1974 BOSTON RED SOX ...
HOW TO BLOW A SEVEN GAME LEAD ...

Following the 1973 season, former pitching coach and manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox, Darrell Johnson, was promoted to the parent club as manager. Johnson had won the league championship with Pawtucket the previous year and had managed the young players on the Sox when they were with him in AAA.

It was a busy off-season and the general manager Dick O'Connell made a flurry of moves. On October 23rd, the Sox got rid of Reggie Smith. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals along with Ken Tatum, for pitcher Rick Wise and outfielder Bernie Carbo.

Bernie Carbo had an awkward introduction to his new owner. He walked into the clubhouse and there was an older gentleman straightening things up. Carbo gave him $20 and asked him to get a cheeseburger and some french fries. When the clubhouse kid delivered the food, he asked Carbo if he knew that he gave the $20 to Tom Yawkey.

Starting pitcher Marty Pattin was next sent to the Kansas City Royals for versatile pitcher Dick Drago on October 24th. Ben Ogilvie was also sent to the Detroit Tigers for Dick McAuliffe.

The Red Sox made another deal with the Cardinals on December 7th, this time sending pitchers Lynn McGlothen, John Curtis and Mike Garman, to them for pitchers Reggie Cleveland, Diego Segui and infielder Terry Hughes. Cleveland, with his fastball, slider, and curve, was the marquee player of the trade.

TIANT AND MARICHAL

They also picked up future hall-of-famer, Juan Marichal from the Giants. Marichal had developed a bad back and the Sox put him on an anti-inflammatory drug named Clinoril. It worked for a while, and Marichal seemed to gain a new life.

Over the winter, Carl Yastrzemski and his wife went to Japan to film a commercial. The Yastrzemskis thought it would be a nice trip and decided to get away. Not many people there knew who Yaz was, but word got out to the press that he was headed to Japan to sign a contract, not to do commercials, but mistakenly to play baseball.

When they landed, the Yastrzemskis were swarmed by the media and by Japanese dignitaries. The situation became completely blown out of control, but Yaz figured he might as well listen to what was being offered. He ended up being offered $175K/year tax free, an apartment and living expenses to play for the Nagoua team. Ultimately, Yaz was not interested in leaving the Red Sox and the deal was never made.

When spring training started, Reggie Cleveland came into camp overweight and with a bum left knee suffered in the winter, playing for Las Aguilas in Venezuela. Not surprisingly, he had a subpar spring and did not earn a spot in the starting rotation. He became the long man out of the bullpen and a spot starter coming out of spring training. His poor spring and injury (later learned to be a torn meniscus) carried over to the regular season.

Bob Veale was invited him to spring training on a minor-league contract after being released at the end of the previous season. Under the rule in place at the time, he could not be added to the Red Sox 25-man roster until May 15th, so he began the season with Triple-A Pawtucket. There, he pitched and served as a coach.

On March 17th, Carlton Fisk took a foul ball in his crotch off the bat of the Cardinal's Joe Torre. In the other dugout, Reggie Smith yelled and taunted him as Pudge rolled around on the ground in pain. Fisk would end up being out for over a month. A week and a half later, as insurance, the Sox bought catcher Bob Didier from the Tigers.

It became apparent that shortstop Rick Burleson was ready to make his move up to the parent club. During the winter, he played in Venezuela for the veteran Luis Aparicio, who, along with Mario Guerrero, represented his main competition to win the starting shortstop job. But both Aparicio and Orlando Cepeda were released on March 24th. Aparicio had lost a few steps defensively, and Cepeda was as slow as could be on the basepaths.

Darrell Johnson wanted his team to be streamlined. The moment Burleson arrived at camp, he lit a fire under everyone. It was announced that he and Mario Guerrero would alternate playing shortstop. Guerrero however, won the job outright and Burleson was sent to Pawtucket, so that he would able to play every day.

There was some thought of Tommy Harper becoming designated hitter after Cepeda was released, and that’s how Harper began the season. But Johnson also decided that he would use the designated hitter slot to give the regulars a rest and give youngsters like Cecil Cooper, needed at bats. Johnson used a lot of lineups, trying to divide playing time at first base, left field, and designated hitter among Cooper, Yaz, Danny Cater, Harper, and Bernie Carbo.

In a late deal on March 26th, the Sox traded catcher Vic Correll to the Braves for infielder Chuck Goggin.

The season started in Milwaukee on April 5th. Yaz's home run rescued the Sox in a wild 9 to 8 victory. Then after several games postponed due to snow, the Sox opened at Fenway Park on April 11th, but lost to the Orioles, 7-6 in 11 innings.

The next day, April 12th, the Sox beat the Tigers at home, 6 to 3, thanks to Bernie Carbo's grand slam and the pitching of Bill Lee.

Rick Wise made his Red Sox debut in the second game on April 13th, and held down the Tigers, 8 to 1, giving up six hits. Tommy Harper knocked out three hits, while Carbo, Yaz and Bob Montgomery each had two.

The Sox made it three straight over the Tigers behind home runs from the bats of Yaz, John Kennedy and Dwight Evans, and the great relief work of Dick Drago, on April 14th.

