List of Boston Red Sox captains
Encyclopedia
There have been 19 captains of the Boston Red Sox
, an American
professional baseball
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
and coaches
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
There have been 19 captains of the Boston Red Sox
, an American
professional baseball
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
and coaches
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background-color: #FFE6BD"|‡
|Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
There have been 19 captains of the Boston Red Sox
, an American
professional baseball
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
and coaches
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|style="background-color: #FFE6BD"|‡
|Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and coaches
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox...
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
Captains
| ‡ | Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame |
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
There have been 19 captains of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and coaches
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox...
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
Captains
|-
|style="background-color: #FFE6BD"|‡
|Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
There have been 19 captains of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains.
In Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and coaches
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, current Red Sox captain Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox...
wears a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey.
Captains
|-
|style="background-color: #FFE6BD"|‡
|Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Years active
! Years as captain
! Reference
|-
|colspan=5|
Boston Americans (until 1907)
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jimmy Collins
‡
| Third baseman
| 1895–1908
| 1901–1905
|
|-
| Chick Stahl
| Outfielder
| 1897–1906
| 1906
|
|-
| Bob Unglaub
| First baseman
| 1904–1910
| 1907
|
|-
|colspan=5|
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jimmy Collins
Jimmy Collins
James Joseph Collins was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century who was widely regarded as being the best third baseman prior to Brooks Robinson...
‡
| Third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
| 1895–1908
| 1901–1905
|
|-
| Chick Stahl
Chick Stahl
Charles Sylvester "Chick" Stahl was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who was among the most feared and consistent hitters in his time. In his rookie 1897 season with the Boston Beaneaters, he batted .354, and over his first six seasons, he averaged over .300...
| Outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
| 1897–1906
| 1906
|
|-
| Bob Unglaub
Bob Unglaub
Robert Alexander Unglaub was an American first baseman and utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Highlanders, Boston Americans, and Washington Senators....
| First baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
| 1904–1910
| 1907
|
|-
|colspan=5|
Boston Red Sox (1907 to present)
|-
| Deacon McGuire
| Catcher
| 1884–1912
| 1908
|
|-
| Doc Gessler
| Right fielder
| 1903–1911
| 1909
|
|-
| Harry Lord
| Third baseman
| 1903–1911
| 1910
|
|-
| Heinie Wagner
| Shortstop
| 1902–1918
| 1911
|
|-
| Jake Stahl
| First baseman
| 1903–1912
| 1912
|
|-
| Heinie Wagner
| Shortstop
| 1902–1918
| 1913–1914
|
|-
| Jack Barry
| Second baseman
| 1908–1919
| 1915–1917
|
|-
| Dick Hoblitzel
| First baseman
| 1908–1918
| 1918
|
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Harry Hooper
‡
| Outfielder
| 1908–1925
| 1919–1920
|
|-
| Everett Scott
| Shortstop
| 1914–1926
| 1921
|
|-
| Del Pratt
| Second baseman
| 1914–1926
| 1922
|
|-
| George Burns
| First baseman
| 1914–1929
| 1923
|
|-
| Mike Menosky
| Left fielder
| 1914–1923
| 1923
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1924–1939
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jimmie Foxx
‡
| First baseman
| 1925–1945
| 1940–1942
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1943–1965
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Carl Yastrzemski
‡
| Outfielder
| 1961–1983
| 1966
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1967–1968
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Carl Yastrzemski
‡
| Outfielder
| 1961–1983
| 1969–1983
|
|-
|colspan=5|
No captain 1984
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jim Rice
‡
| Outfielder
| 1974–1989
| 1985–1989
|
|-
|colspan=5|
No captain 1990–2004
|-
| Jason Varitek
| Catcher
| 1997–present
| 2005–present
|
|-
|colspan=5|
|-
| Deacon McGuire
Deacon McGuire
James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire was a catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who spent over a quarter of a century playing professional baseball in a much-traveled career which saw him set several records for durability...
| Catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
| 1884–1912
| 1908
|
|-
| Doc Gessler
Doc Gessler
Henry Homer "Doc" Gessler was a Major League Baseball player born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania who began his eight season career, at the age of 22, with the Detroit Tigers in . He played mainly as a right fielder in a career that totaled 880 games played, 2969 at bats, 831 hits, 363 RBIs and 14...
