

However, it seemed that no team is strong enough to defeat the curse. They lost most of the World Series in seven games.

Who is **** Ruth

Babe Ruth was 19 when he first joined the Red Sox. He set a record in 1919 when he hit 29 home runs in a single season. He set many records, which include 60 home runs in a singles season. It stood for 34 years. It was only in 1961 that Roger Maris broke it. He was also the home run king for 39 years. A name he earned after setting making 714 home runs.

Hank Aaron broke it in 1974.

Many named him as the best baseball player ever. This is not just because of the records he set but also because of the contributions, he made for the sport. The popularity of the game skyrocketed because of him.

Batting out the curse

2004 was probably the best year for the Boston Red Sox fans, World Series, at last! Many could not believe it. It was a huge comeback for the team. After being down 0-3, they bounced back winning the remaining 4 games, beating the Yankees.

It took a while before the team finally broke the curse of the Bambino. Whether it was real or not, fans are definitely relieved to cheer for their team for winning the infamous World Series. It seemed that the curse has left for good. The Red Sox is the World Series Champion for 2007. They also hold the championship crown for the American League-Eastern Division, as well as the American League.



CECIL

SeatSmart.com asked:


Despite having a rough go of their trip to Seattle, the Yankees appear to have righted their ship in terms of pitching and they will need it for their next homestand at Yankee Stadium when the Red Sox come into town. The Yankees have lost 5 of 6 from the Red Sox and the next three games will be crucial.

Obviously, you will want to be there. And we want to help. So here are three ways to get Yankee tickets at or below face value.

FACE VALUE YANKEE-RED SOX TICKETS
The Yankees announced today that this is your last chance to buy ticket packs with tickets for the Red Sox and Yankees games. You can do so through the Yankees website, but you will have to buy tickets for four other games as well. Not the best deal unless you want to go to the other games too. BUT! Here is the kicker. If the Yankees are still selling packs with Red Sox tickets in them, that means the Yankees still have plenty of tickets left for late releases. Keep checking Ticketmaster and you will be able to find tickets eventually that are “dropped” from these packs. Last time the Red Sox played at Yankee Stadium, drops happened periodically over the whole last week leading up to the series.

YANKEE-RED SOX TICKETS BELOW FACE VALUE

Again, we are going to use the experience we had with Yankee Red Sox tickets for the last series as our guide to getting tickets below face value for this month’s games. When the Red Sox were in the Bronx last month (and this happened all last season as well) there were all kinds of tickets available BELOW face value on the secondary market. Last month, we checked the ticket price comparison search engine at SeatSmart.com every day for the week leading up to the games and found tickets below face value on almost every single day.

Prices are already approaching face value, so we are pretty sure this will happen again. Check here for current prices. We have also added a link on the Yankee schedule page so you can compare the face value prices of single game tickets against the prices listed in the search engine.

FREE YANKEE-RED SOX TICKETS

The best Yankee Red Sox tickets are free Yankee-Red Sox tickets. That is why we are giving some away. Make sure you are registered on SeatSmart.com for the NYC sports mailing list and watch your e-mail on Friday to see if you are the randomly selected winner of our extra tickets. The details are on the SeatSmart blog at SeatSmart.com/blog.



ELTON

anonymous asked:


Before the 1919 World Series began, many people noticed the fact that major gamblers were putting down a tremendous amount of money on the Reds. This caused people to wonder if something was going on. So, before the first pitch was even thrown, some people were resolved to closely examine all the White Sox players and how the players performed in each game.

Back then the World Series was a best of nine series instead of a best of seven series as it is today. In the very first game, on the very first pitch, White Sox pitcher Eddie Cicotte hit Red’s batter Morrie Rath in the back. This was a signal to the gamblers that the Black Sox would go ahead with the plan to fix the Series.

