1952 BOSTON RED SOX ...
JIMMY PIERSALL (FEAR STRIKES OUT) ...

The once powerful Red Sox lineup had not been able to win a championship and now, with the retirement of Bobby Doerr and with players like Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, Vern Stephens and Ellis Kinder, all over thirty, it seemed unlikely they would be able to overtake the still powerful Yankees.

Tom Yawkey wanted to rebuild his club and he did that by buying young prospects, rather than trading for established stars. Unfortunately, the racism that prevailed with Yawkey, kept him from getting the best prospects, who were minorities. This attitude would haunt the Red Sox, and their chance to become winners, for years to come.

In October, Steve O’Neill was released as the manager and given a job as a Red Sox scout. Lou Boudreau was then given the manger's job. Boudreau would juuggle his lineup throughout the season, favoring youth over experience, speed and defense over power, and constant platooning.

In November, the Red Sox traded Les Moss and Tom Wright to the Browns for catcher, Gus Niarhos and outfielder, Ken Wood.

Then, to make matters worse on the field, in January, Ted Williams learned that he would be recalled into the service as the Korean War heated up. Ted had signed up to be in the Marine Reserves when he was discharged after WWII and been classified as inactive for more than six years. Now at 33 with a wife and child, the Marines needed experienced fighter pilots and Ted was ordered to report on May 2nd. Everyone was suspicious and many thought, including Ted, that the Marines were using him as a recruitment ploy.

Ted was in his prime and at first, was bitter about losing more time from his career, so he sought outside intervention. Few thought, because of his age, Ted would be able to return after serving, and this was another reason for Yawkey’s apparent youth movement. Youngsters like Sammy White, Jimmy Piersall, Dick Gernert, Ted Lepcio, Faye Throneberry and Tom Umphlett were invited to spring training.

Piersall shined among the rookies and with Ted gone, he was in the right place at the right time. Boudreau worked him out both in the outfield and at shortstop. Johnny Pesky was moved to second base, replacing Bobby Doerr. But he had competition from Billy Goodman and Ted Lepcio.

After a strong start at the plate when the spring training games started, Pesky faltered defensively at second and was moved back to third base.

When the season started, Piersall was the shortstop, Ted Lepcio the secondbaseman and Faye Throneberry was in right field. That left Pesky, Vern Stephens, Billy Goodman and Clyde Vollmer on the bench. Boudreau also hit Mel Parnell seventh in the batting order on opening day.

In the opener, on April 15th, Parnell blanked the Washington Senators, 3-0 in DC. Ted Williams and Walt Dropo slugged in the three Sox runs.

Rookie Faye Throneberry's grandslam homer topped a six-run rally, that led the Sox to a 9 to 2 win two days later on April 17th.

At Fenway, on April 18th, Clyde Vollmer slapped a 10th inning, run-scoring walk-off single, to give the Sox their first home opener win in five years. It beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 5-4. Vollmer had also sparked a three-run rally in the ninth inning that tied the game.

On Patriots Day, the Sox swept a doubleheader from the A's. The highlight of the afternoon was an inside-the-park grandslam homer by Don Lenhardt.

A pinch hit three-run homer by Billy Goodman highlighted a four run seventh inning that turned a one run deficit into a 4-3 win on April 20th. It was the Sox sixth win in the season's first seven games.

Throneberry's miscue on Gil Coan's third inning single, on April 21st, resulted in a key run for the Nats. He threw out Irv Noren twice at the plate to somewhat make up for it. However Washington beat the Sox 3-2.

The Sox bruised the Nationals by a score of 10 to 5 on April 22nd. Home runs by Dom DiMaggio, Walt Dropo and Don Lenhardt allowed Bill Henry to record his second victory.

The Yankees next came to Fenway and were beaten, 3-1. Rookie Jimmy Piersall doubled twice and Ted Lepcio's homer got the win for Ellis Kinder, making a rare start for the Sox on April 23rd.

Another rookie, Sammy White, homered off Ed Lopat and beat out an infield hit in the 11th inning, that sparked a Sox rally, to beat the Yankees again, 3-2, on April 24th. It gave Ike Delock, his first win in the majors. The wins put the Sox in first place.

On April 30th, as the team said goodbye to Ted Williams, they were in first place. After receiving a Cadillac in the opening pre-game ceremonies, with Dom DiMaggio on base, in dramatic fashion, Ted drove a Dizzy Trout curveball into the right field bleachers to break a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning in what would be his last at bat of the season. The Sox won, 5 to 3 and finished the month with a 10-2 record.

