1966 Boston Red Sox season

Offseason

• October 4, 1965: The Red Sox trade eight-year veteran starting pitcher, former 20-game winner () and 4x AL All-Star Bill Monbouquette, 29, to the Detroit Tigers for catcher Jackie Moore (player to be named later), 26, second baseman George Smith, 28, and centerfielder George Thomas, 27.
• October 15, 1965: The Red Sox purchase the contract of right-handed pitcher José Santiago, 25, from the Kansas City Athletics.
• November 29, 1965:
  • In the Rule 5 draft, the Red Sox select relief pitcher Ken Sanders, 24, from the Athletics; they lose veteran outfielder Gary Geiger, 28, to the Atlanta Braves, and pitcher Bob Heffner, 27, to the Cleveland Indians.
  • Infielder Jimy Williams is drafted from the Red Sox by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1965 first-year draft.
• November 30, 1965: The Red Sox begin to remake their infield when they unconditionally release eight-time All-Star and 2x Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Frank Malzone, 35, and trade former starting shortstop Eddie Bressoud, 33, to the New York Mets for reserve outfielder Joe Christopher, 29.
• December 15, 1965: The Red Sox trade starting first baseman Lee Thomas, 29, to the Atlanta Braves, along with relief pitchers Arnold Earley, 32, and Jay Ritchie (PTBNL), 29, for pitchers Dan Osinski, 32, and Bob Sadowski, 27.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day lineup

Notable transactions

• April 3, 1966: The Red Sox trade former All-Star second baseman Félix Mantilla, 31, to the Houston Astros for utility infielder Eddie Kasko, 34.
• April 6, 1966: The Red Sox trade catcher Russ Nixon, 31, and second baseman Chuck Schilling, 28, to the Minnesota Twins for left-hander Dick Stigman, 30, and a minor-league player to be named later, first baseman José Calero.
• June 2, 1966: The Red Sox trade "The Monster," two-time AL All-Star relief pitcher Dick Radatz, 29, to the Cleveland Indians for pitchers Don McMahon, 36, and Lee Stange, 29.
• June 7, 1966: The Red Sox select left-hander Ken Brett, 17, from El Segundo High School, as their first pick (fourth overall) in the 1966 Major League Baseball draft.
• June 13, 1966: The Red Sox trade pitchers Guido Grilli, 27, and Ken Sanders, 24, and outfielder Jim Gosger, 23, to the Kansas City Athletics for pitchers Rollie Sheldon, 29, and John Wyatt, 31, and outfielder José Tartabull, 27.
• June 14, 1966: The Red Sox trade starting pitcher Earl Wilson, 31, and reserve outfielder Joe Christopher, 30, to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Don Demeter, 30, and pitcher Julio Navarro, 32 (PTBNL).
• August 15, 1966: The Red Sox acquire two pitchers: Hank Fischer, 26, from the Cincinnati Reds for two players to be named later (pitchers Rollie Sheldon and Dick Stigman), and Bill Short, 28, from the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations. The Red Sox also announce that they have sold pitcher Bob Sadowski to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On October 17, they will sell Short's contract to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Roster

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

Other batters

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

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Other pitchers

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

Relief pitchers

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

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Toronto Source:

References

References

1. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/1966-misc.shtml "1966 Major League Attendance and Team Age." Baseball Reference]
2. [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1966/VBOS01966.htm "1966 Boston Red Sox Regular Season Game Log." Retrosheet]
3. [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1966/TM_BOS1966.htm "Transactions for 1966 Boston Red Sox." Retrosheet]
4. [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1966/TBOS01966.htm "1966 Boston Red Sox: Home & Away Records by Month." Retrosheet]
5. [https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1965/TM_BOS1965.htm "Transactions for 1965 Boston Red Sox." Retrosheet]
6. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/w/williji03.shtml Jimy Williams page at Baseball Reference]
7. (August 16, 1966). "Red Sox Get Hank Fischer, Bill Short". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
8. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
9. (1966). "Boston Red Sox Yearbook".