Forgive me if I sound like a moron here–the shortest book I never got around to writing was “Everything I Know About Sports.”
When the Sox won the World Series last year, it was the first time in 86 years (or whatever).
As I understand it, baseball teams are divided into two divisions. The winners of each division then go on to play each other in the World Series. But both are still champions of their respective divisions.
Isn’t the World series a relatively recent thing? Back when the Sox won the championship, there was no such thing, right? So when they won in 2004, that was actually the first time they’d ever won the World Series. But they won the championship as well, and they also did so in 1986.
The World Series has been played every year (except 1904 and 1994) since 1903. Before 2004, the Red Sox had not won the Series since 1918.
Since 1918, the Red Sox have won the American League pennant 5 times (1946, 1967, 1975, 1986 and 2004.) They also went to the American League Championship Series in 1988, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2003.
The 2004 World Series win represents the 6th time the Red Sox have won the World Series (and therefore been champions of baseball) overall.
Just two avoid confusion, Major League Baseball is divided into two leagues. Each league is subdivided into (currently) three divisions. A series of divisional playoffs detemines which teams are league champions and thus go on to play in the World Series.
Another nitpick, they won the league title (Pennant), not the division title. There are three divisions in each league, east, central, and west. The top team from each division, along with the wildcard (the non-division leading team with the best win percentage) all go on to the league championship series. Last year, the Sox won the wildcard spot. Normally, the wildcard team would play the division leader with the best win percentage, but since the Sox and Yanks (the team with the best percentage) are both from AL east, the Sox played the Angels.
Thanks, bouv. That’s more than I ever wanted to know on the subject (but now I’m glad I know it).
Hmm, Sox vs Patriots? That could be interesting. It’s a good thing the Pats have helmets, because the Sox have those bats. Can you catch a pop fly with a fair catch?
The New England Patriots might have some success catching pop-flies if they take off their helmets and use them as catching scoops. However, since the late 1800s the baseball rules have stipulated specifically that a player is not allowed to catch a ball in his cap. I see great potential legal wrangling over whether a hemlet shuld be considered a “cap.”
The rule is not restricted to caps at all. Actually you cannot “handle” a ball with any piece of equipment removed from it’s usual place. The most common thing this rule is invoked for is the catcher taking off his mask when the ball goes awry and then seeing it before he drops his mask and covering the rolling ball or even stationary ball with his mask.
