Page intentionally blank BOSTON RED SOX WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS BY MAXWELL HAMMER Published by The Child’s World® 1980 Lookout Drive • Mankato, MN 56003-1705 800-599-READ • www.childsworld.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Maxwell Hammer The Child’s World®: Mary Berendes, Publishing Director Red Line Editorial: Editorial direction grew up in the The Design Lab: Design Adirondacks of New Amnet: Production Design elements: Open Clip Art Library York before becoming Photographs ©: Matt Slocum/AP Images, cover, 21; Charlie an international sports Riedel/AP Images, 5; Library of Congress, 7, 9; Bill Kostroun/ reporter and children’s AP Images, 11; Al Behrman/AP Images, 13; Winslow Townson/ AP Images, 15; Ben Margot/AP Images, 17; David J. Phillip/AP book author. When not Images, 19 traveling the world on Copyright © 2015 by The Child’s World® assignment, he spends All rights reserved. No part of this book may be his winters in Thunder reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Bay, Ontario, with his wife and pet beagle. ISBN 9781631437359 LCCN 2014945444 Printed in the United States of America Mankato, MN November, 2014 PA02239 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 BOSTON STRONG ...........................................4 CHAPTER 2 ONE OF BASEBALL’S OLDEST TEAMS .............6 CHAPTER 3 THE CURSE .......................................................8 CHAPTER 4 SO CLOSE BUT SO FAR ..................................10 CHAPTER 5 A CITY CELEBRATES ........................................12 CHAPTER 6 SHORT WAIT ..................................................14 CHAPTER 7 LOOKING FOR ANSWERS .............................16 CHAPTER 8 WORST TO FIRST ...........................................18 CHAPTER 9 CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITION ........................20 FUN FACTS ......................................................22 GLOSSARY .......................................................23 TO LEARN MORE ..............................................24 INDEX ..............................................................24 CHAPTER 1 BOSTON STRONG oston was in need of some good news. In April 2013, terrorists set off bombs at the Boston Marathon. B Three people died. Many more were injured. The tragedy shook the entire city. Then the beloved Boston Red Sox helped bring the city back together. The Red Sox were coming off a last-place finish in 2012. Yet they won and kept winning in 2013. Cheering for the Red Sox each summer is a Boston tradition. The 2013 season was extra special, though. Fans rallied around the team. Bostonians called their spirit “Boston Strong.” The memorable season ended in the best way possible. The Red Sox won the World Series. 4 The Red Sox celebrate after Jonny Gomes (right) scores during Game 6 of the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. 5 CHAPTER 2 ONE OF BASEBALL’S OLDEST TEAMS he Red Sox are as old as the American League (AL). They both began in 1901. However, the team was T called the Boston Americans until 1908. Boston featured many great players in its early years. Among them were pitcher Cy Young and outfielder Tris Speaker. The team was one of the most successful in baseball, too. It beat Fenway Park opened in the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first 1912. It is famous for its big left field wall known as World Series in 1903. Then it won “The Green Monster.” four more World Series through The wall is extra tall because 1918. No other team had won more it is closer to home plate than three at the time. than in most ballparks. 6 Legendary Boston pitcher Cy Young pitched 7,356 innings in his career, more than any other pitcher in MLB history. 7 CHAPTER 3 THE CURSE abe Ruth was not yet a star on July 11, 1914. He was just a 19-year-old making his major league debut B with the Red Sox. Ruth went on to help the team win three World Series. He did so first as a great pitcher. He began playing outfield in 1918, The Red Sox were one though. And he was becoming a strike away from winning star. But the owner of the Red Sox the 1986 World Series in had money problems. He sold Ruth Game 6. Then the New to the New York Yankees in January York Mets rallied to win. The 1920 for a record $100,000. The winning run scored when a ground ball rolled between move backfired. first baseman Bill Buckner’s The Yankees had not been very legs. The Mets then won the successful. With Ruth, they won four World Series in Game 7. World Series. The success continued long after he retired, too. The Yankees became the most successful team in professional sports. Boston, meanwhile, didn’t win another World Series for 86 years. The Red Sox came close. They reached the World Series in 1946, 1967, 1975, and 1986. But they lost every time. Some called it the “Curse of the Bambino” after Ruth’s nickname, “the Bambino.” 8 Babe Ruth had 714 career home runs, but only 49 of them came while with the Red Sox. 9 CHAPTER 9 CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITION ports fans in Boston are used to winning. The Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots S have all had periods of great success. Since 2004, the Red Sox have been one of the top teams in Major League Baseball. The Red Sox have eight World Series wins in their history. Only two teams have more. Some of baseball’s all-time greats have played for the Red Sox. Now players such as David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia are continuing that tradition. With All four of Boston’s major these great players leading them, professional sports teams won the Red Sox are again one of the at least one championship best teams in baseball. from 2002 to 2011. Those teams won eight total titles from 2002 to 2013. 20 20 A player hoists the championship trophy after the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of the 2013 World Series. 21 21 FUN FACTS BOSTON RED SOX FOUNDED: 1901 (as Boston Americans) BALLPARK: Fenway Park (opened 1912) KEY PLAYERS Wade Boggs (third baseman; 1982–92) Roger Clemens (pitcher; 1984–96) Pedro Martinez (pitcher; 1998–2004) David Ortiz (designated hitter; 2003– ) Dustin Pedroia (second baseman; 2006– ) Ted Williams (left fielder; 1939–1942, 1946–60) Carl Yastrzemski (outfielder and first baseman; 1961–83) Cy Young (pitcher; 1901–08) WORLD SERIES WINS: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013 22 GLOSSARY ace (ays) The best starting pitcher on a baseball team is an ace. Curt Schilling was the Red Sox’s ace in 2004. blockbuster (BLAHK-bust-ur) Something that is very notable or high profile is a blockbuster. The Red Sox made a blockbuster trade in 2012. designated hitter (DEZ-ig-nay-tid HIT-ur) A designated hitter bats in place of the pitcher and does not play in the field. David Ortiz is a designated hitter for the Red Sox. rivals (RYE-vulz) Two opponents that are particularly competitive against each other are rivals. The Red Sox and Yankees are rivals. terrorists (TER-ur-ists) People who use forceful means of intimidation to promote a cause are terrorists. Terrorists attacked Boston in April 2013. wild card (wilde kahrd) A wild card is a team that did not win its division but still had a good enough record to qualify for the playoffs. A wild card can give a good team another chance at winning a championship. 23 TO LEARN MORE BOOKS Freedman, Lew. The 50 Greatest Players in Boston Red Sox History. Philadelphia, PA: Camino Books, 2013. Frommer, Harvey and Frederic J. Frommer. Red Sox vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade, 2014. Gaspar, Joe. Dustin Pedroia: Rising Star. PowerKids Press, 2011. WEB SITES Visit our Web site for links about the Boston Red Sox: childsworld.com/links Note to Parents, Teachers, and Librarians: We routinely verify our Web links to make sure they are safe and active sites. So encourage your readers to check them out! INDEX Boston Marathon, outfielders, 6, 8 World Series, 4, 6, 8, 4, 18 10, 12–13, 14, 16, pitchers, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 18, 20 curse, 8, 10, 12, 14 playoffs, 10, 12, 16, 18 Yankees, 8, 10, 12, 13 home runs, 10 sluggers, 10 24 Page intentionally blank .