The Boston Red Sox were founded in 1901 as the Boston Americans. The "Americans" nickname wasn't official; it was just a generic label hastily given to the team. The nickname "Red Sox" was officially adopted by the team in 1908.
The nickname was chosen by the team's owner at the time, John I. Taylor, at the conclusion of the 1907 season. It referred to the red hose present in the team's uniform. The spelling came from newspaper writers who couldn't always fit the word "stockings" in a headline.
The early Red Sox were quite successful, they won the first World Series in 1903 and four more by 1918. Then something happened...
After the 1918 season, the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. What followed was an 86-year championship drought. Many called it the "Curse of the Bambino"—punishment for trading baseball's greatest player.
The team was competitive during this title drought, winning the AL pennant in 1946, 1967, 1975, and 1986. They also found themselves on the wrong side of some of baseball's most infamous moments: Enos Slaughter's "mad dash" in 1946 and Bill Buckner's error in the 1986 World Series. They could win; they just couldn't win a championship.
Fans with Red Sox tickets saw their team make an improbable comeback in the 2004 American League Championship Series. The Red Sox rallied from a 0-3 series deficit to the defeat the hated Yankees and advance... Read more