Retired Numbers - Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox may operate in 100 year cycles.
-They won the 1st World Series in 1903 as the Boston Americans.
-In 1904 were denied a chance at another title when a New York team shockingly prevented the opportunity.
-They won several more titles leading up to 1918.
-They proceed to not win again for a very long time.
...
-In 2003 they were denied a chance at another title when a New York team shockingly prevented the opportunity (slightly different circumstances).
-They won their first World Series in over 80 years in 2004.
-They win several more titles leading up to 2018.
-Uh oh...
And while the Red Sox had a large gap without any titles, they were certainly not short of elite talent to honor with number retirements. But where some teams will honor just anyone, the Red Sox tended to have a set of rules that need to be met if your number is to be retired. Those rules are as follows:
1-You must be a Hall of Famer
2-You need at least 10 years as a member of the Red Sox
3-You must retire as a member of the team.
For the longest time those rules were strictly adhered to, but there have been a few notable exceptions, which will be noted below...
#1 - Bobby Doerr
When Ted Williams was setting all the Red Sox hitting records, many of those records were in Bobby Doerr's name. For a middle infielder of his era, Doerr was among the best hitting and defending as he played his entire 14 year career with Boston from 1937-1951 broken up only with his 1945 service to WWII. Nine of those seasons were all star years, including 1946 where he helped bring the Red Sox back to the World Series for the first time since 1918.
#4 - Joe Cronin
Joe Cronin was the Player-Manager of the Washington Nationals when the Red Sox swung a trade to bring him over for 1935. After a decade, he hung up his spikes but stayed Manager for a couple more seasons, including the pennant winning run in 1946. Five of those 11 seasons as a player for Boston were all star worthy, even as he misled the Red Sox management over a prospect named Pee Wee Reese to keep his starting job at Shortstop.
#6 - Johnny Pesky
Better known to outsiders as the guy they named a foul pole after in Fenway Park, or the guy with Williams, Doerr and Dom Dimaggio as statues outside the ballpark, "the Needle" Johnny Pesky build an impressive resume with the Red Sox organization. His number is retired despite fulfilling none of the three requirements, but he was given special exemption. Johnny Paveskovich began his career with the Red Sox when he was called up for 1942. He then lost the next three years to World War II service, then returned from the pennant winning 1946 season until 1952 (If not for WWII, he would technically meet the "10 years as a Red Sox" rule). After being traded in 1952, he would find his way back to Boston after his playing career as a Manager (1963-'64 and part of 1980), TV and radio commentator (1969-'74), Coach (1975-'84) and a special instructor and assistant to the GM from '85 until his death in 2012.
#8 - Carl Yastrzemski
It's never easy taking over for a legend, but Yaz made a Hall of Fame career doing just that. When Ted Williams stepped away from baseball, Carl Yastrzemski stepped right in in 1961. By 1963 his resume began to overflow with accomplishments, including 18 all star selections, 3 Batting Titles, 7 Gold Gloves, 2 American League pennants and an incredible 1967 season that saw him win the Triple Crown (leading the league in Batting Average, Home Runs and RBI) as he led the Red Sox to the World Series and took home the MVP award. After his 23 year career in Boston had ended in 1983, his first ballot entry to the Hall of Fame was undeniable, and so was his number retirement.
#9 - Ted Williams
In the whole "Who was better? Ruth or Williams?" debate, no one will argue harder for Ruth than Ted Williams himself, but nothing argued harder for the Splendid Splinter than his own resume. A 19 time all star, Williams lost 3 of his prime years to WWII service, but still amazed fans with 6 Batting Titles, 4 AL Home Run crowns and the all time best career OBP of .482. How good was Teddy Ballgame? He won the Triple Crown in both 1942 and 1947, and in 1941 he became the last player in history to hit over .400 in a season, and none of those seasons were MVP years. In addition to those elite years, he did put up the numbers and accolades to win the MVP in both 1946 and 1949, with '46 being the year he led the team to the World Series.