On April 15th Reggie Cleveland suffered a tough-luck 1-0 loss to the Tigers. He struck out five, walked none, and allowed only three hits to the Tigers. Unfortunately for him, one of the hits was a home run in the fifth inning that snuck around the right-field foul pole. The Sox batters, for their part, could not muster any offense against Joe Coleman, who gave up only three singles.

In New York, on April 17th, Yaz slammed his fourth home run of the season, leading the Sox back in a 4 to 3 win. It was the only game the Sox would win in the three game set in the Bronx.

BERNIE CARBO

Against the Indians back at Fenway, Bernie Carbo's two-run homer in the first inning helped the Sox to a 6 to 3 victory on April 19th. Dwight Evans drove in a pair of runs and Yaz contributed a run scoring double. Carbo had been on base 19 times in his last 40 at bats, and was batting .323.

The next day on April 20th, Luis Tiant scattered nine hits while Rico Petrocelli drove in a pair of runs, including the eventual game winner, as the Sox won, 5 to 4.

In the series finale with Cleveland on April 21st, the Sox were losing 5-1, going into the bottom of the 9th inning. They tied up the game and won it, 6 to 5 in the 10th inning, thanks to a wild pick-off attempt by Indians pitcher, Milt Wilcox.

Carl Yastrzemski was hot, slamming two homers against the Royals in a 4 to 1 victory on April 22nd. The result was first place in the A.L. East by 1/2 game.

But after five straight losses, the Sox were in fourth place, two games behind on April 27th. The bench players (Terry Hughes, Dick McAuliffe and John Kennedy) were weak. The relief pitching was thin. Diego Segui had a rubber arm and Luis Tiant hadn't pitched like "El Tiante".

On April 28th, however, Cecil Cooper momentarily stopped the Sox skid. He homered in the 13th inning, for a 5 to 4 victory in Kansas City.

Then on April 30th, Doug Griffin was beaned by a Nolan Ryan fastball that knocked him unconscious. The beaning left Griffin with a concussion and temporary hearing loss, and likely caused the premature end to his career. Griffin had been playing exceptional baseball before being struck. He was on a tear, having hit safely in 15 consecutive games, and was batting at a .347 clip. Griffin was on the DL for two months and John Kennedy was asked to platoon at second base with the veteran, Dick McAuliffe.

The next to go down was Mario Guerrero, who  strained his knee on May 1st and went on the DL. Rick Burleson was called up from Pawtucket. He committed three errors in a 1-0 loss to Texas on May 4th, tying an American League record for errors for a player in his major league debut.

The Sox had lost 10 of their last 11 games and were in last place, when Burleson put a three run homer into the left field net giving Juan Marichal his first American League win, 10-8, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Rangers on May 5th. Dwight Evans had three hits, including a home run. Rico Petrocelli had three hits also, while Yaz, Burleson and McAuliffe each had two.

Tiant and Lee finally got it turned around, throwing consecutive shutouts at the New York Yankees at Fenway, and allowing the Sox to rise above the last place rung in the A.L. East. Bill Lee threw the first shutout on May 8th, 4 to 0. The next night on May 9th, Tiant shut out the Yanks, 2 to 0.

In Detroit on May 11th, the Sox came back from a 4-0 deficit for an 8 to 5 win. They knocked out 14 hits, including four from Juan Beniquez and three each from Rick Burleson and Carlton Fisk. But the biggest hit of all was Yaz's game winning double in the eighth inning, on which Yaz himself ended up scoring, thanks to his great base running.

The next night on May 12th, they again came from behind and left Detroit with a 11 inning, 4 to 3 win. Dick McAuliffe beat his former teammates, by making a game-saving catch of a wind-blown pop up in the 9th inning, with two men on. He then doubled in the winning run in the 11th inning.

In Cleveland the Red Sox lost the first two games, but hit three homers in the series finale on May 15th. Dick Drago saved Juan Marichal as the Sox beat the Indians, 7 to 4. Rick Miller also had a good game with two base hits and two stolen bases.

Then in Baltimore, after losing the opening game, the Sox clobbered the Orioles on May 18th. Nine runs in the final three innings and a strong performance by Luis Tiant allowed the Sox to win, 10 to 2. Dwight Evans had two hits, raising his average to .361

RICO PETROCELLI

The next day, on May 19th, the Sox swept the Orioles, 11 to 2 and 6 to 4 in a doubleheader. Carlton Fisk hit a tremendous two-run homer in the 9th inning of the second game. Rico Petrocelli (.326 BA) and Yaz (.333 BA) had five hits apiece. Dwight Evans, Bernie Carbo, Juan Beniquez had four each. The Sox road trip ended with six wins in ten games, and they returned to Boston, only 1/2 game out of first place.

The Red Sox cleared the .500 threshold for good on May 21st, by bombing the Yankees, 14 to 6. Four RBIs, a home run and a double were knocked in by Rico Petrocelli and three more by Cecil Cooper. Rico had hit safely in his last 11 games. They moved into first place the next day May 22nd, by beating the Yankees again 6 to 3.

