Boston Red Sox Mount Rushmore
By David Hill
One of the charter teams in the American League, the Boston Red Sox have a mixed legacy in the game, with many stars and questionable moves. Which of those players make up their Mount Rushmore?
The Boston Red Sox have quite the mixed legacy within Major League Baseball. One of the original eight American League franchises, they were a strong team from the beginning, placing second and third in their first two seasons. Then, in 1903, the Red Sox won the first modern World Series, defeating the heavily favored Pirates in eight games.
In the following decade, the Red Sox put together their first Golden Age. They made the playoffs four times, winning the World Series each time. And then, the Red Sox made the ill-fated decision to sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees in order to finance a play, sending the team down a path of mediocrity. Boston would occasionally make the World Series, but found increasingly painful ways lose. The Curse of the Bambino was alive and well.
To further those issues in the standings, the Red Sox steadfastly refused to integrate. Other teams came to learn that the Negro Leagues were filled with major league caliber talent, but Tom Yawkey refused to have a black player on his roster. That eventually changed when Pumpsie Green made his debut in 1959, as the Red Sox became the final team to integrate.
Boston eventually got back to its winning ways, becoming a perennial playoff contender in the 1990s. However, the curse remained, until 2004. Dave Roberts steal of second in the 2004 ALCS led to a comeback victory, and the Red Sox went on to be the first team in major league history to win a postseason series after being down 3-0. They won the World Series that year, finally putting the Curse of the Bambino to rest after 86 years.
These days, the Red Sox remain perennial playoff contenders. They have won the World Series three times in the 21st century, and with a rabid fanbase and one of the top payrolls in the game, they may well remain as contenders for the foreseeable future. It is certainly a great time to be a Red Sox fan.
Let us take this time to look back through the history of the team. Which of the stars that have come through their clubhouse make up the Boston Red Sox Mount Rushmore?