The Boston Red Sox, a professional baseball franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), has given the title of captain to select players since the team's inaugural season as a member of the American League in 1901 (the team was known as the Boston Americans through the 1907 season). For various seasons during the team's history, the position has been vacant; while in early baseball a captain was responsible for many of the functions now assumed by managers and coaches, the title is purely honorary in modern professional baseball. Since the end of World War II, only three players have served as captain of the Red Sox. The most recent was catcher Jason Varitek, who was captain during the 2005–2011 seasons, and wore a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey, similar to captains in the National Hockey League.

Captains

The history of Red Sox captains was researched by baseball historian Howard W. Rosenberg in 2004. The Red Sox front office contacted Rosenberg in advance of Jason Varitek being named captain, after learning that Rosenberg, author of a 2003 book featuring captains in 19th-century baseball, had disputed the official count of captains in New York Yankees franchise history.

‡Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Player Position Years active Years as captain Ref. Boston Americans (through 1907) Jimmy Collins ‡ 3B 1895–1908 1901–1905 Chick Stahl OF 1897–1906 1906 Bob Unglaub 1B 1904–1910 1907 Boston Red Sox (1908 to present) Deacon McGuire C 1884–1912 1908 Doc Gessler RF 1903–1911 1909 Harry Lord 3B 1903–1911 1910 Heinie Wagner SS 1902–1918 1911 Lieb, Frederick G. and McNally, John Jake Stahl 1B 1903–1912 1912 Heinie Wagner SS 1902–1918 1913–1914 Jack Barry 2B 1908–1919 1915–1917 Dick Hoblitzell 1B 1908–1918 1918 Harry Hooper ‡ OF 1908–1925 1919–1920 Everett Scott SS 1914–1926 1921 Del Pratt 2B 1914–1926 1922 George Burns 1B 1914–1929 1923 Mike Menosky LF 1914–1923 1923 No captain 1924–1939 Jimmie Foxx ‡ 1B 1925–1945 1940–1942 No captain 1943–1965 Carl Yastrzemski ‡ OF 1961–1983 1966 No captain 1967–1968 Carl Yastrzemski ‡ OF 1961–1983 1969–1983 No captain 1984 Jim Rice ‡ OF 1974–1989 1985–1989 No captain 1990–2004 Jason Varitek C 1997–2011 2005–2011 No captain 2012–present

Notes Served as acting captain for one game.

References