1970 Boston Red Sox season
The 1970 Boston Red Sox season was the 70th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished third in the American League East with a record of 87 wins and 75 losses, 21 games behind the Baltimore Orioles, who went on to win the AL championship and the 1970 World Series.
1970 Boston Red Sox | |
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Major League affiliations | |
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Location | |
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Results | |
Record | 87–75 (.537) |
Divisional place | 3rd (21 GB) |
Other information | |
Owner(s) | Tom Yawkey |
General manager(s) | Dick O'Connell |
Manager(s) | Eddie Kasko |
Local television | WHDH-TV, Ch. 5 |
Local radio | WHDH-AM 850 (Ken Coleman, Ned Martin, Johnny Pesky) |
Stats | ESPN.com BB-reference |
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Offseason
- December 13, 1969: Dalton Jones was traded by the Red Sox to the Detroit Tigers for Tom Matchick.[1]
Regular season
The 1970s began with a new manager for the Red Sox. After the firing of Dick Williams near the end of the 1969 season, general manager Dick O'Connell reached down into the farm system again for a replacement and came up with Eddie Kasko, who had managed the Red Sox Triple-A farm team, the Louisville Colonels, to a second-place finish in 1969. Kasko had been a major league infielder from 1957 to 1966, with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and the Red Sox.
Month | Record | Cumulative | AL East | Ref. | |||
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Won | Lost | Won | Lost | Position | GB | ||
April | 11 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 3rd (tie) | 2 | [3] |
May | 9 | 17 | 20 | 25 | 5th | 11 1⁄2 | [4] |
June | 14 | 11 | 34 | 36 | 4th | 10 1⁄2 | [5] |
July | 18 | 13 | 52 | 49 | 4th | 11 | [6] |
August | 16 | 14 | 68 | 63 | 4th | 17 | [7] |
September | 19 | 12 | 87 | 75 | 3rd | 20 1⁄2 | [8] |
October | 0 | 0 | 87 | 75 | 3rd | 21 | [9] |
- Several other teams finished their season on October 1.
Kasko took over a team in transition in 1970. Its leading pitcher was Ray Culp, with 17 wins. Jim Lonborg, the superstar of 1967, still was not back in form and went 4–1. Carl Yastrzemski led the American League with a .329 batting average, and Tony Conigliaro appeared to have recovered from the horrible beaning of 1967, hitting .266, with 36 home runs and 116 RBIs. Reggie Smith hit .303, and George Scott had a banner year at .296, with 16 homers and 63 RBIs. Unfortunately, the Red Sox finished 21 games behind the rampaging Baltimore Orioles, who won 108 games and then went on to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series.
There were no scheduled doubleheaders this season at Fenway Park.[10]
Season standings
AL East | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
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Baltimore Orioles | 108 | 54 | 0.667 | — | 59–22 | 49–32 |
New York Yankees | 93 | 69 | 0.574 | 15 | 53–28 | 40–41 |
Boston Red Sox | 87 | 75 | 0.537 | 21 | 52–29 | 35–46 |
Detroit Tigers | 79 | 83 | 0.488 | 29 | 42–39 | 37–44 |
Cleveland Indians | 76 | 86 | 0.469 | 32 | 43–38 | 33–48 |
Washington Senators | 70 | 92 | 0.432 | 38 | 40–41 | 30–51 |
Record vs. opponents
1970 American League Records Sources: | |||||||||||||
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Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIL | MIN | NYY | OAK | WSH | |
Baltimore | — | 13–5 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 14–4 | 11–7 | 12–0 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 11–7 | 7–5 | 12–6 | |
Boston | 5–13 | — | 5–7 | 8–4 | 12–6 | 9–9 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 12–6 | |
California | 5–7 | 7–5 | — | 12–6 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 10–8 | 12–6 | 8–10 | 5–7 | 8–10 | 7–5 | |
Chicago | 3–9 | 4–8 | 6–12 | — | 6–6 | 6–6 | 7–11 | 7–11 | 6–12 | 5–7 | 2–16 | 4–8 | |
Cleveland | 4–14 | 6–12 | 6–6 | 6–6 | — | 7–11 | 8–4 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 7–5 | 11–7 | |
Detroit | 7–11 | 9–9 | 6–6 | 6–6 | 11–7 | — | 6–6 | 8–4 | 4–8 | 7–11 | 6–6 | 9–9 | |
Kansas City | 0–12 | 5–7 | 8–10 | 11–7 | 4–8 | 6–6 | — | 12–6 | 5–13 | 1–11 | 7–11 | 6–6 | |
