SPRING TRAINING WITH THE 1946 RED SOX
THEIR FIRST WORLD SERIES IN THE YAWKEY ERA ...

November 30, 1945 ... Charlie Wagner, who returns after three years in the Navy, signed his contract at Fenway Park and will pitch for the Sox next year.  In 1942, he won 14 and lost 11.

December 4, 1945 ... Marine 2d Lt Ted Williams arrived in San Diego from Pearl Harbor with approximately 1600 other homecoming veterans aboard the battleship Texas.  Ted was a fighter pilot with the 3rd Marine Air Wing and reported to the Marine Air Depot at Camp Miramar for reassignment.  He played four seasons with the Red Sox before his entry into the Marine Corps in November, 1942, batting .406 in 1941.

December 7, 1945 ... Shortstop Johnny Pesky arrived in Portland, Oregon from the south Pacific.

December 11, 1945 ... At the winter baseball meetings, Tom Yawkey and manager Joe Cronin announced that the team has purchased the contract of thirdbaseman Ernie Andres from Louisville.

December 12, 1945 ... The Red Sox closed out the baseball meetings today by selling infielder Skeeter Newsome to the Philadelphia Phillies for $15,000.  The Sox picked up pitcher Jim Bagby from the Cleveland Indians for Vic Johnson.

December 15, 1945 ... Jim Tabor was discharged from the army at Fort Devens and will be reporting to the Red Sox.

December 16, 1945 ... American League President, Will Harridge announced that playing of the All Star Game will be resumed this year and is scheduled to be played at Fenway Park on July 9th.  In 1936, it was played at Braves Field.

December 20, 1945 ... Larry Powell, who played with the Red Sox (Louisville) club in 1941 before entering the army, will be coming to spring training.

December 24, 1945 ... Pitcher Joe Dobson, who is still in the army, and Johnny Pesky met with manager Joe Cronin at Fenway Park today.
 

December 28, 1945 ... Secondbaseman S Sgt Bobby Doerr received his medical discharge from the army at Camp Roberts, Paso Dobles, CA according to the telegram received by general manager Eddie Collins.

December 29, 1945 ... Two starters who played for the 1945 Red Sox were unconditionally released: left fielder Bob Johnson and firstbaseman Dolph Camilli.

January 4, 1946 ... Joe Cronin went to Detroit and came back with a deal after meeting with Detroit's manager, Steve O'Neill.  The Sox will get firstbaseman Rudy York for shortstop Eddie Lake. Red Sox pitching ace, Tex Hughson advised the team that he has been discharged from the army and would be reporting to spring training.

January 15, 1946 ... The New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association agreed to become the "AAA" team for the Red Sox.  The move would make the Louisville Colonels the Class "AA" affiliate.  Scranton of the Eastern League is the team's "A" team, Roanoke is the "B" team and there are two Class "C" teams: Durham of the Carolina League and Oneonta of the Canadian-American League.  Prospect, thirdbaseman Don Lang, drafted from Kansas City in 1942 has been discharged from the army at Long Beach, CA.  Ted Williams sent the team a telegram notifying them of his official discharge.

January 16, 1946 ... The Red Sox received word that pitcher Mace Brown that he has been discharged and will be heading to the Sarasota training facility for spring training.

TED WILLIAMS & EDDIE COLLINS

January 23, 1946 ... Thirdbaseman Jim Tabor was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies for an undisclosed amount of cash.  The Red Sox received the signed contract of utility player Ty LaForest today.

January 25, 1946 ... Ted Williams signed a new contract with the Red Sox for $40,000.  Ted is at home in San Diego but plans to get to spring training early, to get into shape.  The Sox also received the contract of pitcher Mike Ryba.

January 27, 1946 ... Eddie Collins received the contract of utilityman Pete Fox.

January 28, 1946 ... The signed contracts of pitchers Earl Johnson and Randy Heflin along with that of catcher Bill Conroy was received by the Red Sox.  Firstbaseman Paul Campbell sent a telegram notifying Eddie Collins of his discharge from the army.

