1952 Boston Red Sox season

1952 Boston Red Sox
LeagueAmerican League
BallparkFenway Park
CityBoston, Massachusetts
Record76–78 (.494)
League place6th
OwnersTom Yawkey
PresidentTom Yawkey
General managersJoe Cronin
ManagersLou Boudreau
TelevisionWBZ-TV, Ch. 4, and WNAC-TV, Ch. 7
RadioWHDH-AM 850
(Curt Gowdy, Bob DeLaney, Tom Hussey)
StatsESPN.com
Baseball Reference
← 1951 Seasons 1953 →

The 1952 Boston Red Sox season was the 52nd season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished sixth in the American League (AL) with a record of 76 wins and 78 losses, 19 games behind the New York Yankees, who went on to win the 1952 World Series.

Spring Training

Boston Win Boston Loss Tie Game
1952 Boston Red Sox Spring Training Log
March: 9─10
# Date Opponent Score Record Source
1 March 8 Vs. Reds 0─5 1─0 [1]
2 March 9 Vs. Phillies 13─4 1─1 [2]
3 March 10 @ Yankees 4─7 1─2 [3]
4 March 11 Vs. Yankees 7─6 1─3 [4]
5 March 12 Vs. Cardinals 7─6 1─4 [5]
6 March 13 Vs. Senators 4─1 1─5 [6]
7 March 14 Vs. Tigers 7─5 1─6 [7]
8 March 15 Vs. Braves 12─2 1─7 [8]
9 March 16 @ Reds 10─6 2─7 [9]
10 March 17 @ Braves 1─2 2─8 [10]
11 March 19 @ Cardinals 3─2 3─8 [11]
12 March 20 @ Senators 14─8 4─8 [12]
12 March 21 @ Athletics 5─3 5─8 [13]
13 March 22 @ Dodgers 5─2 6─8 [14]
14 March 23 @ Dodgers 2─14 6─9 [15]
15 March 27 Vs. Reds 9─1 6─10 [16]
16 March 28 @ Phillies 9─7 7─10 [17]
17 March 29 @ Yankees 8─5 8─10 [18]
18 March 30 @ Barons 5─2 9─10 [19]
April: 6─2─1
# Date Opponent Score Record Source
19 April 1 @ Sports 4─2 10─10 [20]
20 April 2 @ Buffaloes 13─2 11─10 [21]
21 April 3 @ Eagles 1─1 11─10─1 [22]
22 April 4 @ Cats 9─3 12─10─1 [23]
23 April 5 @ Oilers 5─3 13─10─1 [24]
24 April 6 @ Indians 8─4 14─10─1 [25]
25 April 7 @ Athletics 6─12 14─11─1 [26]
26 April 8 Vs. Athletics 4─3 14─12─1 [27]
27 April 9 @ Cubs 6─1 15─12─1 [28]

The Red Sox also faced the Braves as a Boston-based team for the final time. At Braves Field on April 10 the Braves beat the Red Sox by a score of 5─4.[29] At Fenway Park on April 12 the Red Sox beat the Braves by a score of 12─7.[30]

Regular season

Season standings

American League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Yankees 95 59 .617 — 49‍–‍28 46‍–‍31
Cleveland Indians 93 61 .604 2 49‍–‍28 44‍–‍33
Chicago White Sox 81 73 .526 14 44‍–‍33 37‍–‍40
Philadelphia Athletics 79 75 .513 16 45‍–‍32 34‍–‍43
Washington Senators 78 76 .506 17 42‍–‍35 36‍–‍41
Boston Red Sox 76 78 .494 19 50‍–‍27 26‍–‍51
St. Louis Browns 64 90 .416 31 42‍–‍35 22‍–‍55
Detroit Tigers 50 104 .325 45 32‍–‍45 18‍–‍59

Record vs. opponents

1952 American League record

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Team BOS CWS CLE DET NYY PHA SLB WSH
Boston — 12–10 9–13 16–6 8–14 12–10 11–11 8–14
Chicago 10–12 — 8–14–1 17–5 8–14 11–11 14–8 13–9–1
Cleveland 13–9 14–8–1 — 16–6 10–12 13–9 15–7 12–10
Detroit 6–16 5–17 6–16 — 9–13 5–17–1 8–14 11–11–1
New York 14–8 14–8 12–10 13–9 — 13–9 14–8 15–7
Philadelphia 10–12 11–11 9–13 17–5–1 9–13 — 14–8 9–13
St. Louis 11–11 8–14 7–15 14–8 8–14 8–14 — 8–14–1
Washington 14–8 9–13–1 10–12 11–11–1 7–15 13–9 14–8–1 —


