1978 Boston Red Sox season

The 1978 Boston Red Sox season was the 78th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. After 162 regular-season games, the Red Sox and the New York Yankees finished tied atop the American League East division, with identical 99–63 records. The teams then played a tie-breaker game, which was won by New York, 5–4.[1] Thus, the Red Sox finished their season with a record of 99 wins and 64 losses, one game behind the Yankees, who went on to win the 1978 World Series.

1978 Boston Red Sox
Jim Rice named AL MVP
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record99–64 (.607)
Divisional place2nd (1 GB)
Other information
Owner(s)Buddy LeRoux, Haywood Sullivan, Jean Yawkey
General manager(s)Haywood Sullivan
Manager(s)Don Zimmer
Local televisionWSBK-TV, Ch. 38
(Dick Stockton, Ken Harrelson)
Local radioWITS-AM 1510
(Ned Martin, Jim Woods)
StatsESPN.com
BB-reference
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Offseason

Regular season
Record by month[7]
MonthRecordCumulativeAL EastRef.
WonLostWonLostPositionGB
April1191192nd3[8]
May23734161st+3[9]
June18752231st+8[10]
July131565381st+5[11]
August191084481st+​6 1⁄2[12]
September141598632nd1[13]
October1199642nd1[14]

The Red Sox played 163 games, as a tie-breaker game was needed to determine the winner of the AL East.

The "Boston Massacre"

For several days in July, the Red Sox were 14 games ahead of the rival New York Yankees; at the end of play on July 19, Boston was 62–28 and New York was in fourth place at 48–42.[15] However, the Yankees worked their way back. At the end of play on September 6, the Yankees had reduced the 14-game deficit to only four games,[16] just in time for a four-game series at Fenway Park in Boston. The Yankees won all four games in the series, by a combined score of 42–9,[17] leaving the teams tied with identical 86–56 records at the end of play on September 10.[18] The series became known as the "Boston Massacre",[19] named after the March 5, 1770, confrontation with British soldiers.

Tie-breaker game

The Yankees held a one-game lead over the Red Sox before the final day of the regular-season schedule. With a Red Sox win over the Toronto Blue Jays, and a Yankee loss to the Cleveland Indians, the two teams finished the season in a tie for the AL East division title, both with records of 99–63.[20] The next day, in a tie-breaker game played at Fenway Park, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 5–4, with the help of a memorable home run by Bucky Dent.[21]

Main article: 1978 American League East tie-breaker game

The Yankees went on to win the World Series in six games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although Dent became a Red Sox demon, the Red Sox would get a measure of retribution in 1990, when the Yankees fired Dent as their manager during a series at Fenway Park.[22][23]

Season standings
AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Yankees 10063 0.613 — 55–26 45–37
Boston Red Sox 9964 0.607 1 59–23 40–41
Milwaukee Brewers 9369 0.574 6½ 54–27 39–42
Baltimore Orioles 9071 0.559 9 51–30 39–41
Detroit Tigers 8676 0.531 13½ 47–34 39–42
Cleveland Indians 6990 0.434 29 42–36 27–54
Toronto Blue Jays 59102 0.366 40 37–44 22–58

Record vs. opponents
1978 American League Records

Sources:
Team BAL BOS CAL CWS CLE DET KC MIL MIN NYY OAK SEA TEX TOR
Baltimore —7–84–68–19–67–82–87–85–56–911–09–17–48–7
Boston 8–7—9–27–37–812–34–610–59–27–95–57–33–711–4
California 6–42–9—8–76–44–79–65–512–35–59–69–65–107–3
Chicago 1–83–77–8—8–22–98–74–78–71–97–87–811–44–6
Cleveland 6–98–74–62–8—5–105–65–105–56–94–68–11–910–4
Detroit 8–73–127–49–210–5—4–67–84–64–116–48–27–39–6
Kansas City 8–26–46–97–86–56–4—6–47–86–510–512–37–85–5
Milwaukee 8–75–105–57–410–58–74–6—4–710–59–15–56–412–3
Minnesota 5–52–93–127–85–56–48–77–4—3–79–66–96–96–4
New York 9–69–75–59–19–611–45–65–107–3—8–26–56–411–4
Oakland 0–115–56–98–76–44–65–101–96–92–8—13–26–97–4
Seattle 1–93–76–98–71–82–83–125–59–65–62–13—3–128–2
Texas 4–77–310–54–119–13–78–74–69–64–69–612–3—4–7
Toronto 7–84–113–76–44–106–95–53–124–64–114–72–87–4—