May started against the St. Louis Browns and on May 2nd, the Sox beat them 13-6, behind a grandslam homer by Walt Dropo. The Sox pushed ahead to enjoy a three game lead in the American League, but they would never be able to go any higher than that. Then on May 4th, Faye Throneberry hit another grandslam but the Sox lost 9-6 to the Indians.

Clyde Vollmer slammed two home runs and Dropo homered again on May 6th against the White Sox, with the Red Sox winning, 11 to 2. Bill Henry (4-0) beat Chicago 7 to 2, driving in two runs himself in the next game, on May 7th.

After losing the next six games, the Red Sox fell out of first place into third place, three games behind by May 14th. Ray Scarborough put the Red Sox back into the win column the next day, with a 1-0 four hit shutout of the White Sox in Chicago.

The rookies had successfully battled the older stars for playing time. Jimmy Piersall proved to be a fan favorite. He would clown around, made goofy gestures and imitate opposing players. But he was called "high strung" and "volatile" in the press. He also got into arguement with umpires and was ejected three times early in the season.

Hitting .255, Piersall was benched and Vern Stephens was back at shortstop. After losing two games in St. Louis, the Sox moved on to Detroit and on May 18th, won 7 to 4. Stephens made his presence known when he belted a three run homer.

The next day on May 19th, Bill Henry (5-1) beat the Tigers 3 to 2, but needed relief help from Ellis Kinder and Mel Parnell, who snuffed out a threat in the ninth inning.

In Cleveland, Mickey McDermott pitched and batted his way to a 3 to 2 win on May 22nd. McDermott singled in the ninth and was followed by hits by Billy Goodman and Johnny Pesky that scored him with the winning run.

Jimmy Piersall was the most talented of the Red Sox young players, but very emotional and unstable person. On May 24th, he got into a fight with Billy Martin of the Yankees in the runway leading to the locker rooms. It took both Ellis Kinder and Bill Dickey to break it up. Then, in the club house, McDermott started to rib him over his tussle. Piersall took exception and the two got into a fight themselves.

In the game, the Sox broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run assault in the eighth inning for a 5-2 victory over the Yanks. Up until then it was a pitchers' duel between Ellis Kinder and Vic Rachi.

The Sox went on the beat the Yankees once more on May 26th. Don Lenhardt slugged the Red Sox to a 6 to 2 win. His three-run homer and a two-run double gave Mel Parnell more than enough in another tense battle.

Against Washington, Mickey McDermott engaged Bob Porterfield in another pitchers' duel on May 29th. Fred Hatfield's sixth inning triple gave the Sox the only run they needed. McDermott walked two batters to start the game, but was perfect after that.

In a Memorial Day doubleheader the next day, May 30th, after losing the opener the Sox evened things up by winning the closing game, 5 to 3. Don Lenhardt's homer gave the Sox a 5-1 lead, but the Nats kept pecking away at Mel Parnell.

The Sox were one game out of first place when the White Sox came to Fenway next.

After losing the first game of the three game set, Fred Hatfield homered into the right field grandstand in the seventh inning on June 1st, to break a 2-2 tie and give his team a 3-2 win.

On June 2nd, Don Lenhardt's walk-off grandslam homer gave the Sox a tie for first place in a 6-2 win over Chicago in the tenth inning.

With the Sox in the race, the youth movement was put on hold and Joe Cronin decided to make another run at the pennant by getting some veteran help. So on June 3rd, Cronin traded Johnny Pesky, Don Lenhardt, Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield and Bill Wight to the Tigers for George Kell, Dizzy Trout, Johnny Lipon and Hoot Evers. The trade was essentially a salary dump by the Tigers after the death of club owner, Walter Briggs. Dom DiMaggio was the remaining player from the pennant winning team and he knew his time too was limited.

The day after the trade on June 4th, Billy Goodman whacked out five straight singles and the Sox came from behind to beat the Indians, 13 to 11. Hoot Evers homered and George Kell homered and doubled in their Sox debut.

On June 7th, some hustling baseball by Goodman and an excellent relief job by Ellis Kinder, helped beat Detroit, 11 to 9. Catcher, Sammy White had four hits including two doubles and a home run.

On June 8th, the Sox swept a doubleheader, beating the Tigers 5 to 2 in each game. Mickey McDermott after a slow start in the first game, settled down and limited Detroit to seven hits. George Kell knocked his former teammates around for five hits.