Opening Day lineup

  7 Dom DiMaggio     CF
  6 Johnny Pesky 3B
  9 Ted Williams LF
  3 Walt Dropo 1B
37 Faye Throneberry     RF
  2 Jimmy Piersall SS
17 Mel Parnell P
12 Ted Lepcio 2B
11 Gus Niarhos C

Notable transactions

Roster

1952 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

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

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
C Sammy White 115 381 107 .281 10 49
1B Dick Gernert 102 367 89 .243 19 67
2B Billy Goodman 138 513 157 .306 4 56
SS Johnny Lipon 79 234 48 .205 0 18
3B George Kell 75 276 88 .319 6 40
OF Faye Throneberry 98 310 80 .258 5 23
OF Hoot Evers 106 401 105 .262 14 59
OF Dom DiMaggio 128 486 143 .294 6 33

Other batters

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

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Vern Stephens 92 295 75 .254 7 44
Ted Lepcio 84 274 72 .263 5 26
Clyde Vollmer 90 250 66 .264 11 50
Jim Piersall 56 161 43 .267 1 16
Del Wilber 47 135 36 .267 3 23
Walt Dropo 37 132 35 .265 6 27
Don Lenhardt 30 105 31 .295 7 24
Johnny Pesky 25 67 10 .149 0 2
George Schmees 42 64 13 .203 0 3
Al Zarilla 21 60 11 .183 2 8
Gus Niarhos 29 58 6 .103 0 4
Gene Stephens 21 53 12 .226 0 5
Archie Wilson 18 38 10 .263 0 2
Milt Bolling 11 36 8 .222 1 3
Fred Hatfield 19 25 8 .320 1 3
Ken Wood 15 20 2 .100 0 0
Charlie Maxwell 8 15 1 .067 0 0
Ted Williams 6 10 4 .400 1 3
Paul Lehner 3 3 2 .667 0 2
Lou Boudreau 4 2 0 .000 0 2
Hal Bevan 1 1 0 .000 0 0
Len Okrie 1 1 0 .000 0 0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Mel Parnell 33 214.0 12 12 3.62 107
Mickey McDermott 30 162.0 10 9 3.72 117
Sid Hudson 21 134.1 7 9 3.62 50

Other pitchers

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

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Dizzy Trout 26 133.2 9 8 3.64 57
Dick Brodowski 20 114.2 5 5 4.40 42
Willard Nixon 23 103.2 5 4 4.86 50
Ellis Kinder 23 97.2 5 6 2.58 50
Ike Delock 39 95.0 4 9 4.26 46
Ray Scarborough 28 76.2 1 5 4.81 29
Bill Henry 13 76.2 5 4 3.87 23
Bill Wight 10 24.1 2 1 2.96 5
Hersh Freeman 4 13.2 1 0 3.29 5
James Atkins 3 10.1 0 1 3.48 2
Harry Taylor 2 10.0 1 0 1.80 1
Walt Masterson 5 9.1 1 1 11.57 3
George Schmees 2 6.0 0 0 3.00 2

Relief pitchers

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

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Al Benton 24 4 3 6 2.39 20
Ralph Brickner 14 3 1 1 2.18 9
Randy Gumpert 10 1 0 1 4.12 6

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Louisville Colonels American Association Pinky Higgins
AA Birmingham Barons Southern Association Al Vincent and Red Mathis
A Albany Senators Eastern League Jack Burns
B Roanoke Ro-Sox Piedmont League Owen Scheetz
C San Jose Red Sox California League Red Marion
D High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms North Carolina State League Jim Gruzdis

