Fenway wasn’t all that friendly last season.
Fenway Park by werkunz1 on Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Red Sox went 34-47 at home in 2014 for a .420 win percentage, tying with the 2012 and 1965 clubs for the 9th worst home mark in franchise history and the 8th-worst home record at Fenway (which opened in 1912). At home last year Boston scored 324 runs and allowed 374, a -50 run differential. It was just the 29th time in 114 seasons that the Red Sox had a negative run differential at home and the first time they had one that large since 1980 (also -50).
2014’s home record was especially jolting given the .654 win percentage of just a year before. The World Champion 2013 club, for whom any night might bring a magical finish, tied the 2003 and 1988 clubs for the 19th best home record in franchise history.
The Red Sox are looking to turn things around at Fenway in the season ahead with a rebuilt lineup that’s targeted at putting the Red Sox atop the American League at home.
2010-14 at Fenway
Despite last year, in the past five seasons the Red Sox have been strong at Fenway, slashing .278/.346/.446 in home games. Boston’s home batting average from 2010 to 2015 was 4th best in MLB (behind the Rockies, Tigers, and Rangers); their on-base percentage and slugging percentage was 3rd-best (behind the Rockies and Tigers).
Since 2010 no team has collected as many home doubles as the Red Sox. Their 975 doubles are 174 more than the 2nd-place Rockies. What’s more, the Red Sox 1,948 RBIs and 6,192 total bases over the past five seasons at Fenway are the most by any AL club at home and 2nd only to the Rockies totals of 2,227 and 6,854, respectively.
The Red Sox amassed 1,379 Fenway walks over the past five seasons, 5th most in the MLB (behind the Rays, Athletics, Yankees and Braves).
409 Fenway Red Sox home runs from 2010-14 was the 10th most by any club at home in baseball. Of those 409 round trippers it won’t surprise you to know that David Ortiz hit the most, but would you have realized he’s responsible for nearly 16% of them? 64 of the 409 came off Ortiz’ bat followed by Dustin Pedroia (35), Jarrod Saltalamacchia (27), Jacoby Ellsbury (22) and Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis (18 each).
Fenway at its best (and worst)
The best Red Sox home record came in 1946 and 1949, Both seasons the team was 61-16 (.792). The club’s record for the most runs scored at Fenway in a single season is 625 set in 1950.
The 1906 Red Sox had the worst home record, going 22-54 (.289), a franchise all-time low, though that was before the first official game at Fenway on April 20, 1912 vs the New York Highlanders (later, the Yankees). After Fenway opened the club with the worst home record was the 1926 crew, which went 25-51 (.329). That season’s team has another dubious distinction: a run differential at home of -150, the club’s all-time record after scoring 288 and allowing 438 runs at home that season.
Red Sox leaders at Fenway
Since the 1914 season Ted Williams is the Red Sox player with the most home runs at Fenway. Williams had 248 followed by Carl Yastrzemski (237) and Jim Rice (208). David Ortiz seems destined this season to overcome Dwight Evans (199) at No. 4 on that list with just 14 more Fenway home runs needed.
Yastrzemski holds the record since 1914 for Fenway hits (1,822), doubles (382), RBI (1,063), runs scored (994), and total bases (2,991). Yaz was intentionally walked a record 109 times at Fenway, a record that Ortiz, with 93, could easily catch. Williams is the Red Sox walk leader at Fenway (1,031) and was tops in on-base percentage (.496) and OPS (1.148). Wade Boggs owns the best AVG as a Red Sox at home (.369).
Tim Wakefield holds the club record for most innings pitched at home (1,553.0) and appeared in the 2nd most games (303). Bob Stanley‘s 321 are the most appearances since 1914 for a Red Sox pitcher at Fenway. Stanley induced the most double plays (137). Wakefield’s longevity and knuckler likely account for his club record 90 times hitting a batter at Fenway. Roger Clemens had the most strikeouts (1,332). Luis Tiant had the most complete games, 61, of which 16 were shutouts, too. At Fenway Koji Uehara has walked a batter once for ever 8.36 strikeouts, a club best. Jonathan Papelbon has, by far, the most saves (104).