Boston Red Sox 20 game losers
By Rick McNair
The Yankees
The Yankees had a pipeline to Boston and it was not just Babe Ruth. The core of the Yankee teams to the mid-1920s was a good portion of the 1918 Red Sox championship team. One such player was a right-handed pitcher – Sad Sam Jones.
In 1919 Jones reached the 20 loss mark and he later accomplished 20 losses with the Yankees by leading the American League in losses in 1925 with 21. Also of note is Jones went 23-16 in his last Boston season (1921) and led the league in shutouts.
Red Ruffing suffered through several seasons in Boston going 39-96 with two seasons of 20+ losses. In back-to-back years Ruffing led the American League in losses with the first being 1928 with 25 and proving in was no fluke with 22 losses in 1929.
Ruffing became a Hall of Fame pitcher with the Yankees. How refreshing to suddenly have Lou Gehrig at first base and not Phil Todt or see the likes of Ruth, Bill Dickey, Earle Combs among others for run support. Ruffing won 20 or more games four times for the Yankees and won 231 games for the bombers.
No doubt if Ruffing had been traded a few years sooner he would have notched 300+ career wins. Ruffing is also noted as one of the very best hitting pitchers with a .269 career average and 36 home runs and 273 RBI.
Next: Two no-hitters and Slim