Arnold ***** Gandil, the White Sox first baseman, was the leader of the fix. It’s said that the entire thing was his idea. Along with his friend, known gambler Joseph Sport Sullivan, they allegedly convinced 7 other White Sox players to take part in the fix as well. These players accepted money in exchange for allowing the Reds to win the necessary 5 games in the Series.
The players who agreed to throw the series for money most likely did so for 2 reasons: they wanted / needed more money than what they were making playing baseball and they didn’t like White Sox owner Charles Comiskey.

The most interesting player involved in the Black Sox fix is Shoeless Joe Jackson. Jackson was one of the greatest ball players of his era. He confessed to fixing the games at first but then took back his confession. He maintained his innocence until the day he died.

Jackson batted .375 in the Series and made several spectacular defensive plays, including throwing out 5 base runners from his centerfield position. He also made 30 outs without committing any errors. However, in the games that the White Sox lost, Jackson’s batting average was much lower and he failed to make a play on a ball hit his way. The play resulted in a triple and was not ruled an error.

Shoeless Joe did accept $5000 from the gamblers. He later tried to give back the money but to no avail. Though he was found innocent of taking part in the fixing of the games, Jackson was kicked-out of the Major Leagues and would never again be a big league player.

The story of the Chicago Black Sox continues to interest people to this day. The movie Eight Men Out tells the story of what happened. The fact that players accepted money to fix the biggest series in the most popular sport in America at the time will always be a black eye for America’s most storied game.



DESMOND

Rick Grantham asked:


The Cincinnati Red Stockings is the very first team of baseball professionals. This means that all members of the club were paid players. The club has major influences on how baseball is today. The popularity of the team boomed from the first time they played and won in 1869. After winning their first game over Mansfield Independents, they set off to create the longest winning streak in the history of baseball. They won 130 games straight, until the Brooklyn Atlantics defeated them in 1870.

The fame of the team has made its mark in the sport that gave birth to them. There were nicknames for players, which is also evident to baseball players of our generation. They also made an impact to the fashion of baseball uniforms, creating the color that some teams derive their name from, like the Boston Red Sox.

There were few sighting of the Red Stockings After 1870. They fully resurfaced in 1876, as one of the first eight teams in the National League. However, the team name is probably the closest it can get to the original team. The team struggled to win games. They ranked last in two consecutive years.

However, they were not about to give up. They changed their name to Cincinnati Reds. This proved to be a good thing because of the good season they played in 1878 to 1879. This did not continue though. Their violation of the rules of the association led to their expulsion from the league in 1880. The league was not happy about their distribution of beers to fans during games. The team also declined to stop playing on Sundays, adding more reason for the expulsion.

The incident did not stop the team from playing baseball though. They played for the newly founded league American Association. It commenced in 1882. During the first year of the league, the Reds dominated. They slowly slipped after a while because of the competition in the league. They bounced back and have been trailing the St. Louis Brown for some time.

They also went through a tough time. Their attempts to go back to the top were challenging. Just when they thought things would get better after a strong start in 1888, they have to endure yet another obstacle. One of their star players, Bid McPhee suffered from a leg injury and winning was difficult without him in the field.

Although there were hopes of the team getting back on their knees, the team only finished fourth in their final game under the roof of the American Association. The Cincinnati Reds went back to the National League in 1990 and stayed.

The team has definitely contributed a lot to the evolution of the sport. Being the first team to have all professional players and having a 130-winning streak under their belt are reasons enough to remember the team in a special kind of way. Although the players made bad choices and struggled to bring back their stature, they have raised the standard of the sport and of the league in general.



CARY

Freddie Brister asked:


Curt Schilling is involved in more things than just being a pitcher for the Red Sox. He is a businessman. Last week he spoke at a corporation in San Francisco.

He is also a philanthropist. He held a reception Thursday night for all those who supported him in the American League Series against the Rays.

Schilling is planning on going to the Persian Gulf as part of the USO Tour. He will join other people as they thank our troops for serving our country so wonderfully.

