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Looking back at other shortened Red Sox seasons

By Daniel Fox

BOSTON, MA - JULY 24: An empty Fenway Park ahead of the start of the Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park on July 24, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JULY 24: An empty Fenway Park ahead of the start of the Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park on July 24, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 24: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox faces the empty seats in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on September 24, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 24: Alex Verdugo #99 of the Boston Red Sox faces the empty seats in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on September 24, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /

Looking back at other shortened Red Sox seasons

Well, it’s official: The 2022 baseball season will not be 162 games. After appearing to put a full season back on the table, Rob Manfred not only re-canceled the first six games, but wiped out two more series as well.

As frustrating as this announcement was, a shortened season is not unprecedented. Let’s take a look back at other Boston Red Sox seasons that went less than the full schedule.

1972 Red Sox (85-70)

The 1972 baseball strike was the first season in which the baseball season was shortened over a dispute. An argument over player’s pension and salary arbitration wiped out the first week and a half of games. MLB didn’t bother making up those games, meaning that each team lost an uneven amount of games. That would come back to haunt the Red Sox.

The 1972 Red Sox were an awesome offensive unit. The leader of the group was Rookie of the Year Carlton Fisk, who slashed a terrific .293/.370/.538 with a team-leading 22 home runs. Reggie Smith was also excellent, getting on base at a .365 clip and pacing the club with 74 RBIs. The ball club led the American League in runs and OPS, even with a down season from Carl Yastrzemski (.264/.357/.391).

The pitching was similarly terrific. Starting pitchers Marty Pattin, Sonny Siebert, John Curtis, Lynn Mcglothen each had ERAs under 4.00, while Luis Tiant was superb in a swingman role (1.91 ERA). Future starter Bill Lee anchored the bullpen with a 3.20 ERA and led the teams in saves, albeit with just five.

The Red Sox stayed in the hunt for the AL East until last week and headed into Detroit for a three-game set leading the Tigers by a half-game in the division. Needing to win two out of three to clinch a playoff spot, the Red Sox lost the first game after Luis Aparicio’s infamous tumble rounding third killed a potential rally. The Tigers took the next game as well, and even though the Red Sox took the finale, the Tigers won the division by half a game, a result of having one fewer canceled game than the Red Sox.

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