On May 24th, the Sox went 1/2 game up on the second place Milwaukee Brewers by beating them 5 to 3. Dick Drago came in to relieve Rick Wise and pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out eight of the Brewers. Bernie Carbo and Cecil Cooper each knocked out three hits.

The story was the Sox hitting. In five days, the Sox knocked out 73 hits. Juan Beniquez raised his average from .170 to .280; Cecil Cooper raised his from .237 to .282 and Dwight Evans was batting .392

On May 26th after losing the day before, Bill Lee beat the Brewers 4 to 1. The Sox knocked out 14 hits against three Milwaukee pitchers. Mario Guerrero and Carlton Fisk each had three.

They had 108 hits in their last eight games. Mario Guerrero had a run of six straight hits. Only 23-20 going into the Memorial Day weekend, the Sox managed to lead the A.L. East, where all six teams were packed within three games of each other.

On Memorial Day, May 27th, Bernie Carbo pushed home Dwight Evans with a 10th inning single to give the Sox a 3 to 2 walk-off victory over the Twins. Carbo, with a two-run homer in the fourth and the game winning hit in the tenth knocked in all the runs.

The next day on May 28th, the Sox shelled Bert Blyleven, 9 to 5, as seven different players knocked in runs.

The Red Sox started June by taking 2 of 3 from the White Sox. In the game on June 1st, Luis Tiant shutout Chicago, 8 to 0, while Yaz knocked out a homer and two singles. The Red Sox took over first place and except for one day, they held first place for the whole month.

The Red Sox won the next game on June 2nd, 9 to 7, coming from behind with Rico Petrocelli hitting two homers. The Sox left for Minnesota up 1 1/2 games over Milwaukee.

In Minnesota, after losing to the Twins in extra innings the night before, on June 4th, the Sox beat the Twins 4 to 3 in 11 innings. Danny Cater's base hit knocked in Tommy Harper.

Luis Tiant won his 5th straight game as he beat the Twins the next night, June 5th, 5 to 3, putting the Sox up by two games over Milwaukee.

In Chicago, after losing the first two games of the series, Bill Lee righted the Sox ship in a 10-6 victory on June 9th. Yaz had three hits and Bob Montgomery also had three hits, that were good for three RBIs.

Back at Fenway, on June 10th, Dwight Evans' three run homer off Vida Blue powered the Sox to a 4 to 1 victory.  But Luis Tiant was the one who stole the show, by keeping the powerful A's off balance, the whole game. He would keep the A's hitters leaning and waiting, as he just took his time and drove them nuts. It was his fourth straight win.

In the next game, on June 11th, with the score tied at 4-4 in the seventh inning and the bases loaded, Diego Segui got Sal Bando and Reggie Jackson out. The Sox scored five runs in the bottom of the inning and held on for a 10 to 9 win.

Finally, Mario Guerrero drove in three runs, two with an eighth inning single, to break a 3-3 tie, that give the Sox a 5 to 3 victory and a sweep of the series with the A's, on June 12th. They were now in first, by three games.

The Sox then headed off to the west coast where they first faced the Angels. On June 14th, Luis Tiant squared off against Nolan Ryan. Ryan struck out 19 batters over 13 innings and left with the score tied at 3 to 3. Luis went onto the 15th inning and lost, when Denny Doyle knocked in Mickey Rivers for a 4-3 walk-off Sox loss.

Yaz's two run single, capped a three-run outburst in the fifth inning that gave the Sox a 5 to 3 win in the next game, on June 15th.

In the final game on June 16th, the Sox rallied for six runs in the 9th inning, highlighted by Carlton Fisk's tiebreaking two-run double that gave the Sox a come-from-behind, 7 to 4 win.

Then the Sox made the  trip up to Oakland for another showdown with the A.L. West leaders.  In the first game, on June 17th, the A's scored a walk-off 3-2 win.

However, in the next game on June 18th, Bob Montgomery singled home a run in a three-run third inning and had two other hits, to back Rogelio Moret, and lead the Sox to a 6 to 1 win.

CARLTON FISK

The rubber game on June 19th, headlined another Luis Tiant-Vida Blue battle. The Tiant-Blue battles were the highlight of a 9-3 stretch for the Red Sox. The game was tied 1-1 in extra innings, with both aces determined to finish what they started. The Sox scraped over a run in the 11th, on a sacrifice fly by Bob Montgomery, that scored Juan Beniquez, and the Sox won 2-1. They took two of three in the series, and maintained a 3 1/2 game lead in the A.L. East.

Back at Fenway on June 22nd, the Sox split a doubleheader with the Indians. Gaylord Perry shutout the Sox 11-0 in the opening game and his brother, Jim Perry, was victimized by a five run third inning, leading to an 8 to 3 win by the Sox.

In the next game, on June 23rd, Rico Petrocelli blasted two homers to lead the Sox to an 8 to 0 win. Rick Wise came off the DL and combined with Dick Drago on a four-hitter.

Rico then belted a grandslam homer to pace the Sox in a 9 to 0 whitewash over the Brewers, who came to town on the next night, June 24th. It gave Luis Tiant, who struck out 10 batters and didn't walk anyone, his 10th win and pushed the Sox lead to 4 1/2 games.