References

  1. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 9, 1952). "Rookie Brickner Impressive in Bow". The Boston Globe. p. 48.
  2. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 10, 1952). "Hose Walloped, 13-4; Oppose Yankees Today". The Boston Globe. p. 9.
  3. ^ Hurwitz, Hy. "Mize Doubles in Clutch for Champs". The Boston Globe. p. 9.
  4. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 12, 1952). "Boudreau's Batting Order Shifts Faring Better Than His Pitchers". The Boston Globe. p. 12.
  5. ^ "Doorman Gorman". The Boston Globe. March 13, 2004. p. 27.
  6. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 14, 1952). "Red Sox Send Umphlett, Six Others to Minors". The Boston Globe. p. 35.
  7. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 15, 1952). "Red Sox to Use Regulars Against Braves Today". The Boston Globe. p. 5.
  8. ^ Holbrook, Bob (March 16, 1952). "Braves Trample Hapless Sox in Series Opener, 12-2: Bickford, Wilson Hold Hose in Check; St. Claire, Rookies Stand Out for Tribe". The Boston Globe. p. 48.
  9. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 17, 1952). "Dropo, Williams Homer as Hose Shake Slump". The Boston Globe. p. 9.
  10. ^ Barry, Jack (March 18, 1952). "Jethroe Paces Braves Over Sox, 2 to 1: Tribe Speedster Twice Cathces Hose Off Guard". The Boston Globe. p. 5.
  11. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 20, 1952). "Red Sox Beat Cardinals on Stephens' 3-Run Homer, 3-2: Mizell Baffling to Hose Batsmen". The Boston Globe. p. 20.
  12. ^ Hurwitz, Hy (March 21, 1952). "JV's Rescue Sox, Thump Nats, 14 to 8". The Boston Globe. p. 29.
  13. ^ Holbrook, Bob (March 22, 1952). "Red Sox Beat A's, 5-3, After Shantz Retires". The Boston Globe. p. 5.
  14. ^ "Teddy's Ready". The Boston Globe. March 23, 1952. p. 46.
  15. ^ "Let's Buy Him!". The Boston Globe. March 24, 1952. p. 9.
  16. ^ Barry, Jack (March 28, 1952). "Reds in 9 to 1 Romp Over Lackluster Sox". The Boston Globe. p. 19.
  17. ^ Birtwell, Roger (March 29, 1952). "Sox Call on Kinder 2d Day in Row, Stave Off Phils 9-7: Williams, Pesky Homer; Foe Shells Wight in 7th". The Boston Globe. p. 4.
  18. ^ Barry, Jack (March 30, 1952). "Williams Wallops Homer as Sox Defeat Yanks, 8-5". The Boston Globe. p. 45.
  19. ^ Barry, Jack (March 31, 1952). "Dropo Wallops Long Homer as Sox Defeat Barons, 5-2". The Boston Globe. p. 9.
  20. ^ Barry, Jack (April 2, 1952). "Lenhardt and Stephens Homer in 4-2 Sox Win". The Boston Globe. p. 13.
  21. ^ Barry, Jack (April 3, 1952). "Dropo Slugs as Sox Romp; Henry's Pitching Impresses". The Boston Globe. p. 10.
  22. ^ Barry, Jack (April 4, 1952). "Spring Games Pay to Top That of Marines, Says Ted". The Boston Globe. pp. 1 & 37.
  23. ^ Barry, Jack (April 5, 1952). "Dropo Clouts Grand Slam; Red Sox Beat Texans, 9-3". The Boston Globe. p. 6.
  24. ^ Birtwell, Roger (April 6, 1952). "Williams' Homer Gives Sox 5-3 Win". The Boston Globe. p. 46.
  25. ^ Barry, Jack (April 7, 1952). "Williams, Dropo Hit Two Homers Apiece". The Boston Globe. p. 7.
  26. ^ Barry, Jack (April 8, 1952). "5 Sox Homers Not Enough as A's Romp, 12-6". The Boston Globe. p. 9.
  27. ^ Barry, Jack (April 9, 1952). "200 Fans Greet Sox at Airport". The Boston Globe. p. 11.
  28. ^ "Vollmer, Dropo Homer; Sox Beat Springfield, 6-1". The Boston Globe. April 10, 1952. p. 28.
  29. ^ Barry, Jack (April 11, 1952). "Braves Clinch First City Series Since '45, Beat Sox, 5-4: Stephens Bats in All Losers' Runs; Marshall's Double Wins for Spahn". The Boston Globe. p. 8.
  30. ^ Mack Jr., Gene (April 13, 1952). "Williams' 2 Homers beat Braves 12─7: Rookies White, Gernert, Throneberry Also Star for Sox; Jethroe Homers". The Boston Globe. p. 54.
  31. ^ Walt Dropo page at Baseball Reference