He has gone under the radar this off-season as being a free-agent pitcher. Many people in the media have not even mentioned him. Schilling believed a few months ago that his time of playing for the MLB is coming to an end.

Now, he doesn’t seem all that convinced that his playing days are just about over. He doesn’t act or sound like somebody who in recent months thought wouldn’t be throwing too many pitches.

Everybody knows that words don’t matter, actions do. Schilling appears to be on his way to pitching for only half a season next year. Roger Clemens did the same thing for the last two seasons he played.

“Our plan right now is to raise our kids here in Boston,” Schilling said. “That’s one of the reasons I think that the ‘play a half-year’ decision was the only one that made any sense. The more I’m home, the longer I think they could tolerate it, but I think we could tolerate a half-season somewhere. It would be a lot easier traveling, which pretty much opens up where I would go play to any team at that point.”

Schilling has to do what he feels he can do. He has a lot of physical questions to answer to. A young player typically has a better arm than a 42-year old. Sometimes Schilling seems like a youngster because he can adapt in certain situations.

Schilling will make a decision sometime in the future. He will have to consider his family and his personal feelings. He will have to make his decision soon because he has to start training if he is going to play next year.

Schilling said he was not stressed about it. He just wants something that will make him come back. He said that if he can’t find a reason to come back, then he probably won’t.

He is a big competitor and has a desire to give it another try. He had surgery in the middle of the season and now feels good.

Schilling might pitch for the Red Sox, the team he helped win two championships. He might exercise other options. It will likely come down to the money and years teams offer. He understands business is business. He won’t have any hard feelings as long as everybody is upfront and honest with him.

He wouldn’t hesitate to proudly wear a Red Sox uniform again.

Schilling talked recently to the Bud Selig, commissioner of MLB, to try to turn July 4 into Lou Gehrig Day since next year will be another anniversary of Gehrig’s big speech.

Schilling might go to the Persian Gulf. He had the chance to go right after the Red Sox became World Champs back in 2004. Since he has a family that has been in the military, it makes him want to go even more.

He has been at several events with John McCain, whom he endorsed for the general election, when many troops came home.

Schilling’s future is up in the air at the point but we will know his decision in a few months.



PRESTON

Rick Grantham asked:


What is the Black Sox Scandal

Black Sox was a name given to the eight White Sox players who were allegedly involved in throwing the World Series. In 1919, the scandal that almost cost baseball its integrity took place. This happened when some of the best Chicago White Sox players sat down with baseball gamblers to fix the World Series, losing it to the Cincinnati Reds.

The controversial scandal led to the banning of the eight men. Everyone who was involved in the scandal would have been rich if the word about it did not go out. However, it was difficult to keep it a secret. According to research, words came out because the gamblers needed to raise a large amount of money to assure the participation of the players.

When rumor was out, it was difficult to keep everything under control.

Who were involved?

Names of the players who were involved in the scandal surfaced. Although not confirmed, speculations pointed Arnold Gandil as the mastermind. Some said he contacted a gambler and initiated the possibility of the fix.

Other names included in the Black Sox scandal were Eddie Cicotte, Claude Williams, George Weaver, Charles Risberg, Fred McMullin, and Joe Jackson.

It was not difficult to lure the other players because of the lucrative offer. It would make them all rich in an instant. However, the clarity and extent of their participation is still hazy. There were questions about the involvement of Joe Jackson, who was one of the most popular players during that time. Decades after the scandal, the Black Sox said that Jackson was never present in any of their meetings to discuss the fix.

It was also a sad ending for the career of Buck Weaver, who did not have direct participation to the scandal. The others asked him to take part but he never agreed to it. His only fault was knowing about the scam and not telling the league about it.

What happened next?

After the banning, baseball became tough to the guys. The banning was not only from the league but also from the sport in general. The other players attempted to redeem their careers. However, there were threats that those who will have anything to do with them concerning the sport can forget about baseball for the rest of their life.