Jimmy Piersall hit his first homer on June 9th, tying up the match with the Tigers at 8-8 in the fourth inning. The Sox went ahead on Johnny Pesky's error and Walt Masterson pitched great over the four final innings, but was rescued by Ike Delock in the ninth.

The Red Sox took 4 of the 5 games they played with the Tigers at Fenway Park and it put them in first place by one half game. The star of the series was Piersall, who was given another chance, and went 10 for 19 (.526 BA) in the five games.

On June 10th, Cronin next traded Walt Masterson and Randy Gumpert to the Senators for Sid Hudson. Meanwhile, George Kell had batted .500 since joining his new team.

JIMMY PIERSALL

On June 11th, Sammy White hammered out his first major league grandslam home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, to hoist the Red Sox to an 11-9 victory over the St. Louis Browns. Trailing by four runs in their final turn at bat, 9 to 5, the Sox turned the crowd into a screaming mob as the loaded the bases and scored two runs, before White blasted the ball into the left field screen.

Jimmy Piersall hated being moved to centerfield and resented Lou Boudreau for it. His behavior became worse. He mocked and made fun of Satchell Paige during the game. As he came to the plate in the ninth inning, he yelled out to Browns pitcher Satchel Paige that he was going to bunt on him and that he should watch out. On Paige's second pitch, Piersall pushed a bunt down the first base line and beat Paige to the bag.

Then standing on first, Piersall flapped his arms and imitated every move that Paige made. Paige gave up a hit and Piersall went down to second, yelling at Paige, jumping up and down and imitating a pig. The taunts increased and Paige grew grimmer with every comment and motion. Clearly rattled, he walked another batter and forced Piersall in with another run. Even in the dugout and later in the locker room, Piersall still kept his ravings going.

The Red Sox headed on the road, tied for first place. They lost two of the next three games to the Chicago White Sox, moving them into second place. They would never come close to the top spot again.

Dick Gernert, playing sporadically at first base and batting only .174, knocked out a couple of hits against the White Sox in the second game of a doubleheader on June 15th. His first major league homer in the eighth inning, gave the Red Sox a 3-2 decision.

In St. Louis, the Sox could manage only one win in the three game set with the Browns. That was a 2-0 shutout by Ike Delock on June 19th.

The Red Sox next lost three of the four games played in Cleveland. In their one win on June 21st, Sid Hudson out pitched Bob Feller, 3 to 1. He also singled and scored the second run that put the Sox ahead in the third inning.

Sammy White showed his power with a homer and four RBIs, going 3-for-3 in Detroit on June 23rd. The Sox beat the Tigers 12 to 6. They won again on June 25th, 10 to 3 over Detroit. George Kell led a 13-hit attack when he homered in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie. He then singled home two runs in a six-run eighth inning.

On June 27th, the Sox purchased the contract of pitcher Al Benton from San Diego.

In New York on June 30th, the Sox beat the Yankees, 4 to 3 behind rookie pitcher Dick Brodowski. Vern Stephens supplied the offensive punch with a home run and an important double, that clinched the game in the eighth inning. The Sox finished June in third place, 3 1/2 games behind the Yankees.

On July 2nd, they beat the Yankees again, 5 to 4. Dom DiMaggio launced a five run assault in the sixth inning iin a scoreless game. Dom learned that he was named to be the starter in center field for the American League All Star team.

But the month started with the Red Sox losing five of the first seven games they played before the All Star break. They were 6 1/2 games out.

The All Star Game in Philadelphia, on July 8th, was won by the National League, 3 to 2. Dom sliced a double into the rightfield corner in the third inning and made a fine running catch off the Giants' Whitey Lockman in left center. George Kell was also named to the team but didn't play.

Back at Fenway on July 11th, the Sox swept a doubleheader from the Tigers, 16-3 and 5-3. As usual the return home was like a vitamin pill to the Sox, as they knocked out 27 hits. Vern Stephens slugged two home runs and Hoot Evers blasted a grand slam in the opener. Billy Goodman collected six hits in nine trips on the afternoon, and was leading the American League with a .342 BA.

On July 12th, the Sox swept the three game set with the Tigers, beating them 5 to 4. Clyde Vollmer's three-run homer was the difference.

DICK GERNERT

The Sox continued their winning at Fenway by sweeping a doubleheader from the Browns on July 13th. Dick Gernert hit a two-run homer to tie the first game and Sammy White's 10th inning homer, won the game 8 to 5. In the second game, aided by Faye Throneberry's three hits, Mickey McDermott slammed the door with a two-hit shutout, 4-0.