#14 - Jim Rice
Called up during the 1974 season, when Jim Rice was given the chance in '75 to be a regular, he ran with the opportunity and took no prisoners. He narrowly missed both the MVP and Rookie of the Year award to his own teammate Fred Lynn and merely used it as inspiration to terrorize AL pitching. He'd go on to gain 8 all star selections, the 1983 and '84 Silver Slugger awards, 3 AL Home Run crowns and assisted in winning both the 1975 and 1986 AL pennants for the Red Sox. His 1978 exploits concluded with the MVP award he was denied a few years prior. He needed all 15 tried on the BBWAA ballot to reach the Hall of Fame, which was the last requirement Boston needed to immortalize his number.
#26 - Wade Boggs
One of the most superstitious men in baseball history, Boggs would always eat chicken before a game, take the exact same route to his position from the dugout, wake up religiously at the same time every morning and refuse to let the PA announcer say his number because he broke out of a slump when the guy forgot to say it one time, all among other requirements in the methodical process that was Wade Boggs...but as the saying goes "It's only weird if it doesn't work" and Boggs showed it all worked very well. From his debut in 1982 until 1992, Boggs was the AL version of Tony Gwynn, winning 5 Batting Titles, include four in a row from 1985-'88, something only Hall of Famers ever accomplish. Six of his eight Silver Sluggers happened with Boston, and the first 8 of his 12 straight all star selections were in Boston. Wade's career unfortunately did not end in Boston, but by 2016 the Red Sox had started ignoring their rules and finally decided to honor Boggs.
#27 - Carlton Fisk
If everyone was tasked with ranking the best homers of all time, most everyone should include Carlton Fisk's blast in the 1975 World Series in their top 10, if not top 5. Fisk got a taste of the majors in 1969, earned another callup in 1971, then came up to stay in '72. A major knee injury threatened to end his career before it even got going in 1974, but Fisk returned and battled through another injury to help Boston wrap up the division and pennant in '75. There the Red Sox faced the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series, where a grueling Game 6 went to extra innings. In the 12th inning, Fisk hit a fly ball deep to left where the only question was if it would stay fair. It struck the foul pole and the Red Sox would force a Game 7. The Reds won the series, but the image of Fisk waving at the ball to stay fair would become timeless. That moment alone didn't get Fisk entry to the Hall of Fame, as he build a strong career around it including the 1972 Rookie of the Year and Gold Glove award. He was also representing the Red Sox at 7 of the 11 all star games he attended. When Fisk was elected to the Hall of Fame, the Red Sox faced a dilemma. Back in 2000 they were still trying to strictly enforce their rules for number retirement, and Fisk did not end his career with Boston. The solution was to hire Fisk for one day as a special assistant, technically allowing Fisk to end his baseball career in Boston.
#34 - David Ortiz
After six anonymous seasons in Minnesota, David Ortiz signed on with the Red Sox in 2003 and found a way to redefine his career. From there Big Papi would generate his entire list of accomplishments which included 10 all star games, 7 Silver Sluggers and the 2006 AL Home Run crown. A regular threat to the MVP, Ortiz never came in 1st, usually held back by his DH status, but he did secure the MVP in the 2004 ALCS and 2013 World Series. Ortiz is also the only Red Sox on this list with claims to 3 different World Series rings; 2004, 2007 and 2013. Ortiz would fulfill all 3 rules for number retirement, but by time Ortiz called it quits after 2016, they really weren't doing their rules for number retirement anymore, so instead of waiting for a Hall of Fame vote, they retired his number right away.
#45 - Pedro Martinez
Martinez was already a certified star when he was traded by the Montreal Expos to the Red Sox before 1998. The trade itself helped inject him into the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry as Expos GM Jim Beattie went out of his way to ignore any offers from New York and ensure the Cy Young winner ended up pitching for a rival (he notably first tried to secure a deal with the defending AL champ Cleveland Indians), even as Martinez insisted he wanted to pitch for the Yankees. With Boston, Pedro switched his career into elite status, winning the 1999 and 2000 Cy Young awards, making 4 of his 8 all star games, and leading the staff that would win the 2004 World Series. His Red Sox career only lasted 7 years, and did not end in Boston, but the organization could not pass on the opportunity to elevate his number with their greats and quietly ignored any rules they had for number retirement. Because of Martinez, there is no longer any mention of any rules for retirement.