It was also rough for the Chicago White Sox fans. From a strong team, their team became one of the weaklings. They even experienced one of the longest World Series droughts, 1917-2005. This gave birth to the Curse of the Black Sox.

It was also a difficult time for baseball and baseball fans. The scandal has broken the trust they have for the game. It took a while before the sport gain the confidence of its fans back.

The Black Sox scandal is probably one of the lowest points in the history of baseball. What started to be an appealing endeavor for those who want to get rich easily has caused them their careers as well as the faith of the fans on the sport.



DORIAN

Al Terry asked:


There’s a reason why Boston Red Sox Tickets are so much in demand today. Not only do the Red Sox have a history of great baseball but they are also one of the strongest teams on the field today. After clinching the World Series in 2004, the current Red Sox team certainly looks ready to make a grab for the title once again.

The Red Sox are part of the major league and are affiliated with the American League and the East Division. The team is well known for its rivalry with the New York Yankees and plays its home games in the famous Fenway Park, which was opened in 1912. This makes it the oldest major league ball park that is still operational.

Golden Roots

Boston Red Sox Tickets have been a hot commodity right from the beginning, mainly because the Red Sox had an incredible run in its early days. It was officially born in 1900 and until 1919; the Red Sox had a truly golden beginning, winning six American League pennants and five World Series titles. After their World Series win in 1918, the Red Sox would have to wait until 2004 before bringing the title home again. Just when things were going great for the team and star player **** Ruth was at his peak, Ruth was sold. This not only signaled the beginning of the infamous rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees, but also what was known as Curse of the Bambino.

It looked like the Red Sox would never recover but Boston Red Sox tickets were still in demand because the team was so popular. The 1930s to 1960s saw the emergence of big names like Ted Williams but the World Series title remained elusive, with the team managing only a single American League pennant in 1946. In the following years, the Red Sox became famous or perhaps infamous for a spectacular snafu that occurred during the 1986 World Series, when the team lost due to a fatal error by Bill Buckner. It certainly looked like the Curse of the Bambino was working on the luck of the Red Sox.

It’s A New Day

Despite the slump, fans still flocked to the Red Sox games and Boston Red Sox Tickets were still selling well. It wouldn’t be until 2002 that the Red Sox would see a turn around in their game and their luck. In 2004, the Red Sox managed to clinch their sixth World Series title and to make the win even more memorable, the game was won just after a total lunar eclipse had occurred, bathing the moon in red light. Today, the Red Sox seem poised for yet another big World Series win with a strong team lined up for the season.

Some of the famous Red Sox players that have made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame include Wade Boggs, Ted Williams, Harry Hooper and Joe Cronin. Whether you want to see some of that fiery Yankee-Red Sox rivalry live on the field or simply see a great team play, get yourself some Boston Red Sox tickets. If you’re buying your tickets online, make sure you purchase them from an authorized vendor.



PARKER

Macie asked:


The Boston Red Sox are a Major League Baseball franchise. They are competing in the Eastern Division of the American League. Opened on April 20, 1912, their home stadium, Fenway Park, is the oldest major league ballpark still in operation.. The Red Sox has the honor of winning the first World Series as the Boston Americans in 1903 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After an 86-year interval, they were able to record their most recent World Series championship win in 2004.

The Red Sox’s chief rival is the New York Yankees. The two clubs “enjoy” one of the longest-standing rivalries in North American sports.

The minor Western League declared its equality with the National League under Ban Johnson in 1900. It was the only major league then. The name of the league was changed to the American League by Johnson. Initially the team was competing in the streets. However, the upstart placed franchises in two of the largest and most important National League cities, Philadelphia and Boston.

The Americans participated in the first modern World Series in 1903. They were successful in beating the favored Pittsburgh Pirates, winning five games to three. The Americans, aided by the modified chants of “Tessie” by the Royal Rooters fan club and by its stronger pitching staff, managed to overcome the odds, winning the first ever World Series.