Gernert's hot bat continued to bring success. On July 15th, he drove in five runs with a pair of homers, leading the Sox to a 7-5 win over Chicago. The next day, July 16th, the Sox bludgeoned four White Sox pitchers with the big blow, a two-run homer by Hoot Evers, that gave them a 7-3 win. Sammy White lined his seventh homer and George Kell doubled in the game winner, as the Sox beat the White Sox again on July 17th, 2 to 1, behind Ray Scarborough.

The Indians were next to visit Fenway and were beaten 9 to 2 on July 18th. Billy Goodman led the Sox with a bases loaded double. It was one of eight doubles by the Red Sox, in the game.Then, on July 20th, Johnny Lipon made the Red Sox look good when he smashed out a 12th inning single to break a deadlock and give his team an 8 to 7 victory over the Indians. Twice Cleveland had come from behind to go ahead, and twice the Red Sox tied the score.

In Chicago, on July 22nd, Dick Gernert's 13th inning homer boosted the Red Sox past the White Sox , 4-2.

The next day, July 23rd,  the Sox came from behind to win 10-4. It was the Sox 12th win in the 14 games after the All Star break, but then they went on a losing streak, losing ten of the next eighteen games on the road.

A double steal by Johnny Lipon and Billy Goodman plus another steal by Dom DiMaggio all led to the runs that gave the Sox a 5-4 win in Cleveland on July 30th. The team finished July the same as they began, 4 1/2 games out, in third place.

Dick Gernert drove home the winning run and with some sharp base-running, gave Mel Parnell a 3 to 1 decision in Detroit, on August 1st. Then on August 2nd, the Sox beat the Tigers 10 to 5. Dom DiMaggio (.307 BA) nclubbed his last major league grandslam homer and George Kell (.326 BA) enjoyed a 3-for-5 day.

Gernert and DiMaggio teamed up to beat the Yankees in New York in the 10th inning with a pair of home runs on August 9th, 3 to 1.

Back at Fenway, now 5 1/2 games off the pae, Clyde Vollmer got on a long awaited hitting spree, by rocketing a tremendous homer and two singles that gave the Sox four runs, while Mel Parnell delivered a three-hit shutout over the A's, 4 to 0, on August 13th.

Effective relief pitching enabled the Red Sox to sweep a doubleheader from Philadelphia, on August 14th, by topping a 5-4 win in a 13 inning opener, with a 4--2 decision in the nitecap. Mickey McDermott pitched four-hit ball over the last 9 1/3 innings of the first game after relieving rookie, Dick Brodowski with the bases loaded.

In the evening game, Ellis Kinder, in action for the first time since the beginning of June, slammed the door on an Athletics' rally in the eighth inning, to save the game for Willard Nixon, who had been quite effective in a duel with Bobo Newsome.

Against the first place Yankees on August 15th, Johnny Lipon's seventh inning, two-run single and some terrific clutch pitching gave the Red Sox a 3 to 2 win.

The sun helped the Sox beat the Indians 6-5 on August 19th. A routine fly ball by Dick Gernert was lost by rightfielder, Harry Simpson and produced two runs that tied the game in the seventh inning. Then in the bottom of the ninth, with two out, Sammy White's grounder was thrown too late to get Billy Goodman sliding in at home with the game-winning run.

On August 27th, Mel Parnell shut out the Tigers, 5 to 0, at Fenway, hitting a triple to help his cause. The Sox were still within 3 1/2 games of first place.

So still very much in the pennant race, the Sox finished headed out on another road trip at the end of August. But they lost ten of the eleven games they played against Philly, the Yankees and the Nats and returned home in sixth place, 9 1/2 games behind.

In Cleveland on September 13th, Ted Lepcio cracked a 10th inning homer that beat the Indians, 4 to 3. On September 20th Mel Parnell hit his only major league homer in a 10-6 loss in Washington.

In their worst season since World War II, the Red Sox finished below .500 with a 76-78 record, 19 games behind the Yankees. They were a great team at home with a 50-27 record, but a disaster on the road. They had used 48 players, with more than half playing in a Red Sox uniform for the first time.

Dom DiMaggio had a fine year. The most senior of the Red Sox players finished strong, batted .294 in 128 games and was an All Star.

George Kell finished the season with a .319 batting average, the best on the team.