But that was their high water mark for the first half of the season. They lost the next game to the Brewers and headed out to Cleveland, where they lost 3 of 4.

The season killer for the Red Sox, happened on June 28th. In a home plate collision, Carlton Fisk (.299 BA) tore the ligaments in his knee, when the Indians' Leron Lee, coming from third, piled into his leg on a throw to the plate. Fisk's knee was bent the other way and he was carried off the field, flown back to Boston and underwent hours of surgery, emerging in a full leg cast. Bob Montgomery would take over behind the plate, but he was no Carlton Fisk.

Luis Tiant (11-6) finished the month with a 12-2 romp over the Indians on June 29th. It was his ninth win in his last eleven starts.

The Sox finished their road trip in Baltimore. On July 1st, Cecil Cooper's two-run homer sparked the Sox to a 6 to 4 win.

In the next game, on July 2nd, led by Dwight Evans' two-run single, the Sox exploded for four runs in the 9th inning and came back to win 9 to 6.

They then lost six of seven at Fenway to the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals, and came back to the pack. By July 8th, they were in 3rd place, 1 1/2 games behind the Indians.

The Sox rebounded when the Rangers came to town, sweeping the series. On July 9th, Cecil Cooper knocked out two doubles and scored both of the Sox runs, while Luis Tiant allowed four hits, giving the Sox a 2 to 1 decision. Reggie Cleveland shut down the Rangers the next night on July 10th, 3 to 1.

Bill Lee collected his 10th win in the final game on July 11th. Yaz, Rico Petrocelli and Rick Miller each drove in three runs in the 12-3 victory.

The Sox concluded a dismal 4-9 home stand by beating the Angels, 3 to 0 on July 14th. Luis Tiant allowed seven hits, but came thru when it mattered, to gain his 13th win. It put the Sox back into first place by 1/2 game over the Orioles.

In Kansas City, the Sox lost 2 of 3. But in the game they did win on July 17th, Yaz knocked out his 10th home run to aid Rogelio Moret's six-hit pitching, in a 6 to 3 win.

After losing the opening game in Texas, Tiant picked up his 14th win against the Rangers, setting down the first 12 batters he faced, on July 19th. When Mike Hargrove doubled in the fifth inning, it ended his streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings pitched. The Sox took advantage of four Texas errors to defeat them, 3 to 1. But the Sox lost the next two games to the Rangers.

The Red Sox were able to take advantage of the weak American League East in the first half of the season, playing just over .500 baseball but managed to be in first place by 1/2 game. When the All-Star break arrived, the Sox were 50-45. The teams in the AL East were within five games of each other, from top to bottom, but the Red Sox were in the lead.

In Pittsburgh, the National League All Stars jumped all over Luis Tiant, who was tagged for three runs and four hits in two innings of work. Luis picked up the loss in the All Star Game on July 23rd, which the National League won, 7 to 2.  Yaz also played in the game, taking over for Dick Allen at first base, and grounded out in his only plate appearance. Carlton Fisk was voted in as the American League catcher, but couldn't play due to being on the DL with his injured knee.

On July 25th, the Sox started the second half of the season in Detroit. Yaz slammed his 300th career homer, along with home runs from Rico Petrocelli and Tommy Harper, to beat the Tigers 12 to 4.

In the next game, on July 26th, Reggie Cleveland pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed only three hits and no earned runs, but still lost, 1 to 0. An error by Rico in the bottom of the 11th inning opened the door to a game-winning single two batters later. Again, the Red Sox batters could do nothing with Joe Coleman, who pitched 11 innings of four-hit ball.

The New York Yankees then came to Fenway Park and the Sox won three straight. They opened the series by beating Yankee closer Sparky Lyle with a walk-off on July 27th.

In the next game on July 28th, the Sox broke a tie with two runs in the sixth inning, one on a bases loaded walk to Bernie Carbo and the next one on a base hit by Cecil Cooper. They went on to win 8 to 3.

They ended the series the same way on July 29th. The Sox backed Rogelio Moret with some outstanding defense and the pushed across an unearned run, without a hit, in the 11th inning for a 3 to 1 victory, after the 3 1/2 hour battle was settled on Terry Hughes' bases-loaded sacrifice fly with one out.

After losing the first game to Detroit at Fenway, the Sox cashed in on a missed third strike that got by the catcher, that led to five unearned runs and Luis Tiant's 16th victory on July 31st.  The Sox finished July 2 1/2 games ahead of the Indians in the A.L. East at the end of the month.

Against the Orioles on August 1st, Cecil Cooper drove in four runs and Rick Burleson knocked in three, to power the Sox past Baltimore, 11 to 3.

On August 2nd, the next night, Dwight Evans belted a two-run triple over Paul Blair's head in center field in the seventh inning, to lift the Sox past the Orioles, 7 to 5. The Sox ended their homestand, taking six of the seven games they played.

In New York, on August 4th against the Yankees at Shea Stadium, Luis Tiant scattered ten hits while Rico Petrocelli and Bernie Carbo knocked in two runs apiece, leading the Sox to a 7-3 victory in the first game of a doubleheader. Tiant had won his major-league-best, 17th game, pitching out of some tough jams, including a one out base-loaded situation in the fourth inning.

