1912_Boston_Red_Sox_season
1912 Boston Red Sox season
Major League Baseball team season
The 1912 Boston Red Sox season was the 12th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. This was the first year that the team played its home games at Fenway Park. The Red Sox finished first in the American League (AL) with a record of 105 wins and 47 losses. The team set the franchise record for highest winning percentage (.691) in a season, which still stands; tied the franchise record for fewest losses in a season, originally set by the 1903 team; and set a franchise record for most wins, which was not surpassed until the 2018 club.[1]
| 1912 Boston Red Sox | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Series Champions American League Champions | ||||
| League | American League | |||
| Ballpark | Fenway Park | |||
| City | Boston, Massachusetts | |||
| Record | 105–47 (.691) | |||
| League place | 1st | |||
| Owners | John I. Taylor Jimmy McAleer | |||
| Managers | Jake Stahl | |||
| Stats | ESPN.com BB-reference | |||
| ||||
The team then faced the National League (NL) champion New York Giants in the 1912 World Series, which the Red Sox won in eight games to capture the franchise's second World Series. One of the deciding plays in the World Series was a muffed fly ball by Giants outfielder Fred Snodgrass, which became known as the "$30,000 muff" in reference to the prize money for the winning team.[2]
Behind center fielder Tris Speaker and pitcher Smoky Joe Wood, the Red Sox led the league in runs scored and fewest runs allowed. Speaker was third in batting and was voted league Most Valuable Player. Wood won 34 games, including a record 16 in a row. Although the pitching staff was satisfactory, the only star pitcher was Wood, while the only star in the starting lineup was Speaker. Little-known third baseman Larry Gardner was the next best hitter, while future Hall of Famer Harry Hooper had a poor offensive season.
The Red Sox made several transactions during the 1912 offseason.[3] The Red Sox sold two players to the Chicago White Sox during the offseason: Jack Fournier on February 6 and Eddie Cicotte on July 9.[3] Later in the year, on November 25, Hugh Bradley was sold to the Jersey City Giants minor league baseball team of the International League.[3]
Transactions
November 6, 1911: The St. Paul Saints announce the purchase of outfielder Joe Riggert from the Red Sox.[4]
January 6, 1912: The Red Sox trade players Harold Janvrin, Martin McHale, Walter Lonergan, Hap Myers, Jack Thoney, and Billy Purtell to the Jersey City Skeeters in exchange for catcher Forrest Cady.[5]
February, 1912: The Red Sox sell infielder Rip Williams to the New York Highlanders.[6] On February 23, the Highlanders sent Williams to the Washington Nationals.[7]
February 6, 1912: The Chicago White Sox announce the purchase of infielder Jack Fournier from the Red Sox.[8]
The new Red Sox home stadium, Fenway Park opened on April 20, the same day as Navin Field in Detroit opened.[9] It was supposed to be opened on April 18 (like Navin Field) but it rained in both cities on that day.[10] This first Major-League game played at Fenway Park pitted the Red Sox against the New York Highlanders, with the Red Sox winning by a score of 7-6, and New York's Harry Wolter being the first player to earn a hit in the park.[11]
On April 26, Hugh Bradley became the first player to hit a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park.[12] It was his only home run of the 1912 season, and one of only two he hit in his career, which spanned five seasons.[13]
Transactions
June 25: The Cleveland Naps sell infielder Neal Ball to the Red Sox for $2500.[14]
Season standings
| American League | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | 105 | 47 | 0.691 | — | 57–20 | 48–27 |