Milwaukee | 5–7 | 7–5 | 6–12 | 11–7 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 6–12 | — | 5–13 | 3–9–1 | 8–10 | 5–7 | |
Minnesota | 7–5 | 5–7 | 10–8 | 12–6 | 6–6 | 8–4 | 13–5 | 13–5 | — | 5–7 | 13–5 | 6–6 | |
New York | 7–11 | 8–10 | 7–5 | 7–5 | 10–8 | 11–7 | 11–1 | 9–3–1 | 7–5 | — | 6–6 | 10–8 | |
Oakland | 5–7 | 5–7 | 10–8 | 16–2 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 11–7 | 10–8 | 5–13 | 6–6 | — | 10–2 | |
Washington | 6–12 | 6–12 | 5–7 | 8–4 | 7–11 | 9–9 | 6–6 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 2–10 | — |
Notable transactions
- May 28, 1970: Tom Matchick was traded by the Red Sox to the Kansas City Royals for Mike Fiore.[1]
- July 14, 1970: Chuck Hartenstein was acquired by the Red Sox from the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a conditional deal.[11]
Opening Day lineup
2 | Mike Andrews | 2B |
7 | Reggie Smith | CF |
8 | Carl Yastrzemski | LF |
5 | George Scott | 1B |
6 | Rico Petrocelli | SS |
25 | Tony Conigliaro | RF |
1 | Luis Alvarado | 3B |
10 | Jerry Moses | C |
43 | Gary Peters | P |
Source:[12]
Roster
1970 Boston Red Sox | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Statistical leaders
Category | Player | Statistic |
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Youngest player | Roger Moret | 20 |
Oldest player | Ducky Schofield | 35 |
Wins Above Replacement | Carl Yastrzemski | 9.5 |
Source:[13]
Batting
Abbr. | Category | Player | Statistic |
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G | Games played | Carl Yastrzemski | 161 |
PA | Plate appearances | Carl Yastrzemski | 698 |
AB | At bats | Mike Andrews | 589 |
R | Runs scored | Carl Yastrzemski | 125 |
H | Hits | Carl Yastrzemski | 186 |
2B | Doubles | Reggie Smith | 32 |
3B | Triples | Reggie Smith | 7 |
HR | Home runs | Carl Yastrzemski | 40 |
RBI | Runs batted in | Tony Conigliaro | 116 |
SB | Stolen bases | Carl Yastrzemski | 23 |
CS | Caught stealing | Carl Yastrzemski | 13 |
BB | Base on balls | Carl Yastrzemski | 128 |
SO | Strikeouts | George Scott | 95 |
BA | Batting average | Carl Yastrzemski | .329 |
OBP | On-base percentage | Carl Yastrzemski | .452 |
SLG | Slugging percentage | Carl Yastrzemski | .592 |
OPS | On-base plus slugging | Carl Yastrzemski | 1.044 |
OPS+ | Adjusted OPS | Carl Yastrzemski | 177 |
TB | Total bases | Carl Yastrzemski | 335 |
GIDP | Grounded into double play | Rico Petrocelli | 16 |
HBP | Hit by pitch | Tony Conigliaro | 8 |
SH | Sacrifice hits | Ray Culp | 5 |
SF | Sacrifice flies | Rico Petrocelli | 10 |
IBB | Intentional base on balls | Carl Yastrzemski | 12 |
Source:[13]
Pitching
Abbr. | Category | Player | Statistic |
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W | Wins | Ray Culp | 17 |
L | Losses | Ray Culp | 14 |
W-L % | Winning percentage | Vicente Romo | .700 (7–3) |
ERA | Earned run average | Ray Culp | 3.04 |
G | Games pitched | Sparky Lyle | 63 |
GS | Games started | Gary Peters | 34 |
GF | Games finished | Sparky Lyle | 40 |
CG | Complete games | Ray Culp | 15 |
SHO | Shutouts | Gary Peters | 4 |
SV | Saves | Sparky Lyle | 20 |
IP | Innings pitched | Ray Culp | 251 1⁄3 |
SO | Strikeouts | Ray Culp | 197 |
WHIP | Walks plus hits per inning pitched | Sonny Siebert | 1.199 |
Source:[13]
Awards and honors
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Winston-Salem, Greenville
Source:[15]
References
- Tom Matchick page at Baseball Reference
- "The 1970 Boston Red Sox". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/04301970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/05311970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/06301970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/07311970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/08311970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/09301970.htm
- https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1970/10011970.htm
- "Red Sox boost prices, no twin bills listed". Lewiston Evening Journal. (Maine). Associated Press. December 22, 1969. p. 22.
- Chuck Hartenstein page at Baseball-Reference
- "Boston Red Sox 4, New York Yankees 3". Retrosheet. April 7, 1970. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- "1970 Boston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
- Hutch Award
- Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.