The Red Sox logo used in 1908, when they were simply known as “Boston”.The 1904 club was almost as good as the previous team.But the Americans found themselves in a tight pennant race through the last games of the season due to the surprise emergence of the New York Highlanders. In order to win the pennant, the Highlanders needed to win both games.

The Americans lost 100 games in the 1906 season. But the newly renamed Red Sox was able to improve immediately with the help of several new star players. By 1909, Red Sox worked their way to third place and the legendary center fielder Tris Speaker had become a fixture in the Boston outfield. However, the Red Sox would not win the pennant again until their 105-win 1912 season.

Joseph Lannin was the owner of the Red Sox from 1913 to 1916. He was successful in signing **** Ruth who was soon the best-known and one of the best players ever. The Red Sox propelled to the World Series again with another 101 wins in 1915. They were able to beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one. The 1916 team repeated the pennant. The Red Sox won the World Series once again. They defeated the Brooklyn Robins this time. By 1918, the team found itself at the top of the heap again, led by **** Ruth to a World Series championship over the Chicago Cubs.

When Boston could not win for a few decades and New York achieved great success, the sale of **** Ruth came to be viewed as the beginning of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. It is described as the “Greatest Rivalry on Earth”. Frazee continued to sell many of his star players after the sale of Ruth to the Yankees.

The Red Sox didn’t reach the postseason for the next seven years after the 1978 playoff game. During that period, they finished no higher than third place in their division.

In the 1986 World Series the Red Sox played the New York Mets. The Red Sox won the first two games in Shea Stadium, but lost the next two at Fenway, knotting the series at 2 games apiece. After Bruce Hurst recorded his second victory of the series in game 5; the Red Sox returned to Flushing Meadows looking to garner their first championship in 68 years. However, Game Six marked the most devastating losses in club history. Roger Clemens was curiously lifted from the game with a 3-2 lead after pitching seven strong innings.

The Red Sox were able to return to the postseason in 1988. With the club in fourth place early in the 1988 season, manager John McNamara was fired. He was replaced by Joe Morgan. Immediately the club won 12 games in a row, and 19 of 20 overall. They soured up to the AL East title in what would be referred to as Morgan’s Magic.

In 1990, the Red Sox would again win the division and face the Athletics in the ALCS. However, the A’s swept the Series in four.

In 2000, the Red Sox failed to take advantage of Nomar Garciaparra’s career year and Pedro Martinez’s historic season. Other standouts included reliever Derek Lowe and outfielders Carl Everett and Dante Bichette, but the rest of the team was weak, and the Red Sox stumbled to an 85-77 record.

GM Theo Epstein’s first major step toward restocking the team for 2007 was to pursue one of the most anticipated acquisitions in recent history. The Red Sox had won the bid for the rights to negotiate a major league contract with Japanese superstar pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Coming into the 2007 season the red sox have still yet to name a closer. The favorite to win the position right now is Joel Pineiro. We built Ticket Luck to provide Boston Red Sox and other tickets with a unique plan. Instead of the usual 20% mark up, we decided to go for a 1-2% mark up. At that margin, we don’t spend anything on advertizing. If you are lucky enough to find this site, you would have saved a tidy sum for yourself. We hope that we will be successful through word of mouth instead of a massive banner ad. marketing budget.

For more information about Boston Red Sox Tickets Visit:

http://www.ticketluck.com/sports-tickets/Boston-Red-Sox/index.php



EUGENE

Jay Nault asked:


The nature of Boston Red Sox tickets has changed in recent years. It used to be that fans would go see the notorious heartbreakers contend on a nearly annual basis, only to stumble in some unbelievable fashion down the stretch. That all changed in 2004, when the Red Sox ended their 86-year championship drought and reclaimed the World Series championship. These days, fans are clamoring for a return to the Fall Classic, and below we’ll take a look at how likely such a return is for the 2007 edition of the Red Sox.

