Sports Radio Service


		A's: The Red Sox are in town By Jerry Feitelberg July 19, 2010

	The Boston Red Sox are in Oakland for a 3 game set. The Coliseum will be filled with many members of the fabled “RED SOX Nation”. Members of the Red Sox nation are in just about every ball park where the Sox play. The Red Sox are a charter member of the American League. The franchise began in 1901. In the early years, the Sox had great success. From 1903 until 1919, the Red Sox won 5 pennants and 5 World Series. They won in 1903,1912,1915,1916 and 1918. Babe Ruth joined the club in 1915 and was a star pitcher and outfielder for the Red Sox. Ruth set the single season record for home runs with 29 as a member of the Sox. In 1920, Harry Frazee, a theatrical producer, sold Ruth to the New York Yankees to produce the musical play “No, No Nanette” The Red Sox fell on hard times for many years. Tom Yawkey purchased the club in 1933 for 1.2 million dollars and set out to rebuild the franchise. The Red Sox won the pennant in 1946 ending a 28 year drought. 21 years later in 1967 they won the pennant again. They did not win the World Series as they lost in 7 games both times to the St. Louis Cardinals. Yawkey thought the team would bring him a world championship in 1975 but, alas, the boys from Boston lost to the Cincinnati Reds in 7 games in one of the most entertaining and competitive series of all time. Yawkey died the following year and ownership passed to his wife Jean. While under her ownership, the Red Sox won the flag in 1986. They were ahead of the New York Mets 3 games to 2. However, the Sox lost the last 2 games. People believed that “the curse of the Bambino” struck once more. Fans in Boston and members of the Red Sox nation had their hearts broken again. The Red Sox were a team that just couldn’t bring the ultimate prize, a World Series crown to their fans. The Celtics, Bruins and Patriots brought titles home to New England but the Red Sox just couldn’t seem to achieve that goal. The fortunes of the Red Sox changed forever in 2004. The Sox were about to be eliminated in the playoffs by their arch rivals, the New York Yankees. The Yankees have tormented the Sox for years. In 2003, the Yanks broke the hearts again of millions of Red Sox fans by beating them 4 games to 3 in the league division series. Aaron Boone hit a home run to win game 4 in extra innings and sent the Red Sox home. It was a devastating loss. It was deja-vu all over again in 2004. This time the Yankees were again the opponents in the League championship series. The Yanks needed to win just one more game to eliminate the Sox for the 2nd straight year. The Yanks had the champagne on ice ready to celebrate. 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and needing one more out to win the series, fate intervened. Dave Roberts, a speedy runner, obtained in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the season was inserted as a pinch runner. With everything on the line, Roberts stole second barely beating the throw from the catcher. That play gave the Sox energy and they rallied to win that game and 3 more to eliminate the Yankees. It was the first time in baseball history that a team won a series after being down 3 games to none. They went on the win their first World Series in 86 years beating the St.Louis Cardinals in 4 straight games. Red Sox fans were jubilant. The Sox won their second World Series title in 2007 and are again a powerful force in the American League east this year. Will the Sox make the playoffs? Injuries to Ellsbury, Heridia, Varitek, Martinez, Pedroia, Beckett, Lowell and Buchholz may keep them out of the playoffs this year. The Red Sox, nonetheless, are a good team and the series with the A’s this week should be fun to watch