Boston Red Sox

By Jeff Kallman Number of single-season home run champions who managed World Series winners: 2. (Jimmy Collins, Rogers Hornsby.) Number of 1961 pennant-winning Cincinnati Reds cut from the Pilots in spring training: 1. (Jim O’Toole, pitcher.) His lifetime World Series ERA: 1.48.

By Jeff Kallman That happens when your son dies of complications from hip surgery a month before the Red Sox reached the Promised Land at long enough last. At age 44. Which is, by the way, the equal to the home runs Yastrzemski launched during that summer of ‘67.

By Jeff Kallman You read it right. That was once a ten-run lead the Red Sox had. The Rangers slithered it to 16-14 in the seventh on a leadoff double (Hamilton) and an RBI single (Byrd), the Red Sox re-closed it to 16-15 in their half with a single (Pedroia), a full-count walk (Ortiz), and a throwing error from t...

By Jeff Kallman The Manny trade puts a lot of pressure on Messrs. Henry, Werner, Lucchino, and Epstein - not to mention the Boston ballplayers. If the Sox fail to make the playoffs, Theo and the Trio will be accused of letting their emotions get the better of their good sense. Meanwhile, Ortiz looks for someth...

By Jeff Kallman The FBI thus far hasn’t looked beyond Wilder, Nats general manager Jim Bowden, and Nats special assistant (and former major league pitcher) Jose Rijo. Bowden is believed cooperating with the FBI, as is Wilder. The skimming scandal involving Dominican baseball prospects has reached the...

By Jeff Kallman — Mark Teixeira made his bones with the Angels officially Thursday night: two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. He must have put some inspiration into the rest of the lineup even if he didn’t go long, because three others—Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Rivera—did, each hitting three...

By Jeff Kallman —Dan Shaughnessy, “So Manny Memories,” Boston Globe, 31 July 2008. —Schilling, on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Show. —Gerry Callahan, “No Dodging It,” Boston Herald, 1 August 2008. —Manny Ramirez, just moments after copping the award as the 2004 World Series’ Most Valuable Player.

By Jeff Kallman Two more outs, and Lackey would have been the first visitor to no-hit the Olde Towne Team in Fenway Park since Hall of Famer Jim Bunning did it for the Detroit Tigers fifty years and nine days earlier. His only blemishes to this point: a plunk of J.D. Drew with two out in the Red Sox second, and a wal...

By Jeff Kallman Contrary to the denials that made the rounds Monday, officials from both teams say the Mets have contacted the Red Sox about Manny Ramirez and are interested in pursuing a deal for him if Boston decides to make him available. —Tony Reagins, Angels general manager, to the Times.

By Jeff Kallman The Olde Towne Team has had it at last with Manny Being Manny. And, if he’ll waive his no-trade clause, they’ll trade him. That’s what general manager Theo Epstein told Tim McCarver during Fox Sports’ broadcast of the proceedings at Fenway Saturday night.

By Jeff Kallman BUT WHERE WOULD THEY USE HIM?—There’s slowly swelling speculation that the Los Angeles Angels have eyes for Baltimore Orioles closer George Sherrill, who could be trade bait if teams are willing to overpay otherwise. The Angels could afford it—they’re deep at shortstop, a position whe...

By Jeff Kallman He made the Red Sox to stay in 1949 and produced three winning seasons, even if his ERAs suggest he was winning as much by his run support as by his own pitching, but the Red Sox swapped him to the Chicago White Sox after the 1951 season and, after one 7-12 season in which he’d post his second-bes...

By Daniel Rathman Mike looked shocked, but, after he recovered, he offered one of the greatest compliments I’ve ever received from someone who was then a stranger: “Kid, whether you’re a Red Sox fan or not, it’s good to have another baseball fan in my bar.”

By Jeff Kallman Would the Reds have been squashed by the White Sox if the 1919 Series had been played straight? Show me the evidence. The Reds weren’t quite the hitters the White Sox were; the team’s on-base percentage was twenty-four points lower. But they won the National League pennant by three times the...

By Jeff Kallman But so far as Red Sox Nation being born out of winning the World Series twice in the last four years, Mr. Rome—and others, in this space and elsewhere—is wrong enough. I refer you first to a 1996 book, At Fenway: Dispatches from Red Sox Nation, by Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. You know...

By Daniel Rathman Before the Winter Meetings in Nashville earlier this month, the Twins seemed to be in control of the Johan Santana trade talks, with several teams pursuing the two-time Cy Young winner. The Red Sox seemed to be leading the way, with packages built around either southpaw Jon Lester or cente...

By Staff Report Starting at 1:30pm, Evan Brunell, President of MVN and writer at Fire Brand of the American League, and Ryne Crabb, Director of Baseball Operations and writer at The Transaction Guy as well as Fire Brand of the American League, will be live blogging right here at MLB Source.

By Jeff Kallman No, every teammate did not like Reggie Jackson, but they sure didn’t despise five World Series rings to which he helped them immensely enough. And at least Manny Ramirez seems to know for which team he plays when they hit the World Series running twice in four seasons.