During the 1946

1946 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox *All-Star Game, July 9 at Fenway Park: American League, 12–0-Other champions:*Negro League World Series: Newark Eagles over Kansas City Monarchs...

 Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 season, the Red Sox won their sixth American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 championship, with a record of 104 wins and 50 losses. In the World Series

1946 World Series

-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...

, the Sox lost in 7 games to the St. Louis Cardinals

1946 St. Louis Cardinals season

The St. Louis Cardinals season was a season in American baseball. It was the team's 65th season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 55th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 96-58 during the season and finished first in the National League. In the World Series, they won in 7 games over the...

. The winning run in game 7 was scored on Enos Slaughter

Enos Slaughter

Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...

's famous "Mad Dash

Slaughter's Mad Dash

The Mad Dash, or Slaughter's Mad Dash, refers to an event in the eighth inning of the seventh game of the 1946 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.-Background:...

" in the 8th inning that gave the Cards a 4-3 lead.

Overview

The 1946 Red Sox were led by their All-Star left fielder, Ted Williams

Ted Williams

Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...

, who was in his first year back in the majors after serving as a fighter pilot in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. 1946 was Ted Williams first of two MVP seasons, and the only time he ever won a pennant. He was among the league leaders in many offensive categories, with a batting average

Batting average

Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 of .342, 38 home runs and 123 runs batted in.

On April 24, the Red Sox were 6-3, 1 game behind the Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 and tied for second with the defending world series champion Tigers

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...

. Then, from April 25 through May 10, they won 15 games in a row, beating the Yankees twice and sweeping the Tigers in a three game series. Over this stretch Ted Williams had a batting average of .442, with 4 home runs and 17 runs batted in. On May 10 the Red Sox were 21-3 and leading the American League, 5.5 games ahead of the Yankees and 8 games ahead of the Tigers. This was their biggest lead in 28 seasons, since winning their last pennant in 1918. The fans took notice as the Red Sox had their highest attendance ever, nearly doubling their previous record. For the first time in Fenway Park

Fenway Park

Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...

 history the Red Sox were averaging over 10,000 fans per game, averaging 18,166 fans per game throughout 1946.

The Red Sox never turned back, winning 12 straight decisions from May 29 through June 11, including their second three game sweep of the Tigers. On June 11, the Red Sox were 41-9, 10 games ahead of the Yankees. From June 5 through July 21, in 48 games, Ted Williams had a batting average of .399, with 18 home runs and 52 runs batted in. The Red Sox swept the Tigers for the third time that year on July 11-13. On July 14, Williams hit three home runs in a game. The Red Sox swept their rivals, the Yankees, in a double-header at Yankee Stadium on September 2, expanding their lead to 15.5 games ahead of the Yankees and 18 games ahead of the Tigers. The Red Sox clinched the American League Pennant on September 13. It was their first Pennant since 1918, when they won the World Series. The Red Sox ended the season 12 games ahead of the Tigers and 17 games ahead of the Yankees.

Opening Day lineup

7	Dom DiMaggio Dom DiMaggio Dominic Paul DiMaggio , nicknamed "The Little Professor", was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox...	CF
6	Johnny Pesky Johnny Pesky John Michael Pesky , nicknamed "The Needle" and "Mr. Red Sox", was a Major League Baseball shortstop, third baseman, and manager. During a 10-year career, he played in 1942 and from 1946-1954 for three different teams. He missed all of the 1943, 1944, and 1945 seasons while serving in World War...	SS
9	Ted Williams Ted Williams Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...	LF
1	Bobby Doerr Bobby Doerr Robert Pershing Doerr is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and coach. He played his entire 14-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox . He led American League second basemen in double plays five times, tying a league record, in putouts and fielding percentage four times each, and...	2B
3	Rudy York Rudy York Preston Rudolph York was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics . York was born in Ragland, Alabama...	1B
2	Catfish Metkovich Catfish Metkovich George Michael "Catfish" Metkovich was an American outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Braves...	RF
35	Ernie Andres Ernie Andres Ernest Henry Andres was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox in the season. Born in Jeffersonville, Indiana, he batted and threw right-handed....	3B
8	Hal Wagner Hal Wagner Harold Edward Wagner , is a former professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1937-1949. He would play for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox.-External links:...	C
21	Tex Hughson Tex Hughson Cecil Carlton Hughson, , was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played his entire career in the American League with the Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed....	P

Notable transactions

• July, 1946: Don Lang
  Don Lang (third baseman)
  Donald Charles Lang was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals...
  
   and Bill Howerton
  Bill Howerton
  William Ray Howerton was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , for the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Giants.-Sources:...
  
   were traded by the Red Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals
  St. Louis Cardinals
  The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
  
   for Jim Gleeson
  Jim Gleeson
  James Joseph Gleeson was an American outfielder, scout and coach in Major League Baseball. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he attended Rockhurst University...
  
  .
• July 23, 1946: Wally Moses
  Wally Moses
  Wallace Moses was a right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1935 through 1951, he played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox . Moses batted and threw left-handed...
  
   was purchased by the Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
  .

Roster

1946 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		Manager Coaches

Starters by position

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

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
SS		153	621	208	.335	2	55
OF		142	534	169	.316	7	73
OF		150	514	176	.342	38	123

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

Starting 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

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
	21	106.2	7	6	3.71	16

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

1946 World Series

NL St. Louis Cardinals (4) vs. AL Boston Red Sox (3)

Game	Score	Date	Attendance
1	Boston 3, St. Louis 2 (10 innings)	October 6	36,218
2	St. Louis 3, Boston 0	October 7	35,815
3	Boston 4, St. Louis 0	October 9	34,500
4	St. Louis 12, Boston 3	October 10	35,645
5	Boston 6, St. Louis 3	October 11	35,982
6	St. Louis 4, Boston 1	October 13	35,768
7	St. Louis 4, Boston 3	October 15	36,143

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Louisville, Scranton

Salem franchise moved to Lenoir, June 25, 1946