In Milwaukee, the Sox swept a doubleheader from the Brewers, 6-3 and 6-0 on August 6th. Juan Marichal pitched seven shutout innings in the second game. The Sox ripped into Clyde Wright for 11 hits including a three-run homer by Dwight Evans in the seventh inning. The Sox were less overpowering in the first game, scoring two runs without a hit, including a stolen base by Bob Montgomery, who scored on a base hit by Cecil Cooper. Both scored on a base hit by Rico Petrocelli.

ROGELIO MORET

The next day on August 7th, Rogelio Moret held the Brewers' hitters hitless until the eighth inning as the Sox won, 1-0. With two outs in the eighth, Pedro Garcia lined the first pitch he saw into left field to break up the no-hitter. Moret struck out six and walked two. The Sox lone run came in when Doug Griffin got credit for a triple on a misjudged fly ball and a base hit from Rick Burleson.

In Oakland on August 9th, Juan Beniquez's bases-loaded double highlighted a four-run second inning that lifted the Sox to a 6-2 win over the A's.

On August 11th, Juan Marichal came through again, as the Sox beat the A's, 2 to 1. Marichal worked eight innings and raised his record to 5 and 1. The only hits off Marichal were a lead-off single by Billy North in the first inning, by Joe Rudi in the fifth, and an infield single by Reggie Jackson. It was the seventh win over Oakland in nine games this season by the Sox.

The Sox faced Nolan Ryan in Anaheim on August 12th. Doug Griffin faced the man who put him on the DL and got two hits off him. To his everlasting credit, he dug right in, but he never did regain the form that made him one of the few constants in the Red Sox infield. Ryan entered the ninth inning having struck out 17 batters. The single game strikeout record was 18, set by Bob Feller in 1938. He struck out Rick Miller and Bernie Carbo breaking Feller's record.

Luis Tiant tantalized Angels' hitters by shutting them out, 3-0, on August 13th. It was Tiant's 18th win and second consecutive shutout over the halos. The win tied him with Wilbur Wood for the most victories in the major leagues. Luis faced only 12 batters in the first four innings. He allowed just four hits in this, his fifth shutout of the season, and permitted no Angel runners to get past second base.

LUIS TIANT

The Sox returned from the road trip 4 games ahead of the Indians, to meet the Twins at Fenway. On August 16th, Juan Beniquez chased home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth in a 3 to 2 win.

Two days later, on August 18th, Tiant recorded his 19th win when the Sox ripped the Twins, 9 to 6.  Rick Burleson drilled three doubles, one of which drove home Yaz and Dick McAuliffe in the second inning. In the sixth Burleson doubled home McAuliffe to put the Sox ahead 8-0. And in the eighth Burleson collected his third double and rode home on Juan Beniquez' single.

Against the White Sox the next night, August 19th, Bill Lee and Diego Segui combined on a five-hitter, winning, 6-1. Bob Montgomery drove in one run and scored another. The Sox scored their first runs in the fourth on a double by Doug Griffin, who was driven in by Monty. They added two more on sac flies by Rico Petrocelli and Jim Rice, who was playing in his first major league game. Lee allowed only two hits while facing 18 batters in six innings, to pick up his 14th win.

Dwight Evans ignited the Sox in the next game on August 20th, with a three-run, bases loaded double in the third and Doug Griffin turned in a succession of outstanding plays, in leading the team to an 8 to 3 victory over Chicago.

In the series finale,on August 21st, Rogelio Moret fired a brilliant one-hitter at the White Sox, as the Red Sox cruised to a 4-0 series sweep. It was the second time in two weeks that he had come close to a no-hitter. Dick Allen broke up Moret's bid on a slow infield grounder that Doug Griffin wasn't able to reach in time. Moret struck out 12 and walked only three.  Jim Rice banged out two hits good for two RBIs.

On August 23rd, the AL West leaders, the Oakland Athletics, came to Fenway Park to meet the Sox. Luis Tiant blanked the A's, 3-0, scattering six hits and striking out six. Tiant had become the first 20 game winner in the majors,  in posting his sixth shutout of the season. He had won 17 of his last 19 decisions, which including 15 complete games and four shutouts. The Sox jumped out in front quickly when Tommy Harper drilled Vida Blue's third pitch into the left field screen. The Sox recorded 10-hits, led by Yaz with a double and two singles.

The Sox had won five straight and as a result, the were sitting on top of the baseball world. They had increased their lead in the AL East, to seven games.

In Chicago on August 27th, Reggie Cleveland pitched the Sox to a 6-1 victory. Jim Rice's bloop single with the bases loaded put the Sox ahead to stay in the fourth inning.

After losing the next game, Bill Lee beat Wilbur Wood who was looking for his 20th win, 3 to 2 on August 29th. Tommy Harper scored two runs with two hits. The Sox finished the month winning only two of their last seven games and saw their A.L. East lead shrink to three gamesover the Yankees who had won 11 of their last 13 games.

On September 1st, Tim McCarver was purchased from the Cardinals, in a stretch-drive move aimed at strengthening the bench. A week later Deron Johnson was picked up from the Brewers.

