MikeyChalupa

A few of my favorites, in no particular order:

April 26, 1901: The Boston Americans (who adopted the name Red Sox in 1908) played their first game ever, in Baltimore. They lost 10-6. The Orioles moved to New York in 1903 and later became known as the Yankees.

May 30, 2001: Boston's Pedro Martinez beat the Yankees for the first time in over a year (since May 28, 2000 Martinez faced the Yanks five times and Boston lost all five games). The following day Pedro scoffed at "The Curse", telling reporters "Wake up the Bambino and let me face him -- I'll drill him in the %#$." At the time Pedro was 7-1 with a 1.44 ERA. After his challenge, he managed only seven more starts during the season (without a win) due to rotator cuff trouble. It was the first time that Martinez was winless in seven straight starts since the first seven of his major league career; during this time he went 0-2 with a 4.54 ERA. The Red Sox lost their seven remaining games in 2001 against the Yankees after Martinez's comment.

April 28, 1929: Sunday baseball was approved in Boston. In a game played at Commonwealth Park (due to Fenway's proximity to a church), the Red Sox lost to Philadelphia 7-3 in their first Sunday home game.

July 3, 1932: After laws restricting Sunday games within 1000 feet of a church in Boston were changed, the Red Sox lost to the Yankees 13-2 in the first Sunday game played at Fenway Park.

July 21, 1959: While on the road in Chicago, Pumpsie Green came in as a pinch runner for the Red Sox, breaking the Sox color line. Earl Wilson, Boston's first black pitcher, debuted ten days later. Boston was the last team to integrate its' major league roster. More than fourteen years earlier, on April 16, 1945, three African-American players tried out at Fenway. The Red Sox passed on all three, including a young man named Jackie Robinson. In the spring of 1950 Boston had the opportunity to sign Willie Mays from the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons, but declined.

May 1, 1920: Babe Ruth hit his first home run as a Yankee, during a 6-0 victory over the Red Sox.

September 27, 1923: During an 8-3 Yankee victory, New York rookie Lou Gehrig hit his first career homer off of Red Sox pitcher Bill Piercy.

May 8, 1926: A three-alarm fire burned Fenway's grandstand roof and leftfield bleachers, as well as an open dump that ran along Jersey Street (which was later renamed Yawkey Way). It was the fourth fire in the same place in two days -- and was ruled accidental. The cash-strapped Red Sox had to use most of the insurance proceeds to fund operations, leaving a vacant lot where the bleachers once stood.

July 17, 1990: In the fourth inning against Minnesota, with runners on first and second, Tom Brunansky hit a hard grounder up the third base line. 3B Gary Gaetti stepped on third (forcing out Jody Reed). Gaetti threw to Al Newman at second (forcing out Carlos Quintana), and Newman threw to Kent Hrbek on first to get Brunansky out for the triple play. In the eighth inning, with runners on first and second, Jody Reed hit a hard grounder up the third base line. Gaetti stepped on third (forcing out Tim Naehring). Gaetti threw to Newman at second (forcing out Wade Boggs), and Newman threw to Hrbek on first to get Reed out for the triple play. It is the only time in modern baseball history that a team turned two triple plays in the same game -- let alone identical 5-4-3 triple plays.

October 20, 1999: Celebrating the Red Sox's first ALCS appearance in nine years, Boston held a rally on the steps of City Hall. Two hundred and fifty fans attended.

-Mikey