January 29, 1946 ... The contracts of thirdbaseman Don Lang and pitcher Larry Powell were received today at Jersey Street.  Shortstop Eddie Pellagrini, secondbaseman Bob Steiner and catcher Howard Doyle also returned their signed contracts.

February 6, 1946 ... Pitchers Jim Bagby, Gus Clark and catcher Eddie McGah returned their signed contracts to the Red Sox.  Leon Culberson, who replaced Dom DiMaggio in center field returned his contract.  Right-hand pitch Melvin Deutsch also sent in his signed contract.

February 10, 1946 ... Coach Tom Daly and his wife headed out on their drive to Sarasota today.  Tomorrow, assistant trainer, Johnny Orlando starts his trip to put the Red Sox Sarasota clubhouse in order.

February 13, 1946 ... Johnny Pesky signed his contract at Fenway Park after a brief meeting with Eddie Collins.  The Sox announced the receipt of outfielder Andy Gilbert's contract.  Collins announced that, during a telephone conversation, with Dom DiMaggio the two had agreed on a contract.  Dom has been working out in San Francisco and will report on February 25th.

February 15, 1946 ... Former college standout at N.Y.U. who hit .396, Sam Mele, was given a substantial signing bonus to become a member of the Red Sox.

February 17, 1946 ... Johnny Orlando started unpacking the equipment in Sarasota today.  One uniform, that he unpacked, was that of Ted Williams.  His number "9" was not used for the four years that Ted was absent.  Trainer Win Green left his home to head south today.  Bobby Doerr's contract was received today, along with those of utility player Glen Russell, thirdbaseman Ken Chapman, and catcher Herb Bremer.

February 22, 1946 ... The Red Sox headed out of South Station bound for Sarasota.  The group will stop in New York for the night.

February 24, 1946 ... The first of the Red Sox contingent arrived in Sarasota today.  Boo Ferris was on hand to greet the group when they arrived. Absent was George Metkovich, Glenn Russell, Leon Culberson, and Dom DiMaggio.  Bobby Doerr, Mace Grown, Paul Campbell and Jim Wilson have been here for a few days and have started working out.

February 25, 1946 ... Ted Williams arrived today and had a two-hour workout.  16 year old Jimmy Thompson did the pitching.  When he returned to the clubhouse, he found newcomers Dave Ferriss and Mike Ryba there, waiting to introduce themselves to him. He later sent Mrs. Williams off to Boston to look for an apartment, posed for numerous pictures and was asked countless questions.  He later then talked Charlie Wagner into becoming his roommate.  Rudy York, Glenn Russell, Leon Culberson, and George Metkovich have not reported and are AWOL.

February 26, 1946 ... General manager Eddie Collins reported that he spoke with Rudy York and since he had not returned his signed contract, was told not to report to spring training until he does.  When manger Joe Cronin was asked if he was prepared to play first base again, he replied that he would, only if someone died.  Rudy York was assigned Jimmie Foxx's old uniform number 3.  York is the only player left unsigned. 

Today's workout lasted three hours.  Ted Williams limped back to the club house an hour before the workout ended.  Ted had a rub down and sat in the hot tub for two hours.  He attributed his stiffness to not using those muscles for the years he was in the service.  Cronin established a midnight curfew and a ban on dice or poker games.  Leon Culberson arrived today.

February 27, 1946 ... The Red Sox announced the signing of pitcher Paul Schreiber who worked for many years as a batting practice pitcher for the Yankees.  He will have the same role for the Red Sox.

In Sanford, FL today, negro ballplayers Jackie Robinson and pitcher, John Wright reported to spring training camp for the Dodgers.  Both players signed to play with Brooklyn's Montreal farm club this year and are the first black ballplayers to be signed to a major league team.

March 1, 1946 ... Manager Joe Cronin announced today that Rudy York has signed his contract and will take part in his first team workout tomorrow.

March 2, 1946 ... Dom DiMaggio arrived at camp in Sarasota today, bringing the Sox up their full complement of 49 players.  Rudy York worked out with the team for the first time and sent two balls over the left field wall in four swings of the bat.  Ted Williams was absent and confined to his bed with a bad cold.