| Right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
| 1903–1911
| 1909
|
|-
| Harry Lord
Harry Lord
Harry Donald Lord was a professional baseball player from 1907 to 1915, who was a member of the first team known as Boston Red Sox in 1908.-Biography:...
| Third baseman
| 1903–1911
| 1910
|
|-
| Heinie Wagner
Heinie Wagner
Charles Francis "Heinie" Wagner was an American baseball player and manager. He played shortstop for the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox . He was also the manager of the Red Sox during the 1930 baseball season.Wagner was born in Harlem, New York, in September 1880...
| Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
| 1902–1918
| 1911
|
|-
| Jake Stahl
Jake Stahl
Jacob Garland "Jake" Stahl was an American first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, and New York Highlanders. A graduate of the University of Illinois, he was a member of the Kappa Kappa chapter of Sigma Chi...
| First baseman
| 1903–1912
| 1912
|
|-
| Heinie Wagner
Heinie Wagner
Charles Francis "Heinie" Wagner was an American baseball player and manager. He played shortstop for the New York Giants and the Boston Red Sox . He was also the manager of the Red Sox during the 1930 baseball season.Wagner was born in Harlem, New York, in September 1880...
| Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
| 1902–1918
| 1913–1914
|
|-
| Jack Barry
Jack Barry (baseball)
John Joseph "Jack" Barry was an American shortstop, second baseman, and manager in Major League Baseball, and later a college baseball coach...
| Second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
| 1908–1919
| 1915–1917
|
|-
| Dick Hoblitzel
Dick Hoblitzel
Richard Carleton "Dick" Hoblitzel , was a professional baseball player who played first base in the Major Leagues from 1908-1918. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox. Hoblitzel was the National League at bats leader in 1910 & 1911 and Cincinnati MVP in 1911...
| First baseman
| 1908–1918
| 1918
|
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Harry Hooper
Harry Hooper
Harry Bartholomew Hooper was a Major League Baseball player in the early 20th century. Hooper batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Hooper was born in Bell Station, California. A graduate in engineering at Saint Mary's College of California, he broke into the majors with the Red Sox in 1909,...
‡
| Outfielder
| 1908–1925
| 1919–1920
|
|-
| Everett Scott
Everett Scott
Lewis Everett Scott , nicknamed "Deacon", was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for 12 seasons with the Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Washington Senators , Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds . Scott batted and threw right-handed...
| Shortstop
| 1914–1926
| 1921
|
|-
| Del Pratt
Del Pratt
Derrill Burnham "Del" Pratt was a star running back for the University of Alabama before becoming a professional baseball player. Pratt signed with the St. Louis Browns in...
| Second baseman
| 1914–1926
| 1922
|
|-
| George Burns
George Burns (first baseman)
George Henry Burns , nicknamed "Tioga George," was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for five American League teams from to...
| First baseman
| 1914–1929
| 1923
|
|-
| Mike Menosky
Mike Menosky
Michael William Menosky was a professional American baseball outfielder for the Federal League and Major League Baseball. Born in Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania, he was known as "Leaping Mike" for his daring, fence-crashing catches...
| Left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
| 1914–1923
| 1923
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1924–1939
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
‡
| First baseman
| 1925–1945
| 1940–1942
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1943–1965
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
‡
| Outfielder
| 1961–1983
| 1966
|
|-
| colspan=5|
No captain 1967–1968
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
‡
| Outfielder
| 1961–1983
| 1969–1983
|
|-
|colspan=5|
No captain 1984
|- style="background-color: #FFE6BD"
| Jim Rice
Jim Rice
James Edward "Jim" Rice , nicknamed "Jim Ed", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder.Jim Rice played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox from 1974 to 1989...
‡
| Outfielder
| 1974–1989
| 1985–1989
|
|-
|colspan=5|
No captain 1990–2004
|-
| Jason Varitek
Jason Varitek
Jason Andrew Varitek is an American professional baseball catcher who is a free agent. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Boston Red Sox...
| Catcher
| 1997–present
| 2005–present
|
|-
|colspan=5|
