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Talking Sox and baseball focusing on history.

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Great Sox

Keeping the Playoff Window Open

Returning to the post season for the first time since 2021, the 2025 Sox ended the year losing the American League Wild Card Series to the Yankees. Is the playoff window still opening? With a strong base of young players: Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Garrett Crochet, Carlos Narvaez, Brayan Bello, Kristian Campbell, the Sox are well positioned for the future, but veteran talent is thin with only Trevor Story, Jarred Duran, Lucas Giolito,  Masataka Yoshida and Aroldis Chapma
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Great Sox

The pressure of being a star

When you're the perennial All-Star and lauded as the team's superstar, you may feel you need to do it all. October 2, 1978, down by a run in the tiebreaker game to see who would go on to the ALCS, the Red Sox had two men on with Carl Yastrzemski at the plate [1] with 2 outs facing Rich Gossage. Gossage's first pitch was low for the ball. The second pitch was popped up as Yaz could not hold up his swing and Yankees 3rd Baseman Graig Nettles caught the box for the final out. Le
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Great Sox

The Boston/New York Express

Players moving between the Red Sox and the Yankees has been as common and frequent as the express air shuttle between the two cities. Of the 251 players who played for both teams, here’s some of the most significant switches. Which team has come out ahead? 2024: The Cuban Missile Soars! Signing Aroldis Chapman as a free agent is one of the more prescient moves by the Sox. A closer who has won two World Series and having played 7 seasons with the Yankees, at the age of 37, Aroldis
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Great Sox

Why was Rafael Devers reluctant to move to 1st base?

When asked to move positions, why is there is a natural reluctance? From a team perspective, it seems like an ego issue, but it may be more complex than that. During Spring Training of 2025, Rafael Devers was moved to Designated Hitter to allow newly signed free agent Gold Glove 3rd baseman Alex Bregman to play the Hot Corner. At the age of 28 and having played regularly at no other position than 3rd base, Rafael Devers balked at becoming a full-time designated hitter. He viewed this as cri
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Great Sox

Vern Stephens - Red Sox shortstop - forgotten by the Hall of Fame

Who holds the single season record for RBIs for a shortstop? You may think it would be held by a Hall of Famer like Honus Wagner, Ernie Banks or Cal Ripken, or a recent retired star like Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, or Derek Jeter, but no, the record is held by Red Sox Vern Stephens and was set in 1949. That year, batting behind Ted Williams, Vern Stephens had 159 RBIs and it was the first of two consecutive years when Stephens tied for the league lead in RBIs. This RBI total was the high
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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Great Sox

Jim Rice's Unbreakable Record

Hall of Famer Jim Rice set a record that may never be broken. As a rookie in 1975, Rice, together with Fred Lynn, shared the nickname the "Gold Dust Twins" for their great performance and future potential. Jim Rice fulfilled that promise with consecutive spectacular seasons from 1977 to 1979, achieving a feat that had not been done before or duplicated since. During 3 consecutive years, 1977, 1978, and 1979, Jim Rice is the only player in MLB history to achieve these 5 statistical acc
Charlie Hoke

Charlie Hoke in Great Sox

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