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At the 1980 winter meetings in Dallas, the Angels and Red Sox pulled off a five-player swap. The Sox sent shortstop Rick Burleson and third baseman Butch Hobson to California for pitcher Mark Clear, outfielder Rick Miller, and Lansford. The threat of a players’ strike had settled over baseball beginning in 1980 and carried over to the 1981 season. The players walked out in June and the strike was eventually settled on July 31st after it had forced the cancellation of 713 games. The 1981 season was divided into two halves for each division. Lansford's defensive skills at third base saved the Red Sox in their 8-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on April 17th. He also was hot at the plate, going 4 for 5, including a hustle double, a line-drive home run to center and two singles. Lansford was on a tear. Four days later, he banged out three hits in a 10-4 decision over the Rangers, He was hitting .485, 16 for 26, on base 19 times in 36 plate appearances. He next had a career-best 5-for-5 day against the Royals on May 17th. A four run eighth inning, led by his three-run homer, gave the Sox a 7-6 win over the A's on August 29th and his line-drive single in the 10th inning on September 16th, brought home Jerry Remy with the winning run and gave the Red Sox a 2-1 victory. Lansford hit .336 to win the American League Batting Title, the first right-handed batter to do so since Jimmie Foxx. He led the Sox with 23 doubles and 15 stolen bases. The next season, on June 23, 1982, in the bottom of the third inning, Lansford smashed a line drive off the facing of the Red Sox bullpen in right-center field. He reached third base and was waved home, trying to complete an inside-the-park home run. Carney collided with Detroit catcher Lance Parrish, spraining his left ankle and suffering a torn ligament. It was a "Wally Pipp" moment. Just as Lou Gehrig replaced Pipp, Wade Boggs stepped in to replace him and began a career that ended in the Hall of Fame. With Boggs at third and Lansford in the last year of his contract, the Red Sox and A’s made the biggest splash on the first day of the winter meetings. The Sox sent Lansford and two others to Oakland for Tony Armas and Jeff Newman. |
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