The 1986 Boston Red Sox season was the 86th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 95–66. After defeating the California Angels in the ALCS, the Red Sox lost the World Series to the New York Mets in seven games.
Offseason
November 13, 1985: Bob Ojeda, Tom McCarthy, John Mitchell and Chris Bayer (minors) were traded to the New York Mets for Calvin Schiraldi, Wes Gardner, John Christensen, and La Schelle Tarver.Bob Ojeda page at Baseball Reference December 11, 1985: Mark Clear was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for Ed Romero.Ed Romero page at Baseball Reference January 14, 1986: Alan Mills was selected in the first round (13th overall) of the amateur draft, but did not sign.Alan Mills Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com January 14, 1986: Curt Schilling was selected in the second round of the amateur draft, and signed on May 30.Curt Schilling page at Baseball Reference March 28, 1986: Mike Easler was traded to the New York Yankees for Don Baylor.Don Baylor page at Baseball Reference
Spring Training The Red Sox held spring training at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Florida, for the 21st season.
Boston Win Boston Loss Tie Game
|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 1 || March 7 || @ Tigers || 0─3 || 0─1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 2 || March 8 || @ Tigers || 4─6 || 0─2 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 3 || March 9 || @ Tigers || 2─11 || 0─3 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 4 || March 10 || @ Los Angeles || 7─6 || 1─3 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 5 || March 11 || @ Orioles || 5─1 || 2─3 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 6 || March 12 || Vs. Tigers || 2─3 || 3─3 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 7 || March 13 || @ Tigers || 8─9 || 3─4 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 8 || March 16 || @ Astros || 8─5 || 4─4 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 9 || March 17 || @ Cardinals || 3─6 || 4─5 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 10 || March 18 || Vs. Blue Jays || 5─2 || 4─6 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 11 || March 19 || @ Mets || 4─7 || 4─7 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 12 || March 20 || Vs. Tigers || 10─9 || 4─8 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 12 || March 21 || Vs. Twins || 8─1 || 4─9 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 13 || March 22 || @ Twins || 0─4 || 4─10 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 14 || March 23 || @ Royals || 3─1 || 5─10 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 15 || March 24 || Vs. Astros || 4─3 || 5─11 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 16 || March 25 || @ Pirates || 5─6 || 5─12 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 17 || March 26 || @ White Sox || 27─10 || 6─12 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 18 || March 27 || Vs. Pirates || 5─2 || 6─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 19 || March 28 || Vs. Mets || 5─6 || 7─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 20 || March 29 || Vs. Tigers || 5─9 || 8─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 21 || March 30 || Vs. Blue Jays || 2─7 || 9─13 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 22 || March 31 || Vs. Expos || 6─8 || 9─13 ||
|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 23 || April 1 || Vs. Phillies || 3─0 || 9─14 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 24 || April 2 || @ Tigers || 3─9 || 9─15 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" | 25 || April 3 || @ Pirates || 3─4 || 9─16 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 26 || April 4 || @ Astros || 9─0 || 10─16 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" | 27 || April 5 || Vs. Tigers || 0─6 || 11─16 ||
Regular season
April The Red Sox ended the series at Chicago with a 12-2 victory.
July In the second game of the series (July 1), the Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 9-7, with Tom Seaver making his debut with the Red Sox. +Record by monthMonth Record Cumulative AL East Ref. Won Lost Won Lost Position GB April 11 8 11 8 2nd (tie) May 21 7 32 15 1st + June 17 10 49 25 1st +8 July 10 16 59 41 1st +4 August 17 13 76 54 1st + September 18 8 94 62 1st + October 1 4 95 66 1st + The Red Sox played only 161 games, as a road game scheduled against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 24 was rained out, and was not rescheduled as it had no bearing on the divisional race.
Highlights
On April 29 at Fenway Park, 23-year-old Roger Clemens struck out 20 Seattle Mariners to set a major league record for a nine-inning game.
Clemens finished the regular season with 24 wins, the most by a Red Sox pitcher since Mel Parnell won 25 games in 1949.
Season standings
This was the first season since 1904 that the Yankees franchise (then known as the Highlanders) finished second in the standings to the Red Sox franchise (then known as the Americans).
Record vs. opponents
Notable transactions June 2, 1986: The Red Sox selected Scott Cooper in the third round of the 1986 Major League Baseball draft.Scott Cooper page at Baseball Reference June 29, 1986: Steve Lyons was traded by the Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox for Tom Seaver.Steve Lyons page at Baseball Reference August 17, 1986: The Seattle Mariners traded Spike Owen and Dave Henderson to the Red Sox for Rey Quiñones and players to be named later (Mike Brown, Mike Trujillo, and John Christensen).Spike Owen page at Baseball Reference
Opening day lineup
24 Dwight Evans RF26 Wade Boggs 3B 6 Bill Buckner 1B14 Jim Rice LF25 Don Baylor DH10 Rich Gedman C 20 Tony Armas CF17 Marty Barrett 2B18 Glenn Hoffman SS47 Bruce Hurst P Source:
Alumni game On May 17, the Red Sox held an old-timers game at Fenway, before a scheduled game with the Texas Rangers. The game–themed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the pennant-winning 1946 Red Sox–welcomed back 19 alumni of the team and was also the first to invite non-Red Sox alumni. Besides Ted Williams, Luis Tiant, and Rico Petrocelli, the day featured appearances by all three DiMaggio brothers: Joe, Vince, and Dom. The umpiring crew included Hall of Fame inductee Jocko Conlan.