Playing in 102 games, sandwiched around a stint in the minors, Dick Gernert (.243 BA) led the team with only a paltry 67 RBIs and 19 HRs.

Despite a great start, Faye Throneberry got his average up to .306 at the beginning of May. His biggest problem was playing the right field sun at Fenway Park.

Billy Goodman played three infield positions, mostly at second base. He had 513 at bats which was more than any other member of the Red Sox and was second on the club with a .306 batting average. When Goodman was moved to second base, Ted Lepcio was shifted over to third. He played in 86 games and hit .263 with five homers He hit 45 points higher at Fenway, than he did at the road.

Sammy White (.281 BA) was in contention to be named A.L. Rookie of the Year, but shared the honor with the Braves' Eddie Mathews, by the Boston Baseball Writers.

Johnny Lipon started only four games after first being traded to the Red Sox, but by season's end appeared in 79 games and batted a career-low .205, driving in 18 runs. His .981 fielding percentage led all American League shortstops for the only time in his career. He had more-or-less become the Sox shortstop on a regular basis after the All Star game.

Hoot Evers hit .262 for the Red Sox with 14 homers and 59 RBIs at age 30, still playing well in left field, taking the place of Ted Williams.

Jimmy Piersall's antics earned him a cheering section in every ball park on the road. When the fans cheered him, he cheered them back. In Chicago, playing right field, Piersall patted himself on the back after a good catch. Later he made a throw to the plate that nearly put out the baserunner. When the umpire called him safe however, Piersall threw his glove to the ground and kicked it. When the fans threw paper cups at him, he threw them back at them. Then when pitcher rode by him, coming in from the bullpen, Piersall stuck out his thumb to hitch-hike a ride. Even though he had two singles and a stolen base, Boudreau benched him because of his antics. When he found out, Piersall came in to the dugout and openly cried.

Boudreau and his coaches sat him down numerous times, talked to him about his clowning and had little effect. Boudreau knew the fans loved his antics, but his Red Sox teammates thought his act was "bush league".

An exasperated front office didn’t know what to do. Piersall was becoming a detriment to the team. The straw that broke the camel's back occurred after a game with the Senators on June 27th. He was playing with the young son of Vern Stephens in the Sox clubhouse. While fooling around, Piersall spanked the child's bottom just a little too hard. He made the 4-year old boy cry and that was it as far as Boudreau was concerned. He had run out of patience and sent Piersall down to the minors, in Birmingham, that night. Piersall was crushed and cried as he left the clubhouse.

The next day, however, Piersall got off the plane, put on the uniform for his new team, came out of the dugout, twirling his bat and was given a tremendous reception by the fans. Memphis pitcher, Pete Hernandez, decked him with his first pitch. Piersall got up, dusted himself off and smacked a homer. The fans applauded him when he took his position in right field. He tipped his hat and then sat down on the grass when the opposing pitcher came to bat.

On one occasion he took the game ball from the pitcher's mound and took it out with him to the outfield, refusing to give it up. In less than three weeks he was ejected on six occasions and suspended four times. After one ejection for arguing a called third strike, he pulled out a water pistol and sprayed home plate.

After his fourth suspension, Piersall returned to Boston and met with Joe Cronin, who convinced him to see a psychiatrist. In July he was committed to "Baldplate" a private facility in Georgetown, Mass. After a couple of escapes and one violent episode, he was moved to Westborough State Mental Hospital. Diagnosed with "manic depression" or in today's terms, "bipolar disorder", he received electroshock therapy, which was a common treatment at the time. He remained there for seven weeks, missing the rest of the season.

Piersall was eventually released and put on lithium. He spent much of the remainder of the season with his family and had little memory of what had happened and only faintly remembered even playing for the Red Sox that year. In 56 games, he batted .267 with only one homer.

Mel Parnell was hampered by bursitis and went 12-12 with a 3.62 ERA. Only Parnell and Mickey McDermott (10-9) won 10 nor more games.

Ellis Kinder was used both as a starter and a reliever by Lou Boudreau. But he was sooned bothered by various injuries. A sore back sidelined him in May after he tried to break up the fight between Piersall and Billy Martin. He came back and hurt it again and was shut down, finishing with a solid 2.58 ERA in 97 2/3 innings pitched.

Al Benton recorded a good 2.39 ERA in 37 2/3 innings. He earned the distinction of being the only man to pitch to Babe Ruth (in 1934) and Mickey Mantle in the major league.