| Washington Senators | 91 | 61 | 0.599 | 14 | 45–32 | 46–29 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 90 | 62 | 0.592 | 15 | 45–31 | 45–31 |
| Chicago White Sox | 78 | 76 | 0.506 | 28 | 34–43 | 44–33 |
| Cleveland Naps | 75 | 78 | 0.490 | 30½ | 41–35 | 34–43 |
| Detroit Tigers | 69 | 84 | 0.451 | 36½ | 37–39 | 32–45 |
| St. Louis Browns | 53 | 101 | 0.344 | 53 | 27–50 | 26–51 |
| New York Highlanders | 50 | 102 | 0.329 | 55 | 31–44 | 19–58 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | NYH | PHA | SLB | WSH | |||||
| Boston | — | 16–6–1 | 11–11–1 | 15–6 | 19–2 | 15–7 | 17–5 | 12–10 | |||||
| Chicago | 6–16–1 | — | 11–11 | 14–8–1 | 13–9 | 12–10 | 13–9–2 | 9–13 | |||||
| Cleveland | 11–11–1 | 11–11 | — | 13–9 | 13–8–1 | 8–14 | 15–7 | 4–18 | |||||
| Detroit | 6–15 | 8–14–1 | 9–13 | — | 16–6 | 9–13 | 13–9 | 8–14 | |||||
| New York | 2–19 | 9–13 | 8–13–1 | 6–16 | — | 5–17 | 13–9 | 7–15 | |||||
| Philadelphia | 7–15 | 10–12 | 14–8 | 13–9 | 17–5 | — | 16–6 | 13–7–1 | |||||
| St. Louis | 5–17 | 9–13–2 | 7–15 | 9–13 | 9–13 | 6–16 | — | 8–14–1 | |||||
| Washington | 10–12 | 13–9 | 18–4 | 14–8 | 15–7 | 7–13–1 | 14–8–1 | — | |||||
Opening Day lineup
On April 11, 1912, the Red Sox defeated the New York Highlanders 5–3 in an away game.[15]
| Harry Hooper | RF |
| Steve Yerkes | 2B |
| Tris Speaker | CF |
| Jake Stahl | 1B |
| Larry Gardner | 3B |
| Duffy Lewis | LF |
| Heinie Wagner | SS |
| Les Nunamaker | C |
| Buck O'Brien | P |
Roster
| 1912 Boston Red Sox | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers
Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager | ||||||
| = Indicates team leader |
Batting
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Starters by position
| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Bill Carrigan | 87 | 266 | 70 | .263 | 0 | 24 |
| 1B | Jake Stahl | 95 | 326 | 98 | .301 | 3 | 60 |
| 2B | Steve Yerkes | 131 | 523 | 132 | .252 | 0 | 42 |
| SS | Heinie Wagner | 144 | 504 | 138 | .274 | 2 | 68 |
| 3B | Larry Gardner | 143 | 517 | 163 | .315 | 3 | 86 |
| OF | Duffy Lewis | 154 | 581 | 165 | .284 | 6 | 109 |
| OF | Tris Speaker | 153 | 580 | 222 | .383 | 10 | 90 |
| OF | Harry Hooper | 147 | 590 | 143 | .242 | 2 | 53 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde Engle | 58 | 171 | 40 | .234 | 0 | 18 |
| Hugh Bradley | 40 | 137 | 26 | .190 | 1 | 19 |
| Hick Cady | 47 | 135 | 35 | .259 | 0 | 9 |
| Les Nunamaker | 35 | 103 | 26 | .252 | 0 | 6 |
| Olaf Henriksen | 44 | 56 | 18 | .321 | 0 | 8 |
| Neal Ball | 18 | 45 | 9 | .200 | 0 | 6 |
| Marty Krug | 20 | 39 | 12 | .308 | 0 | 7 |
| Pinch Thomas | 13 | 30 | 6 | .200 | 0 | 5 |
| All pitchers | 154 | 468 | 101 | .216 | 2 | 44 |
Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Starting pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Joe Wood | 43 | 344 | 34 | 5 | 1.91 | 258 |
| Buck O'Brien | 37 | 275+2⁄3 | 20 | 13 | 2.58 | 115 |
| Hugh Bedient | 41 | 231 | 20 | 9 | 2.92 | 122 |
| Ray Collins | 27 | 199+1⁄3 | 13 | 8 | 2.53 | 82 |
| Charley Hall | 34 | 191 | 15 | 8 | 3.02 | 83 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Pape | 13 | 48+2⁄3 | 1 | 1 | 4.99 | 17 |
| Ed Cicotte | 9 | 46 | 1 | 3 | 5.67 | 20 |
| Ben Van Dyke | 3 | 14+1⁄3 | 0 | 0 | 3.14 | 8 |
| Casey Hageman | 2 | 1+1⁄3 | 0 | 0 | 27.00 | 1 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Bushelman | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.70 | 5 |
| Doug Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 | 1 |
League top five finishers
- #2 in AL in RBI (109)[16]
The 1912 World Series was played between the New York Giants of the NL and the Red Sox of the AL. The Red Sox won in eight games, 4–3, having played the Giants to a tie in Game 2.