March 3, 1946 ... Fancy field by Ben Steiner, good pitching by Mace Brown, and good hitting by Paul Campbell highlighted the first Red Sox intrasquad game at Payne Field, before 2500 fans.  Campbell got his hits off George Woods, a big pitcher from Holy Cross.

March 4, 1946 ... Catcher Hal Wagner was told to take it easy after injuring his foot.  Ernie Andres pulled a muscle in today's intrasquad game.

March 5, 1946 ... Eddie Pellagrini starred for the regular varsity as they lost to the Yannigans, 4-1 in a nine-inning intrasquad game.  Ted Williams is nursing a sore throwing arm, but hit the ball on the nose in three trips to the plate.  Joe Dobson starred for the varsity, striking out three.

March 6, 1946 ... Tex Hughson pitched three scoreless innings and was followed by Dave Ferriss for three innings as their Yannigans beat the regulars, 6-3 in 10 innings.

March 7, 1946 ... Ted Williams was offered $500,000 to quit the Red Sox and play for Havana in the Mexican League.  Williams refused the offer.

JOE CRONIN

March 9, 1946 ... Charley Wagner replaced the injured Mace Brown as Washington beat the Red Sox 10-9 at Tropical Stadium in Havana.  The comeback, by the Senators, nullified a eight-run inning by the Red Sox.

March 10, 1946 ... Ted Williams made a terrific run and lurching catch of a foul fly in today's 7-3 victory over the Washington Senators in Havana.  Tex Hughson, Boo Ferriss and Mickey Harris limited the Senators to four singles.  The Cleveland Indians beat the Red Sox "B" squad, 5-4 in Sarasota.

March 11, 1946 ... After a three day absence, manager Joe Cronin returned to Payne Field today and went out to watch outfielder Andy Gilbert, try out at third base.  Gilbert played for the Louisville Colonels before going in the service four years ago, and was considered one of the best hitters in Class "AA".  The rest of the team had a day off.  Third base and right field are the two open positions the Red Sox have.

March 12, 1946 ... Former Chicago Cub, Glenn Russell singled home Eddie Pellagrini with the winning run, as the Sox edged the St. Louis Cardinals, 1-0.  Sox pitcher Larry Powell pitched three perfect innings.  Pitcher Clem Dreiswerd arrived in camp today.  Eddie Pellagrini played a smooth game at third base.

March 13, 1946 ... The Red Sox got in a long batting drill this morning, but a tropical downpour cancelled the afternoon fundamentals drill scheduled.  The morning batting was highlighted by a 450 ft home run that Ted Williams hit off Jim Bagby.  Bagby and Mickey Harris did most of the pitching in batting practice.

March 14, 1946 ... The Red Sox were rained out today.  Joe Cronin put the team through a skull session, on stance at the plate, bat handling, etc.

March 15, 1946 ... The New York Yankees thoroughly beat the Red Sox 6-4 at Payne Field.  All the Yankees runs were earned while the Sox scored their runs because of errors.  Charlie Wagner did not pitch well, giving up six walks and four runs.

March 16, 1946 ... The Red Sox "B" team showed a batting punch with a 13 hit barrage that steamrolled the Cleveland Indians, 11-8 at Payne Field.  Ben Steiner got three hits, while Andy Gilbert and Al Flair hit home runs.  Mickey Harris, Joe Dobson, and Mike Ryba did the pitching.

March 17, 1946 ... The Yankees edged out the Sox 4-3 in St. Petersburg.  For six innings the Yankees were shut out by George Woods, the former Holy Cross pitcher, who also belted a high home run.  He was followed by Jim Wilson, who gave up all the Yankee runs.  Back home in Sarasota, Tex Hughson and Boo Ferriss combined to shutout Kansas City, 6-0.  Hughson struck out six.

March 19, 1946 ... The Red Sox were beaten 9 to 1 by the Cincinnati Reds varsity and then beat their "B" squad 4 to 3 in a doubleheader.  The Reds blasted Jim Bagby for 11 hits and then beat up Otis Clark.  The Sox run off Johnny VanderMeer came on hits by DiMaggio and Williams.