While the Yankees and the Orioles started playing well, the Red Sox couldn't keep up without the bat of Carlton Fisk. None of the Sox regulars could make up for his loss, and they went into a tailspin. Day by day their lead eroded further.

In Minnesota, the Sox lost three straight, then traveled to Baltimore on September 2nd for a doubleheader. Luis Tiant and Bill Lee pitched the first two games and both threw complete games. Combined, they only gave up nine hits and two runs, but they both lost. It was perhaps the one of the worst displays of offensive failures in Red Sox history. The offense mustered a combined five singles in the two games and wasted their brilliant efforts on the mound, losing 1-0 each time.

In the series finale on September 4th, the Sox faced Jim Palmer and got only three more singles, losing this one 6-0. The best offense in the American League had failed to score a run in the biggest three games of the season to date. They had only eight hits and all were singles. The Yankees had now tied the Red Sox for first place as a result.

The Sox stumbled out of Baltimore and then lost nine of their next fourteen games. They came home and lost two to Milwaukee and had tumbled into second place, 1 1/2 games behind New York.

The team stopped playing as a unit, while every player wanted to win the game single-handed, not doing the little things that had gotten them where they had been. The hitters swung at bad pitches and everyone tried to hit a home run. Darrell Johnson called team meetings, but nothing worked.

The skid was temporarily halted on September 7th. Mario Guerrero's bases-loaded single brought home the winning run, for a 4-3 victory in 10 innings, over the Brewers. The Sox moved back into a first place tie the next day, when rookie Dick Pole, with a strong relief job, led the Sox in an 8-6 rally over Milwaukee.

Then the Yankees came to Fenway, tied with the Sox atop the AL East with a 74-65 record. On September 9th, they beat the Sox 6 to 3 and then beat them 2 to 1 in the next game on September 10th. As a result, the Sox fell two games behind them.

BILL LEE

Bill Lee stopped the three game losing streak in Cleveland on September 12th. The hero was Dick McAuliffe when he came through with a run scoring double and a needed sacrifice fly to give the Sox a 3-2 victory.

The next night, on September 13th, the Red Sox won 8 to 5 in the 10th inning over the Brewers in Milwaukee. Rico Petrocelli was the leader with four RBIs, including the game winner, on three doubles. But disaster struck Rico on September 15th when he was hit in the head by a pitch and was shelved for the rest of the season.

September call-up Fred Lynn, rattled Detroit Tiger pitching for four hits and three RBIs on September 18th. It allowed Reggie Cleveland to pick up the pieces and get an 8 to 5 win. Lynn lashed an RBI single to right, tripled off the wall in center, doubled off the left field scoreboard for two more RBIs, and singled to right. So far, he was 7 for 13 with a slugging percentage of 1.076

Luis Tiant picked up his third straight loss on September 19th, losing to the Tigers, 3 to 1. The offense had given him a total of one earned run in 38 innings.

After winning only five of their last 20 games, the Red Sox were three games out, with the Birds and Yanks jousting at the top. The three-game set with Baltimore would be followed by a three-game series in the Bronx. It was now or never.

The offense improved against Oriole pitching in the opener, on September 20th, but that meant merely that they got a couple extra-base hits and actually scored a run. But one run was all they got, and Dick Drago’s strong outing was undone by solo home runs given up to Don Baylor and Boog Powell. The Sox lost 2-1.

They then trailed 5-1 in the ninth the next day, September 21st. Finally, the bats awakened. Dwight Evans hit a three-run homer, the Red Sox tied it and they won in extra innings, 6 to 5, to keep their season alive. Bill Lee had pitched all ten innings. Due to rain, the game lasted over six hours.

But in the final game of the series, on September 22nd, Boog Powell drove in three runs with three hits, including a homer, resulting in a 7-2 Orioles win, as Baltimore whipped the fading Sox in the rubber game of the three game set. The Sox were five games back with only a week left.

On September 24th, Luis Tiant went into New York and threw a six-hit shutout to win the opener of a doubleheader, 4-0. Rogelio Moret followed it up with a complete-game 4-2 win, as the Red Sox clung to their faint hopes.

Bill Lee pitched the finale the next day on September 25th, and took a shutout into the ninth inning. But once again, there was no offensive support and the Yankees scraped over a run to win 1-0 in 10 innings.

Doug Griffin was a major factor in a Sox win over the Tigers, 5 to 3 in Detroit, on September 26th. He was on base five times and helped Dick Drago get the win. The Sox bats rose from the dead on September 27th, to pound the Tigers 9 to 3. Bob Montgomery doubled and drove in two and Danny Cater added a home run. Luis Tiant won his 22nd game in his final appearsance of the season on September 28th, as he fired a three hitter, winning 7 to 2.

And at the end, young Jim Rice hit his first major-league homer on October 1st, off Cleveland’s Steve Kline. Sox rookie pitcher Steve Barr made his first big league start and won the meaningless game, 7 to 4.

