1950 Boston Red Sox season

The 1950 Boston Red Sox season was the 50th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished third in the American League (AL) with a record of 94 wins and 60 losses, four games behind the AL and World Series champion New York Yankees. This was the last time that the Red Sox won at least 90 games until their return to the World Series in 1967.

The team scored 1,027 runs, one of only six teams to score more than 1,000 runs in a season in the modern era (post-1900), and, along with the 1999 Cleveland Indians, are one of two teams to do so post-World War II. The 1950 Red Sox compiled a .302 batting average, and remain the most recent major league team to record a .300 or higher team batting average for a season.

In a game on June 8, the Red Sox set a major league record for total bases by a team in one game, which still stands. During their 29–4 win over the St. Louis Browns, the Red Sox collected 28 hits: 7 home runs, 1 triple, 9 doubles, and 11 singles for 60 total bases. The Red Sox, who had already beaten the Browns 20–4 the day before, became only the second team since 1901 (after the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates) to score 20 or more runs in consecutive games.

Offseason

Trades and Transactions

• October 24, 1949: It is reported that Dick Gernert, a junior at Temple University, has signed with the Red Sox over the weekend.
• November 17, 1949: The Red Sox draft pitcher George Copeland from the Rochester Red Wings for $10,000.
• December 1, 1949: The Red Sox purchase pitcher Al Papai from the St. Louis Browns off waivers for $10,000.
• February 26, 1950: The Red Sox announce the sale of pitcher Jack Kramer to the New York Giants for a reported sum of $25,000.
• April 14, 1950: The Red Sox sign third baseman Ken Keltner as a free agent.

Regular season

Game log

|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 1 || April 18 || Vs. New York || 15─10 || Johnson (1–0) || Masterson (0–1) || Page (1) || 0─1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 2 || April 19 (1) || Vs. New York || 3─6 || Dobson (1─0) || Raschi (0─1) || ─ || 1─1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 3 || April 19 (2) || Vs. New York || 16─7 || Lopat (1─0) || Kinder (0─1) || Page (2) || 1─2 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 4 || April 21 || @ Athletics || 8─2 || McDermott (1─0) || Brissie (0─1) || ─ || 2─2 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 5 || April 22 || @ Athletics || 5─6 || Kellner (1─0) || Kinder (0─2) || ─ || 2─3 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 6 || April 23 (1) || @ Athletics || 4─9 || Shantz (1─0) || Dobson (1─1) || Hooper (2) || 2─4 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 7 || April 23 (2) || @ Athletics || 12─2 || Parnell (1─0) || Wyse (1─1) || ─ || 3─4 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 8 || April 24 || @ Washington || 0─3 || Scarborough (2─0) || Papai (0─1) || ─ || 3─5 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 9 || April 26 || @ New York || 2─10 || Lopat (2─0) || McDermott (1─1) || ─ || 3─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 10 || April 27 || @ New York || 7─2 || Kinder (1─2) || Byrne (0─1) || ─ || 4─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 11 || April 28 || Vs. Athletics || 1─4 || Parnell (2─0) || Kellner (1─1) || ─ || 5─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 12 || April 30 (1) || Vs. Athletics || 0─19 || Dobson (2─1) || Fowler (0─1) || ─ || 6─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 13 || April 30 (2) || Vs. Athletics || 5─6 || Stobbs (1─0) || Wyse (1─2) || Papai (1) || 7─6 ||

|- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 14 || May 2 || Vs. Cleveland || 1─6 || McDermott (2─1) || Garcia (0─1) || ─ || 8─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 15 || May 3 || Vs. Cleveland || 2─7 || Kinder (2─1) || Feller (2─1) || ─ || 9─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 16 || May 4 || Vs. Cleveland || 5─4 || Lemon (2─1) || Parnell (2─1) || ─ || 9─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 17 || May 5 || Vs. Chicago || 2─5 || Dobson (3─1) || Pierce (1─1) || ─ || 10─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 18 || May 6 || Vs. Chicago || 1─11 || Stobbs (2─0) || Holcolmbe (0─1) || ─ || 11─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 19 || May 7 (1) || Vs. St. Louis || 6─8 || Schanz (1─0) || Fine (0─1) || Masterson (1) || 12─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 20 || May 7 (2) || Vs. St. Louis || 2─6 || Papai (1─1) || Fannin (0─1) || ─ || 13─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 21 || May 9 || Vs. Detroit || 1─6 || Parnell (3─1) || Trucks (2─1) || ─ || 14─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 22 || May 11 (1)|| Vs. Detroit || 13─4 || Hutchinson (2─1)|| Dobson (3─2) || ─ || 14─8 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 23 || May 11 (2) || Vs. Detroit || 5─3 || Gray (2─1) || Kinder (2─3) || Houtteman (2) || 14─9 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 24 || May 12 || Vs. Washington || 1─3 || McDermott (3─1) || Scarborough (2─3) || ─ || 15─9 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 25 || May 13 || Vs. Washington || 4─5 || Masterson (1─1) || Hudson (3─2) || Dobson (1) || 16─9 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 26 || May 14 (1) || Vs. Washington || 1─8 || Parnell (4─1) || Hittle (1─1) || ─ || 17─9 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 27 || May 14 (2) || Vs. Washington || 10─5 || Weik (1─1) || Papai (1─1) || Marrero (1) || 17─10 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 28 || May 16 || @ Detroit || 6─1 || Dobson (4─2) || Houtteman (4─2) || ─ || 18─10 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 29 || May 17 || @ Detroit || 3─6 || Ted Gray (3─1)|| Kinder (2─4) || ─ || 18─11 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 30 || May 18 || @ Detroit || 13─2 || Papai (2─2) || Fred Hutchinson (2─2) || Dobson (2) || 19─11 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 31 || May 19 || @ Cleveland || 1─4 || Sam Zoldak (1─1) || Parnell (4─2) || ─ || 19─12 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 32 || May 20 || @ Cleveland || 5─8 || Bob Lemon (4─2) || Chuck Stobbs (2─1) || ─ || 19─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 33 || May 21 (1)|| @ Chicago || 7─0 || Kinder (3─4) || Bill Wight (2─4) || ─ || 20─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" || 34 || May 21 (2) || @Chicago || 3─4 || Billy Pierce (2─3) || Joe Dobson (4─3) || ─ || 20─14 ||

Trades and Transactions

• May 7: The Red Sox in a trade with the Washington Senators send outfielder Tommy O'Brien and infielder Merrill Combs to the Senators in exchange for outfielder Clyde Vollmer.
• May 8: The Red Sox sell pitcher Harry Dorish to the St. Louis Browns for an undisclosed amount of cash.
• May 15: The Red Sox unconditionally and unceremoniously release the only Black player in their organization, Piper Davis, from their Scranton affiliate after he plays only 15 games. Davis, 33, is leading the team—which is 2–13 and last in the Class A Eastern League—in doubles (four), home runs (three), and runs batted in (ten), with a batting average of .333. "What does a player have to do make the grade?" a frustrated Davis asks a local sportswriter. Tom Yawkey's Red Sox will take nine more years before breaking the baseball color line.
• June 2: Tom Umphlett reveals that he has recently signed a contract with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent.
• June 7: The Red Sox sign outfielder Neil Chrisley as an amateur free agent.
• June 21: The Red Sox sign amateur free agent Faye Throneberry on a $6000 contract.

Season Standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day lineup

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

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

Other batters

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

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Awards and Records

Farm system

<small>LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Roanoke, Marion</small>

References

External links

• 1950 Boston Red Sox team page at Baseball Reference
• 1950 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com