March 20, 1946 ... Mickey Harris had no luck against the St. Louis Cardinals who knocked him around in a 9-6 loss for the Red Sox.  Jim Wilson, who followed him, only had one bad inning.  Johnny Pesky laced out a pair of triples.  A dozen new bats arrived for Ted Williams, who tried them all out before the game.

March 21, 1946 ... The Red Sox had no difficulty blanking the Louisville Colonels behind the fine pitching of Boo Ferriss and Mel Deutsch.  The final score was 6-0.  Boo gave up only three hits, and the Red Sox had nine hits.  The Red Sox "B" team beat the Yankee scrubs 9 to 5 in Brandenton.

March 22, 1946 ... The Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 11 to 4, but lost Bobby Doerr for a few days with a pulled muscle.  Tex Hughson allowed only three hits in six innings.  Ted Williams knocked in five of the runs.  Joe Cronin sent infielder Jack Tobin down to New Orleans.

March 23, 1946 ... The World Champion Detroit Tigers bowed to the Red Sox today, 7 to 1, behind the fine pitching of Larry Powell and Otis Clark at Payne Field.  Leon Culberson, who is making a strong bid for the right field job, drove in five runs and collected three hits.  The Sox "B" team beat up the Newark Bears, 17-5 in Sebring, FL.  Tommy Carey slashed out five hits and drove in six runs.

March 24, 1946 ... The Cleveland Indians offered Al Star Ken Keltner to the Red Sox in a trade for Dom DiMaggio, but the Sox refused.  Brother Joe DiMaggio's 13th homer of the spring helped beat the Red Sox 6-4 in a game at Payne Field.

March 25, 1946 ... The Braves beat the Sox at Westside Park by a 5-2 score.  Johnny Sain pitched one-hit ball during the first game for the Braves.  The one Sox run was a homer by Leon Culberson. Mickey Harris was the recipient of the loss for the Sox.  Ted Williams missed a home run by a foot for a 375 foot double and was driven in by Dom DiMaggio.

March 26, 1946 ... Frank Overmire and Virgil Trucks made the Red Sox helpless as the Tigers beat the Sox 4-0.  The Tigers got sox of their nine hits against Charlie Wagner.

March 27, 1946 ... The Louisville Colonels lost 10-8 against Mike Ryba and the Red Sox junior varsity in Fort Myers.  Jim Wilson was nicked five times for five runs by the Colonels.  Tommy Carey again got three hits and Don Lang legged out a inside-the-park home run.

March 28, 1946 ... Poor pitching cost the Sox a victory over the Yankees today.  The game ended in a 4-4 tie when the rains put an end to it.  Tex Hughson and Spud Chandler both pitched great ball for their respective clubs.  The Sox jumped out to a 4-1 lead off Steve Roser, but the Yankees rallied back behind Joe DiMaggio.

March 29, 1946 ... Dave Ferriss took care of the pitching and Ted Williams took charge of producing runs with a pair of doubles, as the Sox turned back the Cardinals, 3-2.  Ferriss went nine innings for a complete game.  Pete Fox was released by the Sox after the game.

March 30, 1946 ... The Sox optioned Ty LaForest to Louisville today, while Don Lang and Fred Walters were released.  The Sox were beaten by the Cardinals, 9-2 at Waterfront Park in St. Petersburg.  19 hits were collected off Mel Deutsch, Mike Ryba, and Jim Wilson.  Ted Williams collected two of the three hits allowed by Harry Brecheen.

March 31, 1946 ... Jim Bagby turned back the Cincinnati Reds 3-0, allowing only five hits in Tampa.  Back in Sarasota, the Louisville Colonels defeated the Red Sox junior varsity by a 7-5 score.  Randy Heflin held the Colonels scoreless for five innings.