Offseason Changes

The Red Sox were typically active this offseason, signing RF J.D. Drew and SS Julio Lugo. Their biggest splash, however, was also the biggest offseason player signing story in MLB, as the Red Sox added Japanese legend Daisuke Matsuzaka, the pitcher who boasts of the yet-to-be-seen “Gyro ball” that many proclaim will baffle hitters like no other pitch they’ve ever seen. These were all risky signings, but if Drew stays healthy and Matsuzaka is as good as advertised, the Red Sox improved dramatically both at the plate and on the mound.

Players to Watch

Aside from their new signings, other players on the roster will be worth the effort to obtain Boston Red Sox tickets this season. Manny Ramirez is back, and this ultra-talented hitter is never boring for many reasons. David Ortiz is coming off a 54-home run season, and is known as perhaps the most clutch hitter in the game. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling return to the pitching staff, and their combination with Matsuzaka could be formidable.

2007 Outlook

The Red Sox find themselves in somewhat familiar territory, as they appear to be the favorites in the division along with the Yankees. The Blue Jays are not to be discounted, though, and it could be another close finish in the AL East. If the Red Sox can stay healthier than they did a year ago, avoid the off-field controversies and see Beckett return to form and Matsuzaka add to the staff, this team is as talented as any in MLB. That may seem like a lot of “ifs,” but it’s less than most teams face as they enter spring training.

The 2007 season will be another one to watch with interest for Red Sox and baseball fans everywhere, and Boston Red Sox tickets will once again give you a chance to see a team actively chase a championship.



HARRY

BooYah McGwire asked:


It does not take very much to make somebody realize just what an impact Boston Red Sox Ted Williams had on the world of professional baseball. As a matter of fact, you would have to have been living under a rock for quite some time if you have never heard the name of this famous player. As far as contributions to baseball go, there is plenty that the world of baseball fans can thank Boston Red Sox Ted Williams for.

When talking of such a famous player, it is almost too difficult to figure out just where to begin. Boston Red Sox Ted Williams was famous for being voted in as a American League Baseball Most Valuable Player more than once. In addition to that, he enjoyed the honor of being one of the celebrated players to be inducted into the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame back in 1966. Then, once you add to this all of the wonderful statistics and achievements under his belt and it should be quite easy to see just why Boston Red Sox Ted Williams is such a valuable piece of baseball history.

Just as many other players in the major leagues, Boston Red Sox Ted Williams got his start by playing baseball in the minor leagues. Stepping up to the plate for teams such as the Minneapolis Millers and the San Diego Padres, Ted Williams had his fair share of practice to get to his famous position with the Boston Red Sox. In 1939, he got his chance to move into the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox. Ted Williams wasted no time at all before he began breaking records with his batting average.

In 1941 Williams had one of the greatest individual seasons for any ballplayer in history. At age twenty-three he hit .406, the last ballplayer to reach that magic figure, won his first home run crown, and won the All-Star Game with the most dramatic hit of his career, a ninth-inning two-out homer in Briggs Stadium.

Today, you can ask just about any one of the thousands and thousands of Boston Red Sox fans about Ted Williams and all of his incredible contributions to the world of baseball and they are sure to give you quite an earful. From one of the most passionate fan bases in the world of major league baseball, it is not hard to see just why Ted Williams is such a cherished player whose name is sure to go down in history.

Are you a Boston Red Sox Ted Williams fan yourself? If so, then you can keep the tradition of cheering for your championship team with great items such as shirts, mugs, and even steering wheel covers that all sport the Boston Red Sox logo! Showing off your team spirit really has never been easier. By wearing this logo with pride, you are able to show everyone that you come into contact with that Boston Red Sox Ted Williams and all of the other great players of the past will always be in your heart as a dedicated fan.



ROBBY