For the month of September, Sox hitters had a .203 batting average. A Sox team that enjoyed a seven game lead in the AL East in the last week of August, finished seven games out at the end. The Baltimore Orioles went 28-6 to finish the season and won the American League East. With a final record of 84-78, this year's Red Sox record was actually worse than any since 1966.

The Red Sox had the most prolific offense in the American League and they slugged their way into first place and the heart of the pennant race. But when that offense went silent at the season’s crunch point, with a pitching staff that lacked depth, they weren't able to make up the difference. The pitching was completely dependent on Luis Tiant and Bill Lee.

"El Tiante" threw over 300 innings. He had a record of 20-8 on August 23rd, but ended up 22-13, and finished with a 2.92 ERA. He had attained mythical status in Boston. Everyone loved him and cheered for him. Boston fans booed Yaz, booed Ted Williams, booed Jim Plunkett and booed Phil Esposito. Only Bobby Orr, John Havlicek and now Luis Tiant had that charisma and never got booed. Instead, every time he appeared, the fans would chant "Loo-ie, Loo-ie".

In spite of his reputation for being a comedian, Luis Tiant was a very religious man. Throughout the season, he was rarely seen in public. He didn't go out to bars or restaurants and ate his meals in his room. Except for his Red Sox uniform, he always wore white. He had decided to devote one year to thank God for all the blessing that were bestowed upon him.

Bill Lee’s ERA was 3.51, logging over 280 innings and winning 17 games. Incredibly intelligent on how make use of his assortment of pitches and changing speeds, he had now been recognized as one of the best lefty pitchers in the league. And he would win consistently home at Fenway Park.

Lee also had an on-going competitive battle with Carlton Fisk. The two had worked together for years now and had the same intensity. They often had shouting matches in the middle of the diamond, over what pitch to throw. Fisk would come walking out after being shaken off and Lee would turn around and walk toward second base. The two friends fed off each other and it worked.

The rotation was pieced together with a mix of Reggie Cleveland, Dick Drago and Rogelio Moret. An epidemic of bumps, bruises, and sore shoulders swept through Boston’s bullpen, forcing the starters into leading the league in complete games.

Reggie Cleveland had a rather lackluster year at 12-14 and it was not all the fault of poor offensive support. By early June his ERA was 6.30 though he finished with a 4.31 ERA.

Dick Drago pitched in 33 games, 18 as a starter and 15 out of the bullpen. This dual role of starter/reliever was one Drago shared with Rogelio Moret. It was his relief work that made him a success with the Sox Although his season ERA was 3.48, his relief ERA was a dominating 1.37.

Rogelio Moret could not follow the success he had enjoyed the season before, finishing 1974 with a 9-10 record and a 3.74 ERA. In the regular starting rotation during July and August, he finished the season with a 2-5 run.

Diego Segui pitched regularly early in the season with great success. But by early June, he developed calluses on two fingers of his throwing hand, causing a control problem that nagged him until late August. He ended the season with a 6-8 record and 10 saves. He was the team's top reliever, but that didn’t mean he was good, finishing with a 4.00 ERA.

Rick Wise tore a triceps muscle and that basically ruined his whole season. He pitched in just nine games (49 innings).

Hall-of-Famer, Juan Marichal scratched his way to a 5-1 record, but with an ERA of 4.87. He was released after the season.

While warming up on the night before Bob Veale was scheduled to rejoin the Red Sox in May, he heard a pop in his shoulder and experienced enough pain that he could not lift his left arm the following morning. The training staff worked on his arm throughout the year, and he was able to appear in 18 games. But as the season progressed, he was used sparingly, pitching only 13 innings, with an ERA of 5.54. His last major-league appearance came on September 8th against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pitcher Lance Clemons both started and ended the season up with the Red Sox, spending the bulk of the year with Pawtucket. In his first appearance for the Red Sox, he retired the three batters he faced at Yankee Stadium on April 18th. Clemons spent the rest of the season at Pawtucket, returning in time to pitch one scoreless inning on October 2nd.

Rookie Dick Pole put in 45 innings of work, mostly in relief, with a 1-1 record, and an improved 4.20 ERA.

Pitcher Don Newhauser made two appearances for the Red Sox in July, giving up two earned runs each time over a total of five innings. He was later optioned to Pawtucket and never returned to the majors.

Carl Yastrzemski remained ever reliable at 35, though his power was not what it had been a few years earlier. It was one of his best seasons. It seemed like every move he made on the field was choreographed to have to most emotional impact. It would be the last time he batted over .300, and he led the league in scoring with 93 runs.

Carlton Fisk had come into his own. After being injured in spring training, he came back in early May and batted .340 over the next six weeks. He was named to the American League All Star team as the starting catcher for the third time. Then he was gone for the season after the collision at home plate. “My career was supposed to be over,” he recalled. “I was supposed to walk with a limp and have chronic back problems the rest of my life.”

One of the Sox catchers was Bob Didier, who made five consecutive starts in April until Fisk came back from his injury in spring training. Didier was hampered by an ankle injury, and went 1-for-14 (.071). The Sox sent him back down to Triple-A Pawtucket once Fisk returned. Those were Didier’s last games in the majors.

