1945 Boston Red Sox season explained

Boston Red Sox
Season:	1945
League:	American League
Ballpark:	Fenway Park
City:	Boston, Massachusetts
Record:	71–83 (.461)
League Place:	7th
Owners:	Tom Yawkey
President:	Tom Yawkey
General Managers:	Eddie Collins
Managers:	Joe Cronin
Radio:	WNAC (Jim Britt, Tom Hussey, George Hartrick)
Espntn:	bos
Brtn:	BOS

The 1945 Boston Red Sox season was the 45th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished seventh in the American League (AL) with a record of 71 wins and 83 losses, games behind the Detroit Tigers, who went on to win the 1945 World Series.

Offseason

• Prior to 1945 season: Tom Poholsky was signed as an amateur free agent by the Red Sox.^[1]
• November 13, 1944: The Athletics sell catcher Bob Garbark to the Louisville Colonels for an undisclosed sum.^[2]

Regular season

• April 1945: At the urging of Boston City Councillor Isadore H. Y. Muchnick and with the active involvement of noted African American journalist Wendell Smith, General Manager Eddie Collins allowed three players from the Negro leagues to try out for the Red Sox. The players included Sam Jethroe from the Cleveland Buckeyes, Marvin Williams from the Philadelphia Stars, and Jackie Robinson from the Kansas City Monarchs.^[3]
• August 14, 1945: Handicapped Washington Senators coach Bert Shepard pitched in a game against the Red Sox. Shepard, who had an artificial leg, managed to give up only one run in five innings to the Red Sox.^[4]

Transactions

• May 25: The Chicago Cubs claim outfielder Lloyd Christopher off of waivers from the Red Sox.^[5]
• May 28: The Cincinnati Reds claim pitcher Joe Bowman off of waivers from the Red Sox.^[6]
• May 31: The Philadelphia Phillies claim pitcher Oscar Judd off of waivers from the Red Sox.^[7]
• June 16: Dolph Camilli announces that he has signed for the Red Sox to play as first baseman.^[8]
• July 27: The St. Louis Browns purchase Lou Finney from the Red Sox.^[9]

Opening Day lineup

16		2B
2		1B
15		RF
8	Bob Johnson	LF
4		3B
11		CF
6	Skeeter Newsome	SS
26		C
31		P

Roster

1945 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		CatchersInfielders		OutfieldersOther batters		ManagerCoaches (Third base) (First base)

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		68	199	52	.261	0	17
1B		138	539	140	.260	5	62
2B		125	438	127	.290	1	48
SS		133	473	132	.279	11	51
3B		84	278	70	.252	0	21
OF		97	331	91	.275	6	45
OF		101	335	104	.310	5	45
OF		143	529	148	.280	12	74

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
	100	344	105	.305	1	47
	78	304	78	.257	3	20
	66	208	51	.245	0	20
	52	204	51	.250	2	16
	63	198	42	.212	2	19
	52	151	34	.225	0	11
	58	135	25	.185	0	9
	40	93	16	.172	0	5
	26	59	12	.203	0	4
	9	17	2	.118	0	0
	8	14	4	.286	0	4
	3	8	3	.375	0	1
	4	7	1	.143	0	1
	2	2	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
	35	264.2	21	10	2.96	94
	23	144.1	6	8	3.30	50
	24	141.2	8	11	5.15	55
	20	102.0	4	10	4.06	39
	12	82.0	4	4	3.07	20
	7	45.0	2	5	5.20	30
	3	11.2	0	2	9.26	0
	2	9.2	0	1	4.66	3

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
	31	125.0	5	7	5.04	30
	34	123.0	7	6	2.49	44
	24	107.1	4	7	4.19	36
	26	85.1	6	4	4.01	21
	12	56.2	0	4	4.13	28
	2	6.1	0	1	8.53	5

Relief pitchers

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

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Louisville^[10]

External links

• 1945 Boston Red Sox team page at Baseball Reference
• 1945 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com

Notes and References

1. https://www.baseball-reference.com/p/poholto01.shtml Tom Poholsky page at Baseball Reference
2. News: November 14, 1944 . Mack Sells Garbark To Louisville Colonels . . 17 . AP.
3. Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson's First Season, p. 136, Jonathan Eig, Simon & Schuster, 2007, New York,
4. Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.193, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York,
5. News: May 26, 1945 . Red Sox Roster Reduced . . 12 . AP.
6. News: May 29, 1945 . Bosox Sell Bowman To Reds . . 5 . AP.
7. News: June 1, 1945 . Phillies Buy Judd From Boston Red Sox . . 17 . AP.
8. News: June 17, 1945 . Camilli to Join Red Sox June 25 . . 25 . UP.
9. News: July 28, 1945 . Brownies Buy Finney . . 8.
10. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007