Notable transactions
  • May 20, 1978: Bob Ojeda was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox.[24]

Opening Day lineup
  2Jerry Remy2B
  7Rick BurlesonSS
14Jim RiceDH
  8Carl Yastrzemski    LF
27Carlton FiskC
19Fred LynnCF
15George Scott1B
24Dwight EvansRF
  4Butch Hobson3B
21Mike TorrezP

Source:[25]

Roster
1978 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

= Indicates team leader
Pos Player G AB R H Avg. HR RBI SB
CCarlton Fisk15757194162.28420887
1BGeorge Scott1204125196.23312541
2BJerry Remy14858387162.27824430
3BButch Hobson14751265128.25017801
SSRick Burleson14562675155.2485498
LFJim Rice163677121213.315461397
CFFred Lynn15054175161.29822823
RFDwight Evans14749775123.24724638
DHBob Bailey43941218.191492

[26]

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; SB = Stolen bases

Player G AB R H Avg. HR RBI SB
Carl Yastrzemski14452370145.27717814
Jack Brohamer812443457.2341251
Frank Duffy641041227.260041
Garry Hancock38801018.225040
Bernie Carbo1746712.261161
Fred Kendall204138.195040
Bob Montgomery102927.241050
Sam Bowen6731.143110

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; CG = Complete games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts

Player G CG IP W L ERA BB SO
Dennis Eckersley3516268.12082.9971162
Mike Torrez361525016133.9699120
Luis Tiant3212212.11383.3157114
Bill Lee28817710103.465944
Allen Ripley15173255.552226
Bobby Sprowl3012.2026.391010

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; BB = Walks allowed; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA BB SO
Jim Wright24116843.572456
Andy Hassler1330213.001323

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
Bob Stanley52152102.6038
Dick Drago374473.0342
Tom Burgmeier352144.4024
Bill Campbell297543.9147
John LaRose100022.503
Reggie Cleveland10100.000

AL East tie-breaker game
Main article: 1978 American League East tie-breaker game
October 2, 1978 at Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
Team123456789RHE
New York Yankees000000410580
Boston Red Sox0100100204110
WP: Ron Guidry (25-3)   LP: Mike Torrez (16-13)   Sv: Goose Gossage (27)
Home runs:
NYY: Bucky Dent, Reggie Jackson
BOS: Carl Yastrzemski

Awards and honors
Awards
Accomplishments
  • Jim Rice, American League leader, Hits (213)
  • Jim Rice, American League leader, Home runs (46)
  • Jim Rice, American League leader, RBIs (139)
All-Star Game

Farm system
See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Pawtucket Red Sox International League Joe Morgan
AA Bristol Red Sox Eastern League Tony Torchia
A Winston-Salem Red Sox Carolina League Bill Slack
A Winter Haven Red Sox Florida State League Rac Slider
A-Short Season Elmira Red Sox New York–Penn League Dick Berardino

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Bristol

Source:[27]

References
  1. "New York Yankees 5, Boston Red Sox 4". Retrosheet. October 2, 1978.
  2. Mike Torrez page at Baseball Reference
  3. Don Aase page at Baseball Reference
  4. Dick Drago page at Baseball Reference
  5. Denny Doyle page at Baseball Reference
  6. Dennis Eckersley page at Baseball Reference
  7. "The 1978 Boston Red Sox". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  8. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/04301978.htm
  9. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/05311978.htm
  10. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/06301978.htm
  11. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/07311978.htm
  12. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/08311978.htm
  13. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/09301978.htm
  14. https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/10021978.htm
  15. "Standings At Close of Play of July 19, 1978". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  16. "Standings At Close of Play of September 6, 1978". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  17. "The 1978 New York Yankees Regular Season Game Log". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  18. "Standings At Close of Play of September 10, 1978". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  19. "Yankees Completed 'Boston Massacre'". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. AP. September 11, 1978. p. A-11. Retrieved October 11, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
  20. "Events of Sunday, October 1, 1978". Retrosheet. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  21. "New York Yankees 5, Boston Red Sox 4". Retrosheet. October 2, 1978. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  22. Cafardo, Nick (June 7, 1990). "Dent Dumped by Yankees". The Boston Globe. p. 37.
  23. Shaughnessy, Dan (June 7, 1990). "His Back Was Against the Wall". The Boston Globe. p. 37.
  24. Bob Ojeda page at Baseball Reference
  25. "Chicago White Sox 6, Boston Red Sox 5". Retrosheet. April 7, 1978. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  26. 1978 Boston Red Sox Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
  27. 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.

Further reading
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