When Fisk suffered his season-ending injury, Bob Montgomery stepped in and appeared in 88 games, with Tim Blackwell serving as his backup. Monty’s average was .252 and he filled in capably as the team continued to contend.

Blackwell got the very early morning wake-up call in Norfolk, Virginia when the 21-year-old catcher learned that Fisk had injured his knee. Blackwell had 12 hours to get to Cleveland for a game against the Indians. Blackwell closed the year with a .246 batting average, 8 RBIs, and a .971 fielding percentage.

In 28 at bats, Tim McCarver batted only .250 with one run batted in, and it was expected that the Red Sox would release him after the season, but they held on to him. Deron Johnson hit .120 with two RBIs in 11 games. The Red Sox released him after the season.

To help hold his spot on the team, Danny Cater came to spring training to work out as a backup catcher. But he played in only 56 games and ended the season with a .246 average.

Tommy Harper was still batting under .200 when June ended. Until mid-July, Harper was indeed the team’s DH. From then on, he primarily played left field. Without a doubt, it was a down year. He appeared in only 118 games, and hit .237 (though he had a .312 on-base percentage), but he still stole 28 bases.

Juan Beniquez, the previous season’s Minor League Player of the Year, was the Red Sox center fielder on Opening Day. He ended up sharing the position with Rick Miller, playing 106 games (91 in center field), and batting .267. He normally hit first or second in the batting order, though he did not get on base very often for a player with such a role.

Rick Miller played 77 games in center field. Miller again batted .261, and lost playing time in center field when Fred Lynn was called up in September. And in the September call up, were the two future stars name Fred Lynn and Jim Rice.
          
At the end of the season, the BoSox Club, the Red Sox’ booster group, named Miller its “Man of the Year,” citing his visits to hospitalized children in the Boston area. Miller said his parents’ experience losing a son to leukemia was an underlying fact.

John Kennedy had 15 at bats with the Sox before getting sent down to Pawtucket. There, he worked with Rice and Lynn throwing them extra batting practice. He knew he was going to retire at the end of the season and wanted to work with them to help them get better. He ended up getting a minor league managing job with the Sox after the season as a result.

Darrell Johnson used the two future stars sparingly after they were brought up. Fred Lynn got up 43 times in 15 games and had a .419 BA. Jim Rice batted .269 and drove in 13 runs in 67 times up. Rice won the International League’s Triple Crown, Rookie of the Year, MVP, and the honor of The Sporting News’ Minor League Player of the Year (.337, 25 HR, 93 RBIs). Some questioned why the two were not playing more after being called up. After all, the team was losing and the hitters weren't hitting.

Bernie Carbo was another fierce competitor who didn’t officially have a regular position. But he got plenty of at-bats and finished with a .364 on-base percentage. He appeared in 117 games and hit .249 with a dozen round-trippers and 61 RBIs, serving as both an outfielder and designated hitter.

Cecil Cooper began to slowly emerge and he batted .275. He was the team’s Opening Day first baseman, hitting third in the lineup. He ended up playing 74 games at first and 41 more as the designated hitter, getting most of the starts when facing right-handed pitchers. He did not have a good defensive reputation early in his career, which is why he spent a lot of time as a designated hitter.

Regular playing time was given to 22-year-old Dwight Evans in right field, who had solid numbers, with 10 homers, and a .281 average, as he drove in 70 runs. His defense, and especially his throwing arm, was what kept him in the lineup.or in his willingness to join in the Red Sox charity work with the Jimmy Fund, among others.

Despite his time on the disabled list, Rico Petrocelli tied for the team lead in home runs with 15 and finished second with 76 RBIs.

Doug Griffin played in only 93 games of the injury-plagued season, but played well, batting .266, with another good year in the field.

Mario Guerrero got a lot of work at shortstop. He appeared in 93 games, batting .246 (.282 OBP), with 23 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He strained his knee badly in mid-July and only played one full game and part of another into September.

Dick McAuliffe played a utility role, playing 53 games at second base, 40 at third, three at shortstop, and three as the designated hitter. He batted only 272 times, and hit .210 with five home runs. It was clear that at age 34, the end had come. He retired at the end of the season, and accepted a Red Sox offer to manage in their minor-league system.

Infielder Terry Hughes spent the entire season in Boston. It was the only year in his decade as a pro in which he did not appear at all in the minors. Hughes got into 41 games, starting 20 times at third base as the backup to Rico Petrocelli and Dick McAuliffe. He hit .203-1-6 in 69 at-bats.

Utility man, Chuck Goggin went to spring training, and was warming up in the outfield doing sit-ups. All of a sudden, he heard a ‘pop’ in his back and had ruptured a disc. He played in two games with the Sox at the end of the season, never again returning to the big leagues.

Rick Burleson, who had been optioned to Pawtucket at the start of the season and then brought back at the start of May, filled in for Griffin and Guerrero, came on strong, and ultimately hit .284, placing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Coach Don Zimmer remarked, "He hits pretty well because he hits like he plays. He's a little bulldog up there." Zimmer, who used to hit him ground balls in practice, remembered that one day, after they were done, Burlesonn came in and took of his cap. His hair was standing straight up and Zimmer said he looked like a "Rooster" ... the name stuck.