April 1, 1946 ... The Red Sox regulars took an 8-3 decision from the Reds with the six-hit pitching of Tex Hughson.  In the second game, Mickey Harris pitched three-hit ball, as the second stringers took the game by a 4-2 score.  Dom DiMaggio has been red hot, knocked in four of the runs in the first game.

April 3, 1946 ... Bill Butland didn't last an inning against the Cincinnati Reds.  The Sox did rally back to take an 8-7 lead in the ninth inning but the Cards tied it up and won it 9-8 in the 11th.  The Sox bounced back to take a seven inning second game by a 2-1 decision and a fine performance by Dave Ferriss. George Woods was sold to the Braves Class "AAA" team in Indianapolis.

April 4, 1946 ... Ted Williams hit his first home run of the season to lead the Red Sox in a 9-5 win over the Reds in Dothan, AL.  Al Flair drove in five runs with a double and two singles.  Charley Wagner gave up five hits and five runs.  Dom DiMaggio pulled a muscle while running to first.

April 5, 1946 ... Eddie Pellagrini hit a 350 ft homer and played spectacular at shortstop, as the Red Sox minus Dom DiMaggio bowed to the Reds twice by 4-2 and 2-1 scores.  Joe Dobson pitched a great game.

April 6, 1946 ... Tex Hughson led the Sox to a 10-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the first game of a doubleheader in Montgomery, AL.  Tex faced only 30 batters and gave up just two hits.  The Sox lost the second game 7-5 with Rudy York clouting a mammoth homer.

April 7, 1946 ... Ted Williams smashed a homer to dead center, some 407 feet from the plate as the Red Sox and Cincinnati divided a doubleheader in Birmingham, AL. before 14,000 fans.  The score of the game was 9-3.  Cincinnati came from behind to grab the junior varsity game by a 4-3 score.

April 8, 1946 ... Bobby Doerr knocked in all the Red Sox runs in a 3-2 win over the Reds in Louisville KY.  The Sox also won the abbreviated aftermath 2-0 with Mel Deutsch out-pitching Bucky Walters.

April 9, 1946 ... Joe Dobson and Earl Johnson served up a few pitches that looked like basketballs, one of which went for a three run homer by Eddie Miller.  The Reds won the series finale by a 4-2 score.  The Sox left at 7PM and will travel as far as Albany tonight.  From there the regulars and a few subs will head to New York to spend the night before the game in Hartford.  The rest will be led by Coach Del Baker back to Boston.

April 10, 1946 ... Cal Metkovich has won the right field job and the only position up for grabs is third base.  Leon Culberson has been converted to a thirdbaseman and is competing with Junior Andres.  Eddie Pellagrini will be the backup shortstop to Johnny Pesky.  He headed back to Boston to see his month old daughter.

April 11, 1946 ... The Braves and the Red Sox battled to a 3-3 tie in Hartford, CT.  The game was ended at 5:30 because of the train schedule.  The Sox scored a go-ahead run in the ninth but the score reverted back to the eight inning because the Braves didn't have the opportunity to bat in the bottom of the ninth.  Tex Hughson breezed through five innings allowing two scattered hits.  Otis Clark came in and gave up the three runs to the Braves.

April 12, 1946 ... Ted Williams brought postwar baseball back to Boston by lifting the first pitch he saw into the right field grandstand at Fenway Park, before 8838 frigid fans.  The Sox beat the Braves 11-5 behind Ted's first inning homer, a grandslam homer, and a single.

April 13, 1946 ... Bill Lee dropped the Red Sox 7-3 at Fenway Park, limiting the Sox to five hits.  He had one bad inning making an error on Andy Gilbert's high bouncer to the box.

April 14, 1946 ... In front of 34,000 fans the Red Sox scalped the Braves 19-5 at Fenway Park. Bobby Doerr knocked in seven runs, scoring three himself, and Rudy York accounted for four.

April 15, 1946 ... The Red Sox take the field tomorrow at Griffith Stadium in front of President Harry Truman and 35,000 fans.  Joe Cronin decided to give Ernie Andres the third base job.  Ted Williams will probably not play because of a severe sore throat.  The rest of the Red Sox had a two hour workout under tropical skies.