AL Boston Red Sox (4) vs. NL New York Giants (3)[19]
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Att. | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Sox – 4, Giants – 3 | October 8 | Polo Grounds | 35,730 | [20] |
| 2 | Giants – 6, Red Sox – 6 (11) | October 9 | Fenway Park | 30,148 | [21] |
| 3 | Giants – 2, Red Sox – 1 | October 10 | Fenway Park | 34,624 | [22] |
| 4 | Red Sox – 3, Giants – 1 | October 11 | Polo Grounds | 36,502 | [23] |
| 5 | Giants – 1, Red Sox – 2 | October 12 | Fenway Park | 34,683 | [24] |
| 6 | Red Sox – 2, Giants – 5 | October 14 | Polo Grounds | 30,622 | [25] |
| 7 | Giants – 11, Red Sox – 4 | October 15 | Fenway Park | 32,694 | [26] |
| 8 | Giants – 2, Red Sox – 3 (10) | October 16 | Fenway Park | 17,034 | [27] |
- "Boston Red Sox Year-by-Year Results". MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- "Fred Snodgrass drops ball and loses World Series". History.com. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- "1912 Boston Red Sox Trades and Transactions". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- "St. Paul Buys Riggert". The Gazette Times. November 7, 1911. p. 9. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- "Boston Cast-Offs for Jersey City". The Providence Evening Tribune. January 6, 1912. p. 8. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- Stanley, Todd (2017). They Wore Red Socks And Pinstripes: Players Who Went to the Enemy. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7864-9751-5.
- "Washington Gets Williams". The Pittsburgh Press. February 23, 1912. p. 25. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- "Sporting Notes". Meriden Morning Record. February 7, 1912. p. 2. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
- The Final Season, p. 5, Tom Stanton, Thomas Dunne Books, An imprint of St. Martin's Press, New York, 2001, ISBN 0-312-29156-6
- The Final Season, p.40
- Frommer, Harvey; Frommer, Frederic J. (2014). Red Sox Vs. Yankees: The Great Rivalry (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 122.
- Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 263, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
- "Hugh Bradley Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- Nowlin, Bill, ed. (2012). Opening Fenway Park With Style: The World Champion 1912 Boston Red Sox. Phoenix, Arizona: Society for American Baseball Research. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-933599-35-9.
- "Red Sox Opening Day History – 1912 – Boston Red Sox vs. New York Highlanders". Boston.com. The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- "Duffy Lewis History and Statistics". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- "Tris Speaker Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- "Smokey Joe Wood Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- "1912 World Series – Boston Red Sox over New York Giants (4–3)". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
- Mahoney, Andrew (September 24, 2018). "Here's how the Globe covered the 1912 Red Sox team". Boston.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- Nowlin, Bill (2012). Opening Fenway Park with Style: The 1912 World Champion Red Sox. Society for American Baseball Research. ISBN 978-1933599359.
- Stout, Glenn (2011). Fenway 1912: The Birth of a Ballpark, a Championship Season, and Fenway's Remarkable First Year. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0547195629.
- Whalen, Thomas J. (2011). When the Red Sox Ruled: Baseball's First Dynasty, 1912–1918. Ivan R. Dee. ISBN 978-1566637459.
- 1912 Boston Red Sox at Baseball Reference
- 1912 Boston Red Sox season at Baseball Almanac