Tommy Harper dismissal and legal action During the spring of 1985, Tommy Harper—a former outfielder and coach with a 10-year association with the Red Sox—spoke out against the team's long-term association with the all-white Elks Club of Winter Haven, Florida, where the team then held spring training. Harper was let go by the Red Sox in December 1985, and subsequently filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). On July 1, 1986, the EEOC ruled that Harper's dismissal "was held to be without merit". In December 1986, Harper and the Red Sox reached a settlement, the terms of which were not disclosed.
Roster 1986 Boston Red Sox Roster Pitchers Catchers
Infielders Outfielders Manager
Coaches (Pitching) (Hitting & First base) (Third base) (Bullpen)
Game log Regular season Legend Red Sox win Red Sox loss Postponement Clinched divisionBoldRed Sox team member
|- style="text-align:center; | 1 || April 7 || || @ Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 2 || April 9 || || @ Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 3 || April 10 || || @ Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 4 || April 11 || || @ White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 5 || April 12 || || @ White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 6 || April 13 || || @ White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 7 || April 14 || || Royals |- style="text-align:center; | 8 || April 16 || || Royals |- style="text-align:center; | 9 || April 17 || || Royals |- style="text-align:center; | 10 || April 18 || || White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 11 || April 19 || || White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 12 || April 20 || || White Sox |- style="text-align:center; | 13 || April 21 || || Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 14 || April 22 || || Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 15 || April 23 || || Tigers |- style="text-align:center; | 16 || April 25 || || @ Royals |- style="text-align:center; | 17 || April 26 || || @ Royals |- style="background:bbbbbb" | – || April 27 || || @ Royals || colspan=10|Postponed (rain) Makeup date: August 12 |- style="text-align:center; | 18 || April 29 || || Mariners |- style="text-align:center; | 19 || April 30 || || Mariners
|- style="text-align:center; | 20 || May 1 || || Mariners |- style="text-align:center; | 21 || May 2 || || Athletics |- style="text-align:center; | 22 || May 3 || || Athletics |- style="text-align:center; | 23 || May 4 || || Athletics |- style="background:#bfb;" | 24 || May 5 || || Angels |- style="background:#fbb;" | 25 || May 6 || || Angels |- style="text-align:center; | 26 || May 7 || || @ Mariners |- style="text-align:center; | 27 || May 8 || || @ Mariners |- style="text-align:center; | 28 || May 9 || || @ Athletics |- style="text-align:center; | 29 || May 10 || || @ Athletics |- style="text-align:center; | 30 || May 11 || || @ Athletics |- style="background:#fbb;" | 31 || May 12 || || @ Angels |- style="background:#fbb;" | 32 || May 13 || || @ Angels |- style="background:#bfb;" | 33 || May 14 || || @ Angels |- style="text-align:center; | 34 || May 16 || || Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 35 || May 17 || || Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 36 || May 18 || || Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 37 || May 19 || || Twins |- style="text-align:center; | 38 || May 20 || || Twins |- style="text-align:center; | 39 || May 21 || || Twins |- style="text-align:center; | 40 || May 23 || || @ Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 41 || May 24 || || @ Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 42 || May 25 || || @ Rangers |- style="text-align:center; | 43 || May 26 || || @ Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 44 || May 27 || || @ Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 45 || May 28 || || @ Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 46 || May 30 || || @ Twins |- style="text-align:center; | 47 || May 31 || || @ Twins
|- style="text-align:center; | 48 || June 1 || || @ Twins |- style="text-align:center; | 49 || June 2 || || Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 50 || June 3 || || Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 51 || June 4 || || Indians |- style="text-align:center; | 52 || June 5 || || @ Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 53 || June 6 || || @ Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 54 || June 7 || || @ Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 55 || June 8 || || @ Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 56 || June 9 || || @ Blue Jays |- style="text-align:center; | 57 || June 10 || || @ Blue Jays |- style="text-align:center; | 58 || June 11 || || @ Blue Jays |- style="background:bbbbbb" | – || June 12 || || Brewers || colspan=10|Postponed (rain) Makeup date: September 16 |- style="text-align:center; | 59 || June 13 || || Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 60 || June 14 || || Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 61 || June 15 || || Brewers |- style="text-align:center; | 62 || June 16 || || @ Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 63 || June 17 || || @ Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 64 || June 18 || || @ Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 65 || June 20 || || Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 66 || June 21 || || Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 67 || June 22 || || Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 68 || June 23 || || Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 69 || June 24 || || Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 70 || June 25 || || Yankees |- style="text-align:center; | 71 || June 27 || || @ Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 72 || June 28 || || @ Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 73 || June 29 || || @ Orioles |- style="text-align:center; | 74 || June 30 || || Blue Jays
|- style="text-align:center; | 75 || July 1 || || Blue Jays |- style="text-align:center;